Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Villains 

Final Fantasy IV was the first game in the series to truly have a deep and meaningful story. II and III had their moments after I was largely plotless, but their mostly paper-thin characters were hugely eclipsed by the story of Cecil and company.

From Cecil’s legendary transformation from a Dark Knight into a Paladin through to Kain’s mind control and frequent heel turns, Tellah’s death and the destruction of Edge’s kingdom, one villain is at the heart of everything in the game – Golbez. A dark and enigmatic figure, he manages to thrive despite being little more than a personification of evil, conquering the world one Crystal at a time.

Hints that there is more to Golbez than it initially seems are dropped throughout the game and though the eventual reveal that he is Cecil’s brother, controlled by the previously unseen or unmentioned Zemus (himself a pawn of Zeromus, just to confuse things further), is a little too convenient, it does bring his story full circle.

Golbez can die in The After Years, dependent on player actions, after returning from his exile as a force for good. Given how little played the game was in comparison to its predecessor, most (including the Dissidia subseries) prefer to stick with the image of a menacing conqueror, whose appearance inspired the likes of XII’s Judge Magisters.