FFIV Had "Best" Four Fiends?

[Evastio]

Would you say that FFIV had the "best" four fiends, when compared to the other FFs with Elemental Fiends?

Well, I guess it would be unfair to compare FFIV's fiends with the others in terms of depth and personality, so how about looks wise (or battle wise if you're more of a stat person)?

Scarmiglione: Compared to Lich, Scarmiglione was definitely more exciting looking, since Lich was a rather generic looking undead lord thing while Scarmiglione looked like a really creepy zombie with worms growing out of him. That Dragon guy guarding the Earth Crystal in FFV was definitely cooler looking than Scarmiglione, though being a dragon would be more fitting for a Wind Fiend. Arihman in FF3, being a flying eyeball isn't really fitting for an earth fiend, and between the two I'd say Scarmiglione wins when it comes to creepiness.

Best: Scarmiglione

Cagnazzo: Since I find Cagnazzo rather harmless looking (with no crocodile snout or spikes on his shell/tail), I find Kraken to be more ferocious looking than him, though I guess they both look fitting enough to be Water Fiends. Echidna doesn't really look that dangerous, or much like a water fiend, so Karaken wins there. That Mammoth Thing from FFV was also more ferocious looking, though less fitting to be a water fiend.

Best: Kraken

Barbarrica: I've always had something against having human looking fiends (since they aren't as exciting as having monster fiends). Tiamat, being a dragon, is more fitting for a wind fiend even if it doesn't have wings. Cerberus looks more ferocious looking than Barbarrica, but doesn't really look like it'd be a wind fiend. Wing Raptor beats Barbarrica, both in ferociousness and in fittingness to be a wind fiend.

Best: Wing Raptor

Rubicant: My "human fiend" rule applies here as well, but I guess he does look like he'd be a fire fiend because of his demonic red face. Compared to Marilith, I'd say they're pretty much even since they're both humans yet they look fire-fiendish enough. The Two Headed Dragon (being a dragon) definitely beats Rubicant in both fittingness and ferociousity. Liquidflame, being composed of nothing but flame, is definitely more fitting of a fire fiend, though it kind of doesn't look ferocious because it has no eyes or any absolute form for that matter.

Best: Liquidflame.

Overall, I'd say that FFIV's fiends had each of the fiends represent their elements well, though I'd say that FFI did an overall better job at making fiends that represent each element. I know that it was mostly FFV fiends that won, but the two FFV fiends that weren't fitting at all for their element cancelled it out.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

The fact that Cagnazzo is a giant turtle with humanoid appendages and a humanoid head is exactly what makes him look so terrifying. He is that which should not be.

Also, I've never thought of the bosses whom you happen to fight to get to the Crystals in the first world as FFV's equivalent to the Four Emperors. If anything, those would be Exdeath's personal cadre of demons, including Melusine, Stalker, the triplets, and the unnamed red devil who gets taken out by Leviathan. There's much more than four of them, but their role is the same.

[Wolf Kanno]

I agree, I don't necessarily feel any of the creatures you suggested from FFV can be considered "Four Fiends" they always felt more like just random monsters. I will always like the original Four Fiends from FFI/IX fame for mostly nostalgic purposes and I felt they represented the Four elements rather well. Yet I will always be bias in favor of Golbez's Four Fiends cause they had a bit more personality and flair to them. Besides, the original fiends don't have this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8vz186pjY0&feature=related) ;)

[Elpizo]

Everybody can think what they like, but for me Ahriman, Echidna, Cerebus and Two-headed Dragon will always be the most memorable Crystal Defenders for me. (pun intended) If not because they simply look cool and are included in the best FF ever, than simply because they are a satisfying challenge and have cool boss music. :D

But then again, I never thought FF I, IV or IX's Four Fiends were bad either. V didn't really have any, IMHO.

[Roogle]

The fact that Cagnazzo is a giant turtle with humanoid appendages and a humanoid head is exactly what makes him look so terrifying. He is that which should not be.

I agree. I think that he would have been much more fierce looking if the difficulty of his fight was increased by a large amount. In my case, I have always thought of Tellah leading the charge against Cagnazzo since he recently regained command of all his magic and hates Golbez and his fiends with a passion. Maybe Cagnazzo would have been harder if Tellah was gone?

[MJN SEIFER]

I agree, I don't necessarily feel any of the creatures you suggested from FFV can be considered "Four Fiends" they always felt more like just random monsters.

Me neither. They where just regular monsters, some of which I think where "corrupted" by someone, (probably Exdeath). Have to double check to be sure.

[RedPouch]

I agree. I think that he would have been much more fierce looking if the difficulty of his fight was increased by a large amount.
This is probably true, however I really don't think he looked fierce to begin with. It's a big blue turtle thing that summons a puddle of water around him.

http://www.videogamesprites.net/FinalFantasy4/Bosses/Cagnazzo2.gif

I think they should have selected some other monster for inspiration besides a turtle. Look at him. He looks almost... silly.

That said, I lean mostly towards the FF IV fiends, but not all.

Earth Fiend: Lich - He looked really cool, even in his old NES sprite design.

Fire Fiend: Rubicante - He was just a cool guy, and sometimes a villain that has a sense of honour, dignity, and grace with his power while showing a good level of intellect [while still being quite evil] is a refreshing change from the brazen, ferocious, rock-brain monster brutes [these make for great monsters, but there are an awful lot of them].

Wind Fiend: Valvalis/Barbariccia - She just looked cool, and I might be biased because I appreciate seeing women proving themselves in some way. Although Tiamat does indeed look very awesome, something about Valvalis wins me over [and for the record I'm gay, so it has nothing to do with the fact that she's almost naked :p].

Water Fiend: Kraken - I think a killer octopus wins out against a turtle in terms of looking ferocious. Though I have to say that his NES sprite looked "meaner" than his GBA sprite somehow.

[Darth Cid]

Rubicante will always be my all time favorite villain in FFIV, uniquely gentlemen like, if I ever TBRPed again and it were FF, that would probably who I'd portray but I don't see myself getting that bored again.

[black orb]

>>> FF1 had the best, FF4 fiends are not scary enough..:luca:

[Bolivar]

Jenova Birth, Life, Death, and Synthesis FTW!!!!

Okay, I guess that really doesn't count and the first 3 are pretty much the same thing :)

I liked I/IX's as well as III's, and especially like catching III's in other games. I might have to go with the original because they're so classic, especially in their reappearance in IX.

Didn't Shining Force II have the four generals of Zeon?

[Barraza]

Yeah, FFIV's "main four" are much cooler. Screw the representation of elemental stuff. They have personality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8vz186pjY0

Though, to be fair, the "four" bosses in II - Astaroth, Beelzebub, Tiamet, and Borghen are pretty badass. At least the first three. Probably because they are based off of real demons.

[razorrozar7]

The fact that Cagnazzo is a giant turtle with humanoid appendages and a humanoid head is exactly what makes him look so terrifying. He is that which should not be.


A la Lovecraft. Well put.

I loved Scarmiglione's character design, but he ruined it for me by being so damn hard to beat the second time.



This is probably true, however I really don't think he looked fierce to begin with. It's a big blue turtle thing that summons a puddle of water around him.

http://www.videogamesprites.net/FinalFantasy4/Bosses/Cagnazzo2.gif


He looked MUCH creepier in the DS version.

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080923043428/finalfantasy/images/2/20/FFIV_Cagnazzo_DS.gif

Though this really doesn't do it justice...