Imagine a parallel universe where each main villain from different Final Fantasy games succeeds in their goals, defeating or killing the protagonists and imposing their will. In which game world do the average people suffer the most? Which world ends up with the ‘best’ outcome for the common folk? And if you had to choose, which villainous victory world would you live in? The villains’ motivations vary wildly, so I’m curious about how ordinary lives are impacted differently across these scenarios.
5 Answers
Looking at games like 10, 12, and 13, things seem grim but not complete annihilation. In FFX, if Seymour wins and becomes Sin, it’s uncertain whether he controls it or loses control, but either way, life keeps going as it has, tragic as that might be. For FF12, Vayne’s goal to wrest control away from manipulative powers suggests a shift in power, but the world might still persist under his rule or fall later due to other factors. FF13’s villains want to sacrifice humans to summon a god, so that might be catastrophic but it’s complicated by some key characters resisting that fate. Overall, these scenarios are bleak but not always total destruction.
Some stories show cycles or loops that might lessen the impact for regular folks. Like in Final Fantasy I, if the heroes fail, the villain Chaos just resets the time loop and tries again, so life kinda keeps repeating without huge changes to the people’s day-to-day. Also in FF10, even if the bad guy becomes Sin, life still cycles through suffering but carries on. And in XII, even though Vayne conquers, there’s still opposition and it’s unclear how long his reign would last. So in these worlds, the ‘worst’ outcomes aren’t total erasure but ongoing hardship.
Villains like Kefka from 6 are terrifying because they don’t just want power; they torment people just for fun, so even if the world exists, it’s a nightmare to live under their rule. Meanwhile, in games like 2, 4, 6, 8, and 15, villain victories basically mean turning everyone into slaves or mind-controlled minions forever. So some worlds get wiped out, others get enslaved, and a few keep moving on but stuck in endless cycles of suffering. Choosing the ‘best’ villain victory world really depends on what kind of horror you’d rather face as an average person.
The worst cases are definitely from games like Final Fantasy III, V, and IX where villain victories basically mean the destruction of everything and everyone. In those worlds, all life and reality might be wiped out entirely, so there’s nothing left for ordinary people at all. On the flip side, Final Fantasy XII stands out as having perhaps the best scenario for everyday folks. Even though Vayne is ruthless, he’s not a typical tyrant who just loves to oppress for the sake of it, so there’s some hope that life continues in some form without total annihilation.
Final Fantasy XIV’s villain victories would probably be the absolute worst for normal people. The Endsinger taking over leads to total cosmic destruction, wiping out the entire universe and all life within it. That’s a no-win scenario for anyone living in that world. It’s a stark contrast to some other games where suffering continues but people remain alive in some form, however grim. So if you value existence itself, FF14’s villain wins are the ultimate disaster.
