Specters.
They were not the peak of the Reaper world. But they carried incredible power. My relationship with them has been quite complicated. I got beaten up by four and defeated three.
The Nightmare Zachary Lynch. The Coroner Eva Baker. The Whirlwind Raymond Gertrude. And finally, The Living Metal Xander Rutherford. These were the bastards who pummeled me into dust.
I could make the excuses that I was still a newb when I fought them. But I was not so naive. They had the time to grow and to become powerful. Saying that they got lucky or that it was unfair was stupid. Each and every Specter ascended intentionally.
At the cost of their memories, they attained their power. It was not something everyone could do. Thus, unlike the Phantoms, Specters were treated like living legends. Each one drew respect and wielded unimaginable power.