Re: FF6

[Spooniest]

"The only true slavery is madness, and hence, the only true freedom sanity."

Discuss.

[Roogle]

Is this a quote from a character in the game? I cannot remember seeing it in the Gameboy Advance version of the game.

[Spooniest]

No, I made it up.

It's a tentative attempt at stating some kind of over-arching theme for the story.

Each of the characters has a neurosis of some sort, but the villain is clearly sociopathic in the extreme.

During the second half of the game, each character (more or less) confronts their neuroses and overcomes them.

They then present their case for sanity to Kefka. Kefka, however, is simply too much a slave to his sociopathy to listen. The huge dramatic irony is that while he is the ruler of the whole world, he is a slave to his madness. His slaves are freer than he is.

[Loony BoB]

You could perhaps associate such a theme to a very large number of games, to be fair. But yeah, it fits.

[dandy da oak]

I thought the theme was kicking Kefka's butt, saving the world and finding love. :confused:

[Raistlin]

It does seem to fit, albeit in a very generalized way. Each character's story does involve them overcoming their own psychological issues, especially Terra. Although some of those involve "madness" only in the loosest definition, Kefka himself is pretty much a caricature of it.

[Spooniest]

That's interesting.

Here's another take:

Final Fantasy 6 is a look at the converse of the statement made by Final Fantasy 4.

In 4 we're shown that no one is ever beyond redemption.

6, on the other hand, says that there is such a thing as being beyond redemption.

In a way, 6 is deconstructing the theme of 4.

[nik0tine]

I think you're over analyzing things. dandy da oak hit the nail on the head.

[Spooniest]

No one would buy that pitch.

However true it may be, it makes you sound like you're a 7th grader.

[Flying Mullet]

I don't know if the characters all overcome psychological issues, but they all find whatever it is they are searching for or accomplish what they set out to do in the first half of the game, whether it be physical or emotional, superficial or serious: Locke sees Rachel and "saves" her, Terra finds love, Sabin finds Duncan, Edgar saves Figaro, etc...

I think in the end Final Fantasy VI is about finding closure in one's life. Something that Kefka cannot understand because of his insanity. The party has hopes, dreams and desires with their goals for tomorrow. Once they achieve these goals they are free to rinse and repeat, finding a higher purpose in their lives. Kefka cannot achieve his goals and thus is stuck in a purgatory of sorts. I imagine there's some jealousy here as well.