Metal Gear Solid is renowned not just for its stealth action mechanics that single-handedly influenced an entire genre of gaming but also for its incredible boss fights. Every single battle is a wholly unique experience, with clever character designs that are married to complex and unorthodox fight mechanics.
Many of the boss fights are quite difficult, but others are rather humorous. And finally, some boss fights are very rewarding for the kind of experiences they bring to the player. Each one of these fights is memorable in their own right, and sums up Metal Gear Solid to a T.
Hard: Vamp (Metal Gear Solid 2)
Vamp's signature abilities made for one tough opponent in Metal Gear Solid history. Not only was he extremely durable and almost invincible, but he also moved at lightning speed. His battle against Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2 was one for the history books.
Adding to the challenge was the fact that the battle took place on multiple levels, which meant players needed to switch to first-person mode in order to score a hit as he pranced around the catwalk above. Add in his deadly accuracy with throwing knives, and many gamers found themselves dead before they realized what was happening.
Rewarding: The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3)
The final fight against the Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3 isn't just one of the best, but also one of the most emotionally gripping. Essentially a mother figure to Snake, the Boss is perhaps the only person he truly respects, and cares about.
However, their fight was inevitable, and in order for Snake to succeed and fulfill her last wishes, he'd need to kill her outright. It was the ultimate test for Snake, forcing him to showcase everything the Boss taught him about CQC combat and war philosophy. It's one of the few boss battles to include a hidden moment that many Metal Gear Solid fans should definitely try out.
Funny: Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid)
Psycho Mantis still ranks as the best boss fight in the entirety of Metal Gear Solid history, but it's also one of the most amusing. That is, of course, if gamers are playing the original PlayStation version, where Mantis reads any installed memory cards looking for Konami game saves.
This sympathetic Metal Gear Solid villain would then call out the games in an effort to freak the player out, while simultaneously messing with their video output, and forcing them to swap controllers so he can't predict their movements. Back in the day, this was interactivity at its best. Nowadays, it's rather gimmicky, but still impressive.
Hard: Sniper Wolf (Metal Gear Solid)
This particular battle was quite hard back in the day, primarily because of the finnicky nature of first-person shooting mechanics on a controller pad. Sniper Wolf is one of the coolest bosses of any Metal Gear game, and this battle of wits and skill was one of the most gripping.
Players who lacked a steady hand would miss their shots, leaving themselves wide open to take a bullet. Of course, they could always ingest some diazepam to calm their muscles and steady their shot, but it didn't last forever. That meant players had to move quick, and aim a lot quicker.
Rewarding: Solidus Snake (Metal Gear Solid 2)
There were so many memorable moments in Metal Gear Solid 2, and more plot twists than an entire season of Black Mirror. That being said, the final battle against Solidus Snake remains one of the most unexpected, and best boss battles in the franchise's history.
The setting, the tone, and the nature of the battle itself are incredible, due to how it devolves into a simple battle of wills between two sword-swinging warriors. It's one of the most personal battles in the entire game, especially given that Solidus is a Metal Gear Solid character without any superpowers to fall back on - just brute strength.
Funny: Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid 3)
Ocelot went on to become one of the most notorious bad guys in all of Metal Gear history, but he started out as a brash and arrogant young man who got a bit too big for his britches, especially when he ran up against Snake. Their first fight ranks as one of the most memorable, and funniest of the bunch.
Lots of funny things can happen during the first boss fight against Ocelot. Players can spin a revolver in the same way he does, which gains his admiration. His unit will also watch from afar and laugh at players who mess up, his cap can be shot off, among other little secrets.
Hard: Peace Walker (Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker)
The fight against Peace Walker comes in two stages, but it's arguably the second stage that presents the biggest challenge. The unit is armed with a powerful array of weaponry, and is capable of jumping into the water to avoid being hit by the player.
All it takes is some patience, a lot of rockets, and figuring out Peace Walker's battle patterns. The question is, how many times will it take the average player to figure them out, before they're stomped into the tarmac?
Rewarding: Sahelanthropus (Metal Gear Solid V)
Battling Metal Gears is a staple of the titular franchise, and there have been some incredible fights against these mechanized nuclear launch machines over the years. However, the battle against Sahelanthropus in Metal Gear Solid V is one of the most gripping.
First, the enemy itself is terrifying as it towers over Snake. There's nowhere to really hide, and it outguns the player by a massive margin. Second, the battle is open ended, which means players can engage Sahelanthropus over and over again, defeating it with entirely different approaches and tactics.
Funny: The End (Metal Gear Solid 3)
The End was a great character that was only around for one Metal Gear Solid game. He was one very old guy who just happened to be an expert sniper. However, his advanced age didn't really work well in his favor, especially when laying in the prone position and waiting for a target of opportunity to wade into his crosshairs.
The elderly are known to take frequent naps, and if players were patient enough, they could sneak up on the End was he was taking a snooze. The fight itself was challenging, but little moments like that sure made for some hilarity.
Rewarding: Liquid Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid 4)
The battle against Liquid Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid 4 was a full-circle moment that finally ended a decades-long story. In the end, it came down to two grizzled old men with nothing to lose, and all the hatred in the world for each other. Liquid Ocelot's story was one of the most predictable plot twists in Metal Gear Solid, but it developed over time.
Fisticuffs are the name of the game for this fight, and the brutal punches are interspersed with fuzzy snapshots from previous Metal Gear games, in order to bring the story back to its roots. The camera pans around in cinematic fashion with a gripping musical number in the background to bring this final confrontation to its ultimate culmination.