Final Fantasy is an RPG series known for some of its climactic final bosses. Even for RPGs, they can drag on a bit through multiple forms although nothing can compare to another one of Square Enix’s franchises, Kingdom Hearts. References to Ansem aside, not every villain in the Final Fantasy games gets boss battles.

Fighting a battle in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Bartz in World Of Final Fantasy
7 Final Fantasy Games With The Best Art Styles, Ranked

What Final Fantasy games still look good today because of the art direction?

If they don’t, typically they were just a puppet for the real villain to betray later in the game. Then some characters fit more of a rivalry role than a villain role. So, who has been snubbed over time in Final Fantasy? There will be spoilers breaking down villains who never got a boss battle.

6 Emperor Gestahl (Final Fantasy 6)

That You Gogo?

Artwork of Emperor Gestahl from Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 6
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
October 11, 1994
ESRB
T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
Developer(s)
Square Enix, Square
Publisher(s)
Square Enix, Square
Engine
Unity
Franchise
Final Fantasy
Genre(s)
RPG
How Long To Beat
35 Hours
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Emperors are typically the final villain in an RPG, movie, and so on. Emperor Gestahl from Final Fantasy 6 definitely looked like a menacing foe and he manipulated the heroes well. For example, he brought The Returners to his banquet hall in the ruse of signing a peace treaty only to turn the tables shortly thereafter.

While cunning, Emperor Gestahl made one large mistake in trusting Kefka: a villainous clown whose temper was almost as outrageous as his laugh. Hungry for strength, Kefka killed him and usurped power over the entire world and also sunk it into an age of apocalypse. Some believe Emperor Gestahl had a redemption arc by reappearing as Gogo but Square Enix never confirmed these theories. Also, even as Gogo, he was never a boss.

5 Tseng (Final Fantasy 7)

Too Many To Name

Tseng in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
January 31, 1997
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Cross-Platform Play
ps, pc
Cross Save
Players who have already started their adventure on iOS or Android can take advantage of cross-save capabilities
Franchise
Final Fantasy
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Genre(s)
RPG
How Long To Beat
37 Hours
X|S Optimized
yes
Supported VR Headsets
Oculus Quest 2
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Tseng is a member of The Turks in Final Fantasy 7 and seemingly the boss of the operation beyond Rufus who gave the full orders. Rude, Reno, and Elena were bosses throughout the game but Tseng got stabbed and seemingly died via Sephiroth’s interference early on. Eventually, Tseng finally got to be a boss via Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Meeting Cloud in Final Fantasy Tactics and Recruiting Ritz in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance-1
Final Fantasy: 6 Hardest Secret Characters To Unlock, Ranked

The franchise has done away with this idea recently, but Final Fantasy games used to feature secret characters that were very challenging to unlock.

5

Other Final Fantasy 7 characters haven’t received boss fights yet even in the remake series. President Shinra, for example, was a menace during the Midgar chapter of the game but he too got wasted via Sephiroth. The best they did for him in Final Fantasy 7 Remake was give him a golden gun. Zangan, Tifa’s teacher, would have been a fun optional boss too even though he wasn’t a villain.

4 Vinzer Deling (Final Fantasy 8)

A Politician Who DIdn’t Learn His Place

Vinzer Deling giving a speech in Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 8
Display card tags widget
JRPG
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
February 11, 1999
ESRB
T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
Engine
luminous engine
Franchise
Final Fantasy
Genre(s)
JRPG
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Vinzer Deling is the perfect example of a corrupt politician who did not learn his place. He’s the President of Galbadia in Final Fantasy 8, the rival school to Balamb Garden, the school that the main character Squall is from. In typical RPG fashion, Vinzer wants to conquer the world by building an all-powerful army through his country's school.

He aligns himself with Edea, a powerful sorceress, which eventually leads to his downfall as she kills Vinzer. It’s the same mistake that Emperor Gestahl made with Kefka in Final Fantasy 6. Technically, players do fight Vinzer but it’s a doppelgänger called Fake President which turns into a monster on a train. It wouldn’t have made much sense to fight the real Vinzer in Final Fantasy 8 since he had no battle skills.

3 Queen Brahne (Final Fantasy 9)

Behind Every Queen Is A Kuja

Queen Brahne from Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy 9
Display card tags widget
JRPG
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
July 7, 2000
ESRB
T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer
Franchise
Final Fantasy
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PS1, Android, iOS, PC
Genre(s)
JRPG
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Queen Brahne is the established main villain in this classic RPG for at least two discs of the experience. She’s the mother of Garnet/Dagger in Final Fantasy 9 who struggles with trying to stop her mom and she used to be so sweet. Then one day she wanted nothing more than to storm other kingdoms and steal their power.

Players eventually learn that she was manipulated by Kuja to wage war who ultimately becomes the main villain of the game after Queen Brahne is killed unceremoniously. She never gets a big boss battle but at least Queen Brahne died being able to apologize to her daughter. It didn’t bring any of the people she slaughtered back with her apology but families are complicated needless to say.

2 Yo Mika (Final Fantasy 10)

This Pope Is Hiding Something

Yo Mika giving a speech in Final Fantasy 10
Final Fantasy 10
Display card tags widget
JRPG
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
December 17, 2001
ESRB
T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
Engine
PhyreEngine
Franchise
Final Fantasy
Platform(s)
PS2
Genre(s)
JRPG
How Long To Beat
45 Hours
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Yo Mika is a respected member of society in Final Fantasy 10. He’s the High Maester of the game’s religion Yevon, so basically Yo Mika is the Pope of Spira. As the game goes on, it’s apparent that Yevon is not all that it’s cracked up to be, especially Seymour, a devoted Summoner to the religion, who eventually kidnaps Yuna and forces her to marry him. Tidus and the others rescue Yuna and kill Seymour, and then Yo Mika throws a fit and threatens to cut Yuna off from Yevon.

He’s hiding secrets of the world, including what Sin is to the rebirth cycle. Also, Yo Mika died a long time ago and was an Unsent like Auron. Instead of fighting the party, Yo Mika eventually just peaces out. Unsent characters can turn into Fiends, so Yo Mika could have definitely been a cool boss.

1 Anabella Rosfield (Final Fantasy 16)

At Least She Didn’t Sleep With Her Brother

Anabella in Final Fantasy 16
Final Fantasy 16
Display card tags widget
Action RPG
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
June 22, 2023
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Franchise
Final Fantasy
Platform(s)
PC, PS5
Genre(s)
Action RPG
How Long To Beat
36 Hours
PS Plus Availability
N/A
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Final Fantasy 16 was unapologetically trying to pay homage to Game of Thrones. Anabella Rosfield, for example, had big Cersei Lannister energy from that show except that she didn’t have a relationship with her brother: thank god. Instead, she was one of the worst moms alive.

In the game’s flashback intro, Anabella betrays her husband, the king, to ally herself with a king from another nation. She burns down her home and gets her son, Clive who is the main character of Final Fantasy 16, thrown into slavery. She goes into a fit of rage when her other son, Joshua, dies during this sequence. As evil as she is, she doesn’t get a boss battle. She takes her own life after finding out Joshua lived and couldn’t handle the guilt of what she did all those years ago.

Lu Bu and the timeline in Dynasty Warriors Origins
Dynasty Warriors: Origins - 6 Things To Do In The Post-Game

What mechanics unlock after you beat the game?

1