While it might appear premature to declare Balatro as one of the greatest indie games ever made, there’s no doubt that LocalThunk’s creation deserves this level of acclaim.
Due to its many attractive features, like its compact size and user-friendly design for newcomers, this roguelike game has captured my interest exceptionally well, making it one of the few games in the genre that I find particularly engaging.
The allure of it is nearly unparalleled, boasting an impeccable layout and a finely balanced difficulty level that caters to both casual users seeking relaxation and hardcore enthusiasts yearning for a genuine test.
In both situations, the title presents a task with sporadically steep ascents contingent on your character’s construction. From my perspective, having conquered it entirely, these are the ten most difficult boss fights in Balatro without prior knowledge.
10. The Ox
The Destroyer of Economies
Description | Playing your most played hand this run sets money to $0 |
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Minimum Ante | 6 |
Earnings | $5 |
Effectively handling your funds within the game of Balatro is crucial for a successful playthrough. Without sufficient money, you won’t be able to purchase or expand shops, which can hinder the development of a strong setup.
Due to this circumstance, The Ox functions as an irritating supervisor, since it frequently selects the hand you’ve used the most, thereby discouraging its future usage in order to preserve your money.
Based on your physical structure and game strategy, it might be challenging to accumulate sufficient points without using your primary hand. This means you’ll need to take a gamble and potentially lose all your resources to secure the win, but doing so will significantly reduce your future strategic possibilities.
In the game, encountering The Ox as a boss can be quite challenging, as it’s one of the less advantageous situations. However, gold and tarot cards can certainly aid you in overcoming these difficulties.
9. The Arm
The Most Infuriating Blind
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-arm-from-balatro-2.png)
Description | Decrease level of played poker hand by 1 (hand levels can go as low as Level 1, and are reduced before scoring) |
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Minimum Ante | 2 |
Earnings | $5 |
One thing that can really spoil the fun when you’re playing Balatro is encountering “The Arm”. This obstacle can be incredibly frustrating.
Encountering this boss at an early stage can be particularly challenging because your skill level is usually crucial to meeting the necessary scores for progression, and failure can be quite disheartening.
If you’re almost out of points and need more than one turn to continue playing, it might be better to forfeit your game.
If you’ve used most of your points and need another go, consider quitting the game instead.
Overcoming it might not seem too challenging individually, but its impact on your power heading into the subsequent Ante makes it a serious threat to any gaming experience.
8. The Flint
Goodbye Score
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-flint-from-balatro-1.png)
Description | Base Chips and Mult for played poker hands are halved for the entire round |
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Minimum Ante | 2 |
Earnings | $5 |
Just as I’ve learned with The Arm, focusing solely on the inherent value of your poker hands instead of using wildcards like The Joker can lead to a crushing defeat, much like the unforgiving grip of The Flint.
In high-stakes situations, it’s crucial to choose jokers carefully as they play a significant role in helping you progress. However, should The Flint obstruct this process, your autonomous hand movements are no longer sufficient.
When playing high-stakes games, you need to select the right jokers for success, but if The Flint interferes, even your natural hand movements won’t help you advance further.
Discovering that your well-structured project will be halved unexpectedly certainly brings a sense of disappointment.
In many instances, you can exceed expectations so much that you may not even recognize you’re competing with the superior opponent. However, there are certain strategies or builds that stand little to no chance whatsoever against ‘The Flint’, in any possible situation.
7. The Needle
One Opportunity
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-needle-from-balatro-1.png)
Description | Play only 1 hand |
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Minimum Ante | 2 |
Earnings | $5 |
While spending time with Balatro, I discovered that the most effective builds can consistently reach the required score using just a single hand for gameplay.
But, there may be times when you don’t get a hold of the top-tier builds, and that’s precisely where The Needle steps in to potentially dampen your spirits.
As a devoted player, when I find myself with just a handful of discards, relying on several hands might be the key to amassing decent numbers, or perhaps I simply don’t possess enough power for my ante at this juncture. In such instances, if I encounter this formidable boss, my only option would be to restart the game.
Instead of being the most challenging among its counterparts, it is undoubtedly the one that has required the maximum amount of calculations, both expected and unforeseen, prior to taking action, in order to maximize my chances of success.
6. The Fish
It’s Time to Give In to Luck
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-fish-from-balatro-1.png)
Description | Cards drawn face down after each hand played |
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Minimum Ante | 2 |
Earnings | $5 |
In roguelike games, where decision-making heavily relies on information, the Fish presents an unexpected obstacle that tends to disrupt any strategies you may have devised.
If you don’t manage to accumulate sufficient points to win in one round, your chances of victory will depend on the fortunate draw of combinations that could lead you to success.
If you’re dealing with hands requiring several particular cards such as a Straight, Four of a Kind, or Flush, the likelihood of victory is almost negligible.
In your gameplay, the Fish strategy might prove challenging due to its lower frequency of occurrence and typically lower scoring potential.
5. The Mouth
Goodbye Flush, Goodbye Straight
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-mouth-from-balatro-1.png)
Description | Only one hand type can be played this round |
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Minimum Ante | 2 |
Earnings | $5 |
If, like me, you prefer strategies involving numerous cards, then Your deck may often feel like a formidable adversary.
Among the decks I favor the most, they perform exceptionally well in Straight and Flush games. Consequently, when I encounter this specific opponent without prior knowledge (blind), I’d simply opt to initiate a fresh round instead.
If I don’t have significantly superior power, especially on harder levels, and if I don’t have a backup plan for getting just a few more points, then this obstacle seems impossible to overcome.
In Balatro, you’re encouraged to repeatedly play similar hands using planets and tarot cards. However, it can also trap you with a rule called “The Mouth,” which penalizes you for following the optimal strategy.
4. Crimson Heart
Russian Roulette
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/crimson-heart-from-balatro-1.png)
Description | One random Joker disabled every hand (changes every hand) |
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Minimum Ante | 8 |
Earnings | $8 |
In most cases, different Jokers share some kind of compatibility or complement each other, making it so that each one contributes uniquely to the decks you’re planning to construct.
While some hand out chips, others provide a multiplier of sorts, but regardless of the form, they all seem to cooperate harmoniously to boost the numbers skyward.
Thus, the reason Crimson Heart proves to be heart-wrenching as a blind boss is because it meticulously dismantles your carefully crafted strategy, one turn at a time, leaving no room for strategic planning in advance.
In most cases, the Wheel of Fortune suggests that you might not have good fortune coming your way.
3. Verdant Leaf
Sacrifices Must Be Made
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/verdant-leaf-from-balatro-1.png)
Description | All cards debuffed until 1 Joker sold |
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Minimum Ante | 8 |
Earnings | $8 |
Everything that pertains to Crimson Heart can be applied to Verdant Leaf, but it comes with the extra burden of having to part ways with one of your cherished Jokers.
When you’re on a winning streak, it seems effortless, almost like playing against a lesser opponent. However, as you ascend to the highest levels of play and every single point matters, the challenge becomes significantly tougher.
Using a Joker in Endless Mode significantly reduces your ability to excel, which makes Verdant Leaf particularly dangerous for those aiming to set new personal records.
Fundamentally, this issue impacts a significant number of strategies, making it one of the toughest to overcome statistically. Consequently, its top-three finish is well-deserved.
2. The Eye
Almost An Instakill
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-eye-from-balatro-1.png)
Description | No repeat hand types this round |
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Minimum Ante | 3 |
Earnings | $5 |
It’s more challenging than encountering The Mouth and having limited hand options, than it is to face The Eye and not being allowed to reuse your moves.
In this sentence, I tried to keep the original meaning intact but made it easier to read by replacing “The Mouth” with “encountering The Mouth”, “play one type of hand” with “limited hand options”, “running into The Eye” with “face The Eye”, and “not being able to repeat them” with “not being allowed to reuse your moves”.
Despite the varying number of cards I’ve discarded, the size of my hand, or the quality of the jokers, the lack of finishing Balatro earlier has mainly been due to the challenging nature of this boss blind.
The main strategy for overcoming it is to amass a sufficient number of points using just one hand. However, once you’ve reached this stage, you typically won’t worry about the specific blind spots of any bosses in general.
Unlike the earlier instances, The Eye may show up starting from Ante 3 and persist until the end of the game, making it a constant threat throughout more than half of your gaming experience.
1. Violet Vessel
It’s Better To Just Restart
![](https://static1.dualshockersimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/violet-vessel-from-balatro-2.png)
Description | Very large blind |
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Minimum Ante | 8 |
Earnings | $8 |
If you fail to accumulate sufficient points, you can’t emerge victorious.
Regardless of whether they are obtained via planets, Jokers, or tarot cards, their monstrous scale dwarfs even the mightiest constructions, rendering them insignificant in comparison.
Despite being the simplest in impact among leaders, it possesses an impressive strength capable of conquering any type of challenge indiscriminately, thereby underscoring its persistent danger.
Even though it’s the least complex when it comes to bosses, its might is considerable enough to vanquish every form of adventure without prejudice, thus highlighting its lingering menace.
Lastly:
Though it may seem straightforward among leaders, its power is sufficient to overpower all sorts of quests without bias, thereby demonstrating its lasting peril.
As a dedicated fan, I can confidently say that no one has outmatched as many players as the boss I call “The Unconquerable.” Taking on the Violet Vessel with anything but an unorthodox strategy built for chaos rather than precision is a recipe for disaster.
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2025-02-08 17:10