Final Fantasy: 6 Bosses With The Most Phases

Final Fantasy is one of the most popular JRPG franchises of all time. The legacy of this series is immense, with the success of the first game allowing Square to tackle bigger and better projects, forming multiple mergers and quickly becoming one of the biggest players in the video game industry. While their recent endeavors have attained more of a mixed reception from fans, there’s no denying that Square Enix continues to be a huge name in the video game industry that fans love talking about time and time again.

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Their biggest IP, Final Fantasy, is going strong to this day, with new games and remakes of legendary titles continuing to make Final Fantasy relevant in the modern era. The games are known for featuring some of the most engaging boss fights and encounters ever seen in a video game to date, with some bosses featuring multiple phases that make for epic, cinematic encounters that are a blast to play through even now.

6 Exdeath

Number Of Phases: 2 (3 If Previous Encounter Is Taken Into Account)

Final Fantasy 5 is a game that features one of the best job systems in the series. Sure, the lack of a character-driven plot and a focus on gameplay over story is something that rubbed fans the wrong way, but players who appreciated this title for what it was enjoyed the light-hearted tone of the series and how characters could utilize a wealth of abilities to take out the enemies standing in their way.

The inflow of jobs was done pretty naturally, and players would never be in a position where there aren’t any viable jobs to utilize in the game. The antagonist of this game is Exdeath, who is fought in his usual forms until the very end. He’s revealed to be a warlock made from a tree that housed evil spirits, showing his true form at the very end and being consumed by the void to become Neo Exdeath, the true final boss of the game that takes no prisoners.

5 Ardyn

Number Of Phases: 3

Ardyn is one of the most charismatic figures in the game who captures everyone’s attention with his charismatic performance time and time again. Final Fantasy 15‘s troubled development may show in certain aspects of this title, but one part of the game that stands strong is the excellent characters, with Ardyn being a major highlight. This aid to the royal family is revealed to be none other than a member of Noctis’ family himself, Ardyn Lucis Caelum.

After being discarded for the corruption that had taken hold of his body after Ardyn used his powers to absorb the evil plaguing people in the past, this jaded figure comes back to wreak havoc and plunge the world into a time of darkness. Noctis ends up battling with him in a fight for the ages, culminating with both people losing their lives to ensure that the future of the world is safe and sound.

4 Zemus & Zeromus

Number Of Phases: 3

Zemus is a Lunarian who’s been working behind the scenes to manipulate good-hearted people into doing their evil bidding in Final Fantasy 4. Golbez, Cecil’s brother, was forced to become his pawn for the longest time, with the heroes finally helping him regain his mind near the end of the game. This prompts the party to head for one final showdown against Zemus to end his evil ways once and for all.

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However, this fight is not a simple one in the slightest. Even after taking out Zemus, his hateful spirit comes back as Zeromus and engages the party in a battle to save the fate of the world. This malevolent spirit takes on two forms and is a tough encounter for players not ready to bear the full brunt of this assault, with the Big Bang attack being especially tough to handle.

3 Ultimecia & Griever

Number Of Phases: 4

The battle against Ultimecia in Final Fantasy 8 is one of the most memorable final clashes in this series to date. Sure, the introduction of this figure as the major antagonist of the series may come a bit too late for her to have any impact, but players need only engage this sorceress in battle to realize just how imposing this figure really is.

The battle starts with Ultimecia selecting three random party members to start the show, who are replaced at regular intervals. After this phase is over and done with, Ultimecia brings out Griever, a powerful GF who’s as tough as they come. The third phase involved both Ultimecia and Griever merging to heighten their powers, and the final phase featured a souped-up Ultimecia who wastes no time in showing just how tough this battle is. It’s the hardest phase of the lot, making the act of defeating this villain all the more satisfying.

2 Statue Of The Gods & Kefka

Number Of Phases: 4

Kefka is one of the most memorable antagonists in gaming history, with his wanton acts of destruction plunging the whole world into a state of ruin. The Warring Triad is permanently imbalanced by his act, and players must climb the tower and fight the gods that formed this Triad before taking on Kefka himself.

Players must ascend and take on the Statue of the Gods before reaching a twisted version of heaven and battling against the mad jester himself. It’s a cinematic battle for the ages that players must win to take out this villain once and for all.

1 Sephiroth

Number Of Phases: 4

While the remade Final Fantasy 7 games are praised through the roof for letting a new generation experience the magic of this series for the first time, it does end up cheapening Sephiroth’s impact in the game somewhat. In the original title, Sephiroth isn’t even seen until a flashback where Cloud talks about the history he shares with the One-Winged Angel, with the character making an appearance in the main timeline after perpetrating a horrid massacre on the boat heading to Costa del Sol.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth makes multiple appearances in both Remake and Rebirth, appearing as the final boss in each game. The battle against him in the latest game is a cinematic encounter for the ages, with players engaging in this battle across four grueling phases that are pretty epic in their own right.

Final Fantasy

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Creation Year

1987

Publisher(s)

Square Enix