FFXIV’s Major Villains, Ranked Worst To Best

Final Fantasy XIV has been consistently adding new material to its rich story, which means they’ve included many villains, which can rank as better or worse depending on the depth of their stories. Nothing contributes more to a good story than a compelling villain, so naturally, a lot of fans have picked favorites. FFXIV’s main story certainly offers a wide range for them to choose from.

The major villains in FFXIV can be a complicated (and sometimes polarizing) bunch. Subjectivity always plays a part in how characters are received, but FFXIV’s developer tends to do a great job showcasing both the strengths and flaws of its antagonists. Accordingly, fans with similar values often come to a general consensus about which characters are best and why, making a ranked analysis a difficult task.

Part of the reason Endwalker is FFXIV’s best expansion yet is because it features some of the game’s best villains, but there are also several great villains from previous expansions that shouldn’t be overlooked. Character development can absolutely be counted as a strength for FFXIV’s writers, who have an uncanny talent for getting players emotionally invested in their in-game comrades and foes alike. Still, when comparing FFXIV’s most prominent MSQ villains to one another, it’s clear that some of them rise to a level the others simply can’t match. From worst to best, this is how FFXIV’s major villains stack up against each other.

12. FFXIV’s Asahi May Be Its Most-Hated Villain

When asking fans which FFXIV villain they despise the most, Asahi is the most common answer – by far. His sole motivation seems to be an obsession with Zenos that goes to the point of being disturbing. One of FFXIV’s most difficult scenes to watch comes after the fight with Tsukuyomi (which, on extreme mode, drops one of the mounts necessary to unlock FFXIV‘s Kamuy of the Nine Tails mount). In the scene, Asahi repeatedly shoots and brutally beats his adopted sister, Yotsuyu, as she lays dying on the ground. When Yotsuyu uses the last of her strength to kill Asahi, the satisfaction she receives from her vengeance is rivaled by that of many fans who, to put it bluntly, absolutely hate Asahi.

11. Lahabrea In FFXIV Is Ultimately Forgettable

Lahabrea is a relatively flat villain in FFXIV. Most fans remember him as little more than the embarrassingly easy boss in Thancred’s body at the end of every Praetorium run. Though fans later learn about the tragic past of the Ascians, the knowledge comes far too late to strongly affect how fans feel about Lahabrea. As such, he’s a forgettable foe and has no obvious redeeming qualities.

10. Heavensward’s Thordan VII Fails To Redeem His Role In FFXIV

In Heavensward, the first expansion that proved FFXIV kept getting better after A Realm Reborn, Archbishop Thordan genuinely does what he thinks is best for his people by keeping the origins of the Dragonsong War a secret. However, his callousness in response to Haurchefant’s death is infuriating for most fans. Even his assistance in destroying Ascians doesn’t redeem him, especially since his method of defeating them is becoming a primal.

9. FFXIV’s Nidhogg Has An Emotional Final Moment

Most fantasy fans can’t help but love a good dragon story, and FFXIV: Heavensward gives them that, positioning Nidhogg as one of the primary villains. Nidhogg’s primary motivation is revenge, which isn’t particularly special; however, players learn that because of how dragons experience time differently, Nidhogg has spent the last thousand years feeling the loss of his brood-sister as though it happened recently.

Players have to fight this huge dragon in one of the game’s more exciting fights that, on extreme mode, may drop FFXIV‘s Dark Lanner mount. The moment of Nidhogg’s death is emotional as players see his spirit rise from his body and dissipate, finally free of the vengeance that had consumed him.

8. Vauthry’s Dystopian Rule Makes Him One Of FFXIV’s Most Horrifying Villains

FFXIV’s developers do a great job making Vauthry horrifying – not in the traditional sense, but in the dystopian way he rules Eulmore and, of course, feeds sin eaters to his subjects in the form of meol. The comparison Alphinaud draws between his own past mistakes and Vauthry’s makes the villain more understandable. Yet, ultimately, Vauthry lacks the kind of character depth other villains possess.

7. FFXIV Villain Gaius Has A High Cool Factor

Gaius van Baelsar starts out as a legatus from Garlemald, one of FFXIV: Endwalker‘s new locations. Though Gaius’ Praetorium monologue has become something of meme in the FFXIV community, he makes a few legitimate points. His actions and goals are misguided, but Gaius truly does have the desire to be a strong leader. Furthermore, when he returns near the end of Stormblood as “Shadowhunter,” having learned from his mistakes in A Realm Reborn, his cool factor increases significantly. Still, he fades into the background compared to other villains with more interesting stories and goals.

6. Fandaniel’s Revelation In Endwalker Makes Him One Of FFXIV’s Better Villains

While Fandaniel alone is largely a one-sided character, the revelation in Endwalker that he is also Amon and Hermes makes him far more interesting. After interacting with the nihilistic Fandaniel whose only goal is to wipe out all life on Hydaelyn, it’s shocking for players to meet the empathetic Hermes and see how much he cares for every living being.

It’s no joke when Fandaniel, as he dies after merging with Zodiark and becoming Endwalker’s first trial, muses, “The man I was would weep for what I have become.” Witnessing Hermes’ character development in Elpis, and then seeing his dramatic change to Amon and then Fandaniel, is jarring, and it adds a lot of depth to the character. This gives more dimension to Fandaniel as a villain and increases his ranking against other antagonists.

5. Zenos Is Interesting Because He Mirrors FFXIV’s Player

Zenos is easily the most polarizing villain in FFXIV, with fans being quite divided on whether they hate him or love him. Many fans didn’t like that Zenos was the last boss during the ending of FFXIV: Endwalker, while others couldn’t have been happier. He’s motivated by a deep desire for a challenging fight, which is pretty flat for a multi-expansion villain; however, he holds up a mirror to the player in an intriguing way. Overall, Zenos is hit-or-miss, and that lands him in the middle of the rankings.

4. Yotsuyu’s Surprise Change In FFXIV Reveals A Less-Villainous Side

Much like Fordola, Yotsuyu pledged her allegiance to Garlemald after being mistreated by her own people. Yet, while Fordola is simply jaded because of her circumstances, Yotsuyu is sadistic, reveling in the suffering and torment she puts her fellow Domans through. But when Yotsuyu loses her memories and reappears as Tsuyu, she reveals a sweetness and kindness players didn’t know she was capable of.

This tells them that, had Yotsuyu not suffered the abuse she went through in her past, she could have grown into a kind and gentle person like Tsuyu. Unfortunately, Asahi hatches a plan to return Yotsuyu’s memories and transform her into the primal Tsukuyomi, who sometimes drops one of FFXIV’s best extreme trial mounts.

3. FFXIV’s Elidibus Is A Heartbreaking Villain

Elidibus is more interesting at the start of his arc than Lahabrea, but in many ways, he’s still quite boring. Although his character isn’t given much depth until the Shadowbringers patches, his backstory quickly becomes one of the most emotionally compelling of all. Most fans can’t help but feel sorry for Elidibus after witnessing evidence of his broken memory and how lost he appears. His final moments are capable of bringing tears to a player’s eyes, especially his last words: “The rain has ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it.”

2. Meteion’s Cuteness & Despair Make Her One Of FFXIV’s Best Villains

Meteion is the final villain in the decade-long Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga, which a surprising twist in FFXIV: Endwalker’s MSQ. As the final villain, Meteion is under a lot of pressure to impress fans, and most agree she pulls this off well. The contrast between her cute, youthful appearance and the overwhelming despair she represents is striking. As an entelechy, Meteion has no choice but to be consumed by the emotion after her disturbing discovery that the universe is filled with fallen civilizations wherein everyone wishes for death or has died.

Meteion seeks to end all suffering by ending all life and feels that she’s doing the right thing. Her character arc reaches a beautiful conclusion when she receives the Warrior of Light’s answer to her question and turns her song of oblivion into a song of hope. She returns to her signature blue color and sets a goal to restore life to the universe, which marks the ending of FFXIV‘s story so far.

1. Emet-Selch

No small number of fans view Emet-Selch as the best villain in the Final Fantasy franchise, so it’s only natural that he’s commonly considered the best villain in FFXIV. His sarcastic personality and quirky mannerisms make him intriguing from the beginning, and after learning about the tragic fate of the Ascians and the massive burden he carries, it’s hard to not sympathize with him. Most fans are still thrilled when he returns to Endwalker’s MSQ after dying in Shadowbringers. Though his fate is still tragic and it’s sad to see him go, his words of encouragement to the Warrior of Light at the end go a long way to relieve fans’ emotional distress.

FFXIV has a lot of great villains, some of which are arguably among the best that video games have to offer.  The writers have used antagonists to add dimension and complexity to the game’s story, and they simultaneously force players to reevaluate the way they think about certain concepts. Because of this, finding out what kind of villains will be coming next after Endwalker‘s ending is an exciting prospect. A lot can be learned from the game’s villains, and they’re a big part of what makes Final Fantasy XIV so great.

About The Author

Alyssa Brandt
(19 Articles Published)

Alyssa Brandt is a freelance writer based in Washington who recently graduated with a BA in English. She grew up in a family of gamers, and she spends most of her free time playing RPGs. When she isn’t busy getting too much screen time, she likes to play music, go thrift shopping, and think of creative excuses to avoid exercise.

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