It would be impossible discuss the greatest franchises in gaming without mentioning the JRPG behemoth that is Final Fantasy. Square Enix’s long-running franchise is easily one of the most recognizable names in the industry, and one need only look at the series’ illustrious history to understand why. From the combats that the series has experimented with to the massive stories where entire worlds (if not universes) are at stake, there’s no end to the sheer number of memorable elements in Final Fantasy.
RELATED: Every Main Final Fantasy Game Ranked On How Long They Take To Beat
Final Fantasy has continuously wowed fans with some of the most unique boss fights in the RPG genre, the best of which all memorable in their own ways. While a lot of encounters are admittedly just hamfisted fights that force a climatic showdown at the end of a dungeon, most bosses present in Final Fantasy tend to stick in the minds of players for a bevy of reasons.
10 Phantom Train (FFVI)
The Phantom Train might be a great boss fight in its own right, but it has one particularly incredible moment. Watching Sabin suplex a moving train is easily one of the most legendary moments in the Final Fantasy franchise, and any fan worth their salt will definitely pull off this move at least once against this boss.
9 Diamond Weapon (FFVII)
Diamond Weapon is the first proper Weapon that the party will fight in Final Fantasy VII, and this fight is as memorable as can be.
RELATED: The 5 Most Powerful Bosses In The Final Fantasy 7 Remake On PS4 (& The 5 Weakest)
Watching your party members take down one of the largest bosses in the entire game is a testament to how much they’ve developed over the course of the series, and is quite a cathartic moment after the stakes have risen so high.
8 The Four Elemental Fiends (FFIV)
The rematch against the four Elemental Fiends in Final Fantasy IV is easily one of the best and most memorable boss encounters in the entire game. Watching the souped-up versions of Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Barbariccia, and Rubicante take on the player in a brilliant encore is an amazing moment that goes to show just how overlooked Final Fantasy IV really is.
7 NORG (FFVIII)
Realizing that a massive yellow being was pulling the strings under Balamb Garden the entire time is a mind-blowing revelation in itself… but actually having to fight this beast is a whole different thing altogether.
NORG has enough gimmicks in his fight to make it stand out from the rest of the cut-and-dry bosses featured in Final Fantasy VIII, while still sporting a decent level of difficulty to keep gamers on their toes at all times.
6 Beatrix (FFIX)
Beatrix is easily one of the coolest characters in Final Fantasy, so it goes without saying that every boss encounter with her is bound to be memorable indeed. The imposing nature of this femme fatale, coupled with one of the best tracks in the entire game, makes every fight with this warrior a tale to remember.
5 Hojo (FFVII)
Hojo is responsible for the majority of the bad things that happen in Final Fantasy VII, so to finally give this character a beating that’s long overdue is easily one of the best moments in the game. Of course, this mad scientist would never make things easy for the player, even when he’s knocking on death’s door. The player needs to go through three phases before finally putting this demented man to rest once and for all. It’s one of the most cathartic moments in Final Fantasy VII, especially if one is familiar with the various side-games and content that was released in this universe as well.
4 Ultima Weapon (FFVI)
Ultima Weapon — or Atma Weapon, for the SNES crowd — serves as the final boss fight in the World of Balance, before Kefka changes the entire landscape of the world itself. It’s a fitting encounter that poses a massive level of challenge to boot. The Floating Continent is by no means a walk in the park, but the boss fight against Ultima Weapon takes the difficulty to a whole new level.
3 Gilgamesh (FFV)
Gilgamesh’s appearances in Final Fantasy V were always memorable, with Battle at the Big Bridge easily being one of the best OSTs ever in Final Fantasy… and a fitting character theme for this character. Every time Gilgamesh appears on the screen, one can’t help but crack a broad smile as this character’s personality absolutely shines in every piece of dialogue. It certainly helps that the vast majority of the fights against him are quite challenging too.
2 Yu Yevon (FFX)
While Yu Yevon might easily take the award for the worst final boss in Final Fantasy history, one can’t deny that this encounter is incredibly unique… albeit at the cost of gameplay.
RELATED: Final Fantasy 10: Every Playable Character’s Ultimate Weapon (& How To Obtain Them)
The “fight” against Yu Yevon is purely for story purposes and does nothing to challenge the player… but it offers an atmospheric and somber conclusion to Final Fantasy X‘s story.
1 Jenova LIFE (FFVII)
No boss fight in the Final Fantasy series even comes close to the sheer emotional weight and impact that’s present in the encounter against Jenova LIFE. This fight comes right after Aerith’s death, and players don’t even get a chance to breathe before they’re shoved into this battle that forces them to put their emotions on the backburner.
The choice of letting Aerith’s music play in the background throughout this fight, coupled with the fact that this is the only fight where the characters don’t crack a victory pose — and understandably so — makes the battle against Jenova LIFE one of the most unique and memorable boss fights in the entire Final Fantasy series.
NEXT: 5 Final Fantasy Games That Were Too Short (& 5 That Were Way Too Long)
