Most Evil Evil Empire

[Forsaken Lover]

So Final Fantasy has a proud tradition of having you start off by fighting some giant, oppressive regime only to have it fold or became irrelevant at some point so THE REAL villain can take center stage.

Barton to Golbez
Gestahl to Kefka
SHinra to Sephiroth
Galbadia to Edeamecia
Alexanderia to Kuja
Cocoon Sanctum to Barthandalus. (in a really weird way)

My question to you all is this. WHich was the most vile starter? Which tyrannical force, despite not being the main target of your heroes after a while, still impressed you with its wickedness and came off as a legitimate threat?

[Jinx]

I'd have to say Shinra. Every time I play that game, I legitimately hate them. They murder people and will wipe out entire towns just to prove a point. Their control extends over the entire world, and they oppress people. Not only have they taken over their homes, but they've taken their hope as well.

Even once you move past Shinra and onto Sephiroth, I'd still say that hatred towards Shinra doesn't let up. While Sephiroth is the one who's trying to summon Jenova and destroy the Earth NOW, it's not like Shinra every actually redeems themselves (except for Reeve).

[Gamblet]

Palamecia

[Yerushalmi]

Palamecia

Yeah! Why no love for FFII?

[Bolivar]

I'll go with Shinra because their evil acts are rationalized under the banner of progress and science and I think that's something much more grounded in our world today.

[Christmas]

Gestahlian Empire obviously. It is ruled by a dog and his jester. Nothing good will come out of it!

[Quindiana Jones]

I also went Shinra, but that's because I'm an anti-corporate anarchist.

[BG-57]

Shinra taps into our deep seated fears that large multinational corporations care solely about profit margins over the well being of their workers, their customers, or the environment. The list of real-life companies that benefitted from human misery is so long its depressing. I worked for one for seven months and it was kind of a relief when I got laid off.