The Monk is a job class in the Final Fantasy games which includes some of the most powerful characters in the whole franchise. Their specialization is unarmed combat, as they are entirely capable of taking out strong bosses with their martial arts skills. There are many Monk characters in Final Fantasy games, but only a specific few leaves a lasting impression.
It’s interesting that characters from the Monk class can actually overcome the strength of dedicated fighter classes such as Warriors, making Monks a highly valuable addition to any Final Fantasy party lineup. They are most commonly known for their traditional style of clothing, and level approach to decision-making. However, they are notable for their sheer strength above all.
10 Maat (Final Fantasy 11)
Don’t underestimate the power of this old man.
Final Fantasy 11
- Released
- October 28, 2003
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
Maat is an elderly Monk who players will constantly see maintaining his fighting stance upon every encounter. He’s a non-playable character, but that’s not to say he’s not powerful enough to be a party member. Maat is a master of martial arts and has been a part of many different armies throughout his life.
Despite his strength, which is alluded to in his backstory, players have to go up against Maat in a fight where he demonstrates the extent of his abilities. Maat essentially assumes the job role of whichever job the player character has at the time of fighting, and becomes capable of using all of that job’s abilities. This means he not only has the Monk abilities but also a secondary class, making him a powerful character.
9 Princess Ursula (Final Fantasy 4: The After Years)
Charming Princess with an adept hand at martial arts.
Final Fantasy 4: The After Years
- Released
- June 1, 2009
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix , Matrix Software
Ursula is the princess of the Kingdom of Fabul in Final Fantasy 4: The After Years. She has an interesting story, stemming from royalty. However, it’s her dedication to fighting that makes her notable. Princess Ursula is often ignored by her father, who is a powerful martial artist, despite her constant wishes to be trained. She takes it upon herself to retreat to a nearby mountain and absorb herself in dedicated training routines.
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Her father, Yang, makes amends and teaches her the important lesson of compassion over strength, which she then utilizes to become a powerful Monk under his eventual training. She’s notable for her high strength and stamina, and astounding speed. Her abilities include Kick, Chakra and Tenketsu which all combine to make her a powerful addition to the party.
8 D’Zentsa (Final Fantasy 14)
Powerful apprentice of Widargelt Beake.
D’Zentsa’s most prominent appearance is in Final Fantasy 14: Heavensward, although she appears in other expansions too. D’Zentsa is a strong character not only through her martial arts abilities, but also because of her contributions. D’zentsa is sent on a mission for her master, Widargelt Beake, where she discovers the secrets of chakra, including the fact that there are two main aspects of it (one for the sect of light and one for the sect of shadow).
D’Zentsa has to fight her companion, O’tchakha, and comes out triumphant, demonstrating her sheer strength and abilities. It’s a good job that D’zentsa returns as an ally to the player in later quests – it would be unwise to be on the wrong side of her!
7 Widargelt Beake (Final Fantasy 14)
Dedicated fighter with a humble cause.
Widargelt Beake is largely unaware of his true royal origins as he is hidden among the Monks of the Temple of the Fist at a very young age. He is raised as a Monk and doesn’t find out about his true royal nature until much later in his life. Having been trained from such a young age, Widargelt has all the necessary experience to become a powerful character.
Widargelt revives the Fists of Rhalgr in Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood in order to help his homeland and make amends for his origin. Widargelt becomes a valuable ally NPC in later quests, making a great and powerful addition.
6 Prishe (Final Fantasy 11)
Mysteriously powerful elvaan character.
Prishe is unique because of the fact she appears not to age… at all. She’s brash and loudmouthed, never holding back on speaking her thoughts. She also happens to be an extremely powerful Monk. Prishe’s story and origins tie heavily into the Crystal Wars, and it’s later revealed that she has immortal powers.
Prishe helps the player throughout the Chains of Promathia questline, eventually demonstrating the extent of her strength in a fight against Promathia. She uses her powerful dropkick ability to destroy his magical shield and slams the Star of Tavnazia into him – silencing him for good.
5 Amarant Coral (Final Fantasy 9)
His red dreadlocks send enemies scurrying.
Amarant Coral is a towering, red-headed man who looms over his foes with devastating intimidation. His appearance is unique, and he looks powerful simply from his red dreadlocks alone. Amarant Coral is arrogant but also introspective. He’s aware of his power but also wants to understand other people and the world around him.
Amarant breaks traditions for Monk characters as he wields claws in battle instead of his fists. He’s a strong character who can deal some heavy damage with his Throw and Flair abilities. He can throw any weapon or offensive item, or he can use Flair for more defensive abilities. His intimidating nature makes him a great pick for any party.
4 Tifa (Final Fantasy 7 Remake)
Fan-favorite monk.
Tifa is a childhood friend of Final Fantasy 7 protagonist, Cloud, and has become a fan-favorite Monk character in the Final Fantasy universe. Having been trained by Rashard Zangan, Tifa obtains a versatile combat style using her knuckles and martial arts abilities to overcome any enemy.
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It’s in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake that Tifa is really highlighted for her strength. She is the fastest character in the game and can use different special martial arts abilities depending on her chi level. What makes her extremely powerful is the fact that she has a dedicated ability called Unbridled Strength which allows her to charge her chi, meaning she can regularly execute her special abilities and deal devastating amounts of damage.
3 Yang (Final Fantasy 4)
Most powerful monk from the Kingdom Of Fabul.
Final Fantasy 4
- Released
- July 19, 1991
- Developer(s)
- Square
Yang Fang Leiden is Princess Ursula’s father and ranks as one of the strongest Monks in the whole franchise. Sporting a classic Monk look with a shaven head, Yang is often topless which showcases his outstanding muscular power.Yang has some of the highest HP out of any
Final Fantasy
character, and his physical stats all rank extremely high also. He is capable of using Kick, Brace, and Focus abilities, where Focus skips a turn to deal double damage, obliterating enemies. He can also wield claws which add further elemental damage.
2 Zell (Final Fantasy 8)
Master of hand-to-hand combat.
Zell’s spiky blond hair and face tattoo match his brash and energetic personality. He is a fiercely determined character who will always speak up for what he thinks is right and isn’t afraid to use his fists. He is one of the most powerful members of the Garden, having never been beaten.
Zell’s limit break, Duel, allows him to deal devastating damage through multiple attacks. He has an ultimate weapon called Ehrgeiz, which are the most powerful gloves for any martial arts fighter, and he is capable of learning new attack moves by reading Combat King magazine volumes. His limit breaks are extremely powerful, making him one of the strongest characters in the franchise.
1 Sabin (Final Fantasy 6)
The most honorable and strongest Monk in the series.
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
Sabin is an honorable Monk who opted out of his claim to the throne in favor of a different, more resectable and loose lifestyle. Sabin trained under the famous martial arts master, Duncan, whom Sabin learns the Blitz ability from. When talking about the strongest Monks in the game, no one comes close to Sabin. This is a man who holds up a collapsing house with his bare hands.
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Sabin also has an ability called Meteor Strike where he grabs an enemy, soars into the sky and slams them down into the ground. He’s even capable of doing this to a whole train… there’s no stopping him. A fully buffed Sabin wielding Genji Gloves will prove unbeatable in any battle.