Final Fantasy has codified many JRPG tropes, including the one we always know is coming: plot twists.
Final Fantasy isn’t just about experimental gameplay or beautiful music, but also edge-of-your-seat storytelling.
You’ll never guess who Jack has it against.
Because the plots of Final Fantasy titles are so well-known now, some of these events might seem cliche.
If you’re a dedicated fan, you’ll be overly familiar with several of them.
But it shows how shocking they were at the time that audiences felt compelled to talk about them.
Golbez was initially built up as a stock villain, with no visible face to humanize him.
However, beneath a simple quest lay a surprisingly deep and avant-garde RPG story.
Jack, who spends the entire game ranting about Chaos,isChaos.
He has to sacrifice himself and allow the Warriors of Light to kill him to make the cycle complete.
The whole thing is a reimagining of the first Final Fantasy from the villain’s perspective.
Well done, Nomura.
Cloud’s self-acceptance is one that we, as the audience, can also draw lessons from.
Unlike the emperor of Gestahl, Kefka doesn’t care about money or power.
He just wants to destroy.
Only here, they are soundly beaten.
Halfway through the game,Kefka wins: the world is destroyed.
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Conveniently, everyone developed amnesia later on due to their use of Guardian Forces.
A late-game plot twist gives rise to one of the series' trademark beautiful, borderline life-affirming moments.
After finding out that they are soulless shells made for destruction, Zidane and Kuja react appropriately.
The moment Sin is destroyed, Tidus fades into the afterlife.
He was a dream of the Fayth, spirits seeking an end to the suffering Sin causes.
If Ardyn evokes any sympathy, it’s much later on.
The first time he reveals his true self, it’s too much of a shock to internalize.
The Crystal that Noctis and his pals had been looking for was nothing but a trap.
Ardyn led them to it because he is, in fact, Noctis' great-uncle many generations removed.
Thousands of years of confinement had filled Ardyn with hate towards his royal nephew.
1Aerith Dies
You knew this was coming.
This is to video games what Darth Vader’s identity is to film.
Even people who’ve never played Final Fantasy 7 know that Aerith dies.
It is the definitive video game spoiler.
Just imagine how shocking it was in 1997 that people are still talking about it to this day.
Unfortunately, the knowledge that Aerith dies never quite manages to soften the blow.
Her death is inevitable, and it still hurts.
JRPGs have some of the most heartwarming moments in gaming but can also be soul-crushing.
Here are some of the saddest moments in the entire genre!
