What makes a great villain? Is it someone who achieves their nefarious goals; is it someone whose affect on the hero is life shattering; or is it someone whose motivations, no matter how dark, make you question your own?  The biggest point of contention between Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII often culminates upon this vital question. Proponents of VI readily point to Kefka succeeding in his goal for world destruction and godhood (neither of which Sephiroth ever achieves) as proof he is the apex antagonist,  but the determination of success in one case and failure in the other isn’t that simple, and there are far more factors at play.

Fans of the Final Fantasy franchise are often at sixes and sevens with each other, and the arguments often grow vehement even amongst the most amiable crowd.  The series is known for its in depth and intricate plots, which incite passion within introspective minds.  Both FFVI and FFVII are revolutionary in their own way: VI for the seeming victory of the villain and VII for killing off a beloved character whose death still resonates today.  For the former’s case, the heroes usually arrive just in time to stop the villain from what Kefka succeeds in accomplishing, and the same could be said for Sephiroth in regards to Aeris.  With Kefka, though, his supporters insist that his goal was to destroy the world and achieve apotheosis, which he does…for a time.  It is still more than Sephiroth manages, but is such an accomplishment enough to name Kefka the greater malevolence?  Before this can be answered, we have to look at the characters themselves.

Kefka Palazzo

“Some men just want to watch the world burn…
-The Dark Knight

But for the Joker with whom he shares numerous maniacal traits (and by whom he was certainly inspired), Kefka would surely be the paragon of the “psycho clown” motif, as he is lovingly dubbed by his fans.  He stands out among Final Fantasy antagonists as the one true villain with no real doubt or debate.  Kefka is unequivocally evil with a dark sense of humor and one-liners even the greatest comedians would envy.  Though Emperor Gestahl initially takes the role of “front man” as the leader of a despotic regime, it is obvious from the instant his sprite graces the screen that Kefka will be the last battle before the curtain falls.  He owns the role of psychopath from the moment you see him until his final form fades.  Final Fantasy VI is far more straightforward in this regard than both the games that follow it and those that come before.

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