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A story game is only as good as its boss fights, which is why there are so many great ones throughout the games. It’s about time for you to bust out all your old games to revisit the top ten hardest Final Fantasy boss fights in the entirety of the franchise.
Updated October 4, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Final Fantasy is one of the most popular JRPG franchises of all time, filled to the brim with memorable moments and scintillating boss fights. The latter is something the series focuses on heavily, with some of these climactic encounters in the game being absolutely brilliant in every way.
In fact, some of these fights can be downright brutal, beating players up until they have no choice but to conform to an ironclad strategy with zero openings. Here are some of the toughest Final Fantasy bosses that had players reeling with their immense difficulty.
15 Cloud Of Darkness (FFIII)
Final Fantasy 3 is a title that almost feels like a puzzle game at times, forcing players to use certain jobs and status effects to get through its levels. The job system is also pretty restrictive and doesn’t really let players maximize certain aspects without sacrificing other stats and abilities.
The final dungeon of this game is extremely long and littered with some of the toughest foes in the game. In the end, players get to face off against the Cloud of Darkness in a tough battle that becomes all the more grueling since players have to weather the massive and lengthy storm before even getting a chance to tackle this boss.
Tips On How To Defeat FFIII’s Cloud of Darkness
Have a healthy stock of recovery items to get through the final dungeon. One white mage in the party is mandatory, and two of them make healing even easier. Casting support spells is extremely important to minimize overall damage. Buff all warriors and offensive mages to make the most of an attack.
14 Yunalesca (FFX)
Final Fantasy 10 is a game that is notorious for doubling down on its challenge when it comes to bosses. Yunalesca is one such encounter that can be especially grueling, especially given her Zombie status affliction that is pretty annoying and the instant Death spells that will be annoying for obvious reasons.
Repeating this boss becomes even more annoying when players realize that the cutscene preceding this encounter is unskippable. It’s a cruel joke that punishes players even more for making headway in this fight only to suffer a needless game over.
Tips On How To Defeat FFX’s Yunalesca
Wallop her in the first phase and set up defenses before resuming the attack in her second and third forms. Do not dispel Zombie for a while until Yunalesca casts Death on the entire party. Alternatively, party members should have natural protection from Death, Confusion, and Zombie to make this fight easier.
13 Seymour Flux (FFX)
Seymour’s Flux form during the third battle against him in Final Fantasy 10 is the toughest mandatory fight in the game. His signature attack, Total Annihilation, can wipe out entire parties if they aren’t strong enough. His magical and physical defense is very high and Breaks don’t work against him. When the boss starts charging up Total Annihilation, be sure to cast Shell or use a Mighty guard to protect the highest HP players and pray they survive.
Tips On How To Defeat FFX’s Seymour Flux
Set all Aeons in full Overdrive. This is the key to winning the battle! Use Zombieproof gear to avoid unnecessary damage. Keep tanks in the front and Yuna in the back, and swap out to have Yuna heal/resurrect the party when needed. Use Bio, as Seymour Flux is weak to poison. Have Kimahri/Auron/Tidus use Cheer after poisoning the enemy.
12 Omega Weapon (FFVIII)
This crazy superboss has over one million HP and sits at level 100. At the start of the fight, Omega Weapon will use an attack that immediately kills characters with a level divisible by 5. Its Megiddo Flame attack deals incredible damage as well as its Light Pillar and Terra Break. It can also drain the party’s HP by 75% with its Gravija spell.
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The boss is tough and definitely has some game-changing moves, but memorizing its attack order and using potions at the right times will help players win the battle. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t win the first time!
Tips On How To Defeat FFVIII’s Omega Weapon
Make sure each character has 9,999 HP! Be prepped with as many Megalixirs as you can, plus high-tier spell stocks and Meltdown and Aura. Equip Auto-Haste, Auto-Protect, and Spd-J on each character. Haste through the battle by focusing on limit breaks. Use Defend or Holy War to survive Omega Weapons’ deadly “Terra Break”.
11 Necron (FFIX)
The final boss in Final Fantasy 9, Necron is the embodiment of Death itself. After concluding that life only exists to pursue death, he decided to destroy absolutely everything. His power is grand and he can unleash multiple attacks in a single turn to really knock down unprepared players. He can heal himself to keep the battle going for a while, though his many health-shattering offensive moves might end the battle pretty quickly. Though he’s a worthy final boss, he is also able to take down with a strong party, a bit of strategy, and practice.
Tips On How To Defeat FFIX’s Necron
Auto-Regen is highly efficient for healing in between attacks. Equip a White Mage and a character who can use Auto-Life. Be fully prepared for any and all outcomes of Necron’s “Grand Cross” (Use plenty of Phoenix Down, Revive, Life, and Magic Tag).
10 Ruby Weapon (FFVII)
There are two notorious superbosses in Final Fantasy 7 that are an absolute pain to defeat. One of them appears in the desert near the Golden Saucer. This boss, Ruby Weapon, is a pretty tricky beast to battle. It hits like a truck and only the highest-leveled players with the best materia can hope to take down this massive threat!
Tips On How To Defeat FFVII’s Ruby Weapon
Enter with two dead party members so that they don’t get ejected at the start of the boss fight. Either focus on the main body or deal with the tentacles first — don’t be on the fritz. Go into the fight with the best equipment and highest level to make things substantially easier.
9 Hades (FFIX)
Final Fantasy 9 harkens back to the classic roots for this series, making for a strong nostalgia trip that also has its fair share of superbosses. One of these bosses, Hades, must be defeated to unlock his secret synthesis shop, but that’s easier said than done.
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Tips On How To Defeat FFIX’s Hades
Have as many immunities on all party members as possible. Use Shadow nullification or absorption to deal with Doomsday. Alternatively, hit Hades with extremely powerful attacks to prevent him from using Doomsday in the first place.
8 Emerald Weapon (FFVII)
The player has 20 minutes to win the battle against this underwater boss in Final Fantasy 7. Its powerful Aire Tam Storm attack takes the number of Materia equipped on each player and multiplies that number by 1,111, then deals that much damage to each player. Its variety of Emerald attacks, plus the time limit, and the Materia disadvantage make Emerald Weapon one of those bosses that will make players rage with frustration after attempting to win for the 4th time in a row, even when playing with the strongest characters in the game.
Tips On How To Defeat FFVII’s Emerald Weapon
Level up team to at least Level 80 (Preferably Level 99). Stock up on Megalixirs, Mime, and Underwater Materia. Use W-Summon to cast 2 instances of Knights of the Round. Continue double-casting the summon with Mime. Keep healing, even overheal! Being fully healed will make sure the team stays alive long enough to take down the high HP Emerald Weapon.
7 Warmech (FF)
The very first Final Fantasy started the trend of having nearly unbeatable bosses that take tons of time and strategy to defeat. In the original FF, Warmech is quite the formidable foe. It’s rare to find and typically gets a preemptive strike, which could easily take down a party member right at the get-go of the battle. It can heal itself and regenerate at the end of each round, so defeating it quickly is no easy task. It’s important to enter the boss fight well equipped and high-leveled.
Tips On How To Defeat FF’s Warmech
Start off the battle with Blink or Invisira. Use Haste on the fighters. Equip a White Mage to focus solely on healing the party. Get the characters as high-leveled as possible before heading into battle with Warmech.
6 The Five Archadian Judges (FFXII)
Final Fantasy 12 was a new step for the series, using everything it learned from its previous entry to deliver a unique game that is highly underappreciated. The Zodiac Age edition added an extremely tough encounter with the five Archadian Judges in the game that players get to fight at the end of the game’s Trial Mode.
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Suffice it to say, this encounter is no joke and will lead to a quick game over unless players have the best Gambits and highest stats to deal with their damaging attacks.
Tips On How To Defeat FFXII’s Five Archadian Judges
Use the combination of the Nihopalaoa accessory and Remedies to debilitate most of the judges with negative status effects. Judge Ghis has the lowest HP and should be the party’s first focus in battle. A Gambit should be set in place that constantly casts Dispel on buffed Judges, which also prevents the party from being hit with Shock. These strategies can be relaxed once at least two Judges are down, but the party should still be on their toes for any sudden damage.
5 Ozma (FFIX)
The toughest boss in Final Fantasy 9, and one of the toughest bosses in all the FF games, Ozma changes the way it attacks based on the player’s party set-up. Ozma has some pretty insane attacks that can take out party members in a single blow.
The giant colorful orb can heal itself as a counterattack, dragging out the battle and giving it more time to defeat its enemies. Ozma also limits the number of attacks that players can deal before it delivers one of its own. With preparation, practice, and patience, Ozma can eventually be taken down.
Tips On How To Defeat FFIX’s Ozma
Equip Quina and Steiner for their high damage, HP, and counter abilities. Input commands during Ozma’s turn, rather than on your turn, to prevent their ATB gauge instantly filling up. Be prepared to heal all party members after Ozma’s devastating blows. Use Auto-Life on all applicable characters.
4 Penance (FFX)
After defeating all of the Dark Aeons in the game, players have the option of fighting Penance, the toughest superboss in Final Fantasy 10. With 12 million hit points and four detachable, powerful arms with their own HP, Penance is quite the foe to go up against. After dealing 19 attacks to the superboss, it will use its ultimate attack, Judgement Day, which takes away 99,999 HP and 999 MP from all party members, effectively defeating them all. But it can only deal this attack with both arms still active!
Tips On How To Defeat FFX’s Penance
Max out all character stats before initiating the battle with Penance. Equip Auto-Haste, Auto-Potion, and Auto-Protect to keep characters alive in battle. Utilize Rikku’s Trio of 9999 to enhance Potions so that they heal 9999 HP. Attack the arms right before their turn to prevent them from attacking. Dispel immediately when a party member is hit with Immolation.
3 Ultimate Ultima Weapon (FFXIV)
In Final Fantasy 14, there are plenty of hard bosses and raids to encounter throughout the immense world. However, the raid The Weapon’s Refrain is arguably the most difficult due to players having to fight the three primals — Garuda, Ifrit, and Titan before taking on Lahabrea and the mighty Ultima Weapon.
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This boss deals an incredible amount of powerful attacks that can take out party members in a single blow. The fight can be very long and very challenging, so only take on this foe if your personalized character is 100% ready for a messy fight.
Tips On How To Defeat FFXIV’s Ultimate Ultima Weapon
Focus on dodging all of the moves from the primals. At the start of the fight, Ultima will take little damage on attacks, so make the tank hold him and wait until the enemy’s buffs reside. Take down the spawned lasers in the second phase. Repeat short attacks and dodging until you can eventually take him down; it is long but very straightforward!
2 Yiazmat (FFXII)
To face Yiazmat in the hardest boss battle of Final Fantasy 12, players have to defeat every single rank 7 mark and the Hellworm first. That in itself is already difficult, but they have nothing on Yiazmat. This epic boss has over 50 million hit points! This definitely isn’t a battle that can be won on the first try, with varying caps on the damage that can be dealt and Yiazmat’s powerful attacks.
The boss is predicted to take a few hours to finally defeat, but players can leave the battle midway to restock on items before returning to finish the job.
Tips On How To Defeat FFXII’s Yiazmat
Cast Decoy on the tank and focus all healing on them. Equip Genji Gloves on the primary character, and cast Bravery and Haste. Also, utilize Berserk. Use the technicks Expose, Shear, Addle, and Wither on repeat. Equip a Shikari with Black Robes and Yagyu Darkblade.
1 Absolute Virtue (FFXI)
Undeniably one of the most difficult bosses of all time, Absolute Virtue is not one to fight unprepared. Once super leveled-up characters complete the painstaking tasks to even face Absolute Virtue, the odds of them winning the boss battle on the first try is slim to none. When the game was first released, virtually no players of the game were able to defeat it. After getting a bit of criticism for making an unbeatable boss, Square Enix patched the game to make the battle very slightly easier to give players a chance. Still, after the update, the Lead Gamemaster for Final Fantasy 11 claimed that the battle against Absolute Virtue should take approximately 18 hours.
Tips On How To Defeat FFXI’s Absolute Virtue
Be as high level as possible. Utilize the ability of Alexander’s Perfect Defense to prevent a lot of health damage. Endure countless blows and attack over a lot of time to eventually knock Absolute Virtue’s health down. Pray.
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