Final Fantasy probably became popular in the 90s and 2000s due to the fact that each sequel was its own thing. There were connecting pieces between games like Final Fantasy 6 and Final Fantasy 7. They both had Moogles and characters named Cid, but the stories and worlds were completely different.
That all changed when Final Fantasy 10 came out with Final Fantasy 10-2. From that point onward the floodgates have been opened and now each entry in this long-running franchise has the potential to create its own little expanded universes. Will Final Fantasy 16 get expanded as well? For now, let’s take a look at the main Final Fantasy games with direct sequels through more games, movies, and anime.
7 Final Fantasy 4
Final Fantasy 4 was released in 1991 in both Japan and North America on the SNES, which was rare. The strange thing about the release date though is that the Western version was called Final Fantasy 2 thus skipping the real second installment along with the third. Almost two decades later Japanese phones got several episodes that took place after the events of the first game.
They were titled Final Fantasy 4: The After Years. The West would not get a taste until the entire episode collection hit the Wii digitally in 2009. Other ports added more content, such as the PSP version, but ultimately Final Fantasy 4 just got the one mini sequel which played relatively the same as the first except that it took place 17 years after the original’s events wrapped up.
6 Final Fantasy 5
Most may not know this but Final Fantasy 5 got a sequel as well and is technically the first to do so way before Final Fantasy 10. First of all, the game would release in Japan in 1992 on the SNES. North America would not get it until 1999 via Final Fantasy Anthology on PS1 which also came bundled with Final Fantasy 6.
Two years after Japan got this game, they released four OVA anime episodes in 1994. The series was called Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals and it took place 200 years after Final Fantasy 5. It is loosely based on the game with barely any ties to the original, but again, on a technical level, it counts. The West, funnily enough, would get the anime first which was released between 1997 and 1998.
5 Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7 is the big daddy of expanded universes within this franchise. The original debuted in 1997 on PS1 in both regions and the first spinoff was a movie. Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children would release in 2005 in Japan followed by a 2006 release in the West. From there the spinoffs and tie-ins exploded. There was the prequel Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 which was a PSP action RPG starring Zack. Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 was on the PS2 and took place after the events of the original and had Vincent take up arms.
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 was a phone RPG about The Turks, which has still never been released outside of Japan. And now there is Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is creating its own little mini-universe of spinoffs like Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldie r and Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis. It’s easy to see why Square Enix is milking this game so much. It is by and large the most popular one for RPG and non-RPG fans alike.
4 Final Fantasy 10
As established in the intro, Final Fantasy 10 is the game that opened the floodgates to sequel town. It didn’t take long for it to get announced or come out either. The original launched in 2001 on PS2 with Final Fantasy 10-2 debuting in 2003.
The game condensed the cast to Yuna, Rikku, and Paine who was a new character although she looked a lot like Lulu. The gameplay was still turn-based but there was a new class system via Dress Spheres. There were rumors for a while about a third game but nothing ever came of it. Sometimes rumors are just that, rumors.
3 Final Fantasy 12
Final Fantasy 12 was released at the tail end of the PS2 in 2006 right around when the PS3 arrived. A year later it would get a spinoff on DS called Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wings. Like Final Fantasy 10-2, this direct sequel reduced the cast to a core few with Vaan and Penelo being the two leads.
The game was an RTS, a first for the series. It was a light RTS though, without a heavy amount of base building but it was still unique at the time. It would have been better if the small screen on the DS didn’t get in the way.
2 Final Fantasy 13
This game had a planned multitude of spinoffs under the guise of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy banner. Eventually, these projects would either get canceled or spun off into their own games such as Final Fantasy Versus 13 turning into Final Fantasy 15. The original Final Fantasy 13 did come out after a few delays in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Then, in 2011 and 2012, Final Fantasy 13-2 would release on PS3 and Xbox 360. This was a direct sequel although it paired down the party into two. Also, players could recruit monsters as their third party members. Finally, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 would complete the trilogy in 2013 and 2014 on PS3 and Xbox 360. It reduced the party further by focusing on Lightning alone, the original game’s main character.
1 Final Fantasy 15
Final Fantasy 15 technically took ten years to come out after being replanned through several stages. Final Fantasy Versus 13 was announced in 2006, was rebranded as Final Fantasy 15 in 2016, and then was released in 2016. In that same year, leading up to the release, Square Enix released a CG movie, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy 15, and an anime mini-series called Brotherhood: Final Fantasy 15. Through the years the game would receive a few DLC packs. Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy 15 was a PSVR fishing game.
A King's Tale: Final Fantasy 15 was a 2D brawler prequel starring Noctis’ dad as a younger king. Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy 15 could technically be called a sequel/prequel because it was about Noctis as a kid. Then there was the multiplayer game, Final Fantasy 15: Comrades, as well as several mobile games with the biggest of those being a demake called Final Fantasy 15: Pocket Edition. Because of how the main game ends, technically there hasn’t been a sequel, but the universe is certainly massive.