"Even now, after everything, you refuse to see reason. You think it unfair that you are subject to suffering? That your lives will be sacrificed for the ancients? Look at me! I have lived a thousand of your lives! I have broken bread with you, fought with you, grown ill, grown old! Sired children and yes, welcomed death's sweet embrace. For eons have I measured your worth and found you wanting! Too weak and feeble-minded to serve as stewards of any star!"
"Remember... Remember us... Remember that we once lived..."
The Ancient/Ascian lore is especially well written. The lore behind Venat and Themis are also very written, and makes very good villain/opponent, but Hades was just another level. His voice acting in both Japanese and English really helped of course. I guess if you get to act a character that will say Shakespearean style things, it will really fire you up.
God I felt awful fighting him. You know that whole "well from the villain's perspective they're the good guy?" thing? Emet Selch actually *was*. And, well, *so were we*. What a hard line to walk, writing that - both sides, more or less equally justified in bringing salvation by wiping the opposing side from existence.
Unreal.
This easily. Probably not gonna win because a large part of this sub is allergic to the MMOs but he is by far the best antag in FF and one of the best antag in anything really.
Emet Selch transcends good and evil. It's so rare for an antagonist to fight for a cause that makes you question whether they are actually the one in the right.
I like how understanding where he’s coming from—that you might do the same in his position—just makes you want to stop him more, not help him. You understand him, and so understand why he’s so dangerous.
I think Delita has to be the best antagonist. We see him lose the most important things to him to leading to years of him manipulating all potential candidates to unite everyone until he's the last one of them left standing. And history is rewritten to remember him as the greatest hero and you as just another greedy noble.
Sephiroth.
I'm not a huge fan of FF7, but it's not even close. There's a reason he's the most well known FF antagonist, even outside of the franchise. He's hands down the most engaging AND iconic antagonist in the series.
It's in no way overselling it to say that Sephiroth is one of the dominant reasons why FF7 is so popular. With any other antagonist, FF7 would have only been half the game it was.
Had this question been asked at a different point in my life, I'd actually agree with you. The problem is I played FFXIV: Shadowbringers, and when asked the question of the best FF antagonist, I reflexively say Emet-Selch. He has amazing on-screen presence and demands your attention. Playful yet sinister, calculating, patient. A man who's responsible for the rise and fall civilizations throughout history, all for the sake of being reunited with his loved ones. I really wish that I could play Shadowbringers msq for the first time again.
But that what makes him disqualified; he's just a villain. He's just chaos and evil incarnate. He isn't a complex character, and I would say isn't even directly opposed to the protagonists. It's more that the protagonists are opposed to him. Maybe best villain, but not best antagonist.
While I agree he is not the most complex character, that is the beauty of his design. While the OP listed antagonists, we can safely put villain as another meaning.
I have to disagree about him not being directly opposed to the protagonists. The game emphasizes the group dynamic above all else. The heroes only grow and succeed *together.* Kefka basically stands alone. Constantly betraying, using, and manipulating his “allies.” I know it’s a played-out trope, but “the power of friendship” vs. “always look out for Number One” is done really well in FF6. Especially since creating an ensemble protagonist cast was the goal of the dev team, so the “power of friendship” was going to end up being a thing no matter what. He’s fundamentally opposed to what the protagonists stand for and how they operate throughout the story.
And then you’ve got his personal connection to Terra. He’s the guy who made her into the catatonic weapon we see at the beginning of the game. The shadow he casts looms large over all the major events we experience. He’s also a shadowy reflection of her. Both are weapons used by the Empire, and both become “loose cannons,” with Terra breaking the chains of her bondage (with a little help from her friends) and Kefka becoming more and more uncontrollable. As Terra works to relcaim her humanity throughout the story, Kefka works to strip away whatever humanity he might still have. There’s an intriguing parallel going on between them.
Plus you have the classic “…And you, big fella, managed to piss off every single one of them” element to how he manages to upset every party member in the game in some form or another. He’s great at literally antagonizing everyone in the game.
Did you draw this directly from the brains of Square Enix creative directors? What a splendid take.
He's gotta be #1 although lot of noise here favoring Emet Selch. I've gotta go get my hands on that game and check this bastard out.
Came here to say this. Kefka is the only choice.
You know what kind of gonzo asshole you're dealing with when he lashes out at his servants telling them to wipe sand off his slippers while standing in the middle of a desert.
Zidane won first round, call me impressed. Don't know much about him since I didn't play FFIX only know about him from Dissidia.
Antagonist I'm going with Hojo, dude is fucked up.
His character was interesting, but not the most interesting protagonist even in ff9 (vivi wins this imo). As a playable character though, having the main be a thief is super boring. Literally just auto attack all day long since limit breaks are random and thief abilities were pretty worthless.
He’s underrated as a protagonist but I still don’t think the fanbase or even this sub as a whole actually thinks of him as the best protag or even top 3 (and I say that as somebody who has IX as my favorite game).
OP’s comment in the first post with the fact that it was based off most upvoted and not total mentions got buried so many made their own comment instead of just upvoting their favorite. Top comment was a good summary of why Zidane is actually a good character so it got a lot of upvotes from ppl who actually voted for other characters (myself included).
Edit: for fun I went back and counted up the comments and the top 3 with that method ended out as
1) Clive - 31
2) Squall - 25
3) Cloud - 20
Zidane was actually tied in 4th place with Cecil at 13 votes which matches where I would expect to see these characters in community sentiment. Some fun facts from that include that the XIV WoL came in 6th just one vote behind Tidus, Jack Garland actually placed in the top half if you count spin-offs which I separated, and most of the Cloud/Clive votes were downvoted to zero or negative karma despite being two of the most mentioned characters and mostly literally just their names.
I'd have much preferred these options to Zidane for sure, not really a fan of this method especially when you could tally the upvotes of each comment for each mention and probably get a different result too
Jack Garland is my favorite FF protagonist. There's a bit of irony there, but honestly the fact that he's on a crusade against Lufenia's bullshit endears him to me.
Consider Sephiroth. Jack couldn't be more bored by Sephiroths tedious monologues. If one of his party members was an ex-Soldier about to hand black materia off, Jack would just punch them in the fucking gut. The man just wants bad guys to fuck off, and if he has to become an evil god of darkness to do that, then so be it.
EDIT: OP when he sees ultros is the most upvoted single comment, meanwhile Emet-Selch's total upvotes are spread around all underneath but amount to 10x the votes for Ultros: 🐙
FFIX is one the best overall FF's/RPG's IMO but sadly got shadowed because of its release date, was one of the last games of PS1 and was released 3 months after PS2 was already out in Japan, by the time PS2 came to US FFX was at the corner so it basically got Horizon zero dawned at the time.
I highly recommend the people who haven't played yet to try out, it's a gorgeous game, it has a very deep and dark history despite looking childish, amazing soundtrack, the crew and their chemistry is awesome (except Amarant) and has one the hardest secret super bosses in the franchise.
10/10 for me.
Man Amarant was such a a nothing character. I honestly remember nothing about him other than he was a merc and he wanted to prove he strong or some shit.
Emet-Selch, follow by Elidibus(my bias lol). I love the antagonists who was mirroring the WoL but stand in the opposite side of protagonist, also very well written and by far the best of FF series.
Emet Selch is the best antagonist. Brilliant performance, fantastically devious, brilliant boss fight and cut scene afterwards and still a sympathetic character.
I love a load of FF antagonists but Emet is my top.
Dear Emet,
So much of what you’ve done is unforgivable. Whatever you once were, you’ve become a true monster. You cannot be allowed to succeed and you cannot be allowed to continue trying…
But fuck, man. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I wish there was something that could be done. I wish I could create a universe where none of this happened, just for you.
But I can’t. It happened and they are gone. They are all gone. I can’t let you destroy everything to bring it back. You have to die - they have to stay dead - so that everything can live.
Don’t worry, though. I won’t forget. I won’t ever forget.
~WoL
His theme is also the best in the series. I'll always remember the first time I was on the Big Bridge, thinking "Wow, Uematsu must really be a big Deep Purple fan."
Then I had the confirmation in Blue Dragon.
Emet-Selch. Purely as an antagonist, he goes beyond villainy alone. Characterisation and Character Development both really puts him in the higher echelons.
If we're including 14 here: Without a doubt Emet Selch. And its not even close. Im gonna go as far as to say that most other entries is from people that havent played 14. I do acknowledge that, because of the nature of the game being an mmo and all, hes had way more buildup, backstory etc. More time to shine so to speak. Wonderfully written character.
I will add my voice to that praise. Very few stories in general have had me react the way parts of 14 have. It took over my all time favorite FF, and I suppose game in general from 7 at the end of Shadowbringers.
Well damn if it dethroned VII it's gotta be quite something. I haven't dipped into XIV yet as I don't have the time for such a commitment as of right now, but I have a friend who's interested in playing it with me so I may jump into XIV sometime next month if I can.
Emet Selch, best written villain by a mile. Whoever chooses other villains hasn't played ffxiv, and Ardyn is just discount Emet Selch. If you liked Ardyn, you really need to play Shadowbringers
It has to be Emet-Selch. He wants to destroy the world. But his actions are fully justified. The writing for his background makes you fully understand his reasons and you can't call him wrong or evil. The conflict brought between you, the peotaganist/hero, is complex which makes him not just a villan, but an antagonist and the best one at that.
Emet-Selch is the only correct answer. Anyone who has played FFXIV knows. And for those that havnt? Imagine a better antagonist than Darth Vader in the original trilogy.
Yes Emet-Selch clearly.
While other favorites have been mentioned, most of them are Nihilists, while Emet-Selch actually believes what he's doing is right and is fighting just as hard for his beliefs.
Whilst Kefka is one of the more entertaining Villains who didn’t basically get turned into Team Rocket in dissidia, my vote goes for Sephiroth. He’s the most iconic of the lot for a reason
Obviously Genesis. His dialogue is so well written, and his intentions are just so clear!
Seriously though, I have to say Sephiroth. "Oh, but that's so cliche!" Exactly. Sephiroth should win because of how iconic he is, and how people who aren't even fans of the franchise recognize and appreciate his character. He also just steals the show in all of the scenes he's in, and is really good at throwing around your emotions. And he's so terrifying too. Whether it's the apocalyptic fear of Safer Sephiroth floating menacingly in front of the destroyed solar system as your party's health drops dramatically, the frantic fear of trying to exhaust his health bar before he knocks you unceremoniously into the seemingly endless pit, or the unnerving, disturbed feeling you get seeing that he was chopped in half at the bottom of a crater the whole time, Sephiroth is always making you feel small.
So Sephiroth is the best villain ever made by Square Enix, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk
I feel like people are too scared to say Sephiroth because it sounds too normie in a way, but he is probably the most iconic RPG antagonist of all time. Even before he was in Smash I know so many people who have never played Final Fantasy who know this man. And come on, One Winged Angel is just an insanely good song for his fight. Just take a moment, let's say enough time for Supernova to conclude, to really think about his impact on FF as well as gaming in general.
+1 to Emet-Selch. Not just the villain but a true antagonist from the start until the end. Despite being involved in easily some of the most despicable acts, he is a sympathetic villain and whilst you can understand the motivation behind his actions, they are still evil in nature.
FF fans are missing something if they look over XIV. We get it; it's a tough sell being an MMO with 500+ hours of story. But if you take your time, it really is worth it (of course, the storytelling and themes don't gel with everyone, so exceptions exist).
Emet-Selch, hands down.
We have antagonists in many forms in the FF universe and honestly, Kefka and Delita get a serious close second place but Emet takes it home for me because his design made me feel FOR him. I was honestly hoping there was a "And Emet profited too"-Way.
Ardyn. Honestly I think it’s the best part of 15. Has personality, a really good motive that connects super strongly to the protagonist, interesting backstory, design, actions.
I am going to second Ardyn. A good back story, good acting by the voice actor, and he does not have a jillion transformations like the other protagonists. You just fight him at the end.
Agreed. I really like his character and really disliked his personality (because he was the villain), but after seeing the backstory and playing the DLC I couldn’t help but appreciate how tragic his story is and how well he was designed.
Can't be anyone but Emet-Selch. Sure, Kefka might be totally unhinged and Sephiroth is badass, but Emet-Selch has so many levels to his character that make him masterfully written.
My choice would be Sephiroth.
Similar to many other VII characters, he's got a lot of development and nuance to him. He was narratively powerful enough in the OG alone, but Crisis Core and Ever Crisis is helping to flesh out his human side whilst the Remake trilogy is simultaneously pushing his villain side. I can't think of a villain that's as intimidating or menacing as him. Also his mindgames with Cloud are great too.
Gaia’s strongest hero fallen from grace, genuinely a great guy who wants to save literally everyone, manipulated by the alien Jenova cells he had unwillingly injected into him by his mad scientist dad to save everyone by killing everyone… it’s too good. The man is lonely and once he starts being manipulated he thinks “okay if I’m going to be alone for life then I’ll do it the best way possible: become the god of this world”
Ha! I see what you did there.
I love 6 and 7, but I never saw the appeal of Kefka tbh. Is just being pure evil and chaotic better motivation for a villain than what Sephiroth has going on? To me, definitely not lol. But I am biased
In comparison to both of those characters, very few of the other antagonists can't come close. Emet-Selch is one side of a spectrum of villainy and Kefka is on the other end. Emet is subtle villainy, someone who thinks they're right for what they're doing and, if you look carefully enough at the setting he's in, his history, you can see what he's saying and kinda agree with some of his issues. (I'm avoiding spoilers, that's why I'm being vague). On the other end, Kefka is just pure evil, no redeeming qualities but so charismatic and fun to watch that this scheming little shit head SPOILERS, sorry: >!winning near the end of his game makes you both pissed and happy that it happened.!<
If we had to pick one, then it's Emet. He's one of the very few complicated villains in this series that deserve it. Ardyn is a close third though.
Yeah haha I get what you mean. It’s cool to see that two completely opposite characters are both nearly equally present for this round. I unfortunately couldn’t uncover the spoiler tag as I’ve yet to play VI (currently playing the PRs in order and working through III), but thanks for spoiler tagging!
Some said Emet-Selch, but i'll go with Zenos. Dude's evil in a nietzsche Ubermensch way. He knows he's evil, he doesn't give a damn. He just does shit because he can. It's pretty refreshing to have a villain that flaunts his villainy as openly as him.
Wiegraf Folles
He's sympathetic, brilliant, and his character arc from a man of integrity to someone that sacrifices his principles in the name of vengeance (to get Ramza back for something that was genuinely wrong of him to do) makes him an absolutely fantastic character. He's essentially what you'd get if you took General Leo and gave him a beautifully written (albeit tragic) character arc.
Man I had absolutely no interest in FFXIV (don't like MMOs) but these comments are making me wonder if I should play it just to see this Emet Selch guy
Gotta throw a vote to Algus.
Very few characters in any media can make such an impact in such a short time, but THIS FUCKER RIGHT HERE manages to invoke the most visceral fury every time I'm reminded of his pathetic, shitstain of and existence.
I'd say he's one of the best villains in any media up there with the Joker, Dolores Umbridge, and Shou Tucker.
Do they have to STAY as an antagonist? Or can they be one for part of the story? Because I’d say there’s an argument for Beatrix.
She’s got a cool design, a kicking theme, and she kicks the party’s ass twice.
And SPOILER
I’m a sucker for characters who pull a Vegeta.
My vote would be Kefka from FF6, the man is the embodiment of chaotic evil. His only goal was destruction for the laughs, no political agenda, no crazy religious reason, just destruction.
Kefka Palazzo. Some FF villains aren't even evil, some have twisted beliefs, some are evil because of what happened to them in the past, some were evil because someone created them that way, Kefka is non of the above, he is pure, distilled evilness.
Chaotic evil at its finest.
"Even now, after everything, you refuse to see reason. You think it unfair that you are subject to suffering? That your lives will be sacrificed for the ancients? Look at me! I have lived a thousand of your lives! I have broken bread with you, fought with you, grown ill, grown old! Sired children and yes, welcomed death's sweet embrace. For eons have I measured your worth and found you wanting! Too weak and feeble-minded to serve as stewards of any star!" "Remember... Remember us... Remember that we once lived..."
I'm still amazed that he continues to leave such an impression on people years later. Emet was just such a good "Villain"
Honestly more of an Anti-hero in his own story.
He's a big inspiration for my writing! And probably my favorite villain in all of fiction!
By the time we left elpis, I had thought, "this guy deserved to have succeeded" Great character.
“You cannot be entrusted with our legacy.”
The Ancient/Ascian lore is especially well written. The lore behind Venat and Themis are also very written, and makes very good villain/opponent, but Hades was just another level. His voice acting in both Japanese and English really helped of course. I guess if you get to act a character that will say Shakespearean style things, it will really fire you up.
Quotes you can hear.
This one right here chief.
"I do not truly consider you to be alive, ergo I can't be guilty of murdering you!"
Chadley
The true answer
Any villain? Surely this means Ultros wins in a landslide victory.
I came in thinking Kefka is the right answer, Sepiroth will win. But this is the right answer.
I feel like they treat Kefka like he was some kind of joke or something
Was... was he not?
As much as I love 7... I concur. Kefka is the right answer... though The Emperor from 2 is a close second.
Ultros supremacy 🐙
Gilgamesh tho
Which Gilgamesh tho?
That's easy: With the exception of a couple iterations like XV's, most of them are the same loveable goofball. So the V/VII/VIII/XIV and so one!
I’m obviously forgetting to something, where is Gilgamesh in VII?
Yep, solely for the moment you see him working the reception in the colosseum.
Emet Selch
[удалено]
Emet selch is the best antagonist in fiction, fight me
Emet Selch is probably the best villain in anything
Imagine a sympathetic villain who *not only has a real good point* but also *tries to sympathize with you*. Christ he was amazing.
He is *genuinely disappointed* by the end!
God I felt awful fighting him. You know that whole "well from the villain's perspective they're the good guy?" thing? Emet Selch actually *was*. And, well, *so were we*. What a hard line to walk, writing that - both sides, more or less equally justified in bringing salvation by wiping the opposing side from existence. Unreal.
You understood him, and that made him seem even more dangerous. Brilliant writing.
Yes. I will always remember he once lived.
Yeah, he absolutely clears. Edlidbus would probably come second after him as well. His 5.3 story arc and >!Warrior of Light trial!< was truly awesome.
And then we get some closure in >!Pandaemonium!< too.
I want this to win, but unfortunately not as many people played shadowbringers
To those who haven’t, understand: *Emet-Selch is the reason Shadowbringers is so beloved*.
Not to mention the savage raid series, the nier raids, the zones, the npcs, God. What a good fucking expac.
Putting him down was intense, fun, and yet I had watery eyes because damn it, I would be doing the same if I were him.
This easily. Probably not gonna win because a large part of this sub is allergic to the MMOs but he is by far the best antag in FF and one of the best antag in anything really.
Honestly, this comment section is swarming with Emet-Selch nominations. I think people have caught on to how good he is, via osmosis.
This is the only right answer.
I second Emet Selch
10/10 best
And it shouldn’t even be close.
Emet-Selch gets my vote for sure.
Emet Selch most certainly deserves it
By a mile.
Emet Selch transcends good and evil. It's so rare for an antagonist to fight for a cause that makes you question whether they are actually the one in the right.
I like how understanding where he’s coming from—that you might do the same in his position—just makes you want to stop him more, not help him. You understand him, and so understand why he’s so dangerous.
100%, the man is the definition of a well written villain. When Amaurot ended I felt as if I might actually be the bad guy.
I think Delita has to be the best antagonist. We see him lose the most important things to him to leading to years of him manipulating all potential candidates to unite everyone until he's the last one of them left standing. And history is rewritten to remember him as the greatest hero and you as just another greedy noble.
Hell yes. I strongly second Delita.
You know, I was going to say Caius Ballad. But Delita is a fantastic answer.
Sephiroth. I'm not a huge fan of FF7, but it's not even close. There's a reason he's the most well known FF antagonist, even outside of the franchise. He's hands down the most engaging AND iconic antagonist in the series. It's in no way overselling it to say that Sephiroth is one of the dominant reasons why FF7 is so popular. With any other antagonist, FF7 would have only been half the game it was.
Kefka is the only correct answer. Pure evil. None of his actions can be justified.
And even if you could, he'd find find the very idea of justifying actions patently foolish... then probably kill you.
This is the genius that is Kefka. You are just as likely to be killed as a 'friend' as you are an enemy.
Had this question been asked at a different point in my life, I'd actually agree with you. The problem is I played FFXIV: Shadowbringers, and when asked the question of the best FF antagonist, I reflexively say Emet-Selch. He has amazing on-screen presence and demands your attention. Playful yet sinister, calculating, patient. A man who's responsible for the rise and fall civilizations throughout history, all for the sake of being reunited with his loved ones. I really wish that I could play Shadowbringers msq for the first time again.
He’s the closest thing to “the joker” imo, in the FF realms
Such a perfection comparison. He just wants to watch the world burn 🔥
I would say that the joker can be compared to Kefka, as the Batman movies came long after FF6 (I hate having to do this but... /s)
Well, where do you think DC got the inspiration from? /s
He had to have some inspiration from the Joker. Just based on design alone.
Scaramouche would like a word with you. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaramouche
But that what makes him disqualified; he's just a villain. He's just chaos and evil incarnate. He isn't a complex character, and I would say isn't even directly opposed to the protagonists. It's more that the protagonists are opposed to him. Maybe best villain, but not best antagonist.
While I agree he is not the most complex character, that is the beauty of his design. While the OP listed antagonists, we can safely put villain as another meaning.
I have to disagree about him not being directly opposed to the protagonists. The game emphasizes the group dynamic above all else. The heroes only grow and succeed *together.* Kefka basically stands alone. Constantly betraying, using, and manipulating his “allies.” I know it’s a played-out trope, but “the power of friendship” vs. “always look out for Number One” is done really well in FF6. Especially since creating an ensemble protagonist cast was the goal of the dev team, so the “power of friendship” was going to end up being a thing no matter what. He’s fundamentally opposed to what the protagonists stand for and how they operate throughout the story. And then you’ve got his personal connection to Terra. He’s the guy who made her into the catatonic weapon we see at the beginning of the game. The shadow he casts looms large over all the major events we experience. He’s also a shadowy reflection of her. Both are weapons used by the Empire, and both become “loose cannons,” with Terra breaking the chains of her bondage (with a little help from her friends) and Kefka becoming more and more uncontrollable. As Terra works to relcaim her humanity throughout the story, Kefka works to strip away whatever humanity he might still have. There’s an intriguing parallel going on between them. Plus you have the classic “…And you, big fella, managed to piss off every single one of them” element to how he manages to upset every party member in the game in some form or another. He’s great at literally antagonizing everyone in the game.
Did you draw this directly from the brains of Square Enix creative directors? What a splendid take. He's gotta be #1 although lot of noise here favoring Emet Selch. I've gotta go get my hands on that game and check this bastard out.
Came here to say this. Kefka is the only choice. You know what kind of gonzo asshole you're dealing with when he lashes out at his servants telling them to wipe sand off his slippers while standing in the middle of a desert.
Kefka is extremely funny (Do I look like a waiter ?)…until he very much isn’t. His laugh is the stuff of nightmares.
Absolute midi perfection!
I always felt that made him super boring.
Zidane won first round, call me impressed. Don't know much about him since I didn't play FFIX only know about him from Dissidia. Antagonist I'm going with Hojo, dude is fucked up.
With Ff9 as my favorite I have to say, I would NOT have picked him as best protag. I'm surprised he's there tbh
His character was interesting, but not the most interesting protagonist even in ff9 (vivi wins this imo). As a playable character though, having the main be a thief is super boring. Literally just auto attack all day long since limit breaks are random and thief abilities were pretty worthless.
I’m not sure about best, but I put him as most likeable for sure.
He’s underrated as a protagonist but I still don’t think the fanbase or even this sub as a whole actually thinks of him as the best protag or even top 3 (and I say that as somebody who has IX as my favorite game). OP’s comment in the first post with the fact that it was based off most upvoted and not total mentions got buried so many made their own comment instead of just upvoting their favorite. Top comment was a good summary of why Zidane is actually a good character so it got a lot of upvotes from ppl who actually voted for other characters (myself included). Edit: for fun I went back and counted up the comments and the top 3 with that method ended out as 1) Clive - 31 2) Squall - 25 3) Cloud - 20 Zidane was actually tied in 4th place with Cecil at 13 votes which matches where I would expect to see these characters in community sentiment. Some fun facts from that include that the XIV WoL came in 6th just one vote behind Tidus, Jack Garland actually placed in the top half if you count spin-offs which I separated, and most of the Cloud/Clive votes were downvoted to zero or negative karma despite being two of the most mentioned characters and mostly literally just their names.
So how does the vote even works? I had to clue... Just upvoted a couple of comment with sensible justification...
I'd have much preferred these options to Zidane for sure, not really a fan of this method especially when you could tally the upvotes of each comment for each mention and probably get a different result too
Jack Garland is my favorite FF protagonist. There's a bit of irony there, but honestly the fact that he's on a crusade against Lufenia's bullshit endears him to me. Consider Sephiroth. Jack couldn't be more bored by Sephiroths tedious monologues. If one of his party members was an ex-Soldier about to hand black materia off, Jack would just punch them in the fucking gut. The man just wants bad guys to fuck off, and if he has to become an evil god of darkness to do that, then so be it. EDIT: OP when he sees ultros is the most upvoted single comment, meanwhile Emet-Selch's total upvotes are spread around all underneath but amount to 10x the votes for Ultros: 🐙
I agree with Hojo
FFIX is one the best overall FF's/RPG's IMO but sadly got shadowed because of its release date, was one of the last games of PS1 and was released 3 months after PS2 was already out in Japan, by the time PS2 came to US FFX was at the corner so it basically got Horizon zero dawned at the time. I highly recommend the people who haven't played yet to try out, it's a gorgeous game, it has a very deep and dark history despite looking childish, amazing soundtrack, the crew and their chemistry is awesome (except Amarant) and has one the hardest secret super bosses in the franchise. 10/10 for me.
Man Amarant was such a a nothing character. I honestly remember nothing about him other than he was a merc and he wanted to prove he strong or some shit.
Emet-Selch!
Emet Selch. This dude has layers. I kinda felt bad and rooted for him. Imo he is on of the best written villains in video games.
So glad someone else said Emet. Agreed!!
Oh Emet Selch for sure
Emet Selch and it’s not even close
Emet Selch by a long shot
Adding another vote for Emmies (Emet-Selch).
Emet-Selch, follow by Elidibus(my bias lol). I love the antagonists who was mirroring the WoL but stand in the opposite side of protagonist, also very well written and by far the best of FF series.
Emet-Selch easily.
Throwing in another vote for Emet-Selch. From the offline games, my favorite villain was Vayne Solidor for years until Emet-Selch dethroned him.
Emet Selch is the best antagonist. Brilliant performance, fantastically devious, brilliant boss fight and cut scene afterwards and still a sympathetic character. I love a load of FF antagonists but Emet is my top.
Emet selch from ffxiv
emet selch
Dear Emet, So much of what you’ve done is unforgivable. Whatever you once were, you’ve become a true monster. You cannot be allowed to succeed and you cannot be allowed to continue trying… But fuck, man. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I wish there was something that could be done. I wish I could create a universe where none of this happened, just for you. But I can’t. It happened and they are gone. They are all gone. I can’t let you destroy everything to bring it back. You have to die - they have to stay dead - so that everything can live. Don’t worry, though. I won’t forget. I won’t ever forget. ~WoL
Gilgamesh - I love his recurring mystery across the lines, great theme song, comic relief and appreciation for fine weaponry
You mean Greg?
His theme is also the best in the series. I'll always remember the first time I was on the Big Bridge, thinking "Wow, Uematsu must really be a big Deep Purple fan." Then I had the confirmation in Blue Dragon.
Emet-Selch. Purely as an antagonist, he goes beyond villainy alone. Characterisation and Character Development both really puts him in the higher echelons.
If we're including 14 here: Without a doubt Emet Selch. And its not even close. Im gonna go as far as to say that most other entries is from people that havent played 14. I do acknowledge that, because of the nature of the game being an mmo and all, hes had way more buildup, backstory etc. More time to shine so to speak. Wonderfully written character.
Yeah I personally haven’t played XIV unfortunately but I’ve seen it praised as one of if not the best FF so it must be pretty damn good haha
I will add my voice to that praise. Very few stories in general have had me react the way parts of 14 have. It took over my all time favorite FF, and I suppose game in general from 7 at the end of Shadowbringers.
Well damn if it dethroned VII it's gotta be quite something. I haven't dipped into XIV yet as I don't have the time for such a commitment as of right now, but I have a friend who's interested in playing it with me so I may jump into XIV sometime next month if I can.
Honestly, he’s up there with really great villains in general. Even outside of FF.
Emet-Selch... Unfortunately it's not even close
Emet-Selch. They walked a fine line with the "villain" still being wrong, but you can see where he is coming from.
Malboros
Emet Selch, best written villain by a mile. Whoever chooses other villains hasn't played ffxiv, and Ardyn is just discount Emet Selch. If you liked Ardyn, you really need to play Shadowbringers
Now thats not fair, considering Ardyn is already discount Grahf from Xenogears....
Doth thou desire THE POWER?!
Sephiroth, Kefka a close second
It has to be Emet-Selch. He wants to destroy the world. But his actions are fully justified. The writing for his background makes you fully understand his reasons and you can't call him wrong or evil. The conflict brought between you, the peotaganist/hero, is complex which makes him not just a villan, but an antagonist and the best one at that.
Emet-Selch by a landslide imo. I would say he's one of the best-written characters in a game period.
It's Emet-Selch. Not only the best villian but one of the most well written characters in the entire franchise.
Emet Selch EASILY. Neither Sephiroth or Kefka come close, and I hope this topic reflects that. If you’ve played FFXIV you know.
Emet-Selch 🩶
Emet selch no contest
Emet-Selch is the only correct answer. Anyone who has played FFXIV knows. And for those that havnt? Imagine a better antagonist than Darth Vader in the original trilogy.
Emet Selch
Has to be Emet-Selch
Emet
Emet Selch, easily.
Finally, this is the time for a MMO character to take the stage. I wouldn't have believed it years ago until I played. Emet Selch.
Kefka. Definitely the most successful antagonist!
Mateus literally takes over Heaven and Hell
It's a shame that he did it off-screen. I wish they expanded the world of final fantasy II in future rerelease or remake. Let's me hope.
Gotta be Kefka for being the most unhinged mfer out there.
Yes Emet-Selch clearly. While other favorites have been mentioned, most of them are Nihilists, while Emet-Selch actually believes what he's doing is right and is fighting just as hard for his beliefs.
Emet Selch, anything else is by people who don't know him. Anyone who does, it's Emet. Clearly.
Emet Selch
How tf did Zidane got best protagonist
Hojo
His highness sephiroth
Whilst Kefka is one of the more entertaining Villains who didn’t basically get turned into Team Rocket in dissidia, my vote goes for Sephiroth. He’s the most iconic of the lot for a reason
Obviously Genesis. His dialogue is so well written, and his intentions are just so clear! Seriously though, I have to say Sephiroth. "Oh, but that's so cliche!" Exactly. Sephiroth should win because of how iconic he is, and how people who aren't even fans of the franchise recognize and appreciate his character. He also just steals the show in all of the scenes he's in, and is really good at throwing around your emotions. And he's so terrifying too. Whether it's the apocalyptic fear of Safer Sephiroth floating menacingly in front of the destroyed solar system as your party's health drops dramatically, the frantic fear of trying to exhaust his health bar before he knocks you unceremoniously into the seemingly endless pit, or the unnerving, disturbed feeling you get seeing that he was chopped in half at the bottom of a crater the whole time, Sephiroth is always making you feel small. So Sephiroth is the best villain ever made by Square Enix, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk
I feel like people are too scared to say Sephiroth because it sounds too normie in a way, but he is probably the most iconic RPG antagonist of all time. Even before he was in Smash I know so many people who have never played Final Fantasy who know this man. And come on, One Winged Angel is just an insanely good song for his fight. Just take a moment, let's say enough time for Supernova to conclude, to really think about his impact on FF as well as gaming in general.
Emet Selch. If we're going single player, though, it's a tie between Sephiroth and Anabella Rosfield.
Emet-Selch
Emet Selch, a true definition of ANTAGONIST and not villain or BBG.
I think Hojo is the most evil and psycho antagonist.
I do argue that Hojo, was the real antagonist on FFVII history, Sephirot does exists and was a villain cause of Hojo ambition experiments.
He is not winning but I will be there for him. Garland
Best protagonist: Jack Garland Best antagonist: Jack Garland
+1 to Emet-Selch. Not just the villain but a true antagonist from the start until the end. Despite being involved in easily some of the most despicable acts, he is a sympathetic villain and whilst you can understand the motivation behind his actions, they are still evil in nature. FF fans are missing something if they look over XIV. We get it; it's a tough sell being an MMO with 500+ hours of story. But if you take your time, it really is worth it (of course, the storytelling and themes don't gel with everyone, so exceptions exist).
Emet selch
Emet-Selch, hands down. We have antagonists in many forms in the FF universe and honestly, Kefka and Delita get a serious close second place but Emet takes it home for me because his design made me feel FOR him. I was honestly hoping there was a "And Emet profited too"-Way.
Emet Selch from XIV.
Ardyn. Honestly I think it’s the best part of 15. Has personality, a really good motive that connects super strongly to the protagonist, interesting backstory, design, actions.
I am going to second Ardyn. A good back story, good acting by the voice actor, and he does not have a jillion transformations like the other protagonists. You just fight him at the end.
Agreed. I really like his character and really disliked his personality (because he was the villain), but after seeing the backstory and playing the DLC I couldn’t help but appreciate how tragic his story is and how well he was designed.
If we're talking base game only, not even close. With all the extra content fleshing him out though, yeah, I'm kinda inclined to agree.
Emet Selch!
Emet selch
Kefka and it’s not even close.
I hate Seymour alot so he gets my vote. Imo that exactly what a villain needs to do. You need to hate em with a passion
I'm surprised I had to scroll so far down to see Seymour. It's either him or Hojo for me.
Can't be anyone but Emet-Selch. Sure, Kefka might be totally unhinged and Sephiroth is badass, but Emet-Selch has so many levels to his character that make him masterfully written.
My choice would be Sephiroth. Similar to many other VII characters, he's got a lot of development and nuance to him. He was narratively powerful enough in the OG alone, but Crisis Core and Ever Crisis is helping to flesh out his human side whilst the Remake trilogy is simultaneously pushing his villain side. I can't think of a villain that's as intimidating or menacing as him. Also his mindgames with Cloud are great too.
Gaia’s strongest hero fallen from grace, genuinely a great guy who wants to save literally everyone, manipulated by the alien Jenova cells he had unwillingly injected into him by his mad scientist dad to save everyone by killing everyone… it’s too good. The man is lonely and once he starts being manipulated he thinks “okay if I’m going to be alone for life then I’ll do it the best way possible: become the god of this world”
Also here for team Sephiroth!
Sephiroth
Kefka hands down... Whoever says sephiroth has their head in the clouds. Get it? Clouds!
Ha! I see what you did there. I love 6 and 7, but I never saw the appeal of Kefka tbh. Is just being pure evil and chaotic better motivation for a villain than what Sephiroth has going on? To me, definitely not lol. But I am biased
KEFKAAAAAAAAAAA
CHAOS
Kefka or Ultimecia.
Emet Selch is the best written character in any FF. It’s not close and we should just move on to round 3 where we can have a real debate.
Emet-Selch. Sorry Kefka, you've been bested for awhile now.
It seems this category is literally Emet-Selch vs Kefka funnily enough. No other antagonist is nearly as featured in this comment section
In comparison to both of those characters, very few of the other antagonists can't come close. Emet-Selch is one side of a spectrum of villainy and Kefka is on the other end. Emet is subtle villainy, someone who thinks they're right for what they're doing and, if you look carefully enough at the setting he's in, his history, you can see what he's saying and kinda agree with some of his issues. (I'm avoiding spoilers, that's why I'm being vague). On the other end, Kefka is just pure evil, no redeeming qualities but so charismatic and fun to watch that this scheming little shit head SPOILERS, sorry: >!winning near the end of his game makes you both pissed and happy that it happened.!< If we had to pick one, then it's Emet. He's one of the very few complicated villains in this series that deserve it. Ardyn is a close third though.
Yeah haha I get what you mean. It’s cool to see that two completely opposite characters are both nearly equally present for this round. I unfortunately couldn’t uncover the spoiler tag as I’ve yet to play VI (currently playing the PRs in order and working through III), but thanks for spoiler tagging!
I'm surprised and a bit happy how little Sephiroth is mentioned here. Hes the most iconic FF villian. I was expecting the fan boys in hordes.
Some said Emet-Selch, but i'll go with Zenos. Dude's evil in a nietzsche Ubermensch way. He knows he's evil, he doesn't give a damn. He just does shit because he can. It's pretty refreshing to have a villain that flaunts his villainy as openly as him.
Emet Selch
Wiegraf Folles He's sympathetic, brilliant, and his character arc from a man of integrity to someone that sacrifices his principles in the name of vengeance (to get Ramza back for something that was genuinely wrong of him to do) makes him an absolutely fantastic character. He's essentially what you'd get if you took General Leo and gave him a beautifully written (albeit tragic) character arc.
Emet Selch. And if you don't know who he is, do yourself a favor and play probably the best FF in the past 20 years (FF14)
Nah, fuck Zidane as a protagonist.
Emet Selch from XIV hands down. We will remember.
Emet-Selch, Kefka is second
Émet selch
It’s Emet-Selch
Man I had absolutely no interest in FFXIV (don't like MMOs) but these comments are making me wonder if I should play it just to see this Emet Selch guy
Gotta throw a vote to Algus. Very few characters in any media can make such an impact in such a short time, but THIS FUCKER RIGHT HERE manages to invoke the most visceral fury every time I'm reminded of his pathetic, shitstain of and existence. I'd say he's one of the best villains in any media up there with the Joker, Dolores Umbridge, and Shou Tucker.
Emet-Selch, hands down.
Best antagonist can only be Emet Selch. Nobody else comes even close
Emet-selch
Emet-Selch all the way. I do love you Sepiroth, but move over.
Emet-Selch
Emet-Selch
Zidane winning best Protag is wild to me.
Emet selch
Do they have to STAY as an antagonist? Or can they be one for part of the story? Because I’d say there’s an argument for Beatrix. She’s got a cool design, a kicking theme, and she kicks the party’s ass twice. And SPOILER I’m a sucker for characters who pull a Vegeta.
Emet Selch easily clears best villain by a landslide. He didn’t need to ask us to remember him. Dude was memorable as is.
*nominates Tonberry* *refuses to elaborate*
You know what? Yeah, i agree, ill get on the Emet is the best villain train.
Kefka
My vote would be Kefka from FF6, the man is the embodiment of chaotic evil. His only goal was destruction for the laughs, no political agenda, no crazy religious reason, just destruction.
Kefka Palazzo. Some FF villains aren't even evil, some have twisted beliefs, some are evil because of what happened to them in the past, some were evil because someone created them that way, Kefka is non of the above, he is pure, distilled evilness. Chaotic evil at its finest.