The Final Fantasy franchise is home to some of the most ruthless boss battles in video game history. The series has tried to incorporate more and more challenging enemies with each of its releases and, though many have remained iconic due to their fascinating and unique designs, some are better left forgotten.
Some Final Fantasy bosses try to steer away from a game's formula by utilizing new mechanics and abilities. This will often amplify the difficulty of a boss fight and force the player to alter their approach if they hope to emerge victorious. Changing the rules of combat can allow for some refreshing battles, but over-relying on this gimmick will leave a player feeling frustrated.
6 Emerald Weapon - Final Fantasy 7
Emerald Weapon can be fought immediately after gaining access to a submarine, but it is highly likely the player will not be prepared to face the beast at this point in the game. It can be found wandering aimlessly on the ocean's floor, so some players may give into their curiosity and approach it believing it to be nothing more than an ordinary ocean dweller.
The battle with Emerald Weapon will require a great deal of grinding to even the playing field, but it can be extremely difficult even then. Since the battle takes place underwater, the party will only have twenty minutes to vanquish this foe before running out of air. To make matters worse, Emerald Weapon can use an attack called Aire Tam that deals damage in relation to the number of Materia equipped by the party. If nine pieces of Materia are equipped, Aire Tame will hit for 9,999 points of damage.
5 Chac - Final Fantasy X-2
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Chac is first encountered on the 80th floor of the Via Infinito during the party's descent into Bevelle's depths. Prior to beginning the battle, Yuna will encounter an unsent Yunalesca and watch as she transforms into a Basilisk-like enemy. The original battle with her in Final Fantasy 10 was wrought with challenging gimmicks, but this new iteration has revealed her new form to be far less forgiving.
As Chac, Yunaleca can unleash an array of new attacks on the party with the Stony Glare move being her most intimidating. This attack can inflict the party with Stone and render them susceptible to an instant KO if the game's RNG wishes it. Wearing a ribbon would usually negate this spell's effects, but Chac cares not for her enemy's immunities and will inflict the ailment regardless. Defeating Chac will reward the player with a brief moment of respite, but she will need to be faced several more times on the next five floors as a random encounter if Yuna hopes to reach the dungeon's final boss.
4 Carry Armor - Final Fantasy 7
Cloud and his friends will happen upon the Carry Armor while infiltrating Shinra's Underwater Reactor. On the surface, this enemy appears to pose little threat, but its ability to grab a party member with its arms will add a baffling level of difficulty to what was once a simple fight.
If two party members are immobilized by the machine's arms, it will be left up to the remaining character to dispatch the arms as quickly as they can. Another way to free the suspended characters is to either let them run out of HP, but doing so can leave the surviving party members vulnerable to oncoming attacks. If the lone survivor is defeated while the other party members are suspended, the battle will be lost, making it one of the most rage-inducing fights in the entire game.
3 Rufus Shinra - Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Rufus Shinra is fought at the end of Chapter 17 at the top of the Shinra building in Midgar. The original Final Fantasy 7 required Cloud to deliver a few hits to the young president before he would flee the battle, but this new encounter requires the player to study Rufus' moveset and plan their attacks.
As Rufus is fought during the end of the chapter, Cloud will likely be running low on MP, a necessary resource that allows him to heal. Aerith is designed to be the party's primary healer, but her absence from this battle will force the player to utilize Cloud's abilities in ways they weren't intended for.
Most of the game's bosses can be bested by hacking and slashing away, but Cloud will have to wait for the appropriate openings if he hopes to deliver his attacks. If Rufus is attacked while in a defensive stance, he will retaliate with a flurry of incapacitating bullets, further leaving Cloud open to attacks from Darkstar, Rufus' frightening pet dog.
2 Yiazmat - Final Fantasy 12
The original Final Fantasy 12's most difficult boss fight was fought on the Ridorana Cataract with Yiazmat, the most powerful monster in the game. The Zodiac Age chose to nerf the monster for the game's re-release, but a great deal of work is still required to defeat it.
Those who had the chance to face off against the original version of Yiazmat will be fully aware of how frustrating the fight was. The beast has 50 million hit points and a staggering level of defense that diminishes the party's damage output. If the wyrm's health falls below the halfway point, the player's damage will be reduced by 1/3, further prolonging the arduous nature of the battle. The player can leave the arena to the next screen if they wish to catch their breath, but traveling more than one screen away will allow Yiazmat to fully restore its health.
1 Seymour Flux - Final Fantasy 10
Tidus and his companions will be forced into yet another battle with Seymour upon reaching the summit of Mt. Gagazet. Though previous battles with the elusive foe were completed with relative ease, this new incarnation has a few tricks up its sleeve.
The importance of the Holy Water item is never made clear, so a player's first encounter with Seymour Flux will likely see them experiencing the Zombie status, making the battle ever more challenging. If Yuna attempts to use Aeons to improve her chances of victory, Seymour will use Banish to remove them from the battle. The fight can be won by preparing appropriately, but it remains one of the most jarring difficulty spikes the game has to offer.