Final Fantasy Bosses That Are Only Difficult The First Time You Fight Them

Key Takeaways

• Bosses can surprise players with unpredictable moves, like Yunalesca’s Zombie in Final Fantasy 10.
• Mastery of boss movesets like Svarog’s AoE attacks is key in conquering them in Final Fantasy 16.
• Knowing weaknesses like Omega’s to electricity can make tough battles like in Final Fantasy 15 more manageable.

Given the focus on cinematic battles and engaging combat systems, it’s easy to see why the Final Fantasy games are littered with a series of memorable boss fights. While most of the games in the series are known for being pretty easy, that doesn’t mean that this franchise isn’t capable of surprising players with difficult encounters that require a fair bit of thought.

Sometimes, bosses that players underestimate end up whipping out moves that can wipe out the party in a flash if they’re not prepared. Thankfully, these losses serve as a lesson for players, who know what to expect in a second try against a particularly imposing foe.

8 Yunalesca

Mega Death Takes The Player By Surprise

Throughout Final Fantasy 10, players are led to believe that summoners must sacrifice themselves to save the world from Sin in a vicious cycle. However, Auron educates the party and compels them to fight their fate by battling Yunalesca, a deity who was secretly working against humanity by hiding the truth surrounding Yevon and the Final Summoning.

This boss fight is a turning point in the story, with the party making a major step towards breaking the cycle that had trapped Spira for so long. During this battle, Yunalesca casts Zombie, compelling players to remove this status only for the boss to cast Mega Death not long after to annihilate the entire party if Zombie is no longer in effect. What players must do at this point is fight in a zombified state until this battle-ending spell has been cast, something that gamers will be prepared for during a second attempt.

7 Svarog

Once Players Get Used To Dodging The AoE Attacks, This Fight Is Pretty Manageable

Final Fantasy 16 is a relatively easy game, with the game’s Hunts being the only part of the experience that serves up even a modicum of challenge. S-Rank hunts like Svarog are so powerful that players may find themselves biting the dust even if they’re loaded up with restoratives.

Svarog’s tricky AoE attacks make him a nightmare to deal with, but those who fall to his relentless barrage will learn to trigger a Precision Dodge or jump whenever this move threatens to obliterate their health bar. Players who become familiar with Svarog’s moveset as the battle progresses will eventually beat him even if they die in their first few attempts.

6 Omega

Knowledge Of This Enemy’s Weakness Makes It Easier To Challenge This Foe

It’s impressive that a game like Final Fantasy 15 can challenge players despite placing no limits on the number of restoratives players can use in battle. The recurring superboss Omega makes an appearance in the Royal and Windows Editions, where it wastes no time in showing players just how out of their depth they are.

It’s important to use Royal Arms and exploit this boss’ weakness to electricity if players don’t want to be stuck in a battle that can last longer than an hour. By learning of Omega’s weakness, Noctis and his party can take out this superboss on a subsequent try without facing too many problems.

5 Humbaba

Initially Quite Challenging Before Coming Back With A Stronger Party

The World of Ruin is one of the best parts of Final Fantasy 6, allowing players to enjoy non-linear progression as they re-recruit their heroes and get some extra party members along the way. Most people would want Terra to join the party as soon as possible, but this is easier said than done.

Players can head to Mobliz and find an orphanage run by Terra, who refuses to join the party since she wants to take care of the kids there. However, the appearance of Humbaba shows her and the player just how weak they are in the face of overwhelming adversity. At lower levels, Humbaba is no joke and can wipe out players in a few attacks. This serves as a lesson for players to avoid recruiting Terra until they gain a few levels, allowing this powerful magic user to stand against Kefka after getting her mojo back once again.

4 Siren

The Ship Graveyard Is A Challenging Area For Beginners, With A Hard-As-Nails Boss Greeting Them At The End

People who assume that the Final Fantasy games are all easy will be singing a different tune when they reach the Ship Graveyard in the fifth mainline entry. This dungeon is challenging, confusing, and lengthy, sparing no one in the process.

This brutal trek ends in a fight against Siren that is incredibly challenging for those who don’t know about the exploit that can be used to defeat Undead enemies. A Phoenix Down ends this boss fight in a flash once she switches to her undead state, but players unaware of this will be bombarded with high-damage attacks that can lead to a Game Over in no time.

3 Materia Keeper

A Surprising Difficulty Spike That Veterans Will Be Familiar With

For the most part, Final Fantasy 7 is a largely accessible game where the bulk of boss fights aren’t all that hard to get through. However, players will sing a different tune in their battle against the Materia Keeper, who is ridiculously strong and can whip out a powerful attack called Trine to wipe the party out in a flash.

If players aren’t using the best equipment and materia to keep their party as strong as possible, then this battle can be a nightmare to deal with. Thankfully, Final Fantasy 7 veterans will expect this difficulty curve and can come prepared to thwart the Materia Keeper without too many problems.

2 Necron

Players Who Know About The Final Boss’ Status Afflictions Can Protect Themselves Accordingly

The final boss of Final Fantasy 9 comes out of nowhere and can be a bit of a downer to deal with after a dramatic encounter against Trance Kuja. It doesn’t help that Necron’s Grand Cross attack can be a nightmare to deal with and leads to a Game Over at the final hurdle more often than not.

Those who prepare themselves for this boss can use items and abilities to nullify status effects, making the battle way more manageable. Taking out this malevolent force and reaching Final Fantasy 9‘s ending makes for a rewarding experience, especially for those who fell to Necron numerous times before eventually securing the win.

1 Seymour Flux

Can Be Tough To Deal With For Unprepared Players

Final Fantasy 10‘s Conditional Turn-Based battle system takes a while to get used to, but players should master the flow of combat by the time they take on Seymour Flux. This boss fight is no joke and slaps players in the face with a difficulty spike that can feel impossible to overcome.

The party must prepare accordingly to deal with his damaging attacks, with Total Annihilation being a fight-ending move that can wipe out all but the strongest parties. Setting up defense and making progress in the Sphere Grid before this fight is something veterans will know to be necessary, letting them make quick work of a battle that will punish casual Final Fantasy players numerous times before they eventually understand what to do or give up.