8 Characters Who Should’ve Died In The Final Fantasy Series

Final Fantasy is a series full of story-driven games with a wealth of memorable characters. As one would expect, the heroes are thrust into precarious situations time and time again, where survival isn’t guaranteed.

So, it can be odd to see certain characters put themselves in the path of certain death, only to survive. For the most part, these moments don’t take away from a player’s enjoyment of the Final Fantasy games, but they do cause them to scratch their head and ask questions from time to time.

1

Cid Pollendina

Jumped From An Airship With A Bomb, Yet Somehow Survived

Final Fantasy 4 is a game notorious for featuring many false sacrifices that are hard to explain. This is especially true in Cid’s case, who jumps from the airship with a bomb to plug a massive hole that connects the surface world to the underworld.

He did this to block the enemy’s path and save Cecil, only for it to be revealed that he somehow survived this death-defying act. It’s one of the most illogical moments in the game, although fans will be so invested in the adventure at this point that they won’t question it too much.

2

Joshua Rosfield

Cheated Death Twice

Joshua is one of the best characters in Final Fantasy 16, who somehow managed to cheat death twice. The first instance comes when Clive goes berserk as Ifrit and smashes Phoenix to bits, only for it to be revealed that Joshua survived this ordeal.

The second instance comes at the very end of the game, when Joshua seemingly sacrifices himself to give Clive the strength he needed to take Ultima down. However, the prologue reveals that Joshua survived and wrote down this epic story in a tale aptly titled “Final Fantasy”, which left fans with a smile on their face, even if the actual details of his survival are never hashed out.

3

Rydia Of Mist

Got Dragged By Leviathan Into The Ocean But Didn’t Drown

Rydia is one of the best Final Fantasy characters in the eyes of many. Her introduction starts on a tragic note after her hometown is obliterated, with the death of her mother causing her to unwittingly summon Titan to make Cecil and Kain pay.

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She eventually warms up to Cecil after any misunderstandings are cleared, but finds herself in Leviathan’s grasp as she’s dragged under the water. Rydia should’ve passed at this point, but found herself in the Feymarch instead, where she aged at a rapid pace and eventually became a master of black magic while also calling upon the power of the Eidolons whenever required.

4

Yuna

She Was Supposed To Die And Continue The Cycle Of Destruction Plaguing Spira

Another amazing summoner in Final Fantasy who can single-handedly win boss fights is Yuna. This noble character rose to the task when she was selected to sacrifice herself and save Sin.

She would’ve succumbed to this fate had it not been for Tidus’ timely intervention, who willed her and the entire party to fight against this disturbing destiny. What follows is a battle for the ages against powerful foes like Yunalesca and Sin itself, before the heroes finally take out Yu Yevon and end Sin’s threat for good.

5

Cloud Strife

Has The Uncanny Ability To Survive Treacherous Falls

As powerful as Cloud may be, he’s also a human at the end of the day. The fact that he didn’t explode into a million pieces after falling from a great height into Aerith’s church was hard enough to believe, as is.

Along with this, Cloud somehow manages to survive falling into the Lifestream twice. If anything, the second fall was beneficial for his health since he could finally unravel his memories and undo the damage caused by Hojo’s experimentations and the mako poisoning that followed.

6

Squall Leonhart

Survived Being Impaled And Becoming Lost In Space And Time

Most Final Fantasy protagonists are saved by plot armor, but Squall takes things a step too far. For starters, he’s impaled by an ice spike by Edea, only for it to be revealed that he survived and wasn’t even scarred after this affair.

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At the end of the game, Squall finds himself lost in space and time after Ultimecia is defeated. He should’ve been spaghettified at the very least, but managed to come back to his timeline after a trippy sequence.

7

Ignis Scientia

Despite Using The Ring Of The Lucii, Ignis Only Lost His Eyes Instead Of His Life

The Ring of the Lucii can only be wielded by members of the Royal Bloodline, as displayed by Nyx when he used this relic’s power and died shortly after in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy 15. So, when Ignis wears the ring to fight Ardyn in Episode Ignis, he should’ve met with the same fate.

Instead, his loyalty to the king and the bond he shared with Noctis justified him only losing his eyesight instead of his life. It may have been a powerful character moment for Ignis, but the game’s logic is ignored in the process.

8

Luneth, Arc, Refia, & Ingus

The Heroes Are Killed By The Cloud Of Darkness, But Are Revived Not Long After

The Cloud of Darkness is one of the strongest antagonists in Final Fantasy history, and this can be seen in how effortlessly she manages to kill the party after her reveal. The Warriors of Light should’ve been well and truly dead at this point, but plot armor stepped in to save the day.

Doga and Unei, two spirits who accompanied the party, passed on after reviving the heroes. This gave them a much-needed second chance to weaken the Cloud of Darkness before a second encounter that would decide the fate of the world.

Final Fantasy

Creation Year

1987

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Publisher(s)

Square Enix