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Final Fantasy has many bosses that could easily fit into any Halloween get-together. However, the focus of today's article is on the undead bosses in the franchise. Quite a few of them are lurking, but players can trounce most of them. Whether iconic or ridiculous, fights with these undead bosses are always quite interesting to encounter.
Undead battles are a staple of the fantasy genre. Something about the dead rising to fight again fits perfectly into games like FF. Whether in rank-and-file random encounters, or massive, terrifying bosses, undead foes are almost always going to lurk in one form or another.
From the grandfather of undead fights in FF1’s Lich to the vast majority of late-game Final Fantasy X bosses, undead battles are in nearly every Final Fantasy game in one form or another. With the Halloween season only a few days away, here are five fascinating undead encounters in the entire Final Fantasy franchise.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.
5 fascinating undead bosses in Final Fantasy
5) Gi Nattak (FF7)
One of the most emotional moments in Final Fantasy VII ends with a battle with the undead Gi Nattak. Found in the Cave of the Gi, Gi Nattak is the ghost of the tribe that attacked Cosmo Canyon in the game’s lore. This led to a battle with Red XIII’s tribe, where the party member first thought his father fled the battle like a coward.
Like many undead encounters, Final Fantasy VII’s Gi Nattak can be defeated easily enough. The Life spell has a chance to fail, so throw an X-Potion, Elixir, or Megalixir, and he’ll die in one hit. There’s no reason to deal with Soul Fires first or any of that. Just defeat it in one hit.
After this battle, Nanaki (Red XIII) learns that his father was a hero and that he died fighting instead of fleeing as he always thought. It was a very important plot point to the overall growth of Nanaki as a character.
4) Phantom Train (FFVI)
Now, this is an interesting boss fight! Final Fantasy VI’s Phantom Train is both a dungeon, an area, and a boss fight. The Phantom Train is a sentient ghost that guides the dead onto the other side. The party finds themselves upon the train after wandering through the Phantom Forest. It was the only way to progress and find a way back to the rest of the party.
As the only undead boss in the game, it can be easily defeated by simply throwing a Phoenix Down at it. However, this is home to one of the best moments in the game. Sabin can use his Suplex blitz on it, hoisting the train up and smashing it into the ground. Most players do that before one-shotting the boss.
It’s also a moment of tragedy and loss for the heroes. Cyan’s wife and child board the train before they move on to the waterfall. The party will have to wait for him to take his time and process the grief before moving on.
3) Gerogero (FFVIII)
While on the Galbadian Train in Final Fantasy VIII, players will encounter and do battle with “President Vinzer Deling,” the Galbadian president. However, this is a fake, and after fighting him for a bit, he’ll reveal his true form, the undead Gerogero.
Unsurprisingly, he can be defeated instantly with life spells, but players might not want to do that immediately. He has four spells you can draw, and if you lack them, it might not be a bad idea to do it now.
- Esuna
- Double
- Berserk
- Zombie
However, he also throws plenty of status ailments, so be aware of that before you start spamming Draw from him.
It’s worth noting that he was censored in the North American version of the game. The boss is rather grotesque, and his internal organs are quite visible. In the game's original version, his organs were red, but the developers changed them to blue for North America. This was perhaps to make it less obvious what they were.
2) Soulcage (FFIX)
The source of the Mist that plagues the world of Final Fantasy IX, Soulcage is an undead tree. That’s right, an undead tree. It’s not really a tree, but it takes the shape of a tall, undead tree. A vast entity, it has lived for nearly a thousand years and can also not lie. He also revealed some interesting plot points in the game, making it a very important encounter.
Interestingly enough, a Phoenix Down does not kill Soulcage in one hit. It will reduce it to 1 HP, and you have to deal the final, killing blow. Conversely, if you cast Life or use an Elixir, that does kill this boss in one hit.
If you opt to fight him, he’s susceptible to Bio, which is interesting to see in an undead battle. If you try to use fire on him, he counters, so instead, use Blizzara or Thundara.
However, according to Garland, the version of Soulcage that the party bests is just an illusion. Soulcage aims to halt the flow of souls in Gaia and replace them with Souls of Terra. This would transform Gaia into Terra and prevent Gaian souls from being reborn, thanks to the Mist.
1) Scarmiglione (FFIV)
Known in America as Milon, Scarmiglione was the first of the Four Fiends that Golbez pitted Cecil against in Final Fantasy IV. Players had to fight him twice, the first as a cloaked figure joined by an army of zombies. Then, after crossing the bridge on Mt. Ordeals, he claws his way back up in his true form - Milon Z. In the original version, it was just Scarmiglione both times.
While you can use Cure magic on him, it’s worth noting that he’s one of the few undead bosses you cannot instantly kill in the Final Fantasy franchise. You have to battle it out with him. On top of that, it’s a Back Attack, so he will likely strike first and strike hard.
Interestingly, Scarmiglione was not respected by Cagnazzo, Barbariccia, or Rubicante. They felt he was too weak and was not worthy of being one of the four Elemental Archfiends. He also appeared in several other games - particularly as a boss in Final Fantasy XIV.
These are far from the only Final Fantasy undead bosses, though. Not all undead bosses can be instantly defeated, making them quite an exciting aspect of this RPG franchise. These are just some of the most interesting when it comes to design and placement.
