Summary
Final Fantasygames don’t shy away from dark moments where characters die and are never heard from again. However, there are exceptions to this norm, which can make for interesting stories as players see a dead character come back to either help or fight against the heroes.
Numerous characters have cheated death in theFinal Fantasygames and come back. Some of these reveals are cryptic and left to the player’s imagination, while others make it perfectly clear that the character in question had survived all along.
Joshua Rosfield seemingly died and came back from the grave not just once, but twice inFinal Fantasy 16. The first instance is when Clive goes berserk and ends up “killing” Phoenix during the opening hours of the game.
However, the Eikon is eventually revealed to be alive, with the brothers reuniting in their quest to free Bearers from the curse of magic in Valisthea.He also seemingly sacrifices himselfbefore the final fight to give Clive his power, but the fact that the epilogue shows a book with his name suggests that he survived this ordeal.
A hard physical hitter and the perfect warriorto bring into battle, Auron is a belovedFinal Fantasycharacter who often wows players with his cool demeanor. It helps that his character becomes more riveting when his history with Braska and Jecht is revealed.
It turns out that his friends died after the end of their journey, causing an incensed Auron to confront Yunalesca and be cut down in the process. He comes back later as an Unsent who guides Tidus to Spira and helps the heroes break the cycle of destruction that the world is forced to endure.
Final Fantasy 5may not be a story-driven adventure, but the lengths it goes to provide players with two endings should be appreciated. If a party member is downed when the fight against Neo Exdeath ends,they are unable to make it out of the Voidand are seemingly consumed.
However, the heroes don’t lose hope and conduct a ritual to revive their fallen comrades at the end of the game. It’s a sweet ending that’s quite ambitious for its time, and it’s a shame that more people don’t know about this alternate scene inFinal Fantasy 5.
Despite the issues many players have with its gameplay,Final Fantasy 2’s classic story of tyrannical empires and hopeful rebellions redeems it in the eyes of a great number of fans. Players control a group of orphans who rebel against Emperor Mateus and manage to defeat him in combat.
However, the Emperor’s thirst for power is so intense that even descending into the depths of Hell isn’t enough to stop him. He escapes the underworld as a demonic emperor, becoming stronger than ever before andsetting the stage for one final epic confrontation.
Final Fantasy 4has a bad habit of making characters sacrifice themselves, only to reveal that they somehow survived. The worst example of this is when Yang locks himself in one of the rooms in the Tower of Babil in order to try and stop its turrets fromdestroying the home of the dwarves.
This turret room explodes, and everyone rightfully assumes that Yang died, only for it to be revealed that he somehow survived. It’s hard to understand how he cheated death, especially since he’s unceremoniously left behind as the party moves on.
By the time players unleash a legendary Omnislash on Sephiroth and cut him down to size, it’s clear that the villain has exploded into a million pieces. However, given how popularFinal Fantasy 7became, Square Enix decided to release a movie sequel that would bring the iconic villain back.
Advent Childrendoesn’t do a great job of explaining how Sephiroth’s Remnants were planning to bring him back, but seeing the One-Winged Angel in the flesh once more was an awe-inspiring moment nonetheless. He and Cloud engage in a deadly duel that ends when Cloud reveals a supercharged version of the Omnislash, seemingly closing the book on Sephiroth for good.
2Tidus
A Dream Of The Fayth Who’s Allowed To Return To The Land Of The Living
Tidus' overenthusiastic charm can be a bit too overbearing at times, but that’s a huge part of what makes this character so special. After all, he eventually learns about his impending fate, but he decides to accept it wholeheartedlyif it means saving Yunaand breaking the cycle of destruction plaguing Spira.
He passed over into the Farplane at the end ofFinal Fantasy 10, but players who make an effort to get the 100% ending inFinal Fantasy 10-2will witness a scene where he’s allowed to come back to the realm of the living. It’s a heartwarming moment that wraps up Tidus and Yuna’s relationship in a neat little bow.
The Cloud of Darkness is one of the most intimidating bosses in the series. In her quest to reduce the world to a state of nothingness, she effortlessly kills the Warriors of Light and proceeds to move forward with her diabolical plan.
Thankfully, the spirits of Doga and Unei (two of Noah’s students) revive the heroes and pass on. It’s not until the Warriors of the Dark sacrifice themselves to weaken the Cloud of Darkness that Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus step up to the plate and save the day after a long, grueling battle.
