Final Fantasy V: All Dungeons RANKED!
Final Fantasy V is by no means my favorite game in the Final Fantasy series, but I loved it nonetheless. I loved the characters, liked the job system, and had a fun time with the story! But perhaps my favorite part of the game? The fantastic dungeons! Because of this, I just had to talk about the dungeons in this game! Now without further ado, RPG Ranked presents... Final Fantasy V: All Dungeons RANKED!
30. Jachol Cave - F Tier
I guess this cave allows you to get into the Castle of Bal and get Odin in the Merged World… and grind AP in Bartz’s world. While this isn’t exactly an annoying dungeon, it is just so short, boring, and forgettable. I literally had to look up what was in this place because I couldn’t remember a single thing about this place. Definitely the worst “dungeon” in Final Fantasy V.
29. Gil Cave - F Tier
Sure, the Gil Turtle concept is… nice… I guess? While more creative than the Jachol Cave because the Gil Turtle is more interesting, it also doesn’t lead to Odin, so it is only marginally better? As much as I enjoy grinding and maxing out my characters, if that is the one singular thing a dungeon can offer? It is just completely uninteresting and uninspired in my eyes, so overall, this is an F Tier dungeon.
28. Torna Canal - D Tier
Okay, this might not be counted as a dungeon by most, but I wanted to talk about it anyway. The Karlabos boss fight was very mediocre, I will admit. The only reason I did not put this in last place? 1) Syldra makes a fun appearance and 2) the Ship Graveyard is able to exist solely because of this rather boring location. Overall, this isn’t exactly a great dungeon, but it isn’t F Tier.
27. Underground Waterway - D Tier
This dungeon is just kind of boring, annoying, and I hate to say it but… pointless. You kind of just fall down this pit for filler, and then it randomly becomes important. After going through this annoying dungeon, it ends with perhaps the easiest and most boring boss in the game: the Tyrannosaur. The way to beat this boss? Insta-kill it by using a Phoenix Down on it. Honestly, this just isn’t the greatest dungeon.
26. Castle Walse Basement - C Tier
This mini-dungeon houses a couple of treasures, the hard Jackanapes enemies, and the boss fight against Shiva. I don’t dislike this dungeon (outside of eight-year-old me save stating during a Jackanapes fight right before I died and quit the game), but it doesn’t exactly do anything cooler than any of the next 25 dungeons on this list.
25. Castle of Bal - C Tier
After entering through the Jachol Cave, the deepest portion of the Castle of Bal is accessible, in which you get to fight Odin. Fighting Odin is always cool, I am not gonna lie, and since you get to fight him here, I truly enjoyed this dungeon. But again… not very much here.
24. Phoenix Tower - C Tier
I love getting tons of AP from magic pots, and I love the Phoenix summon! However, this dungeon has so many enemy encounters and fake staircases that it becomes incredibly annoying after a little bit of time. It has cool lore and cool rewards, but as a whole, the Phoenix Tower is just a slog. A thirty floor slog.
23. Desert of Shifting Sands - C Tier
With Gohn and the Pyramid of Moore near this location, there are some fun landmarks near this desert. Basically, all you do in this desert is fight the Sandworm, and once you kill it, it acts as a crossable bridge to finish the dungeon. The Sandworm fight itself is pretty cool and unique!
22. Drakenvale - C Tier
This is basically North Mountain 2.0, but with a slightly better boss. I just could not justify placing this any higher because this plot point and area layout is literally just a rehash of North Mountain. Things just are not as interesting the second time around…
21. North Mountain - B Tier
As the introduction of the dragon used to fly to Walse, this dungeon is pretty cool in terms of story and character development for Lenna. And while the dungeon itself is nothing special at all, the boss is the best up to that point in the game. On top of all of that, Bahamut can also be challenged here later in the game! This is the first truly memorable dungeon on this list, but there are still so many better dungeons in this game.
20. Wind Shrine - C Tier
The first dungeon in the game is inherently not going to be the most interesting in the game. The meat of this very short dungeon is obtaining the Wind Crystal, which is honestly pretty important as it introduces the player to the job system. However, as much as that is great, when that is all the substance a dungeon offers, I have to put it in C Tier.
19. Castle Karnak - B Tier
I know this is typically regarded as one of the worst sections in the game for a lot of people, but I really enjoyed escaping this burning castle. I even grinded AP for a while before making my way out and killing the Iron Claw. I understand how this is frightening for people who hate time restraints, but I personally had a good time with this dungeon. If the time limit was longer, however, I would have liked this dungeon so much better. But as is, it is just a little above average.
18. Island Shrine - B Tier
The first dungeon that houses Legendary Tablets on this list, it is my least favorite of the four. With seven floors of dungeon in the middle of the iconic Big Bridge, it isn’t anything all too special. Yet again, there’s a Gargoyle fight at the entrance. There’s a boss—Wendigo—and after completing the dungeon, you get access to the Fork Tower, which unlocks Flare and Holy. While a good dungeon, the Island Shrine is not outstanding in any way, therefore it is only a B Tier dungeon in my eyes.
17. Istory Falls - B Tier
The second dungeon that houses Legendary Tablets, there are two reasons it places above the Island Shrine on this list: 1) you get the Magic Lamp and 2) you get a summon, namely, Leviathan. Surprisingly, this dungeon is not guarded by gargoyles this time around! And it has six floors, just for reference, with Leviathan as the boss, as aforementioned. This was a good dungeon, but a B Tier dungeon nonetheless.
16. Great Sea Trench - B Tier
An underwater volcanic cave with undead enemies and three Legendary Tablets? That’s pretty cool. However, going through the lava? Pretty annoying. Triton, Nereid, and Phobos? Again, cool, but annoying. However, the setting was really epic, it was short and to the point, and there was a dwarven shop inside! Last of all, this dungeon is the home to the ultimate Time Magic, Meteor! Overall, a solid dungeon, but nothing too special due to some of its annoyances.
15. Cloister of the Dead - A Tier
I will admit, refighting old bosses after becoming overpowered is quite fun. But as the final challenge in the game, the Cloister of the Dead feels incredibly easy, especially if you use two Mimes and two Freelancers with good abilities. I mean, it can be fun if you challenge yourself by using bad jobs, or using only a team of powered up Necromancers, but it is truly a rather easy challenge. Nevertheless, I adore boss gauntlets in general, so this is still an A Tier dungeon for me.
14. Pirate’s Hideout - A Tier
In terms of gameplay, this is a rather drab and inconsequential dungeon. It is just a few hallways, all things considered. However, at the end, the dungeon opens up and becomes a story-centered, atmospheric dungeon that introduces Final Fantasy V’s second best character: Faris! This dungeon is such a vibe, and the great music is just the cherry on top. If it had a bit more actual gameplay, it’d be in the running for a top ten dungeon, but unfortunately, that is not the case.
13. Big Bridge - A Tier
I love the music here, the Gilgamesh fight, and the constant waves of enemies. Truly, this is one of the most fun and iconic portions of Final Fantasy V. However, I truly cannot justify placing such a linear dungeon any higher on this list… it would just make absolutely no sense in my eyes. I adore this place, but not that much.
12. Pyramid of Moore - A Tier
My favorite of the four Sealed Tome dungeons by a country mile, this truly feels like an intense and challenging dungeon. With Lenna captured by Melusine, only Bartz, Krile, and Faris participate in this dungeon, making it very chaotic and hard to beat (especially if Lenna was your party’s resident healer like she was for mine)! Pair Lenna’s absence with the plethora of traps, diverse enemy encounters and eight floors? You’ve got a slightly annoying, yet incredibly challenging and fulfilling dungeon. This dungeon also releases Bahamut to North Mountain, which is awesome! While there is not a boss in the Pyramid itself, upon exiting, you will soon fight Melusine and get Lenna back in your party! Overall, the only thing holding this perilous and intense dungeon back from S Tier is that it eventually becomes quite annoying by the end of its lengthy runtime.
11. Fire-Powered Ship - A Tier
While annoying at certain parts, this dungeon may be one of the most inspired dungeons in the Final Fantasy series. The Liquid Flame is a fantastic and incredibly unique fight (I would’ve loved a harder reskinned version of Liquid Flame to be in either the Sealed Temple or the Interdimensional rift… this is why we can’t have nice things). This dungeon, outside of its aesthetic, has quite a bit of plot relevance, and eventually becomes the party’s primary mode of transportation! It also eventually sinks, which, you know, that happened. Overall, while this dungeon annoyed me enough that it barely missed the top ten, I still really enjoyed it.
10. Ship Graveyard - S Tier
The sequence leading up to this dungeon? Great. The atmosphere? Chilling and awesome. The boss fight? Pretty great. The scenes about Faris not being a guy? Absolutely hilarious and nonsensical. Have no idea how Bartz and Galuf actually thought she looked like a guy. Running out of MP for Cure spells after three battles? Not so great, but hey, makes for a more interesting and tense experience. This is by no means the best dungeon in the game in my eyes (sorry David Vinc), but it is still fantastic. A great portion of the game for sure.
9. Fork Tower - S Tier
This is an awesome dungeon, as it is the one time in the game your party splits up into two teams! The point of this dungeon is that, to get Flare and Holy, you need to disable both sides of the tower at the exact same time, so you have to “simultaneously” fight two bosses: one weak to magic, one weak to physical attacks. This was an awesome concept, and made for a very fun and unique dungeon. However, without much plot relevance or a unique atmosphere, I just couldn’t say it was better than the next dungeons on this list.
8. Walse Tower - S Tier
The first visit here? Interesting enough, I guess. Garula is a pretty solid fight, and obtaining the Water Crystal is a great moment. However, the awesome thing about this dungeon? The Water Crystal is cool and unconventional, as the crystal shard that gives the player the Mime class sinks into the ocean. This means you have to visit this tower a second time… and it is well worth the visit! When you return underwater, you get to fight the Famed Mimic Gogo is a very unique fight, as you can either completely avoid him or instead fight the hardest boss fight in the game. Either way, you unlock the Mime—the second best class in the game! Overall, this is an awesome dungeon that gives the player a lot of juicy rewards.
7. Barrier Tower - S Tier
After a fun fighting sequence, some epic cutscenes, and Galuf’s explanation to Xezat, the five enter this epic (albeit non-revisitable) dungeon. The point of the dungeon is to disable the barrier around Exdeath’s Castle and end his reign on terror. With one of the best bosses in the game, Atomos, and a sad cutscene in which Xezat is killed, this is also a very tense dungeon plot-wise. With a siege, two epic boss fights, and a whole lot of plot relevance, this is easily one of the best dungeons in Final Fantasy V.
6. Ronka Ruins - S Tier
This dungeon is backed up by awesome lore of an ancient civilization. This dungeon has the Soul Cannon, my seventh favorite boss in the game! This dungeon has Archeoaevis, my twenty-fourth favorite boss in the game (still a good feat, considering there are fifty-six). This dungeon is home to several awesome Blue Magic spells, including White Wind, one of the best in the game. It is home to the Earth Crystal, boasting four new jobs for the player. And best of all? Its atmosphere is so cool, especially since you need to upgrade your airship to even reach the place. Overall, a very fantastic dungeon and a great end to Bartz’s world.
5. Castle Exdeath - S Tier
The final dungeon of Galuf’s World, this really makes the world go out with a fantastic bang! Coming right off of the heels of the Forest of Moore, this is the first dungeon with Krile in the party, and it is a blast of a dungeon. With two boss fights, Gilgamesh and Exdeath, the death of Kelger, and upon the end of the dungeon? An insane event happens—the two worlds merge. This is one of the most epic events in Final Fantasy, it is so cool. However, the dungeon itself? Eh. Not too interesting, I guess. Great dungeon, though, I will admit.
4. Library of the Ancients - S+ Tier
Geez, I love this place. First of all, I always love the dungeons with two bosses. Second of all, this dungeon has all sorts of plot relevance—like almost too much, it is amazing. The Sealed Tome, finding Mid, the sages, the engulfment of the library by Exdeath, the library being separated in half, et cetera. Third of all, this dungeon has my favorite atmosphere in the entire game, with lots of books, switches, NPCs, and just an amazing atmosphere of wonder. The fact I like it more than the primary antagonist’s castle is just a testament to how fantastic and well-crafted this dungeon truly is. This is truly one of my favorite dungeons in the series. Yet somehow… There's three more? Aw yeah.
3. Sealed Temple - S+ Tier
With four new jobs, with seven epic bosses, and with tons of interesting areas, this is one of the best dungeons in the game. It also introduces Enuo, an immortal wizard who traded his immortality for the power of the Void. The power of the Void was eventually sealed using the power of the Interdimensional Rift (the final dungeon). Enuo was sealed in this dungeon, the Sealed Temple, using the twelve Legendary Weapons. Exdeath was inspired by the relatively unknown legend of Enuo, making Enuo the original villain even before Exdeath. This adds a surprising amount of depth into the story, almost to the point it almost feels weird that this was an optional dungeon. Killing Enuo and the upgraded versions of Shinryu and Omega is awesome as well! Getting the Necromancer job is also very awesome, even if it is so late in the game it is basically pointless. Overall, this is basically a slightly less good version of the Interdimensional Rift, but fantastic nonetheless.
2. Interdimensional Rift - S+ Tier
This game’s final dungeon, it has a staggering 12 bosses to defeat! From Azulmagia to Gilgamesh to Necrophobe to Neo Exdeath, as well as the iconic Omega and Shinryu, there are so many fantastic bosses. While the Sealed Temple gives new jobs, I just felt like this dungeon was more diverse, well-designed, less annoying, and more climactic, so I had to give this fantastic dungeon the edge. Overall, this was an amazing final dungeon, and one of the best in the series.
1. Forest of Moore - S+ Tier
This dungeon completely crushed my expectations for it—I literally had no expectations for this dungeon. As an unassuming forest, I could have never guessed this would hold the (in my opinion) most heartbreaking death in the entire Final Fantasy series—the death of the beloved old man himself, Galuf. Truthfully, I thought this death sequence was leagues ahead of any of the Final Fantasy IV “deaths” (even Tellah’s), definitely better than Final Fantasy VII’s Aeris/Aerith death, and a bit better than all the deaths in Final Fantasy II. The only one I would say is better is Tidus’s death, but since he kind of never existed anyway and was revived later in Final Fantasy X-2? Yeah, Galuf’s is the best. Anway, I digress. Outside of Galuf’s face-off—the best scene and battle in the entire game, in my opinion—the Forest of Moore also is the birthplace of Exdeath, meaning it had many juicy layers of plot relevance. The Crystals fight here was also rather fun, as it required quite a bit of strategy! Well, not if you used Zenigage, but whatever. With Galuf being by far my favorite playable character in Final Fantasy V, this dungeon was truly heart-wrenching and made me feel a lot of emotions. While Krile is only my fourth favorite playable character in the game out of five, I thought she was a solid replacement for Galuf. Overall, with my favorite moment in the game (and one of my favorite moments in the series), this is easily my favorite dungeon in Final Fantasy V.