Super Mario Odyssey follows the titular character on his journey through several kingdoms. Most of these kingdoms feature boss fights that Mario completes to claim Moons, which power his hat-shaped spacecraft,the Odyssey, to travel to the next location. Several of these bosses appear on more than one occasion, becoming more difficult as the story progresses.
Each boss fight requires a strategy to beat it, but even with strategy, some of the bosses in the game can be difficult, especially for beginners. It is not uncommon for players to lose to some bosses several times before they figure out the tricks to overcoming them. By understanding boss fights, players can be more equipped to face the challenges.
Topper
The first boss faced in the game, Topper is not initially very difficult to beat. He wears an excessive number of hats, which spin around the stage after they are knocked off his head. Mario must jump on his uncovered head to do damage to him. This is not difficult in the Cap Kingdom since he is an early-game boss. In the second Topper fight, however, this gimmick becomes much more challenging. He wears substantially more hats, and Mario must dodge them with precision while they spin around the arena. If players do not pay enough attention, a hat can easily catch them unaware.
Hariet
Hariet is the most intimidating in between her phases in battle. After Mario uses Cappy to launch one of Hariet's bombs back at her, she becomes vulnerable to damage. She then retreats into her helmet and flies around the stage, dropping bombs as she moves. When the bombs explode, they leave pools of lava, creating damage-dealing obstacles. Players then have to navigate these pools while attempting to defeat Hariet. This is especially more difficult and interesting in the second fight with the boss. She appears in both the Sand Kingdom and Bowser's Kingdom, and she is a part of what makes these some of the best kingdoms in Super Mario Odyssey.
Knucklotec
Defeating Knucklotec is simple enough. Mario must capture one of his hands and propel it into his face three times. The way to make Knucklotec vulnerable to this attack, though, is a bit more complicated. When a hand attempts to smash Mario, it must hit a piece of ice on the ground below, temporarily immobilizing it.
Dodging this attack can be difficult, damaging Mario if done incorrectly. In addition, in between Knucklotec's phases of attacks, ice falls from above, adding another danger for Mario. With each phase getting progressively harder, Knucklotec may take a few tries to defeat.
RoboBrood
The final boss of Bowser's Kingdom, RoboBrood consists of all four Broodals inside a giant machine. Using a Pokio is the easiest way to defeat this boss, but even this requires patience and precision. RoboBrood can stomp on Mario if he does not keep his distance. When players climb the machine after it falls, they must do so quickly, as it stands up after a certain amount of time. The way to defeat it is fairly straightforward, but in practice, it can be difficult to avoid RoboBrood's attacks and defeat the Broodals that occupy it.
Mechawiggler
After traversing through New Donk City, players can encounter Mechawiggler, the only boss in the Metro Kingdom. Using Sherm, one of the most useful creatures to capture in Super Mario Odyssey, players shoot projectiles at the enemy while it climbs buildings. This is difficult because there are only short windows of time when Mechawiggler is vulnerable to attack. Also, it shoots energy into the air, which then comes down on Mario. Even further, there are times in the battle when it tramples through the arena, damaging Mario if it makes contact. It is invulnerable during this period, meaning that players must wait and dodge before they can attack again.
Ruined Dragon
Also known as the Lord of Lightning, this boss is incredibly intimidating based on his design alone. Defeating this opponent requires an extensive amount of dodging, as the Ruined Dragon unleashes wheels of lightning around the battlefield. He also creates rings of electricity that flow outward when he falls to the ground.
Climbing on top of the dragon is necessary to beat him, which can be dangerous if the pins in his head are not removed quickly. With three phases, each more difficult than the last, the Lord of Lightning lives up to his frightening title.
Bowser
As perhaps Mario's toughest foe throughout the Super Mario series, Bowser can be quite difficult to defeat in Super Mario Odyssey. He is the final boss of the main story, and he throws everything he has at players. The first step to defeating him is to acquire his hat, which is a challenge on its own. Mario must avoid several decoy hats and get the real hat before it returns to Bowser. At this point, Bowser can jump to a different platform and unleash rings of fire around the battlefield. Players must time jumps well to dodge, and they also must avoid or destroy boulders that Bowser throws their way. As the main villain of the game, it is appropriate that Bowser's final battle is a difficult one.
Mollusque-Lanceur
Although he is far from the final boss of the game, Mollusque-Lanceur can present the most challenges. He starts the battle with the top of his head covered in lava, which protects him. To defeat him, players must capture a Gushen and fly above the villain, spraying the top of his head with water and eliminating the lava. He is then vulnerable. It can be difficult to reach this point, though, because he floats around the entire ocean portion of the kingdom when not interacting with Mario, evading him. He also fires Spiked Shells, which explode after a short period of time.