Summary
- Final Fantasy games contain hidden mechanics that can help or hurt players, like saving Cid with fish in FF6.
- Some secrets, like Gold Saucer dates in FF7, impact gameplay outcomes without explicit instructions.
- From Steiner's weapon in FF9 to Tidus' Blitz Ace in FF10, players constantly uncover mysterious mechanics in the series.
Final Fantasy has been going strong since 1987. From mainline games to spinoffs, the development teams put a lot of work into each game’s inner workings. They also put a lot of secret mechanics in them that are still baffling fans years later. These things go beyond Easter Eggs, like seeing a character’s sword or costume appear in another game.
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These hidden mechanics can help or hurt players if they aren’t careful, and are not easy to stumble into without guides. Let’s go through some of the most baffling and hard-to-find gameplay secrets in Final Fantasy history.
Light Spoilers Ahead for Final Fantasy.
7 The Cid Of It All (Final Fantasy 6)
Feed The Man Some Fish
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG
There is a section in Final Fantasy 6 where Celes has to take care of this game’s version of Cid, a scientist working for the Empire. He’s dying, and players are tasked with catching fish at the beach every day to make him better. There are no instructions; players will just intuitively find the fish, hit the action button, and then catch the fish. That’s how the game presents this act, but there is more to it.
Cid will lose HP with every second, so players have to be as quick as possible. Three different fish types will either hurt or heal Cid, and the differences are minuscule, unexplained, and very hard to spot. Before players could dive into the game’s data via the SNES ROM, many probably thought Cid would die no matter what they did. It turns out that he can be saved with lightning-fast reflexes and keen eyes, and even in later ports and remasters, the exact mechanics have never been detailed in-game.
6 Gold Saucer Dates (Final Fantasy 7)
Barret Is Still Funny
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Most fans of Final Fantasy 7 probably know about the infamous Gold Saucer date that occurs late in the game. Based on choices made, Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, or even Barret can ask Cloud out on a date. The easiest two to get are between Aerith and Tifa, with Yuffie being a bit cringey since she is younger, and Barret just being funny.
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In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Red 13 is also added as an option, and the scene with all the characters can be both meaningful and sweet, especially the one with Tifa. While fans have dug into data to see what choices will affect the date outcomes, it’s never been explicitly stated in any of the game’s versions. Unlike the Persona series, there is no stat bar for the dating mechanic, leaving it a mystery for many years.
5 All Lucky 7s (Final Fantasy 7)
Good Luck Triggering This
While Gold Saucer is a known factor of sorts, Final Fantasy 7’s All Lucky 7s mechanic is not. The max HP of any character can be 9999, and if by some miracle, that HP bar hits 7777 in battle, it triggers All Lucky 7s. This sends the character into a frenzy wherein they attack over and over again, with each hit dealing 7777 damage. After the initial barrage, the character continues to do 7777 damage on every turn.
If the character is healed or received damage, they are knocked out of the status. Players savvy enough to craft their HP limits to hit 7777 at the start of battle could get a real advantage over secret bosses like Ruby Weapon and Emerald Weapon, but it's nearly impossible to do. Triggering it naturally on PS1 was probably less likely than encountering a shiny Pokemon in the early Pokemon games.
4 Steiner’s Strongest Weapon (Final Fantasy 9)
Obtaining Excalibur 2
Final Fantasy 9
- Released
- July 7, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Ultimate weapons are a big part of the Final Fantasy series, and most are relatively easy to get, or at least the paths are well-documented. That’s not the case for Steiner’s best weapon in Final Fantasy 9, though, as players can only find it by some ungodly chance of luck. First, players have to make it to the final dungeon of the game, on the fourth disc, and then fight Lich.
After the boss fight, Excalibur 2 can be found behind Lich’s staging area. The catch is, players have to make it there in under twelve hours, which is impossible unless they are using speedrun tricks, cheat codes, or just rushing through. If they rush, they will bypass a lot of content just to get one weapon, which seems silly and counterintuitive to how these games are meant to be played.
3 Tidus’ Blitz Ace Assists (Final Fantasy 10)
Cloud Wasn’t The Only Blonde Romeo
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 10 has a romance option of sorts, like Final Fantasy 7, except it doesn't involve the hero, Tidus, going on a theme park ride. Healing or guarding certain characters in battle can win Tidus points with them, along with other actions players take. This will trigger who appears in some cutscenes, like Rikku riding on the snowmobile with Tidus late in the game.
The Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy 10 are called Overdrives, and Tidus’ best one is Blitz Ace. In the final shot of the Overdrive, Lulu, Rikku, or Yuna can throw a Blitzball to Tidus, depending on the player's previous actions. The main romance in the game is between Tidus and Yuna, no matter what, so this mechanic is a bit odd, and most players probably had no idea there actually were different outcomes compared to Final Fantasy 7’s Gold Saucer ride.
2 The Secret Chest (Final Fantasy 12)
Obtaining The Zodiac Spear
Final Fantasy 12
- Released
- October 31, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
There is another ultimate weapon abnormality in the series, and it's found in the original release of Final Fantasy 12. To get the Zodiac Spear, the strongest weapon in the game, players had to avoid breaking certain barrels and opening specific chests. If players do this, then a chest containing the Zodiac Spear will appear later in the game. If players mess up at all, the side quest is null and void.
This was changed for the remaster of Final Fantasy 12, which some fans liked and some fans didn’t, particularly those who had learned how to get the Zodiac Spear in the PS2 version. It’s a controversial method, to be sure, and another example of how Final Fantasy has fought back against its fans by punishing them for doing what comes naturally: looting chests.
1 Cloud’s Hidden Talents (Final Fantasy Tactics)
Seek The Materia Blade
Final Fantasy Tactics
- Released
- June 20, 1997
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, RPG
This last bit of trivia is also tied to a weapon and a secret character as well. Through a series of missions, Cloud from Final Fantasy 7 can become a party member in Final Fantasy Tactics, but he starts at level one and has no distinct skills. In the character screen, selecting him will prompt a dialogue box alluding to something hiding near a volcano. With Cloud in the party, this may clue players in that they need to travel to Mount Bervenia, but nothing will happen when they do.
The trick is to equip Cloud with the Chemist's Treasure Hunter ability and then get him to the top of the volcano, where he will find his Materia Blade, allowing him to use Limit Breaks. Treasure Hunter can have characters pick up items on maps, but it’s never anything as rare and specific as this. Unless someone scoured the entire map with Cloud, or any character equipped with Treasure Hunter, they would never find the Materia Blade.
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