Summary
- Characters in Final Fantasy often cheat death, coming back to life or revealing they were never truly dead to begin with.
- Many iconic characters like Sephiroth and Tidus return from death to continue their stories in various sequels.
- The series presents alternate endings where fallen party members are revived, adding complexity and emotional depth to the narratives.
Final Fantasy games 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.
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Numerous characters have cheated death in the Final Fantasy games 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.
8 Joshua Rosfield
Given The Author Of The Book At The End Of The Game, It Seems That He Survived
Final Fantasy 16
- Released
- June 22, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Joshua Rosfield seemingly died and came back from the grave not just once, but twice in Final 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 himself before 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.
7 Auron
Dies At Yunalesca's Hands But Comes Back To Guide Tidus And Help Save The World Of Spira
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
A hard physical hitter and the perfect warrior to bring into battle, Auron is a beloved Final Fantasy character 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.
6 Bartz, Lenna, Krile, And/Or Faris
The Party Members Who Are Dead When Neo Exdeath Dies Are Revived In An Alternate Ending
Final Fantasy 5
- Released
- December 6, 1992
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 5 may 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 Void and are seemingly consumed.
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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 in Final Fantasy 5.
5 Emperor Mateus
The Emperor Dies, Only To Come Back Stronger Than Ever As A Demon From Hell
Final Fantasy II
- Released
- December 17, 1988
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
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 and setting the stage for one final epic confrontation.
4 Yang Fang Leiden
Assumed To Be Dead, Only For The Heroes To Find Out That He Survived
Final Fantasy 4
- Released
- July 19, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 4 has 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 from destroying 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.
3 Sephiroth
Comes Back To Fight Cloud Once Again In Advent Children
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- September 14, 2022
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
- Director
- Tetsuya Nomura
- Studio(s)
- Visual Works
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 popular Final Fantasy 7 became, Square Enix decided to release a movie sequel that would bring the iconic villain back.
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Advent Children doesn'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.
2 Tidus
A Dream Of The Fayth Who's Allowed To Return To The Land Of The Living
- Final Fantasy 10
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 wholeheartedly if it means saving Yuna and breaking the cycle of destruction plaguing Spira.
He passed over into the Farplane at the end of Final Fantasy 10, but players who make an effort to get the 100% ending in Final Fantasy 10-2 will 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.
1 The Warriors Of Light
The Heroes Are Revived After The Cloud Of Darkness Kills Them
Final Fantasy III
- Released
- April 27, 1990
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
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.
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