Final Fantasy: 5 Characters Who Make The Biggest Sacrifices

The Final Fantasy games are full to the brim with epic storylines and high stakes as a group of heroes stake everything on the line to save the world from immense evil. There are many ways how this is achieved, with some games involving the heroes making a valiant sacrifice to ensure that a villain doesn’t see their plans to fruition. This can make for an emotional moment as players see their favorite characters lose their lives or something just as important.

It takes a ton of effort for these characters to make such valiant sacrifices, and fans will find these games to be all the more memorable for the altruistic nature of their protagonists. The scale of these sacrifices can vary quite a bit, but each and every 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

The camaraderie shared between the main cast of Final Fantasy 15 is incredibly endearing and does a great job of selling the bond shared between the friends. Noctis may seem a bit too edgy for his own good, but it’s clear as day that the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders is weighing down on him. Thankfully, this support system ensures that he never feels alone, alleviating his burdens somewhat. However, after Noctis gestates the Crystal and learns how to banish Ardyn’s influence, he realizes that he must say farewell to his buddies once and for all.

It’s a heartbreaking moment as Noctis bids a tearful farewell to the group, reminiscing on the good times they spent together before engaging in a battle with Ardyn for the ages. After sacrificing himself to end Ardyn’s true form once and for all, Noctis passes away, making a massive sacrifice to save the world before passing away. The dark presence threatening to engulf the world is over, with the prince leaving behind three loyal friends who will carry forward his legacy.

4 Galuf Halm Baldesion

Ended His Life To Save His Friends And His Grandson

Final Fantasy 5 is a pretty goofy game that leans heavily on its comedic chops. The title prioritizes gameplay over story which works for it, allowing players to switch jobs as they ascend to become the Warriors of Light and save the world from Exdeath. However, after traveling to a new world where it’s revealed that Galuf had already served as a legendary warrior who saved this world once before, the villain manages to trap the main party and corners Krile, Galuf’s grandson.

Seeing her on the brink of death forces Galuf into action, who unshackles his bonds and thwarts Exdeath’s nefarious attempts, but this comes at a serious cost. He takes a ton of punishment and 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 is a narrative-driven game with a ton of characters that enter and exit the party as the story progresses. It takes a while before the final five members of the party cement their position, and players will love controlling other well-defined party members that embody classic Final Fantasy jobs with unique personalities of their own. However, the manner in which some of these characters exit the party is quite harrowing, and this is especially true in the case of Palom and Porom.

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The magical twins may be young, but their prowess makes it clear that these characters are gifted 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 that is unheard of 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, that takes nothing away from a sacrifice that is hard to digest.

2 Clive Rosfield

His Fate Is Left To The Player’s Interpretation As He Manages To Erase Magic From The World

Systems

Released

June 22, 2023

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Final Fantasy 16 takes place in a world steeped in tragedy, with the Bearers of the world being cursed with the power of magic that slowly petrifies them as they use this power. In a bid to remove this conflict from the world, Clive leads a resistance that aims to improve the well-being of these people and figure out a way to undo the Bearer’s Curse. After facing off against Ultima, he learns that this malevolent being is the reason why magic plagues the world of Valisthea.

After defeating Ultima and absorbing his power, Clive’s body is unable to handle the might of this foreign magical presence, but he manages to use this power and destroy the nexus that serves as the source of magic in the world. His body starts petrifying, but players are left in the dark as to whether he survived or the Bearer’s Curse petrified him for good. Regardless, there’s no denying that Clive made the ultimate sacrifice and would’ve died with a smile on his face if it meant that the world would be freed from the curse of magic once and for all.

1 Shadow

Can Potentially Sacrifice Himself While Trying To Stop Kefka From Upsetting The Balance Of The Warring Triad

Despite seeming like a mercenary who only looks out for himself, there’s more to Shadow than what meets the eye. It’s clear that there’s a huge chip on his shoulder that haunts him all the time, and his backstory can be witnessed in a series of random flashbacks that may trigger if players rest with him in an inn. He’s far from a hero, but he has no problems sacrificing himself for the greater good. This can be seen in the Floating Continent, where Shadow tries to stop Kefka on his own and implores the party to escape.

This is the first moment in the game where Shadow can potentially sacrifice himself if players don’t wait for him. He may come back, but it was clear that he didn’t intend to survive while trying to save the world. Thankfully, players who refuse to leave the Floating Continent before he comes back 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 as he is finally able to move on.

Final Fantasy

Creation Year

1987

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Publisher(s)

Square Enix