The epic Final Fantasy franchise has released many great games throughout its years, and with each game comes brand-new characters, both heroes and villains. While the protagonists of the stories are always a big hit with fans of Final Fantasy games, there are plenty of antagonists that should be given credit for making the games as fantastically exciting as they are.

Related

The 8 Youngest Playable Final Fantasy Characters

These are some of the youngest playable characters in the Final Fantasy franchise.

A story game is only as good as its boss fights, which is why there are so many great ones throughout the games. These bosses push players to their very limits, forcing them to bring a powerful well-rounded party with a wealth of abilities to take them on. As long as players weather the storm and sneak in damage over time, even the strongest bosses in the series will be toast, although it will require quite a lot of tries.

Updated on June 16th, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Final Fantasy is one of the most beloved JRPG series of all time, featuring a myriad of amazing games that players can't get enough of. From the golden era of this series on the SNES and PS1 all the way to the admirable ways this franchise is trying to reinvent its "wheel" in modern times, it's easy to see why players love this series to bits. The cinematic boss fights these games are known for don't shy away from making things exceedingly difficult at times, and players must ensure that they're adequately prepared before tackling some of the toughest bosses in the history of Final Fantasy. For a series praised mostly for its storytelling, there are a surprising number of challenging boss fights in Final Fantasy's history, and a few more of them have battled their way onto this list in its latest update.

26 Kefka

A Boss Rush That Ends With A Fight Against This Jester's Twisted Angelic Form

Everyone's favorite jester is one of Final Fantasy's best villains, and it's only fair that the final fight against this character involves a boss rush that can be tough for players who aren't at a high level going into it. The difficulty of this encounter is further enhanced in the Pixel Remaster, where enemies are more likely to use their toughest attacks to make things harder for the player.

Unless the party is at an obscenely high level, the Kefka boss fight is going to make for a pretty tough time. Kefka himself pulls no punches, with Heartless Angel being a brutal start to this fight before attacks like Forsaken, Meteor, Havoc Wing, and Ultima down party members time and time again until this powerful boss is finally taken care of.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 6's Kefka

• It's imperative to have an All-Heal item or spell that can help restore party members after Heartless Angel.
• The battle will get harder if players take too much time to inflict meaningful damage, so the party's offense should be a priority.
• Haste and Shell will help the party enjoy more turns and reduce the damage of attacks like Forsaken.

25 Bahamut

Mega Flare Is A Huge Pain

Bahamut is a boss who can seem downright undefeatable at first glance. While he doesn't have any traditional attacks, what he does do is cast Mega Flare, a powerful attack that hits all parties for so much damage that it's bound to kill them off in no time at all.

It can feel downright unfair, but players can turn the tables on Bahamut pretty easily if they have Reflect. However, if they don't have access to this spell, then having high defenses and weathering the storm is the only way to deal with this one-hit wonder boss.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 4's Bahamut

• Cast Reflect to make the fight a breeze.
• Maintain high magical defenses to withstand Mega Flare.

24 Magic Master

Catches Players Unawares With A Hail Mary Ultima

The World of Ruin is one of the most fascinating overworlds in Final Fantasy history, essentially giving players a non-linear approach to the story as they explore the world and re-recruit former members of the team to fight against Kefka and end his reign of tyranny once and for all. One such optional area that players can explore is the Cultists' Tower, which is one of the most unique dungeons in the game, where players can only use magic and must reach the top to find a powerful relic that lets them Dualcast.

Related

10 Games To Play If You Miss Final Fantasy 6

For fans that want similar games to Final Fantasy 6, these are some of the best options to try out.

However, before they can leave with this relic, they must deal with the Magic Master, who seems like a pretty easy boss to deal with, as long as players have a sizeable pool of MP to draw from. This fight seems rather straightforward until the very end, when Magic Master unleashes a powerful all-hit Ultima spell that will kill off most party members unless they have a ridiculously high HP pool or something like Reraise protecting them.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 6's Magic Master

• Using the Jump command or anything else along the same lines that temporarily removes certain party members just when Ultima is cast is a great way to survive this final attack.
• Reraise is a great way to survive the Ultima cast too, as long as players have the MP to spare.
• Players can also cast Berserk so that Magic Master only relies on physical attacks and doesn't perform a Hail Mary Ultima before dying.

23 Emperor

Status Effects And High-Level Magic Can Hit The Player Hard

The Emperor is the final boss of Final Fantasy 2, a game that is universally derided by the masses for having an odd leveling system and not really being a ton of fun to play through. As a result, having to grind up the party's stats all the way to the max to even stand a chance of beating the Emperor is a pretty major challenge.

It doesn't help that the Emperor hits like a truck, using high-level spells and inflicting many status ailments on the party. Both offense and defense need to be balanced for players to get through this encounter by the skin of their teeth.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 2's Emperor

• Have high evasion on every party member.
• Use either the Blood Sword or the Ancient Sword to maximize damage.
• Boost the party's defense with spells as much as possible.

22 Cloud Of Darkness

This Boss, Coupled With The Grueling Final Dungeon, Is A True Test Of The Player's Skill

Final Fantasy 3 is a title that almost feels like a puzzle game at times, forcing players to use certain jobs and status effects to get through its levels. The job system is also pretty restrictive and doesn't really let players maximize certain aspects without sacrificing other stats and abilities.

The final dungeon of this game is extremely long and littered with some of the toughest foes in the game. In the end, players get to face off against the Cloud of Darkness in a tough battle that becomes all the more grueling since they have to weather the massive and lengthy storm before even getting a chance to tackle this boss.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 3's Cloud of Darkness

• Have a healthy stock of recovery items to get through the final dungeon.
• One white mage in the party is mandatory, and two of them make healing even easier.
• Casting support spells is extremely important to minimize overall damage.
• Buff all warriors and offensive mages to make the most of an attack.

21 Yunalesca

Zombie Fools Players Into Becoming Vulnerable To Death

Final Fantasy 10 is a game that is notorious for doubling down on its challenge when it comes to bosses. Yunalesca is one such encounter that can be especially grueling, especially thanks to her Zombie status affliction, and is pretty annoying. Of course, the instant Death spells will also be annoying for obvious reasons.

Related

10 Best Combat Systems In Final Fantasy Games, Ranked

The Final Fantasy series has utilized a number of different combat systems over the years. We've ranked them all to find out which was the best.

Repeating this boss becomes even more annoying when players realize that the cutscene preceding this encounter is unskippable. It's a cruel joke that punishes players even more for making headway in this fight only to suffer a needless game over.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 10's Yunalesca

• Wallop her in the first phase and set up defenses before resuming the attack in her second and third forms.
• Do not dispel Zombie for a while until Yunalesca casts Death on the entire party.
• Alternatively, party members should have natural protection from Death, Confusion, and Zombie to make this fight easier.

20 Seymour Flux

A Difficulty Spike That Comes Out Of Nowhere

Seymour's Flux form during the third battle against him in Final Fantasy 10 is the toughest mandatory fight in the game. His signature attack, Total Annihilation, can wipe out entire parties if they aren't strong enough. His magical and physical defense is very high, and Breaks don't work against him.

When the boss starts charging up Total Annihilation, players should be sure to cast Shell or use a Mighty guard to protect the highest HP characters and pray they survive.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 10's Seymour Flux

• Set all Aeons in full Overdrive. This is the key to winning the battle.
• Use Zombieproof gear to avoid unnecessary damage.
• Keep tanks in the front and Yuna in the back, and swap out to have Yuna heal/resurrect the party when needed.
• Use Bio, as Seymour Flux is weak to poison.
• Have Kimahri/Auron/Tidus use Cheer after poisoning the enemy.

19 Zeromus EG

A Tougher Version Of The Game's Final Boss

The Game Boy Advance remakes of the first few Final Fantasy games are certainly quite interesting. While these titles had to make some concessions on the portable, fans were more than happy to play these titles on the go and enjoy the wealth of new content added to these updated releases.

One such addition to the GBA games includes new post-game content that features a wealth of powerful superbosses. Zeromus EG is one such boss that takes no prisoners, being way harder than the game's actual final boss.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 4's Zeromus EG

• Use all the new commands and items provided in the post-game content.
• Use Abel Lance to enjoy the chance of an easy, if somewhat unreliable, victory.
• The Grimoires are extremely useful against him.
• Kill quickly in the late stage to avoid a flurry of hard-hitting physical attacks.

18 Omega Weapon

The Dreaded Terra Break Has Broken Many Controllers

This crazy superboss has over one million HP and sits at level 100. At the start of the fight, Omega Weapon will use an attack that immediately kills characters with a level divisible by 5. Its Megiddo Flame attack deals incredible damage as well as its Light Pillar and Terra Break. It can also drain the party's HP by 75% with its Gravija spell.

Related

Final Fantasy 8: 5 Junction System Changes For The Potential Remake

Final Fantasy 8's junction system is divisive, but the FF8 remake would make changes regardless; here are a few ways that could look.

The boss is tough and definitely has some game-changing moves, but memorizing its attack order and using potions at the right times will help players win the battle. Players shouldn't be discouraged if they don't win the first time.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 8's Omega Weapon

• Make sure each character has 9,999 HP.
• Be prepped with as many Megalixirs as possible, plus high-tier spell stocks and Meltdown and Aura.
• Equip Auto-Haste, Auto-Protect, and Spd-J on each character.
• Haste through the battle by focusing on limit breaks.
• Use Defend or Holy War to survive Omega Weapons' deadly "Terra Break."

17 Necron

A Tough Final Boss That Comes Out Of Nowhere To Bombard The Party With Status Effects

The final boss in Final Fantasy 9, Necron, is the embodiment of Death itself. After concluding that life only exists to pursue death, he decides to destroy absolutely everything. His power is grand, and he can unleash multiple attacks in a single turn to really knock down unprepared players.

He can heal himself to keep the battle going for a while, though his many health-shattering offensive moves might end the battle pretty quickly. Though he's a worthy final boss, he can be taken down with a strong party, a bit of strategy, and practice.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 9's Necron

• Auto-Regen is highly efficient for healing in between attacks.
• Equip a White Mage and a character who can use Auto-Life.
• Be fully prepared for any and all outcomes of Necron's "Grand Cross" (Use plenty of Phoenix Down, Revive, Life, and Magic Tag).

16 Barthandelus

A Boss Fight On A Timer With Some Hard-Hitting Attacks That Can Wipe Out The Entire Party

Final Fantasy 13 is one of the most divisive games in the entire series, but one avenue where fans can give credit to this title is its immense difficulty. Players need to master a wealth of different Paradigms and combinations to stand a chance against the many bosses that stand in their way.

The fact that one of the hardest bosses in Final Fantasy 13 is a main story boss who takes no prisoners is pretty startling. Barthandelus serves as a thorn in the side of the heroes time and time again, with the first fight against this foe being arguably the most challenging one of the lot. Not only does he boast a ton of damaging moves (with Destrudo outright wiping the party out if they're not prepared), but he also casts Doom on the party if the fight lasts for longer than twenty minutes.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 13's Barthandelus (1st Fight)

• Diversity, Solidarity, Relentless Assault, and Evened Odds are the best Paradigms to bring into this battle.
• Staggering this boss is of prime importance to dish out a lot of damage and prevent the fight from reaching the 20-minute mark.
• When Barthandelus is charging Destrudo, players should heal up and inflict as much damage as possible until the last second before switching their paradigms to reduce the overall damage caused by this borderline unfair attack.

15 Ruby Weapon

Forces Players To Enter The Battle With Two Downed Party Members

There are two notorious superbosses in Final Fantasy 7 that are an absolute pain to defeat. One of them appears in the desert near the Golden Saucer.

2:35

Related

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: 8 Hardest Bosses, Ranked

Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has plenty of difficult bosses, and here are the hardest ones in the JRPG.

This boss, Ruby Weapon, is a pretty tricky beast to battle. It hits like a truck and only the highest-leveled players with the best materia can hope to take down this massive threat.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 7's Ruby Weapon

• Enter with two dead party members so that they don't get ejected at the start of the boss fight.
• Either focus on the main body or deal with the tentacles first — don't be on the fritz.
• Go into the fight with the best equipment and the highest level to make things substantially easier.

14 Hades

Deals Status Effects And Employs A Devastating Attack Called Doomsday To Annihilate The Party

Final Fantasy 9 harkens back to the classic roots of this series, making for a strong nostalgia trip that also has its fair share of superbosses.

One of these bosses, Hades, must be defeated to unlock his secret synthesis shop, but that's easier said than done.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 9's Hades

• Have as many immunities on all party members as possible.
• Use Shadow nullification or absorption to deal with Doomsday.
• Alternatively, hit Hades with extremely powerful attacks to prevent him from using Doomsday in the first place.

13 Iron Giant

Deals Immensely High Physical Damage

Before the Pixel Remaster came into existence, the only way that players could enjoy Final Fantasy 3 was via the 3D remake. It's a fairly tough game, with both DS remasters upping the difficulty, which was quite welcome. This 3D remake also added a superboss called Iron Giant, a popular Final Fantasy enemy that has never been deadlier.

His attacks are pretty simple but extremely deadly. Meteor is already a deadly spell as is, but it's when Iron Giant starts using Swipe that players will really be in for a tough time. A proper strategy is key to defeating this hardy foe, and a lack of the same will see players completely overwhelmed by the sheer physical might of this superboss.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 3's Iron Giant

• Protect is a must to reduce the damage of his hard-hitting physical attacks.
• Ribbons and Onion Armor equipment prevent status effects from hampering the party.
• Magic should be prioritized since his regular Defense is off the charts.
• If players are above Level 93, then the Onion Knight job is a must-have here.

12 Long Gui

Immense HP And A Wealth Of Damaging Attacks Makes This Superboss A Pain To Deal With

Final Fantasy 13 takes a stupidly long time to open up. The game's linearity is a reputation it garnered justly, and fans were irritated to follow straight lines for hours on end in an adventure that felt too repetitive for its own good.

Related

Final Fantasy: 7 Weak Characters With One Overpowered Ability

In the Final Fantasy franchise, certain characters possess amazing abilities, though sometimes they can be one-trick ponies.

So, when players are able to explore the area of Gran Pulse, they'll be starving for some exploration. However, in their travels, they might stumble upon the dreaded Adamantoise that can decimate their party in one fell swoop. However, a tougher variant of this enemy exists that many people feel is one of the hardest bosses in Final Fantasy history. The Long Gui is a palette swap that appears in the world after players complete a total of 62 missions given by the Cie'th Stones.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 13's Long Gui

• Fang, Sazh, and Vanille are the ideal party for this battle.
• Use a Trio Of Sentinels to mitigate the damage Long Gui deals at the start of this battle.
• Summon an Eidolon before Ultima is cast to avoid its immense damage.
• Inflicting the boss with Imperil is a sound strategy.
• Death is the best way to cast damage to a staggered Long Gui.

11 Emerald Weapon

An Underwater Battle That Punishes Players For Equipping Too Many Materia

The player has 20 minutes to win the battle against this underwater boss in Final Fantasy 7. Its powerful Aire Tam Storm attack takes the number of Materia equipped on each player and multiplies that number by 1,111, then deals that much damage to each player.

Its variety of Emerald attacks, plus the time limit, and the Materia disadvantage make Emerald Weapon one of those bosses that will make players rage with frustration after attempting to win for the 4th time in a row, even when playing with the strongest characters in the game.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 7's Emerald Weapon

• Level up the team to at least Level 80 (Preferably Level 99).
• Stock up on Megalixirs, Mime, and Underwater Materia.
• Use W-Summon to cast 2 instances of Knights of the Round. Continue double-casting the summon with Mime.
• Keep healing, even overhealing. Being fully healed will guarantee that the team stays alive long enough to take down the high HP Emerald Weapon.

10 Omega

Uses Fiery Attacks To Incinerate Parties

Omega is one of the hardest superbosses in Final Fantasy history, with this iconic enemy being able to take out unprepared players in no time flat. It boasts a wealth of powerful attacks, including the annoying Wave Cannon attack that is whipped out every other turn and is guaranteed to take out half of a character's maximum HP.

Suffice it to say, it's important to maintain high health at all times during this fight to not get taken out in two turns. Omega's only weakness is lightning, and landing physical attacks on it is a pain because of its high evasion and defense. Players need to be really patient and prioritize healing the party instead of dealing damage, making for a long and challenging encounter that is certainly winnable but not without its fair share of trials and tribulations.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 5's Omega

• Keep all party members at full health all the time.
• Use equipment that either resists, nullifies, or absorbs fire-based attacks.
• Ribbons and other equipment that protect against status effects are crucial.

9 Warmech

The First Ever Superboss In The Series That Can Appear Out Of Nowhere To Wreck The Party

The very first Final Fantasy started the trend of having nearly unbeatable bosses that take tons of time and strategy to defeat. In the original Final Fantasy, Warmech is quite the formidable foe.

It's rare to find and typically gets a preemptive strike, which could easily take down a party member right at the get-go of the battle. It can heal itself and regenerate at the end of each round, so defeating it quickly is no easy task. It's important to enter the boss fight well-equipped and high-leveled.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy's Warmech

• Start off the battle with Blink or Invisira.
• Use Haste on the fighters.
• Equip a White Mage to focus solely on healing the party.
• Get the characters as high-leveled as possible before heading into battle with Warmech.

8 The Five Archadian Judges

A Ridiculously Hard Mob Battle That Requires Immense Micromanagement

Final Fantasy 12 was a new step for the series, using everything it learned from its previous entry to deliver a unique game that is highly underappreciated. The Zodiac Age edition added an extremely tough encounter with the five Archadian Judges in the game that players get to fight at the end of the game's Trial Mode.

Related

10 Reasons Why Final Fantasy 12 Needs A Remake After 16

A Final Fantasy 16-style remake for Final Fantasy 12 would strike a balance between classic and new franchise titles.

Suffice it to say, this encounter is no joke and will lead to a quick game over unless players have the best Gambits and highest stats to deal with their damaging attacks.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 12's Five Archadian Judges

• Use the combination of the Nihopalaoa accessory and Remedies to debilitate most of the judges with negative status effects.
• Judge Ghis has the lowest HP and should be the party's first focus in battle.
• A Gambit should be set in place that constantly casts Dispel on buffed Judges, which also prevents the party from being hit with Shock.
• These strategies can be relaxed once at least two Judges are down, but the party should still be on their toes for any sudden damage.

7 Ozma

Punishes Well-Prepared Parties With A Dose Of Meteor

The toughest boss in Final Fantasy 9 and one of the toughest bosses in all the Final Fantasy games, Ozma changes the way it attacks based on the player's party set-up. Ozma has some pretty powerful attacks that can take out party members in a single blow.

The giant colorful orb can heal itself as a counterattack, dragging out the battle and giving it more time to defeat its enemies. Ozma also limits the number of attacks that players can deal with before it delivers one of its own. With preparation, practice, and patience, Ozma can eventually be taken down.

Tips On How To Defeat Final Fantasy 9's Ozma

• Equip Quina and Steiner for their high damage, HP, and counter abilities.
• Input commands during Ozma's turn, rather than on the party member's turn, to prevent its ATB gauge from instantly filling up.
• Be prepared to heal all party members after Ozma's devastating blows.
• Use Auto-Life on all applicable characters.