Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII is one of the most notorious villains in Final Fantasy history.
He's strong, looks intimidating, and sounds scary when he talks. He's just as famous as his rival in the game, Cloud Strife. He appeared as a hidden boss in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2. He's lethal with his famous sword, the Masamune. He's able to teleport, do powerful and quick slashes with his sword effortlessly, and has some psychic abilities. Though he is very powerful, there are other Final Fantasy heroes aside from Cloud and villains that can take him in a fight.
10 Warrior AKA Warrior Of Light From Final Fantasy 1
Warrior of Light doesn't seem like much at first glance, but this guy is tough. He is a typical hero in his game, but in the Dissidia games, his skills are expanded. He is the leader of the Cosmos Warriors and rightfully so. When all the heroes fell in Dissidia 012, he was the last one standing and took on an army of manikins by himself. He can fight in both close and mid-range and his shield is able to protect him from strong attacks.
In the final battle cutscene in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Warrior of Light was able to shield his comrades from Shinryu, an entity that was stronger than the two gods in the game. Whereas Sephiroth stood behind Y'shtola Rhul as she took most, if not all, of the blast from Shinryu's attack. Sephiroth might have speed against him, but Warrior of Light can match him in strength and has fought against and defeated enemies stronger than him.
9 Garland From Final Fantasy 1
The first villain of the Final Fantasy series and one of the most powerful warriors. Garland has the physical attack power to go head to head against Sephiroth. His sword will crush anyone unfortunate to be in his way and he can wield it effortlessly. Plus, his sword can change forms in mid-attack from an axe, spear, and has a chain that can allow him to attack at mid-range. If this doesn't make him deadly then he has an arsenal of spells like Earthquake, Blaze, Cyclone, and Tsunami to make him a little versatile. Should all this fail, Garland can transform into Chaos and gains godly powers. With these powers, Sephiroth would not be able to stand against him for too long.
8 Golbez From Final Fantasy 4 And Final Fantasy 4: The After Years
A very powerful man with some serious magic power. Though he lacks speed, Golbez makes up for this by have spells like Flare and Meteor along with spells to heal himself like Drain and Osmose. His Sector Ray attack is very powerful and can home in on a target. Even if Sephiroth can get close to him, Golbez is able to use his Gravity Force to teleport them and use some powerful magic combos that are near impossible to stop once they start. Sephiroth might have the speed, physical power, and some strong magic, but Golbez's ability to control his location in the battlefield and magical prowess gives him the edge he needs.
7 Terra Branford From Final Fantasy 6
Compared to Sephiroth's intimidating appearance, Terra might seem weak. Don't let her appearance and quiet personality, Terra is easily one of the most powerful mages in the Final Fantasy series. She is able to cast powerful magic that follow enemies around the battlefield and attack at multiple ranges. She is versatile on the ground or in the air, making it hard to defeat her. Her Esper form sends her magic power soaring and enables her to dish out spells quicker. Sephiroth might have the physical power, but her magic power and her variety of spells is so strong and versatile that he won't be able to get close to her.
6 Kefka Palazzo From Final Fantasy 6
Perhaps the most sadistic villain in the Final Fantasy series. Kefka is a man that will stab anyone in the back just for kicks and giggles. One of the most powerful mages in the series, Kefka is able to cast very powerful magic that covers large areas and does high damage. His fighting style is very erratic that it can be a little tricky to land a hit on him. His spells move around around sporadically while homing in on their targets and cover a lot of area that getting close to him will be tough.
Sephiroth could easily dodge any projectile spells that Kefka throws at him easily. However, once Kefka enters his God of Magic form, this spells doom for his enemies. His attacks cover more area and their tracking improves, making it near impossible to protect against them.
5 Kuja From Final Fantasy 9
He might look delicate, but Kuja is a powerhouse of magic. Kuja is able to fight in both close and long-range. His attacks can bring in his enemies if they're far away, or push them back if they're too close. He has powerful spells and the distance can give him more than enough time to dodge any of Sephiroth's attacks. Once he goes into Trance, expect no mercy. He is able to move faster in the air and his magic power goes through the roof. Even if he gets cornered and defeat might be a possibility, Kuja will ensure Sephiroth goes down with him with an Ultima spell.
4 Shantotto From Final Fantasy 11
Shantotto is small compared to Sephiroth, but her magical prowess far surpasses his. This mage is one of the strongest mages in the Final Fantasy series. Her spells can chain together and increase in power faster than any other character can weave. Sephiroth is no slouch when it comes to casting magic, but his magic power is not as high as Shantotto's. With her spells being able to to penetrate just about defense and being able to lock her enemies in place, Sephiroth won't be able to get close to her. Plus, she can move faster than him on the ground and dodge any physical attacks he tries to lay on her.
3 Lightning From Final Fantasy 13/13-2/Lightning Returns
During the final fight cutscene in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Lightning was able to match up against Sephiroth for a little bit. In a physical fight, Lightning might not be as strong as Sephiroth, but she does have more spells than him. She's able to heal herself and cast powerful magic to keep Sephiroth at a distance. Once she receives her goddess powers, Lightning is one of the strongest warriors in the series.
In Lightning Returns, she was able to wipe the God of Light and Creation, Bhunivelze by herself. With her natural fighting abilities and her goddess powers, this will be more than enough for her to defeat Sephiroth.
2 Noctis Lucis Caelum From Final Fantasy 15
A strong warrior who was trained by the best warriors and has fought some strong enemies. Noctis might not be able to match up against Sephiroth when it comes to magic, but this doesn't mean he's weak. His physical power and warping abilities is more than enough to take on Sephiroth. He can phase through attacks and warp around the battlefield to put distance between him and his enemies, or build up power for a warp-strike. His true power lies in his Armiger Unleashed Limit Break. He is able to use multiple weapons at once and has fast attack speed. His health can regenerate quickly and his magic becomes infinite. Considering he's defeated Leviathan, an Astral that is basically a god in his world, on his own, he has more than enough power to defeat Sephiroth in a match.
1 Ardyn Izunia From Final Fantasy 15
One of the strongest villains in the Final Fantasy series. Ardyn is nearly impossible to kill. This is a man who was literally born to cover the world in darkness. Even Sephiroth's most powerful attack Supernova can't kill Ardyn. After being frozen by Shiva, an Astral, Noctis shattered his body and Ardyn was able to regenerate shortly after. He was able to bend Ifrit, another Astral, to his will thus controlling a god in his world. If this didn't make him deadly enough, his fighting style is similar to Noctis' style. He also has the Armiger and can attack very quickly with multiple weapons at once. Being able to warp wherever he likes makes him even deadlier. With his Armiger, immortality, and other powers, Ardyn will be able to defeat Sephiroth with no problem.