I find Elidibus's story far more compelling ... if it were written more at the fore-front ahead of Emet. But it was/wasn't given enough room to breathe and thus; we have Emet. A win/win I suppose cause we got both. I don't think it should be understated how crazy and important 5.3 was....
Kefka, Ardyn, Sephiroth, Emet, ....sure those are pretty popular picks i agree.... but i think Hojo is one villain in the franchise that deserves a top spot on the Antagonist list... hes naturally the root of all evil in the main FF7 story.
A running joke me and my friends had for final fantasy was "when in doubt, blame Hojo". The joke being that Hojo was the cause of every evil in the final fantasy franchise like some sort of conspiracy. xP So yeah, Hojo definitely is pretty bad.
Ardyn has the first spot for me. His past story, his absolutely brilliant voice actor, the duality of his very complex character. A good man for his people who got screwed over big time, and the way he guides Noctis all the way through, waiting for the day where his soul would finally rest after being alive for so long. He's the best thing in FFXV in my opinion.
Amazing list. Great you gave Caius and Ardyn respect too. Emet is for sure is the best and I agree with the whole list. Though I wish it was top 10, so Elidibus & Yotsuyu could've been included. They're for sure one of the best FF villains too. Kuja's great too.
Another thing about Emet is that he tried and even for a time enjoyed being a normal person, had a wife and a child but his heart broke when he lost his loved ones. He gives the WoL and the Scions to prove themselves only to be disappointed once again. You actually feel for the guy until the end. And even then, he gives you a baton pass and asks you to remember him and his lost people.
I think there is also an interesting aspect of him, that he is understandable but also wrong at the same time, because in the end he judges the people of the shards based on the impossible standart of the ancient ascians, that have become a society fully build on ritualistic self-sacrifice for the greater good in masses to the point where it ran on sacrificing more and more, with the idea that with only enough lives fed to Zodiark, things will return back to where they are. The people who currently inhabit Aetherys can never live up to that standart but they also just shouldn't. And in the end, we even learn that he himself originally would have agreed with this sentiment and that his tragedy is not only the loss of his loved ones, but also the loss of his ideals.
Great list NSP! Glad to see Caius getting more recognition. Aside from Liam O'Brien's magnificent performance (as usual), his and Yeul's story is so heartbreaking: he literally just wants to be killed so he and Yeul can finally be free from their eternal torment; and he actually succeeds. Also, his theme slaps!
I called Emet-Selch as number one, because let's be real - who else could it be? He's a tough act to follow up! I think this is accurate, save for Kefka. He feels overrated but that's just me! I'd replace Kefka with Kuja or Emperor Mateus, personally! That aside, amazing video! Great work! :D
I would put anything over Kefka even Emperor Mateus Cloud of Darkness Ex-Death Garland/Chaos whatever you name it other than the clean my shoes joke i literally see nothing of worth on that Joker copy paste
Ultimecia isn't as deep as other villians because of how much of her background is kept a mystery, but that's exactly what I like about her. She is an extremely dangerous sorceress from the future and her motives are mostly up to your own interpretation. Also her boss fight is awesome!
Great list and awesome explanations there! Agree with all of it. Seeing Ardyn hurts me so much cause I think he could be one of the best characters of video games of all time - if the main game itself would just have been better, or without developer hell. Personally missing Kuja, cause I think his character and character development + the sudden realisation of the truth about his own destiny is so well done!
"If you change the future, you'll change the past" just makes perfect sense. Maybe based on our existing perception of time, the correct way to say it is "if you want to change the future then you have to change the past" but it is just the same thing, changing the future entails a change in the past. The only thing that contradicts this is if the circumstance that leads to that future has not yet happened in the present.
Well in the game you solve paradoxes that exist through time and thus when you fix it in one time it also affects the previous time relative to that, so it is also literal in that sense. The problem is that someone thought "If you change the future, you change the past" was a cool original tagline and then tried to force everything around that instead of having a more coherent idea from the start.
I agree with your rankings, but something which makes me feel closer to Ardyn is getting to play as him. To me, that gives more meaning to his character and backstory than strictly having to sit through cutscenes and anime. It is also a treat getting to play the villain as part of the game's story instead of only in spinoffs like Dissidia.
To be honest, Sephiroth without the backstory & character development that the rest of the old FF7 Compilation (a.k.a everything except Remake) gives, its not bland but has not enough substance (we have everyone calling him great hero and 90% of his screentime (and info related) isn't him, its Jenova), but well obviously thats only imo.
Sephiroth works very well as a psychological and metaphysical obstacle that Cloud must overcome throughout his own personal journey of self realization, self examination and growth. He has some depth beyond this, but this is his major contribution to the narrative in my opinion and they nailed it.
@@jairekambui7738 I agree with you, but I see that more as "Sephiroth as a concept in Cloud's mind" rather than Sephiroth the character "by itself" (the sum of the two would become the antagonist with the same name). And even without the contributions of Jenova and Hojo, the part relating to Cloud state of mind wouldn't be that impacting (if only counting OG FF7 and not other properties), also imo. For the record, I like Sephiroth a lot as an antagonist, but I still think this way about him as a character
I prefer Sephiroth more compelling withOUT the compilation actually. I don’t think the compilation added much (well written, well delivered) substance.
@@TheNightSkyPrince I agree that the delivery wasn't that great, but it added depth seeing the hero dimension (and human nature... Not that there was much to begin with lol) of Sephiroth in CC instead of just "being a word in mouth of everyone" and seeing him in AC demostrating the "dynamic duality" (him recognizing Cloud and what this implies, to state it simply) between him and Cloud (also seen in KH or FF7R)... But I also understand why some may prefer the "Sephiroth as is", so idk sorry for the text wall lol and I like your videos a lot, so thanks for providing such great content!
@@cybersoulxiii2946 The compilation made him more into a pretty boy anime dude and is the reason why people want a redeemed Sephiroth, which I find very dumb. I like the compilation but not because of small scenes with Sephiroth during the wutai war or his ascendancy by having been killed in OG and that being the reason he is back in Advent children.
TBH if its a ranking based solely on writing quality and narratives, and not on how "popular" or "iconic" a villain is, I think FF14 alone would take up the majority of my top 10 FF villains. Like even ARR Gaius has a pretty interesting ideology compared to some of the single-player games. Even a minor villain like Illberd had proper buildup and a flawed, but compelling motivation for his actions. One underrated FF14 villain is Thordan. On the outset, he looks like a typical evil Pope character trope, but his actual reasoning for gaining power is also rational considering his circumstances. God, FF14 is so good.
God, I know, 14 has some of the best villains I have ever seen in a video game, period, FF or otherwise. Not sure if you watch or read manga/anime like Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho by Togashi and Berserk by Miura (RIP), but 14 is one of the only game narratives I have experienced with villains as deep and even emotionally compelling as the ones found in those stories.
FF14 have some complex villains beside Emet-Selch and Gaius, such as: Yotsuyu, Fordola, Nidhogg, and even the redeemed Elidibus. I even hate Asahi and Teledji Adeledji even though they were just appeared for few patches. The only one that find lackluster is Zenos, but let's hope that Endwalker redeem him. Not mentioning that they'll also redeem Lahabrea in the Endwalker. FF14 is nuts. MCU should learn how to make villains from them.
I would put: 1) Genesis Rhapsodos - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII 2) Sephiroth - Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII 3) Kuja - Final Fantasy IX 4) Ardyn Izuna - Final Fantasy XV 5) Seymour Guado - Final Fantasy X
Agee completely with the list, great job! A lot of villains are written better than Sephiroth, but it’s amazing how you feel his presence in the game. You always feel like he can come at any time.
I see everyone agreeing with the top spot, but I really cannot just go without acknowledging how you've hit the core of why he resonated so strongly with people. A wise friend once pointed out that a lot of well written villains are mirrors of humanity pushed to extremes - "what might have been"s and tales of how pain and horrific circumstances can warp and twist people. My propensity to make up characters completely unsuitable for the games I'm playing led me to make a ffxiv character driven primarily by the fierce passion for his loved ones. Even before shadowbringers, there was a time where he looked at a villain and thought not just "This could have been me" but "This would have been me. Have I gone through the same ordeals, been weighed down by this unending, crushing hopelessness, found myself completely powerless to save those I cherish most and at no other recourse, I would have done the same". As fond as we are of just plain fun bad guys like Kefka, the ravaged humanity of such villains driven to the extreme will stay with me forever.
Very solid list. After finishing shadowbringers I can say without a doubt Emet Selch is most definitely the best villain in ff. I also agree with Ardyns place in the list seeing the subsequent story through his DLC not only solidified that he is one of shining moments in ff15 but he’s also my favorite character from it. If you’re free to I’m curious of your thoughts on Kuja as a villain from ff9. Ff9 is my favorite and I found kuja very compelling and calculated as a villain. His motivations were very human and understandable when you really glimpse into the background of his creation.
My picks are Jecht (for the personal struggle Tidus had with him), Exdeath (Because he's a gigantic tree trying to pull all life into a void.) Sephiroth (He's equally cool and terrifying.) and Ardyn (Just a complete joy to watch.)
I liked Xiii-2s take on time travel as it was an interesting take , the execution though is very wonky. I actually really liked Caius his portrayal is very underrated .
I full on agree for number 1 does not dissapoint :D also love loveeeee that you have Caius on here. He does not get enough love as he should :D ty for another great vid
I am really curious about the main villain in XVI. It's not really Final Fantasy tradition to show their hand as to who the main villain is in pre-release promotions as that often gets revealed through the course of the story via plot twists. Is the story going to be a series of big villains largely unconnected to each other, each with their own motivations (there are six main countries after all) or is the villain Ifrit's dominant or some thus far un-eluded character. I am excited that it seems the main character is going to be on a quest for revenge and may be more of a morally grey character.
Obviously Emet-Selch would be my number 1 but I would have to shout out my boy Vayne Solidor too. I love him because he's not a cartoonishly evil villain with goals of destroying the world. He wants to conquer it, sure, but through politics and military expansion rather than god-like powers. And in the end, despite being used and manipulated by spooky ascians, he actually manages to simultaneously free humanity or doom it depending on how you look at things. Speaking of villains that actually win, Ilberd is another guy who is amazing because he gets exactly what he wants and there is nothing you can do about. Complete and total victory.
I liked him, however, his transformation is cool until he turns into a scrappy trash roid monster. His final boss form design was not good but I did like him as a villain.
@@heinricheverson Well, I think most FF transformations were pretty lame too, God Kefka and Sephiroth included. That's why I like Kuja's final form, he's just in Trance, just like you.
Personally, Vayne is my favorite villain too. He has so many layers to him, and the fact that he’s not some devilishly evil villain about conquering the world or destroying it, but instead a politically driven, determined human villain makes him a lot more interesting.
I loved this list of top favorite FF villains NSP!😁 Aside from Kefka and Emet(as I don't really know much about them) I feel a bit sympathetic towards Caius, Sephiroth, and Ardyn as life treated them quite unfairly which lead them to snap. I am also glad that Caius made it on the list!😁💕💕 PS: I can't wait to soon discover who Emet is all about!🙌🏽
#5 Garland (FF I) #4 Ardyn Lucis Caelum (FF XV) #3 Kuja (FF IX) #2 Sephiroth (FF VII) #1 Vayne Solidor (FF XII). by the way, will you do your favorite FF heroes next?
good picks, i personaly would recommend kuja from ffix, the number one i dont know but i trust you, your number five is so real, the best antagonist from the newer ff
I like a lot of Final Fantasy villains but my favorites are Jecht, Caius, Kefka, and Chaos/Garland. (Dissida was excellent in portraying these characters and Chaos was an interesting villain there) I'm glad Caius is getting attention, he's a really cool villain. Emet sounds interesting too but leans more towards that "subverting your expectations" that you see with villains. Unpopular opinion, but I don't really care for Sephiroth.
I wouldn't even say Emet really "subverts your expectations", he quite literally tells you exactly what his goal is, is completely transparent with you, and genuinely wants to find a compromise between his goals and your own. He has still done some questionable things in the past and doesn't deny it, but he's also genuine in what he says. So imo, not really the "subverting your expectations" type of villain. I honestly didn't expect Emet to become my favourite FF villain, but he really does stand above the rest in terms of his motivations, how fleshed out he is, how fun he is to watch and interact with, etc.
@@joshp011 I guess that's fair. I didn't really play FF14, so I was just kinda going off what the Night Sky Prince was saying. He seems like one of those villains you sympathize more with than the heroes, which I don't really like because while I enjoy a good villain? I also love some good heroes who contrast said villain. However, that's fair. I guess I'll take back what I said. He does sound interesting. More interesting than Sephiroth who's bland imo LOL.
@@Bacchus8699 Final Fantasy XIV is a MMORPG, so you can't make a complex protagonist because you are the protagonist. That's why Emet-Selch is so amazing, even though you are just a blank protagonist, you can feel that he is truly an antagonist and a villain of your story. It's not only about a villain that want to destroy the world with relatable and understandable reasons (unlike Kefka for example), he take it personal with your life and you'll feel that you also have a personal grudge with him. I know and understand his motives, but i'm not agree and sympathize with him. I don't regret beating him at the end game at all. How Shadowbringers was written is the only reason why I patiently waiting for Endwalker. It just too good. I've waited too long for a good writing like this, never thought gonna get it from a MMORPG like FF14. 13 and 15 failed me, those had good potentials, but wasted.
Personally I have a strong preference for villains whose ideological motivations contrast nicely with those of the main character(s). For that reason I enjoy Sephiroth's compulsion to superiority and quantification of life (in contrast to Cloud's acceptance of failure and Aerith's honor towards all life), Kefka's unrelenting nihilism (in contrast to the party's construction of their own reasons for living in a hopeless world) and Kuja's refusal of a world beyond him (in contrast to Vivi's gradual acceptance of living as only a small part of a greater system). It might be that I simply haven't thought through the themes of newer titles yet in great enough detail, but I don't get a sense of these polarizations as much with villains like Caius, Ardyn, or even the villains of FF14, as much as it is an absolute delight whenever any of those characters are on screen.
@@311Bambino Yeah like Emet-Selch Zenos is also just a blast to see on screen, they are both such fun villains. I don't mean to rag on 14 and part of it might just be that the protagonist is your created character. I just don't get a sense of the game using its hero/villain dynamics to quite as much effect as those other games. That said, I have had a lot longer to sit and think about games like 6, 7 and 9, so maybe I will come around.
I don't know if it's just years of knowing you, or having finally gotten through XIV myself, but no placement on this list surprised me. Top choices, and all in the correct ranks in my mind as well. Great video NSP. May Emet Supremacy continue to reign.
EW spoilers: . . . . . . You will love Emet even more after EW main story. Also Emet: "I also take offense to my portrayal as a megalomaniacal madman." 😁
I'd stick Kuja on this list for the masterful way he spins his plans only for it to not even matter when he 'wins'. Best temper tantrum I've seen, haha.
Off-topic from this video but after replaying Final Fantasy 7 I was thinking of where the Remake part 2 may take us if they keep it chapter length based off of part one length. Thoughts? 1 clouds past 2 kalm and chocobo bill 3 mines 4 fort condor (yuffie) 5 junon 6 boat 7 Costa and corel 8 gold saucer (cait sith) 9 prison 10 gongaga 11 Cosmo canyon 12 nibelheim (Vincent) 13 nibel mts 14 rocket town 15 wutai 16 God saucer date 17 temple of ancients 18 city of ancients.
Here's My List of My Most Favorite Evil Epic Badass Final Fantasy Villains Throughout the Years. 1. Garland (Final Fantasy I) 2. Emperor Mateus (Final Fantasy II) 3. Cloud of Darkness (Final Fantasy III) 4. Golbez (Final Fantasy IV) 5. Exdeath (Final Fantasy V) 6. Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy VI) 7. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII franchises) 8. Ultimecia (Final Fantasy VIII) 9. Kuja (Final Fantasy IX) 10. Jecht (Final Fantasy X) 11. Kam'lanaut (Final Fantasy XI) 12. Judge Gabranth (Final Fantasy XII) 13. Caius Ballad (Final Fantasy XIII franchises) 14. Zenos yae Galvus (Final Fantasy XIV franchises) 15. Ardyn Izunia (Final Fantasy XV franchise) 16. Barnabas Tharmr (Final Fantasy XVI) These are My Most Favorite Evil Final Fantasy Villains of All Time Throughout the Years I Absolutely Love, Cherish, Respect and Appreciate.
I have no idea what I would rate them these days. Especially since I have been out of the fandom lately. Fucking excited for FF16 and to a bit lesser of an extend 7R part 2, but they seem to be a while away from now. And I am a FF14 player, but my PS4 is kind of busted, so I am waiting to get my hands on a PS5 to replace it, which as we all know is a bit of an undertaking. But my favourites in no specific order are: Sephiroth- His appearances after original FF7 really kind of hurt him, but I can't deny I love him in FF7. What they are doing with him in the remake isn't something I am necessarily against, but it does seem very fanservicey. I'll hold my judgement on that one for now. Kefka- He is nuts in such a satisfying way. What he did to the world, and getting to explore the world after that left a huge impression. His final boss fight is one of my personal favourites in the entire franchise. Big fan. Kuja- I just think his story is just really interesting. He is pretty much a very smart and powerful rebellious teenager that never got to learn how to deal with his emotions becouse of a horrible fucking upbringing. I love the three way struggle between him, the main characters and Garland. And him snapping in the end becouse of suddenly learning he is mortal after practically winning is such a memorable moment. He is kind of held back by not having the most memorable boss fight. And while I am not fully against Necron, I do think he kind of takes the spotlight away from Kuja. That is the only thing really holding him back for me. But he still gets a satisfying ending luckily. Seymour- I find him very underrated. Yeah, he is a creep. But man, his whole vibe and backstory are very interesting to me. I really enjoy religions in stories. Him being like a priest and later pope really does it for me. Held back by him not being the final conflict of the story, and getting dealt with as like a side event in the final dungeon. But still, really enjoyed him. Emet Selch- Don't really have much to add. Such a well written character. The only thing holding him back is that he is in an MMO. This is very personal to me, and difficult to explain. But a fight in an MMO feels very much like a videogame to me. I need to perform good otherwise people will bitch at me (rightfully ofcourse if I really suck). It isn't as personal to me as say, fighting Sephiroth at the end of FF7R. Not that I don't feel any emotions during such fights in FF14, but I would lie if I said it was the same as fighting an emotionally charged boss in a singleplayer game. It's a more personal list than what NSP did. If I enjoy a game I am more likely to enjoy its characters, which is why Ardyn or Caius didn't do it for me in the end. But that is just how I rank things. Ardyn in particular. The way his story was presented really makes me not care, even if his story was amazing on paper.
The first FFXIII had weak villains, and Caius is my favorite character in the whole trilogy and my favorite villain in the franchise, but the party in 13 is one of my favorites. Especially Sazh and Hope. Sue me.
Caius is #2 for me. He is EVERYTHING Sephiroth wishes he were. He was a villain you could see yourself becoming. And like Kefka, he f-in succeeded. Sephiroth is only iconic. He's so boring compared to even Ultemecia that I yawn whenever he shows up.
Honestly I did know what #1 would be when I clicked this video. Though I’m surprised you didn’t list it like the following: 5. Emet Selch 4. Emet Selch 3. Emet Selch 2. Emet Selch 1. Emet Selch 🤣 Also surprised how Vayne is so underrated. Golbez for his time was very well done as well.
Number 1 should have been Mind Control. Like what's their names from 9 and 12, Golbez, Sin, Edea, and many more who were forced into being evil due to Mind Control.
Ppl praise Elmet but they forget that the one who actually bypass Elmet judgment is actually Hermes. While everyone else get their actions justify at the end. Hermes does not, he is only character that left behind without anything even after dead. His redemption will never get to justify since he would never beg forgiveness for what he has chosen to become. Unlike other villains, you have basically a good guy who becomes a villain out of thin air because of his conviction for an answer that no one ever ask that and think it should be avoided completely.
My list would probably be like this: Hopefully no one will get mad at me for it! 5. Fandaniel (He is a PIECE of shit but I love him for just that lmao.) 4.Sephiroth (I mean he is a classic. Who doesn't love Sephiroth?) 3.Kefka (Dude is CHAOS....LIKE YES? Just CHAOS don't think) 2. Zenos (I think Zenos is a great villain. The idea of the HUNT and him being our foil is just fucking amazing. I'm like a huge fan of this character) 1. Emet (Ironically not my fav but to pretend like his character wasn't well developed is just insulting. However, I always viewed him as more of a villainous Anti-hero rather then a full on villain)
Don't really play the FF MMO's cause I don't have time for them but I'm gonna say my top 5 is... 1.Kuja 2.Kefka 3.Ardyn 4.Sephiroth 5.Seymour HM. Caius
Oh, the comment section here is going to be a war zone. At least from what I've seen in some other FF ranking videos I've watched. Which admittedly isn't much. Edit: Oh, nevermind. We're good.
I like this list, but I would put Sephiroth at number one. Of all of the villains, Sephiroth is the only one that was never truly destroyed and is still on his bullshit. Even at the end of Advent Children, Cloud doesn't know if he's actually gone, he just knows that he's stopped for now. He's a terrifying shadow villain because at any point, he can come back and fuck up everyone's day. Although with Emet, his motivations are BY FAR the most justified since even though he's doing this for his friends and family, he's actually been tempered to go to unimaginable lengths to restore Zodiark a fact which he explains himself. Of all of the FFXIV villains, he's the only one that didn't know he was a villain until literal eons later.
Every good villain is the hero of his own story. "knowing they're a villain" isn't a prerequisite for the job (even though I'm sure Hades knew how he was perceived by others, he was a smart guy). And while, yes, he was tempered by Zodiark, that doesn't mean his actions were not his own. As far as being "destroyed" goes (Endwalker spoilers past here obviously): He's gone back to the aetherial sea with Hythlodaeus, which is essentially the same as Sephiroth being in the Lifestream, I'd say they're on par there. Minus the fact, of course, that Emet-Selch is at peace and has no intentions to do evil, while Sephiroth is basically a malevolent, revenge-crazed demigod.
I really want to get into Final Fantasy 14 and I put over 50 hours into A Realm Reborn and I am so bored and I'm really burnt out on its gameplay I hear the store gets so good from that point onwards but I don't know if I'm willing to put in like what all the expenses total is like 250 hours, that's so much time along with game play I really dont card for all that much.
For me it's Emperor Mateus, Kuja, Sephiroth, Ardyn and finally Kefka as the best one. Honorary mentions for ExDeath and Xande. Edit. For the hell of it, I think I want to go into some details as to why. Spolers ahead if someone hasn't played the games these guys are from. Emperor Mateus makes the cut because, even though he was very one-dimensional villain, he still showed the kind of person he was by conquering Hell itself after he was sent there by the heroes, just so he could get back at them. Ruthless, manipulative and vengeful, all the while being one of the most fabulous-looking villains in the series. There was a time when I thought FFII would be the best Fantasy to remake from step one, just so we could get better character developement and more fleshed out story, but seeing how Square is handling stuff like that these days, I'm not sure I want that to happen anymore. With Kuja I actually struggle to pinpoint what it is exactly that I like about him. I guess his overall theatrical mannerisms and the way he quotes plays by heart just make him a fun villain to watch, the kind you know is taking great enjoyment in pulling the strings behind the scenes. Then at the end he shows a completely different side of himself, fear of not existing anymore, a very relatable thing for anyone, including some of the party members. I find it chilling how his mind goes to "I will end the world, because it has no right to exist without me" as he has to come to terms with his own mortality. Sephiroth is an obvious choice for any list like this, and for a good reason. I especially love how he is built up throughout the game by pretty much everyone as the undefeatable monster. The difference between you and him is made crystal clear by the Nibelheim-flashback in Kalm, and from that point on every time you see him, you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, dreading to think how the encounter will go (and like we all know, one of them goes pretty badly). Sadly the more this character is used in other media, starting from Advent Children, the less I find myself liking him. It should've been all over for him with that final omnislash. I will always remember the moment from Kingsglaive where Ardyn marched into the throne room like he owned the place, and it was king Regis who felt intimidated by him, even though he was acting all casualand completely outnumbered. I hate how that moment wasn't in the actual game. Then there's the big reveal behind him. I actually liked it more when it was left somewhat vague as to what happened, especially since the DLC payoff made it seem like Ardyn was more of a puppet for the will of the gods and not his own master. Still, a fine villain, and I'm glad to see how much support he's getting from other fans of the series as well. And then there's Kefka. What I like about him is his simplicity. He's not after vengeance, he's not a god (at first) or some otherworldly monster. He's just a bad person doing horrible things, terrifying both enemies and allies with his twisted deeds, all the while laughing like a psycho or giving us yet another memorable line. Though I will have to admit that I'm not a fan of Dissidia version of him. They made him a bit too silly in those games. As for ExDeath and Xande, I like the ideas behind those characters. A tree possessed by malevolent spirits sealed within it is an interesting concept for a villain, and I think FFV nails it. Sure he's one of those early days moustache-twirling bad guys, but considering his origins, it's only fitting. Xande on the other hand is missed potential. His back story was interesting, understandable even. I mean who wouldn't go a bit nuts if your master gifted his pupils magical powers, only to grant you the gift of mortality? It's too bad Xande never had his time to shine, and he ended up overshadowed by one of the most uninteresting villains in the series, Cloud of Darkness.
I whole-heartedly agree with this list,not sure if I would order them like that but these are definitely my top 5 too.
Emet-Selch being #1.
Also: from my conversation with Nobuo Uematsu, I remember hearing him say that Kefka is his absolute favorite FF character
@@AlexMoukalaMusic Kefka is just so damn entertaining! Every time he's on screen you never know what's going on to happen. So suspenseful!
I find Elidibus's story far more compelling ... if it were written more at the fore-front ahead of Emet. But it was/wasn't given enough room to breathe and thus; we have Emet. A win/win I suppose cause we got both. I don't think it should be understated how crazy and important 5.3 was....
Kefka, Ardyn, Sephiroth, Emet, ....sure those are pretty popular picks i agree.... but i think Hojo is one villain in the franchise that deserves a top spot on the Antagonist list... hes naturally the root of all evil in the main FF7 story.
Hojo is top tier and honestly less redeemable than Sephiroth. Not in my top 5, but I can see why he'd be someone's number 1.
A running joke me and my friends had for final fantasy was "when in doubt, blame Hojo". The joke being that Hojo was the cause of every evil in the final fantasy franchise like some sort of conspiracy. xP So yeah, Hojo definitely is pretty bad.
@@tenebraequeene he prolly responsible for the Final Days that killed the Ancients in 14 >.>
Completely agree. If anything, Sephiroth is just another victim. Hojo is a monster.
@@donnyyasu2764 Eh, the characters don't seem to think he's that bad. You can find him chilling on the beach and no one seems to care.
Ardyn has the first spot for me. His past story, his absolutely brilliant voice actor, the duality of his very complex character. A good man for his people who got screwed over big time, and the way he guides Noctis all the way through, waiting for the day where his soul would finally rest after being alive for so long. He's the best thing in FFXV in my opinion.
Emet-Selch is just that villain he kept me glued every time he was on screen more than any other ff villain.
Amazing list. Great you gave Caius and Ardyn respect too. Emet is for sure is the best and I agree with the whole list. Though I wish it was top 10, so Elidibus & Yotsuyu could've been included. They're for sure one of the best FF villains too. Kuja's great too.
Another thing about Emet is that he tried and even for a time enjoyed being a normal person, had a wife and a child but his heart broke when he lost his loved ones. He gives the WoL and the Scions to prove themselves only to be disappointed once again. You actually feel for the guy until the end. And even then, he gives you a baton pass and asks you to remember him and his lost people.
And ultimately, he saves your ass twice after that
I think there is also an interesting aspect of him, that he is understandable but also wrong at the same time, because in the end he judges the people of the shards based on the impossible standart of the ancient ascians, that have become a society fully build on ritualistic self-sacrifice for the greater good in masses to the point where it ran on sacrificing more and more, with the idea that with only enough lives fed to Zodiark, things will return back to where they are. The people who currently inhabit Aetherys can never live up to that standart but they also just shouldn't. And in the end, we even learn that he himself originally would have agreed with this sentiment and that his tragedy is not only the loss of his loved ones, but also the loss of his ideals.
"From nihilistic pretty boys to, uh, this thing" 😂
Bad game, but Ardyn HAS to be on this list
Great list NSP! Glad to see Caius getting more recognition. Aside from Liam O'Brien's magnificent performance (as usual), his and Yeul's story is so heartbreaking: he literally just wants to be killed so he and Yeul can finally be free from their eternal torment; and he actually succeeds. Also, his theme slaps!
Ardyn walked so Emet-Selch could run
I called Emet-Selch as number one, because let's be real - who else could it be? He's a tough act to follow up! I think this is accurate, save for Kefka. He feels overrated but that's just me! I'd replace Kefka with Kuja or Emperor Mateus, personally! That aside, amazing video! Great work! :D
Yes I feel same with you! I want Kuja in Kefka' s rank.
I would put anything over Kefka
even Emperor Mateus Cloud of Darkness Ex-Death Garland/Chaos
whatever you name it
other than the clean my shoes joke i literally see nothing of worth on that Joker copy paste
Well, my respect points for you just increased dramatically after the inclusion of Caius Ballad on this list. He's an awesome villain.
Unpopular opinion my fav is Ultimecia^^❤️
Ultimecia isn't as deep as other villians because of how much of her background is kept a mystery, but that's exactly what I like about her. She is an extremely dangerous sorceress from the future and her motives are mostly up to your own interpretation. Also her boss fight is awesome!
@@bentvk2248 Man of culture
I wish the Rinoa = Ultimecia theory was true. She would've been on this list if it was.
Great list and awesome explanations there! Agree with all of it. Seeing Ardyn hurts me so much cause I think he could be one of the best characters of video games of all time - if the main game itself would just have been better, or without developer hell.
Personally missing Kuja, cause I think his character and character development + the sudden realisation of the truth about his own destiny is so well done!
"If you change the future, you'll change the past" just makes perfect sense. Maybe based on our existing perception of time, the correct way to say it is "if you want to change the future then you have to change the past" but it is just the same thing, changing the future entails a change in the past.
The only thing that contradicts this is if the circumstance that leads to that future has not yet happened in the present.
Well in the game you solve paradoxes that exist through time and thus when you fix it in one time it also affects the previous time relative to that, so it is also literal in that sense. The problem is that someone thought "If you change the future, you change the past" was a cool original tagline and then tried to force everything around that instead of having a more coherent idea from the start.
its because the chaos will slip in and it will reck time and space thats why ripples effect
Ardyn gets my forever praise as one of the best developed villains ever. Unfortunately FFXV fragmented his story leaving him in underrated territory.
I agree with your rankings, but something which makes me feel closer to Ardyn is getting to play as him. To me, that gives more meaning to his character and backstory than strictly having to sit through cutscenes and anime. It is also a treat getting to play the villain as part of the game's story instead of only in spinoffs like Dissidia.
Also huge congrats for another sponsor ❤️makes me happy^^
Yay, thank you! Appreciate all your support :)
@@TheNightSkyPrince 💖
To be honest, Sephiroth without the backstory & character development that the rest of the old FF7 Compilation (a.k.a everything except Remake) gives, its not bland but has not enough substance (we have everyone calling him great hero and 90% of his screentime (and info related) isn't him, its Jenova), but well obviously thats only imo.
Sephiroth works very well as a psychological and metaphysical obstacle that Cloud must overcome throughout his own personal journey of self realization, self examination and growth. He has some depth beyond this, but this is his major contribution to the narrative in my opinion and they nailed it.
@@jairekambui7738 I agree with you, but I see that more as "Sephiroth as a concept in Cloud's mind" rather than Sephiroth the character "by itself" (the sum of the two would become the antagonist with the same name). And even without the contributions of Jenova and Hojo, the part relating to Cloud state of mind wouldn't be that impacting (if only counting OG FF7 and not other properties), also imo. For the record, I like Sephiroth a lot as an antagonist, but I still think this way about him as a character
I prefer Sephiroth more compelling withOUT the compilation actually. I don’t think the compilation added much (well written, well delivered) substance.
@@TheNightSkyPrince I agree that the delivery wasn't that great, but it added depth seeing the hero dimension (and human nature... Not that there was much to begin with lol) of Sephiroth in CC instead of just "being a word in mouth of everyone" and seeing him in AC demostrating the "dynamic duality" (him recognizing Cloud and what this implies, to state it simply) between him and Cloud (also seen in KH or FF7R)... But I also understand why some may prefer the "Sephiroth as is", so idk sorry for the text wall lol and I like your videos a lot, so thanks for providing such great content!
@@cybersoulxiii2946 The compilation made him more into a pretty boy anime dude and is the reason why people want a redeemed Sephiroth, which I find very dumb. I like the compilation but not because of small scenes with Sephiroth during the wutai war or his ascendancy by having been killed in OG and that being the reason he is back in Advent children.
TBH if its a ranking based solely on writing quality and narratives, and not on how "popular" or "iconic" a villain is, I think FF14 alone would take up the majority of my top 10 FF villains. Like even ARR Gaius has a pretty interesting ideology compared to some of the single-player games. Even a minor villain like Illberd had proper buildup and a flawed, but compelling motivation for his actions. One underrated FF14 villain is Thordan. On the outset, he looks like a typical evil Pope character trope, but his actual reasoning for gaining power is also rational considering his circumstances. God, FF14 is so good.
God, I know, 14 has some of the best villains I have ever seen in a video game, period, FF or otherwise. Not sure if you watch or read manga/anime like Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho by Togashi and Berserk by Miura (RIP), but 14 is one of the only game narratives I have experienced with villains as deep and even emotionally compelling as the ones found in those stories.
FF14 have some complex villains beside Emet-Selch and Gaius, such as: Yotsuyu, Fordola, Nidhogg, and even the redeemed Elidibus. I even hate Asahi and Teledji Adeledji even though they were just appeared for few patches. The only one that find lackluster is Zenos, but let's hope that Endwalker redeem him. Not mentioning that they'll also redeem Lahabrea in the Endwalker.
FF14 is nuts. MCU should learn how to make villains from them.
Based on motivations
15. Emperor Palamecia
14. Garland
13. Dark Cloud
12. Zeromus
11. Ultimecia
10. Vayne Solidor
9. Exdeath
8. Jenova
7. Seymour
6. The Fal'c
5. Ardyn
4. Kuja
3. Delita
2. Kefka
1. All of the villians of FFXIV
No Sephiroth, really?
@@Killer_Kris7 sephiroth is dead from the beginning dude
I would put:
1) Genesis Rhapsodos - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
2) Sephiroth - Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
3) Kuja - Final Fantasy IX
4) Ardyn Izuna - Final Fantasy XV
5) Seymour Guado - Final Fantasy X
Agee completely with the list, great job! A lot of villains are written better than Sephiroth, but it’s amazing how you feel his presence in the game. You always feel like he can come at any time.
My favourites are definitely
1. Sephiroth
2. Kefka
3. Ultimecia
I see everyone agreeing with the top spot, but I really cannot just go without acknowledging how you've hit the core of why he resonated so strongly with people. A wise friend once pointed out that a lot of well written villains are mirrors of humanity pushed to extremes - "what might have been"s and tales of how pain and horrific circumstances can warp and twist people. My propensity to make up characters completely unsuitable for the games I'm playing led me to make a ffxiv character driven primarily by the fierce passion for his loved ones. Even before shadowbringers, there was a time where he looked at a villain and thought not just "This could have been me" but "This would have been me. Have I gone through the same ordeals, been weighed down by this unending, crushing hopelessness, found myself completely powerless to save those I cherish most and at no other recourse, I would have done the same". As fond as we are of just plain fun bad guys like Kefka, the ravaged humanity of such villains driven to the extreme will stay with me forever.
yo my boi caius ballad made it to the list!
Nice list
One of my favourite villains in the series would definitely be Kuja from Final Fantasy IX
That Yotsuyu shout out was
*chef's kiss*
Very solid list. After finishing shadowbringers I can say without a doubt Emet Selch is most definitely the best villain in ff. I also agree with Ardyns place in the list seeing the subsequent story through his DLC not only solidified that he is one of shining moments in ff15 but he’s also my favorite character from it. If you’re free to I’m curious of your thoughts on Kuja as a villain from ff9. Ff9 is my favorite and I found kuja very compelling and calculated as a villain. His motivations were very human and understandable when you really glimpse into the background of his creation.
My favorites:
1. Emet Selch
2. Kefka
3. Sephiroth
4. Kuja
5. Zenos
The Lost Odyssey background music bro 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Glad my man Ardyn made it to the list, definitely my fav antagonist
For me, my top 5 FF villains in order would be Sephiroth > Kefka > Kuja > Delita (More of an antagonist than a villain) > Ultimecia
Ultimecia wasn't a good villain or written well but then again FF8 wasn't written well either...
Tonberry is definitely in the top 5 for me
The poke of death
My picks are Jecht (for the personal struggle Tidus had with him), Exdeath (Because he's a gigantic tree trying to pull all life into a void.) Sephiroth (He's equally cool and terrifying.) and Ardyn (Just a complete joy to watch.)
I liked Xiii-2s take on time travel as it was an interesting take , the execution though is very wonky. I actually really liked Caius his portrayal is very underrated .
And then suddenly, Necron
I full on agree for number 1 does not dissapoint :D also love loveeeee that you have Caius on here. He does not get enough love as he should :D ty for another great vid
I am really curious about the main villain in XVI. It's not really Final Fantasy tradition to show their hand as to who the main villain is in pre-release promotions as that often gets revealed through the course of the story via plot twists. Is the story going to be a series of big villains largely unconnected to each other, each with their own motivations (there are six main countries after all) or is the villain Ifrit's dominant or some thus far un-eluded character. I am excited that it seems the main character is going to be on a quest for revenge and may be more of a morally grey character.
Obviously Emet-Selch would be my number 1 but I would have to shout out my boy Vayne Solidor too. I love him because he's not a cartoonishly evil villain with goals of destroying the world. He wants to conquer it, sure, but through politics and military expansion rather than god-like powers. And in the end, despite being used and manipulated by spooky ascians, he actually manages to simultaneously free humanity or doom it depending on how you look at things. Speaking of villains that actually win, Ilberd is another guy who is amazing because he gets exactly what he wants and there is nothing you can do about. Complete and total victory.
I liked him, however, his transformation is cool until he turns into a scrappy trash roid monster. His final boss form design was not good but I did like him as a villain.
I liked Vayne, but I wish we saw more of him in XII's story.
@@heinricheverson Well, I think most FF transformations were pretty lame too, God Kefka and Sephiroth included. That's why I like Kuja's final form, he's just in Trance, just like you.
Ilberd is winning. Agree with that.
Personally, Vayne is my favorite villain too. He has so many layers to him, and the fact that he’s not some devilishly evil villain about conquering the world or destroying it, but instead a politically driven, determined human villain makes him a lot more interesting.
I'm gonna be honest, if Ardyn doesn't show up here i'll be sad, but understand. Also, FULLY expecting Emet-Selch at the top.
I loved this list of top favorite FF villains NSP!😁 Aside from Kefka and Emet(as I don't really know much about them) I feel a bit sympathetic towards Caius, Sephiroth, and Ardyn as life treated them quite unfairly which lead them to snap. I am also glad that Caius made it on the list!😁💕💕
PS: I can't wait to soon discover who Emet is all about!🙌🏽
Yup great list. Agreed with all, I really want to play FF XIII trilogy one day. I really liked Kuja as well
1. Emet, 2. Kuja, 3. Kefka, 4. Sephiroth, 5. Vayne.
Caius ballad is my all time favorite.
#5 Garland (FF I)
#4 Ardyn Lucis Caelum (FF XV)
#3 Kuja (FF IX)
#2 Sephiroth (FF VII)
#1 Vayne Solidor (FF XII).
by the way, will you do your favorite FF heroes next?
good picks, i personaly would recommend kuja from ffix, the number one i dont know but i trust you, your number five is so real, the best antagonist from the newer ff
FFXV was my first FF game and yes I admit it wasn't exactly well written, BUT I do think Ardyn deserved his spot here without question
Haven’t seen the vid yet
Better have Emet-Selch on here 😠
Edit after watching: Good, gooooood
Kefka should be #1. He reached his goals. :)
I like a lot of Final Fantasy villains but my favorites are Jecht, Caius, Kefka, and Chaos/Garland. (Dissida was excellent in portraying these characters and Chaos was an interesting villain there)
I'm glad Caius is getting attention, he's a really cool villain. Emet sounds interesting too but leans more towards that "subverting your expectations" that you see with villains. Unpopular opinion, but I don't really care for Sephiroth.
I wouldn't even say Emet really "subverts your expectations", he quite literally tells you exactly what his goal is, is completely transparent with you, and genuinely wants to find a compromise between his goals and your own. He has still done some questionable things in the past and doesn't deny it, but he's also genuine in what he says. So imo, not really the "subverting your expectations" type of villain.
I honestly didn't expect Emet to become my favourite FF villain, but he really does stand above the rest in terms of his motivations, how fleshed out he is, how fun he is to watch and interact with, etc.
@@joshp011 I guess that's fair. I didn't really play FF14, so I was just kinda going off what the Night Sky Prince was saying. He seems like one of those villains you sympathize more with than the heroes, which I don't really like because while I enjoy a good villain? I also love some good heroes who contrast said villain.
However, that's fair. I guess I'll take back what I said. He does sound interesting. More interesting than Sephiroth who's bland imo LOL.
@@Bacchus8699 Final Fantasy XIV is a MMORPG, so you can't make a complex protagonist because you are the protagonist. That's why Emet-Selch is so amazing, even though you are just a blank protagonist, you can feel that he is truly an antagonist and a villain of your story. It's not only about a villain that want to destroy the world with relatable and understandable reasons (unlike Kefka for example), he take it personal with your life and you'll feel that you also have a personal grudge with him. I know and understand his motives, but i'm not agree and sympathize with him. I don't regret beating him at the end game at all.
How Shadowbringers was written is the only reason why I patiently waiting for Endwalker. It just too good.
I've waited too long for a good writing like this, never thought gonna get it from a MMORPG like FF14. 13 and 15 failed me, those had good potentials, but wasted.
Ardyn is the best 😍😍😍
Personally I have a strong preference for villains whose ideological motivations contrast nicely with those of the main character(s). For that reason I enjoy Sephiroth's compulsion to superiority and quantification of life (in contrast to Cloud's acceptance of failure and Aerith's honor towards all life), Kefka's unrelenting nihilism (in contrast to the party's construction of their own reasons for living in a hopeless world) and Kuja's refusal of a world beyond him (in contrast to Vivi's gradual acceptance of living as only a small part of a greater system).
It might be that I simply haven't thought through the themes of newer titles yet in great enough detail, but I don't get a sense of these polarizations as much with villains like Caius, Ardyn, or even the villains of FF14, as much as it is an absolute delight whenever any of those characters are on screen.
I mean FF14 has Zenos who's the polar opposite of your main character
@@311Bambino Yeah like Emet-Selch Zenos is also just a blast to see on screen, they are both such fun villains. I don't mean to rag on 14 and part of it might just be that the protagonist is your created character. I just don't get a sense of the game using its hero/villain dynamics to quite as much effect as those other games. That said, I have had a lot longer to sit and think about games like 6, 7 and 9, so maybe I will come around.
A FF villain list can only be taken seriously when Emet-Selch is #1. Nice one!
1. Sephiroth
2. Kefka
3. Ardyn
4. Kuja
5. Kaius
I couldn't agree more with this list and the Order! But Emet did nothing wrong and is the best Scion we could ask for
How do you manage to have such objectively correct opinions?
I don't know if it's just years of knowing you, or having finally gotten through XIV myself, but no placement on this list surprised me. Top choices, and all in the correct ranks in my mind as well.
Great video NSP. May Emet Supremacy continue to reign.
Lets be real - If you don't rank Emet as No.1 you haven't played shadowbringers
Changing the future changes the past because Yuel can see the future i think? It causes a weird ripple effect
EW spoilers:
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You will love Emet even more after EW main story.
Also Emet: "I also take offense to my portrayal as a megalomaniacal madman." 😁
I'd stick Kuja on this list for the masterful way he spins his plans only for it to not even matter when he 'wins'. Best temper tantrum I've seen, haha.
Off-topic from this video but after replaying Final Fantasy 7 I was thinking of where the Remake part 2 may take us if they keep it chapter length based off of part one length. Thoughts?
1 clouds past
2 kalm and chocobo bill
3 mines
4 fort condor (yuffie)
5 junon
6 boat
7 Costa and corel
8 gold saucer (cait sith)
9 prison
10 gongaga
11 Cosmo canyon
12 nibelheim (Vincent)
13 nibel mts
14 rocket town
15 wutai
16 God saucer date
17 temple of ancients
18 city of ancients.
Honestly, thank you for putting Ardyn on this list. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Great list. Personally I'd want to add Seymour from FFX and Hojo from FFVII.
My personal top 5 villains are:
5: Garland
4: Seymour
3: Sephiroth
2: Emperors Mateus
Honorable Mention: Ultimecia
1: Kuja
Here's My List of My Most Favorite Evil Epic Badass Final Fantasy Villains Throughout the Years.
1. Garland (Final Fantasy I)
2. Emperor Mateus (Final Fantasy II)
3. Cloud of Darkness (Final Fantasy III)
4. Golbez (Final Fantasy IV)
5. Exdeath (Final Fantasy V)
6. Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy VI)
7. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII franchises)
8. Ultimecia (Final Fantasy VIII)
9. Kuja (Final Fantasy IX)
10. Jecht (Final Fantasy X)
11. Kam'lanaut (Final Fantasy XI)
12. Judge Gabranth (Final Fantasy XII)
13. Caius Ballad (Final Fantasy XIII franchises)
14. Zenos yae Galvus (Final Fantasy XIV franchises)
15. Ardyn Izunia (Final Fantasy XV franchise)
16. Barnabas Tharmr (Final Fantasy XVI)
These are My Most Favorite Evil Final Fantasy Villains of All Time Throughout the Years I Absolutely Love, Cherish, Respect and Appreciate.
I can’t make a video of my top 5 because it’s just alternating Asahi and Fandaniel.
I have no idea what I would rate them these days. Especially since I have been out of the fandom lately. Fucking excited for FF16 and to a bit lesser of an extend 7R part 2, but they seem to be a while away from now. And I am a FF14 player, but my PS4 is kind of busted, so I am waiting to get my hands on a PS5 to replace it, which as we all know is a bit of an undertaking.
But my favourites in no specific order are:
Sephiroth- His appearances after original FF7 really kind of hurt him, but I can't deny I love him in FF7. What they are doing with him in the remake isn't something I am necessarily against, but it does seem very fanservicey. I'll hold my judgement on that one for now.
Kefka- He is nuts in such a satisfying way. What he did to the world, and getting to explore the world after that left a huge impression. His final boss fight is one of my personal favourites in the entire franchise. Big fan.
Kuja- I just think his story is just really interesting. He is pretty much a very smart and powerful rebellious teenager that never got to learn how to deal with his emotions becouse of a horrible fucking upbringing. I love the three way struggle between him, the main characters and Garland. And him snapping in the end becouse of suddenly learning he is mortal after practically winning is such a memorable moment. He is kind of held back by not having the most memorable boss fight. And while I am not fully against Necron, I do think he kind of takes the spotlight away from Kuja. That is the only thing really holding him back for me. But he still gets a satisfying ending luckily.
Seymour- I find him very underrated. Yeah, he is a creep. But man, his whole vibe and backstory are very interesting to me. I really enjoy religions in stories. Him being like a priest and later pope really does it for me. Held back by him not being the final conflict of the story, and getting dealt with as like a side event in the final dungeon. But still, really enjoyed him.
Emet Selch- Don't really have much to add. Such a well written character. The only thing holding him back is that he is in an MMO. This is very personal to me, and difficult to explain. But a fight in an MMO feels very much like a videogame to me. I need to perform good otherwise people will bitch at me (rightfully ofcourse if I really suck). It isn't as personal to me as say, fighting Sephiroth at the end of FF7R. Not that I don't feel any emotions during such fights in FF14, but I would lie if I said it was the same as fighting an emotionally charged boss in a singleplayer game.
It's a more personal list than what NSP did. If I enjoy a game I am more likely to enjoy its characters, which is why Ardyn or Caius didn't do it for me in the end. But that is just how I rank things. Ardyn in particular. The way his story was presented really makes me not care, even if his story was amazing on paper.
The first FFXIII had weak villains, and Caius is my favorite character in the whole trilogy and my favorite villain in the franchise, but the party in 13 is one of my favorites. Especially Sazh and Hope. Sue me.
Awesome ranking list that I agree with. I would include Seymour from FFX only because was just a smug and annoying.
Caius is #2 for me. He is EVERYTHING Sephiroth wishes he were. He was a villain you could see yourself becoming. And like Kefka, he f-in succeeded.
Sephiroth is only iconic. He's so boring compared to even Ultemecia that I yawn whenever he shows up.
Honestly I did know what #1 would be when I clicked this video. Though I’m surprised you didn’t list it like the following:
5. Emet Selch
4. Emet Selch
3. Emet Selch
2. Emet Selch
1. Emet Selch
🤣
Also surprised how Vayne is so underrated. Golbez for his time was very well done as well.
Sephiroth
Kuja
Emet
Kefka
Probably Exdeath but 5 can be close to anyone XD
Number 1 should have been Mind Control. Like what's their names from 9 and 12, Golbez, Sin, Edea, and many more who were forced into being evil due to Mind Control.
Fully agree, although I haven’t played the XIII games
I liked Kuja. He’s a cool villain :)
Ppl praise Elmet but they forget that the one who actually bypass Elmet judgment is actually Hermes. While everyone else get their actions justify at the end. Hermes does not, he is only character that left behind without anything even after dead. His redemption will never get to justify since he would never beg forgiveness for what he has chosen to become. Unlike other villains, you have basically a good guy who becomes a villain out of thin air because of his conviction for an answer that no one ever ask that and think it should be avoided completely.
Because Amon is not Hermes he sundered Ascian sure he have Hermes memory but his mind is his own not the man who he was
Just wanted to confirm the #1 pick. Was not disappointed 😄
Good vid man. 👌 Very entertaining
My list would probably be like this:
Hopefully no one will get mad at me for it!
5. Fandaniel (He is a PIECE of shit but I love him for just that lmao.)
4.Sephiroth (I mean he is a classic. Who doesn't love Sephiroth?)
3.Kefka (Dude is CHAOS....LIKE YES? Just CHAOS don't think)
2. Zenos (I think Zenos is a great villain. The idea of the HUNT and him being our foil is just fucking amazing. I'm like a huge fan of this character)
1. Emet (Ironically not my fav but to pretend like his character wasn't well developed is just insulting. However, I always viewed him as more of a villainous Anti-hero rather then a full on villain)
My ranking
5: Caius “deserved a better game” ballard
4: Kuja
3: Zenos Yae Galvus
2: Ardyn
1: Emet-Selch
My list would be nearly identical, but I'd probably swap #5 with either Kuja or Seymour....or I'd double down on FFXIV and put Elidibus. Lol
Don't really play the FF MMO's cause I don't have time for them but I'm gonna say my top 5 is...
1.Kuja
2.Kefka
3.Ardyn
4.Sephiroth
5.Seymour
HM. Caius
This list is actually Accurate I probably would of put kefka in number 1 and hades number 2 but they are soo close that I wouldnt care.
Oh, the comment section here is going to be a war zone. At least from what I've seen in some other FF ranking videos I've watched. Which admittedly isn't much.
Edit: Oh, nevermind. We're good.
guys please go find this video "in the mind of ardyn izunia" its an incredible take on ardyn and his downfall
After Stranger in Paradise Jack Garland gets a bump on this list for sure
Ah this kind of list won't draw controversy I'm sure lol.
For me it's:
1. Emet Selch
2. Sephiroth
3. Kefka
4. Shadow Lord
5. The Turks
I like this list, but I would put Sephiroth at number one. Of all of the villains, Sephiroth is the only one that was never truly destroyed and is still on his bullshit. Even at the end of Advent Children, Cloud doesn't know if he's actually gone, he just knows that he's stopped for now. He's a terrifying shadow villain because at any point, he can come back and fuck up everyone's day.
Although with Emet, his motivations are BY FAR the most justified since even though he's doing this for his friends and family, he's actually been tempered to go to unimaginable lengths to restore Zodiark a fact which he explains himself. Of all of the FFXIV villains, he's the only one that didn't know he was a villain until literal eons later.
Every good villain is the hero of his own story. "knowing they're a villain" isn't a prerequisite for the job (even though I'm sure Hades knew how he was perceived by others, he was a smart guy). And while, yes, he was tempered by Zodiark, that doesn't mean his actions were not his own.
As far as being "destroyed" goes (Endwalker spoilers past here obviously):
He's gone back to the aetherial sea with Hythlodaeus, which is essentially the same as Sephiroth being in the Lifestream, I'd say they're on par there. Minus the fact, of course, that Emet-Selch is at peace and has no intentions to do evil, while Sephiroth is basically a malevolent, revenge-crazed demigod.
Caius ballad is so fuking underrated. Finished so many ff games but no one could not beat his place yet for me.
I really want to get into Final Fantasy 14 and I put over 50 hours into A Realm Reborn and I am so bored and I'm really burnt out on its gameplay I hear the store gets so good from that point onwards but I don't know if I'm willing to put in like what all the expenses total is like 250 hours, that's so much time along with game play I really dont card for all that much.
Watch the story on youtube then if you don't want to play?
Kuja would be in my top 5.
Number one enemy is BAHAMUT
For me it's Emperor Mateus, Kuja, Sephiroth, Ardyn and finally Kefka as the best one. Honorary mentions for ExDeath and Xande.
Edit. For the hell of it, I think I want to go into some details as to why. Spolers ahead if someone hasn't played the games these guys are from.
Emperor Mateus makes the cut because, even though he was very one-dimensional villain, he still showed the kind of person he was by conquering Hell itself after he was sent there by the heroes, just so he could get back at them. Ruthless, manipulative and vengeful, all the while being one of the most fabulous-looking villains in the series. There was a time when I thought FFII would be the best Fantasy to remake from step one, just so we could get better character developement and more fleshed out story, but seeing how Square is handling stuff like that these days, I'm not sure I want that to happen anymore.
With Kuja I actually struggle to pinpoint what it is exactly that I like about him. I guess his overall theatrical mannerisms and the way he quotes plays by heart just make him a fun villain to watch, the kind you know is taking great enjoyment in pulling the strings behind the scenes. Then at the end he shows a completely different side of himself, fear of not existing anymore, a very relatable thing for anyone, including some of the party members. I find it chilling how his mind goes to "I will end the world, because it has no right to exist without me" as he has to come to terms with his own mortality.
Sephiroth is an obvious choice for any list like this, and for a good reason. I especially love how he is built up throughout the game by pretty much everyone as the undefeatable monster. The difference between you and him is made crystal clear by the Nibelheim-flashback in Kalm, and from that point on every time you see him, you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, dreading to think how the encounter will go (and like we all know, one of them goes pretty badly). Sadly the more this character is used in other media, starting from Advent Children, the less I find myself liking him. It should've been all over for him with that final omnislash.
I will always remember the moment from Kingsglaive where Ardyn marched into the throne room like he owned the place, and it was king Regis who felt intimidated by him, even though he was acting all casualand completely outnumbered. I hate how that moment wasn't in the actual game. Then there's the big reveal behind him. I actually liked it more when it was left somewhat vague as to what happened, especially since the DLC payoff made it seem like Ardyn was more of a puppet for the will of the gods and not his own master. Still, a fine villain, and I'm glad to see how much support he's getting from other fans of the series as well.
And then there's Kefka. What I like about him is his simplicity. He's not after vengeance, he's not a god (at first) or some otherworldly monster. He's just a bad person doing horrible things, terrifying both enemies and allies with his twisted deeds, all the while laughing like a psycho or giving us yet another memorable line. Though I will have to admit that I'm not a fan of Dissidia version of him. They made him a bit too silly in those games.
As for ExDeath and Xande, I like the ideas behind those characters. A tree possessed by malevolent spirits sealed within it is an interesting concept for a villain, and I think FFV nails it. Sure he's one of those early days moustache-twirling bad guys, but considering his origins, it's only fitting. Xande on the other hand is missed potential. His back story was interesting, understandable even. I mean who wouldn't go a bit nuts if your master gifted his pupils magical powers, only to grant you the gift of mortality? It's too bad Xande never had his time to shine, and he ended up overshadowed by one of the most uninteresting villains in the series, Cloud of Darkness.
No Genesis?!?!?
No gift of the goddess :(
He's clearly a hero.
@@jean1639 I know right?
Sephiroth in the thumbnail 🥵🥵🥵
Gonna get attacked for this one, but Kefka is overrated as hell and just diet Zenos. I also put 5.3 Elidibus almost neck and neck with Emet.
What about Garland? He knocks people down.
i know before even watching this video emet will be #1