Boss

Mighty Oak, the first boss of *Epic Battle Fantasy 4*.

The word "Boss" refers to a series of (usually) unique foes in the Epic Battle Fantasy series. Often encountered at the end of an area or stage, they are powerful enemies with high HP and a variety of attacks and skills. Many bosses are mandatory obstacles that must be defeated in order to advance, but some are optional opponents that protect treasure or simply offer players additional challenges.

Most bosses have a number of resistances and few weaknesses, as well as immunity to the most dangerous status effects, such as Syphon, Stun, Freeze and Instant Death. Many have special gimmicks or tricks to their battle that must be overcome in order to claim Victory.

Although their forms vary, most bosses can be identified by a distinctive appearance, often being larger and more fearsome-looking than the other enemies in the area. Bosses also tend to have a unique music theme that plays during their battle; some bosses distinguish themselves even further by having a theme that only plays in battle against them.

The bosses of the Epic Battle Fantasy series are rarely fought alone. Many can summon lesser enemies as backup, either normal enemies from the surrounding area or unique enemies exclusive to the boss battle. Some have individual parts that are considered separate enemies from the main boss - destroying these parts often weaken or strengthen the boss in some way. Finally, some bosses attack alongside other bosses - this type is usually seen near the end of their respective games.

The EBF series also features the Miniboss (or Mid-boss), a strong enemy encountered within an area. These enemies blur the line between bosses and standard foes, often being an entire species of enemy (such as Defenders, Dragons, Golems, Monoliths, and Squids). In general, a miniboss can be distinguished from a "proper" boss by location: the former is usually found in the middle of an area while the latter is fought near the end, serving as a "gatekeeper" to the next area. Sometimes, a boss in one EBF game is "downgraded" to a miniboss or elite foe in a subsequent game, such as the Tundra Mammoth's devolution from an area boss in EBF3 to a miniboss in EBF4 and finally to a member of the Mammoth enemy class in EBF5.

Later EBF games and spinoffs would introduce the Superboss, a type of extremely difficult optional boss. These foes are usually based on plot-mandatory bosses (or even the Playable Characters), upgraded to be much more challenging than the originals. Some games also have an optional Boss Rush that pits players against several bosses in a row, sometimes with modifications to make the battles more or less difficult.

Bosses in the Main Epic Battle Fantasy Series[]

Epic Battle Fantasy[]

Forest Boss: King Slime
Wasteland Boss: Beholder
Factory Boss: Defender
Ocean Boss 1: Metaice
Ocean Boss 2: Metarock
Ocean Boss 3: Metaice and Metarock
Bunker Boss: Mecha
Graveyard Boss: Zombie Roku

Epic Battle Fantasy 2[]

Stage 5: Kitten Kart
Stage 8: Guardian
Stage 13: Giga Golem
Stage 16: Sandworm and Sandworm Tail
Stage 19: 2-Headed Zombie Hydra
Stage 22: Valkyrie Tank/Lance

Epic Battle Fantasy 3[]

Vegetable Forest: Jack
Rock Lake: Giant Squid
Glacier Valley: Tundra Mammoth
Kitten Kingdom Ruins: Protector
Volcano Peak: Pyrohydra (Abyss, Blaze, & Czars)
The Rift: Akron

Epic Battle Fantasy 4[]

Ashwood Forest: Mighty Oak
Crystal Caverns: Crystal Golem
Waste Disposal Plant: Praetorian
Lankyroot Jungle: Rafflesia
Lava Cave: Beholder (optional miniboss, unlocks summon)
Waste Disposal Plant: The Glitch (secret boss; optional)
Temple of Godcat: Godcat (The Creator & The Destroyer)

Post-Patch additions[]

These bosses and minibosses were introduced to EBF4 following the Battle Mountain update. Enemies present on Battle Mountain itself are only accessible in Steam release of the game or via the updated version of the Premium Pack.