Destiny 2 Raid Bosses: Who to Farm and Who's Hardest

The LFG post said “Nezarec, know mechanics.” You did not. You wiped the team in thirty seconds and got kicked.

Destiny 2’s hardest fights are its raid and dungeon bosses. Each one is a setpiece with a name players recognize. Nezarec, Rhulk, The Witness, Atheon, Riven, and Santan are the ones people mean when they say “the boss.” Story missions and public events have bosses too, but those rarely gate progress the way raids do.

The real problem is not difficulty. It is not knowing which boss to chase, or which one will wreck a new group.

Start with the farmable ones

New players should not jump straight into the toughest raid. Farm a boss you can actually clear, learn the loop, then move up. A finished boss teaches more than a failed attempt on a harder one.

Raid bosses drop some of the best loot in the game. Dungeon bosses are shorter and often solo-friendly. Our raids guide breaks down both formats.

Who is actually hard

Among the named bosses, a few are widely seen as brutal for first-timers. Rhulk and Nezarec punish groups that skip mechanics. The Witness demands tight coordination across phases. Atheon and Riven are older but still trip up careless teams.

None of this is a ranked list. Difficulty shifts with your power and your fireteam. Commit a night to a raid only after the first encounter tells you whether your fireteam can execute the mechanic, not whether it has the damage.

Read before you queue

Blind queuing is how people get kicked. Learn the boss’s name and its core mechanic first. Watch one clear, then attempt it. A prepared rookie beats a cocky one every time.

Solo players have different math. Some bosses simply need a second body. Our beginners guide covers how to find a fireteam that tolerates learning.

Bosses outside raids

Story missions and public events have bosses too. They are easier but still block progress if you skip their mechanic. Public event bosses reward planetary loot and are a calm place to learn timing. Clear a few before you touch a raid.

Loot is the real pull

Raid and dungeon bosses drop gear you cannot get elsewhere. That is why people farm them nightly. Pick the boss whose pool you actually need. Our dungeons guide lists which activities suit solo players.

What if you get kicked?

Learn the mechanic, then re-queue with a teaching group. Most communities welcome a rookie who admits they are learning. Pride gets you kicked twice; honesty gets you carried once.

Don’t overthink the order

Pick one boss. Clear it. Then pick the next. The loot and the confidence stack faster than any plan you make on paper.