Every Final Fantasy Final Boss RANKED

“Final Fantasy XIV” (2010) Fans are generally split as to whether or not the “Final Fantasy” franchise’s excursions into the online gaming world have been successful. Thus, both of those online entries’ final bosses inhabit the bottom spots on our list. First up, Nael Van Darnus, the main antagonist from “Final Fantasy XIV.” We admit that this Legatus of the 7th Legion certainly looks cool in their badass armor, but we struggle to find a lot to chew on with regards to their admittedly in-depth backstory. It’s not all bad, however, as the actual battle with Nael Van Darnus is certainly stunning.

#14: The Shadow Lord

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“Final Fantasy XI” (2002) “Final Fantasy XI” was the first time this lauded franchise decided to dip its toes into the MMORPG realm, and it did so with varied results. The Shadow Lord is another armored baddie to take the top antagonist spot, although the non-linear nature of “Final Fantasy XI” makes the journey a bit more fun than the destination. The Shadow Lord is definitely hulking and intimidating, however, creating an impression that was strong enough to warrant his inclusion in other games within the “Final Fantasy” universe.

“Final Fantasy XV” (2016) Speaking of the “Final Fantasy” mobile universe, our next entry was popular enough to crossover big time into this world, after first debuting with “Final Fantasy XV.” Chancellor Ardyn Izunia is a flashy and flamboyant character with personality to spare, an antagonist with some real charisma, despite his position as the game’s final boss. Most fights at this level involve multiple stages and lots of party planning, but the fight with Ardyn is an outlier, in that you take him on alone. Additionally, he doesn’t transform into some other form, giving this fight some real cinematic pathos. Ardyn is also fast and unpredictable, delivering heavy damage when you least expect it.

#12: The Undying

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“Final Fantasy XII” (2006) Ardyn may not have transformed into some horrid mutation during his fight with Noctis in “Final Fantasy XV,” but Vayne Solidor has no such reservations when he transforms into The Undying for the climactic final battle in “Final Fantasy XII.” The end result of this amalgamation is a sort of biomechanical melding of man, machine and dragon…and it’s all deadly. He dispels party buffs, deals heavy damage, and heals himself when he’s down on HP. Oh, and speaking of HP, there’s no life bar to be found for The Undying, so you’re going to have to strategize if you hope to make it to that happy ending.

#11: Neo Exdeath

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“Final Fantasy V” (1992) “Final Fantasy” players outside of Japan had to wait before being able to import versions of this fifth entry, due to the re-titling of “Final Fantasy” four and six for North America. Nevertheless, “Final Fantasy V” was an important milestone for the franchise, thanks to its job system, but it also boasted a very cool final boss in the form of Neo Exdeath. It’s another sort of body-horror nightmare that wouldn’t appear out of place in a David Cronenberg film, as it’s the result of a melding between a formless void and the game’s main antagonist, named simply Exdeath. Although it’s possible to beat Exdeath without triggering this final boss battle, we recommend doing so anyway, if just to see how monstrous it looks.

“Final Fantasy XIII” (2010) “Final Fantasy XIII” boasted a memorable protagonist in the form of Lightning, but it also benefited from a solid final boss in the form of Orphan. It’s a supernatural, crystalline being, and possesses something of a dichotomy when it comes to its personality. It’s mysterious and fearsome in appearance, but almost infantile in its behavior, acting out and behaving with irrational rage and a single-minded entitlement. Fighting Orphan is no picnic, either, possessing literally millions of HP, and incredible defensive capabilities.

#9: Cloud of Darkness

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“Final Fantasy III” (1990) This entry in the series was initially a Japanese-only release, and not only did it introduce the job system that would be perfected later on in the series, but it also had the honor of having the first ever main female antagonist. The Cloud of Darkness was pluralized during her first appearance, with her female personality being expanded upon in future spin-offs. She’s impossible to defeat at first, and requires a second battle in order to properly finish her off in a weakened state.

“Final Fantasy IX” (2000) It could be argued that the motives behind Necron’s actions in “Final Fantasy IX” could be compared to that of Thanos within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, Necron’s desire to annihilate mankind is there because it believes this is what humanity wants and needs. He’s ambivalent to suffering, similar (in a way) to how Thanos feels about the positive after-effects of achieving balance by wiping out half a planet. Necron is a powerful being of magic, and isn’t even completely eliminated after the party defeats it, but rather pledges to monitor the will of those left behind, waiting in the wings as the cycle of life and death continues to roll ever on.

“Final Fantasy X” (2001) Ok, so we know that Yu Yevon is technically the final boss of “Final Fantasy X,” but since it’s a boss fight in name only, we have to label Braska’s Final Aeon as the true antagonist of the game. This is not only due to an appearance straight out of John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” but also thanks to the difficulty of the battle. The two-stage event is riddled with status ailments for the party, including zombie and petrify, although if the party is buffed enough with Celestial Weapons, it shouldn’t be an impossible task.

“Final Fantasy IV” (1991) It wouldn’t be a stretch to namedrop “Final Fantasy IV” as the first entry in the series to introduce a cast of truly iconic characters. Thankfully, it also boasts a memorable final boss to match, the embodiment of evil known as Zeromus. A crystal is needed to even begin the battle with Zeromus, not that you’d really want to face off against him. That’s because this evil insect blasts the party with Meteor, Flare and two major offensives (Black Hole and Big Bang) that annihilate status benefits and devastate with non-elemental damage. Then again, we’d probably be disappointed if an incredible “Final Fantasy” entry didn’t have an equally incredible final boss fight.

#5: Chaos

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“Final Fantasy” (1990) Sometimes, it’s all about just being iconic. There have been a number of emotionally complex and layered antagonists within the “Final Fantasy” universe, but it all had to come from somewhere, right? Chaos IS that somewhere, a manifestation of obsessive evil that takes the physical shape of a demonic monster, after possessing the fallen knight known as Garland. The battle, like the first “Final Fantasy” itself is difficult, but not impossible, while that hugely influential death animation given to Chaos would be given tribute time and time again for other bosses throughout the “Final Fantasy” timeline. Simply stated: Chaos is classic.

“Final Fantasy II” (1988) As we mentioned earlier, the first two “Final Fantasy” sequels were initially released only in Japan, meaning that fans around the world had to wait their turn to play what was the true “Final Fantasy II.” That said, North American players would be remiss in not being familiar with the Emperor, the main antagonist, and an extremely powerful magic user. Not only does the emperor resist all elemental magic attacks and absorbs all status ailments, but he packs an incredible punch with his Flare XVI and Starfall X attacks.

“Final Fantasy VIII” (1999) “Final Fantasy VIII” was in no shortage of powerful sorceresses, thanks not only to the presence of Edea Kramer, but also of the game’s legendary final boss, Ultimecia. This magic-user’s desire for power, immortality and godhood makes her extremely dangerous, and the final battle with her requires the party to defeat many different forms. As a result, fans often point to the battle with Ultimecia as one of the franchise’s most difficult, a nail-biting exercise in tension and anxiety that always seems like it’s an instant away from the party’s demise. Make no mistake: Ultimecia is absolutely a bad-ass and not to be trifled with.

“Final Fantasy VI” (1994) We’re getting down to the nitty-gritty now, the absolute crème-de-la-crème of “Final Fantasy” final bosses. And honestly, it could’ve easily been a toss-up between our top two picks. Kefka Palazzo may begin the game as something of a joke, but an unstable experiment with Magitek leads the one-time laughing stock to become the deadliest of harlequins. Kefka’s chaotic personality and unhinged, deranged mannerisms make him supremely memorable, almost as memorable as that iconic laugh. Beyond this, however, his story arc is just mesmerizing in a game that already possesses some of the best writing in the entire “Final Fantasy” series. Kefka’s is a story that truly just gets better with age.

#1: Sephiroth

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“Final Fantasy VII” (1997) C’mon, could it have been anyone else? At this point, the legend of Sephiroth has become so well-known amongst gamers that it has permeated other forms of media. The history between Sephiroth and “Final Fantasy VII’s” main protagonist, Cloud Strife is compelling and well-developed, while the final battle takes places in three stages, with the final one being this grandiose cinematic epic that’s worthy of its own movie. Seriously, “Super Nova” is one of the most out of this world attacks ever featured in a video game.