The Final Fantasy series features some of the most fascinating villains in video game history. The franchise is more than capable when it comes to writing a good villain, but not all antagonists it produces are as well-written or as powerful as others.
Characters like Sephiroth and Kefka are often regarded as the best villains in the series due to their compelling motivations and the great power they possess. That said, Final Fantasy also features villains who possess neither. A physically powerful villain can still be considered weak depending on how they are written, but the weakest villains in the series usually lack an interesting goal as well as the power required to achieve it.
5 Vayne - Final Fantasy 12
Final Fantasy 12 is chock-full of interesting and unique villains from beginning to end. Gabranth and Cid are arguably the most notable thanks to their connection to the main characters, but Vayne, the game's primary antagonist, is nowhere near as memorable as them.
Vayne's entire purpose in Final Fantasy 12 is to take control of the Archadian Empire and use it to rule over all of Ivalice. It's certainly an evil goal, and though he commits a variety of atrocities to achieve it, it doesn't feel earned when he eventually succeeds. Though he's quite strong physically, he only gains the power to combat Vaan and his friends when Venat offers him the means to do so. He's the weakest villain in the game, which is a shame considering how he is presented as the most sinister foe in the story.
4 Palmer - Final Fantasy 7
Sephiroth is one of the most iconic villains in the Final Fantasy series, so it makes sense why most of Final Fantasy 7's less notable villains are often forgotten. That said, Rufus Shinra and Jenova act as effective opposing forces whenever Sephiroth is absent, so other villains should be able to do so too.
Final Fantasy 7 is chock-full of interesting and well-written villains, but Palmer is an exception. Palmer is introduced during Cloud's first visit to the Shinra Headquarters. Out of all the villains he encounters there, Palmer is the most ridiculous by far. All other Shinra employees evoke a sense of intimidation, but Palmer seems to exist solely for comedic purposes. Later in the story, Cloud reaches Rocket Town and finds Palmer attempting to steal Cid's Tiny Bronco airship. Palmer launches an attack, but he poses little threat even at this point in the game. The battle proves him to be the weakest villain in the story, both due to his lack of strength and how little he offers storywise.
3 Seifer - Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 8 features one of the best main antagonists in the entire series, but she isn't introduced until later in the game. The opening of the story sets Seifer as the primary villain, and though he fits the role, he isn't exactly the most intimidating figure. The opening cutscene does a great job of describing Seifer's role; he is an arrogant bully who wants nothing more than to become a knight.
To earn this title, he aligns himself with Ultimecia, a sorceress who can manipulate space and time. Having finally become a knight, Seifer elects to showcase his newfound powers by attacking Squall and his friends. His new position granted him a great deal of power, but sadly, it wasn't enough to defeat his enemies. Seifer could have been a compelling villain if he was given more screen time and a level of power to match his harsh personality. Even though he remains one of the weakest villains in the series, he is arguably one of the most memorable.
2 Yu Yevon - Final Fantasy 10
The opening of Final Fantasy 10 sets Sin as the game's primary antagonist. Though Seymour tends to pose a few threats from time to time, Sin is by far the most dangerous presence in the entire game. Upon defeating Yunalesca in Zanarkand, Tidus and his friends learn that a being known as Yu Yevon has been using Sin as a shell. It turns out that Sin cannot truly be defeated due to Yu Yevon's existence, so the main characters decide to break through Sin's exterior in the hope of locating and finally defeating the source of Spira's sorrow.
Yu Yevon is described to be an immensely powerful summoner. Considering he can summon entire cities, this description seems accurate, but the final battle against him reveals that these assumptions have been greatly exaggerated. As the final boss, Yu Vevon should pose Final Fantasy 10's greatest challenge, but he is arguably the weakest villain in the game. If the player inflicts him with the Zombie status, Yu Yevon will deplete his health all on his own. Even if he manages to kill any of the main characters during the battle, they will be resurrected thanks to the Auto-Life ability. Yu Yevon was built up to be the most powerful entity in Final Fantasy 10, but he is quickly proven to be the weakest during the game's final moments.
1 Shuyin - Final Fantasy X-2
Shuyin is one of the most unusual villains in the Final Fantasy series. He wasn't always an evildoer; he lived a relatively peaceful life in Zanarkand before the Machina War. After the death of his lover, Lenne; however, he came to resent Bevelle and everything it stood for. His hatred grew to the point that he refused to accept his fate, and instead, returned 1,000 years later to enact his revenge.
To punish Bevelle for its actions, Shuyin chose to awaken an ancient machina known as Vegnagun and unleash it on the world. Vegnagun poses the biggest threat in Final Fantasy X-2's story, so Shuyin becomes more of a hindrance than anything else as the narrative progresses. Yuna eventually faces him during the game's climax, where he is revealed to be a surprisingly weak foe. Not only is he lacking in physical strength, but he also has one of the weakest character motivations in the entire series.