Square Enix might have a rather mixed level of approval within the gaming community, but there's no denying the fact that this company houses some of the most well-known and recognizable franchises of all time. The sheer number of legendary titles under Square Enix's belt is pretty immense and is one of the biggest reasons why this company is a massive powerhouse in the gaming industry.
Given the sheer number of games this company has churned out, it only makes sense that they would also have some truly memorable antagonists that have served as major challenges across their respective franchises. Some of these villains are genuinely terrifying and have become iconic as a result, with the most notable mentions in this regard listed below.
7 Ardyn Izunia – Final Fantasy 15
Ardyn is a pretty fun character to interact with in Final Fantasy 15. He's a charismatic character who makes a strong impression from the get-go, while also making sure that players realize that there's something way more sinister about this character than he's letting on.
When Ardyn's true identity is revealed, the depths of his corruption are shown for the first time. This gets quite harrowing when Ardyn shows what his true form is like — a hollow, corrupted creature whom time has not been kind to at all.
6 Lavos – Chrono Trigger
The idea of a massive otherworldly parasite sucking the life out of Earth is pretty horrifying as is. What makes this even worse is that Lavos is the final boss of the game who is incredibly tough to defeat, with players probably being absolutely smashed by this creature when they encounter it well before they're supposed to.
By the time players are strong enough to deal with Lavos, they'll find this fight to be way more manageable than they could've thought. However, that doesn't take away from the creepiness of this world-ending parasite, who can possibly look even more harrowing if Chrono Trigger ever manages to receive the same remake treatment in the vein of Final Fantasy 7.
5 Eve – Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve is a pretty creepy game in its own right, with the sheer amount of body horror present in this game being hard to fathom at times. This was one of Square Enix's rare M-rated JRPGs and was a blast to play through. It helped that the game didn't overstay its welcome, with the combat being pretty fun in its own right.
At the heart of this game is Eve, a ravenous being who originated from a twisted experiment by a heartbroken scientist. She's the major antagonist for most of the title, giving birth to an Ultimate Being who serves as the nightmarish final boss of the entire game. Watching her melt humans into nothing and absorb their energies is a sight that never gets easy to watch.
4 Galdera – Octopath Traveler
Octopath Traveler is a brilliant ode to the classic JRPGs of the past, with its beautiful aesthetic and amazing gameplay making for two of the title's strongest pillars. All eight narratives in the game might be slightly disconnected but provide a great experience regardless and are a joy to uncover.
However, there's a secret boss that players can uncover after finishing up a few side quests. This leads to the advent of Galdera, one of the thirteen Gods in the game's lore who is absolutely savage and will punish players who aren't ready to deal with his onslaught. The fact that the entire party needs to be decked out to deal with this incredibly tough boss makes it an insanely hard challenge that can be a huge pain to complete, especially given how horrifying both of Galdera's forms are.
3 Mordegon – Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Dragon Quest 11 is one of the most important games in the series. The historied JRPG was going pretty well, but this game has arguably attracted a ton of new fans who will love everything else this series has to offer in the future.
The game has several villains that can prove to be a pain, but none of them are as threatening or scary as Mordegon. The fact that this evil being used to be a human makes him even more terrifying to behold, and defeating him is easily one of the biggest highlights of the game.
2 Kefka Palazzo – Final Fantasy 6
Kefka Palazzo is one of the most iconic Final Fantasy villains of all time, with his psychotic personality — along with some iconic dialogues courtesy of Ted Woolsey — being a major reason why so many fans love this character. However, while he might seem goofy at times, there's a terrifying side to his character that can send shivers down the spine of his biggest fans.
The creepiness factor goes all the way to the max when players fight him at the end of the game after combing through his tower. The fact that he actually turned into a god is pretty horrifying, with the player having to deal with several abominations before they can take care of this villain for good.
1 Jaron Namir – Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a great return to form for the series, but there's no denying that its boss fights were easily the worst part of the entire experience. That being said, some of these bosses had great and intimidating designs, with Jaron Namir being a great example of the same.
The third boss fight in the series is pretty challenging and gets even harder if players opt for the free Biochip upgrade when their systems go awry. Watching this acrobatic villain hunt down Jensen in a maze-like room is pretty daunting, with players definitely celebrating after taking down this formidable enemy.