RS3 Boss Overview: Which Bosses Are Hardest To Beat?

Bosses are a massive part of Runescape 3 since most players like to do PvM activity. Typically they are very powerful monsters and some take a large group of players to defeat. There are a variety of boss types and different bosses have different uses.

Notable Quest Bosses

Many quests in Runescape culminate in a fight with a boss. While there are dozens of bosses below there will be some of the most interesting ones you will face during your travels.

  • Elvarg
    • Combat Level: 63
    • Quest: Dragon Slayer
    • The final quest from the first era of Runescape is Dragon Slayer.  Adventurers participate in an elaborate quest to locate and slay this green dragon.
  • Me
    • Combat Level: 84
    • Quest: Lunar Diplomacy
    • Battling yourself is the largest fight during the Lunar Diplomacy quest. They will wear Lunar Robes with the colors inverted and attack the player after a short dialogue. It is best to use fire spells against them as that is what they are weakest to.
  • Sliske
    • Combat Level: N/A
    • Quest: Sliske’s Endgame
    • After battling and defeating the other forces of Sliske, the player will be challenged with fighting the puppet master himself. Sliske ends up being stabbed with the Staff of Armadyl, the same weapon he used to kill Guthix.
  • Culinaromancer
    • Combat Level: 98
    • Quest: Recipe for Disaster
    • The final boss for the 100th quest in Runescape is the Culinaromancer. He draws his power from food which could be inferred from the sub-bosses he created all being food-based.

Stand Alone Bosses

Some bosses have no other context behind them and simply exist, thus they are stand-alone bosses. Many of these bosses are very powerful and take significant skill to defeat.

  • King Black Dragon
    • Combat Level: 275
    • Combat Style: Magic/Melee/Dragonfire
    • As one of the oldest bosses in the game, the King Black Dragon has a special place in the history of Runescape. He is a three-headed black dragon that has a variety of Dragonfire attacks that he can use. To get to him you will have to travel through the wilderness, but the boss fight itself is not in the wilderness.
  • Kalphite Queen
    • Combat Level: 333
    • Combat Style: All
    • The queen of the Kalphites has multiple forms that you will have to adapt to while you fight her. You have to fight her initially with melee, but later in the fight, you have to switch to a different attack style.
  • Chaos Elemental
    • Combat Level: 305
    • Combat Style: All
    • The Chaos Elemental is a strong monster in the Northern Wilderness. He shares a drop table with the revenants which makes him valuable to kill. He has a unique ability in which he will remove an item in your hand and teleport you to a random location near him.
  • Giant Mole
    • Combat Level: 230
    • Combat Style: Melee
    • A common boss recommended for beginners, the Giant Mole is not the most difficult or lucrative boss in the world. But it is a mechanically diverse boss, with several different mechanics to introduce new players to fighting bosses.
  • Tormented Wrath
    • Combat Level: 42
    • Combat Style: Magic
    • At a very low level among bosses, the tormented wraith constantly seeks revenge for his death. Because of this, he will only kill people wearing black knight armor, the armor of those who killed him.
  • Corporeal beast
    • Combat Level: 785
    • Combat Style: Melee/Magic
    • Similar to the King Black Dragon, the corporeal beast is located in the Wilderness but the fight area is not a PvP instance. The beast is known for dropping the ingredients needed to create spirit shields.
  • Dragith Nurn
    • Combat Level: 26
    • Combat Style: All
    • The Lumbridge necromancer known as Dragith Nurn was once a normal Zamorakian follower. Later in his life he renounced his ways and became a Saradominist, turning against the undead creations he had once made in the Lumbridge Catacombs. Players can fight an undead Dragith Nurn inside those very catacombs.
  • WildyWyrm
    • Combat Level: 1337
    • Combat Style: All
    • As a modified StrikeWyrm, the WildyWyrm does not have many unique mechanics but they do have valuable drops. It is in inconsistent locations and is not always spawned.
  • Queen Black Dragon
    • Combat Level: 900
    • Combat Style: Melee/Ranged/Dragonfire
    • The only dragon older than the King Black Dragon is the Queen Black Dragon. She is a mighty dragon with several attacks at her disposal. Her incredibly hot Dragonfire can be used to forge the Royal Crossbow.
  • Exiled Kalphite Queen
    • Combat Level: 356
    • Combat Style: All
    • The exiled variant of the Kalphite Queen shares the same mechanics but is only slightly harder.
  • Kalphite King
    • Combat Level: 2500
    • Combat Style: All
    • After the Evolution of Combat, a new type of boss came into Runescape. These new bosses would use player abilities and be stronger than any other bosses before them. The first of these was the Kalphite King, but players are awarded for killing the difficult boss with level 90 melee weapons.
  • Vorago
    • Combat Level: 10000
    • Combat Style: Magic, Melee
    • Vorago resembles a giant rock that is moving around. He is an incredibly powerful boss and is meant for groups of players to challenge him. Players who challenge him will be rewarded with strong magic weapons.
  • Barrows Rise of the Six
    • Combat Level: 6 Bosses each level 650
    • Combat Style: All
    • This version of Barrows is significantly harder than the original one due to all of the brothers challenging you at once. In exchange for an increased challenge, you will be rewarded with Malevolent armor.
  • Araxxor and Araxxi
    • Combat Level: 2500/3500
    • Combat Style: All
    • Otherwise known as the spider boss, Araxxor is the initial boss many people try once they start doing high-level PvM. Killing Araxxor and his mate Araxxi is the source of some of the best weapons in the game, including the iconic Noxious Scythe.
  • The Abomination
    • Combat Level: N/A
    • Combat Style: Melee
    • To fight the Abomination to get money, you will first have to defeat it in a quest. The Abomination drops the Abomination Cape, one of the best tradeable capes in the game. If you survive the Abominations vigorous area of effect attacks, you have the potential to be well rewarded.
  • Solak
    • Combat Level: 7000
    • Combat Style: Melee/Range
    • Solak is a mighty group boss who fills a similar role as Vorago as far as drops go. Unlike Vorago, these drops cater to Ranged players. He is one of the strongest bosses in the game and only experienced players can defeat him.
  • Raksha
    • Combat Level: 6000
    • Combat Style: All
    • Coming from land out of time, Raksha is a fierce dinosaur opponent. They use very slow attacks that hit hard in any of the three combat styles. Utilizing different prayers to defeat him.
  • Rex Matriarchs
    • Combat Level: 3 bosses each level 888
    • Combat Style: All
    • The newest bosses in Runescape, the Rex Matriarchs serve as updated versions of the Dagannoth Kings. They share slightly different mechanics but live in the same niche as the kings. By defeating them you can unlock the best rings in the game.

God Wars Dungeon Bosses

The God Wars Dungeons are places were servants of the gods of Runescape battle each other. Each of the gods has sent a commander to lead their forces which the player has the opportunity to fight after killing enough common soldiers.

God Wars Dungeon

In the first God Wars Dungeon, you must kill 40 members of a faction before you can kill the boss for the faction. Once you enter the boss’s room you can stay as long as you like, but as soon as you leave the kill count will reset and you will have to kill 40 more members to enter the room again.

  • K’ril Tsutsaroth
    • Combat Level: 650
    • Entry Requirement: 7o Constitution
    • Zamorak’s commander is the demon K’ril Tsutsaroth. Defeating him will allow you to acquire powerful magic gear. He has a special attack where he will slam through your prayers if you are using any, so it may be best to not use prayer in this encounter.
  • General Graardor
    • Combat Level: 624
    • Entry Requirement: 70 Strength
    • Graardor belongs to a rare species called the Ourg. They are vicious warriors and Graardor is no different. He is known to drop pieces of the Bandos armor set, melee power armor that is useful for the slayer, and low-level bossing.
  • Commander Zilyana
    • Combat Level: 596
    • Entry Requirement: 70 Agility
    • The Icyene are some of Saradomin’s strongest followers, and Commander Zilyana is no different. She is hunted primarily for her Godsword hilt, but she also drops the Armadyl Crossbow she stole from Kree’arra.
  • Kree’arra
    • Combat Level: 580
    • Entry Requirement: 70 Ranged
    • Kree’arra likes to fly above his opponents, making it impossible to kill him with melee. This reduces the number of people who kill him and subsequently increases the value of his drops. He drops the Armadyl ranged gear which is an excellent choice for an aspiring ranger.
  • Nex
    • Combat Level: 1001
    • Entry Requirement: 70 Ranged, Agility, Strength, and Constitution
    • The once-forgotten god Zaros also has a stake in the God Wars Dungeon. His commander Nex is the strongest commander in the dungeon and is the most unique fight. Players will have to kill each of the commanders of the other gods to even have a chance to fight her.
  • Nex: Angel of Darkness
    • Combat Level: 7000
    • Entry Requirement: 70 Ranged, Agility, Strength, and Constitution
    • This is the harder version of Nex and will require every ounce of ability you have to defeat her.

Heart of Gielinor

Commonly known as God Wars 2, this dungeon consists of more difficult bosses and servants. The dungeons bosses are more complex and have mechanics, unlike the God Wars 1 bosses. In addition to those differences, the kill count will save when you leave the room, making it easier to farm the bosses.

  • Gregorovic
    • Combat Level: 1000
    • Entry Requirement: 80 Prayer
    • Formerly a normal human, Gregorovic has been twisted and turned into a monster for Mahjarrat Sliske. He utilizes poison and ranged attacks to fight the player character. Earlier in his life, he killed an elf under the protection of Helwyr and the sister of the Twin Furies.
  • Twin Furies
    • Combat Level: 2 bosses, each level 1000
    • Entry Requirement: 80 Ranged
    • The Twin Furies are servants of Zamorak who were tasked to find Vindicta and slay her. They would only find her once they were dispatched to the Heart of Gielinor, where they also found their enemy Gregorovic. The sisters work together to fight the player character and share the same health.
  • Vindicta
    • Combat Level: 1000
    • Entry Requirement: 80 Attack
    • The last dragon rider, Vindicta is a mighty foe who utilizes a dragon in the fight against the player. They are the servant of Zaros and seek to acquire the Heart. Defeating Vindicta will reward you with the Dragon Rider Lance, one of the best halberd weapons in the game.
  • Helwyr
    • Combat Level: 1000
    • Entry Requirement: 80 Magic
    • A former elf turned shapeshifter in the service of Seren, Helwyr also has a personal vendetta against Gregorovic. He drops high-level magic weapons and utilizes many bleeding attacks to kill the player.
  • Telos
    • Combat Level: 2000
    • Entry Requirement: 80 Prayer, Ranged, Attack, and Magic
    • Telos is the guardian of the Heart of Gielinor. He serves the same role as Nex does for God Wars Dungeon 1, but he is considerably stronger. Many consider him to be the hardest solo boss in all of Runescape.

Slayer Bosses

By increasing your slayer level you will gain the opportunity to fight high-level bosses that can drop some very valuable items. All slayer monsters are connected to other slayer concepts in some way, such as the Legiones being connected to the Monastery of Ascension.

  • The Magister
    • Combat Level: 899
    • Slayer Level: 115
    • The Magister comes from a foreign world and as such is a unique boss. He is a necromancer that uses soul obelisks to assist him. Only players incredibly experienced in the slayer skill can damage him as seen from the 115 level requirement.
  • The Legiones
    • Combat Level: 304
    • Slayer Level: 95
    • The Legiones are the strongest members of the Order of Ascension. Killing all of them is required to acquire the Ascension Crossbow, a very expensive and powerful crossbow. Using ranged attacks is the only viable method to kill them as they all use powerful magic attacks.

Raids Bosses

There is currently only one raid in Runescape 3, consisting of the two bosses listed below. Each of these bosses requires a group to defeat and you can earn excellent rewards for defeating them.

  • Beastmaster Durzag
    • Combat Level: 2000
    • Combat Style: All
    • Durzag is a group boss that uses a variety of beasts to assist him in combat. He drops very valuable gear commiserate with his status as a Raids boss. Durzag used a magical stone to enhance his powers into the mighty being he is today.
  • Yakamaru
    • Combat Level: 10000
    • Combat Style: All
    • Yakamaru resembles a moving pillar of water. It jumps between different pools of water to harness new abilities while also bring jellyfish into the fight to help it. Yakamaru and Durzag can both drop the Mazcab ability codex and high-level untradeable armor.

Elite Dungeon Bosses

The Elite Dungeons resemble raids but are different due to their interconnecting storyline. They can be completed solo or in a group, but most choose to complete them in a group due to their difficulty. A player can also receive special loot by completing all three Elite Dungeons consecutively.

Temple of Aminishi

Otherwise known as the Temple of Seiryu, the temple is ran by the Council of Seven whose strange actions called for an investigation into the temple by the player character.

  • The Sanctum Guardian
    • Combat Level: 850
    • Combat Style: Melee/Range
    • The first boss guarding the Temple of Aminishi, this Crassian is not one to tangle with lightly. It is ginormous for its species and uses a variety of attacks to stop the player from advancing further into the dungeon. If the player has defeated her before they may have received a fishy treat, an item that can be used to skip the fight.
  • Masuta The Ascended
    • Combat Level: 1000
    • Combat Style: All
    • Masuta is a warrior who is known for his spear, a powerful halberd weapon. The player will have to fight through three phases of combat with him before moving on to battling Seiryu.
  • Seiryu The Azure Serpent
    • Combat Level: 10000
    • Combat Style: Magic
    • Once a guardian of the Wushanko Isles, Seiryu is now a corrupt creature contained in the Temple of Aminishi. The player will not kill Seiryu in the fight, rather they will destroy the black crystals corrupting him to free the serpent. In exchange for freeing him, players will be rewarded by him after the battle.

Dragonkin Laboratory

Following the events in the Temple of Aminishi, the player heads to the Dragonkin Laboratory in the wilderness. Here dragons were tested on and tortured for a variety of experiments, creating the bosses contained within.

  • Astellarn
    • Combat Level: 1200
    • Combat Style: All
    • The first of all the celestial dragons, Astellarn is powerful in her own right. Unfortunately, she has been corrupted and turned aggressive, meaning the player will have to defeat her to progress through the laboratory.
  • Verak Lith
    • Combat Level: 1500
    • Combat Style: Magic/Melee
    • Similar in build to the King Black Dragon, Verak Lith is a veteran of the God Wars. He was considered a failure in the production of a stronger dragon and was eventually imprisoned in the laboratory. Experimentation on him has made him angry and aggressive.
  • Black Stone Dragon
    • Combat Level: 2500
    • Combat Style: All
    • Imbued with black stones, this dragon is powerful and corrupt. It is unpredictable, uncontrollable, and incredibly dangerous. The rewards for defeating this boss and subsequently finishing the Elite Dungeon are great, however, with many drops worth millions of gold.

The Shadow Reef

The finale in the Elite Dungeons trilogy has the adventurer face off against some of the strongest foes yet. If the player fails to complete the dungeon the world will collapse into darkness as The Ambassadors’ plans come to fruition.

  • Crassian Leviathan
    • Combat Level: 1500
    • Combat Style: Melee/Ranged
    • Once a standard leviathan, The Ambassador rewarded the leviathan immense power to destroy the player. It utilizes poison attacks and can crush opponents with its head.
  • Taraket the Necromancer
    • Combat Level: 1200
    • Combat Style: Magic/Ranged
    • Taraket is a longtime friend of The Ambassador who has been brought from the dead and taught necromancy. He summons hordes of the undead to fight his enemies.
  • The Ambassador
    • Combat Level: 5500
    • Combat Style: All
    • The Ambassador is a being of immense power who orchestrated all of the events in the Elite Dungeons series. He was once a dragonkin but he has been warped and disformed so he no longer resembles one. Some of his attacks can instantly kill the player and he has a variety of mechanics to learn.

Dungeoneering Bosses

There are dozens of Dungeoneering bosses filling up the halls where the skill takes place. They vary in ability and difficulty but will always be the last step before ending a dungeon. Below I will only list some of the highest level bosses due to the number of bosses that exist. Dungeoneering bosses’ combat levels depend on the party fighting them, so the Dungeoneering level is listed below.

  • Warped Gulega
    • Dungeoneering Level: 95
    • Floors: 48-60
    • The warped floors’ proximity to the Rift has warped this normal Gulega into something far more monstrous. Certain familiars will have had experience hunting Gulega and therefore do more damage to it during the boss encounter.
  • Dreadnaut
    • Dungeoneering Level: 95
    • Floors: 48-60
    • The Dreadnaut used to be a captain in the guard but has since become an insane murderer. He is vulnerable to all attack styles and primarily utilizes melee to defeat his foes.
  • Hope Devourer
    • Dungeoneering Level: 101
    • Floors: 51-60
    • This behemoth is the strongest of its kind that is known. Similar to all monsters on these warped floors, the Rift has corrupted and warped it into something new. It will only use melee so players will only have to defend against one attack style.
  • World-Gorger Shukarhazh
    • Dungeoneering Level: 107
    • Floors: 54-60
    • It is unknown what the origins of the World-Gorger are, all that is known is that it is incredibly dangerous. It is the strongest Stalker present in Daemonheim and it utilizes all three attack styles.
  • Kal’Ger the Warmonger
    • Dungeoneering Level: 113
    • Floors: 57-60
    • This Zamorakian demon represents the strongest of his kind in the dungeons. He is fiercely loyal to both Zamorak and the being that created the dungeons, Bilrach. Kal’Ger is capable of a variety of weapons and he can drain the player’s prayer throughout the fight.

FAQ:

Question: Are all bosses in Runescape 3 difficult?

Answer: Every boss in Runescape is meant to be difficult in some way, although they all vary in difficulty. For example, many bosses’ inquests will be significantly easier than stand-alone bosses.

Question: How do I make money by killing bosses in Runescape?

Answer: While killing bosses is one of the most efficient ways to make money in Runescape it is not always clear how to do so. The best way to make money from killing bosses is to find a boss you can efficiently do and kill a lot. The more you kill a boss the better odds of getting good loot you have.

Question: How do I get high-level gear in Runescape 3?

Answer: High-level gear is usually restricted to killing bosses, with some exceptions. You can get high-level melee gear without killing any boss through the Smithing skill. However to get high-level magic and ranged gear you will have to kill some of the strongest bosses in the game.

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