Top 30 Final Fantasy Villains Countdown (Complete!)

VillainFan42 · 2018-10-14T13:05:10+0900

Ah, Halloween is right around the corner. And Halloween gets me in the mood for villains. There’s just something about them that fascinates me. I couldn’t tell you what it is. Maybe it’s their range from sympathetic and charismatic to ineffectual and comedic to monstrous and terrifying that makes them so fun to analyze. Maybe it’s because without a villain, many stories would be a lot less interesting, or not happen at all. Maybe it’s how they reflect the darkness of the protagonist. I honestly don’t know why I find them so fascinating. Now, my favorite video game series of all time is Final Fantasy. And because each game exists in its own self-contained universe and tells a different story, there are a lot of different villains for me to look at. So, in the spirit of Halloween, each day in October leading up to the 31st I will count down the 30 best villains to have graced the series. In terms of criteria, I’m ranking them on a few things- their motivations, designs, personalities, how competent they are, how intimidating they are, how good their fights are, their impact on the franchise and its fans, etc. I actually started in October 1, but I only now decided to post this in other places. Just from the get-go, no Final Fantasy games are off-limits (though only 2 are not from the main series) and some of the villains featured are from Final Fantasy XIV. By its very nature, the story is still going and hasn’t reached its conclusion yet, so there is a very real possibility more villains added from that game in the future I am unaware of as of this writing. Also bear in mind I haven’t played EVERY game in the series. Lastly, HERE BE SPOILERS. Now, here is the countdown itself! (Here are links to their entries on my blog. I have to get my blog out there somehow.) #30 #29 #28 #27 #26 #25 #24 #23 #22 #21 #20 #19 #18 #17 #16 Honorable and Dishonorable Mentions #15 #14 #13 #12 #11 #10 + Bonus #9 #8 #7 #6 #5 #4 #3 #2 #1 Agree with my choices? Disagree? Feel free to let me know!

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Started by VillainFan42 Oct 14, 2018, 04:05 AM 28 posts Page 2 of 2 View original ↗

VillainFan42

#21 Oct 31, 2018, 02:33 AM Source

Just added #2 and... heh heh...

...please don't kill me.

Anyway, stay tuned for #1 tomorrow!
AlexArmstrong

#22 Oct 31, 2018, 07:55 AM Source

Thank you for your list! I greatly enjoyed it so far. Glad to see my favorites, like Gilgamesh and Exdeath, and even Kuja so high! (he usually fails top-lists, well, i suppose because clothes ;p)
Your analysis are great and interesting to read. After #3 I was really hyped. Is Kefka #1 or not? And if not, then who? Now I'm even more puzzled (or riddled? xD). No one comes to mind, maybe it's someone from ff2, 11, 13-15, games I not played? Can't wait to see Number One!
Happy Halloween!
Canini

#23 Oct 31, 2018, 01:57 PM Source

I have been following this countdown from day one and it has been quite a ride! Good choices and interesting analyses. Good job.
VillainFan42

#24 Oct 31, 2018, 07:21 PM Source

I just uploaded #1! I know this might be an unpopular choice, but I stand by it.

I hope you all enjoyed this countdown as much as I did.
Benny Jackdaw

#25 Nov 1, 2018, 10:59 PM Source

VillainFan42 said:
I'm halfway there now, and I'm breaking up the list with my honorable and dishonorable mentions.

Sorry, but if Don Corneo didn't make the list, his pet wouldn't have a chance.

Speaking of that cornball, if you ever make a worst Final Fantasy villains list, I would not be surprised or blame you if he gets on it. Even as a kid he was always an off-putting character.
chantz

#26 Nov 5, 2018, 02:56 PM Source

Super thank you for list, i really loved. Personally my best villain of the FF saga is Sephiroth, with his badass design, and motivations for which he gives in extravagance. I would just like to have hair like hers and a 150 km sword like him lol :D
_Shadow_

#27 Mar 28, 2019, 12:47 AM Source

Well, Kefka for me. But to be fair and honest, my last FF was X. Thus Ardyn Izunia says nothing to me. What pleased me was that Kefka was above all I knew, plus Sephiroth was also on top but 5th. You know what? I liked Sephiroth, but I could understand his motives, his madness, his thoughts. Kefka was just pure evil because he could. You got my thumbs up here and now I am curious to learn about that #1.
Edit:
Saw a few things, he seems a well written character.
Touchfuzzy

#28 Mar 28, 2019, 04:19 AM Source

Kefka is a mind-numbingly horrible villain "OOOH I'M CRAAAAAAAAZY" isn't a replacement for making an interesting character. Kuja is probably the best written main series FF Villain. Exdeath is probably the most interesting concept.

Final Fantasy Tactics, while probably the best story out of all Final Fantasies, is actually pretty complicated when you talk about "villains". Wiegraf pre-Lucavi was actually much more complex than a "villain" and the main reason he is interesting. Delita isn't really a villain. On the other hand, Argath is so punchable and easy to hate, but I wouldn't call him a great villain, just a really really hateable one. Duke Barrington is also really a horrible person. Dycedarg though is probably the best true villain in the game, as almost all of his villainy is actually performed without being Lucavi possessed.

Also, a kind of forgotten villain, mostly because not as many people have played the game, is The Destroyer from Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon for the Wii (which recently got an enhanced port for PS4/Switch titled Chocobo's Dungeon: Everybuddy). He's actually an a really interesting villain because of the way you learn about him through the story.