Oftentimes, a long-running video game franchise will include little elements to ensure consistency throughout the games. Sometimes that's all it is, and other times, it is there to help prove that the games take place in the same universe or even in the same world just at different times.
For a series like Final Fantasy which has so many installments and so many different stories, it's easy to take each one as part of their own unique world. However, there's still enough consistency to suggest that the worlds might still be interconnected into their own unique universe instead of standalone games, not even counting the spinoffs like Dissidia where they directly interact.
10 Chocobos, Moogles, & Behemoths Are Everywhere
There are a few staples as far as the Final Fantasy franchise goes. One of which is the giant, chicken-like mounts known as Chocobos. Another is the cute, pig-bat critters that look a bit like a stuffed animal known as a Moogle, and then there are Behemoths, which have been an enemy monster since II.
While Chocobos and Moogles have had very few design changes, Behemoths have gone through a number of them. They do keep their purple skin, funky hair, and massive size though. Since they all appear frequently throughout the series, it would make sense that they all come from at least a similar locale.
9 Jobs Tend To Have The Same Names
In any game where job/class titles are referenced, they all have the same names. There are the colored Mages with Red, Blue, White, and Black, Summoners, Gunners, Dragoons, and the list goes on.
Even in different real-world countries, it's hard to find jobs that function exactly alike with the same general styles, but those that do are staples like police officers and doctors. So the fact that their jobs have the same names, functions, and similar styles it's easy to make the leap and assume that they all have the same source, places in society, and would understand one another if they met cross-game.
8 Spells Almost Always Work The Same
Sometimes all a series does to try and make consistency is to have the magic work the same. Final Fantasy might have different ways for characters to tap into magical energy, from it being inherent to being able to augment themselves with Materia. However, one thing stays the same and that is what they do.
There are two kinds of magic in the Final Fantasy universe, White and Black. White Magic is always healing spells such as Cura, and Black Magic is always more destructive traditional-style magic. There are also tiny subsets that include Summoners who pull creatures through various methods depending on the game, Blue Mages which pull skills typically found in enemies, and Red Mages who can do a little of it all.
7 Cait Siths Appear In More Than VII
In Final Fantasy VII, players are given the cat-like automaton Cait Sith as a party member. This becomes relevant later when the potentially sentient creation sacrifices itself to help the group and then is revealed that they are all being controlled by Reeves. However, Reeves isn't in the other games, but Cait Siths appear in multiple installments.
They all look pretty much the same too, with nearly identical markings and body structures. They have to be being controlled by someone, and if that is somehow still Reeves throughout space and time then it's a really good indicator that the games take place in the same universe.
6 Weird Alien Monsters Fit In Well With Other Games
Sometimes there are these monsters or plot hooks that exist within the games as these extra-powerful alien creatures that either exist to drive the plot forward or to give a creature to summon that was clearly from another place such as Shiva.
However, sometimes these monsters will show up in other games as different kinds of enemies, or there are going to be things that look a lot like them. This may be just a callback, but it could also suggest that they come from different places all within the same universe. Jenova for example was a major plot point in VII and seriously resembles the common summon Shiva as well as a number of the enemies in XIII.
5 There Is Always A Cid & Always A Highwind
A little easter egg throughout all of the games is that there is always a Cid, even if in a few games they shake it up by having it spelled with an "S" instead. The point stands though that there will always be a Cid somewhere relevant to the games.
There is also always a Highwind, and whoever has an association with the name is essentially a Dragoon character. Final Fantasy VII decided to combine both of these into one with Cid Highwind himself. If a name is able to be passed around and links to the same profession, it is a really solid indicator that the characters might actually be apart of the same world, if not the same universe.
4 The Moon & Space Is Always Important But Rarely Explored
Within the games, there is almost always a point in which the moon and/or space become a talking point. Some games make the moon an entire map, suggest that's where monsters come from, or even that it is the source of all their problems. Other games suggest that strange alien creatures crash-landed on their world, were brought there by extraterrestrial forces, or had the power to make these things happen.
Some worlds also have multiple moons, and Red Moons almost always signify extreme danger. IV has an entire artificial moon full of their own races, VII has a ton dealing with the alien Jenova and a meteor, VIII suggests the moon is the reason for the monster infestation, IX has been given a second moon originating from a different planet, XIV has an artificial moon that was brought down while the other is secretly a prison, and XV has a permanently full moon, Luna being an Oracle with the power to fight against the Starscourge against the eternal night, and is also the only source of light during the dark hours when demons are capable of spawning.
3 Summoning Draws From The Same Pool
The monsters that a Summoner can call have very little variety. Some games rely more heavily on them, such as in VIII and X, and gain a lot with a ton of lore. Other games take more of a backseat with them to focus on other, more pressing matters.
One thing that stays the same is regardless of the game's lore, they almost always draw from the same pool of monsters. Shiva, Ifrit, and Bahamut are staples. While they might take on different designs, the fact that they all exist at once cross-game makes it seem like they are all pulling from the same world to call them. Perhaps they also are pulling from different times as well, which would explain their visual differences.
2 Bahamut Becomes A Summon After Starting Out As A Quest-Giver
In the original Final Fantasy, Bahamut appeared as the Lord of Dragons and gave out quests. After that point, Bahamut continued to appear in multiple installments with wildly different designs as an extremely powerful summon.
This alone suggests that the first game took place on the homeworld of Bahamut, and all other games are pulling from that world in order to call forth the Lord of Dragons to their aid. It could also explain why some worlds are more prone to summoning than others. Some might simply have better access to these different worlds in order to call from them.
1 The Same Monsters Appear With Different Designs
As the series progresses there are a lot of visual updates. The franchise has really become a standard for visual excellence, even if it is getting darker and grittier. To keep up with the tone and aesthetics of the game, some staple creatures take on a different look. Behemoths sometimes have wings, sometimes don't, and one time they were bipedal minotaur-like creatures. Bahamut has gone through various stages of draconic monstrosity, sometimes with a more bipedal form, other times with a quadrupedal design.
From a developmental standpoint, this makes sense as they would be trying to bring a sense of unity across the games. However, in lore, this could suggest that they come from different points in time where things evolve and change, or that they come from a different world where that is what the locals consider to be this thing.
0 Comments