This is a list of bosses from Cuphead.
In the base game, the bosses take place in the form of debtors, whose souls Cuphead and Mugman must steal to win The Devil's bet, and in The Delicious Last Course, the keepers of ingredients that are used to create the Wondertart to bring Ms. Chalice back to life.
Boss fights are divided into "phases" where the bosses change forms and attack patterns after taking a certain amount of damage.
Bosses can have as few as two phases or as many as five, but most of the bosses have three phases.
Whenever the player starts a boss battle, the announcer utters one of the following lines:
- "A brawl is surely brewing!"
- "Here's a real high class bout!"
- "A great slam and then some!"
- "Good day for a swell battle!"
- "This match will get red hot!"
Followed by one of the following, accompanied by "WALLOP!", or "EN GARDE!" for the King's Leap Bosses.
- "Now go!"
- "You're up!"
- "Here goes!"
- "It's on!"
- "And begin!"
Once the boss is defeated, the announcer will shout "Knockout!", which is followed by the bosses' defeat pose.
However, if the player dies, they will be greeted with a screen that simply says "YOU DIED!" which precedes a "Death Card" which contains a quote of the boss mocking the player, often in rhyme.
There are a total of 28 bosses in the base game. There are five bosses each in Inkwell Isles 1 and 2, seven in Isle 3, ten in the showdown with King Dice (nine mini-bosses plus King Dice), and finally, The Devil himself.
In the Delicious Last Course, there are seven bosses in Inkwell Isle 4, along with five King's Leap bosses, thus adding a total of twelve new bosses. Added to the total of the 28 bosses from the main game, there are a total of 40 bosses in the entire game (footage of each below).
Boss Name | Preview | Description | Phases (Regular Mode) | Phases (Simple Mode) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Inkwell Isle One | ||||
The Root Pack | The Root Pack are one of the three bosses initially available. Defeating them unlocks access to Ribby and Croaks. Their level is titled Botanic Panic! They also have a secret phase. | 3 | 2 | |
Goopy Le Grande | Goopy Le Grande is one of the three bosses initially available. Defeating him unlocks access to Hilda Berg. His level is titled Ruse of an Ooze. | 3 | 2 | |
Hilda Berg | Hilda Berg is unlocked after defeating Goopy Le Grande. Defeating her unlocks access to Cagney Carnation. Her level is titled Threatenin' Zeppelin. | 2 | 1 | |
Cagney Carnation | Cagney Carnation is one of the three bosses initially available. He can also be unlocked after defeating Hilda Berg. His level is titled Floral Fury. Beating him unlocks the Die House for the player. | 2 | 1 | |
Ribby and Croaks | Ribby and Croaks are unlocked after defeating the Root Pack. Defeating them unlocks access to the first Mausoleum. Their level is titled Clip Joint Calamity. | 3 | 2 | |
Inkwell Isle Two | ||||
Baroness Von Bon Bon | Baroness Von Bon Bon is one of the three bosses initially available after entering this isle. Defeating her grants access to Wally Warbles. Her level is titled Sugarland Shimmy. Her first phase is a series of three randomized bosses before the final phase. | 2 | 2 | |
Beppi the Clown | Beppi The Clown is one of the three bosses initially available after entering this isle. Defeating him grants access to Grim Matchstick. His level is titled Carnival Kerfuffle. | 4 | 3 | |
Djimmi the Great | Djimmi The Great is one of the three bosses initially available after entering this isle. Defeating him grants access to the second Mausoleum. His level is titled Pyramid Peril. He has the most phases out of any boss in the game, with a total of five, and also a secret phase. | 5 | 4 | |
Grim Matchstick | Grim Matchstick is unlocked after defeating Beppi The Clown, or by taking a shortcut. His level is titled Fiery Frolic. | 3 | 2 | |
Wally Warbles | Wally Warbles is unlocked after defeating Baroness Von Bon Bon, or taking a shortcut. His level is titled Aviary Action. | 3 | 2 | |
Inkwell Isle Three | ||||
Rumor Honeybottoms | Rumor Honeybottoms is one of two initially available bosses after entering this isle. Defeating her grants access to Dr. Kahl's Robot. Her level is titled Honeycomb Herald. | 2 | 1 | |
Captain Brineybeard | Captain Brineybeard is the second of two initially available bosses after entering this isle. Defeating him grants access to Cala Maria. His level is titled Shootin N' Lootin. | 2 | 1 | |
Sally Stageplay | Sally Stageplay is a boss unlocked after defeating either Cala Maria, Dr. Kahl's Robot, or taking a shortcut. Defeating her grants access to Phantom Express and Werner Werman. Her level is titled Dramatic Fanatic. She also has a secret phase. | 4 | 3 | |
Werner Werman | Werner Werman is a boss unlocked after defeating Sally Stageplay or completing either of the Run n' Gun levels Perilous Piers and Rugged Ridge. His level is titled Murine Corps. | 3 | 2 | |
Dr. Kahl's Robot | Dr. Kahl's Robot is unlocked after defeating Rumor Honeybottoms, controlled by Dr. Kahl. Defeating him grants access to Sally Stageplay. His level is titled Junkyard Jive!. | 3 | 1 | |
Cala Maria | Cala Maria is unlocked after defeating Captain Brineybeard. Defeating her grants access to Sally Stageplay. Her level is titled High Seas Hi-Jinx!. | 3 | 2 | |
Phantom Express | The Phantom Express is unlocked after defeating Sally Stageplay. Defeating them grants access to Inkwell Hell. Their level is titled Railroad Wrath. | 4 | 3 | |
Inkwell Hell | ||||
Tipsy Troop | The first of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | N/A | N/A | |
Chips Bettigan | The second of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | |||
Mr. Wheezy | The third of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | |||
Pip and Dot | The fourth of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | |||
Hopus Pocus | The fifth of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | |||
Phear Lap | The sixth of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | |||
Pirouletta | The seventh of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | |||
Mangosteen | The eighth of nine mini-bosses fought before King Dice. | |||
Mr. Chimes | The ninth and final mini-boss fought before King Dice. | |||
King Dice | King Dice is the only initially available boss after entering Hell. Defeating him grants access to The Devil. His level is titled All Bets Are Off!. He cannot be played on Simple Mode. | |||
The Devil | The Devil, for whom Cuphead and Mugman are collecting the soul contracts, serves as the main antagonist and final boss of the game. He is unlocked after defeating King Dice. His level is titled One Hell Of A Time. He cannot be played on Simple Mode. | 4 | N/A | |
Inkwell Isle Four | ||||
Glumstone The Giant | Glumstone The Giant is one of the two bosses initially available after entering this isle. Defeating him grants access to Mortimer Freeze. His level is titled Gnome Way Out. | 3 | 2 | |
Mortimer Freeze | Mortimer Freeze is a boss unlocked after defeating Glumstone The Giant. Defeating him grants access to The Howling Aces. His level is titled Snow Cult Scuffle. | 3 | 2 | |
Moonshine Mob | Moonshine Mob is one of the two bosses initially available after entering this isle. Defeating them grants access to Esther Winchester. Their level is titled Bootlegger Boogie. | 3 | 2 | |
Esther Winchester | Esther Winchester is a boss unlocked after defeating Moonshine Mob. Defeating her grants access to The Howling Aces. Her level is titled High-Noon Hoopla. | 4 | 3 | |
The Howling Aces | The Howling Aces are bosses unlocked after defeating either Mortimer Freeze, Esther Winchester, or taking a shortcut. Their level is titled Doggone Dogfight. They also have a secret phase. | 3 | 2 | |
Chef Saltbaker | Chef Saltbaker, betraying the trio after collecting all of the ingredients, serves as the main antagonist and the final boss of the DLC. His level is titled A Dish To Die For. He cannot be played on Simple Mode. | 3 | N/A | |
Angel and Demon | A pair of secret bosses who are fought in the hidden level, One Hell Of A Dream unlocked by the Broken Relic charm. | 1 | N/A | |
The King's Leap | ||||
The Pawns | The first of the King of Games' champions. Players must parry all the pawns with heads to defeat them. | N/A | N/A | |
The Knight | The second of the King of Games' champions faced by the player. Players must parry his plume whenever he lets his guard down to damage him. | |||
The Bishop | The third of the King of Games' champions faced by the player. Players must blow out all the candles before they are able to parry him. | |||
The Rook | The fourth of the King of Games' champions faced by the player. Players must parry the pink heads that come out from his grindstone. | |||
The Queen | The fifth of the King of Games' champions faced by the player, as well as the final one. Players must parry the fuse of cannons to try and send cannonballs flying towards her. |