I've been having an internal debate over whether this character should be at number 7, because I do think Barret is a better character. BUT this guy you just want to hate so bad, and he was the first Final Fantasy Final Boss I defeated, and boy, was I happy when I did :):):)

7: Kuja (Final Fantasy IX)

SPOILERS FOLLOW

Yes, Zidane may have been intended for the job, but throughout Final Fantasy IX; Kuja was the Angel of Death. And what a description of him it is. His appearance is harmless (except maybe to little children, only joking) and he looks.... pure (read HIGHLY effeminate) but Kuja is pure EVIL! He has a truly dramatic flair, and is often reciting his evil plans through poetic and sinsiter dialogue. I wouldn't consider him panto, but he is definately someone you want to boo when he takes centre stage.

Kuja is a great villain for many more reasons. At first he is a shady character and his appearance is linked to a once peaceful Queen's recent streak of declaring war on neighbouring countries with an army of murderous Black Mages (of which Kuja created). He does not speak much at first, and his mysteriousness is highlighted in the Disc 1 end FMV when he stares at a beaten Zidane and summons a silver Dragon to fly off on. You just KNOW he's evil. In Disc 2, he has eyes on Garnet, who is vulnerable and alone with only Steiner in Treno. He reveals he has big plans for her and you know he means danger. By the end of Disc 2, he has taken control of the Eidolon Bahamut and killed Brahne, cementing his place as the biggest threat Gaia has to face.

Kuja is cold and ruthless, in his treatment of the Black Mages who he creates, forces to work for him and lets them die and his uncaring nature at the destruction of Alexandria shows how devoid of compassion he is. What makes him more dangerous (and more interesting as a character) is he's always one step ahead of you; he has various plans in motion to get what he wants, and knows of various means (Gulug Stone, Alexander) to achieve his goal of overthrowing the one who created him. Kuja is presented as a character who has no weakness.

Upon learning of Zidane's origins and his relation to Kuja, the villain is enraged at the fact he is not the perfect being and coldly kills Garland and attacks the party. It's a fight you've been waiting for a long time, and of course upon defeating Kuja, he enters Trance to become even more powerful and sets about destroying the planet Terra. Knowing he is going to die, Kuja goes totally mental and decides everyone else should die as well, its the god complex that really fascinates me about Kuja; he is presented as the perfect enemy, emotionless and with no flaws, but when you chip away at that facade, he descends into madness and becomes all the more dangerous for it.

Trance Kuja has one of the best Final Battle (well he's not the FINAL battle but he's a fight beyond the point of no return) themes going: Dark Messenger. A totally adrenaline pumping version of a theme that has been his motif throughout the game, his theatrical appearance and manerisms, as well as that haunting piano make sure you know who the spotlight is on and I am totally glued to him every time he appears.

NEXT TIME: Someone from my favourite Final Fantasy game (and possibly game of all time) and its spin-off; a game which I rate as highly as most of the main series. And it's probably not who you were thinking, unless you were thinking it was

(ends blog)