It’s not just video games that feature “boss fights,” they are a staple part of martial arts films (or most action cinema in general), table top roleplaying and, if you really stretch it, a key part of the hero’s journey. Humans just have an understanding of the world where “winning” or achieving something does mean you have to “beat” some sort of major challenge.
Of course, this idea is probably the most prominent in video games. However, as you may have noticed, “boss fight” is a term that is mostly gaming-exclusive. We wouldn’t call Rocky fighting Ivan Drago his “boss fight” even if it fits the form. In general, the best explanation for this term comes from the games popular in the 80s and 90s, where the final “boss” would be “in charge” of the other characters.
All in all, games make sure the player understands that the opponent they face isn’t “normal,” that this is a bigger challenge with, hopefully, bigger rewards. Typically, this will be communicated with musical stings (or even theme music, which is also common in films) to make sure the person playing knows what is happening.
The main thing, as in video games and these pictures, is that whatever is in front of you isn’t typical. It’s bigger, scarier, more impressive. It has, as gen Z slang would say, an unmistakable “aura” that sets it apart from anything else. Just take a look at some of the entries here, if you put your mind to it, it’s not hard to imagine the soundtrack that is playing.
This drama is an important part of visual and audial storytelling in games, films and really any non-written media. How do you know that something is important? It’s got spikier armor, it’s bigger, there are flames coming out of it or, at the very least, you see other folks clearly in awe of it.
In non-gaming circles, this might be generally called the “big bad,” the primary antagonist. The aforementioned Ivan Drago, for example, would qualify for this term. It originated, surprisingly, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in the episode "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," but can be used these days for any antagonist that isn’t a minor character.
Of course, all this rhetoric makes it sound like everyone here is some sort of supervillain, when in most cases it’s just a cool image, or, at worst, an interesting person. Indeed, in some cases, these are downright cool people. However, if you happen to be an artist and designer and need some inspiration, I’m sure there is something useful in this list.
