7 Tragic Boss Fights That Hit You Right in the Feels

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Final Fantasy has featured tons of impactful boss fights that pulled on the heart strings. Some would do so right in the moment, while others would require a bit more context and perhaps a second playthrough to truly understanding the underlying importance of each fight. Today, we're running through some of the most tragic - enjoy...!
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[@ryutheslayer123]

Tidus crying and saying "I hate you, Dad" still hits hard

[@BlazingCosmos]

That one hit me right in the feels when I first played FF10. Then Jecht just says, "I know, I know" while sounding guilty for what he put his own son through.

[@AndersonTenecela]

As someone who had a complex relationship with my own dad, that quote hits harder these days

[@ryutheslayer123]

@@AndersonTenecela same here

[@blairstingley4120]

"you'll cry, you're gonna cry, you always cry, see you're crying...."

[@nevanvictorian]

Ardyn izunia, we only see him being the bad guy but he's bk story is tragic especially when gilgamish and he's own brother kill him and he's wife and even the gods changed their minds and fated him to doom

[@staples6]

To this day, it's still difficult to get through the final cinematic in FFX with Tidus and Yuna on the airship. Strong stuff

[@BlazingCosmos]

The music during the ending cutscenes always brought a tear to my eye

[@TheBeholder333]

at least i didin't need a fkn guide to get that cutscene unlike in ff X-2 xD

[@RazaTheMaza]

@@TheBeholder333 you better not stop pressing x in the farplane.....seriously who would figure that out?

[@TheBeholder333]

@@RazaTheMaza those were a different times where games came in with a physical guidebooks that either hinted such things, or explained them straightforward

[@KittyKatt_Luna80s]

Thank you for mentioning Dyne. This was a pretty heartbreaking part of the story.

[@PraisetheFluffyTail]

I wanted Dyne to join the party :_:

[@521techguy]

Barrett and Dyne was a certain point my jaw dropped during the first run through 7 back in the day 😥

[@richardbarrett4537]

Hopefully they flesh Dynes character out in the remake

[@candicesnyman7511]

"All they give us are artillery and stupid excuses... what's left is a world of despair and emptiness" - that line still haunts me

[@alexjones50]

hopefully they manage to do that fight justice in the remake.

[@LudlowSRK]

You nailed it, with Zack. Playing as him, watching the memories fade, and Zack becoming more and more injured until the player was barely able to move him, talk about emotional.

[@GrimlanderMG]

For me it was FFX-2, ironically enough. The battle against Bahamut, while not very story relative, was extremely emotional. This was the shade of a former friend, and Yuna begging him to stop. The real Bahamut was gone, and coupled with the Yuna's Ballad song playing instead of the regular boss music, this was a painful reminder of Yuna's loss. Really hit me in the feels.

[@VinlandicSoul]

I was thinking the same thing! Seeing Yuna go through that heart break all over again was soul crushing

[@Toshinegawa]

Not sure if you can consider it a boss fight, but the boss gauntlet in X where you have to summon all the aeons then kill them as Yu Yevon possesses them one by one always gets me. Yuna's expression with every Aeon you kill makes it hit even deeper. Unlike previous FF titles where they only came to perform one attack when summoned. You actually controlled the actions that they took when in battle. They were litterally another party member in your team. Reading their last words with Sensory items just makes it sting even more as you send them off to finally be able to rest

[@aag2139]

Seeing them ask you to end it in their last words really hits in the feels. You spend the entire game with these freaky boys and now you have to put them down to take down the evil tick

[@adammatlack4667]

Agreed, I feel the same way about this concept in X-2..

[@randombanana4023]

agree it was heavy that you have to sacrifice the summon for peace

[@georgehouliaras7239]

I never imagined that I would ever feel sorry for defeating Chaos. Thanks a lot Jack.

[@dansmith1661]

Never feel sorry for defeating Chaos. That such a man existed at all.

[@wickedsong7049]

The final battle in Crisis Core is hands down the best example of Gameplay and Story Integration in a video game I’ve ever seen, and it destroys me every single time 😢

[@joshshrum2764]

It’s the you’ll be my living legacy line, and cloud breaking down, and masking the truth that gets me.

[@derrickseidwalk6423]

I played FF7 back in '97. I played Crisis Core on the PSP when it released. I know the story. It's not a surprise. When I recently played Reunion, I finshed the game, cried like the bitch I am, and cleaned myself up. Literally within 5 minutes after finishing the game, my husband wakes up, comes over to me and goes, "....Your eye is so red. Are you okay?" Every part of me wanted to respond with, "NO! I'M NOT OKAY. BECAUSE HE'S JUST A MEMORY. HE BECAME A HERO AND ALMOST NO ONE KNOWS."

[@TheBlackSeraph]

It goes to show you how well that ending was written considering almost everyone who played Crisis Core knew damn well how it was going to end and yet it still had emotional weight en par with the original FF7.

[@danielramsey6141]

@@TheBlackSeraph Honestly, it is a sad event in both FF7 and Crisis Core, both those two games compliment each other. As much as I bitch and moan about how much Milk Square be teasing out from FF7. The emotional core of a 1st Class soldier dies protecting his only friend and keeping the pure Honor of Soldier alive in the hopes of righting the Wrongs that Shinra has done. It still Carry’s weight.

[@SupremeViola]

Honestly, the whole game is just an emotional roller coaster for me because you start at the very beginning of the game knowing exactly what's going to happen, knowing you are going to watch an unstoppable train wreck in slow motion. And at least in my own playthrough, you realize that there was never going to be anything different for Zack. The only choice he could have made that could have changed his fate was made before the game even starts. You're just driven to get him the most out of every last second of his life that you can before his time is up. (Can you tell I am not happy with the Final Fantasy 7 remake's ending?)

[@mikepelosi9877]

It wasn’t until replaying Crisis Core Reunion that I understood why the DMW breaking was so hard. I thought it was as simple as Zack slowly dying. But really, it’s that he gave his whole life to Shinra to be Soldier. Even his memories are, to a degree, controlled by Shinra. Yet after the battle is over and he has a few bits of life left, he remembers who Cloud is. He remembers what it meant to be Soldier. And though he may not remember her name anymore, he asks the player to say hello to the girl from the flower shop. I took this as even as he lay dying he remembered the two most important things: honor and whatever was left of his memory of Aerith.

[@AndersonTenecela]

The part in Braska’s Final Aeon boss where Tidus says “I hate you” hits me harder from my last playthrough compared to my first playthrough of the game because in the last few years where my rough relationship with my dad hit its breaking point, I saw myself in Tidus where all of the hidden emotions I kept locked for many years finally exploded but also was the start of improvement for my dad when he saw me finally exploded towards him and realize the pain I was dealing with…. I know I written a few comments in the past about the many layers in personality and story of why I identify myself as Tidus, but this moment is one of those moments that defines it but similar to the ending, both him and I are at peace with our viewpoints and whereas I try to created my own legacy, now I’m embracing itself and is starting to have his characteristics which he appreciates

[@mastermoye3915]

Me too, man. Me too. 😔

[@dustbunns3843]

“Over the sound of your own sobbing” brother why you gotta call me out like that 😂

[@matthewgunawan8990]

honorable mention to the fight right after aerith's death, the instrumental of aerith's theme still in the background as the party had to fight just mere seconds after the death aerith was pretty emotional for me

[@martinroner5688]

Aye. My poor little 13 year old heart broke in that moment (in '97 of course) My first ever death of a main party member. And the remake makes it even harder, with how they fleshed out her character even more. Lively, positive, loveable 😭

[@ry2950]

The fight with Zombie Zalbaag in FFT always gets me. Not because he was a sympathetic character, but because Ramza has to kill one of his last remaining relatives while his brother is begging in pain for him to do it. It was a very harrowing scenario.

[@Veladus]

Kudos for "not because he was a sympathetic character." Because he WASN'T. He was the one who ordered Tietra executed. He wasn't a good guy, he was just less of a piece of shit than Dycedarg, who was a complete monster. But I keep seeing people acting like he was "the good one." Completely agree, it's terrible for Ramza. As a player through, to hell with Zalbag.

[@DragoonMS]

@@Veladus To bloody hell with both them clowns, really - Dycedarg & Zalbag - they eventually got what they deserved.

[@sirrunabout74]

Zombie Zalbaag is a great example, but my first thought was Miluda Folles. Her brief story really set Ramza down the path to justice and questioning the status quo. Not to mention her final battle is my favorite FFT song, "In Pursuit"

[@LlednarTank]

FF9 with Black Mage 3 The whole village story and the moment Vivi finally got a clue of what he was and and was trying to communicate with the black mages, and in just a moment all goes to shit.

[@nocturnalwalker726]

I am like How could he forget FF9... So many sad stories.

[@psyckwhoever4197]

Yeah, I also thought this would be on the list, but the ones that were included also deserve their spot.

[@KillerCornMuffin]

Watching him stop the train and then fight us really scared me as a kid.

[@adammatlack4667]

One that sticks out in my mind were the aeons from Final Fantasy X-2. It was strikingly poignant for me when Yuna had to put an end to Bahamut. I find fights like this to be pretty emotionally difficult because you have to turn your sword on friends you adventured with. Excellent take on these emotionally rich character moments.

[@shahleonheart]

"The rain has ceased, and we have been blessed with a beautiful day. But you are not here to see it.."

[@bwells685]

Balthier having to battle his dad Doctor Cid in XII got me the feels too. Finding out that he was not only a noble, but his noble father was being influenced was a nice little twist.

[@TheBlackSeraph]

The final battle against Dr. Cid was definitely good, especially since I love the moral ambiguity of FF12's plot - after all, it's kinda hard not to empathise with the concept of freeing humanity from the rule of divine tyrants. That said, the one battle from FF12 that's probably the most emotionally impactful would have to be the last battle against Gabranth. By the end, you've seen him cling to -and fail- every cause he held dear, be it his home of Landis, the sanctity of the Empire, protection of Lord Larsa and even vengeance. He's basically treated like a stray dog and killed of when he goes rabid. At the end of the game, Basch honours Gabranth's last wish and becomes Larsa's judge wearing Gabranth's old uniform, abandoning his sworn duties to Queen Ashe and Dalmasca in the process.

[@Omega-jg4oq]

And don’t forget that Baltheir used to be a Judge like others.. just let that sink in for a little bit, not only that Dr. CID was so obsessed with power he eventually lost his mind and his obsession was the reason force his downfall and died and blather lost his father forever, what’s crazier they always call each other with names like CID calling Sky pirate or Baltheir calling old man or something, they never refer each other Father and Son, they’re almost bunch of strangers

[@Omega-jg4oq]

And don’t forget that Baltheir used to be a Judge like others.. just let that sink in for a little bit, not only that Dr. CID was so obsessed with power he eventually lost his mind and his obsession was the reason force his downfall and died and blather lost his father forever, what’s crazier they always call each other with names like CID calling Sky pirate or Baltheir calling old man or something, they never refer each other Father and Son, they’re almost bunch of strangers

[@Vayne_Solidor]

"Our dear Cid? Slained by his son? Hm, a common tale of late."

[@Vayne_Solidor]

​@@TheBlackSeraphCid succeeded in the end. Venat is basically the Ivalician counterpart of Prometheus from Greek mythology.

[@nucah7880]

The one that really hit me (and continued to set the stone in FFXIV Shadowbringers) was fighting Tesleen in Holminster switch. What a punch to the gut.

[@thebubble734]

Oh god yes. Holminster remains my fave of all the SB dungeons just for the vibe and the feels

[@sansfangirl4life439]

it hits even harder because its clear Alisaie had really bonded with her, and although your time with her was brief, you could see why, and you were unaware of how truly horrific this world has become. its why the WoL is so angry through a majority of shb, and i remember just wanting to cry a little as you beat her QAQ

[@Veladus]

Oh God, that one hit like a truck. Tesleen was great, and you had just enough time to really start to like her before she gets turned into a sin eater. It was an excellent way to show you how dark the expansion was going to be, no pun intended.

[@BlueCardGanks592]

Was this the boss he said he excluded from ff14? I assumed it was but no spoilers cause I haven’t finished Shadowbringers or Endwalkers

[@aminsin0]

​@@BlueCardGanks592theres a few who fit his description but he mentioned it ending the story arc. Tesleen while important in the beginning of shb wasnt the most important to the decade long storyline.

[@thethrashyone]

Galuf's fight gets me every time. Something about the idea of his love for his granddaughter keeping him on his feet even after his HP hits 0 is a real gut puncher. Also I can't listen to the track that plays during his passing, "The Day Will Come", without getting misty eyed.

[@jrm78]

While it never really had any boss fights that make you feel the feels, FFVI has a ton of moments which bring on the tears. Celes and her suicide attempt, Cyan and the fate of his family, Setzer and the backstory of the WoR airship, Locke and the Phoenix magicite, Terra and the story of her parentage... the list goes on.

[@Veladus]

Yeah, 6 had some magnificent characters and stories. It also had When You Order The Joker From Wish, whose appeal I will never understand. Game would've been perfect if it had a decent villain.

[@7empest-GTR]

@@Veladus Kefka like Ardyn was at least successful in destroying the world and fulfilling their ambitions.

[@Triggcall]

The Zack moment never gets easier, even though you know what’s coming I still have that little bit of hope for him every time I play. We won’t talk about remake lol

[@nizmo012000]

Ravus is definitely a forgotten one. But as mentioned, you'd need to play the expansions and see the movie to get a full grasp of his motives. I never expected him to accept Noctis as king, and it's unfortunate that the moment he presented 'Noctis' with his father's sword, and accepted him as the true king, it turned out to be Ardyn, and he never got a true chance to acknowledge Noctis as such. Zach will always be the most painful one to watch though. When you're playing, and reach that point where he is dragging the sword, swinging it with his last bits of strength, knowing that we are not meant to win this fight, just gets to me every time.

[@SBaby]

In the words of Linkara from Atop the Fourth Wall, any story that requires supplementary material to comprehend it is a poorly written story. As far as the main game is concerned, he just dies offscreen.

[@Spike2276]

When you get the Episode: Ignis alternate ending tho... almost makes it all worth it

[@SBaby]

@@Spike2276 It still feels like it's the equivalent of reading a novel and having half its chapters missing at random with little footnotes referencing other books. It's still a poorly written story.

[@Spike2276]

@@SBaby that's all of XV, but i got invested in the universe and looked for all the BS additions to it When i got the alt ending it felt right to see Ravus present Regis' sword to Noctis Am i saying that XV is a Shakespearian tale with a mastercrafted story? No, you're right, it's incomplete and it sucks, but i can still enjoy it for what it is

[@VersusHearts]

@@SBaby Can't even say you like something from XV without some doofus mind-numbingly repeat tired and misguided arguments how the game sucks. Move on.

[@josuecarrazco755]

FFV was my first game and I still remember crying so much seeing him pass on my Gameboy lol

[@jsullivan649]

Think this is the only channel I get active upload notifications for, and I’m glad I do.

[@thegodzuse1971]

have u rang the bell.

[@astrisperspecto4130]

Zidane's realization that he isn't from Gaia but created to destroy it was heart wrenching and warming: He started by pushing away his friends and ended up with Dagger who simply refused. Told him that his friends aren't there to only take his help but give him so as well

[@photomatt11]

The Warrior of Light from FFXIV Shadowbringers is my biggest gut punch. Knowing the story plus the song from the fight written when Soken was being treated for cancer.

[@tommenno]

It's gonna hit even harder once they finish off Pandemonium.

[@photomatt11]

@@tommenno Hadn’t thought of that. Really looking forward to it.

[@K2813]

A great list but Caius needed at least a honorable mention! All that he had to go through and his motives .. Its just heart breaking

[@psyckwhoever4197]

That was my suggestion, too. The moment where he tells Noel about "All the Yuls" is just heartbreaking...

[@Vayne_Solidor]

Oh indeed!

[@tlasjc]

The fight against Zalbaag in FFT always bummed me out. In agony and begging to be killed by his own brother.

[@Spike2276]

Gabranth is one where emotions run high You get to see throughout the game that he's a really conflicted man, and it's clear that by the point you reach Sky Fortress Bahamut that he's basically reached a breaking point But the part that really gets me every time is the epilogue cutscene when we see Basch wearing his brother's armor, serving Larsa, honoring his last wish

[@patrickbo2045]

Yea Hadn't they included those two absolutely irrelevant characters last second (Vaan and Penelo, that is), I feel like XII's characters would have gotten much more of the attention that they deserved. And Basch was always one of my favourites. What a tragedy!

[@Omega-jg4oq]

Damn I never noticed that it’s was Basch wearing Gabranth’s armour, they look so identical and twin you barely know the difference

[@Omega-jg4oq]

@@patrickbo2045 it’s not exactly their fault, we could have learn more about Vaan’s relationship with his brother Reks but they didn’t give anything for Van to do, but Penelo is literally made to be Vaan’s friend who lost their parents too during the war and nothing more.. Penelo is even worse

[@Vayne_Solidor]

​@@Omega-jg4oqNoel aka Gabranth died after the Sky Battle of Rabanastre.

[@rosemaryjones5550]

I named my Skyrim elf for him

[@psyckwhoever4197]

I know it's not a fan favourite, but the conclusion of Caius Ballads story in FFXIII-LR also struck me. The monologue in FFXIII-2, where he tell's Noel about "all the Yul's" he protected over the decades is more heart wrenching to me than most "sacrificial love" stories. The battle felt so good and bad at the same time, since FFXIII-2 didn't deliver any kind of clusure to him (or any other character really)!

[@Vayne_Solidor]

Caius is easily a top 3 antagonist! The finale of XIII-2 is epic, and Caius' motifs are tragic. His story was complete though. Collect all fragments to get a secret ending with a monologue from Caius.

[@bluesuns2176]

Great list :) Vivi fighting Black Waltz 3 after it massacres the Black Mages is probably the boss fight that hits hardest for me. The slow-motion scene of them being blasted off of the airship while emotional music plays and you see Vivi's pained reaction is powerful. It's also really cool seeing how trance is used at the beginning of the boss fight that follows, showing Vivi's pure rage and desire for revenge.

[@neoshadowdukeofgames8223]

I’m glad you picked a lot of fights from earlier FFs. I know those a lot better and I could feel those a lot more.

[@FreddyChoppins]

Not Final Fantasy, but the battle against Miguel in Chrono Cross always stuck with me. I don't remember that much about the game anymore as it's been decades since I played it, but the scenery, the dislogue and especially the music just made it such a sad battle.

[@kitdyson9468]

And after all that, Cloud trades the Buster Sword for the first upgrade he can find.

[@joshshrum2764]

The one thing that game mechanics hurt in Final fantasy 7.

[@aag2139]

I always keep the initial equipment, thanks to being scarred as a kid by Ipsens Castle in FF9. So I usually had the Buster Sword the whole way through, just in case.

[@leomorali]

At least the Buster Sword was really the only item you could never sell in FFVII (because of the Initial Equipment tag). I believe Barret's Gatling Gun was the other one... Since it was actually his arm! Hahaha

[@patrickbo2045]

And leaves it to wear, tear and rust before the events of Advent Children, which is the LAST thing that Angeal and Zack would have wanted! Cloud's cool, but a real d'pshit at times.

[@remyoconnor3141]

I didn’t think anything would ever hit as hard as the end of 10 or the Aerith death, but Noctis’ final battle had me legit sobbing.

[@gateauxq4604]

Oh god big same. Unlike Ravus you do get to know trash bag hobo uncle really well so the fight and everything 😭

[@SBaby]

@@gateauxq4604 Ravis AND Lunafreya. Because I barely knew anything about Lunafreya, except that they were friends as kids and she had magic healing powers and a dog. And Ravus, well he dies offscreen, you encounter him later as a monster and by that point you're no longer invested enough in his character to give a damn.

[@Veladus]

Just think, it was intended to be completely different but we didn't buy enough Ovaltine and DLC to get the real ending. Man, modern SE is a trainwreck aside from FF14.

[@SBaby]

@@Veladus The original concept for FFXV back when it was Versus XIII was that not only was it going to be set in the FFXIII universe, but it was going to be game with heavy action elements and mission-based gameplay (the kind of missions you would get in a game like Crisis Core).

[@rogthepirate4593]

@@Veladus Well, hopefully we'll be able to add XVI to that list soon. It's about time the series got back on track for good, and if there is one guy I would entrust the entirety of it to with zero regrets it's Yoshi-P.

[@larrygiles8556]

I can't wait to see how they deal with the Barrett and Dyne story in ff7 remake. The actor voicing for Barrett during the plate falling on Sector 7 was really good.

[@durantes]

Emet-Selch’s “Remember us” fight was definitely worthy of the list, I’d argue too Still. Good choices

[@Veladus]

Well he said 14 was excluded because the entry for it would've been a spoiler to recent content. I assume it was The Endsinger, which was definitely more heart wrenching than Hades. Honestly I don't see Hades as heartwrenching at all. His culture viewed death as sort of like retirement, and he said himself he was *horrified* by the prospect of living as long and becoming as twisted as he did. It was a mercy killing. Even still, I never understood the fascination with Hades in ShB. He really grew on me in EW. Sort of like, he's an asshole but he's MY asshole, you know? But back in ShB... meh.

[@lordlundar]

@@Veladus I'd actually put more money on the fight being Hydaelyn. That one really hurt to do.

[@Chaos0310]

Ooof the final cinematic of FFX where tidus reconciled with Jecht and that just heart wrenching goodbye to Yuna. Just absolute waterworks

[@cliffordbunton8788]

Thank you so much for including Seifer on your list. Final Fantasy VIII was the first FF game that I played all the way through, and I was a teenager when it was released. The way Seifer just completely surrendered himself for Edea and he still went on after she abandoned him completely had me engrossed into the game. To this day it's still my favorite video game of all time...

[@rosaheartlily]

I always found Seifer much more interesting than Squall :)

[@dominiquerichard1342]

"with both men exchanging blows" as Barret tries to steal from Dyne haha

[@PyromaniacAxel]

One of the ones which I felt was particularly sad was when Noel had to face off against Caius in FFXIII-2. I mean, with him being one of Noel's best friends and one of the last people of their time, he didn't want to kill him but knew he would have to... But still, it was such a sad boss fight given what we learned he went through concerning Yeul. Of the ones shown here, Zack's, Dyne's, and Edge's parents hit me particularly hard, since I remember playing them.

[@psyckwhoever4197]

I agree. It's just heartbreaking and becomes worse the longer you think about it ;)

[@Vayne_Solidor]

Caius is a tragic villain. They tend to be the best antagonists.

[@revan0890]

Zack vs Sephiroth was brutal. The first time I played Crisis Core I new it would happen, but didn't really care. That changed as I was playing and Sephiroth was actually a pretty cool dude and friend. It really made me hate Genesis for putting Sephiroth on that path.

[@ciarandoherty6180]

That's why I think Genesis will somehow return in REBIRTH, because of how Dirge of Cerberus had ended.

[@patrickbo2045]

Out of the many great story pieces that Crisis Core did right, making Sephiroth not only a likeable character but actually getting the player to feel sorry for his final fall from grace stands out to me as one of the greatest!

[@Caterfree10]

Man, I am forever the weirdo who just feels sorry for everyone in CC including Genesis, aren’t I?

[@Maniacal_Laughter]

Knowing Zack would die, but still doing our best, lasting until the game killed you was just heart breaking. We knew but we still tried.

[@fierytigergaming8112]

Be nice if more games did that, instead of just being "I win... oh wait, i'm supposed to die now"

[@nolongeraperson]

Jokes on you, they never killed me. It eventually times out. 😂 and just faded to black with me still swinging.

[@regenbogenvoorkelly]

"if you can make out what he's saying over the sound of your own sobbing" -- that was me. Zack's death was unbearable. I never thought i'd grow to love him as much as i did, and i dragged my feet towards the ending of the game. When i finally sat down for the end battle, i was *still* unprepared for what was actually happening. That was some ugly crying, man.

[@sionan7937]

Tsukuyomi in FFXIV Stormblood killed me. She wasn't always an evil, heartless monster. Once you find out her backstory and how her family used and abused her, her rage makes sense. Then she finally gets a measure of family, peace, and happiness with Gosetsu (who also deserved a quiet retirement) only to have it snatched away by her psychopath brother. Ugh the part in the battle where Gosetsu's shade comes to her rescue makes me choke up every time.

[@MoniqueBoulangerMSG]

Necropost. I am so glad I'm not the only person who saw that with Tsukuyomi :( She hated the culture and people who sold her and raped her as a child. But people just are like "SHe's just a ..." Like come on...l

[@gateauxq4604]

The Sorrow of Werlyt in XIV. They went for maximum emotional damage since ALL FOUR BOSSES are brutal. I was almost completely non-functional for the last fight because I was so emotional.

[@aminsin0]

Returned to the game a couple weeks ago and finished the last two fights. Man that storyline was brutal

[@darkmirror21]

lmao, that disclaimer tho. should've been "we're not adding [redacted] from 14 because we'd rather you get hit where it hurts when you get there because oh lawdy it will hurt"

[@TheJCHarkins2]

I grew up on the emotional gut punches of FF7. Crisis Core, while not one I played through multiple times, always left an impression on me. The last stand of Zack Fair was something that remained with me as I grew up. To see a remake, and for his death to take a number one slot in a roster full of worthy contenders, is admirable. Time to get me the remaster. I feel like traversing the old path again, some 15 years later.

[@serenavox5540]

The final “fight” of Crisis Core, if you can even call it that honestly, is so tragic I can’t stand it. It really makes you realise why the DMW is even there and the impact it has on the game. 😢

[@25xxfrostxx]

14 definitely needs mentions. Tsukuyomi, Seat of Sacrifice, and all of Werlyt just to name a few.

[@LIONPRINCE2001]

That's why they didn't

[@danielramsey6141]

God I still remember feeling sad about how Edge had to Kill his Parents after they changed into monsters. That still hurts man. 😢

[@JoshoMeow]

I am so damn glad that you mentioned edges Parents. I literally had a pre-planned comment thinking they would be forgotten and when you didn’t, I couldn’t be happier although sad too of course

[@fruitdealer_R34L]

FFX cut scenes around the end of the game still is heart wrenching

[@pauldehayes1898]

Zack gets me. Every. Damn. Time. Makes the final sequence hard to play through because a part of you just wants to fling the PSP against the wall. You know it's coming, it's hard AF to play and watch.

[@Typerhaze]

it really tells you something about how good the FF writers are when just a recap video makes you tear up. Crisis core has to be the most underrated game of all time

[@amandalewis5162]

When it came to playing the original Crisis Core for the first time, getting to the end shockingly didn't get to me. It was the 2nd time, 5 years after the game was released to the Western part of the world, getting to the last fight that hit me REALLY hard. When "The Price of Freedom" plays in the final fight, I can't help but cry my eyes out because I KNOW what will happen in the end.

[@rogthepirate4593]

It sometimes happens that way. Same thing for me in FFXIV with the death of a certain dear friend in Heavensward, and then the final boss in Shadowbringers. Sometimes it takes a second look to really hit hard. And/or some more context.

[@eliotwildermann]

That Zack moment had me balling like a baby 👶 😭

[@Malacite]

The final encounter in the Wings of the Goddess expansion for FF11 was incredibly emotional as you are pitted against the "real" Lilisette and forced to kill her. Aht Urghan had a similarly tragic fight with Alexander possessing Aohmau's brother, Rhauban, but it didn't hit nearly as hard (you also end up kiling the other version of yourself in the fight just before) The whole thing is messed up and shows just what an evil bastard Odin is in 11.

[@buddah1978egypt]

Totally agree

[@jarodantonovich5722]

The more and more ive replayed the stories in FF11 the more I realize just how deep the lore in it goes. The first time I went through most of them it took so long I forgot parts of the story

[@Malacite]

@@jarodantonovich5722 Vana'diel is my favorite for good reason. Unfortunately the majority of the plots range from sad to horrendously morbid/depressing lol, people are not having a good time there :/ (Red Mage plot was especially depressing)

[@sionan7937]

I remember legit sobbing by the time that quest was over. WotG remained my fave for that fight alone.

[@HeyitsMartyn]

Ah man we had some extremely good moments in the old games. They will live on forever!

[@MelaniAlarcon]

Im sorry but im going to name some of FF14, because it has been more than 2 years already. Emet Selch: "remember, remember us, remember that we once lived". Elidibus: Death scene. Fordola, Yotsuyu. Niddhogg-Estinien (because Niddgohh was betrayed and they killed his sister), and im sure there are even more. Lets start to include FFXIV into lists, it deserves it more, and FF single player fans need to know more about this magnific game

[@TrvisXXIII]

Outside of boss fights, Sono’s tragic story in the FF7R intergrade DLC chokes me up everytime 😢 I watch reaction videos to it and can’t help but cry whenever I see it

[@moogleboy]

FF6: Humbaba. Both battles really contextualize the inner turmoil Terra is going through, and her burden being lifted after the second fight was really touching. FF14: Sorrows of Werlyt Trial series was absolutely brutal to go through.

[@reaperx7164]

almost nothing hit as hard in the feels as the last cs in the sorrows storyline

[@vexcarius7100]

5:01 I’m amazed that FFV broke the “Just use a phoenix down meme”

[@Trasc066]

When Tidus said for the first time he was proud to have Jecht as his father I broke down and always do at that moment, having no father of my own and a mom I neglected only makes that moment more intense.

[@camerongranger6301]

"blitzball playing absentee father" is a wild intro lmao

[@nosboR193]

Never cried while gaming until finishing the original Crisis Core, Zack's death made me feel sad for a month, Even though I had played the FFVII before and knew it was coming

[@josephgreen8594]

You guys have been BANGING out solid content. I’m so glad when I see new videos i can listen to at work. 😩

[@johnnys8393]

Zack’s death was brutal the first time I saw it. Especially with that song “Why” that played in the cinematic. Very hard not to shed a tear there.

[@nathanpendleton1332]

Dang, the whole video hit hard. Lots of heartbreaking moments. Good work.

[@Gho5tdSS]

There's a few bosses from FFXIV Shadowbringers that should definitely be on here. There's a particular one that suffered a tragic transformation near the beginning that comes to mind. I still see her face in my nightmares. Lol

[@SkeletalCheshire]

Honestly, a lot of 14 is designed to gut punch your feelings....i actually find Omega quite tragic, for example. The feeling of being lost and without purpose, wondering if you'd somehow failed and that was why you'd been abandoned; that really resonated with me.

[@MelaniAlarcon]

I thing Emet Selch and Elidibus should be there

[@Daniel-gx7ou]

the Tsukiyomi fight got me, the way Asahi orchestrated it and just how hurt and bitter Yotsuyu wad really got to me

[@gateauxq4604]

@Melani Alarcon same BUT as he said he didn’t want to spoil it for newer players. We know in our hearts though ❤️

[@MelaniAlarcon]

@@gateauxq4604 i mean, i understand that but,isnt that the same for any other game someone didnt play before?

[@nejii131]

Seifers was also deep because his hero was originally Squalls dad he watched him growing up and even adopted his stance from the show

[@dragames]

Squall got to have and be everything Seifer wanted to be.

[@Omega-jg4oq]

Hmm… But Laguna is Squall’s dad? Right?

[@nejii131]

Yup back from his Tv show days@@Omega-jg4oq

[@alexjones50]

I think Doga and Unei from ff3 deserve a mention, it managed to be quite an emotional boss fight for such an old game, there two had been your friends and mentors and your forced to kill them in order to continue your quest. this was the first time in the series I think that a boss fight hit an emotional pang, fights up to this point had just been kill the boss and move on with the game but this was the first to have some emotion to it.

[@TheBlackSeraph]

I suspect that FF2 and FF3 didn't get much of a look in because a LOT of people die in those games, so by the time you get your extra party member you're somewhat numb to it. I'm currently replaying FF3 for the PSP and so far I've had three NPCs [SPOILERS]one threw himself into an engine, one was a boss that hid in my shadow that I had to fight and one was killed off by one of Xande's minions [/SPOILERS}.

[@Flamsterette]

Thanks for the upload!

[@briandoss9232]

Yeah... Zack showed absolutely no mercy at the end...

[@anthonydelfino6171]

Not the one I think you cut from XIV, but the fight against Nidhogg in the 3.3 patch was another. Estinien had been your companion for most of the expansion and had become a friend, so to see him corrupted by the dragon and have to fight him was really rough. But not only that, but the cutscene during or immediately after the fight where the spirits of other deceased friends showed up to help heal him was another that really got me.

[@Slop_Dog]

Also, killing nidhogg for good was like putting down a rabid animal, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Especially after all he's been thru.

[@MelaniAlarcon]

Totally agree, Niddgohh, Elidibus, Emet Selch, there are many

[@anthonydelfino6171]

@@MelaniAlarcon Maybe it's just me, but I didn't feel bad fighting Emet. But maybe because to me he was the scorpion in that scorpion and the frog fable. Giving him a somewhat sympathetic backstory didn't, in my mind, excuse the genocide of multiple planets.

[@MelaniAlarcon]

@@anthonydelfino6171 no it didnt, but he didnt saw as complete versions, we wanted to restore everything as what it was before

[@anthonydelfino6171]

@@MelaniAlarcon yeah I get that. But it felt a little too "boomer trying to bring back to good old days when lesser races knew their place" to me

[@OverbossZero]

Maybe not the fights themselves, but Zeromus' scene with Cecil getting the crystal from Golbez makes me cry every time. But also, the ending of FFXII after you fight Vayne, and you see Gabranth basically on his death bed and Basch is right there beside him, basically having forgiven him for everything he did. I legit cannot do either fight without crying because it's just so touching to see the brothers basically beside each other - and the fact you do have Gabranth fighting Vayne alongside you as an NPC really boosted that for me. He realized he was just following the orders of someone who didn't deserve his loyalty and he was going to right his wrongs - even if he had to die to do it. FFIV was an emotional ride as it was; It was FF's Game of Thrones for me.

[@quinlansimpson6525]

I'll never forget my tiny child mind piecing everything together when I beat Jecht. "I hate you Dad" was really I love you and "look your cryn' again" was I am proud of you

[@1dfr33]

The final fight in type zero will always be the saddest moment in final fantasy for me. It just hit me so hard in a time in my life where I needed that kind of feeling to appreciate what I had.

[@Vayne_Solidor]

Oh yes....we will never forget Class Zero.

[@jonathankozenko]

I think Zack's fall at the end of Crisis Core is even more impactful when you remember that Aerith never knew what happened to him, believing he died as far back as 2 years earlier, and he was killed on his way back to her, to let her know that he was alive after all.. and the fact that he was right outside Midgar, meaning that he had almost made it.

[@blenderfox]

FFV was probably the first game in the FF series I played that actually had a gutpunch like Galuf's death. I actually had to save and turn off the console and take a break. I literally cried myself to sleep that night.

[@zefer8831]

You gotta include FF14: Shadowbringers final story boss Hades. This is such a rollercoaster of emotions and a proper end to the culmination of events.

[@rogthepirate4593]

Seeing as he explicitly mentions FFXIV initially and says he would not include a certain boss because it's too recent and massively spoilery, I'd argue that no, he does, in fact, not have to include him (now, arguably there is more than one gut punch in boss form in FFXIV, but I doubt he was talking about Nidhogg or Tsukuyomi here ... )

[@techno-dg8oh]

I'm pretty sure they were talking about the lvl 87 trial from Endwalker with that comment in the video. That fight was a gut punch and was pretty recent.

[@rogthepirate4593]

@@techno-dg8oh To be fair, Endwalker is full of gut punches. 5.0/5.3 qualifies as well, and easily.

[@tpar83]

Sometimes (or should I say most of the time) the sad consequence you experience after defeating a certain boss is not directly related to the boss itself, but rather how its defeat negatively affects some of your party members or companions. This is true in much of the FF XIII series and in Final Fantasy Tactics, which have more boss battles with sad consequences than most of these games (except perhaps for FF X, which is rightfully mentioned).

[@DreamyDawnMusic]

My top 3 moments Tidus’s encounter with Jecht Edges Parents Galuf’s death

[@narutofan321211]

tank you for not ruining the end of this arc of my fav mmo

[@mattsully2238]

I feel you with jecht, I might argue killing all the aeons during the yu yevon fight hurt worse. I didn't have personal connections with jecht, however I've been using valefore and co for the last 100 hours

[@aag2139]

the fact they basically say "please kill me" as their final words is a gut punch and a half on top of everything

[@andrewroberts6505]

The final battle in crisis core gets me every time, I remember the first time I got there, I knew what was going to happen and it broke my heart! I found Zack to be a funny yet tragic character! Incredible story telling!

[@scaf_007vs3]

love the song starting around 2:40 Roses and Wine from FF8

[@MaesterAlex]

Yaag Rosch's last stand in FF13 actually got me to cry. I wasn't expecting someone who seemed so reluctant to just admit they are wrong seem so relatable. Like I genuinely understand the almost religious fear of the l'cie, but at the same time you as the player know that Lightning and company aren't evil (obviously).

[@leomorali]

Zalbag in FFT was really tough, but I must confess when the list came to Dyne (brilliant, btw) I thought to myself... "There goes FF7. They won't talk about Zack... Damn..." Then you all teared me up, since Crisis Core is actually a game, and the steep price of freedom is in fact the last boss fight in the game! Thanks, guys! This was awesome! Right in the gut!

[@robertbeste]

Here to make sure Edge's parents are on the list..... all is well. Carry on.

[@usnairframer]

I can only imagine the one left out from FF14 was Emet Selch, whom I think was probably the best written (and voiced) character in any FF game to this point

[@warriorfromhammerfell1557]

At first I was furious why Ravus was chosen over Ardyn but then I realized, the latter is already well known and perhaps it is time to switch the spotlight to the former even just this once..

[@bradyanderson1229]

Coming in clutch for my lunch KZbin video!

[@josuecarrazco755]

SAME HERE LOL

[@maxspecs]

FFXIV could fill one of these lists on its own, that game hits you in the feels for reals.

[@MrConeman]

The moment I seen the title I knew in my bones that Dyne's would be the entry for FFVII. It's absolutely crushing on every play through, and I can't wait to see what they do with it in Rebirth.

[@fierytigergaming8112]

I didn't think much of it during the playthrough, but the battle with Zenos at the end of Endwalker - he wanted a fight the entire time, and got it at the last second... a fight to the death. Feeling fulfilled in the end, he gave the protagonist a second chance to live via the teleporter back to the real world

[@VoermanIdiot]

I find the juxtaposition of Tidus and Jecht talking about how he won't be himself and all that, only to be hit by the soundtrack that sounds like two pitbulls fighting at a metal concert in the background to be funny though.

[@Eric95372]

Not final fantasy related but two games … Legend of Legaia had me in tears constantly. One of the best JRPGS I’ve ever played . Wild Arms when the golem sacrificed himself. And grandia 2.

[@charlesedwinbooks]

I wasnt expecting to cry for 16 minutes this morning, thanks.

[@BurningBlood517]

I love the warning of a “specific character from Final Fantasy XIV” when you know they could make a damn video in JUST FFXIV.