5 brutal bosses that wrecked fans in FINAL FANTASY games

Here are some of the battles that you say gave you nightmares…
By Duncan Heaney

Earlier this year, we published a list of some of the most challenging boss battles in the FINAL FANTASY games, and posed a question on Facebook and Twitter: which do you guys think are the toughest?

The responses were wide-ranging and varied, but there were some names that came up time and time again.

So without further delay, here are five of the FINAL FANTASY boss battles that you love to hate:


Ruby Weapon – FINAL FANTASY VII

The weapons in FINAL FANTASY VII are some of the most famous optional bosses in RPGs. In a previous article, we featured Emerald Weapon, but not its crimson counterpart, Ruby Weapon. A lot of you had… opinions about that.

And, in fairness, you made a valid point – Ruby Weapon is considered by many to be the toughest opponent in the game. Take an insanely high defence stat, the ability to remove characters from the fight, and two particularly troublesome tentacles, and you have a ridiculously difficult fight that’s left many players seeing red in more ways than one.

It’s one of those battles that at first seems insurmountable, but as with anything in FINAL FANTASY VII, imaginative use of materia and a well-considered strategy will see you through. And maybe just a bit of luck too.


Seymour Flux – FINAL FANTASY X

When fans told us about the boss fights that caused them the most pain, this one came up a lot. It’s easy to understand why – he has a super-powerful attack, unprepared characters can be insta-killed, and unlike a lot of encounters on this list he’s not optional.

This bruising battle takes place after a long climb up Mount Gagazet. All seems relatively calm, but suddenly Seymour is standing beside you… and he’s brought a friend: the Mortiorchis.

They say that teamwork makes the dream work, and these two definitely subscribe to that philosophy. Unfortunately, their dream is to ruin your day.

One will cast Zombie status on a character, so that healing magic hurts, the other immediately follows up with Full-Life for an instant KO. One will cast reflect, and the other will bounce devastating magic attacks off them to bypass your defences.

And don’t get me started on the Total Annihilation move. Yeesh!

It’s no wonder that so many people have opinions on this fight. I’ll say this for the Seymour Flux fight though – it’s really satisfying when you beat it.


Penance – FINAL FANTASY X

Another one from FINAL FANTASY X that appears to have humbled many a fan. Penance is the ultimate superboss in the game – even earning the right to fight it is an achievement!

This boss of bosses only appears after you’ve managed to defeat all of the Dark Aeons - eight optional opponents, each equipped with damaging attacks, oodles of HP, and a very bad attitude.

If you manage to take down these powerful foes – many of which could easily fit on this list – Penance will appear. And true to its name, it’s there to punish you.

Not only does it have an eye-watering 12 million HP, it also has two arms that are pretty strong in their own right. Pro tip - take out at least one of those arms fast, because not only do they bombard your party with strategy-ruining status effects, they also allow Penance to use the most powerful attack of all - Judgement Day.

And you’re not walking away from that.


Pandemonium Warden – FINAL FANTASY XI

Oh man… this jerk.

Pandemonium Warden, much like Absolute Virtue, is one of those bosses that became famous for its brutal challenge.

You know that terrifying moment in a boss fight where you think you’ve beaten your foe, only for them to reveal another form? Well, Pandemonium Warden has 10 of them, each one just as brutal.

And as if that’s not bad enough, it also brings in backup from other monsters, who can hassle and disrupt players.

When it was first released, the Pandemonium Warden was considered almost impossible to defeat – players spent hours in battle with no success. Fortunately, it’s not quite that extreme anymore, but it remains a formidable foe that requires thought, focus and co-ordination to beat.


Ozma – FINAL FANTASY IX

This rainbow-coloured pain sphere is another superboss that requires some effort to get to.

You’ll have to have mastered the Chocobo Hot & Cold minigame to find it, and it’s strongly recommended that you also complete the friendly monsters side quest before you even attempt it – it’ll make the fight easier.

Mind you, easier is not the same thing as easy. Ozma is a violently malicious monster, who can adapt to your strategy, pre-empt your attacks and even cure itself. Everything about it is designed to push you to your limits.

Take its Curse move for example – Ozma will inflict lots of status effects, including Mini, Confuse, Poison and Slow… but don’t even think about trying to return the favor because it’ll just remove them. Or Meteor, which will cause unpredictable amounts of damage to your entire party.

In other words, it’s a gruelling battle, but make it through and you’ll be rewarded with a powerful new Eidolon and – if you have the PS4, Xbox One or Steam version – a trophy or achievement that you can gaze upon as a badge of honor.


These big bad bosses are five very different fights, but they do have one thing in common – they give you an amazing sense of achievement when you finally beat them.

For more articles and news about FINAL FANTASY, make sure you check the blog regularly – and join the discussion on social media too!

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