History Main / HopelessBossFight

* ''VideoGame/D4DJGroovyMix'': During RAVE events, you may encounter an NPC "Abyssmare" opponent with [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale "Unmeasurable"]] stats. Challenging this event will guarantee a loss. What keeps this from being SchmuckBait is that you will gain a substantial boost to your Matching Bonus, and you will actually get more rewards than challenging and defeating a regular opponent, so [[ViolationOfCommonSense you actually want to challenge this type of opponent]].

** ''Silent Hill 4'' also features the ghosts, who are more like hopeless miniboss fights — they show up in particular areas and deal damage just by getting near you. Weapons will knock ghosts down, but they will always stand up again unless you permanently immobilize them using a special sword item. There are more ghosts than swords in the game, though, so you can never get rid of all of them.

* In ''VideoGame/JediKnightIIJediOutcast'', your first fight against [[LizardFolk overgrown Kowakian monkey-lizard]] [[BigBad Desann]] is this. Now you know how [[FacelessGoons those stormtroopers]] feel when [[CurbStompBattle you come at them]] with your [[MagicByAnyOtherName Force]] [[PsychicPowers powers]] and your [[LaserBlade lightsaber]]...

* The climactic battle in the expansion pack to ''VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII'', ''Mysteries of the Sith'', presents a unique Hopeless Boss Fight when Mara Jade fights Kyle Katarn (now seduced by TheDarkSide). Kyle's attacks are normal, but he is entirely invulnerable and hence impossible to defeat. This situation almost counts as a PuzzleBoss, except that the solution is not a test of wit.
** ''VideoGame/JediKnightIIJediOutcast'' gives another example. After Jan Ors is captured [[spoiler:and seemingly killed]] by Tavion, an enraged Kyle Katarn tries to fight the BigBad Desann in a scripted CurbStompBattle in favor of the latter. Justified in that, alas, he has Force powers and you do not. The justification is even better than it sounds, because theoretically he has an unbeatable counter to any kind of attack you use. Blasters and energy weapons? Deflected by lightsaber. Thrown explosives? Force Pushed back. So it's not likely the player will even get the chance to verify he's invulnerable as well. Of course, if you happened to be less than skilled and used a cheat code to make yourself invincible, the game becomes unwinnable, since neither side can die.

** Kinda like this in ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy''. You have to defeat a mutated rancor. And when you do, the game respawns it immediately. If you do follow the (not so) logical level layout, you can get to the scripted ending where it dies for real.
** The same goes for the level where you have to distract a rancor so the prisoners can escape, and you escape as well in the end. You can actually kill the rancor, but the game respawns it immediately.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfHorror'' has the special enemy encounter "Something Truly Evil". When you cross paths with it, your spells become useless, you lose the ability to run away for the duration of the fight, and your combat options are limited to "BLEED FOR ME", "CRY FOR ME", "SUFFER FOR ME", "GIVE UP FOR ME", and "DIE FOR ME". With the exception of the last option, which [[PressXToDie does exactly what it says]], each of these options force you to sacrifice your Stamina and Sanity until you either die, go insane, or manage to satisfy it and end the encounter ([[ImplacableMan but it will return]]).

* The end of the first stage of ''VideoGame/MaximumCarnage'', as ComicBook/SpiderMan you'll fight a GiantMook. Beat him, and then 2 Big Mooks, and then 4. The 4th one will have maximum hp, but it can be whittled down. If you win, you'll get the same event as if you lost, with Cloak and Dagger rescuing Spider-Man.

* The end of the first stage of ''VideoGame/MaximumCarnage'', as Franchise/SpiderMan you'll fight a GiantMook. Beat him, and then 2 Big Mooks, and then 4. The 4th one will have maximum hp, but it can be whittled down. If you win, you'll get the same event as if you lost, with Cloak and Dagger rescuing Spiderman.

* Inverted in ''Anime/YuYuHakusho'' when the party goes up against "The Gamemaster", who has the power to bring any video game of his choosing to life, trapping anyone within his territory within various game roles. Unfortunately for him, the game he chooses to use this for is "Goblin City" (with him taking on the role of the game's BigBad and the party being the player characters). Kurama, being familiar with the game, explains that players have unlimited continues within the game, while the BigBad is KilledOffForReal if the heroes win, meaning that he's trapped himself in a situation that can only end in his death, and all he can do is prolong the inevitable.

** The last stretch of Jiraiya's fight against Pain. Having spent most of his chakra for the Sage Mode, a weakened Jiraiya does a LastStand against the Six Paths of Pain. Echoing the ending of ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', the fight is designed to be unwinnable; Jiraiya is slow and can only muster a few pathetic attacks, while Pain has an unlimited health bear. By the middle of the fight, Jiraiya is too weak to get up, so the player can do nothing but watch him get [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown brutally kicked around by the Six Paths]].
** The last part of Sasuke's duel with Itachi also features this. The only thing the player can do is back Sasuke against a corner as Itachi slowly closes on him.

** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'', Day 7: [[spoiler:Benetnasch, first encounter. It possesses a passive skill called Pacify Human, which naturally cancels out ''any'' attack from a human character... [[FromBadToWorse and then]] it pulls out the ability to ''forcibly unsummon your demons'', leaving you no way to harm it and thus no choice but to run away until you can figure out a way to counter it.]]
** You also can't harm [[spoiler:Dubhe at first — the objective is to reach the other end of the map and escape, and losing any party member in the process results in an ordinary game over. However, just as you reach the escape area, it becomes blocked off and a cutscene results in Dubhe becoming vulnerable]].

* Walpurgisnacht of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' essentially embodies this trope. Known as the strongest witch in existence, it can cause gigantic and terrible storms and it fights by either hurling any object, including buildings, at its enemy or simply ''[[PlayingWithFire blasting them with powerful flames.]]'' It is also tough enough to withstand ''anything''. Case in point, Homura attacked it with ''[[NoKillLikeOverkill RPGs, Mortars, an exploding gas tanker, and missiles, then detonated landmines to where it landed]]'' [[NoSell and all of it did absolutely nothing]]. This is why it is stated that Walpurgisnacht's nature is ''helplessness'', as no magical girl [[spoiler:other than [[PhysicalGoddess Madoka]]]] can stand up to it and win, while it laughs at their feeble attempts at trying.

* In ''VideoGame/FossilFighters'' , the second fight against Bullwort is unwinnable. Occasionally, an attack will do one damage against Frigisaurus, but, more often than not, attacks won't even affect it. Even support effects and status effects miss. It's not until you get Igno that the battle is winnable.

* ''Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense'': Maple, the main character, ends up becoming this from a PvP perspective. She can take almost ''any'' attack thrown at her, immediately convert it into MP, and then flood the area with her hideously powerful poison magic. Also, she can paralyze you if you try to run.

** In an example that was less of an intended instance and more of a bandaid, in the original release state of Blackwing Lair, Chromaggus was overtuned on purpose to be completely unbeatable regardless of the raid's gear, because [[ObviousBeta the Nefarian encounter hadn't been coded entirely and they were buying time.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza 0}}'' features a dance battle against Miracle Johnson, an {{Expy}} of Music/MichaelJackson, set to a song [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong suspiciously similar to "Bad".]] Needless to say, Miracle is [[PerfectPlayAI guaranteed to get the highest possible score]] and there's no way to beat him.

* ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin vs Bob'' mod is meant as an UnwinnableJokeGame in parody of typical FNF format. In his last song, the titular antagonist [[OneWingedAngel transforms into a form]] [[NightmareFuel straight out of creepypasta]] and starts sending down barrages of notes equivalent to inhumanly fast keymashing, in addition to frequent and disturbing [[InterfaceScrew Interface Screws]], and deliberately crashes the game after finishing you off. But [[LordBritishPostulate if you do manage to beat him]], [[spoiler:he admits that you weren't meant to, in an unique cutscene to reward you for your troubles]].

* If a player pirated a copy of ''VideoGame/SeriousSam 3'', then they would soon start getting hunted by an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e91q5BtlxK0 immortal, lightning-fast, giant pink scorpion]] who would mercilessly slaughter them.

* ''Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense'': Maple, the main character, ends up becoming this from a PVP perspective. She can take almost ''any'' attack thrown at her, immediately convert it into MP, and then flood the area with her hideously powerful poison magic. Also, she can paralyze you if you try to run.

** Near the end of the Thriller Bark arc, The Straw Hat Pirates (sans Luffy) and the Rolling Pirates against the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma. The former didn't stand a chance, particularly since they just came off the heels of a battle with Gecko Moria and Oars. Although, if Kuma was actually interested in eliminating them as ordered, then it would have made an epic LastStand, particularly when they refused his offer of their lives spared for Luffy's head.
** In the Sabaody Archipelago arc, Admiral Kizaru wiped the floor with Straw Hats , including the strongest members. If former pirate Silvers had not intervened, Zoro and rest of the crew would’ve been killed!

* Unless you're a [[KiManipulation Haki]] user or exploiting their weakness, Logia users in ''Manga/OnePiece'' are this. This is because Logia users are able to transform into a certain element to avoid incoming attacks.
** There are also certain characters battles for this as well. First example is Dracule Mihawk vs. Zoro. Mihawk is not only a member of the [[ProfessionalKiller Seven Warlords]], he is also the [[WorldsStrongestMan strongest swordsman in the world]] and Zoro had the misfortune to take him on at his weakest. The battle was so one-sided, Mihawk only used a tiny dagger to kick Zoro's ass. It's clear Zoro wasn't ready for Mihawk at the time.
** Another is Enel toward everyone that isn't Luffy. Not only he is a Logia Devil Fruit user, his DF in particular allows him to control ''lightning''. That means he can pretty much one-shot anyone with massive amount of watts of electricity, including [[MadeOfIron Zoro]] and [[ChefOfIron Sanji]]! However, this gets turned around against Enel when he faces Luffy who, being a rubber man, is immune to Enel's electricity. Most of the "fight" between Luffy and Enel was Enel trying to stay away from Luffy.
** Don't bother trying to fight [[DishingOutDirt Crocodile]] in the desert. He ''will'' kick your ass. Even if you exploit his weakness to water (or any other liquids).
** This is the idea of fighting any of the [[EliteFour Four Emperors]]. They are considered the strongest pirates in the entire world and fighting them directly is just asking for a death wish. The only people that could clash with the Four Emperors are, well, themselves! Biggest proof is shown much later in the Wano Country arc where [[spoiler:Kaido of the Beasts ''one-shots'' Luffy in his [[SuperMode Gear Fourth form]]!]]
** The above example can be also be said when a pirate tries to fight a Marine Admiral. They are the most powerful Marines and simply one being in the general area will cause panic among pirates. In fact, the only ones who actually has a chance of defeating a Marine Admiral are the Four Emperors, legendary Marines like Garp or Sengoku, infamously notorious individuals such as Dragon The Revolutionary, and ex-Admirals like Aokiji.

* This trope is parodied in the ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' side story "Haruhi Theatre Act 1". Haruhi and Brigade are trapped in an RPG, and when Haruhi meets a sage who warns her that she can't defeat the dragon without the power to do so, she doesn't listen and drags the Brigade over to fight it. Naturally she gets creamed and regenerates next to the sage, who smugly tells her off. She doesn't listen ''again'' and continually goes back and dies. When she finally listens to him, he demands some stuff from her as he's only giving them out if she gets quest items... but she just threatens him.

* The angelic legions in [[WorldTree Yggdrasil]] in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''. Yui notes that individually, they aren't that strong. However, due to their spawn rate and population cap, their sheer numbers turn them into a giant, unbeatable boss. Only by [[GondorCallsForAid calling on the combined military might of every race]] is it possible to get a single player to the top of tree.

* The White Queen in ''LightNovel/TheUnexploredSummonBloodSign'' is impossible for most people to fight, as she can effortlessly OneHitKill any opponent and is (almost) completely invincible. Kyousuke is one of very few people who has ever defeated her, by exploiting his knowledge of her psychology and [[spoiler:her love for him, which causes her to always leave opportunities for him to win]].

* In the NES game ''VideoGame/Crystalis'', the second encounter with Emperor Draygon will become unwinnable if you do not use the Bow of Truth on him fast enough.