Final Fantasy is a series full to the brim with memorable scenarios and characters. The main cast of most Final Fantasy games have become embedded in the minds of their fans due to some excellent character writing, making most of these people likable — or, at the very least, notable.
However, the villains of Final Fantasy should also be given due credit. Most Final Fantasy games definitely feature excellent villains that have definitely made the spotlight their own several times, to the point where some of the most iconic moments in the series have come after these villains have taken the upper hand in their conflict against the heroes.
Keeping this in mind, here are ten memorable moments where the villain won in Final Fantasy.
10 The SHINRA Soldiers Shooting Down Zack (FFVII)
Final Fantasy VII is a game full to the brim with heart-wrenching moments, with Zack being one such character who ended up getting the short end of the stick after trying his hardest to save Cloud's life and escape to Midgar.
His death is especially saddening in Crisis Core, which easily features one of the biggest tear-jerking endings in gaming history.
9 Kefka Ending General Leo's Life (FFVI)
General Leo might've only been a playable character for a short span of time, but his admirable morals and sense of justice were things that stuck with fans long after his demise.
It certainly didn't help that the manner in which he died was especially brutal, with Kefka making a mockery of him before taking him by surprise and ending the good general's life.
8 Sephiroth Forcing Cloud Into Giving Him The Black Materia (FFVII)
The influence that Sephiroth had over Cloud was one of the major reasons why the protagonist of Final Fantasy VII was constantly doubting himself throughout the series.
This becomes a major plot point when Cloud manages to secure the Black Materia... only for Sephiroth to manipulate the Jenova cells in Cloud's body and force him to give over the Materia to his nemesis... twice!
7 Galuf Dying At The Hands Of Exdeath (FFV)
Final Fantasy V is easily one of the most underappreciated games of all time, featuring a brilliant take on the job system and some extremely powerful and iconic moments in the entire series.
Galuf's death is certainly one such moment, with Exdeath using the power of the Crystals to rain down powerful attacks on the aging party member. However, seeing his granddaughter in peril, Galuf resists and successfully drives off Exdeath... at the cost of his own life.
6 Edea Successfully Thwarting Her Assassination (FFVIII)
The story of Final Fantasy VIII is a complicated one indeed, and one can certainly believe that Edea's assassination attempt being thwarted ended up being a boon in terms of the overall picture.
However, in the context of that particular scenario, Edea's assassination was nothing short of a complete failure. The entire party was captured and imprisoned while Squall almost died!
5 Sin Destroying Zanarkand And Plunging The World Into A State Of Perpetual Doom (FFX)
Final Fantasy X features what is easily one of the greatest stories ever told in the franchise, with every plot twist and turn bringing forth revelations that kept fans hooked at every step of their journey through the land of Spira.
One such revelation comes in the form of Sin's attack on Zanarkand being so real that all the inhabitants of the city actually died, and that Tidus was actually a summoned dream who had to go back to the Farplane after fulfilling his goal of defeating Sin once and for all.
4 The World Being Plunged Into A State Of Eternal Darkness (FFXV)
While the development of Final Fantasy XV might've been an absolute mess from start to end, there's no denying the fact that the story itself definitely had its moments, as brief and spaced out as they might've been.
One powerful moment that ended up being quite a shocker was after Noctis ended up spending around a decade in the crystal in order to gain the power of the True King... only to come back to a world that had been permanently shrouded in darkness, with daemons appearing at every turn.
3 Cagnazzo Manipulating Cecil And Kain To Release Bombs In The Town Of Mist (FFIV)
The King of Baron was clearly a manipulative and inhumane person from the very moment he was introduced in Final Fantasy IV, which made it somewhat relieving when it turned out that this "king" was actually one of the four Elemental Archfiends, Cagnazzo.
Unfortunately, this reveal happened after Cagnazzo managed to fool both Cecil and Kain into inadvertently killing Rydia's mother and unleashing a host of Bombs on the town of Mist, effectively ending the entire population.
2 Kefka Bringing The World To A State Of Ruin And Anarchy (FFVI)
Kefka Palazzo is easily one of the greatest villains in Final Fantasy history, and one need only look at the manner in which he changed the entire world of Final Fantasy VI to understand why this is the case.
After betraying Gestahl and successfully preventing the main party from stopping his plans, Kefka ended up disturbing the alignment of the Warring Triad to bring the world to a state of ruin. It was a massive change that ended throwing the entire planet into a state of ruin.
1 Sephiroth Killing Aerith (FFVII)
Easily considered to be one of the most iconic video game death scenes of all time, the manner of Aerith's demise in Final Fantasy VII was so jarring and unexpected that most fans couldn't even fathom the departure of such a major character in the series.
The fact that players were finally able to find Aerith praying in the temple of the Forgotten City only for Sephiroth to descend and kill her is a truly harrowing moment and serves as one of the most notable moments in the series when the villain managed to reign supreme.