History MagnificentBastard / FinalFantasy

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': [[WarriorPrince Prince Vayne Carudas Solidor]] is the, calm, collected, brilliant, devious son of the [[TheEmperor Archadian Emperor]]. Vayne manages to march in to the land of Dalamasca to depose the king before giving a speech so powerful, even the people who despise him openly cheer. He follows this by organizing a feast to bait the resistance into attack, ready to kill or capture most of them in a trap. Vayne's ultimate goal is to defy the gods themselves, using the material Nethicite to empower himself as the Dynast King of Ivalice and free humanity from the divine Occuria's will, [[WellIntentionedExtremist a goal for which no price is too great]], even if he has to stain his hands in blood endlessly.

* ''VideoGame/StrangerOfParadiseFinalFantasyOrigin'':
** [[PlayerCharacter Jack Garland]] is a snarky agent sent by the Lunfenians to act as a "[[FakeUltimateHero Warrior of Light]]" against the darkness of Cornelia. In reality, the Lufenians are trapping Cornelia in a constant cycle of darkness and light to keep it under their control, so Jack decides to break the cycle after [[LoveRedeems falling in love with Princess Sarah of Cornelia]]. Knowing his memories get erased during every cycle which ends with a time revert, Jack convinces his friend Astos to allow him to get his memories back since Astos is immune to the effects of the time revert. Eventually [[ObfuscatingInsanity playing at being an insane psychopath to take the Lufenians off guard]], Jack seizes their Time reversion crystal and becomes the new embodiment of the darkness, Chaos. Jack reveals at the end he [[ZeroApprovalGambit plans to shroud the world of Cornelia in darkness]], so he can train Warriors of Light from Cornelia to break the cycle themselves and stop the control that Lufenia has over them for good.
** Jack's Party--Ash, Jed, Neon and Sophia--are [[TrueCompanions loyal companions]] that nonetheless guide their leader on his dark path. Working together with their fragmented memories and Astos' guidance, they subtly push Jack into regaining some of his memories and all his strength. When Astos dies, Darkness veils Cornelia which finally results in [[LoveInterest Princess Sarah's]] death. The four friends are pleased with this result, attacking Jack and forcing him to kill them to fully push him past the DespairEventHorizon. Even after death, they are reborn as the Four Fiends--Lich, Kraken, Marilith and Tiamat respectively--and are happily complicit in Jack's plan to cover Cornelia in Darkness to bring about the True Warriors of Light.
** Astos, King of the Dark Elves, is Jack's [[UndyingLoyalty loyal]] and committed co-conspirator. Bred by the Lufenians to serve Strangers, Jack earned Astos' undying friendship, asking him to help him defeat Lufenia by [[WellIntentionedExtremist any means necessary]]. After being direct proved fruitless, Astos became more duplicitous. Tipping the scales in his favour by giving Neon a Dark Crystal so she could attempt to become Chaos, he went on to guide Jack and his party, offering just enough advice to help them along, so that they'd defeat the Fiends, restore the Crystals and recover their memories. At the same time ensuring their safety and having his bats guide them, Astos goads Jack into [[SuicideByCop killing him]], ending his miserably lonely existence while also releasing the Darkness within his Heart, ensuring the Destruction of Cornelia and Jack's rebirth into Chaos.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXVI'':

!!Main Series and Associated Games:

!! VideoGame/IvaliceAlliance

!! ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' Duology:

* The legendary guardian [[BigGood Auron]] is a man intending to save Spira from Sin and Yevon [[TheAtoner after failing to save Braska and Jecht]]. Actually [[DeadAllAlong an Unsent]], Auron went to the Dream Zanarkand to watch and train Tidus until the day Jecht would return as Sin, where Auron would take Tidus to the real world amidst the destruction as planned. Forcing himself and Tidus into becoming Yuna's guardians, Auron subtly manipulates and deceives the group into defying Yevon and Yunalesca by exposing to them the corruption of Yevon and [[GuileHero hiding vital info]] about the aftermath of defeating Sin, while being a ruthless protector to Yuna and the Pilgrimage. When his machination works and he manages to get Yuna and Tidus to defy Yunalesca, he helps pave the way to end the Cycle of Sin for good, helping eliminate Yunalesca and Yevon's influence, before guarding them one last time against Jecht and Yu Yevon, happily [[FaceDeathWithDignity passing on with his oath finally fulfilled]].
* Original game: [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Yunalesca]] is the first Summoner who defeated Sin and the overseer of the sacrificial Final Summoning. Defeating Sin to restore her father's honor by sacrificing herself and turning her husband Zeon into the Final Aeon, Yunalesca now resides in Zanarkand as an Unsent in-charge of [[KeeperOfForbiddenKnowledge carrying out, explaining, and enacting the ritualistic Final Summoning]] to whomever proves their worth regardless of race and character. Highly protective of the ritual, Yunalesca would strike down anyone who defied it, such as Auron, and later attempted to do the same to the party when they reject it, considering [[MercyKill her act to be "mercy"]] since they know the horrible truth of Sin and the Final Summoning. Having bid her time and set her own courses, Yunalesca laments her defeat, believing Spira is doomed without the Final Aeon.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'': [[LoveMakesYouEvil Shuyin]] was [[FallenHero once a noble warrior]] trying to protect his love Lenne when he was executed with her and trapped inside the Den of Woe. Forced to relieve his death for a thousand years, Shuyin [[EnemyWithout became a vengeful spirit]], hellbent on ending all wars by putting Spira out of its misery with Vegnagun. Unleashed during a Crusade expedition, Shuyin loosens his wrath, killing everyone except for four survivors, and possesses Nooj, forcing him to non-fatally shoot the rest, lying inside dormant for his plan. Influencing Nooj to find Spheres and create the Youth League to track Vegnagun, Shuyin realizes he can't take the weapon with Nooj and so manipulates his host into allowing Shuyin to possess Baralai and carry on. All the while, Shuyin sowed chaos with his powers by summoning the Dark Aeon and even driving the Gullwings mad enough to nearly kill each other. With Vegnagun, Shuyin nearly succeeds in destroying to Spira, fighting until the end until Lenne's spirit manages to make him relent and finally accepts his defeat before going with Lenne to the Farplane in peace.
[[/folder]]

!! [[Franchise/FabulaNovaCrystallisFinalFantasy Fabula Nova Crystallis series]]
[[folder:Examples]]

!! Other Spin-offs:

!! ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' Duology

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'': Chancellor Ardyn "Izunia", true name Ardyn Lucis Caelum, poses as a "man of no consequence", but is far older and far more devious than he initially seems. Working for the [[Characters/FinalFantasyXVEmpireOfNiflheim Empire of Niflheim]], Ardyn oversees the invasion of [[Characters/FinalFantasyXVKingdomOfLucis Lucis]]' capital city Insomnia, where he fatally stabs heroine Luna as she summons Leviathan and allowing the Starscourage affliction to run rampant and turning many of the residents of Altissia into monstrous Daemons. After nearly tricking his nemesis, Prince Noctis "Noct" Lucis Caelum, into killing his best friend, Ardyn turns on Niflheim, allowing the Daemons to assail their cities and converting others into more Daemons. Ardyn also reveals he taught Niflheim the technique to transform people into living weapons to begin with and puts in place a series of machinations to transform Noct into the "Chosen King" so Ardyn may destroy him. In the ''Dawn of the Future'' epilogue novel Ardyn manages to outplay even the gods themselves, sacrificing his life to turn the power of the line of Lucis upon the tyrannical Bahamut. Rejected long ago by the very land he served and saved, Ardyn's endless, witty charm and ability to manipulate events in his own favor make him one of the most memorable villains in the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': [[BigBad Kuja]] is a stylish, sophisticated ArtificialHuman created by the warlock Garland to spread war and destruction across the planet of Gaia with the goal of transforming Gaia into a copy of Terra, Garland's homeworld. Aware he is not trusted and will be disposed of once Garland can afford to be rid of him, Kuja pulls double-duty on his villainy, aiding Queen Brahne in taking over much of Gaia while discretely seeking [[SummonMagic Eidolons]], the one power Kuja believes Garland fears. When Kuja learns of Trance, he shifts focus to acquiring the power for himself and does so. Trance Kuja is strong enough to kill Garland and pushes the playable characters to the brink of death, Kuja sparing them only to contemplate how to kill them to best show his "gratitude" for their help in achieving his Trance. While initially [[GoMadFromTheRevelation driven mad by the revelation]] of his impending death, attempting to wipe out reality in the process, Kuja eventually comes to regret his deeds, choosing to [[VillainsDyingGrace save the main party]] and make peace with Zidane as he draws his final breaths.

** [[MasterSwordsman Nobutsuna Kamiizumi]] is the leader of the Black Blades and [[AHeroToHisHometown Grand Marshall Braev Lee]]'s most trusted ally. During his time in Eisenberg, he has Praline a la Mode guard a chokepoint to prevent the Shieldbearers from advancing further. Due to his sense of honor, [[EvenEvilHasStandards Kamiizumi abhors Dr. Qada's war crime of using poison gas]], which rendered a large area uninhabitable for years. Praised by both his allies and enemies, he avoids unnecessary violence and kills Dr. Qada after overhearing the extent of his depravity. When backed into a corner, Kamiizumi successfully wards off the Shieldbearers despite being outnumbered, [[BadassPacifist without a single casualty on either side]]. Proving that he can "do more than simply destroy" and "show respect for the enemy", Kamiizumi stands as one of Eternia's most efficient generals and even [[HeelFaceTurn joins the heroes' side]] in the sequel.
** [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

An imaginative setting with a rich variety of characters, ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' has provided villains as [[MagnificentBastard brilliant and charming as they are devious]].

An imaginative setting with a rich variety of characters, ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' has provided villains as [[MagnificentBastard brilliant and charming as they are devious]]:

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': [[TheEvilPrince Vayne Carudas Solidor]] is the, calm, collected, brilliant, devious son of the [[TheEmperor Archadian Emperor]]. Vayne manages to march in to the land of Dalamasca to depose the king before giving a speech so powerful, even the people who despise him openly cheer. He follows this by organizing a feast to bait the resistance into attack, ready to kill or capture most of them in a trap. Vayne's ultimate goal is to defy the gods themselves, using the material Nethicite to empower himself as the Dynast King of Ivalice and free humanity from the divine Occuria's will, [[WellIntentionedExtremist a goal for which no price is too great]], even if he has to stain his hands in blood endlessly.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': Kuja is an ArtificialHuman created by the warlock Garland to spread war and destruction across the planet of Gaia with the goal of transforming Gaia into a copy of Terra, Garland's homeworld. Aware he is not trusted and will be disposed of once Garland can afford to be rid of him, Kuja pulls double-duty on his villainy, aiding Queen Brahne in taking over much of Gaia while discretely seeking [[SummonMagic Eidolons]], the one power Kuja believes Garland fears. When Kuja learns of [[SuperMode Trance]], he shifts focus to acquiring the power for himself and does so. Trance Kuja is strong enough to kill Garland and pushes the playable characters to the brink of death, Kuja sparing them only to contemplate how to kill them to best show his "gratitude" for their help in achieving his Trance. If not for [[GoMadFromTheRevelation the maddening revelation he will die soon]] and the subsequent SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum it provoked, Kuja was set to declare himself the ruler of both worlds, and no one would have been able to stand against him. Along the way to this near-victory he manipulates hero and villain alike to pursue his goals, adjusts his plans on the fly to accommodate for setbacks, and never loses his sense of style and charisma.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

** Original game: Galenth Dysley masquerades as the head of [[FloatingContinent Cocoon's]] Sanctum government and an old, helpless PuppetKing of the [[PhysicalGod fal'Cie]], but in reality he is Barthandelus, ruler of the Cocoon fal'Cie. Surveiling the heroes from afar to help and hinder them in equal measure, Dysley attempts to groom the group to become [[PersonOfMassDestruction Ragnarok]] and destroy Cocoon, fulfilling his goal to exterminate humanity. At the head of the government and the most powerful fal'Cie in Cocoon, Dysley is constantly on-top of the situation and always has back-up plans ready to deploy when things don't go his way, forcing the party to dance to his tune if they want to keep up with him. Dysley's plans only failed due to a literal [[DeusExMachina act of god]] when the Goddess Etro intervened -- otherwise he got exactly what he wanted, tricking the party into killing him and killing the fal'Cie Orphan, which would have destroyed Cocoon if not for the efforts of Etro, Fang, and Vanille. Dysley demonstrates why humanity both worships and fears the fal'Cie -- an arrogant, cruel, manipulative EvilOverlord who sees humans as tools to be used and then discarded when he has no further need of them.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'': [[BigBad Ardyn "Izunia"]], true name Ardyn Lucis Caelum, poses as a "man of no consequence", but is far older and [[WolfInSheepsClothing far more devious than he initially seems]]. As the [[EvilChancellor Chancellor]] of the [[Characters/FinalFantasyXVEmpireOfNiflheim Niflheim Empire]], Ardyn arranges for the invasion and destruction of [[Characters/FinalFantasyXVKingdomOfLucis Lucis]]' capital city Insomnia, and later reveals his true colors by fatally stabbing the game's heroine Luna upon her summoning of Leviathan, resulting in greater damage and the deaths of nearly everyone in Altissia. With Luna's death, an affliction known as the Starscourge is allowed to run rampant, turning many into monstrous Daemons as the nights grow longer. Fixated on his [[{{Archenemy}} chosen nemesis]], Prince Noctis, Ardyn tricks him into almost murdering his best friend Prompto by making Noct see Prompto as Ardyn. [[TheStarscream Turning on Niflheim]], Ardyn lets Daemons run rampant throughout the city, annihilating it and turning many of the people into Daemons themselves, leaving them in hideous pain. In addition, Ardyn reveals he is the one who taught Niflheim how to convert people to living weapons to begin with, kills Luna's brother Ravus when he finally had a change of heart and decided to help Noct and tricks Noct into being absorbed by the Crystal that is the source of power for the line of Lucis so Noct may arise as the Chosen King and Ardyn may destroy him. In the epilogue novel ''Dawn of the Future,'' Ardyn manages to outplay even the gods themselves, sacrificing his life to turn the power of the line of Lucis upon the tyrannical Bahamut. Rejected long ago by the very land he served and saved, Ardyn's endless, witty charm and ability to manipulate events in his own favor make him one of the most memorable villains in the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise.

* ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'': TheEmperor is one of the veterans of Chaos' forces in the cycles of war, but schemes to overthrow the God of Discord. Recognizing potential in the personal relationships between [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Tidus, Yuna, and Jecht]], the Emperor manipulates the three into conflict so he can [[FaceMonsterTurn seize Jecht as his own]] and have him revived as a Warrior of Chaos in the next cycle of war. His intent in this is to seize the power the goddess Cosmos infused in Jecht, granting the Emperor a [[PowerCrystal Dark Crystal]] in parallel to the Crystals the Warriors of Cosmos acquire, that has let them survive the death of Cosmos when they would have vanished from the world otherwise. With the power of the Dark Crystal, he intends to allow the heroes to kill Chaos before they vanish from the world, then the Warriors of Chaos will also vanish, leaving the Emperor alive to rule the world alone and unopposed. Considering himself the only being fit to rule existence, the Emperor would betray the Gods of Harmony and Discord alike and let his own allies die to realize his ambitions of ultimate power.
* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'':
** [[FallenHero Sephiroth]] was once the greatest of the Elite [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIISoldier SOLDIER unit]], until learning he was a genetic experiment utilizing JENOVA. Taking revenge on the town of Nibelheim, Sephiroth fell into TheLifestream and became something far worse. Able to control all JENOVA Cells and influence those injected with them, Sephiroth lured Cloud and AVALANCHE across the land of Gaia, manipulating them into bringing the Black Materia to him, breaking Cloud's mind as revenge for almost killing Sephiroth and personally murdering Aerith, the last Ancient. Erecting a nigh-impregnable barrier around the Northern Crater, Sephiroth [[ColonyDrop summoned Meteor to wound the planet]] so he could absorb its spirit energy. Defeated but maintaining his consciousness within the Lifestream, Sephiroth [[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren created three vessels to find the remains of JENOVA]] so he could be reborn while simultaneously spreading a sickness to kill people and corrupt the Lifestream little by little. Seeking to use the Planet to travel the stars and find a new world to create life, Sephiroth is one of ''Final Fantasy'''s most ambitious and iconic villains.
** Consummate businessman [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIShinraInc Rufus Shinra]] spent his vice-presidency funding the activities of an early iteration of AVALANCHE to subvert his father in hopes of attaining the position for himself. When Sephiroth murders him and parts of the company in cold blood, a parade is held in the newly inaugurated President Rufus's honor to mark a new era. When the Weapons attack the world to protect the Lifestream, Rufus tries to get rid of them but is caught an explosion. Revealed to have survived, Rufus powers through restrictive circumstances to get his company back on top, including building the city of Edge with a Meteor monument to represent his rise to power and discovering the remains of Jenova to keep for himself. He later implicitly manipulates Cloud to battling Kadaj and the other Remnants of Sephiroth and derives great amusement in easily fooling Kadaj, having kept Jenova's head with him the whole time.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'': [[BigBad Ardyn Izunia]], true name [[spoiler:Ardyn Lucis Caelum]], poses as a "man of no consequence", but is far older and [[WolfInSheepsClothing far more devious than he initially seems]]. As the [[EvilChancellor Chancellor]] of the [[Characters/FinalFantasyXVEmpireOfNiflheim Niflheim Empire]], Ardyn arranges for the invasion and destruction of [[Characters/FinalFantasyXVKingdomOfLucis Lucis]]' capital city Insomnia, and later reveals his true colors by fatally stabbing the game's heroine Luna upon her summoning of Leviathan, resulting in greater damage and the deaths of nearly everyone in Altissia. With Luna's death, an affliction known as the Starscourge is allowed to run rampant, turning many into monstrous Daemons as the nights grow longer. Fixated on his [[{{Archenemy}} chosen nemesis]], Prince Noctis, Ardyn tricks him into almost murdering his best friend Prompto by making Noct see Prompto as Ardyn. [[TheStarscream Turning on Niflheim]], Ardyn lets Daemons run rampant throughout the city, annihilating it and turning many of the people into Daemons themselves, leaving them in hideous pain. In addition, Ardyn reveals he is the one who taught Niflheim how to convert people to living weapons to begin with, kills Luna's brother Ravus when he finally had a change of heart and decided to help Noct and tricks Noct into being absorbed by the Crystal that is the source of power for the line of Lucis so Noct may arise as the Chosen King and Ardyn may destroy him. In the epilogue novel ''Dawn of the Future,'' Ardyn manages to outplay even the gods themselves, sacrificing his life to turn the power of the line of Lucis upon the tyrannical Bahamut. Rejected long ago by the very land he served and saved, Ardyn's endless, witty charm and ability to manipulate events in his own favor make him one of the most memorable villains in the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'': Caius Ballard is a Guardian tasked with protecting the seeress and became Paddra legend because of his might. Moved by his honor and tenacity, the goddess Etro awarded the former l'Cie with the Heart of Chaos to make him an immortal warrior to continue his duty forever. Once Caius realizes the curse of immortality, he concocts a plan to destroy of all time, by opening the Door to Souls, so Yeul and indirectly everyone else can no longer experience the pain of mortality. To that end, he tries to kill Etro directly in Valhalla, but when that fails, he sets to collapse Hope's New Coccoon to cause mass destruction, even manipulating a scared Alyssa to put Serah and Noel—his biggest opposition—on a dangeorus detour. When that fails as well, Caius has Noel, his Guardian successor he personally groomed, stab the Heart of Chaos. In the end, Caius becomes one of the few series antagonists to completely win.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'': [[BigBad Ardyn Izunia]], true name [[spoiler:Ardyn Lucis Caelum]], poses as a "man of no consequence", but is far older and [[WolfInSheepsClothing far more devious than he initially seems]]. As the [[EvilChancellor Chancellor of the Niflheim Empire]], Ardyn arranges for the invasion and destruction of Lucis's capital city Insomnia, and later reveals his true colors by fatally stabbing the game's heroine Luna upon her summoning of Leviathan, resulting in greater damage and the deaths of nearly everyone in Altissia. With Luna's death, an affliction known as the Starscourge is allowed to run rampant, turning many into monstrous Daemons as the nights grow longer. Fixated on his [[{{Archenemy}} chosen nemesis]], Prince Noctis, Ardyn tricks him into almost murdering his best friend Prompto by making Noct see Prompto as Ardyn. [[TheStarscream Turning on Niflheim]], Ardyn lets Daemons run rampant throughout the city, annihilating it and turning many of the people into Daemons themselves, leaving them in hideous pain. In addition, Ardyn reveals he is the one who taught Niflheim how to convert people to living weapons to begin with, kills Luna's brother Ravus when he finally had a change of heart and decided to help Noct and tricks Noct into being absorbed by the Crystal that is the source of power for the line of Lucis so Noct may arise as the Chosen King and Ardyn may destroy him. Having once been [[FallenHero rejected by the land he served and saved]], Ardyn showcases his [[FauxAffablyEvil devious charm]] in every scene he appears in, manipulating almost every event in the game, rarely ever at loss for a smile and a witty remark as one of the most memorable and charming villains in the ''Final Fantasy'' canon.

* Compilation of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Consummate businessman Rufus Shinra spent his vice-presidency funding the activities of an early iteration of AVALANCHE to subvert his father in hopes of attaining the position for himself. When Sephiroth murders him and parts of the company in cold blood, a parade is held in the newly inaugurated President Rufus's honor to mark a new era. When the Weapons attack the world to protect the Lifestream, Rufus tries to get rid of them but is caught an explosion. Revealed to have survived, Rufus powers through restrictive circumstances to get his company back on top, including building the city of Edge with a Meteor monument to represent his rise to power and discovering the remains of Jenova to keep for himself. He later implicitly manipulates Cloud to battling Kadaj and the other Remnants of Sephiroth and derives great amusement in easily fooling Kadaj, having kept Jenova's head with him the whole time.

!! Franchise/IvaliceAlliance

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'': [[BigBad Ardyn Izunia]], true name [[spoiler:Ardyn Lucis Caelum]], poses as a "man of no consequence", but is far older and [[WolfInSheepsClothing far more devious than he initially seems]]. As the [[EvilChancellor Chancellor of the Niflheim Empire]], Ardyn arranges for the invasion and destruction of Lucis's capital city Insomnia, and later reveals his true colors by fatally stabbing the game's heroine Luna upon her summoning of Leviathan, resulting in greater damage and the deaths of nearly everyone in Altissia. With Luna's death, an affliction known as the Starscourge is allowed to run rampant, turning many into monstrous Daemons as the nights grow longer. Fixated on his [[{{Archenemy}} chosen nemesis]], Prince Noctis, Ardyn tricks him into almost murdering his best friend Prompto by making Noct see Prompto as Ardyn. [[TheStarscream Turning on Niflheim]], Ardyn lets Daemons run rampant throughout the city, annihilating it and turning many of the people into Daemons themselves, leaving them in hideous pain. In addition, Ardyn reveals he is the one who taught Niflheim how to convert people to living weapons to begin with, kills Luna's brother Ravus when he finally had a change of heart and decided to help Noct and tricks Noct into being absorbed by the Crystal that is the source of power for the line of Lucis so Noct may arise as the Chosen King and Ardyn may destroy him. Having once been [[FreudianExcuse rejected by the land he served and saved]], Ardyn showcases his [[FauxAffablyEvil devious charm]] in every scene he appears in, manipulating almost every event in the game, rarely ever at loss for a smile and a witty remark as one of the most memorable and charming villains in the ''Final Fantasy'' canon.

* Compilation of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Consummate businessman Rufus Shinra spent his vice-presidency funding the activites of an early iteration of AVALANCHE to subvert his father in hopes of attaining the position for himself. When Sephiroth murders him and parts of the company in cold blood, a parade is held in the newly inaugurated President Rufus's honor to mark a new era. When the Weapons attack the world to protect the Lifestream, Rufus tries to get rid of them but is caught an explosion. Revealed to have survived, Rufus powers through restrictive circumstances to get his company back on top, including building the city of Edge with a Meteor monument to represent his rise to power and discovering the remains of Jenova to keep for himself. He later implicitly manipulates Cloud to battling Kadaj and the other Remnants of Sephiroth and derives great amusement in easily fooling Kadaj, having kept Jenova's head with him the whole time.

An imaginative setting with a rich variety of characters has provided villains as [[MagnificentBastard brilliant and charming as they are devious]]:

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.
[[/folder]]

!! Other Spin-offs and Sub-series:

-->''"Hark! Ivalice hails her true Dynast-King, Vayne Solidor! He shall defy the will of the Gods, and see the reins of history back in the hands of Man! His time is nigh!"''
--->'''Judge Bergan''', on '''Vayne Solidier''', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''

!!Main Series:
* Compilation of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Consummate businessman Rufus Shinra spent his vice-presidency funding the activites of an early iteration of AVALANCHE to subvert his father in hopes attaining the position for himself. When Sephiroth murders him and parts of the company in cold blood, a parade is held in the newly inaugurated President Rufus's honor to mark a new era. When the Weapons attack the world to protect the Lifestream, Rufus tries to get rid of them but is caught an explosion. Revealed to have survived, Rufus powers through restrictive circumstances to get his company back on top, including building the city of Edge with a Meteor monument to represent his rise to power and discovering the remains of Jenova to keep for himself. He later implicitly manipulates Cloud to battling Kadaj and the other Remnants of Sephiroth and derives great amusement in easily fooling Kadaj, having kept Jenova's head with him the whole time.

!!Spin-offs and Sub-series:
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'': Delita Hyral, who, in a game full of competing masterminds, finishes the story standing on top of the GambitPileup. Out-manoeuvring everyone else to become a king by marrying the reigning princess Ovelia, Delita uses the hero Ramza to actually do the hard work, playing off Ramza's accomplishments to claim his triumphs as Delita's own. Delita betrays those he feels he has to in order to rise to the top, ending by placing himself on the throne. While he soon realizes that he is [[LonelyAtTheTop utterly alone at the top]], Delita manages to secure a place for himself on the throne [[RagsToRiches despite his commoner birth]] in the ruthlessly classist land of Ivalice.
* ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'': Sydney Lostarrot is a charismatic cult leader secretly cursed with the Blood-Sin tattoo on his back. Kidnapping his younger brother Joshua, the Riskbreaker Ashley Riot is sent after Sydney and Sydney decides to play all the sides after him against one another, luring them into the dark city Lea Monde so he may test them to see who is worthy of inheriting the Blood-Sin to hold the Dark at bay. Believing that any rule or regime must respect human life, Sydney knows only one who has no desire for the Dark can hold its power, deciding to die and pass the power to Ashley, the only worthy successor.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': [[MasterOfDisguise Konoe Kikyo]], the Ninja, is a quirky, shy, and utterly relentless Eternian assassin tasked with taking out the leaders of the Shieldbearers. Disposing of and disguising herself as the Goodman family housekeeper Nastassja, Kikyo forges invitations to a banquet in Agnès Oblige's name and sends them to Commander Daniel Goodman and Officers Steiner and Neuer. Once they're all gathered, Kikyo locks them inside the house, feigns her own death to prevent suspicion, discretely murders both Steiner and Neuer while pinning the blame on Daniel's wife Eleanor, and nearly manages to kill Daniel as well when he separates himself from the party, only stopped at the last second by Agnès' crew. Despite this merciless cunning, Kikyo is shown to be rather pleasant when off-duty, values her fellow Eternians as friends, and ultimately [[HeelFaceTurn turns a new leaf]] come ''VideoGame/BravelySecond''.