TheFinal Fantasyseries is home to some of the most ruthless villains in gaming history. Each entry follows a group of unlikely allies on a quest to prevent the world from falling into ruin, and while most of these quests succeed, it’s not for the villain’s lack of trying.
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Most ofFinal Fantasy’s primary villains are inherently evil, but there have been a few exceptions throughout the years. In these instances, the player may not wish to fight the antagonist, but they rarely get the chance to choose not to. No matter the entry, players will eventually happen upon a bossthey do not wish to fight.
5Ravus - Final Fantasy 15
Final Fantasy 15follows the life of an unprepared prince on a quest to reclaim his stolen home. To set his plan in motion, he and his loyal friends and bodyguards set out to meet Lunafreya, Noctis' fiancée, in Altissia. While most citizens support their marriage, Ravus, Lunafreya’s brother does not.
Ravus takes pleasure in mockingNoctis and his struggleswhenever he gets the chance to, but he eventually changes his ways toward the game’s climax. Sadly, he is murdered by Ardyn, who then turns him into a Daemon, before Noctis can learn of what happened. While searching for the Crystal in the Imperial Capital of Gralea, Noctis and his friends are attacked by Ravus' Daemon form, and though they do not wish to fight him, they don’t really have a choice. Players may have wanted to fight Ravus before this chapter, but they probably didn’t want to during this part of the game.
4Unei & Doga - Final Fantasy 3
Final Fantasy 3documents the journey of four orphans named Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus as they set out on a journey to restore the world to its rightful state. An evil power has torn the world in two and threatens all life itself if they don’t intervene, so they venture away from their home in search of answers.
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On their quest, they meet Unei and Doga, two of Magus Noah’s pupils. Together, Unei and Doga aid the Warriors of Light on their quest to defeat Xande, but only until they obtain the Eureka Key. For the key to be used, it needs to be infused with Unei and Doga’s power. Sadly, the only way to do this is for the Warriors of Light to battle Unei and Doga, their friends, to the death.
3Bahamut - Final Fantasy 10-2
Final Fantasy 10-2documentsYuna’s second adventureacross Spira. Without Sin threatening the lives of the people she loves, she can freely traverse the world as a Sphere Hunter. She lives a relatively normal life for two years, but things change when she discovers a sphere obtaining a recording of Shuyin, a man Yuna assumes to be Tidus.
While exploring Bevelle Underground, Yuna encounters acorrupted version of Bahamut, an Aeon she once called upon to defeat Sin. Yuna tries to plead with the beast, but it refuses to listen and instead launches an attack. Paine insists that the only way to survive is for Yuna to fight, leaving the player with no other option. As if the battle wasn’t upsetting enough, “Yuna’s Ballad” by Hiroko Kokubu is used asthe battle theme, which makes the encounter feel even more heartbreaking.
2Cid - Final Fantasy 12
Cid is one of the most underrated villains in all ofFinal Fantasy, which is a shame considering the potential he had. Before becoming the tyrant he is most commonly regarded as,Cid was a loving fatherwho tried to do his best for his son, Balthier. He always loved his son, but his loyalty to the Archadian Empire slowly distorted his mind to the point that he became a completely different person. Balthier loved his father, but he was unable to stand by and watch him descend into madness, so he left in search of a better life.
Sadly, Cid’s lust for power led him down a dangerous path. He eventually met a godly being known as Venat, who offered him great power in exchange for some help. Cid happily obliged the entity’s request, not knowing it would corrupt his mind. The party is eventually forced to face Cid in battle when they reach Archadia, and though Balthier is reluctant to hurt the man who raised him, he is left with no other choice. Cid accepts his fate once the battle ends, but it can be hard for the player to accept that this was his destiny when he had aclear shot at redemption.
1Jecht - Final Fantasy 10
Like Cid fromFinal Fantasy 12, Jecht is a devout father who simply wandered down the wrong path. He vanished whenhis son, Tidus, was just a boy, which caused Tidus to resent him. The first half ofFinal Fantasy 10sees Tidus regularly reminding the player of how much he hates his father, but the more he brings him up, the less his hatred seems legitimate. Tidus slowly comes to rethink his opinions of his father throughout his journey, but he never truly gets the chance to say he loves him.
When Tidus reached Spira, he learned that Jecht never actually died. Though this sounds like good news, what really happened is arguably much more chilling. By allowing Yunalesca to turn him into a Fayth, Jecht was possessed by Yu Yevon andeventually become Sin. Even after learning this, Tidus vows to continue his journey to defeat him. Players will likely spend most of theirFinal Fantasy 10playthrough not wanting to fight Jecht, but sadly, the only way to avoid it is to leave the game unfinished.
