Boss Roster
Seven bosses gate progression through the campaign. Each one has three AI phases triggered at 100%, 66%, and 33% remaining HP. Phase transitions add new signature moves, speed up reactions, and reduce throw vulnerability.
All bosses share two universal traits: juggle resistance (combo gravity increases faster than on normal enemies, so true infinites are impossible) and grab immunity on most of their attack animations. Throws still work, but only between attacks during their idle frames.
Stage 5 — Iron Fist
Archetype: Pressure brawler — high armor, high damage.
Signature moves
- Iron Cross (guard break overhead)
- Pile Driver (command grab)
- Earth Crush (AoE slam)
How to beat it
Iron Fist soaks pressure; meet him at mid-range and pick him apart with Ki Blast chip + low pokes. Bait Pile Driver with a fake approach, then dodge-roll behind for a juggle starter.
Stage 10 — Shadow Lord
Archetype: Teleport mix-up — fast, low HP, deceptive openings.
Signature moves
- Shadow Step (instant teleport behind player)
- Void Slash (multi-hit dash)
- Eclipse (screen-darkening overhead)
How to beat it
Never commit a heavy unless Shadow Lord is grounded and stunned. Reserve dodge-roll for the Shadow Step warning flash and immediately punish the recovery. Save Ki for Super Beam in phase 3.
Stage 11 — Storm Monk
Archetype: Zoner with lightning-tipped staff — punishes whiffs.
Signature moves
- Thunder Spear (long staff thrust)
- Lightning Step (mobility)
- Storm Pillar (anti-air)
How to beat it
Storm Monk wins at his preferred range. Use depth-dodge to weave around Thunder Spear, then commit a directional dash to enter his blind spot. Don't jump — Storm Pillar deletes air approaches.
Stage 12 — Venom Fang
Archetype: Low-attack specialist — applies damage-over-time effects.
Signature moves
- Venom Strike (DoT bite)
- Crawl Sweep (low knockdown)
- Toxic Cloud (AoE poison)
How to beat it
Stand and block lows are not a real option here — chip and DoT add up. Stay airborne when Toxic Cloud spawns and reset neutral. Ki Burst clears the cloud and stuns Venom Fang briefly.
Stage 13 — Titan
Archetype: Heavy super-armor — every hit risks trade.
Signature moves
- Mountain Smash (armored overhead)
- Quake Stomp (AoE)
- Boulder Throw (projectile)
How to beat it
Don't trade with Titan's armored startups. Whiff-punish Mountain Smash on recovery; dodge through Boulder Throw with a depth-shift. Save the 100% Dragon Fist for the phase-3 transition.
Stage 14 — Phantom Blade
Archetype: Counter specialist — parries normals on reaction.
Signature moves
- Mirror Edge (parry stance)
- Blade Storm (multi-hit dash)
- Phantom Cut (teleport slash)
How to beat it
Mix throws with normals to break the parry. Don't repeat the same blockstring twice — Phantom Blade will read it and parry the second iteration. Ki Burst on wakeup is a strong panic option.
Stage 15 — Dragon King
Archetype: All-purpose pressure boss with infinite Ki gauge.
Signature moves
- Dragon Roar (screen-wide projectile)
- Wing Sweep (mobility + AoE)
- Eternal Flame (sustained beam)
How to beat it
Dragon King never runs out of meter, so neutral is permanently dangerous. Play patient: bait Eternal Flame and dodge-roll through it for a punish window. Conservation of Ki is more important than spending — keep at 50% minimum to threaten Ki Burst as a panic button.
Universal Boss Tips
- Don't gang up. Bosses fight alone — focus all attention on positioning rather than crowd control.
- Charge Ki between phases. Each phase transition has a brief invincible intro — use that window to charge with Q.
- Phase 3 is the danger zone. Below 33% HP, bosses gain reaction speed and damage bonuses. Save your highest-cost specials for this phase.
- Dodge-roll, don't block. Most boss signature moves are flagged as guard break or chip-heavy; the invincibility of dodge-roll is worth more than blocked damage.
Make sure you've internalized the core mechanics and the command list before climbing the boss ladder.