Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is considered a gem of the SNES era for its memorable story, gameplay, and of course, difficult boss fights. Read on to find out what our picks are for the original game's hardest bosses.
The Top 5 Hardest Bosses in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
5. Smithy
Yes, the final boss of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is, in our opinion, only the 5th hardest boss in the game. Smithy’s is a fight that’s designed to test everything you’ve learned so far and your ability to apply them in battle.
As is fitting for a final boss, he has a massive health pool (one of the largest in the game) that you’ll have to whittle down over the course of several phases. Using his trusty hammer, Smithy changes forms between phases, each one with its own stats, strengths, and thankfully, weaknesses. It will be up to you to figure out how to counter each form, but do remember that this fight is a marathon, not a sprint. Use your counters only when necessary or you’ll find yourself running out of steam before long.
There’s no stumbling out of this fight, you’re going to need your wits about you if you’re going to take down the big boss of the Smithy Gang.
4. Yaridovich
The beanpole spearman himself, Yaridovich, ranks 4th on our list of hardest Super Mario RPG bosses for one reason - clones. Yaridovich has the ability to summon clones of himself in battle in an attempt to overwhelm you. Each clone is imperfect and can easily be distinguished from the main boss, so the difficulty of the fight doesn’t come from the deception of similar-looking targets.
Rather, if left alone, the clones can start to overwhelm you. Taking them down one at a time is possible but inefficient, as every attack directed at a clone is an attack diverted away from the boss. Make sure to have Geno in your party, as his "Geno Whirl" ability makes short work of the clones, giving you more time to focus your assault on Yaridovich himself.
3.Axem Rangers
Our favorite Power Rangers ripoffs hold the middle of the pack as the 3rd most difficult boss fight in Super Mario RPG. The Axem Rangers are a curious bunch, as they don’t really pose much of a threat individually. Each ranger has unremarkable stats and no unique abilities to worry about, so it’s actually rather easy to rush one down if you so choose. Together, they make for a harder fight, but they’re still manageable with any party composition.
The difficulty in this fight comes from their ship, a massive barge called The Blade. When every Axem Ranger is defeated, Axem Red unlocks The Blade’s main cannon, letting it activate its devastating "Breaker Beam" attack. This attack hits the entire party for massive damage and cannot be blocked, so chances are you’ll be leaving this fight with a party member or two down.
Make sure to save your best attacks for The Blade when the fight reaches that stage or else you'll soon find yourself at the mercy of the Axem Ranger's battle barge.
2. Exor
From a battleship called The Blade to an actual blade, we have Exor as the 2nd hardest boss fight in Super Mario RPG. Exor is a massive sword with a face, summoned by Smithy to overtake Bowser’s Castle and establish a forward base in the Smithy Gang’s attempt for world domination.
Exor’s fight is a lesson in target prioritization. Although he is only one enemy, he is so massive that his boss fight requires you to target different parts of his body: his eyes, mouth, and pommel. The latter two hold potent spells and abilities that could take your team down when left unchecked and are lacking in any damage weaknesses. That leaves you with Exor’s eyes, which must be prioritized if you want any hope of taking down this massive enemy.
1. Culex
In every corner of the community, across every forum and discussion board, Culex has been repeatedly named the hardest boss fight in Super Mario RPG and we couldn’t agree more. Boasting 4000 HP, 4 elemental crystals to barrage you with, and his own set of powerful abilities, Culex is easily above Smithy in terms of raw difficulty. But hey, that’s to be expected from an optional hidden boss fight in a Squaresoft game.
There’s no mucking about in this fight, no gimmicks, no novel tactics to be had. In fact, this isn’t even a test of strength anymore, much unlike Smithy’s fight. This fight was designed to bring you to your knees and force you to bring your best party to earn the right to win against Culex.
It’s an insane fight by all accounts, but such is the norm in a JRPG game. No wonder there's an entire speedrunning scene dedicated to defeating Culex as quickly as possible.
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