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A Look at Final Fantasy’s History of Strong Women

A Look at Final Fantasy’s History of Strong Women

The Final Fantasy franchise first launched in 1987. Since then, the series has gone on to become one of the largest names in gaming, spawning dozens of games, each with their own cast of compelling characters. One thing it has been doing longer than most other franchises is writing fully developed female characters, with depth, rich back stories, and interesting driving motivations.

While there are countless examples scattered throughout the series, one of the strongest that comes to mind is Terra from 1994’s release of Final Fantasy VI for the Super Nintendo. The game opens with two Imperial soldiers talking about their mission and how it must be serious because they were allowed to “use” Terra, their “witch.” It is revealed that she was able to take out a few dozen Magitek-armed soldiers before she was captured and put into a mind control device.

Her use of magic is important within the game’s setting since magic is seen as a lost art which now must be supplemented with technology. A good portion of her narrative resides in her compulsion to come to terms with her enslavement, recovering her memory, and learning to love and trust people. She may be a bit of a blank slate at first, scarred by tragedy, but her personality and character growth serve as an actual driving force for her character. This theme of an emotionally crippled soldier that needs to reconcile their emotions with their actions is played out in subsequent Final Fantasy games by fan favorites Cloud and Squall. But Terra did it before those dudes.

Tifa, from Final Fantasy VII , serves as almost an antithesis to Terra. Tifa is a mostly normal person, not blessed with any sort of magical prowess. She wasn’t trained as a soldier. She did, however, suffer a childhood tragedy when her hometown of Nibelheim was destroyed by the game’s antagonist (and former hero to many), Sephiroth. That town is also where she became childhood friends with the game’s protagonist, Cloud Strife. After losing contact with him, she went on to join a resistance group that combats Shinra, a giant corporation guilty of perpetuating financial and environmental turmoil for the city of Midgar. Not only is she fiercely loyal to her friends and willing to fight despite her lack of supernatural gifts, but she is often depicted as a caring person with a soft spot for children; she serves as a maternal figure to Marlene, daughter of her Avalanche compatriot, Barret. Her dialogue is often insightful, rounding her out as a deep, introspective thinker. Perhaps this is where she gets her sense of empathy, which seems to motivate most of her decisions and actions.

A Look at Final Fantasy’s History of Strong Women

Final Fantasy even manages to develop interesting characters within its MMO franchises, a feat that is rarely accomplished in games. In Final Fantasy XI , there is a diminutive race of beings known as the Tarutaru. Shantotto, a black mage, is a member of that race. She is regarded by many as a powerful force, and her counsel and wisdom is frequently sought for political decisions. Despite the unrivaled power she possesses, she is often playful in a way that is reminiscent of Goku from Dragon Ball Z ; she is always looking for a challenge. She mocks many and is comically confrontational. It only adds to her character’s appeal that she speaks exclusively in rhyming couplets, a facet of her personality that I see as a challenge she sets for herself.

A large part of making a character stand out as more than just supporting eye candy or a gameplay mechanic is in giving them a believable backstory and establishing motivation for the things they do throughout the game. If a character seems to have autonomy and is making decisions based on what fits their personality, as opposed to what fits the narrative or fulfills some sort of fan service, then I think it is safe to call them well written. Final Fantasy hasn’t always gotten it right, but it’s been getting it right far more often and for far longer than most other series, and I think that deserves at least some level of praise.

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