What is the meaning of "Final Fantasy"?

[skatehippie]

What exactly does Final Fantasy supposed to mean?

There are common elements in each game, like:

two large organizations in vendetta...you play part in a resistance faction.

So how does that support the title of "Final Fantasy"?

[NM]

From what i've read the name 'Final Fantasy' came about as it was the last game Square could afford to make. If it had been a flop they would have gone bust.

[Bahamut2000X]

Well the original creator of Final Fantasy was having some real bad luck with making games, which all seemed to ultimatly fail. So he decided to give it one last try and if this game failed then he would leave the gaming business forever. So Final refering to his last game if it failed, and Fantasy cause it's, well....fantasy based.

[DJZen]

Yes, and it's a good thing he got Nasir to program it, 'cause as buggy as it was, no one else in Square at that time was really up to the task.

There's slightly more meaning to the name than "This is the last fantasy game we're ever going to make". In Japan, the word "final" has a slightly different connotation from what I understand. I what I have heard is true, the word final sort of means "ultimate", which makes some sense because the actual meaning of the word ultimate IS final. You can find evidence of this in the Japanese name for the item known as the "megalixir" in English. In Japan, the name of the item is "final elixir", and they actually left that in FFVII at one point. You can get a megalixir in Gaea's Cliff that gives you the message "recieved 'final elixir'". There's also the game Final Fight, which was FAR from being Capcom's last action game...

Also, this warring factions/resistance thing isn't in every game. It's not in FFI, III or V from what I can remember of it. That's more of a plot device that fantasy authors love to recycle. Heck, even Tolkien used it.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

It's Last Elixir, even in Japanese. The meaning is the same, though.

[BG-57]

Sounds a lot like 'ultimate' in English (which crops up in FF as well), which can be read as either 'best' or 'last'.

Ultimate Fantasy? :)

[DJZen]

That's what I was trying to say...

And thanks for the correction, 'kishi. Hopefully I'll embarass myself less now ^.^;

[ShadyMilkman]

Kinda wished they hadn't used the word "fantasy" though. everyone I talk to who doens't know about the series think's it's a porno when I first mention it.... literally everyone