For the most part, the bosses ofFinal Fantasyhave very predictable weaknesses. Many of these weaknesses can be guessed simply by looking at the boss, with colors and elemental clues making life easy for players. Even when appearances don’t help, a quick Libra or Scan spell will usually clear up any doubts about a boss' vulnerabilities.
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However, otherFinal Fantasybosses have weaknesses that are completely different from what has been presented in the series' lore. Whether a boss has a different elemental weakness or is even vulnerable to a particular status effect, the weaknesses of theseFinal Fantasybosses differ greatly from their respective games' stories.
10Ruby Weapon (Final Fantasy 7)
Final Fantasy 7’sRuby Weapon should need no introduction. Players know all too well about Ruby Weapon’s powerful attacks and its ability to eject party members from battle using its Whirlsand spell. All of these make Ruby Weapon one ofthe most notorious superbosses inFinal Fantasyhistory.
However, despite its reputation among players, Ruby Weapon hasone surprising weakness. Using the Dazers item or the Hades summon materia, players can exploit Ruby Weapon’s weakness to Paralysis in order to prevent it from counterattacking. For the serious players hellbent on taking this superboss down, this tactic can be a real lifesaver.
9Spherimorph (Final Fantasy 10)
Confronted at the Macalania Spring, the Spherimorph fromFinal Fantasy 10is a fiend with an amorphous appearance and a slew of elemental attacks. Defeating it yields the first of many spheres that Jecht left around Spira, which can be collected to teach Auron his other Overdrives.
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Although the Spherimorph has the appearance of a ball of water, it is actually not weak to lightning. In fact, the Spherimorph constantly uses Elemental Shift to change its elemental weakness. Combine this with its immunity to sensors and the Scan spell, and the only way that players can figure out its weakness is through trial and error.
8Lich (Final Fantasy)
The Lich, alongside the Kraken, Tiamat, and Marilith, make up the Four Elemental Fiends in the originalFinal Fantasy. This quartet would go on to have multiple iterations in future installments of the series, namely in the series' fourth and ninth installments.
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As the Earth-elemental fiend, the Lich has two weaknesses: the fire element and the Dia spell, both of which are due to its status as an undead enemy. However, during the second battle, while it is still vulnerable to the Dia spell, it is no longer weak to fire. The loss of a crucial weakness, combined with its punishing Level 8 black magic, makes the Lich a true force to be reckoned with and a testament tothe firstFinal Fantasygame’s excellent combat system.
7Cagnazzo (Final Fantasy 4)
Like the Lich, Cagnazzo is one of the Four Elemental Fiends, powerful entities under the command of the antagonist, Golbez. Cagnazzo plays a pivotal role inFinal Fantasy 4’splot; he kills the king of Baron and takes his place on the throne, only revealing himself when confronted bythe newly-made paladin Ceciland his allies.
While most water fiends (or water-elemental enemies in general) are usually weak to lightning, upon further observation, Cagnazzo is actually weak to the Ice element. The only time he is weak to lightning is when he surrounds himself with water in preparation for his Tsunami attack.
6Tiamat (Final Fantasy 9)
Similar to the original game’s Lich, Tiamat inFinal Fantasy9is also fought twice: once in the Wind Shrine (albeit offscreen) and again in Memoria. In the case of Memoria, players are able to fight the boss with a full party of four.
As the Wind-elemental fiend, Tiamat has a plethora of wind-based attacks, such as Twister. In terms of weaknesses though, Tiamat is actually weak to the Ice element. This is in contrast to other iterations of the Wind fiend in the series, where it is usually weak to Earth attacks.
5Kraken (Final Fantasy 3)
The Kraken is the third elemental fiend faced by the Warriors of Light inFinal Fantasy 3.Sent by Xande, the Kraken also kills Aria Benett, a priestess who had accompanied the heroes on their quest to restore the Water Crystal.
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Like most of the water-fiends in the series, the Kraken is weak to lightning. However, much like Cagnazzo inFinal Fantasy 4,the Kraken is also weak to ice, specifically if the player picked up the Blizzaga spell while traversing the Cave of Tides.
4Medusa (Final Fantasy 3)
Like the Kraken, Medusa was also an underling of the main antagonist ofFinal Fantasy 3:Xande. In her case, Medusa is fought near the beginning of the game in order to stop her from destroying the Tower of Owen, which would spell doom for the Floating Continent.
Upon engaging her in battle, it becomes very noticeable that Medusa is weak to ice attacks, such as the Blizzara spell and Antarctic Wind item. This makes this incarnation of Medusa the only one in the series to possess a known elemental weakness.
3Octomammoth (Final Fantasy 4)
Faced in the Underground Waterway near Damcyan, the Octomammoth is yet another water-dwelling enemy that antagonizes the party inFinal Fantasy 4. While the Octomammoth doesn’t really pose a big threat to the party, it does prevent them from accessing Damcyan, wherethe uniquely powerful sage Tellahmeans to reunite with his daughter Anna.
Unlike Cagnazzo, the Octommamoth is weak to lightning, a trait shared by many water-elemental enemies in the series. However, in addition to this weakness, the Octomammoth is also weak to Darkness. This means that Cecil’s dark blades can prove to be very effective against it, especially since the boss has the potential to knock Tellah and Rydia out in a single hit.
2Odin (Final Fantasy 4)
Odin, much like Leviathan and Bahamut, is consideredone of the strongest summons in theFinal Fantasyfranchise. In many games, Odin requires players to fight him before they can harness his incredible power. Such is the case inFinal Fantasy 4, in which Odin is revealed to be the spirit of the late king of Baron.
In most of his appearances throughout the series, Odin is portrayed without any weakness. However, in this case, Odin is actually weak to lightning. It is later revealed that the reason behind this weakness is that he was struck by lightning while his sword was in the air.
1Red Giant (Final Fantasy 8)
While traversing Ultimecia’s Castle, the Red Giant is one of eight bosses the player must fight in order to regain their sealed power. The Red Giant, a more powerful derivative of the recurring Iron Giant enemy, can be fought in the prison cell area of the castle.
However, while most Iron Giants are usually weak to the lightning element, the Red Giant is the exception to this rule. Instead, the Red Giant is actually weak to Gravity. This means the Demi spell and the recurring Diabolos Guardian Force are very effective against this boss; so much so that the Red Giant will eventually beg the player not to use Demi on it anymore.
