The Final Fantasy games are filled to the brim with epic stories and high stakes as a group of heroes put everything on the line to save the world from massive evil. There are many ways this is achieved, with some games involving the heroes making a valiant sacrifice to ensure a villain doesn't see his plans come to fruition. This can create an emotional moment when players see their favorite characters lose their lives or something equally important.
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It takes a lot of effort for these characters to make such valiant sacrifices, and fans will find these games all the more memorable for the altruistic nature of their protagonists. The scale of these sacrifices can vary quite a bit, but any character willing to give up everything to save the world deserves to be hailed as heroes.
5 Noctis Lucis Caelum
Sacrifices himself to save the world from Ardyn's evil
- Released
- November 9, 2016
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The camaraderie is shared between the main roles in Final Fantasy 15 is incredibly lovable and does a great job of selling the band shared between the friends. Noctis may seem a little too cranky for his own good, but it's clear as day that the weight of responsibility on his shoulders is weighing on him. Thankfully, this support system ensures he never feels alone, easing his burdens somewhat. But after Noctis gestures to the crystal and learns how to banish Ardyn's influence, he realizes that he must say goodbye to his friends once and for all.
It's a heartbreaking moment as Noctis bids a tearful farewell to the group, reminiscing about the good times they had together before engaging in an all-time battle with Ardyn. After sacrificing himself to end Ardyn's true form once and for all, Noctis passes away and makes a huge sacrifice to save the world before passing away. The dark presence that threatens to engulf the world is over, with the prince leaving behind three loyal friends who will carry on his legacy.
4 Galuf Halm Baldesion
Ended his life to save his friends and his grandson
- Released
- December 6, 1992
- OpenCritic Rating
- Powerful
Final Fantasy 5 is a pretty goofy game that leans heavily on its comedic chops. The title prioritizes gameplay over the story that works for it, allowing players to switch jobs as they ascend to become Warriors of Light and save the world from Exdeath. However, after traveling to a new world where it is revealed that Galuf had already served as a legendary warrior who saved this world once before, the villain manages to capture the main party and captures Krile, Galuf's grandson.
Seeing her on the brink of death forces Galuf into action, who frees his bonds and thwarts Exdeath's nefarious attempts, but this comes at a great cost. Taking plenty of punishment, he dies not long after, passing on his legacy to Krile in a surprisingly emotional moment that establishes Galuf as one of the most heroic party members of all time.
3 Palom & Porom
Petrify themselves to save the party from being crushed
Final Fantasy 4
- Released
- 19 July 1991
- Developer
- Square
- OpenCritic Rating
- Powerful
Final Fantasy 4 is a narrative game with tons of characters that move in and out of the party as the story progresses. It takes a while for the final five members of the party to solidify their position, and players will love controlling other well-defined party members who embody classic Final Fantasy jobs with their own unique personalities. However, the manner in which some of these characters leave the party is quite upsetting, and this is especially true in the case of Palom and Porom.
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The magical twins may be young, but their skill makes it clear that these characters are talented magicians who can achieve great things once they hone their talents. So it's heartbreaking to see these kids show a level of emotional maturity uncommon at their age, petrifying themselves to stop a trap from crushing the entire party. While the sequel to Final Fantasy 4 shows them alive and well, which takes nothing away from a victim that is hard to digest.
2 Clive Rosfield
His fate is left to the player's interpretation when he succeeds in erasing magic from the world
- Released
- June 22, 2023
- OpenCritic Rating
- Powerful
Final Fantasy 16 set in a world steeped in tragedy, where the bearers of the world are cursed with the power of magic that slowly petrifies them as they use this power. In an attempt to remove this conflict from the world, Clive leads a resistance aimed at improving the well-being of these people and finding a way to undo the wearer's curse. After confronting Ultima, he learns that this malevolent creature is the reason magic plagues the world of Valisthea.
After defeating Ultima and absorbing his power, Clive's body cannot handle the power of this alien magical presence, but he manages to use this power and destroy the link that serves as the source of magic in the world. His body begins to petrify, but players are left in the dark as to whether he survived or if the wearer's curse petrified him for good. Regardless, there's no denying that Clive made the ultimate sacrifice and would have died with a smile on his face if it meant ridding the world of the curse of magic once and for all.
1 Shadow
Could potentially sacrifice himself while trying to stop Kefka from upsetting the balance of the warring triad
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
- Developer
- Square Enix, Square
- OpenCritic Rating
- Powerful
Despite seeming like a mercenary who only looks out for himself, there is more to Shadow than meets the eye. It's clear that there's a large chip on his shoulder that haunts him at all times, and his background can be witnessed in a series of random flashbacks that can be triggered if players rest with him at an inn. He is far from a hero, but he has no problem sacrificing himself for the greater good. This can be seen on the Floating Continent, where Shadow tries to stop Kefka on his own, telling the party to escape.
This is the first moment in the game where Shadow can potentially sacrifice himself if the players don't wait for him. He might come back, but it was clear he had no intention of surviving trying to save the world. Thankfully, players who refuse to leave the Floating Continent before he returns can recruit him in the World of Ruin. This time, they have no say in preventing his demise at the end of the game, with Shadow accepting his past and promising to meet his friend in the afterlife when he can finally move on.
Final Fantasy
- Formative years
- 1987
- Developer
- Square Enix
- Publisher
- Square Enix