Final Fantasy is a game series that has no shortage of memorable boss fights. From the first fight with Garland in the original Final Fantasy to the final battle with Ardyn in Final Fantasy XV, there have been many amazing bosses. Even some of the non-final bosses in the franchise are suitably epic. This includes the iconic Guard Scorpion fight in Final Fantasy VII, and the Seymour fights in X.
The main storyline boss fights may generate a lot of fun, but they often do not offer the same level of difficulty that many diehard players would crave. That’s the purpose of most optional bosses; they add a new level of difficulty that hardcore gamers would desire. While there are optional bosses that aren’t too hard to beat in the series, some of the more challenging bosses are some of the most strenuous to find.
For instance, Omega Weapon from Final Fantasy VIII is the most grueling boss in the entire game. To actually challenge him is also somewhat tricky. Another example is the boss Penance from Final Fantasy X. To fight Penance, you would need to defeat eight other really challenging bosses. Because of how tricky some of these bosses are, I will be going over 22 Final Fantasy Bosses That Are Impossible To Find And How To Find Them. These bosses are as hard to find as they're tough, which is really saying a lot because they're pretty difficult to beat!
22 Adamantoise (Final Fantasy XV)
Adamantoise was the main focus in a lot of preview footage for Final Fantasy XV. It is considered a late-to-end game challenge. After you pass the ninth chapter in the main game, use Umbra to travel back to Lucis. Talk to Cindy at the Hammerhead Garage, and the hunt for Adamantoise becomes available. The Hunt is labeled as the “Lonely Rumblings in Longwythe.” Adamantoise will be chilling at Longwythe Peak, and he is a level 99 boss. He’s arguably one of the most challenging bosses in the game, though most players claim they can beat him with playable characters around level 55.
21 Ozma (Final Fantasy IX)
The great and powerful Ozma is the hardest boss in Final Fantasy IX. You need to find Ozma on Chocobo's Air Garden. To get to Air Garden, you need to use a Sky Choco to fly upwards from a shadow that appears randomly in the world. To get a Sky Choco, you need to give your Choco the Sky Ability. To get the Sky Ability, you need to play the mini-game Chocobo Hot and Cold, which is when you find treasure with your Chocobo. To find the treasure that gives you the Sky Ability, you’ll need to play through the entire sidequest.
20 Proto-Babil (Final Fantasy IV (DS))
The sucky thing of challenging the Proto-Babil superboss is that you need to beat Final Fantasy IV at least one time before you can challenge it. To summon the Babil, you’ll need the Dark Matter item. The only way to get Dark Matter is to steal it from Zeromus, the final boss of the game. After obtaining the Dark Matter, you need to start the game all over in a New Game Plus. You then have to use the Dark Matter when you’re on the surface of the moon. The moon is only accessible to players fairly late in the game.
19 Long Gui (Final Fantasy XIII)
To unlock Long Gui, which are giant long-legged turtles, you need to complete certain Missions. Missions in Final Fantasy XIII are optional quests that give gamers a target beast to defeat. Missions are given by Cie'th Stone, special objects that are located throughout the game. You need to accomplish missions 56 to 62 to unleash Long Gui. The Cie'th Stones that contain those specific missions are all found in Archylte Steppe.
The crazy thing about Long Gui is that he isn’t really a boss; instead, he's a very difficult enemy that replaces the Adamantortoise enemies in the game. Long Guis are more challenging than most bosses, so good luck to any players who have unlocked them.
18 Nox Suzaku (Final Fantasy Type-0)
Nox Suzaku from Final Fantasy Type-0 is a super boss that is only available to players in their second playthrough, or in New Game Plus. You first encounter Nox Suzaku in chapter 6 of the main game. You need to pick the second option when you’re given a choice, and a new mission called "The Last Line of Defense" would be unlocked. At the end of "The Last Line of Defense," you face Nox Suzaku for the first time. After beating him for the first time, he would appear randomly within the game from then on. He would try to steal the player’s phantoma, energy that the player can absorb from fallen enemies to replenish their MP.
17 Raspatil (Final Fantasy XIII-2)
Finding Raspatil in Final Fantasy XIII-2 is actually pretty simple, but it may it require some patience from the player. Raspatil is a random encounter enemy that is only found on the beach in Oerba 400 AF. Raspatil is a rare encounter, meaning you may have to walk around on the beach for a good while until you finally meet the giant snake with multiple arms thing.
You may also be lucky (or unlucky) and encounter the creature right away. There isn’t much else to say about Raspatil. Just go to the beach in Oerba, and make sure it is Oerba 400 AF and not any other Oerba.
16 Archadian Judges (Final Fantasy XII)
The Archadian Judges are enforcers of the law in the Arcadian Empire, and are also the commanders of the Arcadian army. They serve as the primary antagonists in Final Fantasy XII, and have some pretty awesome looking armor. You fight the five judges separately throughout the game.
In the International versions of the game, you can face all five judges at the same time. Fighting all the Arcadian Judges is the final challenge in the game’s trial mode. Trial mode is a bonus mode available in later releases of the game. The judges are the final stage of the 100 stage trial mode, and they are hard as heck.
15 Deumion And Phrekyos (Final Fantasy II)
To challenge Phrekyos and Deumion in Final Fantasy II, players will need to complete the Arcane Labyrinth sidequest. The Arcane Labyrinth are a series of dungeons that are located across the world. They can be accessed at any point in the game. They’re found west of Salamand, north of Bafsk, and west of Kashuan.
After completing those Labyrinths, the Labyrinth Sanctuary can then be accessed at the north of Poft. At the end of the Labyrinth Sanctuary, you’ll meet Deumion, who summons Phrekyos to test the player. After beating Phrekyos, you can challenge it again anytime you want. You can even challenge Deumion if you give him the Destruction key term, however, you’ll never be able to fight against Phrekyos again.
14 Lost Babil (Final Fantasy IV: The After Years)
Lost Babil is an optional boss in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, a sequel to the original Final Fantasy IV. It is only available in The Complete Collection version of the game. To fight it, you need to find the hidden location on the True Moon that is simply titled “???”. This hidden location can be accessed with the interdimensional elevator that is right next to the Lunar Whale, the ship the player uses to get to the True Moon.
Once you enter “???”, you can talk to Challengingway, a traveler you encounter throughout the game. By talking to him, you can challenge the Lost Babil for the price of 500,000 gil.
13 Hades (Final Fantasy IX)
Hades, all things considering, isn’t too difficult. Found in the final dungeon of Final Fantasy IX, Hades can be found in the ocean room of Memoria (the name of the final dungeon). He is found on the right-hand side, by some rocks. Usually, the game has a question mark over the character’s head to indicate they are by something that they can interact with. However, the game does not give any indication to the player if Hades is near, so you need to just keep tapping the X button until Hades talks to you. Beating him unlocks his special synthesis shop, which would stay at that same location you beat him.
12 Vercingetorix (Final Fantasy XIII)
Facing Vercingetorix in Final Fantasy XIII isn’t so different from unlocking the Long Guis in the same game. In XIII, there are stones called Cie'th Stones. The Cie’th Stones give players Missions; the Missions are just hunts for specific monsters. The last Cie’th Stone can only be unveiled once you completed Missions 27 to 51. You also needed to beat Barthandelus in Oerba.
The final Cie’th Stone can be found at the end of a broken railroad bridge in Oerba. The last stone will handle you the mission to hunt down Vercingetorix. Vercingetorix will then appear in Yaschas Massif Paddraean Archaeopolis.
11 Minerva (Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-)
The LOVELESS is an epic story from the world of Final Fantasy VII and serves as an important symbolism within the context of the narrative. The LOVELESS is a major focal point in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, where the primary antagonist Genesis becomes obsessed with it. The story is about three men looking for the gift of the goddess.
This so-called goddess may actually be an optional super boss in Crisis Core. She is called Minerva, and she is a powerful being that can be fought in the last Great Cavern of Wonders mission. To unlock the Great Cavern of Wonders mission, you essentially have to complete most of the proceeding missions. Minerva’s mission is 9-6-6 and she is one the final missions.
10 Shinryu (Final Fantasy V)
Interesting tidbit about Final Fantasy V is that it is the first game in the franchise to have a super boss. While hidden bosses have existed since the first Final Fantasy, Shinryu and Omega are the first to be classified as true super bosses. Shinryu is a mighty dragon, who has a greater significance in the grander Final Fantasy canon. He is given more backstory in the Dissidia fighting games, where he has a direct connection with Chaos and Cosmos. He is a monster-in-a-chest that can be found in the last floor in the Interdimensional Rift, the final dungeon of the game. Defeating him earns you the Ragnarok sword.
9 Neo Shinryu, Omega MK.11, And Enuo (Final Fantasy V)
When Final Fantasy V was ported to the Game Boy Advance, a new secret dungeon was added in. This new secret dungeon is located underwater, south of the Phantom village. Certain portions of the dungeon are sealed off until the player accomplishes particular objectives. Collecting the twelve legendary weapons and defeating Neo Exdeath (the final boss), unlocks an area called the Seal Temple. The Seal Temple contains some of the most challenging enemies in the game and is where many secret bosses are hidden. Neo Shinryu, Omega MK.II, and Enuo are all bosses that are found deep in the temple. Beating Enuo unlocks another area of the dungeon, where you can re-fight every boss in the game.
8 Kaiser Dragon (Final Fantasy VI)
After the halfway point of Final Fantasy VI, when the overworld becomes the World of Ruin, the player can challenge eight legendary dragons. They are scattered across the globe. The Red Dragon is in the Phoenix Cave. Ice Dragon is in the snowfields of Narshe Cliffs. Gold and Skull Dragon can be found in Kefka's Tower. Storm Dragon is at Mt. Zozo. Holy Dragon is in the Cultists' Tower. Earth Dragon is in the Opera House. And finally, the Blue Dragon is in the Ancient Castle.
Defeating all eight dragons unlocks the Dragon’s Den, which is north of the Dragon's Neck Coliseum. It is just a single tree on an island. Inside the Den is the Kaiser Dragon, a super boss. Beating the Kaiser allows you to face Omega Weapon afterward.
7 Zeromus EG (Final Fantasy IV)
After beating the final boss Zeromus in Final Fantasy IV, the mysterious Lunar Ruins become available to the player. Where is the Lunar Ruins? Well, on the Red Moon there is a rock that has a face on it. The entrance to the Lunar Ruins is below the rock. The Lunar Ruin is a bonus dungeon that has a series of trials that are based on the main playable characters. At the end of this 50 floor dungeon you face Zeromus EG, a weird-looking robot.
The Lunar Ruins and EG boss fight are only available in the 2D versions of Final Fantasy IV released after the Game Boy Advance port. The 3D versions do not contain the dungeon.
6 Chronodia (Final Fantasy (PSP))
For the 20th Anniversary of the original Final Fantasy, the PSP version of the game contained a new dungeon. To unlock this new dungeon you need to defeat the four fiends, the primary antagonists of the game, for the first time. Then you have to talk to a hooded man near the fountain area of the city of Cornelia. Then you go to the Chaos Shrine, where you witness the hooded man open a secret door.
Follow him inside, where you enter the Labyrinth of Time. You need to traverse a series of floors and puzzles. At the end of the dungeon, Chronodia is waiting for you. There are eight different versions of her you can fight, depending on how well you did in the Labyrinth.
5 MA-X Angelus-0 (Final Fantasy XV)
Similar to Raspatil in Final Fantasy XIII-2, encountering MA-X Angelus-0 in Final Fantasy XV is completely random. In the world of Final Fantasy XV, the nefarious Niflheim Empire have a series of airships that travel the lands. These airships are called Magitek engines, and they will drop down troops and Magitek machinery.
In chapter fifteen of the main game, you need to destroy the MA-X Patria robot. After defeating it, from that point forward, there is a chance that Magitek engines can drop the MA-X Angelus-0. A super boss, the Angelus-0’s appearance is mostly random. It deals high damage, forcing players to avoid Magitek engines just to possibly elude facing this challenging boss.
4 Yiazmat (Final Fantasy XII)
Yiazmat from Final Fantasy XII is a very hard boss to face. To fight Yiazmat, you first have to defeat the Hell Wyrm in the Sochen Cave Palace. To open the Wyrm’s lair, you need to have the Age-Worn Key. To get the key, you need to trade a Dragon Scale with the Wyrm Philosopher. The Philosopher is located in Windmill #10 in Cerobi Steppe, and he will only appear once you have defeated the Vyraal. The Vyraal is only available as an optional Hunt, and it is a Rank V hunt.
Once you have beaten the Hell Wyrm and pass all Rank VII Hunts, you can finally accept a Hunt for Yiazmat. Yiazmat is located in the Ridorana Cataract Colosseum, and he has over 50 million HP.
3 Penance (Final Fantasy X)
Dark Aeons are the bad version of the Aeons you use in Final Fantasy X. These bosses are available late in the game, and defeating all of them “rewards” you with an even more difficult boss.
You can find Dark Valeforin at the entrance of Besaid Village. Dark Ifrit is located on Bikanel. Dark Ixion is in the Thunder Plains. Dark Shiva is at the entrance of the Macalania Temple. Dark Bahamut is in the Zanarkand Dome. Dark Anima is at the entrance of Mt. Gagazet. You have to fight Dark Yojimbo five times in Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. Finally, you fight the Dark Magus Sisters in the Mushroom Rock Road. Beating all the Dark Aeons gives you the option of facing Penance with your airship.