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Final Fantasy (universe)

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Final Fantasy (universe)
FinalFantasyLogo.svg
FinalFantasySymbol.svg
Developer(s)Square Enix (formerly Squaresoft)
Publisher(s)Square Enix (formerly Squaresoft)
Designer(s)Hironobu Sakaguchi
Tetsuya Nomura
Genre(s)Role-playing
Console/platform of originNintendo Entertainment System
First installmentFinal Fantasy (1987)
Latest installmentFinal Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (2025)
Article on WikipediaFinal Fantasy (universe)

TheFinal Fantasy universe (ファイナルファンタジー,Final Fantasy), stylized in-game asFINAL FANTASY andFINAL FANTASY VII, refers to theSuper Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties hailing from the long-running role-playing game (RPG) franchise created and owned bySquare Enix (formerly Squaresoft). Since the release of its first installment in 1987, the franchise is one of the best-selling Japanese RPG series in the world and is considered one of the most innovative, with numerous breakthroughs in its usage of in-game graphics, full-motion videos, and various visual and sound content throughout the series' lifespan. The single best-selling and most popular entry in the franchise isFinal Fantasy VII, originally released in 1997. Likewise, its protagonistCloud Strife and antagonistSephiroth are among the most recognizable characters in the entireFinal Fantasy franchise. This series, in addition toDragon Quest andKingdom Hearts, is considered to be a flagship franchise for the publisher and a pioneer of the RPG genre.

Contents

Franchise description[edit]

Logo ofFinal Fantasy VII.

Electrical engineering studentHironobu Sakaguchi became a part-time employee at Square shortly after it was founded as a computer game-centric division of a power line construction company named Den-Yu-Sha. He became a full-time employee as the Director of Planning and Development when Square later separated from its parent company, and had intended to create a role-playing video game modeled after the foundations of then-separate company Enix'sDragon Quest. Thematically inspired by role-playing forerunners such asUltima,Wizardry, andDungeons & Dragons, the game was originally intended to be titled "Fighting Fantasy", but due to trademark issues, Sakaguchi had to change it, later christening the name "Final Fantasy". Square was struggling to stay afloat at the time due to not having a breakout success, withFinal Fantasy expected to follow that trend, to the point of Sakaguchi begging management to increase the amount of copies produced for launch day. The outcome of the release starkly contrasted with expectations, however, as the game's December 1987 release onNintendo's Famicom sold more than half a million copies. WhenDragon Quest later met success with its North American localization asDragon Warrior, Nintendo of America released a similarly localized version ofFinal Fantasy in July 1990, to modest success.

ThoughDragon Quest was among the first to effect a divergence of styles in the role-playing genre that resulted in the formation of what is commonly known as the Japanese role-playing genre,Final Fantasy played a critical role in granting it its initial surge of popularity. However, the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) style would remain relatively obscure in the public spotlight throughout many years to come, even as many new JRPG properties were introduced both within Square's efforts and outside it.Final Fantasy, under producer Sakaguchi's watchful eye, began to release a continuous succession of numbered sequels - which, in stark contrast to most other video game series, were never traditional sequels or continuations and rarely carried over characters. Much like inFire Emblem, each of the mainstreamFinal Fantasy games that were developed and released are self-contained works tied tangentially by shared thematic and design similarities, such asFinal Fantasy II andFinal Fantasy III for the Famicom, and for a while, only some of the games received worldwide localization;Final Fantasy IV for the Super Famicom - which introduced the "Active Time Battle" concept to the series - was released worldwide in 1991 as "Final Fantasy II", and afterFinal Fantasy V remained a Japan-only Super Famicom release,Final Fantasy VI was released worldwide for Super Nintendo in 1994 as "Final Fantasy III".

Besides theFinal Fantasy series, Square developed and released a multitude of other RPGs for the Super NES that have cemented their success as a game developer, each with their own innovations to the genre. Three of the most prominent examples areSecret of Mana, which introduced an action-based battle system to the gameplay formula and local co-op for up to three players,Chrono Trigger which introduced time travel elements and new character designs courtesy ofAkira Toriyama, andSuper Mario RPG which introduced the titular Nintendo mascot to the role-playing scene and streamlined many conventions of the genre for much greater accessibility while also introducing "action commands" for extra benefits. All of these titles and more cemented a partnership that demonstrated a commitment to quality games while being able to expand beyond the core formula that had been tried and true withFinal Fantasy.

ThoughFinal Fantasy VI would become critically regarded in its own right as one of the greatest and most landmark JRPGs ever developed, the JRPG genre remained relatively niche in Western markets. As polygonal graphics began to take root in the industry's landscape with the release of systems like theSonyPlayStation, Sakaguchi felt that the franchise might be left behind if it did not catch up to the 3D graphics employed by their contemporaries. To test this, a 3D SGI demo using characters fromFinal Fantasy VI only cemented their beliefs on moving the franchise forward. But because Nintendo's then-upcoming 3D-based console, theNintendo 64, was based on cartridges and therefore lacked the memory storage needed for the project's scope, Square felt they had no choice but to end its long-running relationship with Nintendo and developFinal Fantasy VII exclusively for the PlayStation. What resulted was the most expensive video game production of its time, with a development budget of around $45 million - equivalent to $67 million in 2015. The game's international release - which was consistently titledFinal Fantasy VII despite several prior installments not having been released outside Japan at the time - was preceded by a heavy marketing campaign by Sony themselves.

Final Fantasy VII received widespread critical acclaim that was nonetheless eclipsed by the game’s commercial success and impact on the games industry. Famously referred to by one publication as "quite possibly the greatest game ever made", the game - spread out across three PlayStation discs packaged together - was seen for its time as an unprecedented blend of gameplay, interactive movie elements, and character-driven narrative, the last of which included what was argued to be one of the most infamous character deaths in the medium. On the back of character designer Tetsuya Nomura's now-iconic cast, the game is viewed to have single-handedly vastly expanded the conventional global audience for the JRPG genre, andFinal Fantasy itself became one of the most popular video game franchises. The extent to which the game had become akiller app for the PlayStation led the game's protagonist to become an unofficial mascot for both his series and the console as a whole. Every main-numberedFinal Fantasy to follow would receive enormous amounts of attention and sales success as a direct outcome ofFinal Fantasy VII's own.

In terms of the scenario of the game itself,Final Fantasy VII initially focuses on the efforts of an underground group named Avalanche - among whomCloud Strife is a member - as they struggle to destroy power plants operated by an electric-power mega-corporation that has become much of the planet's de facto government,Shinra, headquartered at the industrialized metropolis ofMidgar. With the company having since shifted its focus to a spiritual substance calledMako so as to harvest said substance as modern society's primary source of power and fuel, Cloud and his allies operate under the belief that Shinra is siphoning the life force of the planet itself. But between his encounters with the mysterious flower girlAerith Gainsborough and the re-emergence of an incredibly dangerous and disturbed figure from Cloud's past - the former elite soldierSephiroth - Cloud and his allies gradually find themselves taking on a more direct and urgent role as protectors of the planet than they could have anticipated, though he must also surmount formidable psychological obstacles ingrained within his own memories.

Final Fantasy VII's setting introduced a post-industrial science-fiction element to the formerly medieval fantasy-grounded intellectual property, and the involvement of science fiction in aFinal Fantasy mythos was expanded with 1999'sFinal Fantasy VIII. After 2000'sFinal Fantasy IX deliberately returned to the more traditional fantasy trappings employed in the oldest games, the series' first main-numbered appearance on the PlayStation 2 asFinal Fantasy X aesthetically entrenched the series in a distinctive blend of fantasy and technology. The series had also begun to deviate from its turn-based and Active Time Battle-based roots and gradually adapt action-RPG elements in games such as 2006'sFinal Fantasy XII, 2010'sFinal Fantasy XIII, and 2016'sFinal Fantasy XV, as well as release two of its main-numbered games - 2002'sFinal Fantasy XI and another title released in 2010,Final Fantasy XIV - as MMORPGs. But while every numbered game remains a separate story and setting from the rest, several of them receive their own sequels, spin-offs, and sub-series that utilize their respective settings and casts, namelyXIII,XII,X,IV, and most prominentlyVII. None of this is to mention a veritable deluge of remakes, reissues, offshoots, spiritually-related works, and involvement in crossovers that began after the turn of the millennium, as if spurred in response to the 2003 merger of Square and Enix into a single entity namedSquare Enix (which Sakaguchi had resigned from shortly prior). Announced in 2020, the installment of the core series is titledFinal Fantasy XVI, as it was announced during Sony's PlayStation 5 Showcase livestream for the then to be releasedPlayStation 5, on September 16, 2020.Final Fantasy XVI would release on June 22, 2023, leaning even further into the action RPG route than previous entries to mostly positive reception, though its financial reception and impact on the franchise still remain to be seen.

Several games appeared as third-party works on Nintendo hardware as a result of renewed relations between the two publishers, such as the action RPGThe World Ends With You - which introduced an unorthodox touch-screen control system and a stylized art direction not previously noted in any other Square Enix release, theBravely Default series for theNintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch - which constitute a modernized execution of the original turn-based battle system of the earliestFinal Fantasy titles, andOctopath Traveler - a Nintendo Switch game which continued the traditional turn-based combat and job system of theBravely Default games and introduced a diorama-like "HD-2D" aesthetic. However, while these titles preserved the spirit of theFinal Fantasy franchise, no new mainline entry was featured on a Nintendo system for over 20 years afterFinal Fantasy VI (not counting ports and remakes). This all changed in late 2018 and early 2019 when Square Enix and Nintendo announced that several core entries were being released for the Nintendo Switch, beingFinal Fantasy VII,VIII,IX,X/X-2 HD Remaster, andXII: The Zodiac Age. Later throughout 2021 and early 2022, the six firstFinal Fantasy core games were released for Steam and smartphones in thePixel Remaster collection, before receiving a port release on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in April 2023, at the 35th anniversary of the first game. As per the title say, they were remastered to feature 16-bit graphics for the three first games and notable changes for the other three, quality of life upgrade, high quality music, and updated dialogues. Of all the six remastered games,Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster features 2.5D graphics and voice actors in multiple languages, reserved exclusively for the iconic opera sequence.

Despite the many turns that theFinal Fantasy franchise has taken and the many platforms the franchise has appeared on,Final Fantasy VII stands as the franchise's most well-known and popular extension. Years after its introduction, it became the subject of a metaseries of prequels, non-traditional sequels, and other various media collectively titled theCompilation of Final Fantasy VII, including the PlayStation Portable prequel gameCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and the computer-graphic (CG) filmFinal Fantasy VII: Advent Children. In the years following the original game's release, demand for a high-definition remake of the original game was fervent and growing, even more so after a tech demo at E3 2005 recreating the opening train segment in the Crystal Tools engine. The idea of turning the remake into a commercial project came when Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto broached the subject to Kitase, Nomura, and Nojima. They collectively agreed that they were hitting "that age"; that they if they waited much longer, they would be too old to release a remake and that passing the project onto a new generation did not feel right. Roughly 18 years after the original PS1 release, ahigh-definition remake was officially announced at E3 2015 to be in development for the PlayStation 4. To ensure that no content is removed, the remake is planned to be released in three parts, with the first part seeing a worldwide release on April 10, 2020, and the second part,Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, released on February 29, 2024. As part of theRemake project's goals, many elements of the game were altered or completely changed to account for modern gaming sensibilities. A real-time action combat system was implemented in lieu of the original's turn-based system (as that was the direction where the developers believed RPGs were heading and so to rebuild the battle system's foundations) but with the addition of a command list for additional strategy and tactics. These commands are governed by how much ATB charge that party members have. The Materia system from the original returns, functioning much in the same fashion with any party member able to equip elemental, technique, and summoning Materia. Finally, side quests can be initiated with NPCs for rewards in addition to building one's reputation in the surrounding area. In the meantime, enhanced ports of the original version have been released on all current major platforms, including the Nintendo Switch in 2019 for the first time on a Nintendo system. 2025 would see the announcement that theRemake trilogy would become a multiplatform release, including theNintendo Switch 2, withRemake coming to the system first on January 2026, followed byRebirth months later on June 2026.

SeveralFinal Fantasy spin-offs have appeared on Nintendo hardware as a result of these renewed relations such as the 3DS action-RPG spinoff titleFinal Fantasy Explorers and the ATB spinoffWorld of Final Fantasy, both of which feature various main-numberedFinal Fantasy heroes as playable characters. Meanwhile, each of the formerly-Japan-exclusive main-numbered titles have been released to the rest of the world in some enhanced form or another. Among the more noteworthyFinal Fantasy derivatives:

  • Final Fantasy Tactics, released in 1998 for the PlayStation, was Square's first foray into the strategy-RPG genre and is regarded as a cult classic.Tactics saw an enhanced re-release for the PlayStation Portable with the subtitleThe War of the Lions, and a remaster for the eighth and ninth generation with the subtitleThe Ivalice Chronicles. Separately, a duo of more colorful, loosely connected titles -Final Fantasy Tactics Advance andFinal Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift - were released for the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS. All games are set in the world ofIvalice, which would become the setting for the mainline series entryFinal Fantasy XII.
  • Final Fantasy Type-0 is an action-RPG that was released only in Japan for thePlayStation Portable in 2011, with an HD remaster later released worldwide in early 2015 for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game is apart of theFabula Nova Crystallis mythos (utilizing various concepts present in the "Lightning Saga" and the canceledVersus XIII), and is notable for being the series' first M-rated title.
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is an action-RPG that was released exclusively for theNintendo GameCube with an emphasis on local cooperative play, and has since spawned its own metaseries with theCrystal Chronicles name, all but one of which have been exclusive to Nintendo hardware. An HD remaster of the first game with online multiplayer was released in the summer of 2020, to mixed reception.
  • Dissidia Final Fantasy, its sequelsDissidia 012 Final Fantasy andDissidia Final Fantasy NT, and a mobile spin-offDissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia. The first two are PlayStation Portable titles designed around a combat system resembling a hybridized blend of the three-dimensional fighting and action-RPG genres, while the third game is oriented more to the fighting aspects rather than the RPG aspects. These games are crossovers of the various disparate continuities of the franchise, and make at least one hero and one villain from each of the main-numberedFinal Fantasy continuities playable characters; withDissidia Final Fantasy NT andDissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia also featuring characters from the spin-offs titles such as Ramza fromTactics and Ace fromType-0. Five years afterDissidia NT's last update, a new mobile game set in the real world titledDissidia Duellum Final Fantasy was announced, slated for a 2026 release.
  • Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, its update,Curtain Call, and its sequelsAll-Star Carnival andFinal Bar Line are rhythm titles on the 3DS, Arcade, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 that similarly cross over the many universes ofFinal Fantasy, compiling music - both faithfully preserved and remixed - from almost everyFinal Fantasy title and spinoff. The subseries, through DLC, also features various songs from singles derived from the games, remixes from arrangement and compilation albums, and songs from otherSquare Enix titles, including arrangements from theSuper Smash Bros. series. ADragon Quest installment was also released separately on the 3DS, exclusively in Japan.
  • Final Fantasy Brave Exvius andWar of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius are role-playing games for mobile devices set in the world of Lapis. TheBrave Exvius games combine the gameplay of prior projects from their respective developers, withBrave Exvius' gameplay being heavily inspired by A-Lim'sBrave Frontier andWar of the Visions' gameplay being inspired by Gumi'sThe Alchemist Code. Service forBrave Exvius shut down globally on October 30, 2024, and in Japan on October 31, 2025, whileWar of the Visions shut down globally on May 29, 2025.
  • Among the many recurrent monster designs trademarked to the series is theChocobo, a large, ratite-like bird that is often used as a mount in variousFinal Fantasy continuities. Square Enix uses it as a mascot forFinal Fantasy as a whole, and has released a variety of more child-orientedChocobo media based on it. There have beenChocobo-themed entries ofSpike Chunsoft'sMystery Dungeon series of rogue-like games, with the first game having been the firstMystery Dungeon title to have sold more than 1 million units, and its sequel being the firstMystery Dungeon title released outside of Japan. The series has split off into a franchise of its own, with numerous pieces of merchandise (including a tabletop game and a picture book) having been released featuring the more cartoonish design made for this series often being labelled separately from theFinal Fantasy franchise.
  • Originally conceived as a sequel toFinal Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light,Bravely Default is a series of turn-based role-playing games that are notable for their "Brave" and "Default" gameplay mechanic. Brave Points (BP) must be spent to attack, or "Brave" enemies, and more available BP means more chances to attack. BP will restore naturally, or the player can choose to "Default," which reduces damage taken and replenishes BP quicker. The games also incorporate theFinal Fantasy series job system via defeating the holders of Asterisks. The first game would be released on October 11, 2012 in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS, later receiving a direct sequel titledBravely Second: End Layer on April 23, 2015 in Japan and a remaster as a launch title for theNintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025 worldwide. A sequel, unrelated to the world set in the first game, would release on February 26, 2021 on the Nintendo Switch.
  • Kingdom Hearts is an action RPG series that was conceived as an unorthodox crossover between the general mechanics ofFinal Fantasy and the many universes ofDisney films, with severalFinal Fantasy characters appearing as guests and cameos. The crossover was originally pitched when producer Shinji Hashimoto found himself in a chance meeting with a Disney executive in an elevator, as the two companies operated in the same building in Japan at the time. Under the direction ofTetsuya Nomura with music composed byYoko Shimomura, the ongoing series has become one of the most storied and complex video game intellectual properties in Square Enix's catalogue, featuring various Disney universes including, but not limited to,Aladdin,The Little Mermaid,Pirates of the Caribbean, andBig Hero 6. The latest game in the franchise,Kingdom Hearts III, concludes what has been referred to as the "Dark Seeker Saga" which has been building up since the first game in 2002.

In addition to his recurrent appearances in many of these works, Cloud Strife has made guest appearances in titles outside ofFinal Fantasy, including a PlayStation arena fighter titledEhrgeiz: God Bless The Ring and a small sub-series of digital board games titledItadaki Street. To the surprise of many, Cloud was announced as a post-launch downloadable content fighter for the Nintendo crossover fighting gameSuper Smash Bros. 4 (despite his minimal presence on Nintendo hardware up until that point), becoming a mainstay in the series ever since.

InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is mentioned among the titles listed in theChronicle in Western versions ofBrawl.

InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]

TheFinal Fantasy franchise makes its proper debut in theSuper Smash Bros. series as a DLC franchise, marking the first time a third-party company was introduced to the series via DLC. The franchise is primarily represented withFinal Fantasy VII with one fighter, a stage, two music tracks, the fighter's trophies, and a Mii Fighter hat.Geno fromSuper Mario RPG was also simultaneously released as aMii Fighter costume to further commemorate Nintendo's relationship with Square Enix.

Fighter[edit]

  • Cloud (SSB4)
    Cloud (DLC): Cloud Strife, the main protagonist ofFinal Fantasy VII, makes his debut in theSuper Smash Bros. series as adownloadable newcomer inSuper Smash Bros. 4. His default designs are taken from the lore ofFinal Fantasy VII and his attacks generate unique sound effects inspired from the original game. His attacks primarily revolve around his iconic weapon, theBuster Sword, and references to most of the Limit Breaks he acquired in his debut title. Cloud ranks 2nd on theSuper Smash Bros. 4 tier list, owing to his high mobility, great range, moderately fast frame data, and Limit mechanic making him one of the most popular characters to have as a pocket choice. He is voiced in Japanese in all regions despite having an existing English voice actor.

Stage[edit]

  • Midgar
    Midgar (DLC): The iconic cyberpunk conurbation on the planet Gaia appears as a stage inSuper Smash Bros. 4. One of the several Mako Reactors and the main Shinra Electric Power Company structure can be seen in the background. The layout of this stage is identical to those ofBattlefield andDream Land 64, however, there are the omnipresent Summons from theFinal Fantasy series that appear as stage hazards, each with their own abilities which directly impact the stage and, likewise in theFinal Fantasy series, can only be called upon by Summon Materia.

Mii Costume[edit]

The Mii Costume was released in the fifth wave of DLC Mii Costumes, along with the Geno Mii Costume andCloud, on December 16, 2015.

Headgear[edit]

Music[edit]

Source Tracks[edit]

Tracks sourced directly fromFinal Fantasy VII.

Victory Theme[edit]

  • Victory! Cloud (DLC): Cloud's victory theme, a remix of the battle victory theme fromFinal Fantasy VII. Unlike other victory themes, this theme continues to play over the match results.

Trophies[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

After being DLC in the previous installment,Final Fantasy returns as part of the base game. While most of the content was unchanged at launch, far more was added in December 2020 as part of Challenger Pack 8. This includes a new stage, several new music tracks, over a dozenspirits, severalMii Fighter costumes, and a new fighter in the form of the antagonistSephiroth. Once again, the vast majority of this content is pulled from theCompilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Fighters[edit]

  • 61.
    Cloud (SSBU)
    Cloud (Unlockable): A former member of SOLDIER turned mercenary, along with his default andAdvent Children designs, returns as an unlockable fighter after being DLC inSmash 4. One notable change is that his Limit mechanic has been nerfed; he can only hold on to his maxed-out Limit Gauge for 15 seconds without using it, and whenever he is attacked while manually charging it he will lose a little bit. Apart from this and some range nerfs, he performs similarly to how he did inSmash 4. The Limit Gauge is also persistently displayed above his character portrait at all times. Finally, as of version 10.1.0, his Final Smash in hisAdvent Children designs was changed toOmnislash Ver. 5. He is once again voiced in Japanese in all regions.
  • 78.
    Sephiroth (SSBU)
    Sephiroth (DLC): The formerly renowned SOLDIER and arch-nemesis to Cloud Strife arrives as the third downloadable newcomer in theFighters Pass Vol. 2. Armed with his signature weapon, Masamune, he strikes elegantly with exceptional reach. He also possesses a uniquefighter ability; after sustaining enough damage, he will unfurl his black wing, making him faster and his attacks more powerful akin to Cloud's own Limit Gauge and Joker's Rebellion Gauge. His Final Smash,Supernova, transforms him into Safer∙Sephiroth and can cause a variety of status effects at random on any opponents caught in it. Like his rival, he remains voiced in Japanese in all regions. He was released alongside a new stage; Northern Cave, several newFinal Fantasy music tracks, and multiple spirits in December 2020 as part of Challenger Pack 8. Notably, a mode known as theSephiroth Challenge was launched on December 17, 2020, with the premise being to defeat a computer-controlled Sephiroth on the chosen difficulty (Easy, Normal, or Very Hard). Beating this opponent would unlock Sephiroth as a playable character a few days before his "official" release on December 22, at which point this mode was made permanently unplayable with future updates.

Stages[edit]

  • Midgar
    Super Smash Bros. 4Midgar (Starter): The City of Mako returns as part of the base game, functionally unchanged fromSmash 4.
  • Northern Cave
    Northern Cave (DLC): A new stage based on theplanet's core, the location of the final battle against Sephiroth inFinal Fantasy VII. The stage itself is a simple flat arena with two platforms at each side. The background recreates and retells the endgame sequence ofFinal Fantasy VII, including theHighwind airship descending into the planet's core, narrowly escaping the activation of Holy, and Meteor being stopped by the power of the Lifestream after Holy proves ineffective. This stage was released in December 2020 as part of Challenger Pack 8.

Mii Costumes[edit]

In addition to the Chocobo hat returning fromSmash 4, the following Mii costumes are available asdownloadable content, as part of version 10.1.0, within the eighth wave of Mii Fighter outfits after Challenger Pack 8 andSephiroth. They were released on December 22nd, 2020.

Outfits[edit]

  • Mii Gunner (SSBU)Barret Outfit (DLC): Barret Wallace's clothes inFinal Fantasy VII. Its design was inspired from the character's artwork instead of the character's polygonal model in the original release.
  • Mii Brawler (SSBU)Tifa Outfit (DLC): Tifa Lockhart's clothes inFinal Fantasy VII. Its design was inspired from the character's artwork instead of the character's polygonal model in the original release.
  • Mii Swordfighter (SSBU)Aerith Outfit (DLC): Aerith Gainsborough's clothes inFinal Fantasy VII. Its design was inspired from the character's artwork instead of the character's polygonal model in the original release.

Headgear[edit]

  • Chocobo Hat (DLC): The infamous headgear fromSmash 4 returns in this game. Its design was also updated fromSmash 4, now resembling to the latest appearance of Chocobo inChocobo's Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy!, the remake ofFinal Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.

Music[edit]

There were twoFinal Fantasy songs in the base game. Nine more were added in December 2020 as part of Challenger Pack 8. Notably, this is the first time that a movie is represented in theSuper Smash Bros. series with music, with three songs originating fromFinal Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Original Tracks[edit]

Unlike most remixes inSmash, theFinal Fantasy remixes are owned by Square Enix instead of Nintendo.

  • Opening - Bombing Mission (DLC): A new arrangement of the theme that plays during the opening sequence ofFinal Fantasy VII. Arranged by Yuzo Koshiro.
  • Aerith's Theme (DLC): A new arrangement of the theme song of Aerith Gainsborough, one of the key characters and party members inFinal Fantasy VII. Arranged by Keiichi Okabe.
  • Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY VII (DLC): A new arrangement of the main theme ofFinal Fantasy VII, which is used as the main overworld theme. Arranged by Motoi Sakuraba.
  • Cosmo Canyon (DLC): A new arrangement of the theme that plays while the party is at Cosmo Canyon. Arranged by Yoko Shimomura.

Source Tracks[edit]

Tracks sourced directly fromFinal Fantasy VII andFinal Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Victory Themes[edit]

  • Victory! Cloud: A remix of the victory theme fromFinal Fantasy VII, continues to loop, replacing the standard results screen theme. Remains unchanged fromSmash 4.
  • Victory! Sephiroth (DLC): A short snippet of "Advent: One-Winged Angel". An ominous droning note about as long as the main melody punctuates the piece.

Spirits[edit]

Media with elements appearing in theSuper Smash Bros. series[edit]

TheFinal Fantasy universe has media represented throughout theSuper Smash Bros. series with a total of 15 games and medias. The latest game represented in this universe isFinal Fantasy VII Remake, released on April 10, 2020.

Final Fantasy[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. UltimateSephiroth's sword, theMasamune, first appeared in the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate TheFlare spell, used by Sephiroth, debuted in this game, as a Black Magic spell used by Black Wizards and originally localized as Nuke.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate The spells ofSora'sMagic (Firaga,Thundaga, andBlizzaga), originally localized as Fir3, Bolt3, and Ice3 respectively, first appeared as Black Magic spells in this game, where they were used by the Black Mage and Red Mage classes.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate One ofSora's taunts references the spellCuraga, which first appeared in this game as a White Magic spell used by the White Mage and Red Mage classes, and was originally localized as Cur3.
  • Spirits:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Elvis in the "Elvis and Adelle" spirit wears the costume for theBravely Default II version of the recurring Black Mage class, which debuted in this game.
  • Music:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 "Victory! Cloud": The non-looping initial part of the victory theme is the series recurring battle victory motif, which debuted in this game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "Aerith's Theme": Its arrangement features a brief harp part reminiscent of "Prelude", first heard in this game.

Final Fantasy II[edit]

  • Playable characters:
  • Stage elements:
  • Spirits:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Chocobo appears as a spirit (combined with Moogle).
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate The recurring theme of naming certain characters "Cid" first appeared in this game.

Final Fantasy III[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. UltimateMegaflare andShadow Flare first appeared as attacks in this game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate One of Sora's taunts references the magic spellAeroga, originally localized as Aero 3, from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Cur3 is officially renamed to Curaga in this game.
  • Stage elements:
  • Spirits:
    • Super Smash Bros. UltimateMoogle (combined with Chocobo),Shiva, and Ifrit appear as spirits.

Final Fantasy IV[edit]

  • Spirits:
  • Misc:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4Final Fantasy'sseries symbol is derived from the franchise's recurring logo, which first appeared in this game.

Final Fantasy V[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. UltimateGigaflare first appeared as an attack in this game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Aero 3 is officially renamed to Aeroga in this game.

Final Fantasy VI[edit]

Final Fantasy VII[edit]

  • Playable characters:
  • Stages:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 Midgar, the first location fromFinal Fantasy VII, appears as a stage.
    • Super Smash Bros. UltimateNorthern Cave, the last location fromFinal Fantasy VII, appears as a stage.
  • Stage elements:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 The designs used for Odin, Leviathan, and Ramuh originate from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. 4Bahamut ZERO, which appears in Midgar, also originates from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate TheHighwind airship makes a cameo appearance in Northen Cave.
  • Spirits:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tifa, Barret, Aerith,Red XIII, Cait Sith, Cid,Vincent,Yuffie, TheTurks &Rufus Shinra, and Bahamut ZERO appear as spirits.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Cloud, as of 10.1.0, and Sephiroth’s spirit artwork are sourced from this game.
  • Music:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 "Opening - Bombing Mission": Both the source track used in Cloud's reveal trailer forSmash 4, although it is not available inSmash 4, and an arrangement forUltimate.
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 "Let the Battles Begin!": The main battle theme, sourced from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 "Victory! Cloud": An arrangement of the victory theme from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 "Fight On!": One of the boss battle themes, sourced from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "Aerith's Theme": An arrangement of Aerith's theme.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY VII": An arrangement of the game's overworld theme, first heard on Disc One.
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 "Electric de Chocobo": The retrieved track, used in both the December 2015Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Final Video Presentation forSmash 4 and the "Mii Fighter Costumes #8" video forUltimate when showing the Chocobo Mii Costume, although it is not available in the series.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "JENOVA": The battle theme when facing against JENOVA, sourced from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "Cosmo Canyon": An arrangement of the eponymous location,Cosmo Canyon.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "One-Winged Angel": The final boss theme against Sephiroth, sourced from the game.

Final Fantasy VIII[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate One of Sora's victory poses originates fromSquall Leonhart's victory pose in this game
  • Stage elements:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 Ifrit's design comes from its appearance here.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children[edit]

Final Fantasy IV Advance[edit]

  • Misc:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 The "FF" logo used for theFinal Fantasy series symbol is taken directly from the one used for theFinest Fantasy for Advance series of handheld remakes, and first appears here.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Sephiroth's appearance is primarily sourced from this game.
    • Super Smash Bros. UltimateOctaslash first appeared in this game.
  • Spirits:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Ifrit's Spirit battle references his boss fight in this game.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 The Chocobo headgear's design for theMii Fighters comes from this game.

Dissidia Final Fantasy[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 Cloud's default costume from the original game takes cues from the design used for his default costume from the game, including the more realistic proportions, polished accessories, and loosely fastened boots.
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Cross Slash has been updated to this version from the game.
    • Super Smash Bros. UltimateScintilla first appeared in this game.
  • Stage elements:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Portions of Northern Cave take inspiration from Planet's Core, theFinal Fantasy VII stage in the game.

Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy![edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate The Chocobo headgear's design for theMii Fighters was updated to its latest appearance.

Final Fantasy VII Remake[edit]

  • Playable characters:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Sephiroth’s down taunt originates from this game.
  • Spirits:
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate The artwork used for the Chocobo & Moogle, Shiva, and Ifrit spirits are sourced from this game.
  • Music:

Trivia[edit]

  • Similar to theSonic the Hedgehog series inBrawl and thePac-Man series, the universe's name is written in all capitals withinSuper Smash Bros.
    • Super Smash Bros. 4 andUltimate prior to version 10.0.0 refer to the series exclusively asFINAL FANTASY VII.
  • Masahiro Sakurai stated that he could have includedFinal Fantasy characters such asOnion Knight fromFinal Fantasy III,Bartz Klauser fromFinal Fantasy V orTerra Branford fromFinal Fantasy VI inSuper Smash Bros., but it was difficult to think of aFinal Fantasy character to include in the game that was not Cloud.
  • SeveralFinal Fantasy characters representing generic classes and creatures had previously crossed over with theMario universe inMario Hoops 3-on-3 andMario Sports Mix, both of which were developed by Square Enix.Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was also developed by Square Enix and references theFinal Fantasy series, including anoptional boss designed as an allusion to theFinal Fantasy series.
  • Nobuo Uematsu, who composed most of the music in the mainlineFinal Fantasy series, also composed themain theme forSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.
  • Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi directedThe Last Story, whose main characters Zael and Calista appear as trophies inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, and as spirits inUltimate.
  • Final Fantasy is the first third-party universe with playable characters to have a game published by Nintendo worldwide, as Nintendo publishedFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the Nintendo GameCube; the other two areBayonetta andBanjo-Kazooie.
  • Final Fantasy,Fire Emblem, andXenoblade Chronicles are the only universes to have multiple playable characters introduced throughDLC, and the former two are the only universes to introduce DLC characters in multipleSmash games.
  • Kazushige Nojima, scenario writer for many titles in theFinal Fantasy series, was hired by Sakurai to help in writing the story forThe Subspace Emissary.
  • Final Fantasy is the only universe to introduce a new company after the initial release ofSuper Smash Bros. 4.
  • Xenogears began as an early concept for Square'sFinal Fantasy VII. The company deemed it to be "too dark and complicated for a fantasy", but its creator,Tetsuya Takahashi, was allowed to develop it as a separate project. The team behind this project would go on to produce theXenosaga series underNamco and later theXenoblade Chronicles series under Nintendo, the latter of which would receive extensive representation in theSuper Smash Bros. series.
  • Final Fantasy had by far the lowest amount of representation of any major third-party franchise represented in theSuper Smash Bros. series prior toUltimate's Fighters Pass Vol. 2, for reasons never officially stated; however, it was mentioned by Sakurai in Sephiroth’s presentation that the lack of music from the series prior to his release was due to issues concerning copyright in different nations, with the same reasoning also potentially applying to other content from the series.
    • With a record-low of three trophies, all of which only featured the series' playable character,Final Fantasy has the fewest amount of trophies of all the third-party franchises in the entire series, excluding franchises exclusive toUltimate, which does not have trophies.
    • Despite most stage prop characters or objects getting trophies and the Midgar stage playing host to severalFinal Fantasy summons, the summons did not get trophies inSSB4 and only two received spirits inUltimate in 10.1.0.
    • TheFinal Fantasy universe is the only base-game third-party major universe to not have anyAssist Trophy representation inUltimate. Additionally, only two songs appeared inUltimate initially, making it the third-party universe with the least amount of music representation at first.
      • While other long running third-party RPG universes such asPersona andDragon Quest include content from games throughout their respective franchises, the content of theFinal Fantasy universe by contrast is almost entirely based around the compilation ofFinal Fantasy VII, with any additional content being pulled from reoccurring elements of the series, and not a specific title. It is possible this is another result of copyright challenges.
  • Final Fantasy designer and director Tetsuya Nomura designed members of Torna inXenoblade Chronicles 2, in which two members, Jin and Malos would appear in spirits via DLC.
  • Final Fantasy inUltimate is the only universe to have Mii Outfits for all three types ofMii fighters.

External links[edit]


v • d • e
Universes
HostSuper Smash Bros. (Subspace ·World of Light)
Fighter-basedAnimal Crossing ·ARMS ·Banjo-Kazooie ·Bayonetta ·Castlevania ·Donkey Kong ·Dragon Quest ·Duck Hunt ·EarthBound ·Fatal Fury ·Final Fantasy ·Fire Emblem ·F-Zero ·Game & Watch ·Ice Climber ·Kid Icarus ·Kingdom Hearts ·Kirby ·Mario ·Mega Man ·Metal Gear ·Metroid ·Minecraft ·Pac-Man ·Persona ·Pikmin ·Pokémon ·Punch-Out!! ·R.O.B. ·Sonic the Hedgehog ·Splatoon ·Star Fox ·Street Fighter ·Tekken ·The Legend of Zelda ·Wario ·Wii Fit ·Xenoblade Chronicles ·Yoshi
Stage-basedBalloon Fight ·Electroplankton ·Miiverse ·Nintendo DS ·Nintendogs ·Pilotwings ·StreetPass Mii Plaza ·Tomodachi ·Wii Sports ·Wrecking Crew
Assist Trophy-basedArt Academy ·Bomberman ·Brain Age ·Color TV-Game ·Custom Robo ·Devil World ·Dillon's Rolling Western ·Drill Dozer ·Excite ·Fatal Frame ·Golden Sun ·Jam with the Band ·Joy Mech Fight ·Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru ·Kururin ·Monster Hunter ·Nintendo Badge Arcade ·Nintendo Wars ·Sheriff ·Shovel Knight ·SimCity ·Sin and Punishment ·Swapnote ·The Legendary Starfy ·The Mysterious Murasame Castle ·Virtua Fighter
Item-basedClu Clu Land ·Galaxian ·GoldenEye ·Panel de Pon ·Perfect Dark ·Steel Diver
Enemy-basedDig Dug ·Rhythm Heaven ·Xevious
OthersMii ·List of minor universes (Nintendo ·Third-party)
v • d • e
Final Fantasy (universe)Final Fantasy universe
FightersCloud (SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Sephiroth (SSBU)
StagesMidgar ·Northern Cave
OtherAerith Gainsborough ·Bahamut ZERO ·Barret Wallace ·Chocobo ·Ifrit ·Leviathan ·Odin ·Ramuh ·Tifa Lockhart
Trophies &SpiritsTrophies ·Spirits
MusicSSB4 ·Ultimate
Related universeKingdom Hearts