The Saddest Final Fantasy Endings

Despite how colorful and whimsical its settings and characters can be, the Final Fantasy franchise has always been a series that prides itself on hard-hitting moments and excellent storytelling. Naturally, the games have incredible moments that play on emotions, but some of the most noteworthy ones come from several of the game’s endings.

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Final Fantasy is not afraid to go bold with its endings, often forgoing a traditional happy ending and instead going for melancholy, or something outright depressing, all in service of creating a memorable experience.

This article spoils the ending of several Final Fantasy Games, including Rebirth, Crisis Core, 16, 15, and 10

5

Final Fantasy 10

No Winning Without Loss

The party of Final Fantasy 10 beats Sin for good, stops the cycle, and saves Yuna from the horrible fate of sacrificing herself. However, there’s still a price to pay for victory. Because Tidus is revealed to be a summon, just like the Aeons, a plot point brilliantly foreshadowed by him being the only cast member to have a changeable name, like the Aeons, he must return to where he came from like they did.

Players see a heartbreaking cutscene where Yuna tries to grab onto Tidus, only to find out he has become incorporeal. Yuna exchanges a last “I love you” before Tidus hugs her and leaps into the sky, disappearing. It’s not all bad though. Yuna addresses the citizens of Spira and resolves to rebuild the world now that Sin is gone. It’s as bittersweet an ending as one can get, but maybe the post-credits scene and Final Fantasy 10-2 could change things yet…

4

Final Fantasy 15

Brothers Till The End

While the story is a little rough around the edges, there’s no denying that the end of Final Fantasy 15 hits like a truck. Towards the end of the long journey, Noctis has to sleep inside a crystal for 10 years to absorb the power required to defeat Ardyn and stop the Daemons. However, this is at the cost of his own life. While a self-sacrifice plot is not particularly groundbreaking, FF 15’s focus on brotherhood and the relationship Noctis shares with Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio, makes this sacrifice heartbreaking.

Square Enix decided to break hearts a little further by having players choose their favorite photo taken by Prompto. This photo is admired fondly by Noctis and Luna Freya in the afterlife. It’s a bittersweet moment unless the player uses a sillier photo like a picture of cup noodles.

3

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core

For Zack, All Is Not Fair In Love And War

The Final Fantasy 7 universe is full of melancholic moments across all its games and expanded media, so it only makes sense that the ending of Crisis Core, a prequel to 7 starring Zack Fair, would be one of the saddest moments. After going through the events of Nibelheim, Zack and Cloud are captured and experimented on for four years by Professor Hojo before escaping, with Zack carrying Cloud’s catatonic body along the way. Zack defeats Genesis and attempts to travel back to Midgar, withCloud in tow, to see Aerith again, but he is pursued along the way by Shinra.

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After hiding Cloud, Zack makes one last stand against a small army of Shinra Soldiers, much like how he did during a flashback in 7. The player is forced to play this moment out through combat, giving them some semblance of hope that maybe Zack will make it before that hope is ripped away when flashbacks of all his friends start to play before the image of them fades away.

Zack is left dying in a pool of his own blood as Cloud crawls over to his side before Zack bequeaths the Buster Sword to him, telling Cloud “My honor, my dreams are yours now” before dying and meeting his mentor Angeal in the Lifestream. Cloud takes on Zack’s memories, leading to the events of Final Fantasy 7. While players may know this tragic story, playing through it creates even more of an emotional gut punch.

2

Final Fantasy 16

The Flame That Burns Twice As Bright Burns Half As Long

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Final Fantasy 16

Systems

Released

June 22, 2023

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

There’s a reasonable argument to be made that Clive of Final Fantasy 16 has suffered the most out of any character in the franchise. He lost his father and friends, was betrayed by his mother, was enslaved by another kingdom, and, just to top it off, Ultima is attempting to make Clive his vessel so that the former can inhibit the latter.

After a long journey, Clive teams up with Dion and his brother Joshua (whom he thought was dead at the start of the game) to kill Ultima once and for all. Unfortunately, Dion and Joshua die. Before fighting Ultima, Clive attempts to revive his brother seemingly to no avail, losing him a second time. This leads to an emotional final encounter in which Clive kills Ultima before beginning to succumb to petrification, an ailment that affects Bearers if they use too much magic. Clive is seemingly left dying while his wolf Torgal and love interest Jill are seen mourning while the credits roll, making even the most stone-faced people tear up a bit.

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Interestingly, this might not be the end for one of the characters. In a flash forward to a better future, a book called “Final Fantasy,” authored by Joshua is seen. Players who complete the side quests at the end of the game get some extra context that helps interpret this ambiguous ending, pointing to the fact that Clive might have lived and used Joshua’s name, but even with all the hints, it’s still left up to interpretation, ultimately allowing every player to interpret their own version of the ending.

1

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Things Were Supposed To Be Different This Time

Systems

Released

February 29, 2024

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Aerith dies in the original Final Fantasy 7. Players remember this haunting memory from the end of disc 1 as one of the saddest deaths in the series, as it was the loss of one of 7‘s party members. Everyone had hope that she would make it during Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as the remake trilogy is making story changes. The game even has a moment where it seems like Cloud deflected Sephiroth’s killing blow. Alas, it was not to be, as reality (or Cloud’s perception, it has not been made clear yet) shifts back to Aerith getting stabbed. Square Enix decides to bookend Rebirth with this tragedy to motivate the player to continue to the final part. They then twist the knife further by having Cloud still see Aerith’s spirit and be in denial about her death.

Furthermore, the updated graphics and the cast’s performances give a better view of the party’s emotional state, making players feel the loss of a dear friend. The game’s final shot is of Aerith’s spirit saying goodbye to the party as they fly away in the Tiny Bronco. It’s not fully clear how Square Enix intends to end the trilogy or if Aertih will come back in some fashion, but one thing is certain: How interesting it will be to see.

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