Final Fantasy’s 5 Most Iconic and Beloved Villains

Seymour Guado makes this list for a very different reason. Final Fantasy X is an entry with one of the most emotional storylines of the entire franchise, and Seymour’s complex history only furthers that depth, especially his family background. As Screen Rant describes, “A key element of that [emotional storyline] was having an equally-compelling villain in Seymour Guado. After gaining high political power in Zanarkand, it’s not exactly subtle that he’s a villain, but his tragic backstory and the nihilistic worldview that grew from it are what makes him so formidable despite not being the central antagonist.”

Sephiroth – Final Fantasy VII

Sephiroth may be the most well-known villain of the entire series, having made appearances not just in the multitude of Final Fantasy VII works, but in a plethora of other games as well, such as Super Smash Bros. Being part of the best selling entry certainly helps, but the depth of his personality and storyline are what draws people in. His connection to Cloud, his transformation from hero to villain, his delusional but compelling worldview, and his representation of human emotion without actually feeling it all build up to a phenomenal and iconic villain worthy of his fame.

Gilgamesh – Final Fantasy V

Gilgamesh may not be the most iconic villain in the series, but he may be the most beloved. One of the few villains to find himself becoming a mainstay of the series in a wide variety of different worlds, Gilgamesh’s comic relief is one of the greatest draws of the entire Final Fantasy V entry. He thinks far more highly of himself than he probably should, which makes fights against him all the more entertaining. His antics are so over the top that they are truly laugh-out-loud, but in the end, his failings have him banished by the true antagonist of the entry. Still, it is Gilgamesh that gets the last laugh, with his wildly popular fan reception.

Kefka – Final Fantasy VI

Kefka is impossible to love, but he is a perfect villain to love to hate. He is arguably the most evil villain in the entire series, but the evil is so over the top and astounding that he becomes instantly recognizable and iconic. The mad court jester is truly the full embodiment of chaotic evil. There is nothing Kefka is afraid to stoop to, and he cuts down anyone in his path. Kefka destroys the world with complete disregard, all with the goal of becoming a God, and absolutely no emotion, empathy, or personality beyond his dream.

Final Fantasy VI deserved two villain entries, a statement to the iconic nature of the game as a whole. Kefka truly stands at the top as the most memorable villain of all time, not just for the series, but among the best in all of video game history. If that does not scream iconic, nothing will. You may not have become a God, Kefka, but at least you earned a spot at the top of this pyramid!