History Foil / FinalFantasy

%%** Barret Wallace from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' is a unique mix of BigGuy and Lancer, with bonus TokenMinority points thrown in. He even [[strike:[[RetCon founded]]]] leads the WellIntentionedExtremist organization you start off as part of and sometimes seems a little too ready to think of himself as TheHero early on. Ironically, when Cloud leaves the party [[spoiler:after being incapacitated by Mako poisoning]], it is expected that Barret will lead the party. Instead, he tells Cid, who appropriately wields a lance, that he's the new leader. He then proceeds to be TheLancer to Cid, too. There's also ShipTease implying a love triangle between Cloud, Barret, and Tifa.

** Tifa towards both people:

** Also, Aerith towards both people:
*** To Tifa. They are the main love interests and have different ways of keeping their feelings to themselves. Tifa bottles them up and finds other ways to liven the mood while Aerith is a Stepford Smiler that keeps up her smiling face in spite of how scared and lonely she really is.

** Like in the original, he shows himself as one to Cloud and Aerith.

* ''VideoGame/WarOfTheVisionsFinalFantasyBraveExvius''
** Dario and Sterne. Both are sons of a king and are kept behind the walls of a castle for most of their lives. While Sterne is resentful of this and wants nothing more than the chance to go out and fight for his kingdom, Dario has an aversion to fighting and is content with spending his time in the castle. When Fennes is poised to take Leonis castle, Oelde takes Mont and leaves behind Sterne, and when Hourne goes to war with Fennes one of Robb's first acts is to send Machérie to protect Dario.

**

** Yuna and Yunalesca. Both of them are {{ActionGirl}}, [[BigGood heroic figures that care a lot towards Spira]], and [[BodyguardCrush have romantic relationships towards guardians]] (Yuna with Tidus, Yunalesca with Zaon). After [[AwfulTruth the revelation]] where all [[SenselessSacrifice the sacrifices are useless]] because it didn't kill Sin but only made another Sin and [[ViciousCycle continue the cycle of death]]; Yuna wants to end Spira's suffering without a HeroicSacrifice and [[TakeAThirdOption finds another solution that will kill Sin permanently]], while Yunalesca wants [[ViciousCycle continue the cycle of death]] and [[YouCantFightFate believe there are no other options]].

** Yuna and Yunalesca. Both of them are

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyBraveExvius''

%%** Shara from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' is the Lancer to Ritz.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyBraveExvius''
** Folka and Nichol - both are magic-focused strategists that favor [[MakingASplash water elemental magic]], but they're on completely opposite sides at first and his humility and consideration for others contrasts sharply with her pride and disdain or later his calm observant nature contrasts with her ditzy cluelessness. Them being relatives completes the set.
** The Blue to Rain's Red. While downplayed, Lid sometimes also acts like the Red for Lasswell's Blue.

*** Cloud and Aerith. Both of them are heroes and raised by single mothers. But whereas Aerith is selfless, has spiritual nature, and grows accepting of her Cetra heritage, Cloud is JerkWithAHeartOfGold, an ex-SOLDIER, and has rising doubts over his identity.
*** Cloud and Tifa. Both of them are raised by single parents and from Nibelheim. But while Cloud has short blond hair, cool and collected when he's not [[MindRape being mind raped]], Tifa has long brown/black hair, enthusiastic (but keeps a lot of secrets to herself, and suffers for it). They even fight with different weapons, Cloud with swords and Tifa with her fists.

%%** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' Cloud, (male, short blond hair, cool and collected when he's not [[MindRape being mind raped]]) and Tifa (female, long brown/black hair, enthusiastic (but keeps a lot of secrets to herself, and suffers for it).

%%*** Early on, Aerith's selfless and spiritual nature contrasts Cloud's JerkWithAHeartOfGold ex-SOLDIER. Later on, her growing acceptance of her Cetra heritage makes her a {{foil}} to Cloud's rising doubts over his identity.

** Like Cloud above, Aerith towards her [[ArchEnemy Arch Enemies]] and TrueCompanions:

** Zack and Cloud. Both of them are TheHero, TheAce, experimented with mako, and a ChickMagnet. But whereas, Zack's optimistic, vibrant, HotBlooded, more experienced than Cloud and (in the original game, anyway) goes out with women without letting them tell their mothers - but he is motivated by justice and heroism and uses the blunt edge of his sword. Cloud's pessimistic, thoughtful, sarcastically witty, and more innocent - but he can be ruthless, is motivated by revenge, and always uses the sharp edge of his sword. The same with Sephiroth above, they also have different hairstyles and personalities. Cloud has short blond spiky hair and is pessimistic and more innocent, while Zack has long black spiky hair and is optimistic and more experienced.

** Genesis and Angeal. They are both SOLDIER’s of Project G, both were inspired by Sephiroth to join SOLDIER and both can create copies of themselves. However, Genesis and his copies are associated with black wings, whereas Angeal and his copies are associated with white wings, alluding to angel/fallen angel imagery. Both struggle with the man/monster dynamic, Genesis embracing it as it gives him special powers he can exploit to attain his goals, whereas Angeal begins to loath himself. Angeal and Genesis. While Genesis rebels against Shinra to heal himself, Angeal does it because he's torn between loyalty to Shinra and loyalty to his oldest and best friend. As well, while they're both experiments of Project G, Angeal is the "perfect" result of Hollander's efforts and has a different set of abilities than Genesis does.
** Genesis and Sephiroth. They're both famous First Class [=SOLDIERs=] that go rogue from Shinra and seek divine power. However, Sephiroth does so because he comes to think he's an Ancient and should rule the planet; Genesis is trying to save his own life and is resorting to desperate stretches of reason to find a way. Even their designs play into this; Genesis is short-haired, right-handed, has a wing on his left side, and wields a massive straight-bladed sword that he infuses with magic, while Sephiroth is long-haired, [[LeftHandedMirror left-handed]], with a wing on the right side, and he wields a katana that he never empowers. Also contrast Genesis' demonic-looking Genesis Avatar form with the angelic Safer Sephiroth, and Genesis' belief that he is a monster with Sephiroth's GodhoodSeeker.

%%** Similarities between Zack in ''Final Fantasy VII: VideoGame/CrisisCore'' and Cloud in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' are [[FakeMemories pretty much unavoidable]]. However, Zack's journey ends up mirroring Cloud's in ways far more extreme than Cloud's borrowed memories would suggest -- for example, both Cloud and Zack end up accidentally falling through the roof of Aeris's church, doing squats to warm up their body temperature on missions in the snow, peering through keyholes, riding around on top of trains...

** Like Cloud above, Aerith towards few peoples:

** Genesis towards his fellow 1st Class:

** Cloud towards few peoples:

** The [[ArchEnemy Arch Enemies]] [[TheHero Cloud]] and [[BigBad Sephiroth]] are opposites or mirror images in just about every way. Even their appearances were apparently designed on this basis. Whereas Sephiroth was the absolute elite of SOLDIER apparently even as a teenager, Cloud never made it to their ranks at all. Both angsted at some point that they were the result of a terrible experiment. Sephiroth at first seemed to find out that it wasn't that bad after all, that he was merely built to be the last of the Ancients, but in fact, it was if anything even worse than he had thought at first. Cloud seemed to find out that he was nothing but a soulless clone, but actually, it was much less severe than that. Where through the course of the game we find out how Sephiroth progressively stops caring about humanity, the Ancients, and the Planet, Cloud goes from OnlyInItForTheMoney to caring about AVALANCHE, the Planet's plight, and everyone through the course of the story. And while Cloud was eventually able to accept himself, weaknesses and all, Sephiroth refused to settle for being [[GodhoodSeeker anything less than the very best]]. For each, the time when they find out the whole truth is when they fully became the hero and villain they are. They also have different hairstyles and personalities, Cloud is pragmatic but unstable and has a golden blond shortish spiky hair while Sephiroth is otherworldly and collected and has really long and flowing silver hair.
** As the game continues it emerges Sephiroth is more to this towards Aerith, once Cloud's real history is revealed and more of Aerith's comes to light. Both Sephiroth and Aerith are children of Shinra scientists involved in the Jenova Project, both use angelic symbolism, both survive dissolution in the Lifestream, and both are linked to one of the Ultimate Magics, the Black and White Materia. Sephiroth believed that his mother was an Ancient whereas Aerith's mother actually was one. The novella "Case of the Lifestream" notes that in the events leading up to ''Advent Children'', Aerith considered creating her own avatars on the surface to help fight Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, but decided it was more important to contact Cloud herself and let him handle it. During the development of ''VII'', the developers even considered making them siblings or lovers, driving their connection deeper.
** To another extent, Aerith and Jenova are also {{Foil}}s in relation to their influence over Cloud and Sephiroth respectively.
** Also Cetra and Jenova. As both of them were treated as experiments by Shinra, thinking they're the same thing and believing they can take them to "The Promised Land". Not only that, but they also have magic or powers that Shinra wants. The key difference is: Cetra wants to protect the planet, while Jenova wants to destroy it.
** Vincent and Cloud. Both of them are brooding loners haunted by the loss of a woman they loved at the hands of his ArchEnemy. But the way they responded after it, is different. Whereas Vincent falls into depression and sleeps for two decades, Cloud falls into a coma for a week and was saved by [[TheChick Tifa]]. Vincent is what Cloud might become if he doesn't learn to cope with his issues. WordOfGod shares this viewpoint.

** On a lesser note there's Hojo against Gast Faremis. Both were scientists working for Shinra, but Gast was a kind man who used science to obtain wisdom when Hojo is an immoral MadScientist. Furthermore, Hojo is the father of Sephiroth, which is the evil counterpart to Aerith, Gast's daughter.
** Tifa and Aerith. Both of them are Cloud's two potential love interests, both of them are {{Action Girl}}s and {{Nice Girl}}s, both of them also share the role of TheChick, and both of them become fast friends once they meet and get along quite well. But while Tifa is GirlNextDoor [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friend]], Aerith is MysteriousWaif [[ManicPixieDreamGirl energetic upbeat girl]]. Tifa is sweet, secretive, and caring, while Aerith is flirty, boisterous, and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]]. They also have different jobs and classes; Tifa is a bartender and a CuteBruiser with BoobsOfSteel, while Aerith is a flower girl and a WhiteMagicianGirl with connection to the planet. And they also have different dresses when they sneak into Don Corneo's lair, Tifa's blue dress and Aerith's red dress.
** Cloud and Barret. Cloud, while he'll [[AttentionWhore show off whenever he gets the chance]], is collected and thoughtful, with his flashiness being mostly a [[ADarkerMe self-consciously cool persona]]. He's generally associated with purple, blue, white, or black, and comes equipped with Ice magic at the start of the game. Barret is a loud HotBlooded LargeHam who wears his emotions on his sleeve (there are several occasions where he's explicitly described as crying, while the closest Cloud ever comes is acknowledging that his eyes were burning). He wears mostly warm tones, uses bullets and fireballs as weapons, and has a tattoo featuring fire. Note also that Cloud's highly personal DuelToTheDeath quest is patterned after [[{{Ronin}} samurai tropes]] while Barret's is based on SpaghettiWestern tropes, suggesting SamuraiCowboy.

** Genesis and Zack. His quest to become a hero contrasts with the same quest Genesis Rhapsodos undertakes, but whereas the latter's feelings of entitlement to the moniker of "hero" lead to obsession and downfall, Zack's quest to "become a hero" has less to do with personal glory and more with making the world a better place. Zack's will to become a hero motivated him to think for himself and to be guided by his moral compass and sense of justice, whereas Genesis's obsession with becoming a hero drove him to challenge those he saw as hindrances and a need to prove himself as superior to others. Both joined SOLDIER inspired by stories of the hero First Class Sephiroth, striving to emulate him, and both fall from Shinra's graces after learning of the company's corrupt ways. In an inversion of a typical hero-villain story dynamic, Zack dies whereas Genesis lives.

%%** ''VideoGame/MobiusFinalFantasy'' has a white-haired Wol, who is TheChosenOne with IncorruptiblePurePureness despite his mean streak, and Maia, a summoner, heretic, and witch.
%%** In ''VideoGame/WorldOfFinalFantasy'' have the twin protagonists, Lann and Reynn inverted it. Lann is wearing blue but really focusing on fighting and rather BookDumb. While his sister, Reynn is wearing red but focusing on the enemy's weakness before attacking and rather [[WomenAreWiser Smart]].
%%* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyRecordKeeper'':
%%** Tyro and Shadowsmith. While Tyro enters the corrupted records to restore them and maintain the integrity of their continuity, the Shadowsmith is seeking the corrupted records to use them for his own ends, and he and his allies are interested in the events in the records that can be changed. His outfit also resembles Tyro's keeper robes, but are black and red while Tyro's are blue. It's also very heavily implied that he and Tyro have a direct connection of some sort.
%%** Bahamut and Odin. While Odin is the master of the Magicite Records and a hostile force, Bahamut is the master of the Cardia Islands and is helpful.
%%** Bahamut and the Magicites. While the party must defeat the Magicites to earn their summonstones to call them in battle, Bahamut gives the party the Historia Crystals when they meet him, but must battle to gain the materials to infuse them with power.
%%* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyThe4HeroesOfLight'' Jusqua's more intelligent and level-headed than Brandt. To Aire, he's both less obnoxious and less inclined to help strangers in need.
%%* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyBraveExvius''
%%** Folka and Nichol - both are magic-focused strategists that favor [[MakingASplash water elemental magic]], but they're on completely opposite sides at first and his humility and consideration for others contrasts sharply with her pride and disdain or later his calm observant nature contrasts with her ditzy cluelessness. Them being relatives completes the set.
%%** The Blue to Rain's Red. While downplayed, Lid sometimes also acts like the Red for Lasswell's Blue.

** Yuna and Yunalesca.

** Vossler and Basch, given their friendship despite coming from different stations in life. Taken further when, after Basch's absolute loyalty to Ashe is proven, Vossler himself becomes a traitor.

%%** The Blue to Rain's Red. While downplayed, Lid sometimes also acts like the Red for Lasswell's Blue.


%%** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' rotates this role a bit during the game: it starts as Blank, but he doesn't last very long in the party. Then Steiner takes over the role, before Amarant firmly and truly takes on every trope associated with Lancerdom. Amarant is Zidane's psuedo-rival and has a lot of ArrogantKungFuGuy issues that get solved during the course of the game. Oddly enough, the one character that actually uses lances, Freya, never actually takes on this role at any point in the game.
%%** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', Jecht qualifies as TheLancer to his original team members Braska and Auron. As for the main party, Yuna is TheHero with Tidus as TheLancer. Another interpretation has Tidus as TheHero, Yuna as TheChick, and Wakka as TheLancer. Or even another with Yuna as TheHero, Kimahri Ronso as TheLancer, and Tidus as a modified version of TheChick.
%%** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', just as Ashe is the series most standard [[TheHero hero]], Balthier is the most standard lancer.
%%** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' has [[TheHero Lightning]] backed by Hope. In the early stages, before the entire group rejoins, they become an ActionDuo with Lightning teaching Hope how to fight while Hope is the person that Lightning opens up to. Even after the team regroups, Hope will often be the first person to support Lightning's ideas when he's not coming up with his own. Gameplay-wise, they foil each other in fighting style and ability with Hope being a [[LongRangeFighter long-range]] [[WhiteMage support character]] and Lightning an [[CloseRangeCombatant up-close]] [[MagicKnight damage dealer]].
%%** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' has Gladio's bullheaded sense of duty and focus on the big picture clashes with Noctis, who's still in his fledgling stage as a leader and king. Regardless, Gladiolus always has the latter's back and the two make a formidable duo.
%%** Shara from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' is the Lancer to Ritz.
%%** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' Ramza has Delita in the first chapter, Wiegraf has Gustav [[spoiler:until the latter's betrayal]]. Agrias replaces Delita as Ramza's lancer from chapter 2 onwards. Cid has Orran, and if you consider Delita an [[AntiHero anti-hero]], then he has Valmafra as his lancer.

%%** Barret Wallace from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' is a unique mix of BigGuy and Lancer, with bonus TokenMinority points thrown in. He even [[strike:[[RetCon founded]]]] leads the WellIntentionedExtremist organization you start off as part of and sometimes seems a little too ready to think of himself as TheHero early on. Ironically, when Cloud leaves the party [[spoiler:after being incapacitated by Mako poisoning]], it is expected that Barret will lead the party. Instead, he tells Cid, who appropriately wields a lance, that he's the new leader. He then proceeds to be TheLancer to Cid, too. There's also ShipTease implying a love triangle between Cloud, Barret, and Tifa.
%%*** Early on, Aerith's selfless and spiritual nature contrasts Cloud's JerkWithAHeartOfGold ex-SOLDIER. Later on, her growing acceptance of her Cetra heritage makes her a {{foil}} to Cloud's rising doubts over his identity.

** Seymour towards Tidus, gameplay-wise. While Tidus involves fast-covering physical damage in long-lasting fights with a solid focus on SPD with decent Initial BRV + Max BRV, Seymour deals long-lasting magic damage with high base Attack and Max BRV on the 5/5 end. Both of them are also debuffers with their second abilities paralleling each other (2-hit BRV+HP Attacks that inflict 3 standard potency debuffs at once. But while Tidus has a Speed Down in his set of debuffs, Seymour opts for Max BRV Down instead).

%%** ''VideoGame/MobiusFinalFantasy'' has white-haired Wol, who is TheChosenOne with IncorruptiblePurePureness despite his mean streak, and Maia, a summoner, heretic, and witch.

%%** Kain from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' is a good candidate for TropeCodifier: He's [[TheHero Cecil's]] childhood friend, his most trusted comrade and right-hand ally, and also his greatest rival, primarily in his competition for [[TheChick Rosa's]] affections. He's the dark and conflicted AntiHero to Cecil's noble and righteous [[TheCape Cape]], and during a stint where he's BrainwashedAndCrazy he acts as [[BigBad Golbez's]] [[TheDragon Dragon]]. In ''The After Years'' [[spoiler:he gets appointed the Captain of Baron's airship fleet, and with Cecil as king, Kain is his general now]]. And here's the real kicker -- not only is Kain's weapon of choice spears and lances, but his job class is Dragoon. In other games in the series, the Dragoon job is called "Lancer," meaning not only is Kain ''the'' Lancer, but he's also ''a'' Lancer to boot.

** Tifa and Aerith. Both of them are Cloud's two potential love interests, both of them are {{ActionGirl}}s and {{NiceGirl}}s, both of them also share the role of TheChick, and both of them become fast friends once they meet and get along quite well. But while Tifa is GirlNextDoor [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friend]], Aerith is MysteriousWaif [[ManicPixieDreamGirl energetic upbeat girl]]. Tifa is sweet, secretive, and caring, while Aerith is flirty, boisterous, and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]]. They also have different jobs and classes; Tifa is a bartender and a CuteBruiser with BoobsOfSteel, while Aerith is a flower girl and a WhiteMagicianGirl with connection to the planet. And they also have different dresses when they sneak into Don Corneo's lair, Tifa's blue dress and Aerith's red dress.

** Tifa and Aerith. Both of them are Cloud's two potential love interests, both of them are {{ActionGirl}}s and {{NiceGirl}}s, both of them also share the role of TheChick, and both of them become fast friends once they meet and get along quite well. But while Tifa is GirlNextDoor [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Childhood Friend]], Aerith is MysteriousWaif.
%% and is sweet, secretive, nervous, demure, and caring; she's also a bartender and a CuteBruiser with BoobsOfSteel. a WhiteMagicianGirl and an InnocentFlowerGirl with a connection to the planet; she's also flirty, feisty, boisterous, streetwise, strong-willed, and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]].

** Tifa and Aerith. Both of them are Cloud's two potential love interests, both of them are {{ActionGirl}}s and {{NiceGirl}}s, both of them also share the role of TheChick, and both of them become fast friends once they meet and get along quite well. %%But while Tifa is GirlNextDoor [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Childhood Friend]] and is sweet, secretive, nervous, demure, and caring; she's also a bartender and a CuteBruiser with BoobsOfSteel. Aerith is a MysticalWaif WhiteMagicianGirl and an InnocentFlowerGirl with a connection to the planet; she's also flirty, feisty, boisterous, streetwise, strong-willed, and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]].

** Zack and Cloud. Both of them are TheHero, TheAce, experimented with mako, and a ChickMagnet. But whereas, Zack's optimistic, vibrant, HotBlooded, more experienced than Cloud and (in the original game, anyway) goes out with women without letting them tell their mothers - but he is motivated by justice and heroism and uses the blunt edge of his sword. Cloud's pessimistic, thoughtful, sarcastically witty, and more innocent - but he can be ruthless, is motivated by revenge, and always uses the sharp edge of his sword. The same with Sephiroth above, they also have different hairstyles and personalities. Cloud (short blond spiky hair, pessimistic, and more innocent) Zack (long black spiky hair, optimistic, and more experienced).

** The [[ArchEnemy Arch Enemies]] [[TheHero Cloud]] and [[BigBad Sephiroth]] are opposites or mirror images in just about every way. Even their appearances were apparently designed on this basis. Whereas Sephiroth was the absolute elite of SOLDIER apparently even as a teenager, Cloud never made it to their ranks at all. Both angsted at some point that they were the result of a terrible experiment. Sephiroth at first seemed to find out that it wasn't that bad after all, that he was merely built to be the last of the Ancients, but in fact, it was if anything even worse than he had thought at first. Cloud seemed to find out that he was nothing but a soulless clone, but actually, it was much less severe than that. Where through the course of the game we find out how Sephiroth progressively stops caring about humanity, the Ancients, and the Planet, Cloud goes from OnlyInItForTheMoney to caring about AVALANCHE, the Planet's plight, and everyone through the course of the story. And while Cloud was eventually able to accept himself, weaknesses and all, Sephiroth refused to settle for being [[GodhoodSeeker anything less than the very best]]. For each, the time when they find out the whole truth is when they fully became the hero and villain they are.

** Zack's optimistic, vibrant, HotBlooded, more experienced than Cloud and (in the original game, anyway) goes out with women without letting them tell their mothers - but he is motivated by justice and heroism and uses the blunt edge of his sword. Cloud's pessimistic, thoughtful, sarcastically witty, and more innocent - but he can be ruthless, is motivated by revenge, and always uses the sharp edge of his sword.

%%** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has several by design, all with Cloud:
%%*** Cloud (shortish spiky hair, golden blond, pragmatic but unstable) and his rival Sephiroth (really long flowing hair, silver, otherworldly, and collected).
%%*** Cloud, (male, short blond hair, cool and collected when he's not [[MindRape being mind raped]]) and Tifa (female, long brown/black hair, enthusiastic (but keeps a lot of secrets to herself, and suffers for it).

** Tifa and Aerith. Both of them are Cloud's two potential love interests, both of them are ActionGirl, both of them also share the role of TheChick, and both of them become fast friends once they meet and get along quite well. %%But while Tifa is literally Cloud's GirlNextDoor [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Childhood Friend]] and is sweet, secretive, nervous, demure, and caring; but she's also a bartender and a CuteBruiser with BoobsOfSteel. Aerith is a WhiteMagicianGirl and flower girl with a connection to the planet, but is flirty, feisty, boisterous, streetwise, strong-willed, and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]].