Most people don't expect a series like Final Fantasy to have any dark or disturbing themes. After all, the series has defined what JRPGs are all about, featuring epic high-fantasy worlds where a group of ragtag adventurers tackles bigger and badder threats throughout their journey until they inevitably come face-to-face with an antagonist who wishes to destroy the entire world for their nefarious purposes.
However, players shouldn't underestimate this series in the slightest. After all, there have been many times when Final Fantasy has introduced characters who are so nefarious and evil that taking them down makes for one of the most satisfying moments in their respective games.
8 Sephiroth – Final Fantasy 7
Sephiroth is one of the most tragic figures in the series. Believing himself to be a normal human, his world came shattering down around him when he realized that he was actually made by injecting Jenova cells into the unborn child of Lucrecia Crescent.
This caused him to suffer a mental breakdown before realizing that he was a member of a superior race and had to reunite with his mother. This led to him believing that humans were inferior, and the sheer number of atrocities he caused, as a result, was hard to believe.
7 Ultimecia – Final Fantasy 8
Ultimecia is an antagonist who seemingly comes from out of nowhere in Final Fantasy 8. While her inclusion may not sell most people on the impact of this villain, there's no denying that her powers to control the minds of people and influence them is pretty creepy if one thinks of the consequences.
However, it's her ultimate goal to compress time and space itself that is quite chilling. She would essentially reduce the world to a state of nothingness, and seeing Squall with a hole where his face should be led many people to believe that she succeeded in this goal!
6 Kefka Palazzo – Final Fantasy 6
Kefka is one of the greatest Final Fantasy villains of all time. This jester genuinely seems like a goofball at first glance, only to carry out a string of atrocities that are hard to stomach. The fact that he poisoned Cyan's town without a care in the world is horrifying and shows that he had no empathy for human life.
However, the worst thing that Kefka ever did was disturb the balance of the Warring Triad, leading to the world being destroyed into something unrecognizable. The World of Ruin is chilling to behold and shows just how atrocious and unjustifiable Kefka's act was.
5 Jenova – Final Fantasy 7
Jenova is one of the most sinister entities in Final Fantasy 7. The events that send the Planet into a state of turmoil were caused by this heinous alien, who crash-landed on the Planet and single-handedly forced the Cetra into a state of extinction.
After being rediscovered by Shinra, Jenova wreaked havoc once again and used Sephiroth as a tool to almost destroy the Planet. Had it not been for Cloud and his friends, this creature would've succeeded in its goal!
4 Sin – Final Fantasy 10
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Sin is a malevolent entity that appears to terrorize Spira regularly, with the sacrifice of a summoner and their companion being the only way to attain a sense of temporary peace. The ramifications of living in a world that can easily be destroyed by this massive monstrosity are pretty horrifying.
It takes a herculean effort for the heroes to finally take out Sin and prevent it from ravaging the world once and for all. Sin's threat constantly sends the residents of Spira into a panic, causing a wave of terror to pass through people, which is quite understandable given how destructive this monster is.
3 Don Corneo – Final Fantasy 7
The harem of Don Corneo and the disturbing rooms in his mansion should make it quite clear how disturbing this member of the underworld is. He treats women like objects, selecting unlucky girls to spend the night with him before treating them in a horrible manner.
While Cloud managed to avoid his advances, there's no denying that Don Corneo is still one of the most heinous individuals around who doesn't deserve to enjoy any shred of decency. Watching Reno take him out once and for all in Wutai is a satisfying experience.
2 Dr. Lugae – Final Fantasy 4
Dr. Lugao is one of the most sadistic individuals in Final Fantasy 4, even if he comes across as a goofball when players fight him. He is responsible for killing Edge's parents and turning them into twisted Chimerae who are a nightmare to fight for their son.
However, it seems that Lugae didn't just stop there. He went so far as to experiment on his own body, turning into a nightmarish monstrosity halfway and serving as a pretty challenging boss fight where players should strategize with great finesse to avoid an easy game over.
1 Professor Hojo – Final Fantasy 7
It seems that Square Enix really loves the sadistic professor gimmick, given how many times they've employed the same in their games. The best example of this is Professor Hojo, a character who's so disturbing that trying to list out the sheer number of horrible things he's done is a downright impossible task.
The battle against him is a satisfying affair that lets players take out the man who is the root cause of the majority of problems in Final Fantasy 7. He's the catalyst for turning Vincent into a vampire and causing Sephiroth to go insane, and players will have to beat his mutated body if they wish to stand a chance of defeating this horrid antagonist.