Final Fantasy is one of the most renowned video game franchises out there. The sheer number of games in this series simply boggles the mind, and it's easy to see why so many people absolutely love these games with all their hearts. The franchise might be experiencing a rocky period right now, but there was a time when each mainline entry featured strong character writing, enjoyable stories, and brilliant combat that still holds up to this day.
The bosses in Final Fantasy games are pretty amazing in their own right, although not all of them are as villainous as most people might assume them to be. In fact, there are actually several bosses who are pretty noble in their own right, even though this doesn't come out with their first impression.
10 Gilgamesh (Final Fantasy 5)
Gilgamesh is one of the most iconic characters in the Final Fantasy series. He's had his fair share of notable appearances across the series, but the role he plays in Final Fantasy 5 makes him pretty iconic indeed.
This goofy accomplice helps Exdeath time and time again, even though his master might not treat him with the utmost respect. However, he always strives for a noble and fair fight with his enemies, which is what makes each boss fight with him so memorable.
9 Bahamut (Multiple Final Fantasy Games)
Bahamut has been a constant figure in Final Fantasy across multiple games, which is a testament to how iconic and memorable this character really is. He serves the role of a powerful summon that players generally get fairly late in the game.
Bahamut doesn't waste any time in letting the player know that he's not here to mess around in most titles, with the player having to prove their might by besting Bahamut in battle. These clashes are almost always epic and are a big reason why so many people love this summon.
8 Beatrix (Final Fantasy 9)
Beatrix is a fun character that players fight against time and time again in Final Fantasy 9. Due to her stature as a powerful knight, she bests the party almost every single time without fail.
Her dynamic with Steiner is easily one of the best parts of the game, and the section where players control both knights is pretty memorable indeed. Beatrix is as noble a character as can be, making her a highlight in a game full of memorable moments.
7 Kain Highwind (Final Fantasy 4)
Final Fantasy 4 was a massive step for the franchise, using multiple characters with unique abilities to craft a powerful and memorable story that most people absolutely adore to this day. One of the many amazing personalities that players get to interact with in the series is Kain.
This Dragoon initially succumbs to the power of the Dark Side and even faces off against the heroes in a memorable boss fight. However, it doesn't take long for him to get over his jealousy of Cecil and fight side-by-side with him to save the world from Exdeath's threat.
6 Dyne (Final Fantasy 7)
For the most part, the majority of characters in Final Fantasy 7 that fight against the player are pretty despicable. The sole exception to this is Dyne, a fragment of Barret's past that comes back to haunt him when the party is roaming around Corel Prison.
The story of Barret and Dyne is pretty engaging, with their final encounter being quite meaningful for both parties. Ultimately, Dyne's mind was so twisted that the very idea of meeting his daughter seemed impossible to him, and he ended his own life.
5 Braska's Final Aeon (Final Fantasy 10)
The story of Final Fantasy 10 is incredible and makes the final encounter all the more emotional and memorable. While Yu Yevon might technically be the last boss of the game, everyone knows that Braska's Final Aeon is the ultimate challenge of the game since players can actually die here.
He's a tough fight, made even worse by the revelation that this massive monster is actually a manifestation of Tidus' father, Jecht. Getting through this encounter takes everything from the player, but the end result makes this conflict pretty worthwhile indeed.
4 Golbez (Final Fantasy 4)
Just like Ultimecia, Golbez seems like the main antagonist of Final Fantasy 4 for the longest time, before the truth comes to light. It turns out that he was Cecil's older brother who was taken over by Zemus in a bid to make the entity's nefarious plans a reality.
It takes the combined efforts of Fusoya and Cecil to finally shatter the hold that Zemus had taken on Golbez's mind, revealing his true identity. He might've harbored dark feelings at one point, but Golbez never got the time to work through his issues and was forced into a twisted game by Zemus, finally redeeming himself at the end of the game when he stands against Zeromus.
3 Edea (Final Fantasy 8)
Edea serves as the antagonist of Final Fantasy 8 for the longest time, even going so far as to pierce Squall with an icicle that could've taken his life. However, it's after a pretty epic encounter against the sorceress that the truth of her antagonism comes to light.
It turns out that Edea was being manipulated by another powerful time sorceress names Ultimecia, whose goal is to compress all of time and space. This reveal truly sends Final Fantasy 8 off the rails as players travel to a whole new dimension to fight the true villain of the game.
2 Aranea Highwind (Final Fantasy 15)
Any character with the name Highwind is going to be pretty noble in their own way. This is precisely the case with Aranea, who makes a strong impression despite not really sticking around for too long in the story.
The boss fight against her is pretty entertaining, and players love the moment where she becomes a temporary part of the group as well. All in all, she's a great character who could've done with a bit more screen time in the game, although Episode Prompto does serve as a solution in this regard.
1 The Turks (Final Fantasy 7)
At a glance, The Turks seemed like nothing more than hostile agents of Shinra who would try to stop the player at every step of the journey. However, it's not until later that players realize that these characters are nothing more than a group of friends who got caught in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
Reno's crush on Tifa is a great example of this, with his AI programmed to ignore Tifa if she's part of the party during any battle. All in all, The Turks are simply misunderstood, with more to them than what initially meets the eye.