The Final Fantasy series is home to some of the most iconic characters to ever grace video games. Each entry usually follows an eccentric bunch of protagonists on a perilous journey to save the world. Players will spend a great deal of time growing to love an entry's protagonists as a result, but this favoritism will often render the villains of the series less memorable.
Final Fantasy is highly renowned for creating some of the most iconic video game villains to date, with Sephiroth earning the title of most popular. Though most of the villains in the series are men, there are countless female antagonists that outshine them.
10 Fuu – Final Fantasy 8
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Fuu, alongside Seifer and Raijin, is a member of the Disciplinary Committee at Balamb Garden. Her role in Final Fantasy 8 presents her as nothing more than a bully, but her relationship with Seifer resulted in her becoming a villain.
Though Fuu is mostly sidelined in favor of presenting Seifer as an inherently evil villain, there is no denying how iconic she is. She seldom utters more than one word during each of her appearances, a choice that paints her as mysterious and unpredictable. Her love for violence also helps to cement her as a truly unhinged character.
9 Leblanc – Final Fantasy 10-2
Leblanc, like Yuna, is a sphere hunter who spends most of her time scavenging the vast lands of Spira in search of ancient relics. She acts as the primary antagonist of Final Fantasy 10-2 for most of its runtime, but certain events lead her to become a momentary ally.
Though she poses little threat to Yuna, she makes a point of hindering her journey whenever she gets the chance to. Compared to Vegnagun, she is nothing more than a minor inconvenience, but this doesn't stop her from believing herself to be the greatest threat the Gullwings have ever faced.
8 Elena – Final Fantasy 7
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After leaving Midgar, Cloud and his friends run into a Turk named Elena. Unlike her colleagues, Elena takes her role as a Shinra employee quite seriously, but her lack of experience and knowledge of the position often depicts her as somewhat unsuited.
Cloud first meets Elena while exploring the Mythril Mines, where she accidentally divulges what the Turks are planning. She is presented as incompetent for the rest of the narrative, but this trait never distracts from her baffling fighting skills.
7 Brahne – Final Fantasy 9
As the ruler of Alexandria, Brahne commands an unsettling level of power. Though she appears to have everything she could want, her desire to rule everything corrupts her mind and drives her to venture down a dark path. Her daughter, Princess Garnet, catches wind of this change in her character and flees, an action that marks the beginning of Final Fantasy 9.
For the most part, Brahne appears to be acting out her own desires, but this isn't entirely correct. Kuja, the main antagonist, has been poisoning Brahne against her daughter with the hope of bending the queen to his will. Though Brahne eventually apologizes for her actions, it is difficult to forgive her for what she has done.
6 Beatrix – Final Fantasy 9
Beatrix is introduced in Final Fantasy 9 as an opposing force. She is the leading general of Alexandria's all-female army and is arguably the most gifted warrior in the entire game. The player will be forced to battle Beatrix multiple times throughout the story, but it is impossible to defeat her.
Her role in the narrative tasks her with putting a stop to Princess Garnet's escape attempt. Though she leads Alexandria's army, she is still required to answer to Queen Brahne and must abide by her commands whenever they are issued. She eventually reevaluates her purpose and decides to join Zidane and Garnet to protect the world.
5 Aranea – Final Fantasy 15
Like Beatrix, Aranea is introduced as a villain before eventually having a change of heart. Her role as an antagonist sees her commanding the Niflheim Empire's aerial combat unit and using said position to carry out her duties. She is a skilled combatant who has mastered the dragoon fighting style.
Noctis first encounters this elusive dragoon while attempting to infiltrate a Niflheim military base. The two engage in a fierce battle before Aranea retreats, remarking that she doesn't get paid past a particular time. She is a force to be reckoned with, but thankfully her change in allegiances results in her joining Noctis's side.
4 Yunalesca – Final Fantasy 10
Once a powerful summoner, Yunalesca sacrificed her life in an attempt to keep the memories of her people alive. Having never reached the Farplane, she waits in Zanarkand for summoners like herself to seek her advice and guidance.
Tidus and Yuna perceive her intentions to be righteous, but they quickly learn this isn't the case. Yunalesca has been sacrificing summoners since the first appearance of Sin and, though she knows the creature cannot truly be defeated, she continues to do so anyway.
3 Scarlet – Final Fantasy 7
Aside from Jenova, Scarlet is the most sinister villain present in Final Fantasy 7. She is the head of Shinra's Weapons Development sector and takes pride in knowing that her input will lead to the deaths of countless people.
She holds contempt for most of her colleagues and believes herself to be the only capable member of the Shinra Electric Power Company. This confidence is made evident through her dealings with her peers, and even more so in the cruel way she addresses her enemies.
2 Ultimecia – Final Fantasy 8
Ultimecia is arguably one of the most dedicated villains in the entire Final Fantasy series. Her primary goals in Final Fantasy 8's campaign are to bend space and time to her will, squeeze the universe, and become a god, a feat most villains can only dream of achieving.
To set her plans in motion, Ultimecia travels back in time to cast a spell to compress time. She ruins countless lives in doing so, but she spares absolutely no sympathy for her victims. If not for Squall, she could very well have decimated the entire universe.
1 Jenova – Final Fantasy 7
Jenova is an ancient alien life form who fell from the sky long ago. The Cetra believed that her presence could bring about mass ruin and decay, making Jenova appear more like a plague than an actual villain. She poses little threat when confined, but Sephiroth's decision to release her revealed just how powerful she is.
During his mission in Nibelheim, Sephiroth is made aware of his relationship with Jenova. Hojo has been experimenting with Jenova's cells for years and chose to use Sephiroth as a candidate for cell transfusion, a reveal that explains how he became so powerful. Because of this, Sephiroth regards Jenova as his mother and vows to make Shinra pay for what they did to her.