The Final Fantasy franchise is one of the most influential video game series of all time, & Final Fantasy 9 is a very memorable title for a lot of gamers. The game was the last Final Fantasy entry on the PlayStation before the series upgraded to the PlayStation 2. As a result, Final Fantasy 9 packs in as much as possible and delivers a highly engaging experience.
There’s a lot to admire in Final Fantasy 9, and the bosses are a big factor for the title’s reception. Accordingly, here are the 5 most powerful bosses in Final Fantasy 9 and the 5 weakest.
10 Strongest: Antlion
The Antlion is the type of chimera-esque creature that feels like pure Final Fantasy. As far as bosses go, the Antlion isn't the most extravagant, but he sets himself up with quite the effective cover.
The Antlion's use of Sandstorm reduces Zidane and his entire party to single digits, which is a devastating blow. The Antlion is weak to ice attacks and being slowed down with Sleep, but the truth is that the boss can wipe out the whole party.
9 Weakest: Soulcage
The Soulcage is an undead representation of a tree that's thousands of years old and cannot tell a lie, which is pretty much par for the course in terms of absurd characters encountered in Final Fantasy games.
The Soulcage is actually who's responsible for the dangerous Mist that's plagued Gaia, but the boss itself is a pushover due to a simple strategy. Like all undead things, the use of Phoenix Down or Life on the Soulcage will take it out in one hit. There’s nothing to worry about here.
8 Strongest: Hades
Hades is a brutal secret boss in Final Fantasy 9 that some players may not even know is in the game. The superboss is hidden within Memoria, but those that do accept the challenge may wish that they didn't. Hades throws plenty of strong magic attacks and status ailments at Zidane and his party that are designed to weaken resistance. He really doesn't have any major weaknesses and he inevitably triggers Doomsday if players don't defeat him fast enough. The main strategy here is preventing Hades from using Doomsday in the first place.
7 Weakest: Baku
In Baku's defense, he can't help it that he's really the first boss that Zidane goes up against in Final Fantasy 9. Baku isn't a difficult battle, but it serves its purpose and helps kick off the entire game's epic story. Baku tries to gatekeep Zidane from leaving Tantalus and to go after Princess Garnet. The game doesn't expect players to lose against the showman, Baku, but there are also plenty of potions to be used if mistakes are made. Not only that, but Baku's weapon can be stolen from him, too!
6 Strongest: Trance Kuja
The Final Fantasy series is notorious for creative villains that experience tremendous changes that cause them to transform in crazy ways. Kuja is a very unstable antagonist and he becomes even more dangerous once he enters his Trance form. Kuja's danger stems from his insanity and how he's willing to scorch the Earth. Players need to understand how to pace themselves and build a good defense, and even though Trance Kuja isn't the game's biggest challenge, he's still a rough fight that will beat those that aren't properly prepared for the end.
5 Weakest: Master Gizamaluke
The winged beast Gizamaluke is freaky at first glance and it's definitely one of the stranger boss fights in the game. All of Gizamaluke's power comes from impressive water-based attacks, which admittedly can be a real challenge for a party that hasn't leveled up high enough. An easy solution to this is to use a Tent on Gizamaluke, which will hopefully trigger Silence and Blind in the boss. Once Gizamaluke is silenced, he's unable to use water attacks and he's not much of a threat at all anymore.
4 Strongest: Necron
Necron is the heavy conclusion of the one-two punch that occurs after Kuja is finally out of the picture. Kuja makes a major impact by attacking everyone with Ultima, which is when Necron steps in to finish the job. Necron is still a heavy challenge, albeit not as difficult as Ozma. That being said, Necron lays it on heavy with the powerful magic attacks and moves that will debilitate the whole party. Necron is also able to execute three actions in a single turn, which makes the fight even more unbalanced.
3 Weakest: Steiner
Final Fantasy 9 has a lot of fun with how it sets Zidane and his party against many temporary foes who switch sides throughout the adventure. The good-intentioned Steiner is a slave to his job, but he's never able to pose much of a challenge to Zidane. Steiner is fought three times, all of which are easy, but the third fight is especially simple. A giant bomb builds to the point of detonation and Steiner refuses to acknowledge it. Even if the players can't defeat Steiner in time, the bomb will still conclude the proceedings.
2 Strongest: Ozma
Ozma is another secret superboss hidden within Final Fantasy 9 and it's one of the more surreal entities in the title. Ozma is a swirling ball of unbridled energy that's basically pure magic. It's said to be an Eidolon, but one that's too powerful to be harnessed by summoners. Ozma wastes no time with its attacks and efficiently plots to wipe out the party. It has an unusual battle script that keeps the fight unpredictable so even a strong party can succumb to the boss' tricks.
1 Weakest: Beatrix
Beatrix is another character tasked to take out Zidane and his team. Beatrix must be fought three times and although she can actually be challenging, the third and final fight with her is more of an endurance match than a real battle. Beatrix is adept with White Magic and she wields powerful magic that can wear down the party. However, players just need to last ten rounds against Beatrix in this fight and she'll automatically end the battle with a debilitating finishing move. It's a creative interlude, but it's not difficult to survive with the right strategy.