Games

Most Charismatic Final Fantasy Villains, Ranked

Published

5 minutes ago

January 17, 2025

Christoph Rediske

leblanc in final fantasy 10 2 and roche final fantasy 7 rebirth

Summary

Table of Contents

Dr. Cid is a creepy, maniacal villain in Final Fantasy 12 with a powerful presence.
Jecht from FF10 is a complex father figure with a cool, relatable side.
Zorn and Thorn in FF9 are comical but unsettling advisors contributing to great moments.

What makes a good villain in a game? Evilness can only go so far as they have to be likable on some level as well. For example, Team Rocket in the Pokemon anime is always trying to steal or abuse Pokemon. They’re bad people but they have feelings and their lack of success helps make them a good foil to Ash and the others.

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What about charismatic villains in the Final Fantasy games? Have there been any good ones that are fun to hate? It should come as no surprise for a series that is over thirty years old, but yes, there are some fantastic villains in the franchise. Let’s go through the best ones, ranking their overall presence and personality.

8

Dr. Cid

A Deliciously Evil Genius

Released: October 31, 2006

Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, or just Dr. Cid, is from Final Fantasy 12. He’s one of the few Cids in the series that is evil. He’s not in the game much but he belongs to the empire and is in love with experimenting. He speaks fast, going from whispers to shouts to laughs in an instant.

It’s creepy but also hard not to fall in love with like a Saturday Morning Cartoon villain. He even sports a ridiculously oversized Gatling Gun in one of the boss fights while laughing maniacally. He’s truly something to behold in Final Fantasy 12 and way more menacing than the overarching villain, Vayne.

7

Jecht

My Old Man

Systems

Released: December 17, 2001
OpenCritic Rating: Strong
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Jecht is hard to describe as a villain even though he is one of the final bosses. He’s the father of Tidus, the main character in Final Fantasy 10. Tidus has some daddy issues and could really use some therapy as he complains about “my old man this” and “my old man that.” Quite frankly, every flashback with Jecht makes him seem like a pretty cool guy.

He didn’t leave Tidus on purpose as he was whisked away and made the best of his new life. He only became a Fiend because of the deal he made with Lord Braska as part of the traditional Summoner pact with Sin. It’s a bit complicated but needless to say, while not the best father, Jecht seems like a pretty chill dude to hang out with.

6

Zorn And Thorn (Final Fantasy 9)

Fearful Fusions

Artwork of Zorn And Thorn in Final Fantasy 9

Released: July 7, 2000
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Zorn and Thorn are the advisors for Queen Brahne who seemed like she was going to be the main villain of Final Fantasy 9. She was being manipulated by Kuja behind the scenes and to a degree, Zorn and Thorn aided in this deception as well.

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The freakiest moment with them is when they fuse. While horrifying for an RPG, their presence in every scene before the fusion is comical. Their theme is one of the best in the game and their need to finish each other’s sentences was mesmerizing.

5

Leblanc

How Does Her Dress Stay Up?

Final Fantasy 10-2

Released: November 18, 2003
Developer(s): Square Product Development Division 1

Leblanc is a rival more so than a dastardly villain in Final Fantasy 10-2 but she and her band of cronies, Logos, and Ormi, do get up to no good. They’re kind of like Team Rocket from the aforementioned Pokemon anime wherein fans love to see them fail but not die.

The same is true for Leblanc and her crew who get a great opening as Leblanc disguises herself as Yuna to get the upper hand on her. There are a lot of great moments involving her including a massage mini-game that made all kinds of buzz back in 2003 that all seems pretty tame now.

4

Ultros

The Show Must Go On

Released: October 11, 1994
Developer(s): Square Enix
, Square
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Ultros is from Final Fantasy 6 and appears as a boss when the party is going down some rapids. As it’s just a talking octopus, players probably gave him no mind as bosses come and go in the Final Fantasy series all the time.

However, after he shows up at the opera, that’s when his stardom rises complete with one of the best boss songs in the game. Who could have guessed this seemingly minor boss would have returned? He pops up occasionally after this event and even becomes a bit of an ally by the end.

3

Don Corneo

Look At That Belly Jiggle

Systems

Released: February 29, 2024
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Don Corneo had two somewhat big bits in the original Final Fantasy 7 even though one scene was optional. When they started remaking the game, the crew seemingly wanted to make him a more prominent character. Between the two games so far, he has a sillier role in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth that is worth highlighting.

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Players can fight him in the Gold Saucer arena in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and he has a bunch of monsters alongside him with his hairstyle. It’s goofy beyond all reason along with his DJ skills but Don Corneo, as creepy as he is, is an infectious villain.

2

Roche

Roche! Roche! Roche!

From Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Roche falls under the term rival as well for Cloud in both remakes but especially Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Most Shinra employees could easily rank on the list including Rufus, Reno, Elena, Hojo, and so on. Of the new characters though, Roche is leagues above them which will have players chanting his name over and over again.

It’s great that he developed a fan club within Shinra that cheers his name during boss fights. He’s a lovable goofball who only obeys the orders of his higher-ups just so he can fight Cloud continually. It makes his fate by the end of the game more tragic and another reason why he deserves to be highlighted.

1

Kefka

The Clown Prince Of Crime

Sephiroth may be the coolest villain in the series who has a slippery tongue, but there is no villain more iconically clownish than Kefka from Final Fantasy 6, literally. Like Ultros, players may first think of Kefka as just some wild jester doing the Emperor’s bidding who laughs like a buffoon.

However, underneath all that clown makeup and laughter is an ambitious man hungry for power. His evil deeds lead to the destruction of the world which the heroes have to rectify in a future that has a cult dedicated to him. Kefka is an awful man but at the same time he is without rival in terms of charisma and for that reason, he’s still likable.