Main story themes of Final Fantasy

[Jinx]

I'm replaying IX currently, and I came to the conclusion that the main theme for this game is that we're all capable of good and evil, and it's up to us to choose our own destinies.

I actually realized the same can be applied for most of the games in the series. I was wondering what other themes in the games people were drawn to, or what they think they "main theme" of the entire series is.

[Fynn]

I always thought IX's main theme was life and death. But I guess there could be more than one theme.

FFI's theme is that even if your efforts aren't recognized by anyone, it's important that you did the right thing.

[Jinx]

Life and death are motfis, not themes!

[Fynn]

I still kind of thought that the theme of life having meaning because of death was the main theme in FFIX. I mean even metaphorical death, like with what happened with Fratley's memories.

But yeah, the motifs are definitely there.

[FFNut]

Though not Final fantasy, Chrono triggers theme is you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, while Chrono Crosses theme is even with a time machine death will get you! But for Final Fantasy, I always see it as a friendship theme, good will win over all the odds of evil. Hard work will get help you out!

[Fynn]

FFXII's is kind of a deconstruction. Yes, your fight for freedom is important, but other people are also fighting for freedom in a way that may be conflicting your own, and using any means necessary to achieve that freedom is a very slippery slope.

[Wolf Kanno]

Most of the games do have a central theme to them and a few are well documented. Vii's theme was Life, VIII's was Love and so forth.

My Opinion:

I: Karma
II: Sacrifice
III: Balance and Hope
IV: Redemption and Forgiveness
V: Inheritance
VI: Hope and finding meaning in one's life
VII: The Nature of Life
VIII: Love, both romantic and self
IX: The meaning of life and to overcome the fear of death
X: Journey and learning to deviate from social standards
XI: Camaraderie and empathy
XII: Freedom
XIII: To fight one's destiny
XIV: Nostalgia
XV: Brotherhood

[Jinx]

Most of the games do have a central theme to them and a few are well documented. Vii's theme was Life, VIII's was Love and so forth.

My Opinion:

I: Karma
II: Sacrifice
III: Balance and Hope
IV: Redemption and Forgiveness
V: Inheritance
VI: Hope and finding meaning in one's life
VII: The Nature of Life
VIII: Love, both romantic and self
IX: The meaning of life and to overcome the fear of death
X: Journey and learning to deviate from social standards
XI: Camaraderie and empathy
XII: Freedom
XIII: To fight one's destiny
XIV: Nostalgia
XV: Brotherhood

All motifs. :lol:

[Wolf Kanno]

Most of the games do have a central theme to them and a few are well documented. Vii's theme was Life, VIII's was Love and so forth.

My Opinion:

I: Karma
II: Sacrifice
III: Balance and Hope
IV: Redemption and Forgiveness
V: Inheritance
VI: Hope and finding meaning in one's life
VII: The Nature of Life
VIII: Love, both romantic and self
IX: The meaning of life and to overcome the fear of death
X: Journey and learning to deviate from social standards
XI: Camaraderie and empathy
XII: Freedom
XIII: To fight one's destiny
XIV: Nostalgia
XV: Brotherhood

All motifs. :lol:

There is honestly not much of a difference between motif (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Motif) and theme (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theme) by definition. They both mean an overriding message that a story revolves around unless we're talking small themes as opposed to a work's overarching message. ;)

[Fynn]

I always saw love as VI's central theme

[FFNut]

Me too

[Wolf Kanno]

the theme of hope pops up a lot in the game. Terra is the last hope of the Returners and later the world, the World of Ruin is completely about characters learning to regain hope that things can be changed and Kefka stopped. Terra finds hope in living with people and accepting her esper heritage through the next generation of people who are not tarnished by the stories of the past about her race. The reason I added meaning in one's life is because that's where the theme of love you see comes into play as each character finds their reason to continue on. Yes many of them are love, but there is also acceptance, friendship, duty, and most of all hope that spurrs the party to get off their ass and attempt to save the world again. Kefka's whole final speech against the party in the game's ending is about finding meaning to not give into nihilism like he has. That's where I'm coming from at least.

[Mr. Carnelian]

The theme of all the Final Fantasy games I've played is that gods can't be trusted and humans should shape their own destiny
Jinx: IT'S A MOTIF! :argh: Me: Whatevs, Jinx, it's totally a theme :p


FFX: Yu Yevon is the one that causes all the problems, it's only when it's been defeated that society can advance.

FFX-2: God is dead, so people create new idols to worship in the form of political organisations. The Big Bad can only be defeated once these idols are revealed for the divisive, ultimately pointless things which they truly are.

FFXII: The Curia control human destiny. Freedom can only be gained by rejecting the power they offer - the Nethicite.

FFXIII: the fal'Cie, considered by many to be gods, try to destroy the world in a vain attempt to reunite with their creator. They've been looking after the humans in Cocoon, BUT, technology advances beyond them once mankind is forced to rely on itself.

FFXIII-2: The goddess Etro tries to help people, but ends up causing literally ALL THE PROBLEMS.

Lightning Returns: God is going to screw us over, so Lightning has to kill him.

[Jinx]

The theme of all the Final Fantasy games I've played is that gods can't be trusted and humans should shape their own destiny
Jinx: IT'S A MOTIF! :argh: Me: Whatevs, Jinx, it's totally a theme :p





This actually is a theme. :lol:

[Mr. Carnelian]

The theme of all the Final Fantasy games I've played is that gods can't be trusted and humans should shape their own destiny
Jinx: IT'S A MOTIF! :argh: Me: Whatevs, Jinx, it's totally a theme :p





This actually is a theme. :lol:

Yay! :D

:cheers:

[Wolf Kanno]

If you meant overarching themes shared by the series universally then...

Technology and progress that doesn't balance with the natural order is always evil or completely ineffectual when problems arise if they didn't cause the problems in the first place.

FFI - The Sky Tower which looks more like an orbiting satellite city in the Amano artwork is a dead city whose wondrous technology and machines fell easily to Tiamat. Even WarMech can be felled by simple knights and wizards. In the Dissidia retcon, the Lufenians are suggested to be the cause of Chaos' creation.

FFII - A large portion of the game's plot is dedicated to destroying the Empire's new Dreadnought Airship.

FFIII - The Ancients nearly destroyed the world by building a tower that flooded the world with light.

FFIV - The weaponization of airships allow Baron to become the most powerful country in the world and an easy choice for Golbez to use to gather the crystals. The game's ultimate villain is an alien who tries to use advanced weapons like the Giant of Bab-il to genocide the human race.

FFV - Cid's Crystal amplifiers ultimately cause his world's crystals to shatter and release ExDeath.

FFVI - The Empire's revival of Magitek and trying to use magic and technology together makes them over ambitious and leads the world to ruin. The fact Magitek resulted in Kefka becoming who he is doesn't help.

FFVII - Shin-Ra's Make factories are killing the planet when they're not blowing up and destroying cities. Shin-Ra dabbling in genetics also creates Sephiroth and gives him easy means to end the world.

FFVIII - Esthar weaponizes the Lunar Cry, their technology is only good enough to hold off Adel, and Odine's research into Ellone's powers gives Ultimecia the machine that allows her to destroy the past.

FFIX - Gaia's problems are caused by Terra's malfunction assimilation technology they use to give their race immortality. Also Kuja weaponizes Mist and Garland did create Kuja...

FFX - Technology proves to be useless in the face of Sin and well the party as well considering how often the Al Bhed failed to capture Yuna. While the Al Bhed are more positive tech junkies, it shousl also be pointed out that Bevelle was the other faction that used technology. The sequel plays this a bit straight since the game's doomsday device is an ancient Machina as powerful as Sin.

FFXI - Don't know too much about XI but as a former Bastok resident I can say that the industrialization capital of Vanadiel has a pretty bad rap since their city is polluting the region and causing the Beastment to fight back and all the racism caused by exploiting the Galka to help make the cities tech. I'm sure one of the expansions plays this one a bit more straight.

FFXII - The whole mess started when Cid began making Manufacted Nethicite. Not to mention the final showdown is in a giant airship that would make the Death Star proud.

FFXIII - Ignoring the fact the Fal'Cie are literally living machines, there is a contrast between Pulse and Cocoon where Pulse is violent but it's inhabitants feel better natured, whereas Cocoon is a floating city filled with assholes who are quick to kill anyone who threatens their safety.

[Randy]

The theme of all the Final Fantasy games I've played is that gods can't be trusted and humans should shape their own destiny


That sounds like Xenoblade Chronicles.

[Wolf Kanno]

The theme of all the Final Fantasy games I've played is that gods can't be trusted and humans should shape their own destiny


That sounds like Xenoblade Chronicles.

That's the Xeno series in a nutshell.

[Ayen]

Lightning Returns: God is going to screw us over, so Lightning has to kill him.

That's not even the least bit subtle. At least Etro can be seen as sympathetic since she's only trying to help.

...She isn't the least bit sympathetic, is she?

[Wolf Kanno]

Lightning Returns: God is going to screw us over, so Lightning has to kill him.

That's not even the least bit subtle. At least Etro can be seen as sympathetic since she's only trying to help.

...She isn't the least bit sympathetic, is she?

It's FFXIII, apathy is par for the course. :wcanoe:

[Forsaken Lover]

I guess in a very broad sense XII is about Freedom. i personally always saw it as overcoming your past. Even the Occuria enforce this theme as, unlike other such godly beings, they don't really do much. Their power is all in the past and that is how they act. In terms of our human heroes and villains, they each must come to terms with their suffering in order to do what is right. It's present and clear in everyone from Ashe to Gabranth.

But, as I said, this could be interpreted as Freedom. Sort of breaking the chains/tiesof your past.