The ULTIMATE Final Fantasy Ranking (Including 16!) 

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Nothing will ever beat Final Fantasy X for me. Most unique and interesting story I've ever seen in a JRPG.

Honestly FFXV starting is one of the best openings with that song. I loved the game the moment i started the demon and it slowly taking a darker turn with each chapter made me love the opening more. Honestly after consuming all side media it is prolly one of the best lore i have ever seen

Such an excellent video. I always find it refreshing when someone shares a list or ranking for favorite games in a series or console that's unapologetically true their feelings and tastes, even if it might go against the broader public opinion. I feel similar to you about your FFXV sentiments, yet FFXIII is among my favorites in the series. It's just so fun to see/hear you candidly share your thoughts throughout this video and how the ranking is so unique to you. I played FFXII: The Zodiac Age earlier this year (first time playing XII for me) and loved it. I completely agree with you, the ability to speed up time, especially when grinding levels, is an absolute game changer. Enhanced my enjoyment of that game immensely. Fantastic video, Taylor, thanks for sharing!!

Lol, mad respect for you sticking to your guns, GS. Great rank list. All valid points and decent arguments. 4 and 6 were MY introductions to the series on the snes, so I have rose-colored glasses permanently on for them.

Fantastic video, I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and ratings. We have completely different rankings, but you justified each of yours well!

I'm basically good on every game placement except for FF4 but that is definitely because it is and was very special to me growing up. In my case 4 in place of XII I guess. Strong video, well stated and emboldened with solid reasoning and thought. Thanks TGS!

I played ff6 for the first time 6 months ago, and I consider it one of the best, if not the best rpg I've ever played. It's flawless.

I love your list! Every Final Fantasy list is so personal and it was nice to hear the reasons why you ranked them the way you did. I want to play a few more before I make a top 10 myself!!!

The beginning of Final Fantasy XV , when “Stand by me” starts to play, that shit was sick🔥 i enjoyed the pushing of the vehicle 😂 I love the “Americana” vibes. Shit gave me the chills.

The more time I spend with games in this series, the more difficult it becomes to disagree with anyone's rankings, because I feel like all the games have so much to offer. There may be some divisive mechanics or story moments, but I couldn't call a single one of these games bad or not worth playing. Also, having your custom characters in FF 1 and 3 named after your fellow RPG RU-vid creators was a wonderfully charming touch :3

So we differ quite a bit in our ranking but gosh do you know how to put out a good video man. Great explanations for everything and so well put together.

Thanks for this awesome video! I’m a big Final Fantasy player and this helped me decide what game I want to play next!

Great list! With a few tweaks, your list would be similar to my own. I fully understand that you didn’t grow up with the Pixel Final Fantasies and that’s cool. Your logic for why you prefer some of the newer ones makes plenty of sense and sometimes we tend to look at video games with nostalgic glasses instead of full objectivity. So I enjoyed seeing this list and hearing your thoughts.

100% agree with your thoughts on FFXV. You summed up everything I disliked about the game: barren open world, missing content like from what we saw in the trailers, multimedia, and the incomplete feeling. I don't agree with many of your rankings otherwise but this is still a good and appreciated list.

Good video and I like how it shows how much nostalgia impacts us as gamers, like how you feel you had apologize for the low ranking of the classics for the ppl that grow up with them and at the same time explaining 7 and 8 are so nostalgic to you, and me watching ff4 saying it will be higher in my list because is the first one that I played and beat.

I'm 36 and i also didn't grow up with the pixel Final Fantasys. Final Fantasy 7 was also my first Final Fantasy and my first JRPG, so here is my top 14: 1 - FF 8 (my favorite video game of all time) 2 - Final Fantasy 7 3 - Final Fantasy 9 The top are my favorite games ever 4 - Final Fantasy 10 (this is in my top 10 games of all time) 5 - Final Fantasy 6 6 - Final Fantasy 12 Zodiac Age 7 - Final Fantasy 16 8 - Final Fantasy 5 9 - Final Fantasy 4 10 - Final Fantasy 15 11 - Final Fantasy 3 12 - Final Fantasy 13 - Final Fantasy 13 14 - Final Fantasy 2

This is quite a bold list my friend. To see IV not make into the top 5 is sacrilegious to most, as it usually part of the Big 5, along with VI, VII, IX, & X. I can definitely see why you went with *that* as your 1# though. IX will always be my favorite, it's like the perfect 10 to me.

While my list is very different from yours I appreciate the reasoning behind your placements. Fantastic video!

I kind of don’t like the implication that the older fans only like the pixel era FFs due to nostalgia - without also acknowledging that you perhaps rate the early PS games more highly due to your own nostalgia. I think the 2D era / 3D era preference is more of a personality difference than anything to do with age or quality

I'm curious about what parts of FFV gave you trouble. I feel like other than the soul cannon just having too much HP haste kinda just breaks the game wide open by itself, along with many other job combinations I kinda just stumbled into.

12 is so underrated. Loved that game

While I do not agree with your list, I appreciate your objective point of view coming from someone younger than me. You made your points well. My first RPG ever was FFIV (2 on SNES) so it’s understandable that IV & VI rate considerably higher on my list than yours. Cheers my friend. Keep on grinding.

This could sound weird but I really liked FF XIII, as my first entry in the series. Currently I have more experience with JRPGs but I'll always remember the moment when I played XIII. FF could be a franchise where the first game you ever play is your most favorite.

Really appreciate your content creation!

Love the vid. I feel that being my first Final Fantasy game i played.Ten was my favourite. I really hope you do a Dragon Quest ranking video

great video as always! looking forward to potentially more rankings of your favorite franchises!

I think you have a great list Taylor! Well put together video too. The only game I have ranked high that you didn't was FF6, but otherwise mine follows a similar trend. I agree that FF8 has the best OST in the series, and that FF12 is one of the best games in the series. I've been playing the series since FF4 on SNES so I did grow up with these games and the NES Pixel ones are always going to be near the bottom, that's just reality..lol. Also, where would you rank tactics if you put it in this list?

Nice list, enjoyed watching

Great job with your list. One of the best I've seen!

Started with FF1 when it first came out and played all US versions up to X. Never have time to play the newer FF games. Can't go wrong with any FF game. Such an amazing series.

Oh hell yeah, nice ranking list dude!

One of the best ranking vídeos i've ever seen!

Love it my dude! Great content, I slightly disagree with 13 being below 5 but, Tomatoes, tomatoes. Lol.

They really push the limit of the PS2 hardware with FFXII. I remember back then how I was mindblowned by seeing all the different NPC running in the "big" Rabanastre city. Also the soundtrack is so beautiful. 😁

Great video. Thank you

Fair list. As someone who started with 7 and missed the pixel era, I can appreciate 4-6 but they are harder to get into and 1-3 just feel too outdated for me. Glad to see 8 getting some love. Despite its flaws there’s a lot to like with it and if you understand the draw/junction system and choose to play it without stat maxing, the game is pretty replayable as you can balance your own difficulty. I also love the aesthetics and character growth. I would only rank 12 a little lower as the mid-end game doesn’t hold up imo. I love the early game but when I finally did a full playthrough last year I had to push myself through it towards the end. I love the art style but the disappointing second half story and gameplay wise would stop me going back to it.

Really good list I would switch 12 and 16 however but we’ll done! If you added tactics to the list do you know where it would land?

I like your view on your ranking. Everyone likes different entries. But props for IX being in the top three.

Loved the list thanks a lot. Just curious, have you played FF14?

Excellent list. FFXII is my favorite mainline title. I wonder how you would rank the spin-off and sequel FF titles. I was disappointed with XIII, but XIII-2 was fantastic. I loved X-2, probably the FF title I’ve replayed the most. Revenant Wings was great. And of course, the masterpiece that is FF Tactics.

As someone who hasn't played through either. I feel like the 3d versions of 3 and 4 look a bit more inviting than their pixel counterparts. Have you had the chance to try out both?

thanks for the video! hope to see more videos more often ❤ Although my favorite FF game is IX(9), but I really enjoyed 8 and 13. So it's interesting to see how many opinions there are on the games (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

Nice list!

Solid list imo. Your top 3 is the same as mine. But I’d def move 8 down a lot, and move 16 up slightly.

Didn't realize tactics wasn't part of the mainline series. It's far and away my favorite. Loved the characters and the job system. Combat was fun and I wish there was a game out there that could pull me in with all that. Working through the FF7 remake now.

I can see where the earlier games were difficult to see where you were supposed to go. But 4? 4 and its narrative always pushed you in the proper direction

I like your list; I never replayed the Final Fantasy games till much later on. I was on the breathe of fire train for a bit. FF15 was my first ever game in the series and I plan on playing the pixel collection down the line.

Good stuff. Nice to see FF8 in its position. Underrated game. I subbed :)

My rankings: A Tier: 6, 9, 10, B Tier: 4, 5, 7, C Tier: 2, 8, X-2, 12 (zodiac age) D Tier: 1, 3, 13, 15 I haven't played 16 but I expect that to be in the lower tiers since it's not even an RPG. 1 and 3 rank low because the characters are just blank slates. Really can't go wrong with any game in A or B and honestly I have fun with the C tier games as well if I'm in the right mindset.

This is how a ranking should be done. You cant teleport back in time and play the game when it first came out. If you play a game now you have to compare it to now. Any older game that can hold a higher spot on someone's list is a testament to it's quality.

My rankings are about the same as yours. This was excellent. Thank you.

It’s fascinating to see pretty much anyone who didn’t click with FFXVI have FFVII as their favorite.

I agree with your comments on FFXII. What I like about it is the World building, and if you understand that the plot is about Bash, Balthier and Ash, with Vaan being just the tag along PoV carácter, it becomes more enjoyable. I know it's a personal list but for me, FFXVI is much higher.

I'm finally getting around to the pixel games (on number 5). Without the quality of life changes, I doubt I would finish these. At least most of them. (A big reason why I haven't yet!) But with them, they have been a blast! Being able to turn off encounters instead of a fight every two steps is huge. Plus you can speed up the grind if you want. I quite liked 2. Maybe not as much as 1 but more than 3 or 4. Big thing 1 had going for it for me was that I loved Stranger of Paradise. Seeing it all tie together was awesome. Playing the first one right after 16 was interesting. There was a lot to like about 16 (some of the most epic moments in my gaming history, some of the best side quests; nearly all actually add to the story/characters/world building) and a lot to dislike (conflicting design decisions (e.g. we want more immersion so the characters cuss and get naked, but look at these giant floating damage numbers and button prompts during epic boss fights and quest markers that don't go away; don't forget to press R2 to open that door!), nearly pointless equipment system seeing a couple percentage point increases in one thing or another (so linear; better than nothing?), very little in the way of exploration, story and characters can feel very one note, very rarely felt like Final Fantasy). Number one, in contrast, was just simple fun with more depth than I anticipated. I can see why it launched a franchise. The worst offense of 13, to me, was when the story came to a head and you actually figure out what is going on. I loved trying to figure it out; I had several ideas of what it could be. Then, bam, some power of love or friendship or some such nonsense I can't quite remember. I was so disappointed, it soured the whole experience. I really like 15. One of the best, in my view. I first played it when it was released. I didn't watch the movie or the anime. I did not like the game. I finished it, but it was not a very great time. I gave it another chance when the royal edition came out. This time, I watched the movie and the anime before I started and played all the episodes at the appropriate story moments, and I had wonderful time. Obviously not ideal, but given the train wreck of development, I cut them a bit of slack, and the end product, taken together, is quite something (side quests are pretty much garbage, though.) 7 and 8 are probably still my favorites, though. We'll see if that changes when I finally finish 6. Didn't much care for 9 and didn't even finish 12, but I plan to give them another go on my trek through Final Fantasy. I'm going to play through 10 again as well. I liked Blitz ball and it seems like the story and characters were pretty good, but I have not too fond memories of all those sphere puzzles. Maybe they aren't as bad as I remember? I also didn't like that we lost the over world map/exploration. Shout out to Crisis Core! Looking forward to reading other people's thoughts!

Would love a video where you include spinoffs

I have been playing through the pixel games for the first time, with the pixel remasters. And the comments on grindiness are confusing to me. I was so impressed by III for an example, which I felt was perfectly balanced, I didn't do any grinding at all (without any boosts), just playing blind and doing some exploration and not running away from fights. In V I grinded a little, but more from being curious to test out things with the job system than out of being stuck. But then again I enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone and having to rethink my strategies for some of the bosses, experimenting with different jobs to do so. I am currently playing through VI and enjoying it, but also replaying V in a Four Job Fiesta challenge run on the side, when I am in the mood for a more chill time. I have gotten three crystals and rolled a Black Mage, a Red Mage and a Geomancer so far.

I disagree on some but this is a great and well thought out list. The older FFs requires walkthroughs to fully enjoy, but getting all of the items and making as close to a perfect save is just fun thats entirely an experience of its own. I agree 110% that FF8's world is the perfect final fantasy, has european sceneries but mashes them up w other environs and is just massive and very creative. The highschool setting really brings out our fantasy of youth, the junction system is unique and rewarding, and while the whole levelling system is backwards, its still something u can work with given that you have the junction system and the card mod system and the amazing triple triad. Im over the moon for this game as i just finished FF16 and replaying FF8 with a pocketstation and cant believe how much fun this game is compared to others. FF13 for me is lower but 3rd from last is acceptable and objectively a good spot. I loved FF15 but after the 3rd playthrough, im just really seeing the duct tape they used to hold it together. The characrers and writing are very bad. The world is beautiful to an extent, but exploration and controls are just so janky, def agree w its place on the list. FF12 IS still the best modern FF game, like ff16, it has great dialogues and writing, but unlike ff16, it has REAL jrpg elements and using how bots work and turning it into a legitimate in game play system is fcking genius. FF6 is still my favorite FF game but it is objectively no longer the best. Recently replayed it and saw how short and how recycled most of the world is, but still has its charm and still love it to death, but agree is not as high as it should be on most list. I feel overall, most FF games have strenghts and should be the top game based on those strenghts, but really hard to compare agaisnt each as w over 60-100 playtimes, ur bound to fall in love w them for their own worlds and system, like how u cant pick favorite children.

This is a very well thought out list. Personally FF14 is one of my favorite stories in the series.. in my top 2 but I understand why you didn’t add it in. 14 and 9 are my favorites.

not gonna completely agree with your list but it is your list so i respect it. funny enough though our top 3 is probably the same i have similar story about FF12 as i didn't really clicked with it originally. but years later i tried the zodiac age and absolutely loving it!

Of the ones I played my ranking is: S tier: VIII, X A tier: V, VII C tier: VI, IX, XII D tier: III, IV (That's right, no B tier. I either love it or don't particularly care for it.)

remake was an absolutely emotional experience for me as well. I didn't cry, but i definitely teared up and there were moments where i felt actual dread, joy, happiness, sadness... I believe it is the greatest example of video game story telling of all time. That's a strong statement and probably only true because FF7 original was such a big part of my young adult life, but the game was mind boggling to me and i can't wait for part 2.

I am happy to see you put Xii as 3rd. I truly loved every moment of it back on PS2. It's my personal favorite. I didn't play the HD remake, but if I still had my old memory card, you will see I had clocked over 400 hours on it.

Come on 13 is not that bad I mean 13 years later and the game looks beautiful .

I really dont get why ffviii gets so much hated

Someone that recommends a game like Noob calling FF6 boring, make it make sense.

Dude, excellent ranking.

For people like me who never played any final fantasy games till 16 and really enjoyed it so now I want to experience others what would be the best to play right after 16

I recently just finished Seven as my first FF game and I'm honestly surprised at how well it held up. I mean, there were some obvious "what were they thinking" moments. Some of the mini games were really dumb and I felt some of the gold saucer side stuff (chocobo racing, battle arena) was just way to overkill and grindy. That being said, the story was top notch all the way through and really kept me hooked even with the shotty english translation. I've been playing Sixteen on the side but since I share the PS5 I haven't been able to play as much of it as I would like, although I'm currently really enjoying it. However, I have my PC all to myself, so as of now I've been debating which game on steam to play next. Anyone got any advice on that? I should specify I want to stick with mainline entries only (sorry tactics fans). I've been debating on Six, Eight, or Ten but can't decide on which one to commit to.

I gotta say, up to FFVIII, I believe you and I completely agree on everything. Except for one thing: I never had to grind in IV. I didn't need a guide either. maybe I played it very slowly and just grinded naturally while looking for where to go, but that's not what I remember, so that's pretty weird. X is obviously better than VII but to each their own I guess :D I've got a question though if you read my comment: you said you stopped FFVI three times at the same point every time when it got too boring. May I know which point that was?

Why exclude the MMOs? FF14 can be played as a solo RPG with AI party members , and it's story is better than most, if not all, of the mainline FF games. Just my opinion, of course :)

Nice list! With the release of the Pixel Remasters, it's my goal to work my way through all the Final Fantasy games. I'm currently working through FFII. Growing up through the pixel era, I'm sure that my list will look a little different, but always fun to see how other people rank the series.

Have a lot of respect for this list. There’s some devisive games in this series and I’d much prefer people rank them from the heart. I don’t like XII but if it’s in your top 3, I can respect that more than just putting FFVI there based on received wisdom.

We live in a time where content creators need to excuse themselves for not being old enough to appreciate pixels, and also request kindness from potentially maladjusted middle-aged men who lash because their precious games are lowly ranked. The fact that disclaimers like that even have a reason to be is beyond me. Geez.

i kinda liked the car initial bit in 15, was kinda corny wholesome with the music xD but feel you on the rest 13 was my first final fantasy.. man am i happy weve come through to rebirth and 16 interesting list though

I can say with confidence FFVII has held up well. I didn't play it until around 2011 and it was a profound experience even then. Truly one of the greatest games of all time.

How do you even have a JRPG gaming channel if you need guides, exp-cheats, and fast-forward to get through anything older than 2006? Actually sad.

I definitely disagree with u on 16 but glad to see 9 as high as it was that was my favorite.

Funny, how you described FFVI, is how I felt with XII. I had to start 3 separate times and because of its combat, I found XII boring. Good on you standing your ground on XVI. Me, I LIKED XVI, but if you know how you feel, that's how YOU feel. I was expecting this to be a bombfield, but I honestly enjoyed this list. No, I didnt agree with all the placements, but I didnt expect someone's list to mirror mine and I came in open-minded. EDIT: oh, and I get you about VII. I went to the FFVII Remake Orchestra and I teared up hard during their performances. Yes, you are not alone.

I was ready to come in here swinging and be irate if you listed XVI as last or some others being lower but no, I align with this a lot and I’ll respect your XVI placement :)

I'm not in any way aiming to bash your video, because everyone has their own views and favorites and I think that's cool, but I did notice a few things that made me curious. -You didn't like how directionless the earlier games(1-4) were, but you also didn't like FFXIII for how linear it was. Is there one thing you prefer over the other between more open world/free to move around style and the more linear style of the later games like 7-10? -I'm honestly curious as to which point it was that you got to in FFVI that was so boring to you that you quit it 3 times in a row? -I also find it interesting how you put FFXIII so low on your list due to its linearity, yet you put FFX quite high on your list and don't mention how linear it is? Is there something that helps you ignore the linear factor FFX better than in FFXIII? Also, I agree that the battle system is one of my all-time favorites and I want the ability to see the turn order in every game now. lol

One word, pitchfork!! I'm coming for you 😁

I dont know it will be possible for you or not, but if it possible make video like this about dragon quest main series in future, I will be happy.

After beating FF16 yesterday, here’s my list: FF6>FF16>FF9, FF12>FF15>FF7>FFX>FF4>FF8>FF5>FF13>FF3>FF1>FF2. Some notes: - FF8 was my first game in the series to play, but FF5 was the first I completed. - Played all pixel era games on my PSOne, but 3, I finished only on the NDS - I absolutely love the lore and the outstanding soundtrack of FF15 and I find Noctis very shakespearean.

Id have to say playing FF7 on the ps1 was awesome and still remains my favorite FF game. I played FF8 and 100% agree the card minigame was excellent and a necessity if you wanted to unlock rare weapons etc. I did play FF9 but only once, FF10 was in my opinion the peak of the franchise, a perfect blend of old and new gameplay. Then they changed the battle system, and for me I really liked the old turn based/strategy battle system as opposed to mash buttons so i havnt played any FFs since the change. I did buy the FF7 remake and forced myself to try and use the button mashing system but its just not the same so I eventually shelved it.

Pokémon started my RPG journey. FF7 started my Final Fantasy journey. FF10 made me cry more than any other game ever. And FF13 was the end of my Final Fantasy journey. And they have all sucked ever since. Good thing I was able to go back and play the first six games, because they are great. I can only hope for a main line release that’s turn based and allows for control of the entire party again.

I was born in 1998 and didnt grow up with ff6 either, but thats still my favorite one. Nastalgia isnt everything to do with how much you like something. However, Super Nintedo is one of my favorite consoles, so i guess im biased to? I was enertained throughout your ranking✌️. These types of videos are always interesting to me.

I love your work and root for your channel and projects to grow!! That said, we are WAY off as it relates to Final Fantasy VI! SHAME! LOLOLOL!

Good video.

13:38 “those arrangements are incredible” indeed they are my friend….indeed they are.😅

Great vid. I personally have not liked a Final Fantasy game since 7.

While I prolly agree with the number 1 and 2. I'd prolly put 12 and 8 lower than how you placed them, and bring up 6 and 16. :D For FF8, I did enjoy my time with it, I loved the story, and yes, triple triad is better than its FF9 counterpart (though I loved the hot and cold game), the more I think about the junction system, the more I ended up disliking FF8. As for FF12, though I've yet to finish it (same feels as you had with FF6 maybe), I tried playing and re-playing it thrice I think, but have yet to give a chance to the remastered zodiac age release, I never did enjoy its battle system, and like you, didn't also enjoy Vaan and Penelo. lol

The first FF I ever played was VIII. It was a great game and all, but....I decided to try the FFVI when I found a PS1 Anthology disc in sale. Man, it blew my mind!! I played FF Crisis Core, FFXIII, FFXV, the new Remake of FFVII, and somehow, no one evens compare with FFVI story and characters. Terra, Locke, Kefka, so many great characters, and the BEST screenplay I have ever seen in any videogame. Final Fantasy VI deserves a remake, that game is the best!

A guide for final fantasy 4? I beat that gave when I was like 10.. I think people just need to explore And not give up so easily.. I do feel it is kind of A shame that people need games that tell them what To Do with every waking moment. Still a good video.

Yeah we definitely have different opinions.

I find it extremely hard to make final fantasy games list by favorites. To me, they're all fantastic, and each of them have something unique to everyone of them that make them stand out. For the most part, your list is pretty similar to my own, but here I suppose my list would be something like this, from least favorite to most favorite: #13: FF2 #12: FF12 #11: FF3 #10: FF13 #9: FF15 #8: FF6 #7: FF5 #6: FF1 #5: FF4 #4: FF9 #3: FF8 #2: FF10 #1: FF7 Notes: -My very first Final Fantasy is FF4, so i have a bit of nostalgia for that one as my personal favorite SNES FF. -I've yet to play FF16, (don't own a PS5 yet lol) so I have no placement for it yet. -I've also never played the mmo's, so no 11 or 14 on my list. -Even the very worst game on my list (FF2) I still love very much, and quite frankly I hate having to put any of the games low on my list because they're all great games. Just based on on personal tastes is how I ranked them, but just because they're low does not mean I dislike them, I just dislike them moreso than the other entries. -All of these games are based on their original releases, since for the most part that's all I have played. The exceptions to that are FFs 2, 3 and 5 (the ones North America didn't get originally) FF2 I played first on the PSP anniversary edition, FF3 I played on the DS remake, and FF5 I played on GBA. Also FF12 particular is worth pointing out because, just like you, I was not that much into 12 on the PS2. I've never played the Zodiac Age though, so I may have to pick that up someday and see how it changes my view of 12 after playing it. Well, that's my list 😊 If you took the time to read this, thank you so much!! You made an awesome video and I just wanted to make my own list and response. Thanks a lot! Have a good one!!😊

Time stamps are a must for these

I love you but… FFIV? Grindy? I haven’t felt the need to grind till the GBA/PSP post game dungeons in any playthroughs. But I don’t wanna sound mean, on your first playthrough I suppose I can see how you’d think it’s a grindy game haha, and I’ve played the game through at least four or five times by this point. This is a very good list, and I could clearly understand a lot of your reasoning for your placements. Thank you so much for sharing!

I understand this is your personal ranking but im still bringing out the pitchfork.

I don't hate FFVIII but I never expected it to be this high