The Evolution of Final Bosses [PART 1]

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Final Fantasy has featured some pretty epic Final Bosses over the year, and within this video series we're going to deconstruct them. That means we'll be looking at how Final Bosses have functioned from a game design perspective, highlighting their relative importance to the story, their visual design and the challenge they posed to players.

00:00 Intro
1:44 Final Fantasy I
3:19 Final Fantasy II
4:48 Final Fantasy III
6:26 Final Fantasy IV
8:27 Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
9:51 Final Fantasy V
11:46 Final Fantasy VI
14:35 Final Fantasy VII
17:32 Final Fantasy Tactics
19:07 Final Fantasy VIII
21:24 Final Fantasy IX
22:26 Final Fantasy X
24:30 Final Fantasy XI
26:16 Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
27:19 Final Fantasy X-2
28:44 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
29:46 Before Crisis Final Fantasy VII
31:39 Dirge of Cerberus Final Fantasy VII
33:08 Outro

[hypnometal]

You forgot to mention that Jecht represented something new in terms of the final boss’ relationship to the party. Whereas the final bosses in the previous nine mainline games were clear villains, Jecht was actually a fallen hero who actually underwent a sort of redemption through the fight against him, and he and Tidus actually reconciled afterward.

[gorimbaud]

everyone always mentions Supernova does massive damage, no one mentions that it does _proportional_ damage, and cannot kill the party.

Also, saying "Jecht wasn't much of a surprise" is a huge understatement, he's the antagonist who'd been set up for longer than Seymour or even Sin!

[mjbuffalo]

I mean, Kefka is the gold standard of final bosses, so that’s obviously the winner

[armandoborrero]

Hey, In case you're watching the comments before it plays, there's *flashing colored lights* starting at 7:50 until 7:58, I was watching this and noticed, just in case someone needs the warning..

Take care everyone, and enjoy the video!

[ariwl]

From a narrative impact, Kefka is still my favorite final boss. As outlined here, a lot of RPG final bosses tend to fall into two camps: either they're fairly evident (maybe in hindsight) not long after you meet them, or the come at the 11th hour out of the blooty-hoo nowhere.


But as you near the midpoint of the game he starts having more successes, and eventually, he's the only one laughing. He isn't a god, dark wizard, or some ancient evil. He's only a man, but one that's incapable of being reasoned with and yet he obtains the greatest power on the planet. He brings the whole world to ruin and comes within an inch of destroying it completely. Defeating a lot of FF final bosses is a requirement. In Kefka's case, it's a pleasure.

[RaineAvina]

Just remembering the final battles in FFX makes me cry. Such an amazing fight and amazing game.

[Forever_Zero]

FFX's final battles are my favorites, no contest, of course Braska's Final Aeon it's the only one that offers a challenge, but fighting him and then the aeons it's so emotional, and ending everything kicking Yu Yevon's ass into oblivion makes me so happy to replay that game every time

[RonathonCharlie]

Ff6 was my first, and my favorite. The buildup of hating Kefka, to finally facing him as a god, was beauteous

[jacksondavis]

lol Exdeath as a "treequel". I recognized it, loved it and will give big credit.

[Saviarai-Dravolika]

As much as everybody loves FF7 and your various encounters with sephiroth, I still love kefka and his funny but evil antics even more bc FF6 is my all time favorite FF game.

[philgaimz]

It's interesting to see how many of these concepts also made it into the first Kingdom Hearts. Ansem wasn't present throughout most of the story, although was foreshadowed a few times. Then, after you defeat Maleficent, the person who was built up as the main antagonist throughout the game, he finally reveals himself and you fight his first form as he's possessing Riku. Then there's actually quite a bit of game left before you see him again, which is probably the biggest departure from the bosses mentioned in this video. It's almost like a middle ground between the ones who you encounter/fight multiple times throughout the story and the ones who just show up out of nowhere at the very end. Then you fight his humanoid form twice (with another Darkside Heartless fight thrown in there for some reason) before he transforms into his otherworldly final form. Cool stuff!

[maxeastwood]

As a person who knew the FF7 cast and only some minor details about the game going it I was caught off guard by how Sephiroth was actually handled. Most video games I had played to that day had antagonist that had more physical presence or were replaced by a bigget theat towars the climax of the story.

Sephiroth is present in an entirely different manner. His influence is seen in several very dramatic set pieces or story dumps.

While this wasn't the first villain to technically be present thought your journey it was my first experience with a story like that which is why it is my favorite of the listed.

[uncleflansy]

It can't be understated how amazing that last Cloud/Sephiroth fight was back in 1997. FF7 isn't even my favorite FF, but that fight is unquestionably the coolest part of the entire series.

[janedoe]

FFXIV's base game final boss, if you're not counting the patches up to Heavensward, I'm actually hyped af for. Legitimately. Hoping the one-on-one revamped fight gets some discussion once you get there!

[franimal]

The only issue I have with Sephiroth’s supernova move is: if he can summon an interstellar meteor that blows up the sun, then why did he need the black materia?

[rontman]

FF8 last fight is underrated. Ultimecia was designed insanely well. And she was so powerful lore wise. Also, she looked good 😜

[flanhed]

Mini series on final bosses in granular style?? Automatic like. 👍

[ShindoWonderland]

Ultemecia! That encounter with Griefer hit a different way because of Squalls beloved necklace. And it’s difficulty is something to be recognized.

[SweetyMiki]

Nice job on this. Also, I know you guys use FF wiki a lot for these videos and I have to thank you guys for not using any of those unofficial titles originally on their final boss page, especially after I went through the trouble just this morning to remove them to match official materials.

[joshuaknox]

i love devil may cry bosses especially facing off against vergil in dmc 3, 5 he almost feels like a sephiroth with their composed menace