Warning: Long Post, Bragging about
For me, it’s tied with Valigarmanda (not Tritoch) and Ultima Weapon (not Atma Weapon, as much as it hurts me since i love DDS but i digress) both from FFVI
Valigarmanda is such a underappreciated Summon, Esper, Eidolon, whatever. i love this Quetzalcoalt-looking thing (i don’t know if would be a better feathered serpent design for quetzalcoalt than smt 1 quetz but that’s beside the point) despite how much important it is for FF6′s plots (being the first Esper you encounter not counting the half-esper herself, terra, which speaking of which, it also help her to unlock her esper form) it’s kinda of a shame that outside of it’s debut game, it barely appears, and most of it’s other “appearances” are just reference to it (which an antagonist from world of final fantasy being probably it’s most important non-ffvi “appearances”) i think it’s gimmick being a “tri-elemental” summon would atleast make it stand out for most other summons in the franchise.
Ultima Weapon is also very badass design and (thankfully) it does appear in more FF games (thought sometimes other i can be a pain trying to refer specifically to this thing since i usually refers to the weapon (both the FFVII and the literal definition of the word) of the same name. (also Battle to the Death slams)
honorable mentions, in not particular order:
The Weapons from FFVII
Odin
Behemoth
Typhon
Sprite Gilgamesh (yeah, i’m kinda weird)
Diabolos
The Four Fiends from FFI
The Four Archfiends from FFIV
Shinryu
Sefer Sephiroth
Alexander
Leviathan
Deathgazer
The Warring Triad
so what's your favorite Final Fantasy Monster? (whatever if is "myth accurate" or just looks cool)
Accuracy to myth is definitely not something that figures into my appraisal of FF designs. Anyway:
this was the most freak shit that a preadolescent soren ever saw. still unfuckwithable to this very day. god this shit is sick. fuck!!!