History NightmareFuel / FinalFantasyIX

[[caption-width-right:350:The FinalBoss, as depicted by the [[Creator/YoshitakaAmano original artist]] for the series - ''''[[EldritchAbomination and this is a tamer version of what it actually looks like]]'''.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:The FinalBoss, as depicted by the [[Creator/YoshitakaAmano original artist]] for the series - [[EldritchAbomination and this is a tamer version of what it actually looks like]].]]

%%Image removed via crowner in the Moments Images Cleanup Thread: %%https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php?crowner_id=1udihyro

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** Yoshitaka Amano's [[http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/c/ca/Necron-art.jpg vision of Necron]] is far more terrifying than the in-game model.

* The entire mission to stop the mist at the Iifa Tree is greatly disturbing. First your traveling this maze of roots all whilst facing Zombies and sentient trees. Then you have to travel deep within the tree itself in which your riding on this leaf down a green, hellish spiral of which you get attacked by zombie dragons three times. Then you reach the bottom and you land on this harp-like structure with strings of some green liquid running down to a seemingly bottomless pool of green. Then the boss and the maker of the mist Soul Cage, drops down, explains it's behind the mist and that the mist itself and the green fluid and surroundings of the tree itself is composed of SOULS. You then have to battle it. What makes this worse is that even while you manage to stop the mist now, it'll be back soon enough.

** After Brahne call Atomos off (only because Lindblum surrendered, mind you, not because she was feeling merciful), you can see the debris that hadn't quite reached its mouth still travelling through the air. That means that hundreds of people that weren't sucked into Atomos instead plummeted hundreds of feet to their deaths.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kuja1.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:This is the face of a man [[StrawNihilist who wants to watch the world burn.]]]]
''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', as cute-looking as it is, has a lot of [[NightmareFuel terrifying stuff]] underneath.

''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', [[SugarBowl as cute-looking]] [[PuniPlush as it is,]] [[FridgeHorror has a lot of]] [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIX terrifying stuff]] [[CrapsaccharineWorld underneath.]]

VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX, [[SugarBowl as cute-looking]] [[PuniPlush as it is,]] [[FridgeHorror has a lot of]] [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIX terrifying stuff]] [[CrapsaccharineWorld underneath.]]

* Sections of Memoria are seriously horrifying. A special mention goes to the room that looks like it was designed by Salvador Dali, in which you have to climb over the melting fragmented remains of still-ticking clocks... but the hands-down freakiest room is the one that reenacts Garnet's memories of the power core of the Invincible as it destroyed her village. Since it's her childhood memory and operating under a child's view of the world, the core manifests itself as an ''enormous staring monstrous eye'' in the sky, red as blood, and surrounded by a swirling vortex of clouds. It is ''right there'', glaring at you, all the way through the boss fight that ensues... and then you have to climb a staircase [[EyeScream directly into its giant glowing pupil]] to get to the next room.

* A more meaningful, and terrifying, description of Necron is the embodiment of existential dread and despair in the face of unending hardship and suffering. He is the embodiment of an idea, that all life is meaningless suffering and that it would be better just to end. [[MercyKill That it would be an act of kindness to end it now,]] [[CruelMercy and an act of cruelty to allow it to persist.]] You face something that is not a person, or even a force, but an idea deeply ingrained into the collective unconscious of a world that has seen so much suffering due to recent events, the idea that maybe dead is better than being forced to go on after everything that has happened. [[AnthropomorphicPersonification He is the very embodiment]] [[DespairEventHorizon of the Despair Event Horizon.]]

* A more meaningful, and terrifying, description of Necron is the embodiment of existential dread and despair in the face of unending hardship and suffering. He is the embodiment of an idea, that all life is meaningless suffering and that it would be better just to end. [[MercyKill That it would be an act of kindness to end it now,]] [[CruelMercy, and an act of cruelty to allow it to persist.]] You face something that is not a person, or even a force, but an idea deeply ingrained into the collective unconscious of a world that has seen so much suffering due to recent events, the idea that maybe dead is better than being forced to go on after everything that has happened. [[AnthropomorphicPersonification He is the very embodiment]] [[DespairEventHorizon of the Despair Event Horizon.]]

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of53c7NW75A Iifa Tree's theme]] is also unsettling to listen to, which gives the player the impression that they're trespassing into a sacred and tainted tomb.

* The music "Far away in the Twilight". It is fucking ''horrifying''. It plays whenever Brahne is involved in the conflict. The most notable instances of it playing are the revelation of the Black Mages in Dali, and the attack on Lindblum in Disc Two by the Alexandrian Army. To make matters worse, it ''never stops playing'' during the visit to the ruined Lindblum. The music comes to a chilling end with a ScareChord at the end, then loops again. If this music was used during the Kuja absorbing the souls of everyone who died in the world then it would make that scene even worse.

We all know that Final Fantasy can be [[RunningGag pants-wettingly]] [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasy scary,]] and the [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIV fourth]], [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyV fifth]], [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVI sixth]], [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVII seventh]], and [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVIII eighth]] installments have their shares, but VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX, [[SugarBowl as cute-looking]] [[PuniPlush as it is,]] [[FridgeHorror also has some]] [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIX terrifying stuff]] [[CrapsaccharineWorld underneath.]]

And the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX sequel]] doesn't disappoint on the [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyX scares]]...

** And then even after you save the few people you can, Brahne summons Odin to destroy everything. Just one throw of his sword, and the church is the first thing to go. When he gallops away, it almost looks as though the fire from his attack is catching the clouds themselves. Even Beatrix is horrified by the attack afterwards. Other fans have noted the [[RealismInducedHorror disturbing similarities]] between Odin's attack and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of53c7NW75A Iifa Tree's theme is]] also unsettling to listen to, which gives the player the impression that they're trespassing into a sacred and tainted tomb.

* Kuja enslaving Bahamut. The king of dragons becomes his pawn. And the sonic wave from the Invincible also seems to make the Black Mages malfunction - making you wonder if Kuja was eliminating any way for Brahne to fight back. Then Bahamut blows up each of the ships individually - meaning the soldiers are ForcedToWatch as their comrades are burned alive before they join them. The FMV clearly shows people still on the boats as Bahamut blows them up. Kuja smiles sadistically the whole time.
* Just before Kuja summons Bahamut to destroy Alexandria, he recites a chilling poem in the square. Basically he's savoring that the citizens were celebrating the crowning of a new queen, an end to war and hope for peace - right before their home is going to be destroyed in their sleep.
--> "And while the moon still shines blue, by dawn it will turn to scarlet hue."
** And then Bahamut comes. He's even more chilling when appearing from the clouds at night. If you notice as well, he sends out ''three'' blasts from his Mega Breath. The city is already burning by the time Garnet runs out to watch. Even when Beatrix runs out to tell her the soldiers await her orders, Garnet is just standing there in a daze. She's only sixteen!
** In the immediate aftermath of the FMV, you see terrified children running through the burning streets. FridgeHorror - they're running towards where Kuja is!
** The Invincible taking control of Alexander is no slouch either. His wings turn black and shrivel up. The sword on Alexandria Castle illuminates and then stabs him.
** Garland then destroys the castle and most of the town too. His scene after this reveals he did so entirely to kill so that Terran souls could replace those of the Gaians who were just killed.