I fought Karstaag today. It was a challenging and highly enjoyable battle. The Karstaag itself looked monstrous and creepy, and considering the setting, the weapons I was using, and the magical ice storm swirling around us as we fought, the battle looked something like a Frank Frazetta painting. It was very epic, but it brought my attention to something that I think Skyrim is highly lacking...

Boss fights: We need more of them.

I know dragons themselves are sort-of like bosses, and I really enjoy fighting dragons, but there is just something about unique boss fights against extremely powerful opponents that really makes it clear that you're playing the role of the hero in the game, not just a regular person.

A boss can really take on many forms and come in many shapes and sizes, but there are some themes that are consistently awesome I think:

They have to look unique and appropriate: not just a more powerful regular dude but something that stands out from the crowd. Dramatically overdressed? or deceptively under-dressed? Creepy armour, towering physiques, two heads? glowing eyes? bat wings? a cape? there are many ways it can be done, and many ways it has been done in the past, but what is most significant is that they look the part, so that when you see them you think "who is that?" and when you fight them you are thinking "this is a significant event".

They have to have a strong presence: It can be heavily plot related(the champion of the enemy army) to deliberately ambiguous and mysterious(the man in the mask). A boss can be a big talker, charismatic and in charge of a horde of loyal warriors, or they can be the silent "black knight" type feared throughout the land, or it can be an ancient frost giant, who's throne and strange castle is really all that hints at their power, or perhaps an old and dangerous rival or long lost family member?. There's many ways to do it, but, it really all comes down to presence. Do you feel like you are going up against a powerful and significant foe and not just your average guy?

They have to be extremely powerful: These people can kick your ass if you let them. They are champions in their own right, perhaps on par with your character or greater. You can't toy with them like other characters, these bosses will put you on the ground and keep you on the ground until they have finished battering you with their enchanted hammer or punishing you with powerful spells. The exact methods of punishment are not what matters, what matters is that they hit extremely hard, so that when if you emerge triumphant you actually feel like you had overcome great adversity.

To a lesser extent, but also significant:

The setting: On top of a burning castle? on the edge of a cliff? in a ruined ice fortress? a crowded arena? in the middle of a vast battlefield? or inside a volcano? or on a sinking ship? or maybe high up in the clouds? the more epic the situation, the more epic the fight feels, and if the boss is epic too, then the battle becomes all the more epic.

A good boss is actually quite a simple thing, but, when used well and fully realised, it can make an already epic game that extra bit more epic. Skyrim, and the Elder Scrolls in general needs more boss battles I think.

Does anyone else agree?

I agree, there should also be different "stages" when fighting bosses.

This makes me think of fights that involve dragon mounts that end up on the ground, or on some mountain, forcing the player and the boss to fight each other one on one while trying to avoid falling off cliff edges.

I also think that the Star Wars movies provided several good examples of fights with different stages.