History Main / RecurringBossTemplate

* ''MetalGearSolid'' games are guaranteed to end with a melee battle. You can ''try'' to shoot The Boss in [=MGS3=], but she'll deflect your bullets, strip you of your gun (surprise!) and force you into CQC.

* The ''Mario And Luigi'' series for the Nintendo handhelds take pride in using ghostly, (most of the time) purple final bosses. [[spoiler:And Bowser getting possessed/mind controlled/fused with/whatever else by the Big Bad.]]

* Oh, ''TheLegendOfZelda'', where would you be without that boss that you [[PlayingTennisWithTheBoss play tennis with]]?

** There's quite a variety of Devils to be seen throughout the entire series. Whether they're Yellow, Green, Black, or Rainbow, they are all able to split themselves into globs to launch at you and form into various weapons. They also tend to be ThatOneBoss; the exception is in ''VideoGame/MegaManX: Command Mission'', where they're [[DegradedBoss demoted into regular enemies]]. That being said, if you purposefully beef them 2 of them up by hitting them with the attacks of their own element, they not only get healed but become stronger as well at the benefit of increased experience and [[ItemCrafting FME]]: the effect is cumulative and once you power the experience-increasing variety to the point where killing one will practically guarantee a level-up for the entire cast, they can easily kill anyone in 1 hit and get a boatload of turns to easily do so as well. Although usually at that point, they rarely if ever take advantage of their massively powered up status and actually attack you and instead opt to run away on their next turn, taking the EXP with them.

* ''MajorStryker'' has three templates, each used once in each episode, though with differences.

* ''Game/MegaMan''. Doctor Wily. Big, two-stage mecha with TeleportSpam second stage.
** ''MegaManX''. Sigma. Two- to three-stage boss, first with a robot body with [[StarWars lightsaber]]/[[{{Wolverine}} twin claws]]/[[CaptainAmerica a spiked throwing shield]]/[[GrimReaper energy scythe]]/whatever, then more on the level of OneWingedAngel variants.
** ''MegaManZero'' and ''MegaManZX''. Various characters. A human form, followed by a OneWingedAngel. Reversed for Omega and [[spoiler:Albert]].
** There's quite a variety of Devils to be seen throughout the entire series. Whether they're Yellow, Green, Black, or Rainbow, they are all able to split themselves into globs to launch at you and form into various weapons. They also tend to be ThatOneBoss; the exception is in ''MegaManX: Command Mission'', where they're [[DegradedBoss demoted into regular enemies]]. That being said, if you purposefully beef them 2 of them up by hitting them with the attacks of their own element, they not only get healed but become stronger as well at the benefit of increased experience and [[ItemCrafting FME]]: the effect is cumulative and once you power the experience-increasing variety to the point where killing one will practically guarantee a level-up for the entire cast, they can easily kill anyone in 1 hit and get a boatload of turns to easily do so as well. Although usually at that point, they rarely if ever take advantage of their massively powered up status and actually attack you and instead opt to run away on their next turn, taking the EXP with them.

** Gruul petrifies the party and shatters them if they're too close. Later in Wrath, another boss does the same thing.

** ''SuperSmashBros'', which was also made by HAL Laboratories, also uses this pattern with Master Hand, Crazy Hand and [[spoiler:Tabuu]].

** The Koopalings in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' take their cues from ''SuperMarioBros3'' (especially with the magic scepter attacks), with a dash of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' for good measure.

** Bowser also has a habit of fighting Mario in arenas with fragile floors that he can be tricked into breaking. First seen in ''SuperMarioBros3'', but makes a comeback in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''.

** The Koopalings in ''NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' take their cues from ''SuperMarioBros3'' (especially with the magic scepter attacks), with a dash of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' for good measure.
** Every time you fight Bowser in the ''NewSuperMarioBros'' series, the battle is some variant of the battles against him in the original ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' (the ones with the bridge and the axe). [[spoiler:Yes, even the final battle.]]

** The Koopalings in ''NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' take their cues from ''SuperMarioBros3'' (especially with the magic scepter attacks), with a dash of ''SuperMarioWorld'' for good measure.

** Bowser also has a habit of fighting Mario in arenas with fragile floors that he can be tricked into breaking. First seen in ''SuperMarioBros3'', but makes a comeback in ''SuperMarioGalaxy''.

** Gruul petrifies the party and shatters them if they're too close. Later in Wrath, another boss does the same thing.

** Every time you fight Bowser in the ''NewSuperMarioBros'' series, the battle is some variant of the battles against him in the original ''Game/SuperMarioBros'' (the ones with the bridge and the axe). [[spoiler:Yes, even the final battle.]]

* Its not just the final melee battles(Liquid Snake\Solidus Snake\The Boss\Liquid Ocelot), Metal Gear Solid has this with every boss battle in the series in a same yet different way. There is almost always the following;

*** Its not just the final melee battles(Liquid Snake\Solidus Snake\The Boss\Liquid Ocelot), Metal Gear Solid has this with every boss battle in the series in a same yet different way. There is almost always the following;

*** C4 and land mines are also a valid option
** Its not just the final melee battles(Liquid Snake\Solidus Snake\The Boss\Liquid Ocelot), Metal Gear Solid has this with every boss battle in the series in a same yet different way. There is almost always the following; A battle against a giant robot that must be taken down with missles(Metal Gear Rex\Metal Gear Rays\The Shagohad\Metal Gear Ray), a battle where you use a sniper rifle(Sniper Wolf\Vamp\The End\Crying Wolf), a battle against someone in a maze like area(Vulcan Raven\Fatman\The Fury\Raging Raven), a battle against an opponent who can hide from you and attacks from above(Gray Fox\Vamp\The Fear\Laughing Octopus), etc.

** C4 and land mines are also a valid option.

This is when a game series seems to reuse a boss in some way, but with something changed, often repeatedly thoughout the series. It may have more attacks than the last time, or it may look different, but at the core it's still the same CosmicHorror you faced two games ago.

*** '''If''' you were lucky enough to find the Snow Camo without a guide on your first playthrough.

*''MegaMan''. Doctor Wily. Big, two-stage mecha with TeleportSpam second stage.