Are Final Fantasy Games Connected?

Final Fantasy is one of the most well-known RPG franchises in all of gaming, with 16 main titled games, and dozens of sequels, spin offs, and related media. But if you’re not familiar with the Final Fantasy franchise, you may be confused as to whether all the games in the series are connected.

The short answer is, no, not all Final Fantasy games are connected. However, across all of the games there are consistent themes, recurring characters, and enemies. Additionally, several of the main games have sequels and connected titles. And perhaps even more confusingly, there are multiple games that take place in the same universe and world. 

To illuminate these connections, we’ve detailed many of them below, so you can figure out which Final Fantasy games have connections.

Connections between Final Fantasy Games

While not all Final Fantasy games are connected directly, many are connected by shared themes and concepts. For example, story-wise many Final Fantasy games deal with the effects of technology on the natural world, on how power corrupts people, and defending from evil empires. 

But beyond these story comparisons, there are characters and creatures  that appear in several Final Fantasy games, such as Moogles or Mogs, and Chocobos. These are core to the Final Fantasy series and act as mascots.

Recurring characters

One thing you’ll notice if you place several Final Fantasy games is the fact many names and characterizations are reused. The most obvious is Cid, who has appeared in almost every single Final Fantasy game, as an allied NPC or adversary. Cid is often the inventor or pilot of an airship, and purveyor of technology.

Another common recurring set of characters are Biggs and Wedge. While their names are an overt Star Wars reference, they also appear in many Final Fantasy games as soldiers. Other examples include a cat called Cait Sith, a Chocobo called Boco, and others besides.

Recurring enemies and summons

Enemies and summons also appear in multiple Final Fantasy games. The most iconic is probably Gilgamesh, who has appeared as a summon, an enemy, a boss, and an ally in a dozen Final Fantasy games.

Tonberries, the Ultima Weapon, Bahamut, Omega, Malboros, Cactuars, Typhon also appear in multiple games. But even the less memorable enemies such as Ahrimans, Arachnes, Hecteyes, etc. appear in multiple games. 

Sequels, remakes, and spin-offs

While it might just seem like there’s 16 Final Fantasy games, and they’re unconnected, the truth is a bit more complex. After the incredible success of Final Fantasy X, Square Enix for the first time created a direct sequel to one of its games, with Final Fantasy X-2. While not the same commercial success as its predecessor, it set a precedent that Final Fantasy games could have sequels, and after that Final Fantasy XII and XIII both had sequels.

There’s also numerous spin-off games from the Final Fantasy series. Final Fantasy Tactics is perhaps the most famous, but games like Crystal Chronicles, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and Dissidia also fit the bill. Additionally, many games take place in the same universe, such is the case with the Ivalice games.

Numerous Remakes of the Final Fantasy games have also been released. While many are attempts to just port the games to newer platforms (Such as Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster), others, like the Final Fantasy VII remakes, are complete reimaginings of the original title.