Final Fantasy: 15 Most Brutal Boss Battles

5. Emerald Weapon (FFVII)

Emerald Weapon is a bit of a dichotomy. The even gaudier, sub-aqueous cousin of the similar dastardly desert-dweller Ruby Weapon can either be a practically undefeatable nightmare, or a mere exercise in patience. As ever, which variant you meet depends on the fulfilment of various arcane secondary objectives. For most of us, it was a case of bouling into the green giant entirely unprepared, and staring at a game over screen moments later.

The first problem with Emerald Weapon is that unless you're in possession of the Underwater Materia, you'll drown within twenty minutes. That might sound like ample time, but considering the foe's one million HP, it's barely enough time to cast Knights of the Round once. Let alone the fifty or so required to kill it.

The next problem is the brutal 'Aire tam' attack, which multiplies in strength based on how much Materia is equipped. In other words, the stronger you are, the harder you'll fall.

You'd expect a great reward for finally besting Emerald Weapon, but it wasn't worth holding your breath for; felling the monster earns the player a complete set of Master Materia - now totally useless having beaten the hardest enemy in the game. A real Emerald trial.

Cactaur Needles O' Pain: 400

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.