Summary
- Many Final Fantasy characters faced shocking betrayals, with mind control and manipulation driving them to go against their comrades.
- Characters like Kefka and Cait Sith experienced unexpected betrayals that added depth and surprise to their stories.
- Seifer Almasy, manipulated by Edea, showcases a redemption arc as he helps the heroes despite his initial betrayal of SeeD.
Final Fantasy is one of the most popular video game franchises that is still going strong to this day. The amazing writing of this series is a huge reason why the epic story and its memorable characters become a huge contributor to the fun factor in every Final Fantasy game.
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Given its story-heavy focus, it's only a given that most Final Fantasy games had their fair share of shocking betrayals. Fans will be left with their jaws on the floor after seeing a beloved friend turn on their comrades, even if external factors influence this decision.
1 Kain Highwind
Mind-Controlled And Forced To Turn Against The Party
Final Fantasy 4
- Released
- July 19, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 4 is one of the greatest entries in the series that boasts an epic story. The strained friendship of Cecil and Kain is introduced early on, with the Dragoon harboring feelings for Rosa, Cecil's love interest.
This makes him an easy target for Zemus' brainwashing, who forces Kain to turn on the party in the Sealed Cave. It's a shocking moment that makes Kain's motivations rather confusing, which is why it's great to see the Dragoon admit his faults after reuniting with the party and swearing to do better instead of letting his emotions be manipulated.
2 Leon
Manipulated By Emperor Mateus After Splitting Apart From His Friends
Final Fantasy II
- Released
- December 17, 1988
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
At the start of Final Fantasy 2, Leon is separated from his friends following an ambush by the empire's Black Knights. It turned out that he had been captured by Emperor Mateus, who manipulated him into serving as his Dark Knight.
He fights against the party several times before eventually seeing his senses and joining his friends. Moments like these highlight the promise of Final Fantasy 2's captivating story, which is why it's a shame that so many people can't get past the hurdles put up by the title's confusing gameplay systems.
3 Kefka
Calling Emperor Gestahl His Friend Is A Stretch, But The Duo Was Inseparable At One Point
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Kefka is one of the most diabolical and engaging Final Fantasy villains, with this mad jester doing everything in his power to sow the seeds of chaos in the world. His betraying General Leo wasn't all that surprising, given how they both harbored a deep sense of hatred for each other.
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However, no one expected that Kefka would turn on the Emperor he'd been loyal to for the first half of the game. Calling them friends would be a stretch, but it was still shocking to see Kefka discard Emperor Gestahl without any hesitation, and ruin the world by disturbing the balance of the Warring Triad.
4 Cait Sith
Controlled By Reeve And Operated As A Double Agent
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
There are many reasons why Cait Sith isn't all that beloved in Final Fantasy 7. His lack of powerful attacks is one reason, but it's his half-baked betrayal that is so forgettable that fans forget this robot was actually being controlled by Reeve from the Turks.
He feeds information to Shinra about the heroes, who are blissfully unaware of his role as a double agent, even though they're swarmed by Shinra troops mere moments after Cait Sith joins their party. While he does try to redeem himself with a sacrifice in the Temple of the Ancients, it lacks any impact, especially since another version of Cait Sith rejoins the heroes not long after.
5 Sephiroth
Went Insane After Learning The Truth Of His Origins And Went Berserk On Everyone Close To Him
As talented as Sephiroth was, no one expected him to go berserk after learning of his origins in Nibelheim. He was Cloud's hero and a friend of sorts to the other SOLDIERs, which is why his betrayal of everything they stood for was so heartbreaking.
Cloud couldn't bear to see his idol burn down his hometown and slaughter everyone living in it. He chased down Sephiroth and managed to throw him into the Lifestream, only for this villain's diabolical presence to become stronger as he tried to summon Meteor and destroy all of Gaia itself.
6 Master Xande
Betrayed His Fellow Students After Becoming Obsessed With Immortality
Xande was one of the students of the Great Magus Noah, who wasn't fond of his pupil's haughty nature. He decided to give him the gift of mortality to help him learn a valuable lesson, only for Xande to become obsessed and mortified by the idea of death.
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This causes him to betray his sensei's teachings, going against his fellow students Doga and Unei in the process. He must be put down in the game, only for it to be revealed that the Cloud of Darkness manipulated him from behind the scenes to prey on his insecurities.
7 Cloud Strife
Sephiroth Managed To Manipulate The Hero Into Working Against The Party And Giving Him The Black Materia
Throughout Final Fantasy 7, the threat of the Black Materia is made clear as day. When Cloud finally got his hands on this powerful materia, all he had to do was give it to either Barret or Red XIII.
Instead, Sephiroth swooped in from out of nowhere and manipulated Cloud into giving him the materia instead, forcing him to betray his friends and the Planet itself. He eventually fell into the Lifestream and became catatonic, forcing Tifa to help him face his past and regain the identity he had lost after Zack's brutal demise.
8 Seifer Almasy
Went Against All of SeeD After He Was Mind-Controlled Into Working For Edea
Final Fantasy 8
- Released
- February 11, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
To call Seifer a friend to the heroes would be a massive stretch, but his betrayal of SeeD caused his friends to be alienated, too. This can be seen when Raijin and Fujin appeal to the heroes in a bid to save Seifer from the brainwashing he'd been subjected to.
They eventually help Seifer see the light, who repays the favor at the end of the game by helping the heroes enter the final dungeon. He may be far from a likable character, but fans must give Seifer credit for trying to make an effort to fix relations after being forced to turn against all of humanity by Ultimecia.
- Creation Year
- 1987
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Creator
- Hironobu Sakaguchi
- Latest Release
- Final Fantasy 16
- Creator(s)
- Hironobu Sakaguchi