In video games, a boss is a significantly powerful non-player character created as an opponent to players. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the players have faced up to that point in a game. Boss battles are generally seen at climax points of particular sections of games, such as at the end of a level or stage or guarding a specific objective. A miniboss is a boss weaker or less significant than the main boss in the same area or level, though usually more powerful than the standard opponents and often fought alongside them. A superboss is generally much more powerful than the bosses encountered as part of the main game's plot and is often an optional encounter. A final boss is often the main antagonist of a game's story and the defeat of that character usually provides a positive conclusion to the game. A boss rush is a stage where players face multiple previous bosses again in succession.
A boss fight from Guacamelee! in which the player characters (the two characters in luchador outfits) must keep ahead of the giant rampaging creature (boss) on the left while dodging obstacles and other enemies
Mother Brain, the final boss of Metroid and Super Metroid
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy and rival of the protagonist.
King Claudius, the antagonist, is married to Queen Gertrude in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.