The Final Fantasy series is among the most popular JRPG franchises. Multiple of the mainline entries have left a major impact on the industry. There have been 15 mainline installments and nearly 80 spin-offs in its 35-year-long run.
The hundreds of hours of cutscenes have lead to many iconic events. This list will cover the 10 most iconic Final Fantasy moments in the order they occurred in the series.
10/10 Chaotic Time Loop (FF1)
Players defeated Garland near the start of the original Final Fantasy, and then went on to fight four friends named Lich, Marilith, Kraken, and Tiamat. At the end of the game, it is revealed that Garland and all four friends were in an infinite time loop.
They continuously sent each other through time to revive each other. The party put an end to this cycle by defeating Chaos. Stranger of Paradise expands this plot-line further by giving the fiends extra backstory.
9/10 Cecil’s Paladin Transformation (FF4)
At the start of Final Fantasy 4, Cecil was a warrior working under an evil king. He committed many atrocities, but eventually wanted to redeem himself. Halfway through the story, he reached a room of mirrors.
There, he went through a visual transformation. His Dark Knight armor transitioned into light Paladin armor. This physical change symbolized his path to enlightenment, and this class change gave players access to an entirely new play style.
8/10 Life … Dreams … Hope … (FF6)
The nihilistic lines of dialogue spoken by Kefka right at the start of the final boss fight are some of the most memorable in the series. Kefka wanted to wipe out all the hope left inside the party.
Kefka showed his insanity at many points throughout Final Fantasy 6, but by the end, the true depth to his despair is revealed. Kefka nearly destroying all of humanity before this boss fight makes his dialogue very impactful.
7/10 Aerith’s Death (FF7)
Upon her introduction, Aerith quickly became one of the most popular characters in the entire series. Her heavy relevance to the storyline and kind personality were key factors to this. Sephiroth killing her at the end of disc 1 was completely unexpected at the time, but it has become one of the most well known moments in the franchise.
It sparked many rumors, such as a secret way to revive her. Even after death, Aerith is a significant part of the main story. She is essential to the ending sequence and even makes an appearance as a spirit in the Advent Children movie.
6/10 Sephiroth’s Supernova (FF7)
During the final boss fight, Sephiroth can use an attack called Supernova. The animation for the attack is essentially a 2-minute cutscene. A meteor slowly bursts through planets until it eventually ignites a solar flare by crashing into the sun. Sephiroth can use this attack many times, and each time it is equally as intense as the last.
Supernova can’t kill the party, but it always drains everyone’s HP to near death. If players don’t heal quickly, then it’ll result in a swift game over. The original Final Fantasy 7 had a third disc due to the sheer size of this attack animation. This iconic attack even appears in Super Smash Bros Ultimate as Sephiroth’s Final Smash.
5/10 Space Station (FF8)
One of the last segments in Final Fantasy 8 takes place on a space station. Ultimacia briefly takes control of Rinoa and nearly kills everyone onboard. Squall and Rinoa slowly running out of oxygen is an intense moment that makes the sequence unforgettable.
Many plot points are also revealed in this part of the story, such as there being a massive army of monsters on the moon. It serves as the beginning of the final stretch of the game.
4/10 Odin Summon (FF9)
After Queen Brahne acquires summoning power, she uses it to completely destroy Cleyra, the settlement built onto the gigantic tree. The high quality cutscene of Odin descending to obliterate the city shows off the mighty power summons have in the Final Fantasy series.
It’s also a rare instance of a summon being used out of battle in the older Final Fantasy installments — they were almost entirely relegated to in-battle appearances. These rare story cinematics demonstrate just how strong these iconic creatures are.
3/10 Hahahahahahahaha (FF10)
Tidus and Yuna’s forced laugh has become a notorious scene among the Final Fantasy community. It’s a very awkward moment, but that’s exactly the point. Together they fake laugh to shrug off their negative emotions.
It’s a moment that shows off how good Tidus is at cheering others up. Even when sad, he is a shining beacon that encourages the party constantly to keep moving forward.
2/10 Aquatic Kiss (FF10)
The romance between Tidus and Yuna was subtle at first, but it became a major focus in the second half of the story. Their relationship by the end is one of the strongest in the series, yet the story direction made their relationship difficult. This moment is where their true feelings became most clear to the player.
While alone, Tidus and Yuna swam around a lake together. Tidus and Yuna kissing during it is a very heartwarming moment. This sequence has been used in a lot of promotional material, including being the main image used for the remaster collection.
1/10 Kingly Sacrifice (FF15)
“Many sacrificed all for the King; so must the King sacrifice himself for all.” This line is said multiple times throughout Final Fantasy 15. The many allies Noctis meets along his journey do their best to aid him. Some, such as Ignis, are even willing to sacrifice themselves for him.
Noctis is destined to sacrifice himself at the end to save everyone else. Despite the game giving players a lot of prep time to prepare for the moment, it is still very sad. Noctis and Luna being reunited in the new title screen is also a wonderful detail that makes it a bitter-sweet ending.
