Paper Mario: The Origami King: All Bosses RANKED!
I adored the boss fights in this game! The combat system in Paper Mario: The Origami King allowed for some of the best boss fights I have ever played in a video game. While I enjoyed every boss in this game, there are some I like better than others! Now without further ado, RPG Ranked presents... Paper Mario: The Origami King: All Bosses RANKED!
16. Earth Vellumental - C Tier
On one hand, I love that this is the first boss to introduce this game's masterful boss battle system. On the other hand, this boss is one of the most hand-holdy portions in the entire game. I would've loved if the prologue had some sort of tutorial boss so that this awesome boss could be less annoying and boring, but alas, that is not the case. On top of that, it is just a very simple boss, and it doesn't have any interesting abilities to make the boss interesting. Overall, a decent boss, but not a great one.
15. Handaconda - B Tier
The first of three mediocre Green Streamer bosses, the Handaconda is a much more interesting threat outside of battle than inside. While I found it interesting and fun to play Rock, Paper, Scissors! in a boss fight, it just took away the amazing puzzle aspects of other boss fights. Also, the first phase of this boss fight is just confusing and all over the place. Overall, the Handaconda is a novel idea, but in the end, it just is too luck-based and unfun compared to the other bosses on this list.
14. Boss Sumo - B Tier
This feels like a less iconic Earth Vellumental fight (since it has a similar battle concept), but without all the tutorials. To beat the boss, you need to take out the weaker enemies so the panels can be available for use—you get to choose between multiple different Vellumental panels to use! It is also the guardian of Bowser's Castle, and defeating it is one of the main goals of the Green Streamer! While it a unique fight, it was just not as interesting as some other phenomenal boss fights in this game.
13. Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle - B Tier
Geez... this boss is incredibly grotesque for a Paper Mario game. Literally, Scissors cut people to death in tons of pieces and morphed them into the body of this Paper Macho Buzzy Beetle. While this fight is fun and the aesthetic is very unique, in the end, this fight is just a slightly more interesting Paper Macho Buzzy Beetle. And, as a whole, I am just so much more interested in puzzle-based battles than real-time boss battles. They are just so much more unique and engaging, in my opinion.
12. Paper Macho Gooper Blooper - B Tier
I love the atmosphere of The Princess Peach, it is just such an amazing area. However, this boss was cooler in terms of atmosphere than as a boss in my eyes. While I still thoroughly enjoyed this boss fight, and dodging the waves was super fun, I am just so much more interested in the puzzle-based boss fights. Overall, a great boss that so many people love, but is not my favorite.
11. Stapler - A Tier
The fact there is a stapler that acts like a dog is just absolutely hysterical. That idea, along with the Stapler gimmick, is very awesome and fun. However, the fact that there are no interesting floor tiles, no unique pieces of dialogue, and no staple-based influences on the environment? It really lowers my opinion of this boss. The Stapler is by far the least interesting Legion of Stationery fight, which is sad, as it is the last. However, it is still a fantastic fight, and guarding tons of bites and staple guns is incredibly fun and satisfying. Overall, I enjoyed this fight, but it was not all that special.
10. Colored Pencils - A Tier
This boss fight is very fun! The fact Colored Pencils are acting like a machine gun is just so fantastic and iconic. Outside of battle, dodging all the missiles and seeing all the drawings made by the Colored Pencils is fantastic. However, as the second boss in the game, this boss is just too basic to consider placing any higher on this list. I really love this boss, but it would be so much more fantastic if it were twice as involved.
9. King Olly - A Tier
I know, I know. The final boss in ninth place? Blasphemous! But seriously, this boss just felt way too anticlimactic to me. The third phase, while interesting, was just boring to me... and annoying. It was just solving the same puzzle over and over, and the hammer was kind of cliché—seeing Olivia fold into a mix of all four Vellumentals? That would have been so much cooler. I actually really liked the second phase, but the third phase just kind of ruined the fantasticness of this fight. By far the best phase was the first phase, as Olly began to fold into the four Vellumentals. However, it was just way too easy and uninteresting. The final boss should not be as easier rehash of earlier bosses... it would have been so much cooler if Olly had either 1) been required to fight all four Vellumentals, each with new powers and twice the health 2) Olly would become a new Vellumental every turn or 3) Olly would be a conglomerate of all four Vellumentals in an epic final clash. While I still enjoyed the fight as it was, it was nowhere near the level of awesome as the Shadow Queen, or to be honest? The Sticker Star and Color Splash final bosses...
8. Fire Vellumental - A Tier
Unlike the drab dungeon in which this boss resides, this boss incredibly fun to fight. It was awesome deciding "should I risk being hurt by the feathers or risk landing on less important floor tiles?" Dousing the majestic bird with the Water Vellumental was awesome, and the scale and visuals of this fight were awesome. As fun and flamboyant that this boss fight was, there is no denying that it is so much less unique than the next seven bosses on this list.
7. Mega Paper Macho Pokey - S Tier
Okay, this Paper Macho fight is an exception to my rule. Driving around in a bott car dodging attacks and hammering down this towering boss? This is just such an incredible fight and spectacle, and did everything the Tower Power Pokey failed to do in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. I adored the atmosphere of the boss, being in a sandstorm, and it was such a nice and welcome surprise. It spontaneously rising out of the sand was so cool, and anytime boot cars are involved, I am not complaining at all. This was a phenomenal boss fight.
6. Rubber Band - S Tier
The surrounding events in the Big Sho' Theater seamlessly led into this fantastic boss fight. The Rubber Bands act as pseudo arrow tiles, which is awesome, and the fact Rubber Band is a huge rubber band covered in a ton of smaller ones? Outstanding. The utter drama and operatic vibe of this fight is just fantastic, and I adored the Rubber Band's gimmicks. Overall, Rubber Band is easily one of the best fights in Paper Mario: The Origami King.
5. Ice Vellumental - S Tier
This boss is totally epic! You have to first unfreeze the boss using the Fire Vellumental's power to reveal its weak point, and then you can unleash powerful attacks onto the boss until it enters its second phase—the maze phase. This phase, while frustrating at first, is absolutely fantastic! Finding your way through the maze really pushes the layer's limits and their understanding of the game's battle system. It is truly a fantastic fight, but there are still some that are quite a bit better.
4. Scissors - S Tier
I never thought I'd be so intimidated by office supplies, but here I am. Scissors is easily the scariest and hardest boss fight in the game, being the penultimate member of the Legion of Stationery and the Green Streamer's chapter boss. With the ability to instantly kill Mario if he doesn't effectively dodge Scissors' attacks? This fight is incredibly tense and fun. And if you are not good enough? You will have to refight the Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle, the amalgamation of Scissors' sinister skills. This fight is fantastic, but without any unique floor tiles and strategies, I still like three bosses a little better.
3. Tape - S+ Tier
I loved that this boss fight felt like two distinctly fun and interesting phases. While most boss fights just up the ante, this boss truly changed its ways into an amazing and unique boss fight. At first, Tape feels like it has no gimmick outside of hiding important switches in chests (something most bosses do later in the game). The first phase consists of smashing the tape dispenser into oblivion, which is incredibly fun. However, once the dispenser is smashed? He starts taping tons of tiles together and making some insane puzzles that are a ocmplete blast to solve... and if you can't quite solve it, you can use the Fire Vellumental to burn away all the tape. The only reason I didn't find this boss to be the best boss in the game? Because, besides the Stapler, Tape has by far the least plot relevance of any of the Legion of Stationery. While that doesn't mean too much for me, that is the small tiebreaker between this boss and the next boss on this list.
2. Hole Punch - S+ Tier
While I like the actual combat of the Hole Punch marginally less than the fight against Tape, the personality of the Hole Punch and his rather deep plot relevance and motivations made him one of the best bosses in the Paper Mario series. Seriously, what could be more surreal than a sentient hole puncher who defaced tons of Toads to keep them hostage for dance parties, as well as hide them in an ancient pyramid in the sand by stealing the sun, in turn lowering the Temple of Shrooms into the ground? And then having a musical dance number to a disc found in a grave? Yeah, it is insane and I love it. The unique mechanics here are also awesome, as Hole Punch will hole punch you and the piece of Mario will randomly land somewhere on the map. This lowers your maximum health, but if you pick it back up, you will be okay. If not, the chances of survival are paper slim. Overall, the Hole Punch is easily one of the best bosses in the game.
1. Water Vellumental - S++ Tier
Wiping away the tiles with whirlpools and escaping from Big Wave with the power of the Earth Vellumental? This is an amazing battle and truly converted me to Origami King boss battles. To be honest, The Origami King has some of my favorite boss fights in the series and of all time, and for this to be my favorite boss in the game? This means that this is one of my favorite boss battles of all time .If you fought this boss, you know how good it is. If not, you'll join the light side soon. I have nothing else to say about this boss, it speaks for itself.