Video game bosses with two health bars are good, actually

What’s Happening

Alright so The trope of video game bosses with multiple, refilling health bars is often hated, but more often understood.

Follow Followed X LinkedIn Bluesky Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Like Thread 6 Add us on Link copied to clipboard By Michael McWhertor Published 5 hours ago The second health bar is a beloved staple, when done right Related I tested Legos new smart bricks and they shouldnt scare builders Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hid its twist in plain sight Matt Mercer has no doubt what Bart Simpsons D&D class would be Thrill of the refill: I love it when a boss gets a second health bar FromSoftware/Activision via Polygon Sign in to your Polygon account It’s probably happened to you: After bashing your head against a particularly difficult boss in a video game, you realize you’ve been duped. As you watch that boss’ depleted health bar fill up again, you realize what you thought was a victory was instead an insult. (let that sink in)

Welcome to phase two of the battle you believed you’ve just clutched.

The Details

These moments can be deflating and infuriating. As part of Polygon’s coverage of dramatic entrances in video games, movies, and television, allow me to sing the praises of the dramatic re-entrance, the moments that transform highs into lows.

The second (or third, fourth, etc. ) health bar is a longstanding design trick in games, implemented for multiple reasons.

Why This Matters

Some instances of double health bars are more successful than others, but they serve important purposes: They reframe the boss fight experience, add new layers of challenge, and force players to (in many cases) try and try again, armed with fresh knowledge and skill. Health bars (or meters) have been used in games for more than 40 years, building on the “hit points” system introduced in Dungeons & Dragons . Early arcade experiences like Nintendo’s boxing game Punch-Out!

Gaming fans have strong opinions about moves like this, and for good reason.

Key Takeaways

• And Konami’s fighting game Yie Ar Kung-Fu relied on health bars to show players how much stamina or life they had left.
• Health bars are commonplace across genres, from side-scrolling beat-’em-ups and shmups, to action RPGs and strategy games.

The Bottom Line

And Konami’s fighting game Yie Ar Kung-Fu relied on health bars to show players how much stamina or life they had left. Health bars are commonplace across genres, from side-scrolling beat-’em-ups and shmups, to action RPGs and strategy games.

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