I've decided to expand my "Blue Ribbon" series of posts to list specific elements of games in addition to games themselves. There are a lot of games that aren't necessarily my favorites as a whole, but do have elements or characters I am fascinated by. With this expansion of the format, I can honor some of the titles that I might otherwise gloss over. Today's category is the best final bosses in SNES RPGs.
Daos (Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals)
Just look at this guy. He's huge! Lufia is known for its enormous, hyper-detailed monster art, but Daos sure takes the cake. The leader of the Sinistrals puts up a pretty good fight, too. This one sits lowest on the list due to the fact that the buildup to get to him doesn't feel as epic as it could have, thanks to a rather dull plotline through the game itself.
Lavos (Chrono Trigger)
Chrono Trigger is arguably the most epic game in scope on the entirety of the SNES. After literally traversing space and time, forwards and back, Chrono and his party finally fight the monster that is slated to destroy the world. By this point in the game, the player has been bloodlusting for the battle for so long that it's fulfilling to say the very least. Don't forget - his first form shoots lasers from its nipples! The only reason this one isn't higher up on my list is due to the fact that visually it isn't as awe-inspiring as some of what is to follow.
Deathevn (Breath of Fire II)
Deathevn is so large he makes Daos from Lufia II look vertically challenged. Not to mention he has six toothed phalluses that are each roughly the size of the player. This guy is a big, bad and bizarre cult-demon-dragon-thing that is allegedly a remnant of the final boss from game 1 in the series. It is oh so satisfying to bring this guy down.
Giygas (Earthbound)
Much like Lavos from Chrono Trigger, Giygas is an interdimensional monster bent on destroying the earth. This baddie is so strong, in fact, that our heroes must travel back in time just to find him in a form weak enough to be defeated. They find his gluttonous thirst for power was so strong that it destroyed his own mind, and he sucks the party into a black hole betwixt the fabric of space and time. His final form is nothing but a billowing, ghostly form that defies physical manifestation. To top off the horror, word on the street is that the boss battle was inspired by a rape scene from an old Japanese movie.
Kefka (Final Fantasy III / VI)
How could I not put Kefka in my number one spot? He is the preeminent insane villain of an entire generation of video games. From the beginning to the end of the extremely lengthy masterpiece that is Final Fantasy III, the player witnesses Kefka devolve from a power-hungry general of the Empire to a genocidal, egomaniacal, self-destructive abomination. This guy destroys the entire world, and that's only half way through the game! Final Fantasy III is easily in my top 10 favorite games of all time, and Kefka is a large factor in that decision.
PS: the background music is half of what makes this battle so amazing.
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