It’s difficult to narrow it down to the ten biggest plot twists, considering the franchise spans almost four decades, but to help, we decided to keep our list of mainline entries — no spin-offs, remakes, or sequels.
10
Clive Dies Saving The World
Final Fantasy 16
There was a lot of foreshadowing in Final Fantasy 16 that Clive was going to die. That didn’t make it any easier when the moment actually came. In fact, up until that very moment, I kept trying to convince myself that we’d get to see a happy ending for Clive and Jill.
That doesn’t quite pan out, however, and Clive becomes one of the few protagonists in Final Fantasy history that actually dies at the end. If FF15 hadn’t used this same twist, it would’ve had more of an impact, and the series is no stranger to killing off characters in the finale. Nevertheless, Clive’s death packs an emotional punch and earns its spot among the biggest Final Fantasy plot twists of all time.
9
Everyone Was Raised By Edea
Final Fantasy 8
I’m a big defender of Final Fantasy 8, which is kind of the black sheep of the PS1 FF games, but its strange (and admittedly confusing) story gets injected with a major twist toward the end of the game. It turns out Edea, the evil sorceress you’ve been at odds with, actually raised you along with your friends at an orphanage. Oh, and Headmaster Cid was there too and helping her.
If that doesn’t make sense to you, it’s because FF8‘s plot is filled with twists, weird retcons, and time travel as a plot device. You kind of just have to go along for the ride. It turns out Squall and company all got amnesia afterward, which is why no one remembers this past until it shows up later. This feels like such a major plot twist mostly because of how strange and seemingly random it is. I guarantee no one saw it coming.
8
Cecil’s Brother Is Golbez
Final Fantasy 4
Pretty much everyone agrees that Final Fantasy really began to hit its stride from a storytelling standpoint with FF4. There are numerous twists related to protagonist Cecil over the course of the game, but the biggest is probably the reveal that Golbez is your brother. Until then, Golbez feels fairly run-of-the-mill as a villain, so it adds a lot of emotional weight to the story and Cecil’s character development.
It’s probably the first major plot twist in all of Final Fantasy, which is why it deserves a spot here. This is also as good a time as any to remind everyone to play Final Fantasy 4 if you haven’t yet. The Pixel Remaster, Spoony Bard line and all, is currently on Game Pass and also goes on sale regularly.
7
Cloud Basically Stole Zack’s Identity
Final Fantasy 7
Cloud’s past seems pretty straightforward initially, and despite brooding and being a bit whiny at times, he feels like a fairly average protagonist. But then, about halfway through the original Final Fantasy 7‘s main story, we find out that Cloud essentially stole Zack Fair’s identity. Cloud was never in SOLDIER, and most of those “memories” and perspectives actually belonged to Zack.
It’s a twist that not only changes the way we look at Cloud, but also changes the way we look at everything up until that moment. It’s a classic unreliable narrator twist, but it’s so darn good. It gives some true emotion to Cloud’s past, and makes him a flawed – but far more compelling – hero because of it.
6
Gabranth Is Basch’s Twin Brother
Final Fantasy 12
Early in Final Fantasy 12, it seems like Basch has betrayed his kingdom and stabbed Vaan’s brother, Reks, in the prologue. Basch’s story is one of the most compelling parts of FF12, and it only gets more interesting once you learn that Judge Gabranth, the big bad dude in black armor, is actually Basch’s twin brother.
This trickery lands Basch in prison and sets off most of the events in Final Fantasy 12. The intersecting storylines between the two brothers is also emotionally resonant, and the payoff here is excellent.
5
Jecht Is Sin
Final Fantasy 10
You know that giant whale in the sky that’s killing everyone? Well, it turns out that flying whale is your dad. And you and your girlfriend have to stop him. That’s basically the twist near the end of Final Fantasy 10, a game with several incredible plot twists both before and after the big reveal that Tidus’s father, Jecht, is Sin.
Tidus and Jecht’s testy relationship is one of the driving forces behind everything Tidus does, and having Jecht be Sin only adds to that. It’s a twist for the ages, but considering all the surprises FF10 throws your way (more on that later), it’s impressive that this one still stands out.
4
Zidane & Kuja Were Manufactured By Garland
Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy 9 also has its fair share of twists along the way, but its biggest reveal might just be that the villainous Kuja and leading man Zidane are brothers, and they were manufactured in another world by a man named Garland. There’s a lot of foreshadowing before this moment, which is why it feels so incredibly earned.
It also brings the plot full circle after seeing the black mages being created in Dali and Vivi’s existential crisis. Like the black mage soldiers, Kuja and Zidane were simply manufactured for the purpose of destruction. It feels like everything was leading up to this moment in FF9, which is why it’s so great.
3
Kefka Wins
Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 6 is widely regarded as one of the best entries in the franchise, and its Kefka twist proves why. You and your party finally confront the evil clown sorcerer, but instead of taking him down, Kefka defeats you. And Kefka doesn’t just win — he manages to fulfill his goal and end the world.
Surprise! You’ve reached what’s basically the halfway point of the game. Now, you must regroup with your party members (the ones who are still alive anyway) and try to take down Kefka for real. It’s a great twist that still feels shocking all these years later. The bad guys are never supposed to win, except that Kefka does.
2
Tidus Is A Dream
Final Fantasy 10
As the first mainline game to have voice acting and facial features to convey emotion, Final Fantasy 10 gave us a story to back up the technological leaps the series made on the PS2. There are so many twists in FF10‘s story (see: your dad is Sin) but somehow this game just keeps on topping itself.
Yuna is going to sacrifice herself. Jecht is Sin. Auron is really dead. The entire religion of Spira is a lie. Oh, and then it turns out Tidus is just a dream of the Fayth. Once you defeat Sin for good, he’s going to vanish. It’s heartbreaking and still one of the biggest moments in any Final Fantasy game.
1
Aerith Dies
Final Fantasy 7
This is THE twist to end all twists. Its impact was so massive that we’re still talking about it today, and it’s still regularly ranked as one of the greatest plot twists in any video game ever. I can’t stress enough how surprising Aerith’s death was in the original Final Fantasy 7. An entire generation of RPG fans met up at school or work the next day to talk about it.
I’d also argue the moment was pivotal in setting Final Fantasy apart from other RPG franchises at the time. Killing off such a major character, who’s also a love interest for the main hero, and letting her stay dead just wasn’t done. If you weren’t in tears by the time Aerith sinks beneath the water in FF7, then you at least told all your friends about it. It’s truly a mind-blowing moment for both the Final Fantasy series and video games in general.