The Final Fantasy series is home to some of the most dastardly villains to ever grace video games. Each entry consists of a compelling antagonist with fascinating motivations, but some aren't as level-headed as others. Some are completely unhinged, evident in how they go about achieving their goals.
Each villain in the Final Fantasy series has a unique goal they seek to accomplish. Some hope to simply destroy the world, others wish to defeat the protagonists, but some also seek to become gods. These wishes are usually the most disturbing, especially when they come close to achieving them.
10 Ultimecia (Final Fantasy 8)
Ultimecia is perhaps the most powerful sorceress in all of Final Fantasy 8. Her goal is to manipulate space and time and become a god of all that remains in the aftermath. She relies heavily on time travel to accomplish this, forcing Squall to do the same to stop her.
She travels to the past to cast a Time Compression spell before returning to her own world to watch it take effect. Her quest for godliness is halted, however, when Squall and his friends defeat her. Ultimecia's lust for power corrupted her mind, rendering her a manic and disturbed shell of what she once was.
9 Doctor Cid (Final Fantasy 12)
Once a proud father and scientist, Cid lost his way when he came into contact with an Occuria, a god-like entity hellbent on punishing its peers for casting it out. The Occuria, named Venat, saw potential in Cid and aligned itself with the doctor's cause in the hope of achieving its goals.
Cid obliged Venat's request to follow him in the hope of gaining some godly powers. The time Cid and Venat spend together, however, corrupts the doctor's mind, rendering him a slave to Venat. His son, Balthier, notices Cid's change in disposition and abandons him, believing Venat's influence to be too strong to vanquish.
8 Golbez (Final Fantasy 4)
Golbez is depicted as the main antagonist of Final Fantasy 4 for most of its narrative. He is a bafflingly powerful Dark Knight who wants to destroy humanity. Cecil and his cohorts embark on a journey to stop this, only to discover that Golbez was being manipulated all along.
Golbez was destined to live a peaceful life before the death of his mother made him a target for Zemus, a Lunarian who wants to unleash a harrowing evil. Zemus contorted the knight's mind and forced him to obey his every command. Cecil eventually breaks Zemus's hold over Golbez, but his mind and spirit remained fractured.
7 Shuyin (Final Fantasy 10-2)
Yuna first learns of Shuyin after finding a sphere depicting his imprisonment. Most believe the recording to be ancient, but Yuna can't help but wonder why the stranger looks so much like Tidus. She spends the rest of her journey trying to learn why only to find that Shuyin is not what he seems.
Shuyin did in fact exist one thousand years ago as a resident of Zanarkand, but he met his end amidst the Machina War. With no one to send him to the Farplane, his hatred for Bevelle grew and resurrected him in the current day. Like Yuna believed he was Tidus, Shuyin thinks Yuna is Lenne, his former lover, and vows to destroy Bevelle for what it did to her.
6 Brahne (Final Fantasy 9)
Brahne is introduced in Final Fantasy 9 as a devoted mother who lost her way. Her daughter, Garnet, becomes aware of this and decides to flee from her side in the hope she can find a way to stop her from waging war. Brahne is appalled by her daughter's actions and embarks on a quest to kill her.
She is presented as the primary antagonist for most of the game until she eventually comes to her senses. Kuja was manipulating her from the start and, though she did some terrible things, Garnet comes to forgive her. Brahne's actions may have been a product of Kuja's influence, but her mind was unhinged long before their meeting.
5 Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
Before becoming Final Fantasy's most iconic villain, Sephiroth led a relatively normal life. He was a SOLDIER First Class, meaning that he was a renowned member of Shinra's military and widely deemed as the strongest member of the company's ranks.
Upon discovering a secret lab in a mansion in Nibelheim, however, Sephiroth slowly began losing his mind. He learned that he was injected with Jenova cells before he was born and wasn't able to come to terms with it. Believing Jenova to be his true mother, he set out on a journey to free her from captivity and punish the world for what it did to her.
4 Seymour (Final Fantasy 10)
Seymour is introduced to Final Fantasy 10 as an enigmatic being with sinister intentions. His first appearance sees him donning the guise of a respectable Maester, but the unsettling theme that accompanies him suggests he's not as noble as he claims to be.
Seymour slowly became unhinged throughout his life due to the persecution both he and his family were forced to suffer. He grew to hate Spira and vowed to bring about its destruction as punishment. He meets his demise at Yuna's hands but returns multiple times to seek revenge. Eventually, he decides to possess Sin and destroy all of Spira to end its suffering.
3 Hojo (Final Fantasy 7)
Though Hojo isn't Final Fantasy 7's primary antagonist, he is arguably the most unhinged. He dedicated his whole life to science and conducting experiments, but his quest for knowledge led him to make some truly questionable choices.
Hojo is a cruel and calculated man who spares no expense in conducting his research. He spent many years tampering with Jenova's cells, even going as far as to inject them into his unborn child merely to see what would happen. The most powerful SOLDIER was born as a result, but Hojo wasn't satisfied and continued conducting cruel experiments.
2 Yu Yevon (Final Fantasy 10)
Yu Yevon is a unique villain in that his name isn't even mentioned until the latter half of Final Fantasy 10. The game paints Sin as the main antagonist only to later reveal the creature is nothing more than a shell that houses a far greater evil.
Yu Yevon's role in Final Fantasy 10 is to take revenge on the land that destroyed his home. Before donning Sin as armor, he was a renowned summoner who pledged his life to protect Zanarkand. He turned into a Fayth amidst his city's defeat and has spent one thousand years wreaking havoc throughout Spira before losing both his physical form and his grip on reality.
1 Kefka (Final Fantasy 6)
Kefka was always a bit more on the eccentric side, but his lust for power drove him completely insane. He spares no sympathy for those around him as he believes himself superior to all humankind. It is because of this narcissism that he becomes humanity's greatest threat.
Kefka's main goal is to become a god and rule over the world and all its inhabitants. To achieve this, he tampers with the Warring Triad and uses its power to reshape the world. He achieves his goal, but his year as ruler contorts his mind to the point that he deems himself the most powerful being in existence.