Important takeaways
- Regular enemies in Final Fantasy games can be tougher than bosses and require unique strategies.
- Enemies like T-Rexaur and Master Tonberry can deal significant damage if not approached carefully.
- Yan and Behemoth pose challenges with speed, powerful abilities and high HP, making battles intense.
Final Fantasy is a series known for its many recurring elements, including the enemies that fans of the series are quite familiar with. From humble trolls to imposing Behemoths, there is no shortage of memorable enemies that fans will become familiar with after playing a few games in the series.

Family
8 Most Useless Jobs in Final Fantasy Games, Ranked
These are some of the most useless jobs in the Final Fantasy series of games.
Some of these common enemies are such a huge pain to deal with that they could potentially be stronger than bosses in their respective games. Players must respect the strength of these enemies and pull out every trick in their arsenal to ensure that these Final Fantasy enemies can be taken out for good.
8 Big Malboro
An annoying enemy that bothers players with status effects

- Released
- December 17, 2001
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Malboro is one of the most iconic and feared enemies in the series, using status effects to annoy players who must find a way to kill this dreaded enemy before it causes them too much trouble. Final Fantasy 10 has a tougher version of this enemy that can end a player's run in no time.
Players who discover the Omega Ruins will find it full of tough enemies that can be beaten with some effort. However, the Great Malboro's bad breath can end his run prematurely, especially since this is always the first move in a fight with this enemy. Players must be ready for this tough attack and adjust their strategy accordingly to beat Great Malboro in a fierce battle.
7 T-Rexaur
A tough enemy that is hard to deal with
- Released
- February 11, 1999
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The fact that the game tells players to fight T-Rexaur early in the game is a ridiculous challenge, although players can use sleep to exploit its weakness. However, players trying to brute force this enemy will be in for a rude awakening as a single chomp shaves a ton off the target's bar.
Players must use status effects and unleash their most powerful attacks to ensure T-Rexaur doesn't deal too much damage. It may take a while, but people willing to take on this challenge will love facing T-Rexaur, regardless of their level at any given time.
6 Yan
A fast enemy that can decimate the party with the comet
- Released
- July 7, 2000
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The common Yan that players encounter towards the end of the game is no joke. It's a ridiculously fast enemy that can perform multiple moves when a party member's ATB bar fills up, and it doesn't help that some of its abilities can end a player's run in no time.

Family
8 Final Fantasy Games with the Best Post-Launch Content, Ranked
Thanks to continuous developer support, these Final Fantasy games had more to offer even after their initial release.
Comet's random damage means players have to cross their fingers and hope this doesn't hit a party member. Yan also uses counter moves, where Snort permanently ejects a character from battle and leads to a game over if every character is ejected from this battle.
5 Master Tonberry
His knife attacks and powerful counters make him a pain to deal with
- Released
- 31 January 1997
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Tonberry doesn't look that scary until the players realize that this menacing enemy is sneaking up on their party members for a reason. His knife is deadly, killing a character in a single hit, and this is what Master Tonberry whips out in battle as well.
To make matters worse, players must be wary of the Everyone's Grudge counterattack used by this enemy against anyone who attacks it, punishing them based on how many enemies they have killed in Final Fantasy 7. If the character in question is an offensive powerhouse, this move will easily kill them.
4 Archaeoaevis
Buffed in Zodiac Age to become one of the hardest enemies in the game
- Released
- 31 October 2006
In the original version of Final Fantasy 12Archaeoaevis can be tough but doable as long as players have managed their levels, equipment and Gambits they have access to. However in Age of the Zodiacthis common enemy becomes one of the toughest enemies players can encounter in battle.
This enemy enjoys the benefit of polished stats along with the passive safety ability that prevents them from being affected by instant death skills and other abilities that deal some HP damage. Players should be ready for a tough fight if they want to take on this formidable foe in battle.
3 Brachiosauria
A ridiculously tough regular enemy that can use Ultima to wipe out the entire party
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
- Developer
- Square Enix, Square
- OpenCritic Rating
- Powerful
Final Fantasy 6 is one of the lighter games in the series, and players were happy to Pixel Remaster increased the chance for enemies to use special attacks that deal too much damage. However, in both the original and updated editions, one enemy that players must fear at all times is the Brachiosaur.

Family
8 Best Coming of Age Stories in Final Fantasy
After going on an exciting adventure with their party, these Final Fantasy characters grew and matured on a personal level.
This rare encounter can only be found in a certain area of the world map and should never be underestimated. Along with a huge HP pool, the Brachiosaur can cast Ultima to wipe out a party that didn't use Reraise, turning it into a dreaded encounter that most players would prefer to avoid entirely.
2 The Iron Giant
A rare enemy that hits like a truck
Final Fantasy 2
- Released
- December 17, 1988
- Developer
- Square
The Iron Giant occasionally appears as a boss in the series, but the first appearance of this iconic enemy was as a rare enemy capable of smashing the party to pieces. Some players will have no idea of this boss' toughness as mandated buffs to make his physical attacks more manageable.
The fact that this common enemy is equipped with a boss theme when encountered shows just how tough this enemy can be. Players must be careful, take care of the poison stat and try to finish off the iron giant as soon as possible before he flees the battle.
1 Behemoth
In the 3D remake, The Behemoth is a nightmare to face in battle
Final Fantasy 4 (3D Remake)
- Released
- July 22, 2008
- Developer
- Matrix software
3D remake of Final Fantasy 4 is one of the hardest JRPGs ever made, and it's only a given that one of the most iconic enemies in the series would also receive a buff. Behemoth's high HP combined with an ability to wipe out parties in a few hits makes it a nightmare to deal with.
Players must be ready to deal with its physical and magical counters while trying to deplete enemy health. It can be quite a challenge, but most people know the best way to deal with this enemy Final Fantasy 4 when they reach the Father's lair.

Final Fantasy
- Formative years
- 1987
- Developer
- Square Enix
- Publisher
- Square Enix