Square Enix's Final Fantasy series has birthed many memorable bosses, and with major mainline Final Fantasy villains will be included.
Unfortunately, this means a few bosses will not make the list. Final Fantasy X's final boss, Braska's Final Aeon, is a threatening boss that can be a bit of a pushover for players who equip Celestial Weapons, and some fans have shown off strategies that allow them to defeat it almost instantly. Final Fantasy X-2's Shuyin is similar, and though his backstory is fascinating, he is not as aesthetically creative as most other final bosses and does not take much preparation to defeat.
It is worth clarifying that only final bosses will be included, as there are several bosses in the series that are more challenging than any on this list. Some games have major bosses that far outrank the main antagonist, and there are a few optional bosses, dubbed "superbosses" by the community, that pose the greatest challenge in the series (like FF1's secret Bahamut boss). Though Final Fantasy games have been around since the NES era, the process of grinding until a party is powerful enough to survive is still standard practice. Using necessary preparation to measure difficulty makes bosses comparable despite the changes in mechanics over time, so without further ado, here are the best Final Fantasy final bosses, from least to most punishing.
13. Final Fantasy 11's Shadow Lord Is One Of The Series' Most Interesting Bosses
Despite how menacing and evil Final Fantasy 11's Shadow Lord looks, he is the weakest final boss on the list. That's not to say he's a lackluster boss; he's tough, switches damage immunity throughout the battle, and deals some serious damage. His backstory is also quite interesting; unlike most antagonists, who forsake their humanity for dark power by choice, The Shadow Lord was a decent person before being unwillingly changed into a god-like monstrosity. However, his fighting style is simple compared to other final bosses, and since FF11 (which was almost called Final Fantasy Online) is an MMO, a team of skilled players will easily conquer him.
12. Final Fantasy XIV's Orphan Is Beautiful & Strange
Final Fantasy XIII's Orphan is a strange boss, a supernatural being whose personality and motives are vague. That said, it has a remarkable appearance, and can only be damaged when staggered. This means the fight is very strategic and creative, so although it's not the most damaging boss in practice, it manages to put up quite a fight. It is also the only final boss that is vulnerable to Instant Death, though the chances of hitting it are low.
11. Chaos From The Original Final Fantasy Has An Instant Kill
Chaos's claim to fame is being the final boss of the first-ever Final Fantasy game, and his remastered form is considered the best boss in Stranger of Paradise. He's not especially tough but does have an instant-kill attack and insane resistance against magic, so players should not go in unprepared.
He is one of the greats for a variety of reasons, from his appearance to his engaging backstory, and he's mechanically impressive for his time. He might be no match for some of the series's later bosses, but he certainly set a high bar, especially as the first final boss of the series.
10. Final Fantasy 12's The Undying Is Unique & Devastating
The Undying, hailing from Final Fantasy 12, is a tough and unique final boss with a variety of devastating spells and formidable defensive capabilities. He should arguably be higher on the list, but his rhythm gives players ample time to heal and buff. Also, high-level equipment matters more in this fight than high-level characters, so any well-prepared player shouldn't have too much trouble defeating him.
9. Safer-Sephiroth Is Final Fantasy 7's Iconic Final Boss
Sephiroth from the original Final Fantasy 7 and FF7 Rebirth might be the most iconic boss in the entire series, so he requires no introduction or justification. For those who don't know, he is a highly-skilled ex-war hero who serves as the main antagonist of what is commonly lauded as the best Final Fantasy game, and players get to know him fairly intimately throughout the story. Safer-Sephiroth is (basically) his final form, and he is a force to be reckoned with. That said, his greatness is due more to his character than his difficulty, and though he will decimate any unprepared players, experienced FF fans should figure him out quickly.
8. Zeromus Is The Spookiest Boss In Final Fantasy 4
Final Fantasy 4's remarkably spooky Zeromus could be the coolest-looking boss in all of Final Fantasy (and he looks even cooler in the recent Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster), and his personality and backstory are disconcerting, to say the least. His two signature attacks are terrifying, and if left unchecked he can wipe the player's entire party fairly fast. However, there are some effective strategies that make Zeromus a little easier to deal with (such as reflecting his spells), so with a little practice, he becomes very manageable.
7. Emperor Is The Menacing Final Boss Of Final Fantasy 2
As the final boss of Final Fantasy 2, Emperor's fight is somewhat simple, but in some ways, this just makes him more menacing. Between his relentlessly aggressive tendencies, brutal attacks that regenerate his health, decent range of status effects, and resistance to all elemental magic and status ailments, Emperor is the complete package. The reason he's not higher on the list is that there are a few weapons that work notoriously well against him. Though he always requires caution, knowledgeable players with good FF class weapons will be fine.
6. Neo Exdeath Is Final Fantasy 5's Disturbing Final Boss
Neo Exdeath may have an unwieldy name, but the very sight of him is enough to strike fear into the heart of any player who progresses to the end of Final Fantasy 5. As a purely evil non-human being, he's not a particularly relatable villain, but he plays his role of distantly-looming threat well.
As a boss, Neo Exdeath is creative and tricky, with an impressive assortment of strategies that he can quickly switch between. He is split into four parts, and when only one remains, he unleashes a barrage of devastating attacks. The silver lining is there are some cheap and easy methods of defeating him, and some classes can be extremely formidable if utilized well.
5. Final Fantasy 13-2's Final Boss Is The Beautiful Jet Bahamut
The final boss of Final Fantasy XIII-2 is actually three bosses working in tandem: Jet Bahamut, Amber Bahamut, and Garnet Bahamut. Bahamut is a series regular, though Bahamut was cut from Stranger of Paradise until a DLC added him back. Technically, Jet Bahamut is the sole final boss, as the player must defeat him to win the encounter, but he cannot be targetted until the other two monsters are dealt with, and they reappear shortly after they're killed. This is one of the more engaging final boss fights in the franchise, as it requires an airtight strategy that takes the fight's intimidating length into . It is also easy to get overwhelmed, and players must distribute their damage wisely to stand a chance of winning in a reasonable amount of time. This boss would be a contender for number one, but it only has a couple of truly devastating attacks, so there is some room for error.
4. Kefka Is One Of FF's Best Final Bosses In Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 6's Kefka is one of the best final bosses in the franchise, often considered a more interesting Final Fantasy villain than FF7's Sephiroth, and he's one of the most challenging. Reviewers still consider him one of the greatest villains in video game history, and with good reason. His attacks are ridiculously strong, his sprite, music, and setting are awesome, and his chaotic, Joker-like personality is entertaining and truly iconic. He also starts each fight by bringing every party member down to 1 HP with his Heartless Angel attack, leaving players panicking from the very first turn. The only reason he is stuck in fourth place is that players can utilize cheap tactics to destroy him quickly, and though a little luck is still required, he has some very convenient weaknesses.
3. Ultimecia Is The Tragic Final Boss Of Final Fantasy 8
Ultimecia of Final Fantasy 8, whose remastered Switch version and original release are both fantastic, is yet another mortal who seeks to become something more, and though her backstory is somewhat vague and confusing, one could argue she is a tragic character whose evil goals are not entirely unjustified.
Like Kefka, she can bring the entire party's HP down to 1 with her Hell's Judgement spell, and she can even absorb fallen party if they are not revived fast enough. She dispels positive status effects and has a devastating attack called Apocalypse that causes massive damage to the entire party. She easily deserves her status as the third hardest final boss, and though there are some strategies that make her a little less deadly, there is no easy method of dealing with her.
2. Final Fantasy 9's Necron Is One Of The Series' Hardest Final Bosses
Final Fantasy 9's final boss, Necron, was tough to place and was nearly named the most difficult final boss of the mainline series. Like Ultimecia, Necron is a well-designed boss with no real weaknesses or cheap tricks. Both bosses are exhilarating, engaging battles likely to torture even seasoned FF players, but Necron sneaks ahead because of how much equipment and experience is required to stand a decent chance. Any party brave enough to face Necron will need a vast range of immunity abilities, some solid ive abilities, and a foolproof plan.
1. Nael Van Darnus Is The Toughest Final Boss Of Final Fantasy
Nael is arguably not the toughest boss in Final Fantasy XIV thanks to some infamous Final Fantasy 16's final boss is anyone's guess, so they may dethrone Nael, and some fans may disagree with Nael's placement, but considering that multiple players have to perform excellently in tandem to defeat her, her sheer difficulty is undeniable.
