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"I don't think I have what it takes to make a good action game. I think I'm better at telling a story."
Hironobu Sakaguchi, before the creation of Final Fantasy

For the first game in the series, please see Final Fantasy.

The pride and joy of Square Enix (formerly Squaresoft), Final Fantasy is a hand-rubbingly popular fantasy JRPG franchise, currently on its sixteenth iteration alongside multiple sequels, spinoffs, remakes and films.

The series is highly regarded for its outstanding production values and gameplay, and for being a pioneer in the Eastern RPG (or "JRPG") genre. Many of the conventions that didn't originate in Dragon Quest originated with the Final Fantasy series, which in turn was influenced by Ultima and other Western computer role playing games. Each new Final Fantasy game attempts to re-invent itself with new gameplay innovations or approaches, and although this can be divisive to the fanbase, credit is generally given to their attempts to at least try something different in the heavily-stagnant and conservative JRPG genre. This also adds a bit of Fridge Brilliance to the title. Despite its status as one of the Long Runners, none of the main Final Fantasy games are the same exact thing twice, and each game is indeed the final time we'll see that particular combination of gameplay mechanics, as the franchise does not revisit itself; for a long time, it was resistant to sequels and spinoffs, and when they finally occurred they still featured gameplay that was distinct from the original.

The series was fairly obscure for a long time in the west, before exploding in popularity with the release of Final Fantasy VII, which exposed most people to the JRPG genre for the first time. It is still widely regarded as one of the best RPGs (eastern or otherwise) of all time. Since then, Final Fantasy is widely considered the gold standard of JRPGs in the west, and is held in such regard that the English localizations are now developed concurrently with the original production.

Tracking the early parts of the Final Fantasy series can be confusing, as only three of the first six games made it to North America, where the numbers were changed so that the US releases were consecutive numbers. Final Fantasy IV was released in America as Final Fantasy II, while Final Fantasy VI was released as Final Fantasy III. The confusion doesn't end there, as four games were given the name "Final Fantasy" to increase sales in North America: the first three games of the SaGa (RPG) series (renamed to Final Fantasy Legend I-III) and the first installment in the World of Mana series (released as Final Fantasy Adventure). Final Fantasy VII broke this trend and was released as "VII" everywhere, and from that point on, every release except for the Virtual Console versions of IV and VI (the latter was titled III on the SNES Classic) would bear the original numbering.

This series was also one of the first Japanese games made by someone other than Namco or Nintendo to reach US shores and capitalize on that market. Later Japanese developers would take notice and break onto the US scene; one equally-popular series which took advantage of this trend was Dragon Quest, Enix's Cash-Cow Franchise (Shin Megami Tensei, Atlus's own cash cow franchise, would also make the jump to the west for the same reason). Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest were direct competitors as far back as the the NES days; following the Square-Enix merger, SMT and Final Fantasy are currently competing in both countries. Meanwhile, Dragon Quest has quietly found a niche market outside of Japan, though it remains king in its home country.

While the series stuck firmly to a policy of one game per number for a long time, in more recent times the franchise has opened up to the idea of sequels and multimedia spinoffs. Final Fantasy X was the first to get a direct sequel (X-2); XIII was the first to get a whole trilogy; VII became a franchise in its own right; and Final Fantasy Tactics was the first to have a compilation of different games set in the same universe, known as the Ivalice Alliance.


The Final Fantasy series consists of:

    open/close all folders 

    Main Series 
  • Final Fantasy (1987): The world is shrouded in darkness. The wind stops, the sea is wild, the earth begins to rot, and fire's been acting pretty sketchy, too. It's up to the four wayward Warriors of Light to rekindle the Crystals that control the elements. But the story contains more surprises than the opening crawl would have one think.
  • Final Fantasy IInote  (1988): A cruel Emperor has made a pact with the devil, swarming the world with demonic troops. It's up to a ragtag resistance movement to slow the Empire's progress; stopping the Emperor may prove impossible. Rather than pick warrior classes at the outset, players gradually mold their characters' skills through the use of spells and weapons. Though novel, most fans remember II as the one where clubbing yourself with a sword increased HP. Introduced the concept of guest characters joining the party, including the series' very first Dragoon.
    • Released on: Famicom (JP, Wii (JP), Nintendo 3DS (JP), Wii U (JP)), WonderSwan Color (JP), PS1 (PSN), GBA, PSP, Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch
  • Final Fantasy IIInote  (1990): Four youths are tapped by a mysterious crystal to restore balance to the elements and defeat a sorcerer named Xande who has strengthened himself with a mysterious power. Took a page from Dragon Quest III by implementing a Job System, allowing characters to switch classes at will, and threw players a curveball with its expanding overworld. (Though an airship is found early on, upgrades are required to float over mountains and other nuisances.) Known for having a very difficult final dungeon. Was never released outside of Japan until a full 3D remake on DS in 2006. A variant of the original 2D version of the game was finally released outside of Japan in 2021 alongside new versions of I and II as a part of the Pixel Remaster series.
    • Original released on: Famicom (JP; Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Famicom Classic), PC, Mobile, PS4, Switch
    • Remake released on: Nintendo DS, PSP, Ouya, Mobile, PC
  • Final Fantasy IV (1991): When Cecil, the man in charge of the empire's flying battalion of doom, grows weary of harassing innocent people, his paranoid King fires him. Big mistake. IV had the most gripping storyline in the series yet, with a massive rotating cast, multiple overworlds (à la III), and an overarching theme of redemption. Like III, it later received a full 3D remake.
    • Original released on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Wii, Wii U (JP), 3DS (JP)), PS1 (PSN), WonderSwan Color, GBA (Wii U (JP)), PSP, PC, Mobile, PS4, Switch
    • Remake released on DS, Mobile, PC
  • Final Fantasy V (1992): The elements are dying off, the King of Tycoon has gone missing, and it somehow all ties into an asteroid which crashed just outside the castle, narrowly missing a young wanderer named Bartz. The job system makes a comeback with a whopping 22 jobs (plus an additional four in the GBA version), and the new feature of being able to carry over abilities from one job for use in another makes this the most customizable FF title outside of Tactics.
    • Released on: Super Famicom (JP, Wii (JP), Wii U (JP), 3DS (JP)), PS1 (PSN), GBA, Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch
  • Final Fantasy VI (1994): FF begins its steady march toward cyberpunk with this steampunk adventure, set a thousand years after a world-destroying magical war. A megalomaniacal Emperor has discovered a way to revive the lost power of magic through artificial means, which serves as the start of foreboding cataclysm. The job system is shelved, yet again, though the character classes themselves have been rolled into 14 unique player characters. The most aesthetically and musically stunning FF of its era, pushing the SNES to its limits. For many, this game marks the point where Square became a god-tier developer.
    • Released on: SNES (Wii, Wii U (JP), SNES Classic), PS1 (PSN), GBA (Wii U (JP)), Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch
  • Final Fantasy VII (1997): Set in a gritty Diesel Punk world, the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE stages bombings on the facilities of an energy conglomerate which mines the planet's life force as fuel… which soon gets upended when a presumed-deceased mercenary by the name of Sephiroth sets out to bring the world's downfall on orders from his Lovecraftian mother, prompting AVALANCHE’s latest recruit and Sephiroth’s former comrade, Cloud Strife, to lead his new comrades after him in a bid to save the world. The most well-known installment in the series, as well as one of the most well-known video games in general, VII marked the peak of the JRPG craze, and while not a PS1 launch title, it was the biggest incentive for gamers to buy the console. It also boasts the largest Expanded Universe of any entry, collectively called the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
    • Original released on: PS1 (PSN, PlayStation Classic), PC, Mobile, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
  • Final Fantasy VIII (1999): VII was a hard act to follow, but VIII proved a solid (if esoteric) successor: Squall Leonhart attends a military academy which prepares teenagers for war against the Sorceress, who has risen to power and is imposing her iron fist on the world. The 'school days' plots borrow a few notes from Shin Megami Tensei, and are regarded by many as the game's high points. Gameplay deviated from the norm by using the "junction" system for battles.
    • Released on: PS1 (PSN), PC, PS4, XBO, Switch
  • Final Fantasy IX (2000): IX is a throwback to the NES/SNES titles, right down to the Super-Deformed characters, a four-man party, a medieval fantasy world, and mythology gags related to past games. A princess engineers her own kidnapping in order to be free of her despotic mother, who has recently come under the influence of a strange Arms Dealer. A world-spanning adventure follows, involving the would-be kidnapper, a princess in disguise, her loyal knight, and a young mage struggling with his existence. Notable for being one of the more philosophical entries in the series despite its bright and cheery packaging, and Revisiting the Roots from an aesthetic standpoint after previous titles featured prominent Science Fiction elements.
    • Released on: PS1 (PSN), Mobile, PC, PS4, XBO, Switch
  • Final Fantasy X (2001): Star-athlete Tidus is pulled through time, washing up in a post-apocalyptic future where technology is outlawed and cities are constantly attacked by an immortal Eldritch Abomination. His only path home, or so it seems, is to accompany a group of pilgrims on their journey to make the land peaceful again. The first fully-voiced FF title, with a competent English dub. Also experimented with Conditional Turn-Based mechanics (CTB), which affected turn order depending on the action selected. Though successful, it was soon discarded in favor of more modern Active Time Battle systems.
  • Final Fantasy XI (2002, expansions released from 2003-2023): An MMORPG set in the fantasy world of Vana'diel. Still reeling from the aftermath of a great war with "the Shadow Lord" twenty years prior, three nations brace themselves when the Shadow Lord's Beast Tribe minions organize themselves into a coherent force once again. Like XIV after it, numerous expansions led to an extensive and evolving storyline. Known for being particularly brutal (amongst the most brutal games in the series, for that matter). It is the second most profitable game in the series (beaten only by its later mentioned successor's reboot) by virtue of running a paid subscription for 20+ years.
    • Released on: PS2, PC, Xbox 360. The service for the console versions was closed in 2016.
  • Final Fantasy XII (2006): The first main game to be published following the merger with Enix, the first mainline entry in the Ivalice Alliance, and arguably the flagship title of that collection. Things are looking grim for Ivalice when Dalmasca, the biggest obstacle to the Archadian Empire, falls overnight after their king is murdered by one of his own knights. However, something about the whole mess doesn't add up, and a team of adventurers — including a destitute princess, a pair of sky pirates, and an orphan from the streets — are compelled to break the supposed traitor out of jail and discover the truth. The gameplay of XII is modeled on a MMORPG, but with linear quests and various characters/races/summons from Tactics.
    • Released on: PS2, PS4, PC, Switch, XBO
  • Final Fantasy XIII (2009): The story takes place in the floating, isolationist mini-Dyson sphere of Cocoon. Several hundred years ago, a "War of Transgression" took place between Cocoon and the vast, lush, primeval surface world, Pulse. Since then, Cocoon's governmental body ruthlessly "purges" anyone who comes into contact with Pulse. A former soldier, Lightning, is forced to go on the lam after her sister is branded a Pulse l'Cie, servants of the godlike beings called fal'Cie of the planet below, and nabbed by the government. This game is notable for its highly linear prologue segment, leading up to a small Wide-Open Sandbox.
    • Released on: PS3, 360 (XBO via backward compatibility), PC and mobile (JP).
  • Final Fantasy XIV (2010/2013, expansions released from 2015-2024): Another MMORPG, this time set in the region of Eorzea, which faces threats from an ongoing war with the ruthless and technologically advanced military state Garlemald and its Tin Tyrant generals, while also dealing with the beast tribes and their Primals, as well as the enigmatic Ascians.
    • Final Fantasy XIV (2010) was released to less than stellar reception. The planned PS3 version was delayed indefinitely and the monthly fee was suspended up until the game was shut down in 2012 so Square Enix could completely revamp it. Only released on PC.
    • Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (2013) is the completely overhauled 2.0 version released to much more positive reception. Released on: PC, PS3, PS4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S; services for the PS3 version were closed down in 2017; Xbox port set to launch in 2024.
  • Final Fantasy XV (2016): Warrior Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum goes on a road trip with his friends to marry his fiancée and retrieve his kingdom's stolen Power Crystal from invaders to prevent the world from entering a night of eternal darkness. The game is notable for completely abandoning turn-based combat for action RPG gameplay, along with a Western RPG-style Wide-Open Sandbox. The setting itself, Eos, is also significantly different from predecessors: branding itself as a "fantasy based on reality", XV has the most "realistic" setting of the main series, resembling a mid/late-20th century earth with Physical Gods, limited Magitek, and real-world consumer brands.
    • Released on: PS4, XBO, PC
  • Final Fantasy XVI (2023): Set in Valisthea, a once-prosperous continent now engulfed in a bloody war, Clive Rosfield, the firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria and the First Shield of Rosaria, sets out on a dark and dangerous journey towards revenge against those responsible for the tragic death of his brother, which soon escalates into a crusade to destroy the Mothercrystals that led to Valisthea’s rise, and are now seemingly contributing to its downfall. Notably Darker and Edgier, Bloodier and Gorier, and Hotter and Sexier than the previous main games, the gameplay further deviates from the series norm by mixing the action RPG elements with Hack and Slash combat in the vein of Devil May Cry.
    • Released on: PS5, PCnote 

    Sequels and Spin-Offs 
Games that are directly connected to the Main Series, either as sequels or Spinoffs.

  • Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin: An Action RPG developed by Team Ninja of Ninja Gaiden and Nioh fame, set before the original Final Fantasy as five amnesiac warriors, led by a man named Jack, fight to fulfill the Warrior of Light prophecy by vanquishing Chaos and freeing Cornelia of the evil. But not all is as it seems…
  • Final Fantasy IV: The After Years: Set 17 years after the previous story, Cecil is now King, leaving the protagonist role to his son Ceodore. The second moon returns to orbit after its long voyage, only this time, it's getting a little too close for comfort.
  • Final Fantasy VII spinoffs: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
    • Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII: The first prequel in Square's Enix's FFVII Compilation follows the tale of a younger Turks unit. AVALANCHE exists in a larger form, too, and they're more psychotic than the benevolent group still in embryo.
    • Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: Another prequel starring Zack Fair, which covers the Wutai-Midgar War, the doomed mission to Nibelheim, and clashes against a predecessor to Sephiroth.
      • Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion: A remake of the game made in the same visual and gameplay style as Final Fantasy VII Remake.
    • Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children: A movie sequel to VII. Two years after the events of the game, Midgar has fallen into decay, a virus known as Geostigma is scourging the population, and a band of fanatics have styled themselves as Sephiroth's disciples.
    • Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile: an anthology of short stories detailing the events that lead up to Advent Children from the end of the original game, eventually released in book form around the same time as Advent Children Complete was released on Blu-Ray.
    • Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII: In this Third-Person Shooter, Vincent Valentine goes off on his own to face his past and do battle with the remnant of Shinra's security forces, who are inexplicably trying to summon the final WEAPON and finish Sephiroth's work.
    • Last Order: Final Fantasy VII: A retelling of the Nibelheim incident, as narrated by Tseng.
    • Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy: A three-part story retelling the original Final Fantasy VII, updating and expanding the game for modern audiences while adding new twists and turns along the way:
    • Final Fantasy VII Remake: Trace of Two Pasts: Two stories that tell the past of the game's heroines, Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough. Novel set after the remake, where Tifa and Aerith relate their stories in two framing devices.
    • Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier: A Battle Royale game that takes place thirty years before the original game, where the player character is seeking to become one of the first members of Shinra's newly created SOLDIER division.
    • Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis: An episodic game that intends to retell the not just the original game, but the other major parts of the Compilation.
  • Final Fantasy X-2: Another throwback game, and Square Enix's first sequelnote  to a mainline Final Fantasy. With her pilgrimage over, Yuna (with Rikku in tow) becomes a sky pirate and travels the world in search of Tidus, who is still MIA. Features the triumphant return of the job system (based on the classic jobs from I-V) and another romp through Spira, now fully-accessible with an airship.
  • Final Fantasy XI expansions and add-ons:
    • Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart (2003): The first expansion of the game, directly continuing from where the base storyline left off involving the Zilart brothers in their attempt to regain the power of their lost civilization. Introduced the new jobs Dragoon, Ninja, and Samurai.
    • Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia (2004): The second expansion involving the resurrection of the dark god Promathia. Focuses on a young woman named Prishe, who has a mysterious connection to the "Emptiness" plaguing the land, and allows players to travel to the regions surrounding the Tavnazian Safehold.
    • Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan (2006): The third expansion, bringing players to the Middle East-inspired empire of Aht Urhgan which is constantly in battle with the hordes of Beastmen surrounding their city and a plot involving its mysterious Empress Nashmeira. Introduced the new jobs Blue Mage, Corsair, and Puppetmaster.
    • Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess note  (2007): The fourth expansion. Along with the half-Elvaan dancer Lilisette, the player travels twenty years in the past to the time of the Crystal War, which shows signs of someone meddling with the timeline. Introduces the new jobs Scholar and Dancer.
    • Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin (2013): The fifth and final "true" expansion. The player travels to the frontier of Adoulin to the west, a previously isolated nation, where they meet a young woman named Arciela who is investigating an evil brewing in the lush, mysterious woods outside of the city. Introduces the new jobs Rune Fencer and Geomancer.
    • Final Fantasy XI: A Crystalline Prophecy - Ode of Life Bestowing (2009): An Add-On Scenario that begins when a strange crystal appears in the sky one day with a prophecy of darkness.
    • Final Fantasy XI: A Moogle Kupo d'Etat - Evil in Small Doses (2009): Another Add-On scenario. It all began with a Moogle attempting to fix a leaking Mog House, and ends with an evil scheme of real-estate domination.
    • Final Fantasy XI: A Shantotto Ascension - The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born: A side-story starring Breakout Character Shantotto, an eccentric (but absurdly powerful) Tarutaru mage who returns from an expedition and suddenly declares that she wants to Take Overthe World. Hilarity Ensues.
    • Final Fantasy XI: Vision of Abyssea (2010): Another Add-On scenario. A number of sinister portals have appeared around Vana'diel, opening the gates to a parallel world called Abyssea: a dark version of Vana'diel where heroes failed to save the world to the brink of destruction. Now the adventurers of Vana'diel must stop the influence of Abyssea from leaking through the portals and corrupting their world. Scars of and Heroes of continue this storyline.
    • Final Fantasy XI: Scars of Abyssea (2010)
    • Final Fantasy XI: Heroes of Abyssea (2010)
    • Final Fantasy XI: Rhapsodies of Vana'diel (2015): The grand finale. A young woman named Iroha appears before you, claiming to be your apprentice from a future where the destined end of Vana'diel is nigh. As a powerful void begins to seep into and corrode the world, portending the apocalypse Iroha spoke of, you must fight together against fate to secure a final future for Vana'diel.
    • Final Fantasy XI: A Voracious Resurgence (2020-2023): Leading up to the game's 20th anniversary, another add-on scenario has been announced.
  • Ivalice Alliance:
    • Final Fantasy XII
    • Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings: In the aftermath of XII, Vaan has joined Balthier and Fran as a sky pirate, while Ashe and Larsa work to hold their respective realms together. Easier said than done, as a winged Judge is pummeling Ivalice with a floating continent, hoping to stir up a war between Humes and their winged counterparts, the Aegyls.
    • Final Fantasy Tactics: Two warriors, one a noble, and the other a plebe, follow divergent paths in their quest to free Ivalice from tyranny and corruption. One man will stay true to his ideals, and wind up losing everything; the other will bribe, extort, stab, and screw his way to the top of Ivalice's power structure. Can you guess which? An Updated Re-release entitled War of the Lions was released for the PSP.
    • Final Fantasy Tactics Advance: In this, the most metafictional FF game yet, an Earth boy named Marche is sucked into a fantasy world based on his classmate's memories of a Final Fantasy game. Marche must dismantle the world's crystals ("threads") in order to get home, but it will mean destroying the idyllic new lives of his friends and family, who are trapped in Ivalice along with him...
    • Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift: Keeping in canon with the previous title, another resident of St. Ivalice, Luso, is yanked into a different grimoire and appears in the Ivalice of Final Fantasy XII. Less wordy and political than its predecessors.
    • Vagrant Story: An elite secret agent pursues a mysterious cult leader to a ruined city permeated by extremely powerful dark magic, uncovering much of his own Dark and Troubled Past in the process. This game was originally presented as a completely separate title with just a few Tactics references until supplementary materials for FFXII confirmed Vagrant Story as being set in Ivalice.
    • Crystal Defenders: A Tower Defense game with monsters and character classes from the Tactics games.
  • Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy: a series of games sharing common themes with Final Fantasy XIII
    • Final Fantasy XIII
    • Final Fantasy Type-0: The world of Orience is at war as the technologically advanced Militese Empire launches an invasion against the Rubrum Dominion. The one thing standing in the Empire's way is Class Zero, a group of magically-empowered Child Soldiers. Notable for being one of the darkest games in the series with themes of warfare and death prevailing, this was one of the last titles released on the PSP. It wouldn't be released overseas until later when it received an HD re-release on PS4 and Xbox One.
    • Final Fantasy XIII-2: After the events of XIII, Cocoon is saved and its residents do their best to eke out a living in the land below, Pulse. Though everyone remembers Lightning disappearing at the end of the previous game, her little sister Serah is the only one who remembers what really happened. One day, a young man drops into her life from the future, revealing that he is the last human alive and has come at Lightning's behest to find Serah and help save the world once again. Features a creature summoning system similar to X-2.
    • Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII: Years later, Lightning returns and is tasked by Bhunivelze to guide the souls of the living to the birth of a new world before their own is destroyed in thirteen days. Notable for featuring only Lightning as a playable character, though the rest of the cast is Back for the Finale.
    • Final Fantasy Agito
    • Final Fantasy Awakening
    • Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Originally created as a companion game for Final Fantasy XIII, it would eventually be reworked into Final Fantasy XV.
  • Combined Setting: Dissidia Final Fantasy:
    • Dissidia Final Fantasy: In an alternate dimension, two gods, Cosmos and Chaos, fight a war fated to never end. To this end, each god summons heroes and villains respectively from each of the Final Fantasy games and pit them against each other in endless combat. Realizing the futility of their mission, the heroes strive to discover the truth behind this conflict and end the cycles of war so that everyone may return home. A plot-heavy Mascot Fighter that pits legendary heroes and villains into 3D arena combat with RPG Elements. Also, expect a lot of Continuity Porn and Mythology Gags.
    • Dissidia 012 [duodecim]: Final Fantasy: A prequel/remake of Dissidia: Final Fantasy. In the 12th Cycle, Lightning and her fellow Warriors of Cosmos lead the charge against the Manikins, mysterious pawns that threaten the existence of both heroes and villains alike. Kain has other ideas. Introduces new mechanics, including the Assist Character, as well as new equipment and secondary heroes and villains, such as Tifa Lockhart, Laguna Loire, Yuna, Prishe, Vaan, and fan-favorite dimension hopper Gilgamesh.
    • Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015): A sequel to the PSP titles, released in Japanese arcades in 2015 with a PS4 release dated for early 2018. The heroes and villains of the Final Fantasy series are summoned to face off once more as two new gods, Materia and Spiritus, wage war. In addition to including characters from more games in the series, the gameplay is changed to focus on three-against-three team battles, with summons playing a large role in combat.
    • Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia: Free to play mobile game spinoff set in the realm of Dissidia. Unlike its action-based counterparts, Opera Omnia combines Final Fantasy X-style CTB with Dissidia mechanics and Super-Deformed art style. Also developed by Team Ninja, as with Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015). Is set to have virtually every character in the series playable, all of which have a part in the game's main storyline involving an untrustworthy moogle, the two gods Materia and Spiritus (returning from the previous game), and an unknown threat lurking behind them all.
    • Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: A Rhythm Game loosely based on the setting of the Dissidia: Final Fantasy games. In a world inhabited by the gods Cosmos and Chaos, the crystal that separates them, the Rhythm, is weakened by a malign force. Champions from both sides are sent to gather Rhythmia and restore power to the Rhythm. Theatrhythm combines a rhythm game with RPG mechanics, allowing players to customize a team of characters comprised of unique Abilities and powers and send them out to battle or explore the world through the rhythm game.
      • Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call: An Updated Re-release of the first game, adding a host of new songs and characters, as well as a competitive Versus Mode where you can fight the AI or another player in head-to-head music battles.
      • Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: All-Star Carnival: The arcade adaptation of the Theatrhythm series. Features new "Medley" tracks that combine multiple individual songs into a single long stage, as well as local and online co-op modes.
      • Theatrhythm Final Bar Line: The third main Theatrhythm Final Fantasy game. Features over 385 songs, as well as 90 DLC songs. Incorporates features from All-Star Carnival, such as double button notes and single-system co-op multiplayer.
  • Final Fantasy XIV is also beginning to pick up a list of expansions:
    • Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn note 
    • Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (2015) was the first expansion and was released on PC, PS3 and PS4. It continued the story in the region of Ishgard, introduced the Dark Knight, Astrologian, and Machinist as new playable Jobs, and introduced the Au Ra as a playable race.
    • Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood (2017) was the second expansion and was released on PC and PS4. It took the story towards the long-conquered regions of Ala Mhigo and Doma, and introduced the Red Mage, Samurai, and later Blue Mage as playable Jobs. FFXIV's PS3 service was closed upon Stormblood's release.
    • Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (2019) was the third expansion and was released on PC and PS4 on July 2nd, 2019. It takes the story to the world of The First and introduce the Viera and Hrothgar as playable races, and two playable Jobs: Gunbreaker and Dancer.
    • Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (2021) was the fourth expansion and was released on PC, PS4, and PS5 in 2021. It concluded the game's first story arc, taking the story to the regions of Thavnair, Garlemald, and the Moon, and introduced two new Jobs: Sage and Reaper.
    • Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail (2024) is the upcoming fifth expansion and will be released on PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox in summer 2024. Players embark for the "New World", a region of the planet of Hydaelyn not yet visited by Eorzeans. Introduces two new jobs: Viper, and Pictomancer.
  • Final Fantasy XV Universe:
    • Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV: Five-episode mini-anime series detailing the backstories of Noctis's travelling partners and their relationships with the Prince.
    • Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV: Taking place between the opening cutscene and the intro of Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive is a 3D CGI animated movie that details the exploits of the Kingsglaive, an elite guard of Lucis who draw upon the powers of the crystal, and their (ultimately futile) attempt to protect Insomnia from Niflheim's attack on the Crown City.
    • A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV: 2D sidescrolling Beat 'em Up spinoff included as a bonus in pre-ordered and Day One Edition copies of Final Fantasy XV from certain retailers. Set 30 years before XV, A King's Tale tells the (slightly embellished) story of Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII in his youth, done in the style of 16-bit graphics.
    • Justice Monsters V: Depicted in-universe as a wildly popular pinball-esque game, JustMon doubles as a free to play smartphone game that follows the Justice Monsters, a band of heroic monsters from the galaxy Nova, and their quest to defeat the forces of evil. Playable in-game as well, using a stripped down version of the real deal. The smartphone version was No Export for You in Asian regions outside of Japan (although there were rumors saying that the Japanese version is available for download if you know what to look for), and was eventually retired in March 2017, mere months after launching.
    • King's Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon: A smartphone sequel to King's Knight, an obscure top-down scrolling "formation RPG" shooter released by Squaresoft in 1986. Much like the original, you take control of the warrior Ray Jack, the mystic Kaliva, the monster Barusa, and the thief Toby, as they battle for the kingdom. King's Knight also exists in the XV universe as a popular smartphone game that Noctis and pals play to kill time.
    • Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV: A PSVR fishing game in which the player goes on a fishing trip with Noctis and his companions.
    • Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition: A retelling of the original Final Fantasy XV for portable, and targeting casual gamers. This version of the game basically divides the game down into chapters, provides simplified controls, and gives the characters chibi-style designs. It's developed for iOS and Android, though was eventually brought over to consoles as Pocket Edition HD.
    • Final Fantasty XV: Dawn of the Future: A novel chronicling the story of What Would Have Been the game’s last three DLC episodes before they were cancelled, serving as the Grand Finale to the overall story.

    Sub-Series 
Games that are not directly connected to the settings or characters of the Main Series, but are still considered Final Fantasy titles.
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
    • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: An Adventurer Is You, traveling the world in order to gather myrrh droplets to recharge your village's Power Crystal, which protects it from the poison gas that covers the world. While the art design returns to a very "cute" style, expect many Player Punches as you witness and participate in the tragic stories of people you meet along the way.
    • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates: A prequel to the first game that tells the story of two twins, Yuri and Chelinka, as they are pursued by an evil church that wants to exploit their unique powers.
    • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time: A spiritual successor to Ring of Fates, once again featuring a customizable hero. In a time where the only Crystal left in the world is the one in your village, a simple errand to fetch some medicine by doing a favor for the local scholar turns your entire life upside-down when all the townspeople vanish without a trace... and that's just the start. Happy sixteenth birthday!
    • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King: A spinoff set in the same world, in which the player becomes the king of a castle abandoned by his father and large, empty plots of land. The crystal in the castle grants him the power of Architek, magic that allows him to create buildings. Your job (should you choose to accept it) is to repopulate the city and hire townspeople to become soldiers and uncover dungeons in order to find clues to your father's whereabouts, though the young king is incapable of fighting on his own.
    • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord: Another spinoff, related to My Life as a King. While the first game had the player building towns, Darklord is more of a Tower Defense game, involving a new young Darklord named Mira, the daughter of the Big Bad from King. As the newest villain in town, adventurers from all around the world come forth to try and defeat her and claim the crystal at the top of her tower, so gameplay involves recruiting monsters and gaining powerful artifacts to defend it from wave after wave of heroes.
    • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers: Set some time after the other games, starring a mercenary named Layle, who is one of the last people in the world able to wield magic thanks to the crystal shard embedded in his cheek. When he meets a Yuke - long thought to be extinct - that appears from a portal, it puts into motion a series of events that threaten to shake the hold of the Lilty-dominated Magitek empire.
  • Final Fantasy Mystic Quest: An early spinoff of the series, designed to accustom Western audiences to the JRPG genre. It tells a simple yarn about a young boy named Benjamin who sets out to avenge his hometown, recover the four crystals, and overthrow the Dark King. Doomed to obscurity thanks to its childish difficulty, it also boasted one of the best and most-underrated soundtracks on the platform.
  • Final Fantasy Adventure: Instead of the usual creators, it was developed by the same team who made Final Fantasy Legend III as a sort of entry-level JRPG. This entry became the first of the World of Mana series and as such, the story, action-based combat, and stat-leveling system diverge quite a lot from FF titles.
  • Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light: In a world threatened by darkness, the Crystals once again select four youths to bestow job classes on in hopes that they can save the world. Unfortunately, the ones they pick are insecure, haughty, and/or self-centered and split the party as soon as they defeat the first boss. Try not to break anything.
  • Final Fantasy Brigade
  • Final Fantasy Dimensions: Eight youths found themselves separated when the Crystal split the world in two. Now, as the Warriors of Light and the Warriors of Darkness, they travel the separated worlds to find the crystals and fight against The Empire, helping people and gaining allies on the way. A throwback to old-school Final Fantasies, it features a Job System similar to V and contains a ton of Mythology Gags.
  • Final Fantasy Dimensions II: Sequel to the above, but in a different world. The game follows a young man named Morrow who desires to become a famous adventurer. His life is forever changed when a meteorite falls near his home of Navos Village and meets a mysterious girl named Aemo. What lies ahead is an adventure that takes Morrow and his companions through time and space in order to save the world from beings attacking the fabric of history. Similar to the first game, it is a cell phone series, but it evokes nostalgia for another Square game, Chrono Trigger.
  • Final Fantasy All the Bravest: A game for mobile devices. Known mainly for its infamously ridiculous monetization, where everything, including bonus characters and rapid revival, requires you to spend more money.
  • Pictologica Final Fantasy: Another game for mobile devices. Final Fantasy meets Picross in a nutshell, and even co-developed by Jupiter Co. Unlocalized as of yet, though you can still download and play regardless of region. Just be prepared to overcome the language barrier and look up (and google translate) the Japanese wiki.
  • Final Fantasy Record Keeper: Another game for mobile devices, developed by DeNA and released globally for free in April 2015. Notably better gameplay and less reliance on microtransactions than All the Bravest, but best known for its nostalgia-filled trip into all the Final Fantasy games (even featuring some characters from surprising ones, like Dimensions II and Kingdom Hearts). As a "Keeper" of records of histories of heroes, the player, Tyro, plunges into various worlds reliving (scaled-down, but still featuring some old gameplay gimmicks) battles and retold plot events while recruiting all sorts of characters from the games (starting with Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, all the way to Sephiroth from the same game and Josef from II) with a variety of abilities and equipment.
  • Final Fantasy Brave Exvius: Another game for mobile devices. Brave Frontier, but with Final Fantasy characters. Unlike Record Keeper, which is primarily "Final Fantasy Nostalgia: The Video Game", Brave Exvius features an original story with original characters.
  • Mobius Final Fantasy: Yet another game for mobile devices. A miasma is sweeping the world. The wind stops, the sea is wild, the earth begins to rot, and fire's been acting pretty sketchy, too. The world needs a savior, so a bunch of men with amnesia are summoned to follow a ridiculously vague prophecy in hopes that one of them might become the Warrior of Light. Yes, it's based on Final Fantasy. The closest the franchise has to a main title on mobile, featuring full 3D CGI graphics and voice-acted cutscenes, backed by several veterans behind the main series.
  • Knights of the Crystals: A social game developed by GREE and released in 2010. Closed its doors in 2012.
  • Final Fantasy Explorers: A Monster Hunter style Action RPG for the 3DS where the player and three friends can explore the island of Amostela, fighting monsters and seeking crystals.
    • Final Fantasy Explorers FORCE: The mobile game spinoff of Explorers, which focuses on the exploits of the warriors of FORCE, an elite team of former Explorers who hunt summoned monsters to protect the world order. Lack of interest killed the game in early 2019.
  • World of Final Fantasy: A Mons game for the PS4 and the Vita. Received an Updated Re-release as World of Final Fantasy Maxima for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The story follows a set of twins named Lann and Reynn, known as Mirage Keepers, who journey through the realm of Grymoire (an amalgamation of many Final Fantasy worlds with characters throughout the series popping up) in an attempt to capture and tame Mirages. The Mirages, or monsters, were once under their control some time back, but an event that transpired (that they don't remember) resulted in them losing their former status as Keepers. Known for its Lighter and Softer world, storyline, and Incredibly Lame Puns abound.

    Dolled-Up Installments 
The first three games of the SaGa series were re-titled and released in America under the Final Fantasy Legend moniker:

  • Chrono Trigger: Squaresoft's most famous SNES RPG that isn't part of the Final Fantasy brand, it features a slew of Final Fantasy creatives working on the game, such as Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu, collaborating with the team behind Dragon Quest. It was rereleased on the PlayStation in a collection alongside Final Fantasy IV titled Final Fantasy Chronicles.

    Chocobo Series 
A series of Lighter and Softer spinoffs starring the series mascot Chocobo. Related to Spike Chunsoft's Mystery Dungeon series.

    Misc. Installments 
  • Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals: Square's first sequel to a mainline Final Fantasy title overall. It's a four-episode OVA set 200 years after the events of Final Fantasy V, starring the descendants of the heroes.
  • Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: A CGI movie set on an Earth ruined by malevolent spirits. Scientist Aki Ross teams up with some crack commandos to try and solve the problems while dealing with a General Ripper who wants to take a more belligerent stance.
  • Final Fantasy: Unlimited: A 26-episode series. Twins whose parents vanished into a dimensional anomaly find themselves traveling through various fantastic worlds, teaming up with a government agent and an aloof summoner-sniper as they are pursued by the villains. Features four Elemental Lords, Chaos as the Big Bad, chocobos, and a moogle.
  • Agni's Philosophynote 
  • Final Fantasy: Lost Stranger: An Isekai manga series about a Square Enix employee who dies and is reborn into a Final Fantasy world.
  • Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light: An 8-episode Japanese drama series. A young man seeks to reconnect with his emotionally-distant father by inviting him to embark on an adventure together through Final Fantasy XIV.
  • Chocobo Party Up : A Board Game with up four players competing to see who can bring the most Chocobos back to their nest.

    Related Series 
  • SaGa: The first three games were released with the title Final Fantasy Legend in the US. The series is helmed by Akitoshi Kawazu, who also contributed writing and game design work to the first two mainline Final Fantasy installments. As the first two SaGa titles share a major developer and several gameplay elements with Final Fantasy II, they—and, by extension, the SaGa franchise as a whole—could be considered Spiritual Successors to that game.
  • World of Mana: The first game was part of the Final Fantasy IP with the name Final Fantasy Adventurenote , but its sequels divorced themselves from the FF brand.
  • Tactics Ogre: Though officially part of the Ogre Battle series of games, Tactics Ogre is considered a spiritual predecessor to Final Fantasy Tactics, and has a similar gameplay and tone with several members of the production team who worked on both projects. Some elements from the game, such as the Palace of the Dead and the Necromancer Nybeth Obdilord made it into Final Fantasy XIV.
  • Super Mario: Both of these juggernaut gaming franchises have crossed over with each other on occasion:
    • Super Mario RPG: Mario's very first RPG, which was developed in partnership between Square and Nintendo. In this game, Final Fantasy is represented by Culex, an optional boss that Mario and his companions can fight. While Culex himself isn't from a particular game in the series, he's joined in battle by the four crystals of the elements. His battle music is a remix of the boss battle theme from IV, and defeating him plays the series' iconic victory theme. In the remake, the series is indirectly referenced under the title “Last Illusion.”
    • Mario Hoops 3-on-3: A sports spinoff on the Nintendo DS in which Mario and Final Fantasy characters crossover through playing basketball. A Black Mage, a White Mage, a Ninja, a Moogle, and a Cactuar appear as playable characters, while the series is represented through three stages (Rainbow Ship, Glare Desert, and Malboro Garden). It also marks the first Final Fantasy-related game worked on by composer Masayoshi Soken, who would go onto become the main composer for XIV and XVI.
    • Mario Sports Mix: A collection of sports games developed by Square Enix and Nintendo. A Black Mage, a White Mage, a Ninja, a Moogle, and a Cactuar appear as playable characters. Behemoth also appears as a boss in the game's story mode.
  • Kingdom Hearts: An Action RPG series jointly produced by Square and Disney featuring the latter’s properties alongside a slew of Original Generation characters, with several characters from the Final Fantasy series making guest appearances.
  • Monster Hunter: Final Fantasy has crossed over with Monster Hunter on a couple of occassions:
    • Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate: This Nintendo 3DS game featured a collaboration with Square Enix in which hunters received armor sets inspired by Diabolos and Bahamut, while the Palico received an armor set inspired by the Warrior of Light. The Wing of Judgment weapon also has Sephiroth's face positioned on its shaft.
    • Monster Hunter: World: The first multiplatform installment in the series (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) had a collaboration with Final Fantasy XIV, in which players were given Dragoon armor sets, could confront Behemoth and Cactuars as monsters, and Palicos received equipment that made them look like Moogles.
  • Lost Odyssey: An Xbox 360-exclusive JRPG, it was worked on by Mistwalker, the game development studio Hironobu Sakaguchi created after leaving Squaresoft, who wrote and produced the game alongside Nobuo Uematsu composing its score, with the game itself playing much like the older Final Fantasy games.
  • The Last Story: A Wii-exclusive JRPG, this is another Mistwalker game that this time had Sakaguchi in the director's chair, and also featured Uematsu's compositions and music for its score.
  • Bravely Default: Began development as a sequel to 4 Heroes of Light and uses tons of elements from the franchise and is, for all intents and purposes, a Final Fantasy game.
    • Bravely Second: The sequel to the above.
    • Bravely Default II: The third entry in the Bravely Default series. Much like Final Fantasy itself, it is distinguished by being a numbered sequel and takes place in a new setting with new characters unrelated to the previous games.
  • Fortune Street: A Monopoly-esque video game published by Square Enix. Some installments of this series are crossovers between Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
  • Octopath Traveler: Another JRPG from the Bravely team that shares much of Bravely's art style and mechanics, meaning it carries much of Final Fantasy's DNA as well.
  • Super Smash Bros.: Nintendo's Massive Multiplayer Crossover Platform Fighter series, mainly focusing their big franchises with some third party Guest Fighters. Final Fantasy VII's Cloud appears in the fourth game as Downloadable Content (along with a stage based on Midgar), and later returns in Ultimate as part of the game at launch. Sephiroth would later join the fray as a DLC character in December 2020, making the Final Fantasy series the first third-party franchise to have two unique characters.
  • Xenogears: An RPG developed by Square, which saw release in 1998. This game was originally proposed as a Final Fantasy game, but it was deemed "too dark" to be one, so it became its own thing. XG, an optional boss in World of Final Fantasy, hails from this game. Some of its cast also appear in Brave Exvius. Its developers ended up leaving Square Enix soon after to form Monolith Soft, and produced two spiritual successors:
    • Xenosaga: The first spiritual successor to Xenogears, it was created under Bandai Namco Entertainment's ownership after the crew of Xenogears left Square Enix due to their prioritization of the Final Fantasy brand - namely, investing lots of money into Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Unfortunately, it was axed after three games and two spinoffs in 2006, leading to:
    • Xenoblade Chronicles: The second spiritual successor to Xenogears, it was created under Nintendo's ownership after Monolith Soft was sold to them outright by Bandai Namco in 2007. Tetsuya Nomura, known for designing characters across the Final Fantasy series and creating the aforementioned Kingdom Hearts games, did character design work on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for the group Torna (two of whom would also appear in flashbacks during Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed), with other Final Fantasy artists also designing several Rare Blades.
  • Everybody's Golf: Perhaps the series' oddest crossover yet, the PS4 version of Everybody's Golf celebrated the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy with a tournament that awarded various FF themed items. You could even replace your golf cart with a Chocobo!
  • Tekken 7: The seventh mainline installment in Bandai Namco's longrunning Tekken series, Noctis Lucis Caelum from Final Fantasy XV appears as a Guest Fighter in the game's first season of DLC, alongside a stage based off of Hammerhead and several music tracks from XV.
  • Dungeon Encounters: A 2021 RPG directed by Final Fantasy veteran Hiroyuki Ito. The game uses the Active Time Battle system from the older Final Fantasy games and has loose aesthetic and mechanical similarities to the series, distilled into a much more concentrated form.
  • Triangle Strategy: Yet another game by the Bravely Default and Octopath Traveller developers, this 2D-HD game is instead a Spiritual Successor to Final Fantasy Tactics.
  • Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring: A 3D Fighting Game that released for arcades and the PlayStation. Cloud, Tifa, Sephiroth, and few other characters from VII make guest appereances as playable fighters.

The series has various subpages, including one on game breakers and accidentally humorous overwrought moments.


Tropes common in the series:

    Individual tropes with their own pages 

Statler: After all of this, I have a fantasy of my own.
Waldorf: Is it for the final game to happen so that this trainwreck can end already?
Both: Do-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!

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"Guess We'll Find Out"

Tifa and Cloud have a playful exchange during the Queen's Blood tournament

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