If You Can't Name These Final Fantasy Villains, You're Not A Real Gamer
- by Clayton Leir
- – on
- in The Geek Corner
Everyone knows about Final Fantasy. Even if you know nothing specific about it, you've heard of the franchise. It's impossible not to have. But this quiz isn't for someone who just barely knows Final Fantasy, this quiz is just for those who have a special love for the many villains of the Final Fantasy franchise. And there are many of them to choose from.
A lot of people really do hate the villains and can't wait to take them on when they play these games. Personally, I'm one of those guys who loves nothing more than to see what the villain is going to do next. I root for Sephiroth every chance I get. Including all of his platinum-haired copies (of which there are many).
So, if you think you know your Final Fantasy bad boys, I challenge you to try this quiz. I just hope that you're not too goody-goody to know who the villains are in this epic franchise. If you fail, you'll just have to dive right in and play all the FF games again, which isn't such a terrible punishment. Make those baddies proud and show off your knowledge of the villains from the films, the games, and even the spin-off games!
Who is this thieving ninja?
If you really are a fan of the Final Fantasy franchise then you should definitely know this thieving little ninja. You first run into her in the woods near Wutai in one of the franchise's most iconic games. She is an optional character to run into, but if you do run into her, she will start by stealing small items from you...then she'll continue by taking every single piece of materia you have equipped on your characters. She does reform and you can have her in your party...but why would you?
Who is this giant dragon-like villain who used to be a knight?
This evil beast is perhaps one of the most iconic villains in the whole Final Fantasy Franchise. Why? Because he was the very first supervillain of any Final Fantasy game. You actually meet him very early on in the very first Final Fantasy game, but he appears under another name and in the form of a knight. Once you defeat him the first time, he is saved and places himself in a time loop so that he can return to defeat you as a gigantic dragon!
What is this enormous serpent known as?
After escaping the walls of the largest city on the world map, your party comes across a big marsh with some chocobo tracks around it. But that's not all you find. You also see the silhouette of a gigantic serpent swimming around the marsh. If you start walking through it, you'll notice that it starts giving chase. If you're only just out of the city chances are you cannot defeat it and you really don't want to get caught by it. After you do defeat it though, a supervillain arrives and completely destroys the poor thing; leaving it on a pike.
Who is this corrupted queen?
Originally a just and fair ruler this queen seemed to snap when her husband died. Something inside of her changed and, due to manipulation by a silver-haired supervillain, she began to hatch a scheme to wage war against the neighbouring countries of Lindblum and Burmecia using an army of mechanical Black Mages. She has an incredible thirst for power and even goes out of her way to try and capture princess Garnet so that she can extract a summoning power from her.
Who is this group of government cronies?
This group is responsible for a ton of "counter-terrorism" efforts that resulted in the destruction of the Sector 7 plate which crushed a whole community of poor people and rebels. They're not all bad people. Some of them have some degree of conscience, but they have jobs to do and their whole purpose in the specific game they come from is to get in your way and show that even some villains can have some feelings. One of them is even captured by a lesser villain for a time.
Who is this chaotic knight?
This particular villain has been seen in several Final Fantasy games now. The shot used in this entry is not an original photo. The original one would be an 8-bit picture of a dark knight (no, not Batman). You can now even find this specific supervillain in a Final Fantasy fighting game for the PSP. All that has t be said is that this is the very first boss you run into in one of the very early Final Fantasy games.
Who is this scarred gunblade-wielding villain?
"The way I see it, as long as you come out of the battle alive, you're one step closer to your dream." It's hard to call this guy a true supervillain simply because he starts out as a good guy and he sort of ends as a good guy as well. But there is a good portion of the game he's from where he is an incredible villain. Sure, to be fair, he's manipulated by the ultimate villain of the game, but he's still a villain.
Who is this alien and mother of a supervillain?
You will definitely recall the son of this hideous alien villain. Her son is the supervillain of the game they both hail from. But that doesn't mean that she doesn't have her moments to shine. What I should say is her moments to get in the way and try and kill you, but you knew what I meant. Either way, this mother of a great supervillain is herself quite the villain. You fight her more times throughout the game than you fight her son!
Who is this lavishly-dressed intellectual?
This character is the main antagonist of the most recent Final Fantasy instalment. That includes the popular animated film that came out beforehand to promote the game, starring Aaron Paul, Sean Bean, and Lena Headey. He is a shrewd, humorous, and intellectual man who handles the political operations of the Niflheim Empire for Iedolas Aldercapt. You meet this guy fairly early on in both the game and the film, but you don't necessarily suspect him of being the main baddy.
Who is this super space villain?
This supervillain is probably the most iconic of all the Final Fantasy villains. Of all time. There are many Final Fantasy games, comics, stories, and films and this character is in several games, comics, stories and at least one film. It's incredible what this villain has been able to achieve. He was a master fighter, biologically crafted by a devious research scientist and some space DNA (from the villain's mother). He summons Meteor to destroy humanity, and based on the post-credit video at the end of his original game...he succeeds.
Who is this seductive sorceress?
"Time...It will not wait...No matter...how hard you hold on. It escapes you..." Having acted through the bodies of other sorceresses, this villain has been described as a malevolent and manipulative sorceress filled with anger and hate. Her background and motives are alluded to indirectly, but ultimately her main goal is to compress time and space to somehow turn herself into a god. That's a pretty intense thing for a villain to do. A version of this sorceress you might know well is when she possesses Edea.
What is this big red beast?
This particular villain is a boss you don't actually have to fight at all in the game it hails from. but if you do fight it, you better be prepared because it can pull characters right off the map and it's tentacles do a lot of damage. This particular villain is found in the desert near Goldsaucer. If you accidentally walk into it a little too early in the game then you might want to hope that you can manage to run away before it kills your whole party.
Who is this platinum-haired baddy?
"I've never known Sephiroth. I just... I sense him there. It's unbearable to think that Mother might want Sephiroth more..." This particular villain is a part of a greater villain's will. He is actually the embodiment of a supervillain's will. He's one of three parts of this supervillain. He's also the secondary villain of a Final Fantasy film and book series that came out several years ago (based on probably the biggest FF game of all time). This character just wants to find his mommy.
What sea-dwelling villain is this?
This particular villain is found in the depths of the ocean of a specific FF game. It wanders the sea, waiting for a chance to attack you. When you take the sub down for the first time in this game, you often see it and must try and outrun it so you can get to a crashed vessel on the sea floor. When you do get attacked or go to attack this creature you have a 20min time limit to fight it (unless you have the right gear).
Who is this platinum-haired villain who rides a silver dragon?
"Ugh! I'm gonna die anyway. I won't have to be afraid anymore. But I'm not gonna die alone. You're all coming with me!" This supervillain operates behind the scenes, at first working in Queen Brahne of Alexandria's shadow. He wishes to acquire the power of the Eidolons to come to rule Gaia. He is a powerful sorcerer who rides a silver dragon. He has an awesome musical theme and many thought he was actually a woman, but he has since been confirmed to be a rather evil and feminine male.
Who is this whale of a villain?
This villain is a major antagonist in one of the Final Fantasy games. It is a gargantuan whale-like beast which threatens the world of Spira. It was named by the people of Spira who believed the beast came into being as punishment for their ancestors relying on machina and becoming a hedonistic society. By following the teachings of Yevon, the people of Spira believe one day they will atone for their crimes and the big beast will vanish. But the general population actually don't help get rid of this thing at all.
Who is this long-platinum-haired baddy?
"I will not have you refer to Mother that way!" The way this guy speaks almost reminds me of Norman Bates from Psycho. This character is part of a trio of villains who are each a part of a supervillain's essence. This particular villain embodies the supervillain's allure. His main goal is to rescue his mother so that he can once again unleash her power on the world. This character is best known from a Final Fantasy film that came out a number of years ago.
Who is this massive monster?
Unlike some of the other massive monsters on the world map of this particular Final Fantasy game, this guy is a mandatory villain to fight. He's enormous and can be a pain in the ass. He's immune to physical attacks...at least until he opens up his armor when he then starts shooting laser beams at everyone. He also has a countdown attack that deals almost fatal damage each time it hits. When you beat him, you get a weapon for Yuffie (unless you're playing the Japanese version).
Who is this short-platinum-haired villain?
"Mother will know. When she gets here, she'll decide what's best." This villain is one of three villains who represent a supervillain from the Final Fantasy franchise. He is the embodiment of this supervillain's strength...and maybe also his emotional vulnerability. This villain often cries, but can definitely deliver a beating if he wants to. Whenever his mother is mentioned, he seems to get really emotional...in a sort of unstable way. He really helps show the insanity behind the supervillain he embodies.
Who is this heavily armored fighter?
"As captain of the Kingsglaive, he holds his soldiers to the same unforgiving high standards to which he holds himself and trained Nyx in the art of combat. His respect can only be earned with blood, sweat and tears." This character actually comes across as the good leader of an elite team of fighters. It turns out that he's actually the commander of the enemy forces all along and he even kills the king in Insomnia! He is one powerful pain in the ass.
Who is this naughty villain?
This guy is the owner of the Honey Bee Inn. He's sort of like a mafia-esque kind of guy. He specializes in pimping out girls from his inn (which is, in fact, a brothel). At one point, all three members of your party end up being brought in front of this guy for "inspection" (yes, one of the party characters is always male, but he fits in a dress quite well). This bad guy even tries to have his way with the Turk Elena!
Who is this little gang of guys?
These guys are seen all over the place in several Final Fantasy games, though their first appearance is in FFVII. They are perhaps the first enemies you fight in at least one FF game. And beyond that, they are strewn all over FFVII for sure. Their outfits sometimes change colours, but they are basically the cannon fodder that one of the secondary villains sends out after Cloud and the gang. That being said, they don't usually pose much of a threat to the party.
Who is this evil clown?
"Read my lips—mercy is for wimps! There's a reason 'oppose' rhymes with 'dispose'...If they get in your way, kill them!" This villain is loud, short-tempered, maniacal, and destructive. His popularity among Final Fantasy fans, at least outside Japan, as a baddy is rivaled only by Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. Kefka is known for his many one-liners, his final almighty appearance (which has become something of a tradition in the series), as well as his sociopathic hatred of everything in existence.
Who is this dancing black mage?
"I exist only to kill!" This winged black mage was manufactured by Zorn and Thorn to apprehend Princess Garnet. He is many times more powerful than regular black mages, but his vast magical power means he has a shorter life expectancy, and is more volatile in nature. This villain has two other black mages who follow him around, but he seems to be the biggest of the three baddies. His attacks are mainly thunder-based magic spells. He has no sympathy.
Who is this arrogant tactician?
"Come! I will show you that common blood makes naught but a common man!" To be fair, I should mention that this guy was once a good guy. He is a close ally at one point in time, but because of his incredible arrogance, he ends up parting company with the hero and turns out to be a villain all along. He has a great degree of contempt for peasants and pretty well anyone who is lower than him in class.
Who is this alluring villain?
"We shall devour your light, and use it to return this world to the Void!" This villain is actually fairly popular as far as the constant use of villains goes. This particular baddy appears in several Final Fantasy games. Most notably, it appears in one of the very early instalments of the franchise. And one would think that such a villain would be fairly prominent in that game...nope. This villain doesn't make an appearance until the big battle at the end.
Who is this dark knight?
"Time for your viscera to see the light of day! Now die!" This villain, though you might not ever think it to look at him is actually a tree from the forest of Moore. That's right. This guy is actually a tree. You'd definitely have to play the game to fully understand that...and even then it's not guaranteed. This tree is simply pure evil and he's not quiet about it. This is what he says to the Warriors of Light: "Simple-minded fools such as yourselves could never hope to understand my motives."
Who is this avid reader?
"My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment to find the end of the journey, in my own salvation and your eternal slumber." A SOLDIER First Class born from the Jenova Project, this villain is initially loyal to Shinra Electric Power Company wishing to prove himself a hero like Sephiroth. When he begins to suffer from genetic degradation due to his imperfect infusion of Jenova's cells, he leads a rebellion against Shinra with the intent of finding a cure. He likes to quote Loveless, an epic script from FFVII.
Who is this major villain from FFXII?
"Silence! All was stripped from me! Only hatred for the brother who fled our homeland remains mine." This villain is a Judge Magister, the highest rank in the Archadian Empire's military. While he appears to serve the Empire faithfully, a torn and broken man lies behind his lordly facade. This guy is a pretty awful and cruel character who goes out of his way to capture and imprison his brother. He acts like he cares about the empire, but he's actually just insecure about his failures.
Who is this Vagrant Story villain?
"There must be strong, unwavering justice. And there must be fear to enforce that justice." You'll have to be a pretty big Final Fantasy fan to get this. That or a big Vagrant Story fan. Vagrant Story didn't use to be part of the Final Fantasy franchise. But that all changed when FFXII arrived. This villain is the pious and noble leader of the Order of the Crimson Blades, also known as the Knights of the Cross. He's named after the tragic Shakespeare character.
Who is this villainous dragon knight?
"The solitary, gentle-souled dragon knight whose heart lies with the dragons." This villain is a calm, sometimes sarcastic young man, driven by his dream of following his father's footsteps of becoming a Dragoon. And in the beginning, he's actually not a villain at all. However, Golbez gains control of his mind and he suddenly turns on his childhood friend. In spite of this, he still has love for his childhood sweetheart, Rosa who he always competed against Cecil to be with.
Who is this former prince of Tenebrae?
"Now go forth, my king. Shine your light onto the world." this villain is the older brother of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, he is the former prince of Tenebrae and high commander of the Niflheim Empire's army. He isn't the main villain by any means, but he's not an insignificant villain either. He is consumed by power and turned into a daemon but doesn't totally lose his personality. He has enough of his own head still to tell the hero of the piece to put him out of his own misery.
Who is this "man in black"?
"Take this; my final gift to you!" This villain is called the Man in Black before his identity is revealed in The After Years. He is traditionally a non-playable character one of the early Final Fantasy instalments. He is an antagonist, and a powerful sorcerer who pursues the Crystals. In The After Years, he returns as a playable character. We discover a lot about this character. Even though he was a master manipulator, it turns out that he was also being manipulated.
Who is this Vagrant Story villain?
"This is my game. I run, you give chase. I am the hart, and you the hunter. But this hart has laid a few snares of his own..." this particular villain is the established antagonist in Vagrant Story. He is the leader of the Müllenkamp cult, and a self-professed prophet who preaches about human weaknesses and the end of the world. He has the power to masquerade as other people. His Dark powers also extend to levitation, summoning dark creatures and teleportation. He's somewhat immortal...
Which member of the House of Solidor is this?
"Ivalice will know a new Dynast-King, and Man will keep his own history! The tyranny of the gods is ended! We are their puppets no more! The freedom for which we have longed is at hand!" This villain is the third son of Archadia's Emperor, Lord Gramis, the elder brother of Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, and part of House Solidor. Driven by the desire to become a new Dynast King, this bad boy is seen by friend and foe alike as a devious politician, skillful leader and administrator, and a military genius.