With the third installment of the beloved series on the rise, No More Heroes is finally back in the conversation about incredible and influential action games. Over the first two games and its spinoff, Travis Touchdown put players in the driver’s seat of an absolutely insane world of international assassins, beam katanas, and high octane romance.
The No More Heroes series is known for its wealth of memorable characters, and imposing bosses. The first entry in the series has 10 bosses that are each very difficult in their own way, and once you know exactly how to take down these imposing assassins, you’ll be climbing the ranks in no time.
10 Death Metal - Rejected Metalocalypse Character
By name alone, Death Metal is an incredible tone-setter for the entire game. His giant sword matches your beam katana in the best possible way and is a fair but challenging fight to start with.
Death Metal’s attacks are pretty easy to dodge as long as you stay mindful, but the thing to watch out for are his clones that enter the fight at the halfway mark. They aren’t too difficult to deal with, but they can take your attention away from the main threat. Keep an eye on his attack patterns and Death Metal will live up to his first name in no time.
9 Dr. Peace - He Fights…For Peace
Despite his incredibly subtle name, Dr. Peace is anything but peaceful. You will encounter him on a baseball field and there is no time for ballpark franks when Dr. Peace has his sights set on your life.
Dr. Peace is fairly easy once you get close to him, but due to the large amount of space between you and him, that can be easier said than done. He focuses on long-range attacks, so dodging at the right time is the key. Once you close that distance, attack him a few times while remaining defensive and you’ll slowly make a dent in his dent. Stay at it, and you’ll knock Dr. Peace out of the park.
8 Shinobu - Like Shinobi, But Also Way Cooler
Shinobu is one of the most iconic characters in the series: a swift and lithe fighter with dangerous swordplay. She will not go down without a long fight and your defence has to be at its prime if you want to stand a chance.
Defending and attacking when you see an opening is an absolute must, as Shinobu has multiple non-blockable attacks that you need to keep your eye out for, especially when she sheathes her sword and releases a giant lightning strike at you. Staying on the defensive is the best plan, and Shinobu will test all of your samurai patience.
7 Destroyman - Telegraphs His Attacks
One of the weirder bosses in the bunch, Destroyman fights as fierce as he is strange. Destroyman has a huge variety of weapons that attack from close up and from far away. Due to his over-the-top theatrics, he announces nearly every attack before he does it, which will be your greatest ally.
Listen to the commands, and dodge appropriately. Moving through his different phases forces you to listen and learn even more intently, but if you can do that, the only thing that will be destroyed is the man himself.
6 Holly Summers - “Tactical” Beachwear
If one thing could ruin a perfectly good day at the beach, it’s Holly Summers. This knife-throwing, hole-digging madwoman is very difficult to read. She is very unpredictable and your defensive skills will be put to the test.
Her beach-themed attacks combined with her knife-throwing will be fast and furious, but her main attack is having you fall into pre-dug holes in the sand. Once you fall in and are stunned for a few moments, Holly will take a few moments to try to fill in the breached sand holes, and that is your perfect opportunity to put some sand in her eye.
5 Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarski - Magicians Are In This Season
By the time it takes you to read his name, Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarski will have performed some painful magic upside your head. This magician man has you on his stage for an unforgettable battle and you’re going to need to learn all of his tricks.
Much like Destroyman, he tends to shout out his attacks before he does them which is a great indicator of how to respond. He will attack furiously with both swords and doves, and trap you in a box., If you haven’t escaped in time, it will instantly kill you. Put all of your skills together and make Harvey disappear.
4 Speed Buster - All About Timing
One of the more scripted fights in the game, Speed Buster provides a very unique fight that stands out from the others. Speed Buster starts the fight at a long distance from you, staring down the street of an abandoned city. She will shoot a giant beam at you which can only be avoided by going into the buildings along the side.
You will have to defeat some goons on your way up, but pair fast movement with proper timing of her beam. This will let you eventually make your way up to her and land all of your hits as quickly as possible, ending the fight faster than it started.
3 Bad Girl - A Twist On The Male Gaze
A true mix of bizarre and difficult, Bad Girl uses a giant bat as her main weapon and takes advantage of Travis’s affection for women and uses it as an attack. Between a barrage of attacks and multiple curveballs, Bad Girl isn’t to be messed with.
Every few minutes, Bad Girl will drop to her knees in a helpless state and Travis will be tempted to approach her. Be careful though: if she still has one hand on her bat, don’t approach or you’ll be caught with a counterattack. Wait until she finishes attacking to attack, dodge her boy toys, and stay away from her fire bat.
2 Jeane - Balance Attack And Defense
With a frighteningly tragic backstory behind her, Jeane will attack you with everything she’s got. Jeane’s duel is a deceptively simple late-game fight. It gives you plenty of time to reflect on why you’re here in the first place.
Jeane will come at you with a flurry of attacks, but the trick is to play almost exclusively defensive and only attack when absolutely necessary. If you get too offensive, she will take full advantage and give you a game over pretty quickly. Near the end of the fight, she will shrink the arena and make her attacks even more difficult to dodge. Keep up your reflexes and she will soon fall – for better or worse for Travis.
1 Henry - A True Foe
Henry is the assassin to beat. The one that Travis has been waiting for the whole game, and yet as expected, the fight is just as intense as it should be. Your reflexes need to be extremely on point because if you are hit, you are almost certain to be finished quickly.
Attack a few times and back off while staying super attentive to Henry’s moves, especially when he unleashes his insta-kill move. Dodging this is imperative and, if you can do this, Henry will be defeated and you can watch the real ending. Hopefully, No More Heroes 3 has just as many quality bosses and gritting challenges.
