Final Fantasy 9’s final boss is notorious for pulling the series’ biggest switcheroo. After beating Kuja, the game’s main villain, you’re suddenly facing down a godlike being that’s never even been mentioned before. It comes completely out of left field, although the series does have precedent for last-minute boss changes, dating back to Final Fantasy 4’s Zeromus. It’s easy to see how it immediately feels jarring, but the battle against Necron is actually an ingenious thematic move that ties a bow on Final Fantasy 9’s whole message — one of the series’ boldest twists ever.
For the majority of Final Fantasy 9, the party is pitted against a singular villain, a puppetmaster named Kuja, who’s pulling the strings of everything. But outside of being the foil against the hero, Zidane, Kuja is actually central to the game’s overall thematic message on identity and purpose.
