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The Most Tragic Characters In Final Fantasy Explained

36K views · Mar 21, 2026 · People & Blogs

Comments · 119

  • @godhaz · 5 months ago

    Ardens life was just the gods being assholes for something THEY did

    54

  • @LodestarSirius · 5 months ago

    Character: Exists<br>Kefka: I&apos;m about to end this man&apos;s whole career.

    26

  • @zachriel137 · 5 months ago

    I remembered Aerith death... I stared on the screen for a long time, thinking what the f*ck 😅

    10

  • @markmaliwanag9398 · 5 months ago (edited)

    COMMON MISCONCEPTION. Cloud does not possess Zack’s memories and therefore he doesn’t act like as if he was possessed by him. He was just influenced by his monologue of stories while he was mako poisoned, then claimed Zack’s accomplishments — not his feelings or memories. His false identity is made up of his insecurities/denial of his weakness and failures, PTSD of losing his mom, hometown and his friend Zack which led to poor recollection of the tragic Nibelheim event and therefore made himself vulnerable to JENOVA’s manipulation. (he stated that himself in OG when he was explaining to the whole party what really happened to him.)<br><br>If you really played the OG, the whole point of Cloud’s identity crisis is that Sephiroth was able to make him believe that he is just his puppet by letting him assumed that his false recollection of the Nibelheim tragedy is true. Thus, when the truth was revealed to him — that it was actually Zack in his place (and forgetting that he was there too when the tragedy happened), he suddenly questioned his existence as a real person and/or doubt that he had his own free will (when during the OG course of events, Sephiroth was able to make him do things against his liking because of the JENOVA cells injected inside him.) He was thinking that maybe Sephiroth was right about him being just his remnant (that he was just like the black hooded people or Kadaj gang in AC). That’s how the war hero planning to get even with Cloud — to destroy him mentally and emotionally by invalidating his feelings (look back to Sephiroth’s last words to Cloud after killing Aerith — he invalidated Cloud’s feelings and told him he was just a puppet.)<br><br>But, thankfully, the lifestream sequence happened, with the help of Tifa (and Aerith for making sure they survived from the exposure to the lifestream — lorewise, if I wouldn’t assume it was Aerith who aid them — like how it was told in the novel The Maiden Who Travels the Planet —, I doubt that the two could ever get out alive), they were able to isolate and pinpoint that Cloud had “distorted” memories of that event only. &nbsp;And he was starting to remember that he was there too when the tragedy happened (Tifa was only informed at that time too because she didn’t know too), while he also realized all his other past memories remained intact and are true being a real resident of Nibelheim. In that lifestream scene, we found out that Tifa and Cloud had an accident and Cloud was blamed for it. Tifa and Cloud weren’t close back when they were kids because of the boys surrounding her made him an outcast. That’s why, at the start, she was having a hard time convincing him that they were indeed childhood friends, even about their promise scene being true because it’s the only time they had an actual interaction. But nevertheless, she was the only living witness to validate Cloud’s existence. <br><br>Cloud just went out there assuming he was a 1st Class SOLDIER because the mako poisoning messed up how his brain functions. Thus, with poor cognitive performance, he associated himself so much with Zack’s accomplishments as a SOLDIER (and you may say that part of the reason is ‘becoming a SOLDIER’ is Cloud’s failed dream/frustration). Psychologists might be able to explain it better how it works if we will apply real-life logic. <br><br>But moving on, so when he and Tifa digged deeper into his consciousness and finally learned that all his past memories are true and his memories of the tragedy were only distorted (since he was really there but the actual events just happened differently from what he believed plus his vague memories up to their escape to Midgar) — He realized that he just really didn’t make it as a SOLDIER but that doesn’t totally mean that he wasn’t a real person who has his own will after all. Despite being delusional and ashamed fool, he can still live out his dream as a hero to save the people dear to him — Therefore, he was able to break free from Sephiroth’s evil manipulation and, more than ever, he is determined to stop him. That’s what actually made Cloud’s whole character arc beautiful (which is almost comparable with FFIX Vivi).<br><br>That’s why, for me, Cloud is somehow still being himself both in the OG and Remake. Meaning, the “Fake Cloud” we are saying here is the Cloud being himself (egocentric, rude, indifferent, stoic) but only assuming he was once a SOLDIER. That’s why he was portrayed cocky and pretending-to-know-his-ways when, at times, he was just as clueless and really cares for others inside (like Aerith pointed it out to him few times in the Remake and OG). You may say Zack influenced him to be a mercenary, but how exactly to be one, it’s still Cloud’s own way and experience as we see in the game (OG and Remake).<br><br>If you still believe that Cloud possessed Zack’s memories, think of the following questions:<br><br>1) Why Cloud doesn’t recognize every person Zack met? The Turks? Zack’s parents in Gongaga? More importantly, Aerith?<br><br>2) Why Cloud doesn’t feel any “deja vu” when he visits places where Zack had been? Why is he not familiar with Aerith’s Church and him falling inside it? It happened the same way to Zack, true? <br><br>3) Why can he still remember correctly his childhood in Nibelheim, along with his memories of his mother? <br><br>4) Outside the Nibelheim tragedy up to their escape to Midgar, are there any other memories of Cloud distorted?<br><br>5) Did we see any trace of Zack’s memories inside Cloud’s consciousness during the lifestream sequence? Did we filtered out a memory about Zack?<br><br>6) Memories should change our behavior and personality (so many movies and literature out there also show how it’s supposed to work) but how come Cloud and Zack remained polar opposites? Zack being people person and warm while Cloud remained aloof and cold? <br><br>If you can rationalize around these questions well enough to support your claim, then I might believe you. Otherwise, I’m still convinced that Cloud doesn’t have his friend’s memories like literally in his head as how most of you assumed it. Zack may have hugely influenced him — like being a mercenary, but how exactly to be one is still Cloud’s own experience.

    54

  • @MURPH10US · 5 months ago

    And you didn&apos;t mention Caius Ballad from FFXIII2? Just wanted to save his girl from en endless cycle of eternal Death.

    20

  • @neutroniumranger · 5 months ago

    What makes Ramza&apos;s story even more tragic is that Delita was his best friend.

    5

  • @John_Wick546 · 5 months ago

    YOU’LL be going over the tragic lives of these characters or AI will be doing that? Yes there’s a massive difference.

    10

  • @GuppyGaming1033 · 5 months ago

    Terra was always my favorite character.

    21

  • @jasenw.saintjean747 · 5 months ago

    Aerith did NOT deverves to die<br>She was so tragic

    6

  • @Joe_334 · 5 months ago

    I played FFXV, enjoyed the main plot, but damn did that ending hit so hard. It still stings that Noctis had all of that happen on short notice. I am still not prepared for Episode Ardyn.

    4

  • @Datlef2008 · 5 months ago

    Vivi is my favorite final fantasy character his story is amazing I cried when his letter was shown at the end of the game

    5

  • @Scary_Kitty · 3 months ago

    Sometimes when I&apos;m on my period and i randomly think of Vivi, i still ball my eyes out...

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