With Square Enix readying up to release their sixteenth Final Fantasy game, it's a good time to reflect on the past main games and recall why fans still love them so much after all this time. From the lovable characters to the intricate plot lines, each release has offered a unique gaming experience for players.
The most memorable fight in each FF main game is typically the final boss, each one being so mesmerizing and exciting to encounter. From Chaos to Ardyn, each final boss is powerful and fun to fight, yet some are definitely more iconic than others and can definitely be ranked in order of how fantastic the concluding battle plays out.
17 Necron (FFIX)
A very random and unexpected twist of events leads Necron to be the party of FFIX's final boss. Necron is essentially Death itself, and he makes the assumption that to prevent living beings from living in fear of death, life shouldn't exist in the first place. The odd battle with Necron in the mythical afterworld is tough and exciting, but not too hard if you're fully prepared and strong enough to take him on.
16 Emperor (FFII)
After being killed and sent to Hell, the Emperor ends up conquering the realm and becomes the King of Hell. How nice. He is menacing, scary strong, and very frustrating for those looking for an easy final battle. His attacks deal some heavy damage, so be ready for an intense fight.
15 Orphan (FFXIII)
The story and motive behind Orphan aren't the clearest or easy to comprehend, making him not a very relatable or understandable boss.
Though he has plenty of health and tough attacks, Orphan isn't one of the trickier bosses in the entire FF series. The battle is still fun, engaging, and can cause some trouble for those who aren't prepared!
14 Cloud of Darkness (FFIII)
This spooky-looking, all-powerful being is summoned to end all life as we know it once things shifted out of balance. She's strong and has good defense, but there are a few ways to take her down without putting up too much of a fight. Using ninja to attack with shurikens is the best way to easily defeat her.
13 Neo Exdeath (FFV)
Yet another super creepy and monstrous-looking final boss, Neo Exdeath is not a force to be reckoned with. This XV boss battle is a bit tricky since he has many different attack strategies that can be difficult to fight against.
12 Zeromus (FFIV)
This big bad boss is not one to underestimate when it comes to his strength. His two major galactic-themed attacks, Big Bang and Black Hole, can really do some damage and cause the downfall of the game's main protagonist team if they're not careful.
The boss itself is a creepy delight to look at, with his spooky red, gray, and blue form and unnerving backstory.
11 Braska's Final Aeon (FFX)
The other boss, Yu Yevon, that comes after Braska's Final Aeon isn't considered the "final" boss by many, since it's nearly impossible to lose that battle. Though it might be tricky for some players, the fight with Braska's Final Aeon can be won pretty easily for those who equip Celestial Weapons and the Break Damage Limit ability. Players have even won the battle with a single hit, and more commonly a three-hit strategy.
10 Shuyin (FFX-2)
FFX-2's Shuyin has a pretty deep backstory and an understandable reason to be an antagonist, being a tormented soul who lost his loved one when he was alive. Though his physical attacks are strong, he has a pretty low defense to Magic and poor magic abilities. Parties with high Magic stats, a high-level captured fiend with a Break Damage Limit, and access to Ultima are able to win this battle pretty easily.
9 The Shadow Lord (FFXI)
This guy really looks like a cool video game antagonist. He's big, covered in black metal armor, has giant horns, and carries the most menacing weapon. The battle is tough and fun to play through, though his fighting style is a bit straightforward.
There are two phases to his final battle, both showing off his limited immunity to both physical and magical attacks.
8 Bahamuts (FFXIII-2)
The two giant bahamuts that stand as the final boss of the wildly confusing and nonsensical FFXIII-2 are actually a decent challenge compared to the rest of the game. It's important to be prepared for this battle! As it's a recurring theme for the final boss in some FF games to come kind of out of nowhere, these big bad bosses added a little spice to the end of the sequel game.
7 Nael Deus Darnus (FFXIV)
This spooky-looking boss suffers from her fall into insanity. She gives off the appearance of a big, strong soldier clad in tough armor, and many assume she is a man. She is filled with rage and violence, making her super intimidating. Her battle is considered one of the most unforgiving in the entirety of Final Fantasy XIV. Be prepared!
6 Ardyn (FFXV)
A bit different from other Final Fantasy bosses, Ardyn never changes his physical form into something wild or crazy looking, he always keeps his same appearance (besides getting a bit darker and sicklier).
His powers mimic those that Noctis has, making the fight cool but a bit uncreative. However, with the beautiful graphics, enchanting music, insane cutscenes, and emotional storyline, this battle is one that will stick in player's minds forever.
5 The Undying (FFXII)
After Vayne merges with Venat, he takes on the disastrous form of The Undying. His Megaflare, Gigaflare, and Teraflare attacks are totally crushing and his Magick barrier makes it hard to attack him with magick. His appearance is super cool and the battle against him is tough, making this final boss a memorable one.
4 Ultimecia (FFVIII)
This boss is not one to attack unprepared. She is tough and puts up a pretty good fight, though any player who is well-equipped and ready to take her on can take her down without too many tries. She can absorb fallen party members, so players need to be quick to revive them before she can do so.
3 Chaos (FFI)
Reborn to the overland from the defeated Garland, Chaos created a time loop to guarantee he stayed immortal. The boss looks super cool, fights really well, and his story is engaging and unexpected. Chaos has a very high defense to magic and can throw down some heavy blows.
Though players may be able to take him down more easily than other bosses, Chaos is super iconic and nostalgic simply because he is the first boss in all of the Final Fantasy games.
2 Kefka (FFVI)
Kefka reflects a pretty common theme in the FF universe and decides that he wants to destroy everything, including all life. The setting of this battle is incredible, the attacks from Kefka are insane, and the intense music really adds to the experience. Kefka will always use Heartless Angel on his first turn, which wipes everyone's life down to 1 HP.
1 Safer-Sephiroth (FFVII)
Once he had merged with the Lifestream, Safer-Sephiroth was created and ready to destroy the protagonists. The entire battle is nostalgic for so many reasons, from the iconic background music to the cinematics to the insane attacks. Safer-Sephiroth is incredibly tough and can take down players in a single hit, along with being able to increase his power depending on the party he's up against.