A game's final boss is usually the most climactic part of the game. After all, you've fought so many battles, gotten much stronger, and made so much progress to get to it. Beating it is supposed to give you a sense of catharsis and satisfaction after however many hours you've put into the game.

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But some games let you engage in the final battle without having to go through all the stuff that would usually come before it. Actually, beating the boss is another matter since you probably won't be at the same level as them, but it's still cool that you can encounter them early.

Updated August 30, 2024 by Ben Jessey: Being able to skip straight to the final boss of a game is an interesting experience. In this list, we included several games that allowed you to do that. Now, we've updated the piece to add a few more.

11 Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair

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Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

Platformer Puzzle Developer(s) Playtonic Games Publisher(s) Team 17 Platform(s) Xbox One, Switch, PC, PS4 Powered by Expand Collapse

At the end of levels in Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair, you save bees, who are members of the Royal Beettalion Guard. You do this because they give you extra protection from the many obstacles you must bypass during the game. To put it simply, they take hits for you. This is very useful for reaching the final boss, Capital B, as his lair is full of hazards.

The lair is accessible from the start of the game. So, if you're really good, you can avoid doing the other levels and attempt to complete the thing bee-less. It's not easy, but unlike the game's title suggests, it's possible.

10 Crackdown 3

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Crackdown 3

Action Developer(s) Sumo Digital Publisher(s) Microsoft Studios Platform(s) Xbox One X, PC Powered by Expand Collapse

The main villainous group of Crackdown 3 is a corporation known as TerraNova, which Elizabeth Niemand runs. They aren't the most subtle or sneaky of antagonistic forces. After all, Niemand looks down on the entire city of New Providence from a giant tower that's visible from pretty much anywhere on the map.

The strategic way of bringing her and the entire company down is by systematically taking out her main allies, which allows you to slowly weaken her defenses while getting stronger yourself. Alternatively, you can make a beeline for the tower right from the start, climb it to the top, and kill her. Getting up the tower and past her defenses with a level-one character isn't easy, though.

9 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Action Adventure Developer(s) Nintendo EPD Publisher(s) Nintendo Platform(s) Nintendo Wii U, Switch Powered by Expand Collapse

Breath of the Wild is totally open-world. Though there's a recommended order for which Divine Beasts to bring back, you can tackle it in whichever order you wish. In fact, you can skip getting to the Divine Beasts altogether and just head straight toward Hyrule Castle, where Calamity Ganon is waiting for you.

The enemies in that castle are strong, let alone the boss himself, and going straight there means you'll only have three or four hearts and the base amount of stamina. Your weapons and armor will be lacking, too. But you can still try to fight him, and if you somehow win, you'll beat the game as if you'd gone through it normally.

8 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Adventure Action Open-World Developer(s) Nintendo Publisher(s) Nintendo Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 Powered by Expand Collapse

Just like its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom prides itself on its open world and the fact that players can choose the course for their hero entirely at their own discretion. This means that, again, as soon as you get access to all of Hyrule (and unlock the paraglider), you can take on the final boss: Ganondorf.

Of course, it's a bit tricky to get to him if you don't already know how, and, just like in Breath of the Wild, you're restricted to a few hearts and your base Stamina wheel. Even some other basic components of the game, like the camera, need to be unlocked through quests. But, if you've got an itch, it's entirely possible to win.

7 Tales Of Zestiria

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Tales of Zestiria

JRPG Action Developer(s) Bandai Namco Studios Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Studios Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 Powered by Expand Collapse

One of Tales of Zestiria's central themes is malevolence and the hellions it creates. Heldalf is basically the most powerful hellion and wants to spread more malevolence, which is why he's the final boss of the game. Once the characters learn of him, though, you'll actually see him around on the field sometimes.

He'll just be standing there, but if you touch him, you will be thrown into battle with him. Being that you're severely under-leveled for a fight against him at any point before very close to the end of the game's story, it's not an easy battle by any means. But if you do manage to beat him early on, you actually get a bad ending that pretty much guarantees the world's destruction.

6 Chrono Trigger

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Chrono Trigger

RPG Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Platform(s) SNES, PlayStation (Original), PC, Nintendo DS, Android, iOS Powered by Expand Collapse

Chrono Trigger has multiple different endings. You can get several of the better endings by beating its final boss, Lavos, as early as possible. But fighting it early doesn't mean it's any easier to beat.

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In fact, it's almost impossible the first time you technically have access to the battle. That is unless you grind a lot or are playing on New Game+. Even though it's tough to beat early, it's worth a sincere shot since succeeding means getting a better ending than you usually would.

5 Mega Man X5

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Mega Man X5

Action Platformer Developer(s) Capcom Production Studio 3 Publisher(s) Capcom Platform(s) PlayStation (Original), PC Powered by Expand Collapse

Mega Man likes to give you control of which bosses to fight when, and X5 is no exception. Of course, there's typically an 'ideal' order in which to fight the bosses to make it easier on yourself overall. But, if you so choose, Mega Man X5 lets you fight Sigma right away, even though he's supposed to be the final boss.

When you defeat the other bosses, they drop parts for a shuttle that'll help against Sigma, making it stronger when you have to launch it. However, it's completely possible to launch the shuttle without any of the parts, and you'll be able to fight Sigma soon after. Will it go well for the Blue Bomber? Most likely not, but you can certainly try.

4 Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

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Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

Fighting Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Platform(s) PSP, PS Vita Powered by Expand Collapse

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy sort of punishes you for acting cocky at the beginning of the game. A Moogle guides you through the tutorial, but at some point during it, you'll have the option to say you're a Dissidia master, even though you've just started the game. If you do that, the Moogle will teach you a lesson in overconfidence by having you fight the final boss, Feral Chaos, right then and there.

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The boss is level 130, while you're at level one. Needless to say, the odds are against you. People who have managed to beat the boss at this stage say nothing happens if you win. The Moogle acts as if you've lost the battle anyway, and you don't get anything special for it.

3 NieR: Automata

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NieR: Automata

Action RPG Developer(s) Platinum Games Publisher(s) Square Enix Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch Powered by Expand Collapse

In NieR: Automata, a famously bizarre and introspective game, a secret code allows you to skip almost all of the game. After defeating the prologue boss, Marx, you can run between two sets of barrels and enter a secret code. It's not a glitch; it's baked into the game, and developers have waited literal years for players to find it.

Usually, you have to complete NieR: Automata three times (yes, really) to uncover all the options available, including the bonus mode. Using this code - which also appeared in Bayonetta 2 - allows you to jump straight to the big finale.

2 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

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The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

RPG Developer(s) Bethesda Game Studios Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks Platform(s) PC, Xbox (Original) Powered by Expand Collapse

You know where the final boss of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind is right from the start. Dagoth Ur is a reborn Chimer using a mechanical God to take control of Tamriel and spread a disease known as the Blight. He lives beneath the Red Mountain, where he is growing in power.

You could follow Morrowind's story and get stronger yourself before you take on Dagoth Ur, but you could also just go to the Red Mountain and challenge him. Unfortunately, to officially beat the game, you do need to break the Heart of Lorkhan, which is granting Dagoth Ur his invincibility and also powers the mechanical God. To do that, you need Dwemer tools: Sunder, a legendary hammer, and Keening, a magical dagger.