Ranking the hardest optional bosses in Final Fantasy games

Key Takeaways

• Some of Final Fantasy's optional bosses are notorious for reaching absurd levels of difficulty.
• FF9's Ozma requires players to optimize their loadouts and complete side quests to succeed.
• FF10's Repentance requires effort to maximize the Sphere Grid to have a chance at victory.

Most players are familiar with the numerous optional bosses that have become a mainstay of the game. final fantasyThese encounters either max out players or reward them for exploring additional areas. However, there are times when the difficulty of these battles reaches absurd levels.

Some of the most infamous optional boss fights final fantasy Most players prefer to avoid these encounters entirely, making them a downright nightmare to solve. However, players who have optimized their party loadout and leveled up to max level will be able to take down this boss after a long and difficult fight.

8 Ozma

Superboss made easier after completing the Friendly Monster side quest.

given method final fantasy 9 Implementing some of the best quality in the series, it's easy to see why this game has two superbosses that can be quite difficult. Hades can still be defeated as long as the player participates diligently in these encounters, but this is not the case with Ozma.

This boss is no joke, and players who haven't completed the Friendly Monsters side quest will find it completely impossible to get through this encounter. Thankfully, completing this side activity will make Ozma no longer inaccessible to normal attacks and weakened to the shadow element, making getting through this encounter slightly less daunting.

7 emerald weapon

A hard and iconic superboss that fights underwater and punishes characters with too much materia.

Players with thalassophobia will hate being driven around in a submarine and seeing this massive weapon appear in the distance. Players who decide to bite off more than they can chew will regret their decision after seeing just how insurmountable this boss fight is.

The Emerald Weapon fight takes place underwater, and players have 20 minutes to defeat this boss before he drowns. Equipping the Water Materia can overcome this problem, but there is a catch. The Emerald Weapon boasts an attack called Aire Tam Storm that deals 1111 damage for each materia equipped. This means that players who have 8 or more Materia equipped on a character will destroy that character every time the Emerald Weapon unleashes this attack.

6 iron giant

It boasts a simple yet devastating moveset that can be difficult to manage.

final fantasy 3 It can be a challenging game for players struggling to get used to the older mechanics. But while the game is largely doable as your party gets stronger, all your progress will mean nothing if you decide to take on the fearsome Iron Giant in battle.

Although it boasts a simple moveset, what makes the Iron Giant such an impressive enemy is that it attacks four times per turn and begins using swings after depleting two-thirds of its health. This all-out attack move deals a lot of damage and can wipe out your party if no safeguards are in place to deal with this move.

5 Chronodia

Bosses in the Labyrinth of Time that may be easier or more difficult depending on the player's actions

updated release final fantasy Includes new content, including the Maze of Time dungeon, which boasts some of the most difficult encounters in the game. It also includes eight puzzles that players must solve within a certain amount of time to avoid failure.

However, this failure may not be such a big punishment. Ultimately, Chronodia, the toughest superboss in the game, becomes stronger with each puzzle you complete. Players who successfully solve all eight puzzles will face the most difficult version of this boss, capable of wiping out the party in an instant without taking any prisoners.

4 protobaville

The most powerful superboss in one of the most difficult Final Fantasy games of all time.

final fantasy 4's 3D Remake is one of the most challenging games in the series. Most players will like this increased difficulty, and the game adds two superbosses that become the ultimate challenge for players to deal with.

Geryon can be encountered on the first playthrough, but players must steal the Dark Matter item from Zeromus and use it in New Game+ to fight Proto-Babil. This boss is the hardest in the game and players will need to be equipped with the best gear to have any chance of defeating this powerful enemy.

3 Five Arcadian Judges

A foolish encounter that requires an ironclad strategy.

unique battle system final fantasy 12 It may take some getting used to, but players who work hard and master the Gambit system can essentially put down the controller and have all combat happen automatically, securing victory in no time. However, players must always be active when completing Trial Mode challenges, which were added to the Zodiac Age version of the game.

The final trial is one of the toughest fights in history. final fantasy history. Taking on all five Archadian Judges at once is no joke, and players will need to make sure their Gambit accounts for every possible scenario in this encounter if they want to win after a long, challenging encounter with no room for error.

2 penance

Players will need to grind to level 9 and maximize the spherical grid to take on this enemy.

Players who think that way final fantasy 10 Once you get the Celestial Weapon, it becomes too easy. After attempting to battle the Dark Aeons, they will sing a different song. Players will need to sharpen their Sphere Grid to take on these enemies, and max out their main party's power to take on Penance, the game's ultimate superboss.

This fight is no joke and players will need to keep up a steady barrage of attacks to avoid being wiped out by Penance in record time. It's a stressful battle where a single mistake can lead to the downfall of the party, and victory becomes sweeter as players complete the game's ultimate challenge.

1 absolute virtue

A boss that was so strong that it attracted media attention was added to the Promacia expansion pack.

final fantasy The percentage of superbosses is quite high, but a boss is so powerful that it would take something special to attract negative press for one of the games. The same was true for Absolute Virtue. At the time, it was such a long and difficult battle that players felt that the level 75 cap was a slap in the face to players who had no chance against this boss even with optimized builds.

Why the developers nerfed this boss fight in a later patch, with the gaming press targeting the game for promoting unhealthy habits that force players to sacrifice precious sleep because they spent over 30 hours on this boss. It's easy to see. Even with subsequent expansions raising the level cap, Absolute Virtue is an unwieldy nightmare and one of the most difficult encounters in this beloved MMORPG.