Summary
TheFinal Fantasyseries might be known for its different races and unique character designs that are found throughout its vibrant worlds, but it also shows a great range of humanity. Some humans might be more complex as they grapple with the issues that their respective game throws at them, while others can be one-off laughs. As the series has gone on, especially with the advent of voice acting, humanity has been shown quite spectacularly at times. Eventhe often-misunderstood laughing sceneis an incredible display of humanity and how people can soldier on through tough times.
The flip side is thatFinal Fantasydoes terror quite well, too. For every smiling and laughing person, there is a human who instills fear, the kind that many will hope to avoid during a playthrough. Though an argument can be made for many, these are some of thescariest human characters inFinal Fantasygames.
Judge Gabranth (or Noah fon Ronsenburg) represents the most intimidating element ofFinal Fantasy 12’s stronger lean towards a politically-emphasized empire versus the resistance story - the judges. With brilliantly designed and intimidating armor, the judges make an early and swift impression. Strict control of knowledge is a great way to build tension and fear, and the designs of each judge are different. Each emphasizes power while obscuring the wearer.
Gabranth’s close ties to the party leaves him feeling like someone who should be assisting the heroes, but he is actually responsible forthe death of protagonist Vaan’s brother. The judges' impact was also not ignored by developers Square Enix, who included Gabranth as the sole representative of12in the originalDissidiafighting title. Gabranth is complicated, coy, and intimidating, serving as a great example of how to do a more traditionally scary villain.
For much ofFinal Fantasy 10, it seems like both the protagonist and its villain shouldn’t exist. They are in stark contrast to the lore of much of the area, to the extent that Tidus,the protagonist and Jecht’s son, has to lie to avoid offending the local populace. What makes Jecht terrifying is the emotional consequence: Fighting him will lead to both him and his son no longer existing, and that fight alone will see a troubled father-son relationship reach a heartbreaking conclusion.
Jecht is the villain that players do not want to see fought, especially with Tidus struggling so much to come to terms with how his father treated him. The fact that killing him is the party’s ultimate goal makes for a truly complex journey. Jecht is complicated, but he is also a fine example of how terror doesn’t have to be all about raw physical power.
The King of Waloed and dominant of Odin, Barnabus, is the last dominant fought in the darker, more mature entry ofFinal Fantasy 16. Yet every moment on screen, he exudes power. One particular appearance of his functions as a very effective jump scare, further proving just how scary he really is.
He often speaks in a mysterious way, and protagonist Clive Rosfield doesn’t usually understand what he means, only furthering the fear. The battle against him is rightfully one ofthe toughest story fights in the game, reminding players that Odin’s dominant is not to be trifled with.
Following the side quests inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis a worthwhile cause, with many prompting the player to explore new areas.Queens Blood was always going to stand out, especially because of the notable successes with card games in the eighth and ninth installments of the franchise.
Nene is one of the first players that gamers will face, and she is a fine example of how even a small NPC can be quite terrifying. She’s just a child, but her dead-to-the-world tone and insistence on hiding behind a doll called Mr. Cuddlesworth are remarkably creepy. Players will either run in fear or burst out laughing upon meeting her. She is very inconsequential, yes, but she is still very creepy.
In some ways, knowing what humanity can do while being under reasonable thought is more terrifying than sheer chaos. With Kefka,Final Fantasy 6produced a memorable villain who fulfilled every child’s worst nightmare concerning clowns, yet there is one other foe in all of this. WhileKefka was more chaotic evil, Emperor Gestahl was more of a lawful evil who laid the groundwork.
It’s one thing to be utterly insane, yet Gestahl reflects a more somber form of cruelty. Characters like Gestahl become terrifying because players can see how humans could get to this point. He still slaughtered people and effectively reignited the feared War of the Magi. Were the game to ever be remade, one could expect Gestahl’s humanity to be emphasized and not in a reassuring manner.
By this point,Sephiroth is incredibly well known, but it’s easy to forget that the protagonist he opposes is also quite terrifying. Cloud is demonstrably mentally unstable, and theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeseries makes it even more clear that he isn’t a reliable narrator. His voice cannot be trusted, and his questionable connections to the main antagonist are very concerning.
This is the person who the other protagonists are effectively relying on to save the day. With the original, the unreliable narrator element was handled in one big moment, in a twist that was arguably better than that other twist the game is renowned for. This time, however, it is quietly questioned throughoutRebirth. There is no comfort for much of the game with Cloud; he is quite quietly terrifying.
Ardyn is a horrifically magnetic villain. Players will not want to like him, but inevitably they will. His charisma verges on the ridiculous, yet for all the sarcasm and dry humor, he only has one real desire - wanting to die. Having started as a reasonable human being, years of contorting and effectively murdering others has warped his mind. Now, he does not care about anything other than dying, but that lets his charisma shine through.
A quirky dress sense, a good sense of humor, and an initially vague morality make Ardyn a great villain for an otherwise troubled game. He’s the kind of character who would usually be much too charming to fill a villainous role. Being strong is one thing, but being magnetic while also being thoroughly evil is a far worse mix.
There aren’t often opponents who are so strong that the fight can revolve around them getting bored. Beatrix is an exception; she is so strong that the battle with her can end after ten turns because she gets tired of it. The script is also executed when she falls beneath a certain hp, at which point she annihilates the player. For Beatrix, it’s a case of: ‘Whatever, enough is enough.’
This makes her oddly terrifying. She’s strong to the point of being apathetic to the idea of the party even being a contest. Yes, she does turn good eventually, and she even temporarily joins the party. Her popularity is so strong among fans that there are even mods making her a permanently playable character. Still, this shouldn’t diminish how utterly terrifying each fight against her is for first-time players.
A popularFinal Fantasy 8fan theorysuggests that protagonist Squall dies at the end of the first disk. This is when he’s struck by an icicle conjured by someone who initially seems like the prime villain, Edea. It’s certainly a strange game and, sometimes, considered the black sheep of the trio of mainline titles on the original PlayStation, but some of the individual ideas are very well executed. Edea is one of those ideas.
An imposing, almost demonic figure, Edea quickly sets herself out as the big main target while evidently possessing incredible magical power. She goes on to survive an assassination attempt and even wages war against the protagonists. Much like the game itself, she is a very complicated character, but it’s hard to deny how terrifying she can be.
One of the easiest ways to create fear is through a lack of information to breed difficulty in understanding.Final Fantasy Tacticswas a political drama steeped in nobility and callous attitudes to life, and this helped its story stand out. Delita Heiral is a character who, after his role as a persistent guest in the first chapter, becomes a very strong but mysterious element in the story. He is there from the first scene to the last; this is as much his story as the protagonist Ramza’s.
He is manipulative, extremely strong, and he deliberately obfuscates his allegiances. Much of the time, he ends up helping the party, yet this doesn’t make the unease any better. His talent at manipulation ensures that, should he ever turn against the party, the situation could quickly lead to a forlorn and doomed fight. One simply never knows with him; that’s why he’s so scary.
