If you owned a PlayStation One in 1997, it was practically prohibited to not go out and purchase a copy of Final Fantasy VII. Gamers across the globe were transfixed with this dark, graphically amazing, and narratively impressive JRPG that would soon rank among the best games ever made. We all remember the powerful cutscenes that ushered in a new era of video game story-telling, desperately relating to the game’s protagonist Cloud Strife, and we can all remember being legitimately spooked by Final Fantasy VII’s main villain: the trenchcoat wearing, Jenova-obsessed, big-bad himself, Sephiroth.

Sephiroth is an iconic figure in the Final Fantasy franchise. He is so popular that Square Enix (the game’s developers) will often include him and Cloud in any Final Fantasy side-project they are working on. His posters adorn the walls of 90s teenage edge-lords, and his sword seems to get increasingly longer as the years go by. From a blocky textured polygonal mess to a beautifully rendered 4k master-model, it seems like Sephiroth is here to stay with us in the zeitgeist forever. While he is considered to be one of the stronger bosses in the series, Final Fantasy has a long and storied career in game-making. There's a lot of characters, bosses, and optional side quests you can do, making the Sephiroth fight at the end of Final Fantasy VII (in hindsight) look practically boring. In fact, he isn’t even the strongest character in his own game. Below is a list of 25 characters who make Sephiroth look like a doofus swinging around a wet noodle. Not to get all my-dad-can-beat-up-your-dad about it, but if your dad was Sephiroth, then it turns out there are a lot of daddies who can take it to him.

25 Jenova: Final Fantasy VII

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Let's hear it for the woman who brought Sephiroth into this world, and who can definitely take him out of this world. OK, so Jenova is not exactly Sephiroth's biological mother, but without getting into the weeds with a ton of convoluted lore, we will just agree that there is enough of her in him to make it count.

What you need to remember about Jenova is that you are fighting her in pieces. Once you confront big-mamma herself toward the end of the game, you will be singing a different tune. Give it up for moms everywhere!

24 Emperor Mateus: Final Fantasy II

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The main antagonist from Final Fantasy II is also the final boss of the game. This might sound obvious, but when you look at the majority of Final Fantasy releases, this is not always the case. Emperor Mateus stocks the player with a challenging barrage of chaos until the game’s bitter end. He is mean, beastly, and all-powerful. Upon his second encounter, you will be begging for mercy. Unlike Sephiroth, this big-bad is not complicated as he is sinister and stops at nothing to eliminate your party.

23 Shinryu: Final Fantasy V

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Shinryu is a fabled dragon that shows up in many entries of the Final Fantasy series. She is a magnificent winged creature who usually rears her unsightly head toward the end of the game to give you a proper whopping. Shinryu is majestic and reliably hard in every iteration. Final Fantasy V saw a vile version of this unpleasant dragon and is wildly regarded as being one of the two hardest bosses in that game. I'd like to see Sephiroth belly up to this flying beast. Plus, you know he would be alone because Sephiroth can't keep friends to save his life.

22 Necron: Final Fantasy IX

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This big-bad is, simply put, spooky. His wikia page describes him as such: “Necron is the final boss of Final Fantasy IX, appearing in the area Hill of Despair and represents [the ender of life].” He represents the Grim Reaper itself?

Yes, he is that serious. Though Necron has a “One-Winged Angel” vibe, he is much more powerful and much more elusive, which makes Sephiroth look more like a “Sweet-Baby Angel.” But, don't take our word for it, take his: “You stand before the final dimension, and I am the darkness of eternity...”

21 Emerald Weapon: Final Fantasy VII

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If you played through Final Fantasy VII, then you will definitely remember this underwater nightmare known as Emerald Weapon. She is an unrelenting master of one-shot defeats, status effects, and a timer to boot! This mega boss caused many a broken controller after being thrown promptly into a wall in one’s fiftieth attempt to take her down.

What makes this battle so frustrating, is unlike most of the game’s bosses, you cannot just overpower Emerald Weapon. You actually have to strategize because simply leveling up will not necessarily help you.

20 Kefka (Final Form): Final Fantasy VI

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Now, here is a character that no one would have ever expected to pose any kind of threat whatsoever. With the fashion sense of a clown and a laugh that will make you wish chuckling would be outlawed, Kefka turns out to be the main villain of Final Fantasy VI. How much stronger is Kefka than Sephiroth? Let’s just say, Sephiroth tries to eliminate the world and Kefka actually does it. His final form turns out to be Sephiroth-like in appearance and context alone, but the actual battle is enduring and nearly impossible. To quote him directly: “Uwee-hee-hee…”

19 Demon Wall: Final Fantasy IV

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Demon Wall is, as its name conveys, a wall made of pure demon. Is it a demon stuck in a wall? Is the whole wall one being called Demon Wall? Questions too spooky to answer. According to his wikia page, Demon Wall's stats are a mystery. All we know is that your reward for defeating this being is high. Final Fantasy IV was known for its clever bosses and well-balanced fights, and unlike those other fights, this one feels enduring. Demon Wall can instantly eliminate your entire party if it gets too close. Please, don't let it get too close.

18 Warmech: Final Fantasy I

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Like many games for the NES, Final Fantasy I is impossibly hard, obtuse, and nearly unplayable by today’s standards. Even remakes of the game are very difficult. Infamously, there is a location called the Flying Fortress where you can find an enemy named Warmech. This machine is not even a boss, but a random encounter! However, don’t let that fool you, Warmech is quite possibly the most dangerous foe in the entire game. How do you feel now Sephiroth? A random enemy is tougher to phase out than you are!

17 Omega Weapon: Final Fantasy VIII

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Upon finding this unwieldy creature, you might be inclined to scan her. If you do, you will get a message that reads: “Stronger than Ultima Weapon, Omega Weapon is the strongest monster. It is bad luck to run into this monster.”

Bad luck is an understatement! This monster can attack you with Megiddo Flame and Light Pillar, both of which will do close to 9,999 in damage. These weapons are no joke, and while Sephiroth might win in a brooding contest, Omega Weapon will eat your lunch faster than you can say Temple of the Ancients!

16 Neochu: Final Fantasy XIII

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Traditionally, Ochus are some of the most inconvenient enemies in any Final Fantasy. They always seem to have a ton of health, and they always seem to doll-out a ton of damage. Most people just run away from Ochus whenever they can because it is usually not worth the trouble. Then comes Final Fantasy XIII, specifically Mission 55, and you are tasked with defeating something called a Neochu, which could rock the socks off of any previous Ochu. With HP over 2 million, Neochu is laborious to get through. At least Sephiroth has some great music to accompany his fight.

15 Zemus/Zeromus: Final Fantasy IV

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Final Fantasy games have a weird habit of making you think that someone is the main antagonist and then switching this on you in the final moments of the game. In a form intense deus ex machina, the main villain of Final Fantasy IV was supposed to be Golbez, but is revealed to actually be someone named Zemus using MIND CONTROL. However, just because we have no emotional connection to Zemus (only having heard his name for the first time before fighting him) doesn’t mean he isn’t all-powerful. Arguably, he is the most all-powerful dark-wizard in ALL the land. His posture alone is more daunting than Sephiroth's. It’s all about those long shadowed coats.

14 Medusa: Final Fantasy III

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Most of us did not get to play Final Fantasy III as it was only released in Japan for many years and by the time most of us cracked open the game, it was on the Nintendo DS. Once you get to the Tower of Owen, you will be confronted by Medusa. Don’t let her floating head fool you, she is a whopping full-bodied character ready to turn your party into stone. What makes her so powerful is that she outclasses you for where most players are at when they find her. She is based on a monster in Greek mythology, whereas Sephiroth is based on Hot Topic kids. What are you more worried about?

13 Sin: Final Fantasy X

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This character is named Sin, for crying out loud. Sin, as it refers to biblical principles, is what shrouded the entire Earth in bleakness and separated us from divinity. Yikes! Any enemy with that name can’t be good!

It has the capacity to eliminate whole towns and leave cities in pieces. Without spoiling too much of Final Fantasy X, the only real way to defeat Sin is to become Sin. Thus, Sin is more powerful that Sephiroth and might be more powerful than any Final Fantasy creature.

12 Adamantoise: Final Fantasy XV

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So, there you are, Noctis and the gang! You're running around, collecting stuff, meeting townsfolk, and trying to level up when you notice an odd-looking mountain. Of course, you must investigate. You approach the mountain on your Chocobo only to find this isn't a mountain at all. This is a monster. A monster the SIZE of a mountain. Sure, Sephiroth is strong, but he's no mountain!

Final Fantasy XV suddenly flexes its next generation muscles and whispers: “Do you have what it takes?”

11 Cloud: Final Fantasy VII

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You were foolish if you didn't see this coming! Cloud Strife definitely makes the cut for the list, if for no other reason than he literally beats Sephiroth at the end of Final Fantasy VII. However, he's not necessarily stronger than Sephiroth physically.

Cloud spends most of the game leveling up his skills but also leveling up his mind. After some lengthy enduring experiences, Cloud finds himself in a fragile state that leaves him questioning his own humanity. Unfortunately for Sephiroth, Cloud has friends that help him achieve this along the way.

10 Absolute Virtue: Final Fantasy XI

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These other “weapons” and “dragons” might be tough, but do any of them take 18 hours to beat? Not likely! According to an article from Destructoid back in 2008, “...Lead Game Master for Final Fantasy XI, claimed that the Absolute Virtue battle takes about 18 hours.” Absolute Virtue has earned a place on this list for time-it-takes-to-defeat alone.

Since, it has been reported in other places on the internet that people have defeated Absolute Virtue in much less time. Even if this is true, the fact that anyone spent this much time with Mr. Virtue is bonkers, and respectable.

9 Yiazmat: Final Fantasy XII

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Speaking of ghouls that are usually relegated to Greek myth or H.P. Lovecraft novels, this sinister beast comes stock with over fifty-million hit points. Yiazmat is the ultimate boss in Final Fantasy XII and don't let her colorful exterior fool you. She is darkness incarnate and takes a blast first / ask questions later approach to dealing with Vaan's shenanigans. Beating her takes way less time than say, Absolute Virtue, but she still takes OVER AN HOUR. Compared to Sephiroth's thirty-minute takedown (give or take), Yiazmat makes his encounter look like a kite-flying competition.

8 Ultima/Altima: Final Fantasy Tactics

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That's right! Final Fantasy Tactics very much counts as a Final Fantasy game. Sure, this is a tactical RPG as opposed to the turn-based combat system that most of the other games adhere to, but some say Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the best games ever made. We won't exactly go that far, but Altima (leader of the Lucavi demons) is not just tougher than Sephiroth, she is a few steps ahead of him in the “cool department” and she is known as “The Bloody Angel” in the PS One version of the game. That's rad! Her namesake is a staple of the Final Fantasy series, which is no mistake. She is that powerful spell come to life.

7 Ruby Weapon: Final Fantasy VII

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This would be the other tough-as-nails Weapon with a capital-W from Final Fantasy VII. It's placement on this list is no accident as Ruby Weapon is the hardest boss in the entire game. There is no other challenge quite as enduring as Ruby.

Some say you need a Summon called Knights of the Round in order to defeat Ruby, however, this is (kind of) your prize for winning the battle. So, it can be a bit of a catch-22. Beating this sand-beast is going to take commitment... and spamming. Lots and lots of spamming.

6 Dark Aeons: Final Fantasy X

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Technically, this entry is not a cheat because OF COURSE a group of tough bosses could probably out-tough Sephiroth. But, we aren't saying ALL of these Dark Aeons are more powerful than Sephiroth together. We are saying just ONE of these monsters is fully capable of eliminating your entire party in an instant. They show up only after the majority of the main story has been completed, leaving only the final boss to conquer.

You find them in the wild, and usually by accident and they can and will eliminate. Square Enix did not even include them in the original U.S. release of the game because it was deemed too hard for Westerners.