Best Main Villains From The Final Fantasy Series, Ranked

There have been many, many games in the Final Fantasy franchise over the decades. Final Fantasy 7 is, so far, the only one to receive the "remake treatment". But other epic tales in the series, such as Final Fantasy 6, could eventually blow the minds of fans all around the world. Though players often take on the role of hero, villains are what keep fans coming back.

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The first games in the series all featured unique designs, but the bad guys often lacked interesting motivations or backstories. The newer games developed more sophisticated antagonists with nuanced and dynamic personalities. Due to these differences, some of them have endured more than others. So, which villains in the Final Fantasy franchise are the best?

Updated on March 6, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Final Fantasy games feature many iconic elements that fans remember long after they've finished playing one of the amazing titles in the franchise. Characters, spells, enemies, settings, stories, and — last but certainly not the least — villains. The antagonists that players must tackle in each Final Fantasy game are wildly iconic in their own right, making it clear why these games have such a loyal fanbase who love these villains and how they up the stakes for the heroes time and time again.

20 The Emperor

The Final Boss Of The Series' First Attempt At A Story-Driven Experience

Final Fantasy 2 is easily the worst game in the series by a country mile. Switching up the leveling mechanic was a brain-dead move that hurt the overall longevity of what could've been a great game.

That being said, the game did feature a decent enough story, albeit the cliched one. Due to the poor gameplay mechanics, most people aren't aware of The Emperor's presence, although he wasn't the most intimidating protagonist around.

19 Cloud Of Darkness

A Challenging Boss Fight To Cap Off One Of The More Underrated Games In The Series

Final Fantasy 3 was a game that never really received a worldwide release for the longest time. So, when players finally got their hands on this title, they were slightly disappointed at the by-the-numbers approach taken by the plot.

This was a shame, especially given that the previous game made one good change with the inclusion of a cohesive story. As a result, the reveal of the Cloud of Darkness was less impactful.

18 Garland

The First And Final Boss Of The Very First Game In The Series

Since the first game obviously had to work from scratch, it's easy to see why Garland wasn't the strongest protagonist around. After all, he's the first boss of the game and a highly easy one at that.

While he does absorb the power of the Fiends and becomes the final boss, Chaos, he's still not an engaging antagonist in the slightest. However, due to the long-running nature of the series, he has become pretty iconic in his own right.

17 Exdeath

Serves As A Thorn In The Side Of The Party, Even Killing Off One Of Them Permanently

Final Fantasy 5 is a game that many people remember mainly for the brilliant innovations it made with the job system. However, the story was a bit too light-hearted to have any lasting impact.

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The fact that Gilgamesh is remembered more fondly for his silly antics than the evil of Exdeath clearly showed what Final Fantasy 5 was focused on. That being said, this villain still has his moments, and the final fight against him is pretty satisfying.

16 Golbez

Cecil's Misunderstood Older Brother Who Was Being Manipulated By Zemus Into Performing Many Heinous Acts

Golbez is Cecil's brother who served as a major thorn in the party's side for the longest time. However, it's near the end of the game that players realize who the true antagonist of the game is.

It turned out that Golbez was being controlled by a malicious entity named Zemus all along. This is the major reason why Golbez doesn't rank so high on this list — he wasn't a bad buy, to begin with.

15 Hugo Kupka

Economic Advisor Of The Dhalmekian Republic And Dominant Of The Eikon Titan

A character who personifies the Monk class in Final Fantasy 16, Hugo Kupka is a heinous villain who serves as a serious thorn in Clive's side every step of the way. The Dominant of Titan also serves as a financial advisor who holds a ton of power and relishes in his authority instead of making things better for the less fortunate.

The fight against him is a cinematic spectacle that is very much in line with the battles against most Dominants in Final Fantasy 16. Players need to employ all their skills to ensure that they can take out this powerful entity, only for players to realize that there's an even stronger antagonist waiting in the shadows who was manipulating events all this time.

14 Ardyn Izunia

A Charismatic Figure Who Ends Up Being Noctis' Brother Who Usurped The Throne

The main antagonist of Final Fantasy 15 makes for a great villain on paper. His brother betrayed him, he made a sacrifice unknowingly, and he will never know death since he's immortal. Though a fantastic manipulator and tragic character, Ardyn exemplifies everything wrong with the game. He just doesn't quite fit into the road trip journey of Noctis.

His abilities and backstory act as a foil for Noctis, but to a lesser degree than past attempts at this. Instead of getting Cloud and Sephiroth, fans got a prince, his bros, and a sad boy with mind powers.

13 Vayne Carudus Solidor

A Manipulative, Cold-Hearted Villain Who's The Heir To The Archadian Empire

Vayne is the heir to the Archadian Empire, an antagonistic force in Final Fantasy 12. He dresses well, speaks verbosely, and kills his own father. Like many other Final Fantasy characters, Vayne wants to get rid of the gods, but also rule the world himself.

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But Vayne is a prince and princes don't get their hands dirty. Instead, he manipulates everyone around him, portraying a facade of nobility and decorum. The biggest flaw about this villain is that he isn't as good as the other antagonists in the game. But it's difficult to compete with the emotional trappings of fighting a teammate's father and another one's brother.

12 Edea Kramer

Manipulated By Ultimecia Into Performing Heinous Deeds For The Majority Of Final Fantasy 8

For the majority of Final Fantasy 8, players pursue and try to thwart Edea's nefarious plans. Her impalement of Squall during the Deling City parade is a major turning point in the series, to the point where most people have made fan theories that Squall died at that point and dreamt up the rest of the game's events before breathing his last.

She was perfectly serviceable as the game's major antagonist, but it wouldn't be Final Fantasy without the reveal of a true big bad who brings forth a wealth of power that players can't even fathom at that point. The revelation that Edea was manipulating Ultimecia was fine, but some fans deemed it unnecessary since it undermined a character who was pretty menacing up till that point.

11 Solus Zos Galvus/Emet-Selch

The Architect Of The Ascians

Technically, Lahabrea is the longest-reigning main villain in Final Fantasy 14. He leads the Ascians and can possess people whenever he pleases. But the main villain in the Shadowbringers expansion, Solus zos Galvus, or Emet-Selch, is a better villain.

Emet-Selch is the Architect of the Ascians, incredibly intelligent, manipulative, and patient. He has engineered and overseen genocide and even created a delusion for himself of the past he misses so dearly. Something between a god and a human, Emet-Selch is everything fans would expect from a Final Fantasy villain.