In addition to ranking them from easiest to hardest, we’ll also give a tip or two on how to defeat them. For the most part, experienced players should not have too much trouble besting even the tougher bouts in the campaign.
Updated on October 25, 2021, by Jason Wojnar:Those with an Oculus Quest 2 are no doubt going through Resident Evil 4 in VR. Reviewers have been singing the praises of the new version. Unfortunately, not every person has the opportunity to experience the game in this new fashion. On the bright side, Resident Evil 4 holds up better than most games of its time and is still one of the finest titles to ever be released. With this in mind, this list of the bosses is still necessary. To update it, we added a few strategies for taking out these beasts.
8 Ramon Salazar
Ramon Salazar is a ridiculous villain but fits right in with the over-the-top tone that seeps through most Resident Evil games. Leon interacts with him more than most of the other villains in the franchise, including Saddler, the main antagonist who is also the last boss. Leon’s terrible one-liners and Salazar’s decadence and arrogance are a match made in heaven.
How To Beat Salazar
With the right equipment, players can beat Ramon Salazar without even moving. The tricky part is being accurate enough to hit the moving eye enough times for Salazar’s shield to come down. Use either a shotgun or a TMP to hit it. Once Salazar reveals himself, use a magnum to unleash serious damage against him. With the power of a Broken Butterfly or Killer 7, Leon should only have to do this two times or so to beat Salazar. Considering the lead-up to Salazar, it is surprising how easy he is.
7 Del Lago
Del Lago is interesting for how uniquely the encounter plays. Leon, who is first introduced to fans in Resident Evil 2, is dragged by the beast while on a small canoe and must throw harpoons in order to do damage.
There is a cool easter egg before the fight where if Leon stands by the lake and shoots into the water enough, the monster will jump up and eat the player. This level of detail and hidden environmental interaction is just one way Resident Evil 4 separates itself from the rest of the pack.
How To Beat Del Lago
Dodging Del Lago’s can be difficult and it easily knocks Leon off the boat upon making a mistake. Get knocked off too many times and the button-mashing minigame to climb onto the boat gets harder. Once the attack patterns are recognized, dodging Del Lago is a breeze.
6 El Gigante
Several El Gigantes pop up throughout the story, and one of them is even optional. However, each time Leon encounters it, it is intimidating enough to count as a boss encounter. The first fight in an open area is quite simple.
The second, optional fight is in a narrow space and with Ashley in tow. The second, optional fight is in a narrow space and with Ashley in tow. This time, the play area is more narrow, making it harder to dodge An enemy who looks exactly like El Gigante appears in Resident Evil 5 too. An enemy who looks exactly like El Gigante appears in Resident Evil 5 too.
How To Beat El Gigante
As long as Leon saves the dog at the beginning of the game from the bear trap, players should have no problem taking El Gigante out. The fight with El Gigante is all about just dealing as much damage as possible until it stumbles. Then, Leon jumps on its back and stabs the Plagas that sprouts from it. For the optional fight, there is a boulder trap Leon can use to do some extra damage.
5 Chief Menendez
Chief Menendez serves as the big boss of the first chapter. At first, he is in his trench coat, but eventually sheds his legs and becomes more agile. As long as Leon is accurate with the rifle, he should have no problem staggering him quickly, preventing him from getting too close.
How To Beat Chief Menendez
Players need to be aware of which of Menendez’s attacks they need to dodge. Climb to the second level of the battle area and keep Leon’s back to the wall. The play area has two levels, so stay on the top level so Leon has a place to run away to if Menendez gets in too close.
4 U-3
This boss curiously has almost no introduction other than a line of dialogue from Lord Saddler. U-3 has two phases. At first, all Leon has to do is unlock the doors of the hanging rooms and progressively make his way through them. Afterward, he fights the beast in a small arena.
Even though it is a cool fight, it would have been nice to have more of an introduction in the story. Considering most of the bosses do have things to do before the fight, this one feels weird.
How To Beat U-3
It is difficult to stay still without getting hit, but Leon can trap U-3 momentarily by activating the gates with a switch. Use the red explosive barrels to do extra damage. It momentarily burrows underground which will then prompt a dodge, leaving itself momentarily vulnerable. Occasionally, Leon has to dodge its attacks with a quick-time event.
3 Verdugo
More memorable than the boss fight is Leon’s dumb quip towards Salazar beforehand. When Salazar says he is sending his right-hand man to deal with Leon, the protagonist says “Your right hand comes off?”.
Before the proper fight, Leon spends some time dodging its ambushes. As long as players know what is coming, these attacks are super simple to dodge. Once the enemy makes its presence known, then the real battle starts.
How To Beat Verdugo
The best way to do damage is by knocking off canisters that freeze Verdugo. Shoot the enemy up while it is incapacitated. There are more than enough canisters to dispose of the boss. The hardest part is the narrow hallways where it is quite easy for the enemy to push Leon into a corner.
2 Lord Saddler
Of course, the last boss is going to be one of the hardest. Even so, Lord Saddler is not too troublesome as long as Leon is well equipped. Despite the battle and how well received the game is, Saddler is not that compelling of a villain.
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He could have been replaced with any other character and the game would have been exactly the same. When prior games had villains like Albert Wesker, Saddler’s character is sorely lacking.
How To Beat Lord Saddler
He moves fast and some of his attacks do major damage, so Leon should keep his distance. He also throws steel beams at Leon occasionally. Shoot at the eyes on his legs which will stagger him. In this staggered state, he exposes his eye. From here, either approaches the injured saddler and attack him with the knife or shoot at it with a powerful weapon. The final blow traditionally comes from an RPG rocket Ada Wong throws at Leon.
1 Jack Krauser
Jack Krauser and Leon Kennedy have a past together. The game does not fully explore exactly what their history is, however. The spin-off Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles gives a little more detail to their history together. The segment of the game with Jack Krauser is one of the more interesting narratives of Resident Evil 4.
How To Beat Jack Krauser
Before the main fight, run around the area while Krauser chases the protagonist. Leon may need to expend some ammo to keep him off his back during this phase. In the final phase, Krauser is not difficult but tricky to hit. The time limit puts another layer of pressure on the player.
Even if Leon manages to kill Jack before the explosive goes off, the protagonist still has to leave the area with the remaining time. Players need at least an extra thirty seconds to escape. Surprisingly, the knife staggers him quickly. Grenades also help drop him to his knees fast.
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