Final Fantasy: 15 Most Brutal Boss Battles

1. Yiazmat (FFXII)

Is Yiazmat a hard boss, or is it simply an unbearably long one? Is it more a test of patience than skill? Well, it's a bit of both.

In a game which extracts most of its mythos from the Zodiac, Final Fantasy XII's biggest baddie has an appropriately astronomical HP pool. With a staggering 50 million hit points to its name, Yiazmat is by far the most fatiguingly drawn-out boss battle in the series' history, one which requires a whole bowl of tenacity and a veritable platter of perseverance to overcome.

Just imagine: even if you set up your party correctly and follow your tactics to the letter, you may still wind up on the losing side after a near three hour slog. Would you bother to try again, or just decide your time may be better spent (you could fly from London to Russia in that time, for example)?

It's an easy decision, and for that reason Yiazmat is the Final Fantasy boss fewest people have managed to send to its grave, its most devastating tactic, a big dollop of "I can't be arsed."

Cactaur Needles O' Pain: 1000

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.