The idea of a villain transforming to become more powerful has been around for decades. It played a huge role in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series and has subsequently become something of a trope in the JRPG genre as well. One franchise that has made use of transformations time and time again is Final Fantasy, with many of the long-running series' final bosses having multiple forms for players to fight.
Over the years, there have been plenty of great final forms for players to marvel at, most of which help to make the villain seem infinitely more intimidating. For fans of the series, it can be a little difficult to agree on a definitive ranking for all of these fearsome foes, but the very best final forms of Final Fantasy villains manage to set themselves apart from the rest thanks to their distinctive designs.
5 Neo Exdeath (Final Fantasy 5)
Though the likes of Chaos and Zeromus feature incredibly distinctive designs, neither quite compares to that of Neo Exdeath in Final Fantasy 5. After the two worlds are merged by the wicked warlock Exdeath, he transforms into a hideously grotesque form that towers intimidatingly over the party and incorporates numerous menacing elements like some terrifying world-ending chimera.
There's perhaps an argument to be made that there's a little too much going on with this design, or that the fact that it incorporates several scantily-clad females detracts from its overall malice a little. One thing that cannot be disputed, however, is that Neo Exdeath's appearance is incredibly striking and is one of the most drastic transformations in the history of Final Fantasy, especially considering Exdeath's initial humanoid form.
4 The Undying (Final Fantasy 12)
When compared to some of the other great Final Fantasy villains, Vayne is arguably a little underwhelming. Thankfully, the same cannot be said about his final form, which comes about after he merges with Venat and assimilates parts of the Sky Fortress Bahamut to become The Undying. The end result is truly terrifying, but it's perhaps the way that the boss' design incorporates classic elements of the series, rather than its sheer size and destructive power, that makes this such a fantastic final form.
Not only does The Undying effectively become Bahamut, making use of many of the recurring summon's iconic moves like Megaflare and Gigaflare, but it also offers a few nice nods to previous Final Fantasy heroes and villains. Like Barret from Final Fantasy 7, one of the boss' arms is replaced with a Gatling gun, while its wings are a little reminiscent of the final forms of Kefka and Sephiroth. This all makes for an incredibly intimidating encounter and one of the best final boss forms in Final Fantasy history.
3 Braska's Final Aeon (Final Fantasy 10)
The main heroes of the Final Fantasy franchise don't have much luck when it comes to fathers. Most of them are orphans from an early age, while others see their fathers die just before their in-game adventures really begin. Things are arguably a lot worse for Tidus, however, as although his father is very much alive throughout his childhood, Jecht is incredibly unsupportive and almost seems to resent his son for nothing more than existing.
It's this subtext and the flashbacks that players are treated to throughout Final Fantasy 10's narrative that make the fight with Jecht at the end of the game so compelling. By that point, he's been transformed into an Aeon, which Tidus and his friends are forced to defeat in order to reach Yu Yevon at Sin's core. Much like Safer Sephiroth in Final Fantasy 7, there is technically one more unlosable fight after beating Braska's Final Aeon, but most fans consider Jecht to be the true final boss of the game.
2 Kefka (Final Fantasy 6)
When players first encounter Kefka in Final Fantasy 6, he appears to be just another one of Emperor Gestahl's puppets. As the story progresses, however, the true threat posed by this abhorrent antagonist starts to become clear. First, he poisons an entire village without giving it a second thought before then going on to murder several of his comrades in cold blood. Unfortunately, things only get worse from there.
After absorbing the power of the Warring Triad, Kefka effectively becomes a God and uses his newfound abilities to wreak havoc across the planet. This also leads to a transformation, with his flamboyant jester-like appearance making way for an intimidating god-like physique with giant wings. The now-iconic "Dancing Mad" plays in the background to help set the tone, but it's arguably the drastic nature of his transformation and the raw power at his disposal that make the stakes feel so high.
1 Safer Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
From the very moment that the battle with Safer Sephiroth begins, players know that they're in for a tough fight. Even those who don't understand Latin should be able to pick up on the ominous and violent tone of his "One-Winged Angel" backing track, while his Seraph-like appearance clues players into the fact that they are now facing off against a celestial being rather than some monster or mere mortal.
In previous Final Fantasy games, the final forms of final bosses have tended to be grotesque and unsightly, yet Safer Sephiroth is anything but. With his chiseled upper body and six blue-tipped wings, he comes off as being pretty majestic, though not nearly enough to mask the malicious undertones of his design. It's this, together with the grandiose nature of his Supernova attack, that makes the fight so memorable and cements Sephiroth's place as one of the most terrifying video game villains of all time.