Heroes are admired, but great villains make a story truly memorable. Over the decades, Final Fantasy has introduced the world to some iconic villains. From one-winged angels to evil clowns, we've seen them all. The question is, which of them are deemed worthy of the top spots?
To find the answer, join us as we rank the best Final Fantasy villains who stole the show and our hearts.
8. Ardyn Izunia
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+ 8The best villains are the ones you secretly root for, and Ardyn is a prime example of that. In the base game, Ardyn is chosen by the gods to rid the world of the star scourge and become king. When he is successful, the crystal rejects him due to the corruption of the star scourge. He is then discarded by the gods he believed in, his brother, and his people.
After being denied his rightful place, he does what could happen to any man when pushed to his limits: he turns to the dark side. His character development from an emo boy to a classy man hell-bent on revenge makes him an iconic villain.
Ultimately, he ruins the world and plunges it into complete darkness. This sets the stage for his final battle with the chosen king. Did he win the final battle? No. But he rests easy knowing that his vengeance was realised despite his death. Ardyn Izunia is what happens when destiny decides you will be the story's villain, even while being a truly good man at heart.
7. Golbez
click to enlarge + 8Golbez is popularly called the Darth Vader of RPGs, which makes complete sense. Vader is one of the most powerful villains in Star Wars, and paying homage to him, Golbez is no less. He’s a nasty package stuffed inside a highly intimidating dark black and blue armour. His appearance, theme, and powers are enough to make him a memorable character on their own. But his story sets him apart from the other bad guys.
His tragic plot is one that players can empathise with. From being forced to abandon his newborn brother to watching his parents die, the traumatic past forced him into villainy. His character has layers to him, which are peeled back as the story progresses. Golbez might look like a stereotypical villain, but his human aspect makes him an antagonist you hate to love.
6. Ultimecia
click to enlarge + 8After the success of Final Fantasy VII, the bar was set high. But Ultimecia did a great job holding her own. Of course, following Sephiroth as a villain is no easy task, but Ultimecia didn’t disappoint the fans. This powerful sorceress gave us one of the best boss battles in the series. Her final form as a faceless atrocity with an arsenal of deathly spells could wreak havoc on even the most powerful players. It wasn’t just a challenging final battle but one which fans will remember.
Apart from the intense final battle, her story is incredible. Trying to compress space/time to become a living god isn’t an objective every villain goes for. While her motivations for doing this are unclear, she drives almost all of the game’s story. She stole the spotlight from the protagonists in the game and became one of the best female villains in the franchise.
5. Seymor Guado
click to enlarge + 8Seymor Guado is your textbook villain; he will not hesitate to kill anyone in his way. Although he is portrayed as courteous with a tragic backstory, don't mistake him for a nice guy; his motives are dark and sinister.
One of the main things that sets him apart from these other villains is his ideology. He’s come to terms with the fact that Sin constantly terrorises the world. While Yuna hopes to free the people from Sin by killing it, Seymour recognises Sin as inevitable and decides to free the people by eradicating humanity instead. Killing evil with evil, now that's some over-the-top villainy.
Like any true anti-hero, Seymour follows the greater good mindset. In his own insane way, he thinks that mass extinction is the only way to end Spira’s suffering. You can draw similarities between Seymour and Marvel’s Thanos. While their intentions regarding why they wanted a mass extinction differed, the execution was similar.
4. Garland
click to enlarge + 8Garland had to set the benchmark as the original villain of the Final Fantasy series. The game was released decades ago, so Garland didn't have the technological advancements to help him. He didn’t have the courtesy of long evil monologues that bring out his personality.
However, he did have one of the most extravagant plans we have ever seen. The quest for power is a classic goal for most villains, but Garland's goal was something different. It was quite creative, to say the least.
Garland wanted to achieve immortality by creating a time loop where he existed indefinitely. That is pretty hardcore for a tiny, pixelated villain whose entire evil personality is a stereotypical “mwahaha.” The rare fact that he almost succeeded is what produced a memorable character.
3. Kuja
click to enlarge + 8Kuja is a narcissist who would rather watch the world burn than let someone else have it. His character has another well-written tragic backstory with a traumatic past filled with rejection and neglect. Fast-forward to the time of the game, and this sadistic and vicious person becomes one of the most powerful mages in the FF world. Kuja can easily wipe out villages, mountains, and cities with the Ultima spell. This power, along with his arrogance, makes Kuja a horrifying antagonist in the history books.
With FF IX, we had classic characters like Zidane and Vivi, but Kuja stole the show. While he looked awful, he made up for it with his conniving yet humoristic personality. His theatric flair and snarky puns brought humour to the game, making it a classic.
Kuja is one of the franchise's most promising characters. Sadly, we won't see him for a while, as Final Fantasy IX will unlikely get a remake soon.
2. Kefka
click to enlarge + 8While most of the villains either had a tragic past, a sympathetic story, or something you could resonate with, Kefka only had one thing on his mind: destruction. This psychotic clown didn't just steal the show; he burned it to the ground, all while keeping a sinister smile on his face.
You can draw similarities between Kefka and Batman's Joker; the only difference is that even he wouldn't do what Kefka does. This deranged, disturbed, and unsettling clown made even the most significant villains look like good guys. Kefka is the true epitome of evil and deserves to be regarded as one of the best villains ever written.
1. Sephiroth
click to enlarge + 8Perhaps the coolest villain in all of video game history.
It’s love at first sight with Sephiroth, or at least it was for us. As he’s introduced in the game, this tall, slick figure with silver hair grabs your attention. With perfectly detailed visual attributes and an exciting backstory, Sephiroth quickly becomes a terrifying yet endeared character.
The one-winged angel instantly became a fan favourite. Sephiroth's personality, gravitas, and charm allowed him to steal the spotlight in every scene he appeared in. Consumed with a vengeance, his penultimate goal of destroying the world and becoming a God-like figure made him a franchise icon. To date, he is regarded by the majority as the best villain in the series.
With the Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 on the way, Sephiroth will get the chance to shine in the spotlight again.
Summing it up
The lore-heavy world of Final Fantasy gave us characters that we won't forget anytime soon. While we resonated with some stories, like Golbez's, villains like Kefka were all-out wicked. Ultimately, all of this made for incredible villains who stole our hearts with mischief.
While we rooted for the heroes, we couldn't help but be drawn to the dark side. Even as time passes and new games are released, we can't let go of these antagonists' evil ways. They've become more than just boss fights in the game; their legacy will continue forever in our hearts and minds.
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