The Final Fantasy video games tend to break up each story sequence with a boss battle. This usually happens at the end of a dungeon that is filled with monsters & treasure, which the player will need to navigate in order to continue the game.
Boss monsters tend to act as flags within the programming of a video game, which means that when you defeat them, the rest of the game world will be updated to accommodate your progression. This means that most boss monsters have to be fought and will be put in places that will prevent the player from progressing without defeating them. It's for this reason that many boss monsters are placed in the final room of a dungeon and will be found sitting directly in front of the exit.
In the Final Fantasy series, there are several boss monsters who can be fought at the leisure of the player. These can come in the form of secret bosses that need to be sought out by the player, hidden bosses at the end of the game who are far more powerful than the actual end boss, or trial matches against summon monsters as a means of testing your worth before they will grant you their power.
We are here today to reveal the locations of many of the secret bosses in the Final Fantasy series: from the mysterious monster who lives in a book, to the five champions of Wutai.
Here are Twenty Hidden Final Fantasy Bosses (And Where To Find Them)
20 Tantarian (Final Fantasy IX)
Final Fantasy IX is almost impossible to perform a one-hundred-percent completion, due to the fact that the player needs to reach the final dungeon within a set time limit in order to find the Excalibur II, which is Steiner's ultimate weapon.
There is one boss in Final Fantasy IX that could only be encountered within two short windows of time. The creature is called Tantarian and it's hidden within a book that is kept in Alexandria Castle's library.
Tantarian can first be encountered when saving Garnet from the dungeons in Alexandria Castle, and the second time is when you need to save Garnet & Eiko from Bahamut. It's advised that you fight Tantarian during the second trip, as it may be too strong for your party the first time around.
19 Zeromus EG (Final Fantasy IV Advance)
The English version of Final Fantasy IV was renamed Final Fantasy II and had its difficulty reduced, along with several abilities and items being removed from the game. This version of the game was re-released in Japan as Final Fantasy IV Easy Type, which included a brand new sprite for Zeromus.
The different sprite for Zeromus reappeared as a secret boss in Final Fantasy IV Advance, where it was called Zeromus EG. In order to find this boss, you need to descend to the bottom of the Lunar Ruins dungeon, which isn't unlocked until after you have finished the game. You then need to face some of the most difficult enemies in the game, as well as completing individual trials for each character.
18 Catoblepas (Final Fantasy V)
In some Final Fantasy games, you are given free access to the powerful summon monster spells as you continue the story. There are some other Final Fantasy games where the summoned monsters want to test your mettle in battle personally before they will allow you to call on their aid in battle.
In Final Fantasy V, the Catoblepas summon can be only be acquired after defeating it in battle. You can only find it in Galuf's world by using the submarine to travel to an island covered in forests & mountains, while it can later be fought as a random encounter in Bartz's world.
17 Krinjh (Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes Of Light)
One of the biggest complaints about Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is that it takes forever for your party to stay together as a cohesive unit. This means that you are sometimes underpowered when going through dungeons, as you may only have one or two party members.
One of the temporary party members you acquire in Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is a Spell Fencer named Krinjh, who forms an alliance with the party in order to defeat the Sand Devil.
It's possible to encounter Krinjh as a secret boss, but in order to do this you need to conquer all one-hundred floors of the Moonsand Ruins.
16 Cor (Final Fantasy XV)
Cor Leonis was the Marshal of King Regis' Crownsguard and fights alongside his son as a guest character during the events of Final Fantasy XV. Cor was also planned as being one of the playable characters in Final Fantasy XV, but the decision was made to keep the story among the younger characters and the bond they formed.
Cor has a large role in the Episode Gladiolus DLC, where he guides Gladio through the trials of Gilgamesh.
Once you have completed the Episode Gladiolus DLC, you can fight Cor as an optional boss by selecting "Final Trial" on the main menu.
15 Quale (Final Fantasy IX)
Final Fantasy IX has Chocobo Hot and Cold, which is easily one of the best minigames in the series. Chocobo Hot and Cold is balanced out by the minigame where you have to catch frogs that are hanging out in the swamp, which will make you want to put your PlayStation controller through the screen of your television.
The reward for catching ninety-nine frogs and traveling to Qu's Marsh is a battle against Quale, who is a super powerful member of Quina's race. You need to finish this battle in ord toer acquire Quina's ultimate weapon: the Gastro Fork.
14 Siegfried (Final Fantasy VI)
Siegfried is one of the most mysterious characters in Final Fantasy VI and there is evidence within the cut content of the game that he may have been planned for a larger role at some point in development. As it stands, he just an annoying treasure hunter who seems to have a rivalry with Ultros.
The player can challenge Siegfried in the World of Ruin by betting a Megalixir at the Dragon's Neck Colosseum. Siegfried is much stronger in the World of Ruin and is considered one of the toughest battles in the Colosseum.
If you defeat Siegfried at the Dragon's Neck Colosseum, you will win a Tintinnabulum.
13 Torte (Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes Of Light)
The loose way in which you gather the core party members is one othe f biggest complaints about Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, but the critics were more concerned about how brutally difficult most of the fights were, as you couldn't actually aim any of your attacks or healing spells and had to rely on the A.I.
One of the most useful temporary party members in Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light was Torte, who came with the Sage job. Torte had been transformed into a mouse by a curse, which is something you have to free him from.
It's possible to fight against Torte at the end of the Holy Tree Tower dungeon, which has one hundred floors. Torte is still in his mouse form, yet is incredibly powerful, which means that you are about to get your butt kicked by a rodent.
12 Proto-Babil (Final Fantasy IV DS)
In Final Fantasy IV, it's possible for Edge to steal an item called Dark Matter during the final boss battle. The fans used to spread rumors about how the Dark Matter had some use in battle, such as weakening Zeromus or changing his attack patterns, but this isn't true. The Dark Matter does nothing in Final Fantasy IV.
In the 3D remakes, you can use the Dark Matter during a New Game Plus. If you use the Dark Matter on the face of the moon, then you will be thrust into a battle against the Proto-Babil, which is one of the most difficult battles in the game.
11 Yan (Final Fantasy IX)
Final Fantasy IX has the prominent secret bosses, named Hades and Ozma, who are relativly easy to find during the story.
There is another secret boss in Final Fantasy IX that most players are unaware of. If you travel to Vile Island (which is just southwest of the Iifa Tree) then you to can face the adorable horror of Yan.
Yan is one of the friendly monsters whom you need to talk to in order to be able to strike Ozma. If you antagonize Yan, then he will attack and send you into one of the most difficult fights in the game.
10 Haniwa (Final Fantasy Legend II)
The secret bosses that appear in the Final Fantasy series are intended to be even more powerful than the actual end bosses of the game. This is why they often have a fearsome appearance, like the Emerald Weapon in Final Fantasy VII, that silently glides through the dark waters of the ocean floor.
Final Fantasy Legend II has a secret boss named Haniwa, who is a clay doll.
Don't let Haniwa's appearance fool you, as it is one of the most powerful monsters in the game. You can only find it in the Central Shrine, where it has an absurdly low chance of appearing as a random encounter.
9 Ramuh (Final Fantasy V)
There are some Final Fantasy summons that have appeared in almost every game in the series, such as Ifrit and Shiva. These have become some of the most popular recurring characters in the series and have occasionally been worked into the story of the games.
In Final Fantasy V, the recurring Ramuh summon can be found wandering around the forest near Istory. Ramuh will face you in combat, but he won't join you unless you already possess the Ifrit summon. Once you have Ifrit in hand, you can defeat Ramuh in combat and you will gain the ability to call on his power in battle.
8 Jumbo Cactuar (Final Fantasy VIII)
Final Fantasy VIII was released during the time when strategy guides were still a thing, which is why so many of the secret items and Guardian Forces are so difficult to find without scouring the world for every possible clue.
In order to gain the Cactuar Guardian Force, the player needs to travel to Cactuar Island after acquiring the airship. It is here that you can battle the secret Jumbo Cactuar boss, which has the annoying tendancy to flee from battle when it reaches 5% health.
It's worth tracking down the Jumbo Cactuar and performing Squall's Renzokuken Limit Break, as unique animations will play as the Jumbo Cactuar attempts to dodge him.
7 Iron Giant (Final Fantasy III DS)
Final Fantasy III was the last of the original Final Fantasy games to receive an English localization, which may have something to with the fact that it is so brutally difficult. The version of the game that was released on the Nintendo DS had its difficulty toned down from the Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game, which isn't saying much, as the DS version is still brutal.
The 3D remakes of Final Fantasy III added a secret boss called the Iron Giant which can be found in a dungeon called ???
In order to unlock this super powerful boss, you either need to finish the Mognet sidequest or acquire all of the letters in the game, depending on which version of Final Fantasy III that you are playing.
6 Warmech (Final Fantasy)
The original Final Fantasy took place in a magical world that could have come straight out of a Dungeons & Dragons adventure.
It's for this reason that the most powerful creature in the world is a mech warrior from the future. Warmech is a robot with the ability to fire blasts of nuclear energy at your party, which is likely to annihilate your group in a single hit.
Warmech can be found in the corridor leading up to the battle against Tiamat in the Flying Fortress. You have a 3/64 chance of encountering Warmech during a random battle. If you see him during your first playthrough: run!
5 Gil Turtle (Final Fantasy V)
One of the most challenging dungeons in Final Fantasy V is the Gil Cave. This is due to a secret part of the dungeon that could only be accessed through a hidden passageway, which is known as the Gil Turtle Path.
The Gil Turtle Path is full of money, to the point where one trip will provide you with more treasure than you could ever spend in the game. The catch is that there is a chance you will encounter a powerful boss monster every few steps you take. This creature is called the Gil Turtle and it is a fearsome opponent to even high-level parties.
4 Deathgaze (Final Fantasy VI)
When Kefka became the God of Magic in Final Fantasy VI, he tore open the earth using his power and unleashed anicent monsters that had been sealed away centuries ago. These creatures included the Legendary Dragons and Humbaba, who would cause havoc on a global scale.
One of the creatures unleashed by Kefka was Deathgaze, which can only be randomnly encountered using the airship. Deathgaze will flee after a few turns of battle have passed, but any health he lost will not be healed.
Deathgaze will only appear on a randomly determiled tile on the world map, which means that you are guaranteed to meet it by turning the airship diagonally and flying forward, as you will eventually cover every bit of the world map.
3 Urutan Eater (Final Fantasy XII)
Final Fantasy XII has numerous optional bosses, thanks to the fact that the player accept quests to hunt down monsters from the beginning of the game. These bosses include many of the optional summon monsters, which are incredibly difficult to overcome in battle.
There is one optional boss that is easy to miss in Final Fantasy XII. You need to talk to a Moogle in the Nam-Yensa Sandsea in order to hear of this quest, as a creature known as the Urutan Eater is plaguing the local population.
If you hunt down and slay the Urutan Eater, you will receive some Eskir Berries, which can used to weaken the Garuda when you face it in later in the game.
2 MA-X Angelus-O (Final Fantasy XV)
When Final Fantasy XV was still being previewed, the developers kept talking up the secret boss battle and bragging how long it takes to defeat, as they proclaimed that it would be one of the most epic battles in the series.
It's pretty hard to miss the Adamantoise boss battle, as it's the size of a mountain. The creature that you have to watch out for is the MA-X Angelus-0, which is an incredibly powerful robot that has a small chance of being spawned during an imperior troop drop.
It's worth taking on a MA-X Angelus-0, as they drop the Magitek Suit V2 accessory, which is one of the best items in the game.
1 The Five Mighty Gods Of Wutai (Final Fantasy VII)
Yuffie takes a lot of flack from the Final Fantasy VII fanbase, due to how annoying her she is during the visit to Wutai, as she steals all of the party's materia.
The Wutai mission is so frustrating that many players opt to skip it when playing through Final Fantasy VII again, as it's totally optional.
There is a set of special bosses awaiting the Yuffie fans in Wutai, as she can take on the legendary Five Gods of Wutai, known as Gorkii, Shake, Chekhov, Staniv, and Godo.
Yuffie needs to face the Five Gods of Wutai on her own, with the final battle taking place with her own father. If she can claim victory against the finest warriors of Wutai, then she will earn the Leviathan materia.