Worst FF main villain

[Niiro]

I get annoyed when people describe Seph as "reading books = insane lol".

As if he wasn't slowly losing his mind his whole life then finds out he's essentially Frankenstein's monster (there's more to it but that's the crux of it).

[Hatedregret]

Cloud was the psycho. Sephiroth found out the truth about himself and wanted revenge. Barth was a garbage villain, but I do agree his fights were pretty damn tough and out of left field.

[miokomioko]

Sephiroth found out the truth about himself and wanted revenge.

He didn't find out the truth since his revenge was based on the false reports that Jenova was an Ancient... which it wasn't.

[Hatedregret]

he found that he was experimented on. I get that Jenova was an alien and not a Cetra. I do concede that he went batshit from that point on though thinking he was Jesus.

[BerenTebogo]

What is this nonsense? Ultimecia was awesome.

[Xno Kappa]

Ultimecia = Rinoa. That's how I see it and I think that's an awesome thought so fuck you.

Voted Sephiroth. Everyone in SOLDIER seemingly knew they were experimented on to some degree so I don't buy the whole Frankenstein revelation bullshit. Sephiroth read some fucking books then went batshit thinking Jenova was his mother, and on top of that nobody in the fucking entire cast of FFVII has the common sense to tell him he wasn't.

[Ratatapa]

And if I remember from advent children they still think they are or something

[Niiro]

Voted Sephiroth. Everyone in SOLDIER seemingly knew they were experimented on to some degree so I don't buy the whole Frankenstein revelation bullshit. Sephiroth read some fucking books then went batshit thinking Jenova was his mother, and on top of that nobody in the fucking entire cast of FFVII has the common sense to tell him he wasn't.

Why would the soldiers be told they're being injected with the cells of an ancient lifeform, that seems like something that would put a damper on recruitment.

I'm sure Sephiroth knows the Jenova isn't his actual mother but at that point it doesn't really matter, she's been a part of him since before he was born. The fact that Jenova's cells carry her will even when separated only makes that attachment stronger. He doesn't give two shits about Lucrecia or Hojo because it was Jenova's presence that made him into what he was.

[Eurell]

If people are going to count Advent children against Seph, you also have to count Crisis Core, which he was fucking amazing in.

My vote, hmm...
I didn't play 3, so hard to vote on that. 9 I would have voted for Necron, but I thought Kuya was ok.
I'm gonna have to go with Bart. He was the only one that really just sorta had me bored throughout the story. Idk if I can pinpoint it on any one thing, but he was just completely 'meh' to me.

[Xno Kappa]

I'm sure Sephiroth knows the Jenova isn't his actual mother but at that point it doesn't really matter, she's been a part of him since before he was born. The fact that Jenova's cells carry her will even when separated only makes that attachment stronger. He doesn't give two shits about Lucrecia or Hojo because it was Jenova's presence that made him into what he was.

That's nothing but pure speculation. Facts are facts. Nigga thinks Jenova was his mother and that was his number one reason for going ape shit, something he's confirmed himself multiple times.

[solracht]

Voted Sephiroth. Everyone in SOLDIER seemingly knew they were experimented on to some degree so I don't buy the whole Frankenstein revelation bullshit.

Is this from the compilation or original FFVII? As far as I can remember, he actually starts losing it when Cloud asks him if he was created like the SOLDIER monsters they find in the Nibelheim reactor. I don't recall "experiments on SOLDIER members" being a known thing beyond the shiny eyes from MAKO exposure.

Not that it changes things much, just wondering since I can't remember.

------------

Anyway, voted for Barth. I didn't mind his design and I liked his VA but I really hated him as a character. The entire Pulse arc (chapter 12 I think?) from his plans just felt weird and forced to me.

I've always liked the Emperor from II - he's killed then his spirit takes over hell. FFII was such an awful game though, maybe I just desperately needed something positive while playing the game and the Emperor was it.

[Niiro]

That's nothing but pure speculation. Facts are facts. Nigga thinks Jenova was his mother and that was his number one reason for going ape shit, something he's confirmed himself multiple times.

Other than the fact that there's no reason for him to believe Jenova was his biological mother after reading about the project (2000 year old genetic remains don't magically birth human children) I really, really don't see why it matters.

Jenova made him into what he was and bent his will to her own, what was he supposed to call her? "My genetic donor alien parasite"?

[Souj]

The more I think about it, the more I want to say Shadow Lord was the worst. He was a puppet to two different forces. He was used by both Odin and the Zilart Bros. He never did anything directly.

[AoE]

Sephiroth is the most badass FF villain whether you like his personality or not. Sure he might have a bigger following than any of us can care for but you'd have to be in denial to deny that.

That's why I personally couldn't vote for him. I've never played Crisis Core but saw his fight against the dude in red and there's no other villain in any of the games that could match how awesome that scene was and I'm sure the average fan would agree.

[Stef]

Fully agree I loved ff9 but when I saw the final boss I went like what the fuck are you and the most important. Who are you never heard of you in the full game!!,

Would you mind if I disagree with you slightly? While Necron was a bit of a surprise he wasn't a total non sequitur. Final Fantasy games always revolve around one or more philisophical themes. FFIX being a salute to the series' history alludes to a lot of different philosophical debates, and often does so by borrowing names or concepts directly from historical figures and their works (would be interesting to go through the game again and note down all the references). That being said, the struggle to deal with mortality and death (and the corollary of deciding what to dedicate your fleeting life to) is probably the strongest theme in FFIX and is directly cited as major driving forces behind many of the characters' actions. To give just two examples:

"Sorrow - How do you prove that you exist...? Maybe we don't exist..."
—Vivi
"Despair - To be forgotten is worse than death."
—Freya

Kuja became obsessed with the destruction of everything once he learned of his own mortality.

'In "Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania - File 1: Character Book", Necron is described as, "a being awakened by Kuja's fear, despair, and hatred, which called out to it as he learned of his mortality, just as his ambitions were within reach".'

Necron represents Death itself which the characters finally have to overcome. Once they do, they acknowledge the cliché that "life is what you make it" and the ending sequences show them overcoming their various paralyses originating from their fear of death. That includes Kuja who accepts his own mortality once Necron is defeated and recognizes his kinship with Zidane.


ON TOPIC: I voted for Sin... while I enjoyed FFX, it was never really my favourite and I haven't played FFXIII.

EDIT: Kuja's canary schtick is a reference to canaries in coal mines:

Canaries were once regularly used in coal mining as an early warning system.[7] Toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, methane or carbon dioxide in the mine would kill the bird before affecting the miners. Signs of distress from the bird indicated to the miners that conditions were unsafe.

They were literally ways of warning people that death was coming. Plenty of characters act as "canaries" for others throughout the plot of FFIX.

[miokomioko]

The battle with Necron was a metaphor that was tacked onto the end to make it seem like there were larger forces at work and the "bad guy" was also having their strings pulled like Square-Enix loves to do. Golbez > Zeromus. Sephiroth > Jenova. Jecht > Yu Yevon. Et cetera.

Either way, it was not a primary antagonist.

[Tyrath]

I don't see it as the same as those.

Kuja was not being controlled by a larger evil force. He simply tapped into an instrument of destruction that always existed to carry out his plan, which was destruction of all life.

Either way, not the primary antagonist like you said. So the only one that could've been replaced on the list is probably Golbez/Zeromus, but its too late!

[Charismatic]

You don't see it as the same as them because it wasn't.
In each of those cases there was a force behind the 'villain' pulling the strings.
Necron was not doing anything of the sort.

[Nephlite]

Voted Ultimecia. While I liked FFVIII, her main objective just didn't seem as insane or particularly dubious as say Keifka, who was just insane. Seemed too far-fetched. Would have to agree that she is one fine bitch though.

[miokomioko]

No, Necron wasn't literally controlling Kuja... but he was overcome by something larger and more powerful, however metaphorical it is.

Either way, it's the cliche JRPG bait and switch antagonist situation.