Overview
Welcome friends to the top 10 Coolest Final Fantasy Villain. This list is about the 10 most interesting and cool villains in the Final Fantasy Franchise. This list is in no way a matter of fact simply an opinion and will be based on the characters design, position within their game, and motive for being a villain.
Number 10. Seymour Guado, Final Fantasy X
Seymour Guado the first villain on this list and starts it off pretty strong. For villain standards in a game as extravagant as Final Fantasy X, he stands out.
Most people will argue that Sin or Yunalesca is the main villain of the game but honestly, I’ve always seen them more as plot devices then villains. Whereas Seymour shows up within the game and plays a key role in screwing you over the entire game.
Seymour’s design is just unique and unforgettable and his motive is just as such. He’s simply insane and evil for the sake of power.
He kills his own father so he can become Maester and then forces Yuna into marriage in order to gain even more power. Hell, even his last boss form is all about him being “the ultimate power”.
Number 9. Caius Ballad, Final Fantasy XIII-2
Ballad is a newer FF villain being from the 13 series of games and he’s a rather interesting one. Design wise he stands out a lot like Seymour but his motive is what puts him on this list.
Ballad is a villain in the sense of trying to save someone’s life. All of his motives are about protecting Yuel throughout time.
His endless battle with Lightning and following Sarah/Noel through time is all about saving Yuel. And failing to save Yuel leads to the horrible end that anyone who played the game understands.
So in reality, Ballad is a villain who is fighting for an important reason that potentially saves everyone. And that in itself makes for an interesting bad guy.
Number 8. Chaos, Final Fantasy series
For one of the biggest Final Fantasy baddies, he’s pretty low on the list and that’s exactly the reason why. Chaos is the final boss of the original Final Fantasy and appears in several games throughout the series.
Chaos as a villain is simply just he’s evil and that’s all there is to it. He’s Chaos, the embodiment of evil, therefore, he is a bad guy. So Chaos is the cliche of evil but it’s his connection to another villain on this list that makes him so interesting.
Number 7. Shuyin, Final Fantasy X-2
Number 7 is Shuyin From FF X-2 and I might already get flack by putting him above Seymour. FF X-2 gets a lot of hate for how different it is and it has its fair share of issues, but its villain plot is not one of them.
Shuyin is the main plot device that sets up the story for FF X-2 and leads the Gullwings on their adventure. Once he’s uncovered in the story and becomes the villain his motive is completely justified.
Shuyin is a man from 1000 years ago who was murdered by trying to save the summoner and woman he loved, Lynne. Much like Tidus he was brought to life through the Fayth and wanted vengeance for the death of Lynne.
He gains access to the super machine Vegnagun and takes it to the Farplane in hopes to destroy Spira. Shuyin’s whole motive is all based around his love for Lynne and hatred of the world that wanted to let her die for their sins.
Number 6. Gilgamesh, Final Fantasy 5
Number 6 is Gilgamesh from FF5 and he’s a really interesting case. Gilgamesh is a sub-villain to Exdeath and basically plays the role of being more of an annoyance than a villain.
He spends the game attacking the party several times and running away after each time. But he always comes back stronger and more ready to fight.
What puts him on this list is his interesting design and character in general. He’s not anything like any other villains in the franchise and completely stands out against him.
Especially towards the end of the game where he goes completely insane. He’s just a fun character that adds an extra feel to Final Fantasy 5.
Number 5. The Four Fiends, Final Fantasy
Number 5 is a few more interesting entries on this list and have been seen in several different Final Fantasy games. The Four Fiends first showed up in the original Final Fantasy as minions to Chaos.
In other Final Fantasy, they have gone by different names but the most common ones are the original FF ones. Lich, The Earth Fiend. Marilith, The Fire Fiend. Kraken, The Water Fiend. Tiamat, The Wind Fiend.
These four beings are some of the strongest bosses in the franchise. Ranging as the four climactic bosses in the first final fantasy to four of the hardest in Final Fantasy 9.
As enemies, they are great in design and as villains, they are the best version of any villain minion. They deserve their place in the franchise’s history as some of the best enemies ever made.
Number 4. Garland, Final Fantasy 1 & 9
Following the Four-Fiends is the man who brought them out, to begin with. Garland, The Black Knight is the first enemy in the original Final Fantasy and becomes the main evil of all the games.
Garland IS Chaos. They are one and the same and Garland is what makes Chaos interesting because of the road traveled to become him.
He steals the princess of a kingdom and is defeated by the light warriors. Then he is caught in a time loop as the being Chaos and it’s a whole mess of time travel nonsense.
What makes him so compelling is his story doesn’t stop in the first game. Years later he returns as the same character in Final Fantasy 9.
Garland is the reason the main protagonist and antagonist exist in that game and why the story happens at all. He starts his work in the first game and then takes 8 games in between in order to even execute it.
He’s great and deserves to be recognized as one of the best FF villains of all time.
Number 3. Jenova, Final Fantasy 7
Now I’m already sure most of you are thinking “Why isn’t Sephiroth here instead? He must be number 1 or 2, right?” Wrong, he is not on this list at all. And there is a very good reason as to why.
In design, Sephiroth is cool and intimidating. We all have nostalgia when it comes to him so we love to think he’s one of the greatest villains there is.
When in reality the main villain in FF7 is by rights Jenova and a lot of people like to overlook that. For the majority of the game, Sephiroth is sleeping in a cave while Jenova’s pieces are walking around taking his form.
You never once meet, fight, or see the real Sephiroth until the moment he exits the cave and the final battle. He doesn’t do anything within the story other than being a plot device that everyone keeps mentioning.
Jenova is the one you keep running into whose causing all the problems in the game and making everyone’s life hell. She’s a pissed off alien who took the shape of her son and made him famous.
Number 2. Kefka, Final Fantasy 6
Our number 2 is Kefka, the psycho clown from hell. Not the correct term but a very accurate one at least.
Anyone who played FF6 knows how badass Kefka is and how great a villain he is. He’s one of the very few villains who actually kind of wins in what he’s trying to do.
He’s crazy, egotistical and just a fun villain to watch. He’d be number 1 but I feel there’s someone underrated who just barely beats him out.
Number 1. Kuja, Final Fantasy 9
Now I know I’ll get hate for this but I stand by it. Kuja is the most compelling and interesting villain in the FF series.
He starts off in complete power over the games first villain and has an ego from hell. He pulls the reigns of everything that happens, including the death of Garland and bringing on Memoria.
And in the end, he kills literally everyone and ends all things. Kefka destroyed the world, but Kuja literally ended it all. Only by beating Necron does it all return to normal and then he has a redemption moment.
So not only does he plan everything out and go from graceful villain to madhouse destroying everything but he gains a place with his brother and dies peacefully in the end.
So in conclusion, all these villains are great and there are even more great ones not on this list. But I feel Kuja is the best due to his motive, his standing within his own story, and his design is more than unique.
I hope you all agree or disagree. Who do you think should have been number 1?