Final bosses are the culmination of the journey you’ve been on and what you’ve been fighting for. They should be a challenge, testing everything you’ve learned so far while pulling on emotional parts of the game’s narrative to keep you invested. TheFinal Fantasyseries does this well, boasting many excellent final bosses.
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Many of these final bosses have moving or energetic musical themes, intricate character designs, and entertaining gameplay that’s both enjoyable and often difficult. Whether the final boss is the main villain or a being even more powerful, these are the best climaxes in Final Fantasy games.
10Vayne The Undying - Final Fantasy 12
The Undying is the product of Vayne, the game’s main antagonist, converging with Venat and using parts of the Sky Fortress Bahamut. Doing so causes Vayne to take on a metallic, robot-like appearance, with large, dragon-esque wings, perhaps drawing inspiration from steampunk aesthetics.
The Undying can use a variety of strong Piercing attacks, as well as the powerful magick Megaflare. After using the Acension move, its attacks begin to ignore all defenses. Despite this, it can be an easier fight to win if you’ve leveled up your equipment.
9Chaos - Final Fantasy
Although other Final Fantasy final bosses are more extravagant, there’s something special about the first one. Chaos, a demonic entity, perpetuates an endless cycle as a result of Garland being sent back in time by the Fiends and using the power of the world’s crystals, which in turn allows him to become Chaos.
Final Fantasy set a precedent for future entries, with Chaos’ final boss informing how later titles present the final confrontation at the end of the game. The sprite work showcases Chaos’ intimidating nature, which is even more detailed in the remaster. Chaos’ design is classically demonic, with bat-like wings, devilish horns, and ghoulish faces protruding from its stomach and knees. Chaos may not have the cinematics of new entries, but it’s memorable all the same.
8Ardyn Izunia - Final Fantasy 15
Rather than a grandiose final boss fight with great scale against a monstrous entity,Final Fantasy 15’s last battle is a one-on-one confrontation between Noctis and Ardyn. The first phase consists of a close-range fight on the dark and abandoned streets of Insomnia.
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During the second phase, Noctis and Ardyn fly higher and higher while fighting, which creates disorienting yet mesmerizing perspectives. The showdown culminates in a flurry of quick-time events, with Noctis finally plunging the royal arms through Ardyn’s abdomen. It’s a different approach to the usual final bosses in the series, but the personal angle works well for the game’s story.
7Braska’s Final Aeon / Yu Yevon - Final Fantasy 10
InFinal Fantasy 10, Braska’s Final Aeon is the last challenge you’ll face - even though a fight with Yu Yevon occurs after, it’s impossible to lose. You take on Braska’s Final Aeon, whom Jecht sacrificed himself to become.
The battle starts with Tidus exclaiming, “Hit me with all you got, Dad!” as the frenetic metal boss theme begins to swell, setting the tone for the intense and personal battle. Fittingly enough, Braska’s Final Aeon’s Overdrive ability in the second phase is named the Ultimate Jecht Shot, referencing Jecht’s signature Blitzball move.
Once Braska’s Final Aeon is defeated, an even more gut-wrenching battle occurs, where Yuna has to summon all the Aeons she gathered on her journey and kill them before finally felling Yu Yevon itself.
6Zeromus - Final Fantasy 4
The fight against Zeromus begins when it appears from Zemus’ dead body. All is seemingly lost when Zeromus casts Meteor, and the party falls, but their allies on Earth pray for them to succeed, allowing Cecil to use the Crystal so that they can attack Zeromus.
Zeromus’ true appearance emerges, reflecting the evil nature that lies beneath. When the battle music kicks in, it instantly pumps you up, ready to take on the monstrous creature before you. Zeromus can be a formidable opponent, mainly using Big Bang to cause extreme damage to your party.
5Neo Exdeath - Final Fantasy 5
Final Fantasy 5’s final boss is a heroic face-off between the Warriors of Light and Exdeath, where Bartz, Lenna, Krile, and Faris attempt to stop Exdeath from using the power of the Void to reduce the world to nothingness.
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After defeating Exdeath in its tree form, it becomes Neo Exdeath, a terrifying amalgamation of creatures that wouldn’t look amiss in a horror movie. Its sprite was changed in the Pixel Remaster collection, to show it coming out of the Void, giving the impression that you aren’t even fighting the entire monster. The boss’ colossal size is immediately intimidating, adding to the scale of what’s to come.
4Ultima - Final Fantasy 16
Clive’s final showdown with Ultima inFinal Fantasy 16is a lengthy spectacle, a culmination of the people’s anger against the being and what it has done to the world of Valisthea. It begins with Clive, Joshua, and Dion entering Origin asIfrit, Phoenix, and Bahamut, which sets the scene for the cinematic battles to come.
Clive continues the fight against Ultima alone, but he’s cheered on by those he’s met on the journey even though they’re not physically present. Every phase is fast-paced and exhilarating as they change from controlling Clive to his Eikon Ifrit. You get to end the fight by punching Ultima directly in the face, which couldn’t be more satisfying.
3Kefka - Final Fantasy 6
Kefka is a maniacal clown and one of Final Fantasy’s most infamous antagonists in the series. He’s a rather unnerving villain, having no regard for life and simply wanting to destroy the world with power. Before facing off against Kefka for the final time, you must first ascend by defeating the various levels of the Statue of the Gods, with Kefka himself appearing in the heavens at the very top.
Now the God of Magic, Kefka takes on an appearance similar to that of a classical Greek or Roman god, and also possesses both angel and devil-like wings. The musical theme Dancing Mad elevates the atmosphere of the battle, giving it another layer of intensity. Although Kefka can be more easily defeated with a solid strategy, the spectacle of his final battle more than makes up for this.
2Safer-Sephiroth - Final Fantasy 7
To stop Sephiroth from calling down Meteor onto the Planet and destroying it,Cloud and his partydescend into the Northern Cave. After successfully defeating Jenova Synthesis and Bizarro Sephiroth, you’re met with your final challenge of Final Fantasy 7 - Safer-Sephiroth.
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In this form, Sephiroth resembles a biblically accurate angel, making for an intimidating appearance as he descends from the clouds. One-Winged Angel plays before he even enters the screen, gearing you up for a cinematic final battle. Safer-Sephiroth can use the Supernova attack, which is well-known for its extended two-minute animation, and it packs a mean punch too. Sephiroth is one of Final Fantasy’s most famous villains, and his final boss fight doesn’t disappoint.
1Ultimecia - Final Fantasy 8
During your final confrontation withthe Sorceress Ultimecia, you’ll be put through a lengthy and theatrical challenge, where you face off against multiple bosses, including Ultimecia fused with a powerful Guardian Force, Griever.
In her final phase, Ultimecia attempts to absorb time and space, telling the party that, no matter how hard they hold on, time will always escape them. Her appearance is incredibly bizarre, lacking a human face with the body she possessed hanging lifelessly beneath her.
During the battle, Ultimecia can regularly use Hell’s Judgment, a spell that reduces every party member’s HP to one, which can be difficult to deal with if you’re not prepared. It’s an intense fight with epic music that gets you energized to make it through the final hurdle.
