It's a topic that seems to come up a lot, but I haven't ever seen a thread devoted to it's discussion.

Do you think it would have made for a better story for the 'dead' characters to have stayed dead, or for them to all be recovered in time for the grand finale?

I'm bringing this discussion over from another thread, so thats why I have quotes in the OP.

It may seemed like that would be the way to go, but it wouldn't have fit FFIV's Theme of Redemption and making comebacks at all.
I always saw it as a theme of pressing on forward and overcoming obstacles. And sometimes to move forward you have to make sacrifices. I'm not English major, and I haven't dissected it, but that is always what I got out of it when I played.

Quote Originally Posted by Evastio
Do you really think it would've improved the story if Edward died and didn't get to redeem himself by dispelling the Dark Elf's power?
I think dying as he gives up the last of his life force to dispel the Dark Elf's power would have given me way more respect for him. (Well, it did for a bit when I thought he did die)

Quote Originally Posted by Evastio
And do you really think it's fair that Palom and Porom stayed petrified, when they were only children and had such a bright future ahead of them?
Absolutely not fair. And that was the point. War isn't fair. It takes things from us we will never get back again.

In the end it just felt like victory was so cheap, so to speak. All the deaths through the story made it feel like there was a real cost to all of your victories.