The Final Fantasy series features some of the most iconic boss battles in all of gaming. From Sephiroth to Kefka, these well-written antagonists are as memorable as they are intimidating. Whilst these battles provide some fantastic gameplay moments though, they don't always provide a challenge. Superbosses were first introduced to the series back in Final Fantasy V. They serve as a test of the player's mastery of the combat engine and their willingness to push themselves & their parties to their absolute limits.
They're optional too, so only the most masochistic of players need take on the challenge. Across the series, there are around 100 optional bosses. Some of them are well designed, some offer fantastic rewards, and some require a lot of planning to prevail. One thing that they all have in common, though, is that they are tough as nails.
10 Long Gui (Final Fantasy XIII)
The Adamantoise is one of the series' most stubborn enemies. With exceedingly high defense stats and a lot of HP, taking one down usually requires quite a bit longer than it does typical enemies. Final Fantasy XIII's Long Gui is an Adamantoise on steroids. With around 16 million HP and two targetable legs (each with more than 1 million HP), toppling this optional boss can be a real chore.
Just for good measure, it's also neutral to all elements and only takes around 10% damage from physical attacks unless staggered. It's a tough battle, but like all superbosses in the series, the right set-up can help to make it a bit more straightforward.
9 Yiazmat (Final Fantasy XII)
Final Fantasy XII's Yiazmat is one of the best designed optional bosses in the series. It also has some pretty stunning attack animations too, making this fight a real spectacle. With Yiazmat having over 50 million HP though, it's going to be a pretty long spectacle! Yiazmat's attack pattern changes depending on its remaining HP, so defeating it will require either a great amount of planning or a lot of luck.
Either way, it's going to require a good chunk of time. Players who are up to the challenge will be rewarded with the Godslayer's Badge – a key item needed to unlock one of the best weapons in the game. Whether or not this is worth the multiple hours it takes to achieve victory is debatable.
8 Ozma (Final Fantasy IX)
On paper, defeating Ozma might not seem like such a difficult task, but players should not be fooled by its low HP and unusual appearance. Moves like Holy, Doomsday, and Meteor can quickly decimate even the best prepared parties. If that wasn't enough, Ozma will frequently heal itself back to full health. With ample planning and a decent understanding of Ozma's attack patterns though, it can be taken down relatively quickly.
7 Penance (Final Fantasy X)
The team behind Final Fantasy X really pushed the boat out when it came to superbosses. There are 12 of them spread throughout the latter stages of the game, so players are given ample opportunities to put their combat skills to the test. With 12 million HP and a devastating move-set, taking Penance down is no easy task.
Worse still, before even being able to challenge Penance, players need to dispatch each of the game's Dark Aeons – which in itself is quite a challenge. When all is said and done, players who emerge victorious can be satisfied with the knowledge that they have truly mastered the game. Well, unless they used Yojimbo's one hit kill attack, Zanmoto. Both are equally satisfying though.
6 Omega Weapon (Final Fantasy VIII)
Lurking in the depths of Ultimecia's castle, Omega Weapon has the potential to do some serious damage if the player is unprepared. Moves like Light Pillar and Megiddo Flame can instantly wipe out the party, so planning ahead is essential for anybody hoping to defeat it.
The Proof of Omega serves as a pretty underwhelming reward, but like many of the series' superbosses, it could be argued that the real reward is the satisfaction found through having prevailed. In that regard, Omega's appearance so near to the end of the game does offer a more fitting challenge than the game's final boss for players who have maxed out their stats and mastered the game's combat mechanics.
5 Shinryu (Final Fantasy V)
Final Fantasy V was the first of the mainline Final Fantasy games to introduce superbosses. For too long the difficulty level of games in the series had been dictated primarily by the party's level rather than the player's competency with the combat system or their ability to strategize. Superbosses changed all that.
Shinryu can be found in the game's Interdimensional Rift and has an incredibly powerful moveset. Players who go into this battle unprepared will likely be facing the game over screen pretty quickly. By learning how to protect against its moves and figuring out its weaknesses, Shinryu can actually be taken down pretty quickly.
4 Lost Number (Final Fantasy VII)
Locked in a safe in the Shinra Mansion, players can find the optional enemy Lost number. It's not actually a superboss and so should provide very little challenge to a well-leveled party. The only real challenge to be found here is discovering the combination to the safe.
After defeating Lost Number though, players will gain access to Red XIII's ultimate limit break and the Odin summon materia. Best of all, they'll be given the key needed to unlock one of the series' coolest party members. Vincent Valentine can be found in the mansion's basement and will join the party on their quest to take down Sephiroth.
3 Pride And Joy Prototype (Final Fantasy VII Remake)
The Pride and Joy Prototype comes at the end of a boss rush accessed through the Shinra Combat simulator. It's actually one of the easier bosses fought during the rush, but planning around the three earlier enemies provides players with an interesting challenge. What makes the victory so satisfying is the reward though.
The Gotterdammerung allows a party member to enter battle with a full limit gage as well as increasing the speed at which the gage charges. Unlocking this accessory makes hard mode an absolute breeze, although it's somewhat likely that obtaining it will be one of the last things a player does due to the difficulty involved.
2 Deathgaze (Final Fantasy VI)
Deathgaze is one of the more unusual optional bosses in the Final Fantasy series due to the way that the battle is fought. Like Ultimate Weapon in Final Fantasy VII, the fight with Deathgaze takes place while on board the game's airship and is broken up into several smaller battles.
Defeating Deathgaze rewards the player with the Bahamut Magicite, which is arguably the strongest in the game. As well as the incredibly powerful Mega Flare summon ability, it provides the player with the game's only method of teaching flare to party members.
1 Ruby Weapon (Final Fantasy VII)
Final Fantasy VII's weapons play an integral part in the game's plot, which is more than can be said for most of the series' superbosses. Although there are five weapons found in Final Fantasy VII, only one of them actually needs to be defeated – with three of them being entirely optional and Shinra taking care of the last.
Emerald Weapon may have more HP, but Ruby Weapon is arguably the more difficult fight. What makes it such an enjoyable battle is the strategy required to overcome its myriad of attack patterns. Not only is Ruby Weapon one of the series' most entertaining optional boss battles, it is also one of the most iconic.