Summary
- Final Fantasy features iconic bosses with divine or demonic powers, providing spectacular and memorable boss fights.
- Unlocking tough optional bosses can be challenging, adding depth and replay value to Final Fantasy games.
- Some bosses, like Anima and the Demon Wall, are chilling and nerve-wracking, requiring strategy and a high damage output to defeat.
Final Fantasy is a series full of larger-than-life bosses that will wow players with the sheer spectacle that comes with battling them. Most fans are well aware that the majority of Final Fantasy games let players take on bosses with divine power at the end of the tale, making for spectacular boss fights.
Final Fantasy: 8 Hardest Bosses To Unlock, Ranked
There is typically a tough-as-nails optional boss in every Final Fantasy game, but unlocking the chance to fight them can be even more challenging.
However, not all iconic Final Fantasy bosses boast the power of the heavens. Some go the completely opposite route, boasting fearsome demonic powers that will make players quake in their boots as they prepare extensively to take on these foes.
8 Foras
Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt Is Turned Into A Daemon By The Starscourge
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
There's no denying that Iedolas is one of the worst Final Fantasy antagonists of all time. Still, watching him turn into a daemon that stalks Noctis in Chapter 13 can make for an unnerving sequence of events.
It's not until Noct reunites with his allies that he can finally take out this transformed emperor, who succumbed to the Starscourge. The meandering pace of this chapter made many players dislike this section of Final Fantasy 15. That said, the Royal Edition did a great job of improving this chapter and also the encounter with Iedolas as a result.
7 Deathgaze
An Invisible Boss Who Ambushes The Party In The World Of Ruin
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Deathgaze is a boss that comes out of nowhere in the World of Ruin once players regain the services of the Blackjack in Final Fantasy 6. He can be an unwanted surprise in the early going until the party has a few levels under their belt.
After a point, players will have to seek out this boss fight if they want to get their hands on the Bahamut magicite. The console versions of Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster make this task notably easier by showing a black void on the map where the boss can be found. Otherwise, players will have to place the Blackjack at a certain angle and scour every pixel of the open world in order to encounter this annoying foe.
6 Belias
A Legendary Difficulty Spike That Either Makes Or Breaks A Person's Experience
Final Fantasy Tactics
- Released
- June 20, 1997
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, RPG
Final Fantasy Tactics is a challenging spin-off, but most fans will feel like they've come to grips with the combat system as they make their way through the game. However, all it takes is one encounter against Wiegraf and Belias to show just how mistaken the players are.
After a hellacious solo battle against Wiegraf, Belias enters the fray and forces players to use their entire party to deal with the demon. It's a challenging fight, but those who manage to best this foe will have defeated the toughest main story challenge in Final Fantasy Tactics.
5 Hades
A Demon Superboss Who Takes No Prisoners
Final Fantasy 9
- Released
- July 7, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy is no stranger to its fair share of superbosses, and the ninth mainline entry is no exception. Out of the two superbosses in this game, Hades is slightly easier, although not by much.
Players must defeat this demonic boss in order to gain access to the ultimate synthesis shop, which is easier said than done. If the player's damage output isn't high enough, Hades' Doomsday will spell an end to their run in no time.
4 Emperor Mateus
Dies, Goes To Hell, And Returns As A Demon
Final Fantasy II
- Released
- December 17, 1988
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 2 features a stubborn antagonist who won't stop at anything to control the entire world. Emperor Mateus is a heinous tyrant, and most players will love cutting him down after a lengthy adventure.
However, even after dying and being sent to Hell, the Emperor refuses to perish, absorbing the energy of the realm and becoming a demon in the process. He manages to manipulate the forces of Hell to bend to his will, forcing the heroes to meet this demonified Emperor and take him out once and for all.
3 Anima
A Demonic Aeon With A Chilling Backstory
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Anima is one of the scariest summons in Final Fantasy history. Her first appearance will send chills down a player's spine, making it clear that Seymour is no slouch if he can command this Aeon to decimate the party.
Eventually, players will gain the opportunity to acquire Anima's services as a summon, uncovering that she is the tormented spirit of Seymour's mother upon doing so. It's a haunting revelation, especially given Seymour's reaction if Yuna brings this Aeon into battle against him.
2 Demon Wall
A Recurring Boss That Fans Love And Hate In Equal Measure
- Appears in multiple Final Fantasy games
The Demon Wall is one of the scariest and most iconic bosses in Final Fantasy history. The fact that this boss does nothing but creepily advance towards players before crushing them for a one-hit KO makes every battle against this foe a nerve-wracking affair.
If players have a high damage output, then chances are that they'll defeat the Demon Wall before it crushes them. However, those who are slightly underleveled or don't boast good equipment will be desperately fighting against the clock to prevent an impending game over.
1 Chaos
One Of The Most Iconic Demon Bosses In The Series
Final Fantasy (1987)
- Released
- December 18, 1987
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Adventure
Props must be given to Garland for refusing to admit defeat even after being beaten by the Warriors of Light in Final Fantasy. It turns out that this death just knocked him back to the past, allowing him to manifest his evil to become the demonic Chaos.
He created the Four Fiends that serve as the biggest obstacles on the path of the heroes. Ultimately, the Warriors of Light must travel back in time and defeat Chaos in an epic final boss fight, which is easier said than done. Though Chaos is destined to be defeated, it's impossible to deny that he is still one of the most iconic demons in Final Fantasy.
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