It’s been a little over 20 years sinceFinal Fantasy Vwas released for the PlayStation in America. While it’s a great game, it’s been overshadowed in recent years by its successors likeFinal Fantasy VIIandFinal Fantasy X.However, the series' fifth installment took a lot of things from previous games and changed it up, making it very different.
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With these changes,Final Fantasy Vbrought a lot of things into the franchise that have lasted, and thus has played a huge role in shaping the franchise as fans know it today. From superbosses to iconic characters, fans ofFinal Fantasyhave a lot to thank the game for.
10Expanded The Jobs/Roles Of Characters In Battle
BeforeFinal Fantasy V, most characters were limited to one or two roles in battle. For example Firion fromFinal Fantasy IIwas considered a warrior; Rydia fromFinal Fantasy IVwas mainly a summoner (though also functioned as a black mage).Final Fantasy Vchanged it up by allowing players togive the characters different jobs. Characters weren’t limited to just one or two roles; rather, players would be able to create their dream team and have fun trying out different roles.
This also opened the possibility of other classes and combinations. It didn’t just have to be classic warrior, black mage, thief, and white mage.Final Fantasy IVdid extend it the system a little, butFinal Fantasy Vkicked it up a notch and influenced the roles of characters in future installments.
9Job Versatility & Different Commands
With the job selection being so massive, it would be hard limiting the characters to a specific role, especially in upcoming boss fights. To make it a little easier, andmake the job more versatile, players could equip commands from other jobs. This meant jobs like the Black Mage wouldn’t just be limited to casting damaging spells; they could also use White Mage abilities and be a better version of the Red Mage job. Knights could use spells from any of the magic jobs.
It might sound like a huge hassle, but this just added onto the fun of customizing the characters and their abilities. Players could test out powerful combos, like the iconic Spellblade-Dual Wield-Rapid Fire combo for the Mystic Knight class.
8Gilgamesh Became An Iconic Character
One character fromFinal Fantasy Vbecame iconic in the series as a whole: Gilgamesh. He debuted as a recurringenemy in the game, and became a recurring character after this. InFinal Fantasy V, he’s Exdeath’s right-hand man and has some pretty funny dialogue before fights.
Since then, he’s appeared in a lot of otherFinal Fantasygames and spinoffs, including being a secret playable character in Dissidia012 Final Fantasy.
7The Trope Of Main Characters Crossdressing
Just about everyFinal Fantasyfan knows about the iconic moment Cloud Strifehad to crossdressto get into Don Corneo’s mansion inFinal Fantasy VII. However, some fans might’ve forgotten he’s not the first main character to crossdress. InFinal Fantasy V, players are led to believe Faris is a man until it’s revealed later on in the game that she’s a woman. Due to being raised by pirates, Faris was raised as a boy and kept the illusion she’s a man as she grew up.
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Cloud’s crossdressing moment might be more memorable, but Faris left an influence. Some other female characters’ outfits throughout the series mirror how most of Faris’ job outfits look more masculine. For example, most of Paine’s dresspheres inFinal Fantasy X-2,and some of Lightning’s garb inLightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIIIhas masculine tones.
6Bartz Is A Little Different From Previous Heroes
Before Bartz appeared, most of the main heroesFinal Fantasygames were serious and reserved with very little sense of humor. Bartz was unlike them: a cheerful, easygoing kind of hero. He did have some serious moments and matured over the course of the game, but overall he remained a friendly character.
Bartz showed that not all main heroes had to be serious. Othermain heroes like Zidane TribalfromFinal Fantasy IXand Tidus fromFinal Fantasy Xare similar to Bartz, being easygoing heroes that mature throughout their journey.
5Romance Is Not Needed
A lot ofFinal Fantasygames do have romancein them, but this is usually built up as a background story for some characters. From Cecil and Rosa’s subtle love for each other to Noctis’ and Lunafreya’s engagement, romance has played a small but significant role in theFinal Fantasygames. However,Final Fantasy Vopted not to pursue this, and no relationship was built between Bartz or any of the ladies in the game.
In this way, the game showed that men and women could travel together and be friends, with no need for romantic tension. This gave Lenna and Faris the opportunity to focus more on the adventure and develop their own stories without having to worry about romance. Other games likeFinal Fantasy XIIandFinal Fantasy XIIIcontinued this trend, and did not have any romance between the main characters.
4The Introduction Of Superbosses
Hidden/Superbosses have been part of theFinal Fantasyseries for so long that some fans might have forgotten thatFinal Fantasy Vstarted the trend. The first two original superbosses to appear were Omega and Shinryu. It can be argued on which superboss is the toughest one, but both enemies have appeared in various games in different forms.
Since their debut,superbosses have continued to appearinFinal Fantasygames. It’s a great way for players to test their skills in battle, along with their patience to properly prepare. Because these battles can be so tough, players can and will spend hours hunting down the best weapons and armor, leveling up, and learning the best abilities.
3Faris Paved The Way For Tough Women
Just as Bartz is different from previous main heroes, Faris is very different from previousFinal Fantasyfemale protagonists. While MariafromFinal Fantasy II, and Rosa and Rydia fromFinal Fantasy IV,are all strong female characters, they are more feminine and delicate. Faris, on the other hand, is brash and tough. She proved that not allFinal Fantasyfemale heroeshad to be feminine and soft-spoken.
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Other female heroes later in the series would be reminiscent of Faris and be tomboyish like her. Paine fromFinal Fantasy X-2, Celes Chere fromFinal Fantasy VI, and Lightning fromFinal Fantasy XIIIare much like Faris in being a little rougher around the edges than their fellow female party members.
2It Showed That Evil Can Win (Even If A Little)
The classic trope of good vs. evil is shown in all of theFinal Fantasygames. The main goal is to put an end to thevillain’s evil plans, which usually revolve around ruling or destroying the world. The heroes usually win and save the day, butFinal Fantasy Vchanged it up. Exdeath, the villain, wanted to consume everything into the Void. Even though he was stopped, Exdeath did win to an extent.
It was stated that the Void does consume everything, but at a slow rate. Exdeath’s use of the Void sped up the process. Bartz and his friends were victorious, but knowing that the Void is still consuming the world left everything with a sense of foreboding.
1Sequels Became A Possibility
Final Fantasy Vwas the first in the series to have a sequel that followed up from the same game. Though only four episodes, the OVA series was a moderate success and received mixed reviews. Regardless, it at least opened up the doors for sequels and spinoffs to be created and extend the universe of fan-favoriteFinal Fantasygames.
In this vein,Final Fantasy VIIwould go on to have both prequel and sequel games, plusa sequel movie.Final Fantasy X-2was the first sequel game in the series, showing its potential for longer storylines.Final Fantasy XIIIhad two sequels and is the first trilogy in the series.
