Summary
- The power of friendship miraculously saves Final Fantasy protagonists from overwhelming enemies.
- Heroes conveniently survive deadly encounters to continue the plot despite logical challenges.
- Final Fantasy characters often escape certain death by the influence of plot armor and unexpected strengths.
Final Fantasy is a series known for its story-heavy approach in most games. These narratives are as emotional as they come and will make players feel things at the end of an epic adventure.
8 Weakest Final Fantasy Protagonists In The Games, Ranked
These Final Fantasy protagonists struggle to stack up with the strongest Final Fantasy characters.
To keep the plot going, there are certain things that must be accepted by fans. Sometimes, the heroes should be left incapacitated or dead after a major event, only for them to continue on as if nothing happened, simply because the plot demands it.
1 Cecil And His Friends Somehow Survive Against Zemus
The Power Of Friendship Saves The Day
Final Fantasy 4
- Released
- July 19, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Zemus is a powerful entity who is a nightmare to deal with for Cecil and his friends from the get-go. His power is overwhelming and wipes out the heroes almost instantly, only for one of the most lampooned recurring tropes in JRPGs to rear its head.
All of a sudden, Cecil remembers everyone who has helped him until this point. The power of friendship helps the heroes bounce back and unleash a beatdown for the ages against Zemus.
2 The Warriors Of Light Are Brought Back After Dying To The Cloud Of Darkness
Doga And Unei Sacrifice Their Souls To Bring Back The Warriors Of Light
Final Fantasy III
- Released
- April 27, 1990
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
The Cloud of Darkness is one of the most powerful villains in Final Fantasy history, to the point where she effortlessly beats the Warriors of Light without any problems. As they lay dead on the ground, the spirits of the people who aided them in their quest conveniently revive the heroes.
This moment is meant to display the overwhelming might of the Cloud of Darkness without leading to a premature end to the story. Ultimately, it's not until the heroes enlist the help of the Warriors of Darkness that they're able to weaken and defeat the final boss of Final Fantasy 3.
3 The Heroes Somehow Surviving Against A God
Kefka Should've Flattened The Heroes
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG
After messing with the Warring Triad, Kefka had appropriated their power to become a pseudo-god in his own right. He was able to silence dissidents with the Light of Judgment, razing entire villages in the process.
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Final Fantasy protagonists tend to be some of the best-dressed characters in video games, and these are the ones who prove it.
So, it's convenient that this power is completely missing when the heroes band together to defeat Kefka. The clown jester is remarkably easy, all things considered.
4 Cloud Surviving After Falling Multiple Stories
Should've Broken His Neck After Crashing Into The Church
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
After a battle against the Air Buster, Cloud is sent hurling down from the Mako Reactor, crashing into Aerith's church. It's a fall that should've had dire consequences for a mortal person, at the end of the day.
However, Cloud is able to pick himself back up and is somehow moving around without any problems. Even if the flowers somehow broke his fall, he should've suffered a broken neck, at the very least.
5 Squall Coming Back To His Time After Beating Ultimecia
Somehow Managed To Save Himself Even After He Was Clearly Lost
Final Fantasy 8
- Released
- February 11, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Near the end of Final Fantasy 8, Squall is seen struggling to come back to his time after Ultimecia's defeat. A series of disturbing images hammer in this face, with Rinoa's facial features being blurred as Squall's face becomes a void.
It's a disturbing sight, only for the ending of Final Fantasy 8 to reveal that Squall was alive all along. It's hard to believe, but fans will still cheer him on as he kisses Rinoa and cements their love.
6 The Party Having Permanent Reraise During The Final Battle
Makes The Fight With Yu Yevon A Breeze
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
The fayth have been guiding the heroes in their goal to stop Sin and save Spira from the cycle of violence that it has been trapped in for a while. This culminates in a final battle against Yu Yevon, where the very people directing the plot protect the heroes from dying.
The permanent Reraise stat ensures that the heroes will never fall against Yu Yevon, making for an anticlimactic boss fight. While the support of the fayth is appreciated, most fans would've preferred to take out Yu Yevon on their own.
7 Clive Randomly Becoming Strong Enough To Defeat Ultima At The End
Joshua's Power And Clive's Bonds Help Him Pull Out All The Stops Against Ultima
Final Fantasy 16
- Released
- June 22, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Ultima is a force of nature who is seemingly insurmountable, with Dion giving his life to stop Ultima, only for it to have no effect. Clive and Joshua feel that they don't have a fighting chance, only for the latter to give the protagonist the support and strength he needed to save the world.
Once again, the so-called power of friendship rears its head and compels Clive to fight better than ever before out of nowhere. Ultima himself is surprised by this development, being taken aback by the egregious amount of plot armor willing Clive to go on and finish this final battle.
8 Cid Somehow Surviving A Death-Defying Fall
Final Fantasy 4 Has A Bad Habit Of Cheapening Such Sacrifices
Final Fantasy 4 features its fair share of character sacrifices that can be pretty heartbreaking. Characters like Tellah, Parom, and Porom sacrifice themselves without a second thought to save Cecil and the heroes.
This is precisely what Cid does when he decides to kamikaze himself and use the bomb in his hand to seal the hole to the surface. No one should've survived this, yet Cid is revealed to be alive and recovering not long after.
- Creation Year
- 1987
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Creator
- Hironobu Sakaguchi
- Latest Release
- Final Fantasy 16
- Creator(s)
- Hironobu Sakaguchi