My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations: #10 to #1

Here we are then. The Top 10 Final Fantasy Locations, at least in my eyes anyway. There's been a huge variety of areas we've covered so far already, across all the games. It's been fun. If you've missed them click here for #20 to #11, here for #30 to #21, here for #40 to #31 and here for #50 to #41.

So what are my favourite 10 locations of my favourite video game series ever? Let's count them down.

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each location represents I'd avoid that entry.

#10: Deling City
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? Not far into the game as Laguna in a flashback, and a bit later on in modern time
Revisitable? Yes, until time compression occurs
Description: A very cool cosmopolitan city, the capital of Galbadia, it's dark for most of the year due to the climate and has a Presidential Residence, a grand hotel and many luxurious streets.

Ah, Deling City. What a place. Apparently this place was inspired by Paris in France in its design and it's hard not to see why. It just looks so cool. So cool. And of course, this is another choice that's definitely inspired by its amazing music. That's the icing on the cake of cool. I'd love to come to Deling City if it existed in real life. I suppose I better go to Paris then, it's the best I'm going to get really. The story that happens here is naturally important, and it's a big swerve in the events as well, as it serves as the place where Ultimecia, in Edea's form, starts to try and take over the world. Of course when you're here you don't know that and think Edea is the main antagonist. Either way Deling City is amazing.

#9: Wall Market
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? Very early on
Revisitable? Yes, but only much later in the game onwards
Description: A shopping centre of sorts, it's one of the most bustling places in Midgar. As well as having its own clothes shop and gym, it also has its own adult club. It's called Wall Market as there's a huge wall here that is actually used to climb above the Midgar plate and straight to Shinra Headquarters.

I've often said during the course of this listing that some places are chosen because of its sheer beautify and not because of storyline events. But this place, Wall Market, is chosen for exactly that reason. What happens in Wall Market... stays in Wall Market. Poor Cloud, poor poor Cloud! The dressing up as a woman scene is one of the funniest moments in the entire series of Final Fantasy. Especially if Don Corneo actually chooses him as his 'bride', then it gets even more funny! And of course, the Honey Bee Inn is classic. It's times like the Honey Bee Inn when Squaresoft completely justifies its 15+ rating on the game. It's just so wrong, some of the things that can happen there. Wall Market is an awesome time in the game, it stays long in the memory, what happens here.

#8: Lindblum
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Quite early on, and a little later after that
Revisitable? Yes
Description: Actually the biggest city in Final Fantasy IX, although it's nothing on other places in other games. A decent sized city with the bet technology in the game, the city is seperated into different Districts. It has its own Regent and force, a force that's considered the strongest in the game until Queen Brahne starts producing Black Mages which shakes the forces of the world of Gaia during the course of the game.

Another cool city in Final Fantasy is Lindblum. It's a different cool to Deling City though, it's just such a nice place. It has a good castle, and the streets have lots of markets and the people just seem really happy for the most part. Tantalus, the crew that Zidane is from, reside here, as does the amazing Regent Cid, one of my favourite Cid's in the Final Fantasy series. A lot of story progression occurs here, and it's a base in parts for your party for some spells of the game. Lindblum is just such a lovely, welcoming city, one that I absolutely adore.

#7: Figaro Castle
Game? Final Fantasy VI
When do you go? Very early on, a little later, and towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: On the surface, Edgar's castle is just that, a castle. But Edgar being the huge technological wizard that he is, has given his castle a few perks, the main one being able to travel underground to another continent.

There is one main reason why I love Figaro Castle, and that's because the man, the legend himself, Edgar resides here. The man is a legendary Final Fantasy character, by far the best womaniser in the series. And some of the best moments in the story of Final Fantasy VI are in this castle; when he flirts with Terra and even better, when you come here following a suspicious man who calls himself Gerad (Edgar in bad disguise). The castle itself and its awesome theme are cool of course; the castle being able to move underground is pretty funky and a bit of a surprise when you see it happen for the first time. Figaro Castle is just one of the best places in Final Fantasy history in my eyes.

Figaro Castle is the fifth and last entry from Final Fantasy VI in this list.

#6: Black Mage Village
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Half way through the game, a little later, and towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A magically hidden village where the Black Mages who were once puppets of war, have retreated to live the rest of their short lives in peace. Later on the Genomes, who have had a similar experience in terms of being used by a master of sorts, also take home here.

The Black Mage Village gets this high on my list because as a place it's cool and also the storyline progression here is amazing. You learn so much here, about the Black Mages, about Vivi and the Genomes come here later on. It's just a true place of Gaia that you feel is completely safe that has a calm atmosphere, and the music helps to that again of course. The Black Mages are terribly scared that Zidane and company have found their secret hideout but soon learn their motives. Mr 288 (all the Black Mages are numbered) is a leader of sorts in the village, and he discusses life philosophy heavily in this village. His words and views on life are really cool if not sad, and really make you think about real life. Things like that make this place so memorable. And of course, the birth of Bobby Corwen is awesome too! Best chocobo name ever!

#5: Balamb Garden
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? Right at the beginning and many times throughout the game
Revisitable? Yes, until time compression occurs
Description: A large school of sorts, students learn and train how to fight here with the hope of once becoming SeeD, mercenaries who help settle global unrest. Later on it's discovered that it's also a mobile ship and is used as one.

There is absolutely no dispute about Balamb Garden being one of the Final Fantasy series most recognisable landmarks. Probably no place in Final Fantasy VIII is as easily memorable as this place. You start the game here, you come back here many times throughout the game and it's your base for pretty much the whole game. A lot of storyline progression naturally occurs here, and it's just a really cool place. I wish I went to school here. The music is so peaceful as well of course. Man I love Balamb Garden.

#4: Alexandria
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Right in the beginning of the game, towards the middle of the game and later again
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A city and nation ruled by a monarchy; Queen Brahne on the throne until Princess Garnet, or Dagger, claims it. The story starts here. A bustling city with a large castle, Alexandria is one of the main places in the game.

I love Alexandria. It's another one of those places that I'd love to live in. Everything is cute or gorgeous, depending on where you go. I love the castle, it's absolutely stunning, and the town centre itself is pretty damn cool too. Vivi's little journey here early on is just great, you can't help but love him there and then right from the off. Of course the scenes with Zidane and Steiner also make it brilliant. And of course, who can forget Beatrix, she can serve me any day... Alexandria, another staple landmark of the Final Fantasy series is also one of my favourite places, and I place it at number four.

#3: Nibelheim
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? In flashbacks quite early on, in modern time towards the middle of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A small village next to a mountain, some of the most important events in the history of the game happen here. Cloud and Tifa's hometime, it's burnt down by Sephiroth when he goes crazy on a murderous rampage. The Shinra Manor, one of the creepiest looking places in the Final Fantasy series, also resides here.

I don't know how naive any of you were on your first visit to Nibelheim, but remember I was very young when I played this game. After hearing Cloud's amazing story, I totally expected this place to be a big pile of burnt ashes. When you stumble across Nibelheim in game, and you see everything completely put back together, like nothing ever happened, I was just so shocked. And confused. Squaresoft really pulled a fantastic plot twist here when they made it seem like nothing had ever changed, but of course, it was Shinra, trying to hide their flaws and failures, who rebuilt the village back to the way it was, and got decent actors to make people believe that no fire ever occured there.

And then you have the Shinra Manor. Man that place is just so creepy, the music, the things that happen there, the experiments, everything. It's an amazing yet horrible place, haunted by the past. I love it. Nibelheim is a truly mindblowing little place, its history and distinct appearance will forever be engraved in my head.

Nibelheim is the seventh and last entry from Final Fantasy VII in this list.

#2: Treno
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Towards the middle of the game and a little later on
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A  town in permanent night time, separated by excessively rich nobles and bones dry poor peasants. It hosts its own auction, card tournament amongst other things. Doctor Tot resides here.

Now if I were to try and narrow down one place I'd love to live in a Final Fantasy game, it probably would be Treno. As a noble obviously. You've got the gorgeous night light, an awesome auction and card tournament, Doctor Tot to rely upon if you need help with something, if you were feeling adventurous you could take on the master's pet and you could kick peasants for entertainment. Okay I'm exaggerating a little here but Treno is just such a cool place. Sure the contrast of the economy isn't nice, but that aside it's a brilliant place. One of my favourite moments in the entire game happen here, when Baku keeps on getting Doctor Tot's name wrong. Such a funny moment in the game. I just can't help but love Treno, I love coming here it's just brilliant.

Treno is the tenth and last entry from Final Fantasy IX in this list.

Okay, we're at the end now. Let's just recap from #50 to #2:

• #50 - Pandaemonium (II)
• #49 - Faultwarrens (XIII)
• #48 - World of Darkness (III)
• #47 - Giza Plains (XII)
• #46 - Chaos Shrine (I)
• #45 - Macalania Forest (X)
• #44 - Lunar Subterrane (IV)
• #43 - Orphan's Cradle (XIII)
• #42 - Edea's Orphanage (VIII)
• #41 - Archylte Steppe (XIII)
• #40 - Northern Cave (VII)
• #39 - South Figaro (VI)
• #38 - Rabanastre (XII)
• #37 - Forgotten Capital (VII)
• #36 - Magitek Research Facility (VI)
• #35 - Moonflow (X)
• #34 - Lake Bresha (XIII)
• #33 - Iifa Tree (IX)
• #32 - Shumi Village (VIII)
• #31 - Gold Saucer (VII)
• #30 - Nautilus (XIII)
• #29 - Besaid (X)
• #28 - Daguerreo (IX)
• #27 - Shinra Headquarters (VII)
• #26 - Ship Graveyard (V)
• #25 - Zanarkand (X)
• #24 - Sulyya Springs (XIII)
• #23 - Bhujerba (XII)
• #22 - Bran Bal (IX)
• #21 - Bodhum (XIII)
• #20 - Giruvegan (XII)
• #19 - Dali (IX)
• #18 - Esthar (VIII)
• #17 - Calm Lands (X)
• #16 - Memoria (IX)
• #15 - Narshe (VI)
• #14 - Cosmo Canyon (VII)
• #13 - Oerba (XIII)
• #12 - Zozo (VI)
• #11 - Conde Petie (IX)
• #10 - Deling City (VIII)
• #9 - Wall Market (VII)
• #8 - Lindblum (IX)
• #7 - Figaro Castle (VI)
• #6 - Black Mage Village (IX)
• #5 - Balamb Garden (VIII)
• #4 - Alexandria (IX)
• #3 - Nibelheim (VII)
• #2 - Treno (IX)

Here we are then. My favourite Final Fantasy location of all time is...

#1: Ultimecia's Castle
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? The final dungeon in the game
Revisitable? No
Description: An exceedingly grand, chilling, maze-like castle. Ultimecia lives here, as do all of her minions, who have your powers. Some of the locations in this castle are the grand hall with a huge chandelier, a wine cellar, a courtyard, a treasure room, an art gallery, a prison, an armoury, a chapel, a waterway, and a clock tower. Ultimecia, lurks deep in the final area, the master room.

What a place Ultimecia's Castle is. Ultimecia as a villain doesn't deserve such an amazing place to hide in. This is more suited to say, Kefka, or Sephiroth. Regardless of my feelings for Ultimecia this castle is my favourite place in the series. Everything about it is perfect. I love the grand staircase when you arrive, the cobwebs dripping from the banisters and ornaments. The art gallery is creepy and the pictures are cool. Getting trapped in the prison gives you an 'oh crap' moment. The clock tower is excellent. I just love this castle. I wish it was mine. It's just feels like Squaresoft pulled all the stops to make it the biggest, grandest castle ever imagined when they came up with it. Everything about it reeks of class and terror. You can't help but wonder how many people or things Ultimecia and her minions may have murdered in cold blood in this place, and in different parts of the castle. It's terrifying. But I love it and it's my favourite place in the Final Fantasy series.

Ultimecia's Castle is the sixth and last entry from Final Fantasy VIII in this list.

And that's the end. Thanks for joining me count down my favourite 50 Final Fantasy Locations. It's been a blast. I love this series so much, I'm sure you noticed. While it's highly debated that the Final Fantasy series is not getting any better, one thing for me that keeps the series together are its amazing locations. Proof of that is the splendid places made in Final Fantasy XII and XIII. Some have critised one or both games, I'm one of those people. But regardless of the game and its flaws, the locations, man, they're just beautiful. You can't deny that. Thanks once again for joining me. There's one more thing I want to do, and that's to point you to My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters listing that I did nearly two years ago, if you haven't seen it. Have a good night.

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My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations: #40 to #31

Welcome to Part 2 of 5 of My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations list. Yesterday I gave you from #50 to #41 so today we'll naturally go from #40 to #31. Let's get straight to it!

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each location represents I'd avoid that entry.

#40: Northern Cave
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? Final dungeon
Revisitable? No
Description: A large cave. Simple. Well not really, there's a lot of history in this cave. Jenova landed here when she arrived on The Planet and for the entirety of Final Fantasy VII this is actually where Sephiroth is; it was Jenova using images of Sephiroth throughout the game. The cave itself isn't anything special until you get to The Planet's Core, where your final battles with Jenova and Sephiroth take place.

The fact that Northern Crater, the final chapter in the amazingness that is the story of Final Fantasy VII lacks so much in grandeur definitely knocks it down to 40th place in my list. Don't get me wrong, because I've played this game so many times I know every nook and cranny of this cave, but you can't help but feel a lack of inspiration for three quarters of the time you spend here. The payoff at the end is amazing of course The Planet's Core truly is a place of gruseome beauty, but Squaresoft didn't really pull all the stops to make you feel like you were going to enter anything other than a bog standard cave for the most part. Which is a shame.

#39: South Figaro
Game? Final Fantasy VI
When do you go? Very early on, towards the middle of the game and towards the end
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A regular Final Fantay VI town in some ways, but with lots of events happening here and with it being the first town you can properly visit, it's quite a memorable place.

You go here three times, firstly you go through it early on when you're on your way to the Returners Hideout, then you come here a bit later on and recruit Celes, and then lastly you go through here after Kefka destroys the world and are suspicious of a mane named Gerad, who is a badly disguised Edgar. I just love South Figaro, it's a pleasant FF6 town considering for the most part its under Empire law, and the fact that many cut scenes throughout the game happen here makes it an important place to go.

#38: Rabanastre
Game? Final Fantasy XII
When do you go? At the beginning, and many times throughout the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A very large city, probably to scale one of the biggest and most busy cities in the history of Final Fantasy.

You probably visit Rabanastre of Final Fantasy XII more than any place in the history of Final Fantasy, if we're not including airships and the like. You go here very often during the entire course of the game, it's arguably your 'home', if there was one. It's where Vaan and Penelo are from, two of the main characters of the game. It's just a very iconic city, everything about it, the size, the story line progression, the music, everything about it you'll not forget easily. Almost to the point where it's annoying actually, but I don't think it goes that far really, otherwise it wouldn't be in this list!

#37: Forgotten Capital
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? Nearly half way through the game, and towards the end
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A small mythical city completely in ruins, once belonging to the Ancients, houses still intact yet desolate.

It goes without saying that this place serves witness to one of the most iconic moments in video gaming, the death of Aerith. As a place it's not really that amazing in my eyes, as beautiful as it is, but the scene that will be mentioned over and over again as one of video games most horrific moments; when Sephiroth drives his long and slender sword through the back of Aerith, mercilessly, that happened here, it has to mentioned amongst my Top 50. It's a very short area yet some of the landmarks are just unforgettable, particularly the lake and of course, the Cetra castle and altar in which the above happens.

#36: Magitek Research Facility
Game? Final Fantasy VI
When do you go? Nearly half way through the game
Revisitable? No
Description: A rusty, gritty, filthy research lab, where The Empire conduct life-threatening experiments on the Espers.

The Magitek Research Facility has one of the best in-game songs of Final Fantasy VI, and yes, that does form a big part of why I put it in this list. But it's also a big part of the first half of Final Fantasy VI, the infiltration of the research facility and going to Vector in general, marks the first time you're really taking it to The Empire. What you find happening here however was not what was bargained for; seeing six Espers being completely drained of life in test tubes is a pretty damn horrible scene, and not done justice in a Super Nintendo game (which makes me point to my article on Why I Want a Final Fantasy VI Remake). The Magitek Research Facility is definitely one of the more intriguing places in Final Fantasy VI.

#35: Moonflow
Game? Final Fantasy X
When do you go? Approaching half way through the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A large river that separates Spira into two halves; you cross the river to get to the Northern parts of Spira. A huge surge of pyreflies make the river glow at night, creating a beautiful scene that many of the people of Spira hold in high regard.

The Moonflow is another one of those places in Final Fantasy that are just so damn beautiful. Squaresoft/Square Enix truly know how to pull of imaginary places and make you wish so bad that they were real. You don't spend that long here in Final Fantasy X, but a few things happen, you recruit Rikku permanently (one of my favourite female characters), you see Shoopufs and Hypellos for the first time, (and I loves the Hypello yesh yesh) and Auron tells you of an awesome story about when Jecht came here for the first time. It's just a good little place storyline wise, and scenery wise, it's damn gorgeous.

#34: Lake Bresha
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Very early in the game
Revisitable? No
Description: Once a lake, when the party land on Lake Bresha it is completely crystallised due to the fal'Cie Anima, landing here, defeated by you previously.

You have to walk on this crystallised lake to reach the Vile Peaks, but more importantly than that is the storyline that occurs here. It's here that your party realises they're branded l'Cie and will turn into monsters or crystal. They all bicker and fight, taking out their frustrations on each other before taking it out on the PSICOM soliders who are trying to capture them. Snow stays put, having found his girlfriend, Serah, turned to crystal. All of this happens on Lake Bresha, which in its crystallised state, is a damn beautiful sight.

#33: Iifa Tree
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Towards the middle of the game, and after the final battle
Revisitable? Yes
Description: On appearance it's a large tree but in actuality it's the source of all the Mist in Final Fantasy IX, and is the filter of the souls of Gaia.

The Iifa Tree is such an important part of Final Fantasy IX. So many things happen on the Iifa Tree, in the Iifa Tree or because of the Iifa Tree. It's an ugly thing yet there's that certain weird beauty about it, it's fundamental in FF9. So important in fact that you find yourself back here when you deal with the final bad guys. It's just one of the true landmarks of FF9 and its look stands out so much.

#42: Shumi Village
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? Completely optional, from half way through the game onwards
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A village built 323 meters underground that is host to the species of Shumi and Moombas.

I love the Shumi Village. It's so quirky and random that you can't help but like it. Most of the stuff that happens here is pointless, bar some small hints that Laguna once visited here, but the Shumi Tribe are lovely people and of course, Moombas are the cutest Final Fantasy creature never to appear in a second major FF title (bar its cameo as one of Lulu's dolls in FF10). You just can't help yourself, admit it, the Shumi Village kicks ass.

#31: Gold Saucer
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? Twice, towards the middle of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: An enormous amusement park and a huge tourist attraction, it's built directly over Old Corel, where Barret and a few other characters where born.

Ah, the Gold Saucer. So much happens here and it's so flashy and awesome that you just can't ignore it. Some people love it some people hate it. I lean more towards the former, I love playing a lot of the mini games here and the storyline progression here is pretty good, not to mention the awesome combination of dates possible with Cloud on the Gondola! It's just a great part of the game, the two times you come here, at least I think so.

And... that's enough for today. Part 3 of my Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations listing will be posted tomorrow. Until then have a good night.


Click here for #30 to #21.
Click here for #20 to #11.
Click here for #10 to #1.

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My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters (Parts 9)

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each character represents I'd avoid that entry.

#10: Edgar

Full Name (to knowledge): Edgar Roni Figaro
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “If something were to happen to me, all the world's women would grieve!”
Edgar just slips into the Top 10 of my favourite characters list, representing FF6. Edgar is the ultimate flirt of Final Fantasy, and he’s so funny when doing it. He flirts with all the women, to a better effect and charm than Irvine from FF8, he doesn’t care that he’s a king. That being said, he is a good king, and a respected one at that. He is also one of the better characters to use in battle with all his invented tools at his disposal. What I love about Edgar is that he is so humble; he’s so cool and funny. The scene when he’s pretending to be Gerad as well is fantastic. He’s just one of the best characters in Final Fantasy.


#9: Beatrix

Full Name (to knowledge): Beatrix
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Antihero
Best Quote: “Allow me to shatter your delusions of grandeur.”
Beatrix is the highest ranked female in this list, primarily because there are more men than women in the series, and my personal opinion is that Squaresoft/Square-Enix don’t develop their women as well as their men. But Beatrix is against this rule, she is absolutely brilliant. Man, I’d do anything for a Beatrix themed Final Fantasy IX prequel or sequel. Beatrix kicks your ass over and over again before realising she was fighting on the wrong side of the battle field. Just in case you didn’t know, yes, I do have a crush on Beatrix, she’s so strong and gorgeous (unless she has one eye…) and why the hell did she choose Steiner over me? WHY?! Not happy. I wish there were more characters like her in the FF series, she’s one of a kind, at least I think so.


#8: Auron

Full Name (to knowledge): Auron
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain, or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!”
Auron is The Godfather of Final Fantasy, I don’t think anyone dislikes this man. It’s truly a sad scene when he gets sent, Spira lost a great man. So why do I like him? Well, he looks the shit, talks the shit; he is the strongest character (in the start) and has a dark secret. What more do I need to say? How about the fact that he rips into Tidus quite a lot? Surely that trumps everything?!

Note: Auron is the seventh and final character from Final Fantasy X in this list.


#7: Kuja

Full Name (to knowledge): Kuja
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: "The Canary I have been after, she flew into my cage of her own free will." (Referring to Dagger coming home)

Kuja is an underrated villain in an underrated entry into the Final Fantasy series. Kuja is a brilliant bad guy, he manipulates an entire continental war, causing many lives to end and many cities to be rebuilt, one even completely destroyed permanently. He also destroys his own world. But what makes him so special is how he does it - with his poetic lines and his Shakesperean drama, he wants to end life like a play. And he almost does so, everything goes swimmingly until he reaches his Trance. Kuja is one of my favourite villains, and my seventh favourite Final Fantasy character.


#6: Cid

Full Name (to knowledge): Cid Highwind
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink your goddamn TEA! Arggggggh! DAMN, I'm pissed!"

The above quote is one of the best quotes in FF history. FF7’s Cid is the highest up Cid, and rightfully so, he is just brilliant. He’s on a permanent period, lashing at people all the time, but it’s just because he’s so damn passionate about what he does. And he looks badass too, with that cigarette that only falls out once in the entire game. There hasn’t been a Cid before or after like this guy, I wish they would make a playable Cid again, because I really think he’s a recurring character name that everyone associates with Final Fantasy, and it would be great homage to a great series. Cid Highwind is just full of vinegar, full of fire, full of entertainment and that’s why he is this high in my list.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

See other parts in the listing!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | The Winner (+ more)

My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters (Part 5)

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each character represents I'd avoid that entry.

#30: Lulu

Full Name (to knowledge): Lulu
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “You always said I looked grumpy, but those were the happiest days of my life.” (to Chappu, in the Farplane)

Lulu is a very cool character from FF10, she appears as a very cold hearted person but it doesn’t take long to realise she really cares about the people around her. She just doesn’t express herself easily, but her very “matter of fact” attitude really makes her “own” Tidus many a time in the game, which provides great entertainment. There’s also enough sex appeal in there as well, I’d hate to think what she’d want to do with those belts though! Lulu is a good character, one of the better from FF10, and my number #30 in this list.


#29: Jenova

Full Name (to knowledge): Jenova (otherwise J-E-N-O-V-A)
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: “Because Cloud...You are a puppet.” (the only line credited to Jenova)
Jenova is one fucked up character. Jenova is responsible for the majority of the crap in FF7 and has infected the planet to its in world state. Jenova is an alien and I’ve got to admit, I’d rather meet an alien in “Alien” than her, she’s that horrible. Her cells have created multiple monsters in the game, none more powerful and important as Sephiroth. It can be debated that she shouldn’t be in this list, I mean after all, she only has one line to her name. But her influence, her vile infected influence in FF7 can’t be avoided. Jenova deserves a place in this list, and #29 is where you will find her.


#28: Rikku

Full Name (to knowledge): Rikku
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Memories are nice, but that's all they are...”
Let’s get one thing straight. Characters like Rikku, Vanille and Selphie, are characters that people either love or hate when it comes to FF games. I actually quite like them, I love the energetic, happy happy, young female characters. They’re usually portrayed as being quite hot too, at least I think. But Rikku is the best, she really is cute, and you can’t help but feel sorry for her when her Home gets destroyed. Also, her intentions are right when she is trying to stop Yuna from completing her pilgrimage. I love Rikku, and I don’t care what you think!


#27: Sabin

Full Name (to knowledge): Sabin René Figaro
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “You think a minor thing like the end of the world was gonna do me in?"
Quite simply, Sabin and Edgar are the best twins in FF history. Yes, I shall confirm now, that Edgar is my favourite of the two but how high in the list is he? I’m not telling. Anyway, Sabin is fricking cool; he has a very quick wit for a man of his size, stereotypically speaking. He provides some of the best comedy in the game with Cyan and Gao, and he is at the centre of it. He also has full respect to Edgar and will serve him to the end. That is why Sabin is so high on this list, what a character.


#26: Cid

Full Name (to knowledge): Cid Fabool IX
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Minor Protagonist
Best Quote: Garnet: "The man who attacked you...was he the one who ran off with it?" Cid: "Good guess, but no... Actually... I met a lovely lady at the pub..." (referring to his affair)
Cid has appeared in every single Final Fantasy to date, but only two make the list (I hope you know who the other Cid is, if not, then wait!), the first being from FF9. Regent Cid is the leader of Lindblum, and a great leader at that, however he mainly provides the player with comic relief, as he is in the game in three forms, first as an oglop, then as a frog, and finally as a human again. There are loads of moments that I love with Cid, the Hedgehog Pie, Steiner shouting “OGLOP!” and smashing him into his throne, turning into a frog, creating a barricade in the trams underground when Alexandria take over Lindblum. He’s such a funny character, and for a man with such authority he’s really really funny.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

See other parts in the listing!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | The Winner (+ more)

The Mercy Side: Why I Want a Final Fantasy VI Remake

Before I start this article, I thought I’d announce on my site that I’m currently working on another project, which is listing my Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters. That, fingers crossed, should be starting in a week or so if I can get it finalised and put online, we’ll find out in time. I don’t want to talk about it too much; I’m very excited about this project, and hope any Final Fantasy fans out there will like it too. Now onto the article.

Why I Want a Final Fantasy VI Remake

Warning: This article WILL contain many spoilers, as the content I wish to discuss in detail will have plot and character information. If you are interested in Final Fantasy VI AND VII are not familiar with it, just be aware there are spoilers and therefore, I recommend you don’t read it. Let’s move on.

Final Fantasy VI, or in America , Final Fantasy III, was released roughly in 1994, on the Super Nintendo (SNES). It was the final 2D Final Fantasy game and it was the last on the SNES. It’s currently never been remade; however it has been ported on the Playstation and Game Boy Advance. The game was received remarkably well, citing the best points of a great character set list, a grand soundtrack and a magnificent villain in Kefka. 3 years later, Final Fantasy VII was released on the Playstation, and was not only well received, but is considered the best Final Fantasy of all time. By all means Final Fantasy VII trumped everything Final Fantasy VI did, and is seen as an “inferior brother” of sorts.

In 2005, when working on the Playstation 3, a “technical demo” was released for Final Fantasy VII. It showed the introduction of original game, the first FMV, done with the graphics of the Playstation 3. Fans went, to put it nicely, ape shit, and for the past 5 years, and probably going into the future, have done everything in their power to make their thoughts heard on a total remake. Square-Enix have many times in the past 5 years have said that it’s going to be very difficult; all the members who worked on FF7 are on separate projects and like true professionals, they have ruled out a remake until everyone is on board to see a project happen. As a side note, I’d like to praise Square-Enix for their responses, the last thing I personally would like as a huge fan, is a chopped and changed team, or worse, a separate team altogether, working on such a prestigious and wonderful game. However it really bugs me, no one asks for a full Final Fantasy VI remake. Why?

Before I explain further, I’d like to say I actually, believe it or not, prefer Final Fantasy VII to VI. But the main difference between these games, the thing that separates the three years between them, is the graphics. Between the years of 1994 and 1997, the world of gaming changed forever. Everyone wanted the next generation console, everything was going 3D. Squaresoft (at the time, they are now Square-Enix) were actually going to release it in 2D on the SNES, but with Chrono Trigger’s imminent release (another absolute classic), and it being a priority, the game got postponed. When work resumed, it was too late, 3D was THE thing, and in order to keep up with the market, Squaresoft would have to make the game 3D. After a few tests on some Final Fantasy VI characters (see FF6 tech demo), they realised that it would be better on a CD Rom. With Nintendo still wanting to use cartridges, Squaresoft had no choice but to move to the Playstation. Taking all this into consideration, you can easily see the differences between FF6 and FF7. There may be 3 years apart in time, but in those 3 years, EVERYTHING changed.

You see, Final Fantasy VII does need a remake. Because in 1997 the power of the graphics is nothing in comparison to now, it just looks blotchy and buggy, and, well, inferior. However what people forget, is that it was so close to actually being a 2D game. Can you imagine Final Fantasy VII being 2D? All that made FF7 so memorable was in 3D. Aerith’s death, Sephiroth walking through flames, Cloud on his motorbike. None of these FMV’s would be that great in a 2D game, not to look at anyway.

Now think about what COULD be an FMV in Final Fantasy VI, that wasn’t. What about the War of Magi, which was only referenced but never shown? That could be in FMV. Terra apparently destroys 50 soldiers when she was under control by the Empire – you could show her kicking ass. The opera singing scene with Celes, could be blown up in full FMV, it is after all, one of the most iconic scenes in Final Fantasy history. When Terra transforms into a full Esper, which could be done in FMV. How about the poisoning of the waters of Doma? That could be done in FMV. Most importantly, the end of the World of Balance could be done justice to how important it is, in full FMV.

This epic scene could be so amazing in 3D.

Final Fantasy VII in my opinion was before it’s time, but Final Fantasy VI was WAY before it’s time. The story and the events need a complete overhaul. What really annoys me is that some stubborn modern FF fans won’t even contemplate looking at FF6 because of the graphics. They are missing out on a lot, because of this. At least FF7 has been played by millions and millions of fans, now AND in ’97. Only the hardcore fans really have bought the ports of pre FF7 games. Final Fantasy VI is head and shoulders above the previous 5 games, and even in 2D, holds its head above water amongst the modern games. This is why Final Fantasy VI, in my opinion, should be a priory remake over Final Fantasy VII.

What I Want in a Final Fantasy VI Remake

If there is one job I envy in the world, it’s the people who create video games. I’d love to be a video game designer, but my problem is that I have an imagination, but no contacts, and no physical ability. My imagination is a strong point, but you need more than that to make a video game, you need to be multi talented. But I will give my thoughts to what I personally think a Final Fantasy VI remake should include, or in some cases, should not.

The first thing I’d recommend Square-Enix do is to cut some of the characters out of the game, not completely, but out of the main cast. There are 14 main characters in the game, some very important to the plot, some have very little if anything. Final Fantasy VI has the most main characters in a Final Fantasy game ever. They “boast” about this achievement, but I don’t think it’s a boast-worthy feat. The reason why no game since has had this many characters is because it’s too many characters to balance. Since FF6, there usually are two, three or maybe four core characters to the plot, and then maybe around four or five more characters that make a circle around those people. That’s the best way to build an RPG if you ask me, and it’s worked for Square-Enix since then.

So what do you have with FF6’s characters? Well there are three major characters, that’s for sure. There’s Terra, Locke and Celes, who all in turns take the player through the game. The great thing about these three characters is the debate that fans make about who actually is the main character. Most would agree it’s Terra, but all three can make a claim. I say further this debate, by emphasising and concentrating on all three characters individually throughout the game. Terra and Locke are primarily playing baton in the World of Balance, and Celes is the clear baton holder in the World of Ruin, however I think that you should mix the three throughout both games. That’s obviously difficult due to the plot on the World of Ruin and that’s fine, however when (or if, of course) Terra and Locke join the party, maybe you could have cut scenes made which switches the game’s baton holder on purpose. I don’t need to make an example of what, it could be trivial, or something else that may add extra layers to the plot. But I think that it should be further emphatic that this is a game with not one, but three main characters and I think further fan debate would add to the game.

This scene is still considered a very memorable moment in FF history.

It can be worked on in a remake. I slightly touched on it before, but in the original you have a choice whether or not to recruit the Scooby Gang for the finale against Kefka. You have to have Celes, Sabin and Edgar with you; everyone else is up for grabs. I say cut this out completely, and force the player to find all the characters. It’s fun and required in the original anyway, so remove the choice and force the extra chapters onto the player, giving you more opportunities to do the above paragraph.

Now that the debate is over with regards to the three main characters, I want to talk about the other eleven. I said I want to cut some of them out, so who should be cut out? My answer is to cut out Gao, Mog, Umaro, Gogo and possibly Strago. Why? Well who out of those characters have a huge say in the plot of the game? Possibly Strago, but barely. Gao gives you a diving helmet in the Veldt, Mog and the other moogles help Terra and Locke out in the start of the game. That’s it. These characters, and some I actually quite like, need to be cut out of the main cast, so we can concentrate and prioritise the other characters. I’m not saying get rid of them, just let them be characters in the game, like everyone else. Gao can still give you the diving helmet, hell; you can include the scene where he meets his father, just don’t make it mandatory, and don’t make them into main characters. The same applies with Mog, in fact, I’d think a Mognet would be awesome in this game, and maybe Mog can be a moogle to help you save on the world map, both taken from Final Fantasy IX. It would make Mog useful in another way, and Mognet could add letters similar to the ones in FF9. The others barely have a thing to do in the plot, apart from Strago.

Strago is a difficult one, because of his connections with Relm. Relm is a character I’d like cut out of the game if I had my way, however she is far too important to the plot, particularly Shadow’s plot, and don’t ever make me think about getting rid of Shadow! However Strago could be cut out, if we change the plot slightly. If we make Relm “want” to join the party, and Strago not let her, similar to the original, only for Relm to run away, it can work. It’s the other way round in the original, Strago joins the party, and then Relm wants to. Cut the scene out where Strago wants to join, and you can add Relm in, when she runs away, and sketches Ultros’ portrait, showing her worth to the rest of the party. Have Strago reluctantly agree to this, and it works. If we get rid of all the above characters, that leaves us with 9 characters, which is still a lot, but it’s much more manageable than 14.

Another use of having less main characters to worry about is one of the major flaws in the original game, which is the balance of the characters. Characters like Locke, Celes and Terra, the main characters, are no where near as useful as players like Sabin, Edgar and Cyan. The latter three have very useful individual techniques that don’t require MP, where as the former three can do minor special techniques and magic. I think they should balance it out a bit, either by expanding the former’s techniques, or make the latter techniques MP based.

Speaking of battles, one thing I really want kept in this game is the ATB battle system. Just including the main series, it’s not been used since Final Fantasy IX, which is now 10 years old. I think adding or changing the battle system might make the game less playable, and it would be nice to include the old school ATB system, it’s still my favourite and cannot be beat in my opinion.

The one thing I don’t want disappearing is the multiple party’s function that appears in three parts of the game. I think that could work, even in a 3D FF6 game, and would be quite interesting. If it works out, then maybe we could add it in a future FF game, it’s a unique feature that FF6 carries that emphasises its individuality.

There’s three characters that I believe deserves an expansion in the game’s plot, and they are Celes, General Leo and Ultros. Celes is accused of being an Empire spy at one point in the game, and leaves the party. I think we should expand on this, by actually having Celes have a dilemma about doing what’s right, and her loyalty to the Empire. When Locke saves her, I think there should be a major hint of reluctance on her part to join him, because despite them torturing her, it’s all she’s known. Make her character more complex this way, because then when Kefka debates if she is an Empire spy, you could raise a further case for her to be one. I think Celes shouldn’t be entirely sure of what side she is on through the entire game up until she stabs Kefka on the Floating Continent and finalises her decision on whose side she’s on. I think it would make a great layer to add to the game.

General Leo is probably towards the top of a hypothetical list of underutilised characters in FF history. The great General Leo is a character sworn to do what’s right, he is a very honourable man and never shows any signs of evil. I think his character should be used much more, and have a very similar role to the game that Beatrix has in FF9. I also think General Leo’s death should be in FMV, showing a grave in the sequence at one point, I think his death is one of the most tragic in FF history. You just want to kick Kefka’s ass there and then when he does it.

And last but not least, I want Ultros to have more moments, and more to do with FF6. I don’t want him directly involved in the plot, he is purely comic relief in the game and want him remain that way. However I think he should be in the game more than he is, I want him to randomly appear out of nowhere to annoy the player, and he’s just brilliant at it. He is one of my favourite unimportant characters in FF history and deserves more recognition for being one of the best at his role in the series.

Ultros deserves a bigger role in this game - he's too comical and great not to.

I’d just like to quickly talk about Kefka. When I’ve ever thought about a FF6 remake, I’ve always been concerned about Kefka in full 3D. His cackle is so legendary, and his voice would always be difficult to do. He also, as a clown, looks very odd and doesn’t look like a major villain, more of a joke villain. However all these thoughts disappeared when I played Dissidia, I must give Square-Enix credit for their reincarnation of Kefka, and his full 3D and vocal debut, they did an absolute splendid job and made me want to see this game remade even more.

I now want to talk about making an impact with the scenes in the game. To do this however, I’d say make the game aimed slightly more towards adults, that’s not to say I want it an 18+ game or anything close, but borderline 15+, on the 12+ side. I want some graphic detail in the game, particularly in three scenes. Firstly, I think that an FMV of Terra transforming to Esper form is required, and I think that they should do a full motion sequence of the event. Make it very “American Werewolf in London ”-esque, just slightly less graphic obviously due to the age rating. I really want people to see the transformation; after all, when Terra does change, she can’t control her actions; similar to a werewolf is incapable. I think taking advantage of modern visual graphics would really make the scene quite shocking, and very scary, because in the original the scene doesn’t live up to how important and striking it really is.

The other two scenes in the game I’d like done more maturely have to do with Kefka. The first one is the poisoning of the waters in Doma; I think this could be done in FMV form and make it really bad. I’d compare it to maybe the ending of Blade Trinity, where the Daystar (the vampire poison) kills all the vampires, just slightly less graphic. Really make the player feel sorry for the Doma people, and make it Kefka’s first major crime in the game. I think it would straight away cause great impact, which is what I want more of in this game.

The final thing is the most climatic scene in the entire game – Kefka’s Apocalypse. Kefka is the first (and as far as I’m aware, no FF13 spoilers please, only) major villain to achieve Godhood, and he’s the only major villain to completely destroy the main world of a game. This is very important, and also very dramatic. Squaresoft have done the best they could with what little graphics they had in comparison to now, however they can make it even better. I really think that Kefka’s Apocalypse should be a very long FMV, maybe 5 minutes long, really show the player how big a deal it is. Show them the destruction of all the locations that are not in the World of Ruin being destroyed, think of Final Fantasy X where Sin destroys part of Kilika, just much, much worse. Really hit home the idea that this world will never be the same. I also think that when the destruction scenes are finished, turn the screen to pitch darkness for maybe, 20 seconds, just to give the player that horrible urge that it may be game over. I really think this would be one heck of an impact on the person playing the game, especially for the first time. It’s already an iconic moment in Final Fantasy history – but I think in full 3D in modern times, it could be an iconic moment in video game history, seen as possibly more shocking as Aerith’s death in Final Fantasy VII. Square-Enix have an opportunity to do this, and if I were them, I’d grab it with every chance. They could also make Kefka's final battle, all four forms, look even better than it did when it was 2D. In 2D it looked brilliant, but in 3D, it could be even better.

Conclusion
I want a Final Fantasy VII remake, like a lot of people do. But I want a Final Fantasy VI remake to be prioritised, not because I like the game more, as I said before, I actually don’t. I prefer VII to VI. But at the same time, the three years between these two games were possibly the most important 3 years in video game history. 3D gaming revolutionised the video game history, and that major change in video games made one of these games much more memorable than the other. Final Fantasy VII IS out of date and DOES need a remake. But Final Fantasy VI deserves one before, because it was way before it’s time, and scenes in the game could be much more memorable and effective in a 3D remake. Final Fantasy VII being remade would be nice, but it’s only going to be a crisper version of what it is now. This is a 2D game that deserves a 3D remake. Please Square-Enix, read this article and think about it very carefully. If you don’t, then in the words of Kefka, “I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE you!”

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