WARNING: This Feature contains spoilers for the mainline Final Fantasy series.The elements of light and darkness are the main - and sometimes opposing - pillars of most role-playing games, and theFinal Fantasyseries is no different in that regard. As go the forces of the light in the mainlineFinal Fantasygames, so go the forces of darkness to meet them and balance their heroism and bravery with chaos and villainy. However, just likethe protagonists of theFinal Fantasyseries, not every villain is as memorable or powerful as their counterparts.
EachFinal Fantasyantagonist was chosen based not just on their power and difficulty as a boss fight, but also ranked for their memorability, their impact on their respective stories, and how much of a foil they are to their game’s main protagonist. Despite the fact that games such asFinal Fantasy 10andFinal Fantasy 14have multiple villains worthy of dubious distinction, only one antagonist per mainlineFinal Fantasygame was picked for representation.
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Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy 6):As one ofthe few villains to actually succeed in his mission, Kefka went from imperial jester to god of magic and turned the World of Balance into the World of Ruin. With a clown-like visage that laughs at the pain and suffering he causes to others that incur his wrath, Kefka and his complete lack of scruples struck a raw nerve with the cast ofFinal Fantasy 6and with gamers. The fact that he destroyed the world for the fun of it, and wanted to revel in the chaos he created by making a monument to mock life itself makes this clown-turned-deity one of the most dastardly villains in both theFinal Fantasyseries and in gaming history. In the final battle within Kefka’s Tower, Kefka is fought in four phases, with a different part of Nobuo Uematsu’s “Dancing Mad” playing as the party struggles to topple the mad god for good.
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake): Just like Cloud, the One-Winged Angel is synonymous with theFinal Fantasyseries itself. With his inclusion inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateas one of the last six DLC fighters, Sephiroth cemented his legacy as one of thetop video game villains of all time. Though his legacy was defined by his murder of Aerith in the original version ofFinal Fantasy 7, the fact that he returned inAdvent Childrenwas proof that Sephiroth remained more than just a memory in Cloud’s mind and the minds of gamers. As the final boss ofFinal Fantasy 7, Sephiroth was fought in the Northern Crater in three distinct battles. However, the final fight in this gauntlet is a one-on-one spectacle between Cloud and Sephiroth that is still referenced in and out ofFF7to this day.
Emet-Selch/Hades (Final Fantasy 14): The snarky but charming Ascian called Emet-Selch was zealously devoted to resurrecting the dark elder primal Zodiark. Since Ascians could only “live” by means of a vessel, Emet-Selch used the guise of Emperor Solus zos Galvus to turn Garlemald into a Magitek war machine. As Emperor Solus, he was the grandfather of Zenos yae Galvus, another memorable antagonist ofFinal Fantasy 14. However, the events ofStormbloodandShadowbringerssaw Garlemald collapse from within, and Emet-Selch eventually met his end at the hands of the Warrior of Light. In his last stand, Emet-Selch revealed that his true name was Hades. Though his dark magic pushed the Warrior to the brink, the power of the Light was just enough to overcome Hades. DuringEndwalker, the Warrior of Light traveled back in time to the land of Elpis and met with Hades as he originally was. Just before the battle with The Endsinger, Hades then told the Warrior of the places in Eorzea that they had yet to see, including theNew World of Tural that will be explored in theDawntrailexpansion.
Ardyn Izunia (Final Fantasy 15):Inthe open world ofFinal Fantasy 15, Ardyn Izunia introduced himself as “a man of no consequence” to Noctis and his retinue. However, this thinly veiled mask was thrown off midway through the game, when the Chancellor of Niflheim killed Lunafreya in front of Noctis and formally addressed himself as Ardyn Lucis Caelum. While Ardyn was once a revered healer, his corruption by the Starscourge ate away at his sanity and compassion over the years, which led to him being persecuted and banished. When the night overruled Eos, Ardyn sat atop the lonely throne of Lucis, waiting for Noctis to come and take it. In a climactic battle over the darkened streets of Insomnia, Noctis and Ardyn waged a war of attrition for the throne. In the end, Ardyn’s eyes were closed forevermore.
A-Tier
Golbez (Final Fantasy 4):Despite being a powerful sorcerer who committed terrible crimes, Golbez was not the true threat ofFinal Fantasy 4. In truth, Golbez was Theodor Harvey, the older brother ofFF4’s main protagonist Cecil Harvey, who was possessed by the Lunarian named Zemus. Though Golbez came to his senses, he felt remorse for the crimes he committed and sealed himself away following the final boss battle against Zemus' true form, the monster Zeromus. Despite Golbez being a behind-the-scenes villain, he was iconic enough forFinal Fantasy 14to bring Golbez’s story into theEndwalkerexpansion.
Ultimecia (Final Fantasy 8):Ultimecia was a sorceress from the far-flung futurewho planned the events ofFinal Fantasy 8from her castle. In short, Ultimecia wished to compress all time and space to make herself a god. Despite Ultimecia possessing Edea and giving her the powers of a sorceress in order to compress time, she was thwarted by Squall and the SeeDs. Undeterred, Ultimecia then used Adel and Rinoa as a means to continue her quest for time compression. While Ultimecia was never fought head-on until the final battle, her machinations were felt throughout the entirety ofFF8, and her final gauntlet of boss battles culminated in one of the toughest fights inFinal Fantasyhistory.
Kuja (Final Fantasy 9):With a spiteful disposition despite his ownflamboyant and stylish appearance, Kuja was one of the most manipulative villains inFinal Fantasyhistory. As one of the Genomes created by Garland to bring about ruin and death to the land of Gaia on behalf of the world of Terra, Kuja hid his tail from plain sight and decided to do things his way. Through his scheming, Kuja was the one who commanded Queen Brahne of Alexandria to wage war on the land. When Garland revealed that Kuja was a failed Genome that was destined to die and succeeded by Zidane, Kuja snapped. The flamboyance gave way to nihilism, as he exclaimed that if he could not live on, no one else should. Kuja then went into his Trance form, with his tail on full display, and he killed Zidane and the party. The party then battled and defeated Necron, a mysterious entity that ruled the realm of death. Though the party was able to return to the world of the living, Kuja’s outburst of power hastened his preordained demise.
Seymour Guado (Final Fantasy 10):As one of the main leaders ofFinal Fantasy 10’s Yevon religion, Seymour Guado was put in a position of power despite being an outcast in childhood. As a half-Guado by way of his father Jyscal, Seymour and his mother lived in the Temple of Bajj, which would later serve as his mother’s resting place as she became a Fayth that in turn gave form to Seymour’s Aeon named Anima. After Seymour failed to win the hand of Yuna, he was put to the sword for his treachery. But even in death, he continued to haunt the party as an Unsent monster across three additional and unique boss battles. Seymour’s unforgettable creepiness and boss fights made him the ideal villain ofone of the best RPGs of the 2000s.
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Exdeath (Final Fantasy 5):After the elemental crystals of Bartz’s world were shattered, Exdeath was unleashed and began to bring everything into the void. However, the worlds that Bartz and Exdeath called home were actually two parallel halves of a single world that was split apart by the efforts of the Dawn Warriors in order to seal Exdeath. Though the blue-clad warlock had a one-track mind and little personality, Exdeath’s mastery of void magic was due to his origin as a branch from the Tree of Moore, which housed evil and twisted souls within. These souls also gave rise to Neo-Exdeath,FF5’s final boss after Exdeath’s own void magic consumed him in a cruel twist of irony.
Kam’lanaut (Final Fantasy 11):Kam’lanaut, along with his elder brother Eald’narche, are among the last of the Zilart race. As the Archduke of the Grand Duchy of Jeuno, Kam’lanaut held some sway within Vana’diel. In theRise of the Zilartexpansion, Kam’lanaut enacted a plan to return to the Zilart’s floating island of Tu’Lia, also known as “Sky” byFF11’s players, by repairing the Chrysalis Core in order to open Gate to the Gods that would cause a meltdown on Vana’diel. As a result, a girl named Lion sacrificed herself to keep the gate from opening. The Zilart prince returned inChains of Promathia, but was defeated once more and sent to the afterlife for good. Even thoughFF11still received story content after two decadesof service, the Zilart prince stood the test of time as one ofFF11’s most iconic villains.
Vayne Carudas Solidor (Final Fantasy 12):An opportunist and a political mastermind, Vayne seized control of the Archadian Empire after he assassinated his father, Emperor Gramis, in cold blood and escalated the ongoing war across Ivalice. Compared to his pacifist brother Larsa, Vayne saw no reason to stay his blood-stained hands as he banded together with Venat to rule Ivalice in defiance of Venat’s people, the Occuria. While Vayne’s goals aligned withFF12’s protagonists' goals in concept, the divergence in methods proved irreconcilable. In short, it was Vayne who machinated the usurping plot that led to the death of Ashe’s father, King Raminas, and framed Basch as his murderer. Though Vayne was a murderous tyrant, the fact that the Occuria were arguably worseproved that Vayne was in the rightto an extent.
Ultima (Final Fantasy 16):As a godlike entity that pulled the strings of Valisthea’s history, Ultima was the progenitor of the Eikons and the reason why Dominants were able to use their power. Millennia before the events ofFinal Fantasy 16, Ultima’s species discovered that the use of magic sapped the land of life and created the Blight that would turn the world into a lifeless husk. In short,magic was a curse on Valisthea, and Ultima created the Mothercrystals to slow the Blight’s spread. Meanwhile, he waited for the perfect vessel he dubbed “Mythos” to resurrect his species and destroy humanity in the process. However, Ultima’s fixation on Clive as his “Mythos” proved to be his downfall. Clive’s free will and burning tenacity were able to overcome Ultimalius, the true form of the would-be god. One punch to the jaw served as a final rebuke of Ultima’s fantasies.
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Garland/Chaos (Final Fantasy):As the first true villain of theFinal Fantasyfranchise, Garland is a treacherous knight who kidnaps Princess Sarah or Cornelia and goads the Warriors of Light into stopping him. Though he was brought low, Garland was then resurrected by the Four Elemental Fiends and sent back 2,000 years into the past to be reborn as the demon called Chaos. As Chaos, he would then send the Fiends into the present to continue the time loop he created. However, once Chaos was crushed, the timeline fixed itself, and the Warriors returned home. Though Chaos himself is the final boss ofFinal Fantasy, he has no other presence in the game outside its start and finish.
The Emperor of Palamecia (Final Fantasy 2):The Emperor of Palamecia ruled over the world ofFinal Fantasy 2with an iron fist, with simple motivations befitting a simple villain. Despite that, the Emperor was the first ina line ofFinal Fantasyvillainsthat saw his goals for world domination to the end. Even in death, the Emperor still dreamed of conquest, as he became the leader of the final dungeon called Pandaemonium. Though his artwork design by Yoshitaka Amano gave him a golden outfit, the limited sprite palette ofFF2significantly dulled this design.
The Cloud of Darkness (Final Fantasy 3):Though it did not appear until the end ofFinal Fantasy 3, the dark entity called the Cloud of Darkness was the monster that pulled the strings of the wizard Xande. Players originally presumed that Xande was the one behind the woes of the Floating Continent and the rest of the world, the Cloud of Darkness was the one that commanded Xande from the shadows to tip the balance of light and darkness in the latter’s favor. The Cloud of Darkness desired annihilation, but the Onion Knights put a stop to the demon and its plans. In battle, the Cloud of Darkness is the final boss ofFinal Fantasy 3and can use powerful Particle Beams to deal a lot of damage to the party, especially inthe DS version ofFinal Fantasy 3.
Galenth Dysley/Barthandelus (Final Fantasy 13):Under the guise of the elderly Galenth Dysley, the godlike machine known as Barthandelus was the Fal’cie that ruled Cocoon, a futuristic dystopia floating above the land of Pulse. Though he was a potent opponent who took three fights for Lightning and the party to defeat, Barthandelus' goal of defeating the Fal’cie named Orphan aligned with the Focus that was given to Lightning and the main cast, and set the tone for the rest of theFinal Fantasy 13saga.
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