Every “Super Mario Galaxy” Boss Ranked

While not particularly known for its boss battles, the Mario Galaxy games boast some really exceptional fights from time to time.

Only looking at one of the games would make for a short list, so I thought I’d rank the bosses across BOTH of the Galaxy adventures. There are some spicy opinions in this one – you have been warned.

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Bad

30 / 29 – Regular & Fiery Gobblegut

I’ve seen some people give this fight praise for its uniqueness and fun, but those people are wrong.

Both of the Gobblegut battles – the fiery one especially – drive me up the wall whenever I replay Galaxy 2. His tunnelling attack is infuriating, the planet is too small to navigate on, and popping his bubbles aren’t satisfying in the slightest.

Meh

28 – Mandibug Stack

Definitely not a boss, but it’s listed as one for some reason. You ground pound two Mandibugs, and then it’s over. Hardly inspiring.

27 – Baron Brrr

The worst fight from the original game, Baron Brrr has about as much complexity as the Mandibug Stack.

At least the surrounding arena is slightly interesting, so that bumps it up a place.

26 – Kingfin

I despise the swimming mechanic in both Galaxy games, so an underwater boss was always going to rank poorly.

It does look cool, though, and the atmosphere in the galaxy is really good.

25 – Squizzard

This is pure pettiness on my part, as Squizzard is objectively a good boss, but I always have a terrible time battling against it.

The shifting sands are super annoying, and the Daredevil run is infuriating when you keep getting sucked into his stupid mouth.

OK

24 – Bugaboom

Bugaboom is a boss in two parts – his Galaxy 1 variant is pretty bad, but the sequel makes it much more tolerable.

The bee suit in the first game doesn’t match with the fight at all, but the cloud powerup in Galaxy 2 makes for a much more engaging fight. On average, these fights are mediocre.

23 – Rollodillo

I’m not crazy about the boulder powerup, but it’s far from the worst powerup in these games.

The fight against Rollodillo is a decent showcase of its ability, albeit not a very interesting one.

22 – Sorbetti

I love how you land on Sorbetti without realising he’s the boss, but that sudden excitement quickly fades.

It’s just a really watered down version of the Bowser fights from Galaxy 1, and it’s far too easy.

21 – Glamdozer

The timing of the Glamdozer fight can be a pain to learn at first, but once you get used to it it’s fairly enjoyable.

The flipping panel mechanic is a fun one, and the balls of fire the boss spits at you make it decently challenging.

20 – Tarantox

Space Junk is one of my favourite galaxies, but its resident boss is hardly anything to write home about.

The slingpod mechanic is a pain, but it’s not too egregious here. A bit of a boring battle on the whole.

19 – Topmaniac

Topmaniac is a fun boss with a decent arena, and it’s satisfying to slam him into the electrical barrier. The charm wore off the second time around.

It feels cheap to have him be the main boss in two separate galaxies, especially since the second fight adds nothing of value. Would have been a much better encounter if it only happened once.

Also, the Daredevil run is an insult to the player’s ability.

18 – Digga-Leg

I really liked this boss at first, but the more I battle Digga-Leg the more my enthusiasm fades.

The spin drill is a very vanilla powerup, and the 2D dodging aspect is quite mundane. Probably the boss with the most wasted potential.

Good

17 – Undergrunt Gunner

Usually I complain when bosses get repeated, but having Undergrunt Gunner be either the boss or mini-boss multiple times actually leads to some fun fights.

The third inclusion was a little excessive though, and the battles aren’t that complex to begin with.

16 – Peewee Piranha

Did they really have to do a variant of Dino Piranha as the first boss yet again?

It’s a worse fight than the original, but I’ve actually come around a bit to Peewee Piranha’s design. Still, points deducted for unoriginality.

15 – Giga Lakitu

One of the first bosses you meet in Galaxy 2, Giga Lakitu is fairly simple as battles go.

It’s the inclusion of Yoshi that really takes it up a notch – the ability to swallow and shoot the spikeballs makes for a fun fight.

14 – Dino Piranha

The OG Galaxy boss.

For as simple as Dino Piranha is, I had to rank it in the top half for how iconic it is. Mario’s baby-murdering rampage had to start somewhere.

13 – Fiery Dino Piranha

Props to the developer who said “Hey, let’s take Dino Piranha … and make it fiery!”

I really like how Dino Piranha is the first boss in the first galaxy, and its fiery variant is the final boss in the final galaxy.

12 – Kamella

A surprisingly fun close-quarters battle, the Kamella fight does a great job of keeping you on your toes whilst still providing a fair fight.

A friend of mine once said she looked like Whoopi Goldberg, and I haven’t been able to see either of them the same way since.

11 – Major Burrows

Gusty Gardens is my favourite galaxy of them all, and its boss fight is one of the most solid of the lot.

It’s a fast-paced romp, and the final phase where Major Burrows gets angry is quite terrifying at first. If it was more in-depth, this would have easily cracked the top 10.

10 – Bowser (Galaxy 2)

I’ve heard a lot of hate for the Galaxy 2 Bowser fights – sure, they’re not as good as the original, but they’re still a challenging and fun experience.

The very last battle is a bit silly in fairness, and the fake-out death was enough to knock this down a tier.

Great

9 – Whomp King

A fun throwback to a classic boss, the updated Whomp King is just a well-designed battle that I enjoy every time.

It doesn’t last very long, though, so I can’t rank it that highly.

8 – King Kaliente

I’m not usually a fan of repeated bosses, but somehow King Kaliente manages to get even better the second time.

Both battles are excellent, and fully utilise the spin mechanic in the most fun way. The added challenge of the lava in the second makes it even more memorable.

7 – Megaleg

Everyone remembers their first encounter with Megaleg – it’s the first main boss in the game, and the sheer size of it is magnificent.

My only complain is that it’s over far too quickly, as once you ascend to the top you only need a couple of bullet bills to take it down.

6 – Bowser Jr’s Airship

A slept-on boss battle, the encounter with Bowser Jr’s Airship in the first game is easily one of the best fights I had.

The moving airship and koopa shells make it a versatile and dynamic battle, and the final stage where the airship’s hitbox gets even smaller is a welcome challenge.

5 – Prince Pikante

Basically just King Kaliente but on wheels.

The ice-skating mechanic is what sets this one apart from the Galaxy 1 variant, as I really love having to spin and jump my way to victory.

Amazing

4 – Boomsday Machine

The final Bowser Jr fight, and you can tell the developers went all out to make it a memorable experience.

Ascending the Boomsday Machine with the cloud powerup is so much fun, and the offensive pressure at all times makes it a super engaging fight from start to finish.

3 – Bouldergeist

I’ve done a complete 180 on Bouldergeist – initially he was one of the most infuriating bosses to battle against, but after familiarising myself with his moveset he quickly became one of my favourites.

His attacks are varied and keep you on your toes, and using the boom boos to deal damage is such a fun mechanic that I wish they used more often.

2 – Megahammer

There are some Galaxy boss battles that act as decently huge set-pieces, but none of them blew my socks off quite like Megahammer.

It’s such a cool and well-designed boss, and I loved using Yoshi to throw the bullet bills back at him.

All-Time Great

1 – Bowser (Galaxy 1)

The music, the build-up, the show-stopping finale – nothing will ever compare to the experience of fighting the first Galaxy’s Bowser.

Using the lava to hurt him and then spinning at just the right time is a thrill like no other, and the final battle where there are multiple phases with their own unique mechanics will go down as one of the best in gaming history.

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