Final Fantasy is one of the most critically acclaimed and popular RPG franchises of all time. A defining characteristic of Final Fantasy is that each game in the series can ultimately stand alone as its own unique experience. In other words, games in the franchise don't need to be played in numbered succession. Having each game stand alone as its own story allows any new player to pick up the game and enter the world of Final Fantasy on equal footing.

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However, despite the uniqueness of each game to its successors, there are unifying threads between the games that can be established as lore. The overall atmosphere and story-centric nature of Final Fantasy have remained intact throughout the series so that even if there is no connecting plot, there is an overall tone and feel that makes the Final Fantasy games cohesive and recognizable.

10 Chocobos Have Become One Of The Most Recognizable RPG Mounts

Final Fantasy XIV Chocobos

Any Final Fantasy fan will have at some point become familiarized with the notorious Chocobo. These mythical creatures are a recurring part of most games in the series. Often they will take the form of a mount that players can ride which moves much faster than merely walking.

Additionally, in some games such as FFXII, the Chocobo actually provides a repellent against wild monsters attacking. Other times, Chocobos have even shown up as randomly appearing monsters themselves. Despite their adorable appearance, Chocobos are a force to be reckoned with in the FF franchise.

9 Final Fantasy IX Shares Strong Similarities With Final Fantasy I

Garnet Til Alexandros in front of the palace Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy IX is often cited as a love letter to the rest series up to that point. It was the last entry that series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi worked on and as such, FFIX was a return to form after the departures that VII and VIII took from the first six games. A big way that FFIX paid homage to the rest of the franchise was its clear connections to the first entry in the series.

For example, Princess Garnet's real name was Sarah and her mother's name was Jane, a direct reference to Queen Jayne from the original game whose daughter's name was also Sarah. Additionally, the World Maps in both games are nearly identical, and even the main antagonist, Garland, shares the same name in both games.

Shiva summon from Final Fantasy

A common reoccurring gameplay mechanic in Final Fantasy is the use of summons. The summons of the various games tend to usually have common names and characteristics between them. Some of the most famous of these summons are Ifrit, Shiva, Bahamut, and Odin.

The deities that FF's summons are named after stem from sources as far-reaching as Norse Mythology to Hindu Gods. Some of the most popular summoners in the Final Fantasy series also happen to be its female lead protagonists: Yuna, Garnet, Terra, and Rydia.

7 Shinra Brings The Worlds of Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy X Together

Cloud Strife in the iconic image of Final Fantasy VII.

Though all numbered entries in the series generally consist of entirely different stories and worlds, there have been hints of interrelation in a few games. A particularly interesting one relates FFVII to FFX. The Shinra Corp — the main source of evil in FFVII — was a huge corporation that had a strong influence on political and economic factors in VII's world.

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Namely, Shinra had control over mako energy, which was a major source of power throughout the world. In the world of FFX, Shinra is a character that Yuna meets in X-2. He claims he has discovered a new source of energy, hinting at the possibility of him being the ancestor of the owners of Shinra.

6 Final Fantasy VII Is A Spiritual Ancestor To Final Fantasy X In More Ways Than One

Screenshot depicting Sephiroth with a weapon in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

The inherent connections between Final Fantasy X and VII go much deeper than surface-level appearances. In particular, they permeate the more spiritual aspects of both game worlds as well. Both VII and X contain resting places for the dead, which are said to have harnessable energy: The Farplane in X and the Promised Land in VII.

Additionally, in FFX there are spiritual entities called pyreflies that could combine to form the image of a deceased person. In the FFVII: Advent Children movie, pyreflies are again seen when Kadaj dies, further suggesting its connection with FFX.

5 Cid Is Final Fantasy's Version Of Yoda

Various versions of CID from FF

In every main Final Fantasy game in the series, there is always a character named Cid. Cid takes different forms in each game. For example, he may be a party member, an NPC, or even an antagonist.

Hironobu Sakaguchi has said in EGM2 that Cid's character doesn't actually have any deep meaning; he just liked the idea of Cid being a wise, Yoda-like recurring character in the series. Cids tend to be intelligent, science-minded characters, with many of them being in control of the airships in the games.

4 Final Fantasy VIII & Final Fantasy III Take Place In The Same World

Rinoa and Sqall preparing to embrace in Final Fantasy VIII

There is strong evidence that suggests that both FFVIII and FFIII take place in the same world, perhaps thousands of years apart. For starters, the World Map in both games is very similar, seeming to differ only in terms of the changes that would feasibly occur if VIII were truly taking place many years following III.

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In addition, Final Fantasy VIII has a legend about a sorcerer named Hyne who was destroyed in a great battle long, long ago. In FFIII, Hyne is a minor antagonist who was defeated by the warriors of light.

3 Moogles Will Always Be There To Guide You

Vivi talking to a Moogle in Final Fantasy

Though most games in Final Fantasy are entirely unique and set in very different worlds and settings, there are some elements that appear in most games. One such element is the race of the Moogles, which first appeared in FFIII.

Since then, Moogles have appeared in various forms and functions in the games, but mainly as a means of being a guide, traveling salesman, or even a friendly face that helps the party set up camp for the night. In some games, such as in FFX and FFVII (in VII they're called "Mogs"), Moogles are mainly reduced to folklore and mythological creatures.

2 Gilgamesh Travels Through The Void Between Games

Gilgamesh Final fantasy xii screenshot

Gilgamesh is a reoccurring character who first appeared in the very first entry in the Final Fantasy franchise. Since then, he took a major role as the main villain in FFV, as well as reappearing in FFVIII.

In FFV, Gilgamesh is the antagonist and rival of the game's protagonist, Bartz. At the end of their battle, Gilgamesh is ultimately banished into the Void. In FFVIII when Seifer encounters Gilgamesh through the Void, Gilgamesh is seen talking about Bartz, confirming that this is indeed one and the same character.

1 Magic Spells & Monsters Set The Tone For All Final Fantasy Entries

Screenshot of Final fantasy vii remake

Unlike many other game franchises where each entry is as equal to the last, Final Fantasy takes the route of having each game contained within its own unique world with different characters and storylines. Though some games have had parallel ideas or even the occasional link between worlds, they are all invariably unique.

Some of the most well-defined things about each game that remain the same are the names of magic spells and monsters, such as Fire, Fira, and Firaga. There are also recurring monsters. Flan, Tonberry, and Malboro are just a few monsters that appear in nearly every game of the franchise, demonstrating the interconnected lore of Final Fantasy.

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