Final Fantasy Heroes That Learned To Stand On Their Own
Something that has always brought me so much joy is when a female hero stands on her own two feet for the first time ever. It’s that really powerful moment where she has learned from her past and has been pushed beyond her limits and now she has to do what everyone thought she would never be able to do.
This is the stuff I live for in video games and it always gets me so excited every single time!!
Final Fantasy is one of those series where this happens a lot (or at least I think so anyway), so I compiled a list of the ladies I’ve noticed who had to learn to stand on their own at some point and get the job done.
Rydia (Final Fantasy 4)
We first meet Rydia at a young age, she has to deal with the death of her mother and becomes the sole survivor of her town. Through spending most of her time in the spirit world (where time flows differently, allowing her to grow up much faster and allowing her powers to mature faster as well). Rydia is someone who has taken her past experiences, learned from them and continues to try and make sure her friends have a bright future.
What I liked about Rydia was that at the beginning of the game she hated the people who hurt her and took everything from her (as anyone would). However, she also understood that in order for her to survive and change the outcome of the battle that she would have to grow up fast, take a stand and start helping others despite her past if she wanted to save a broken world.
Serah Farron (Final Fantasy 13/13-2)
Throughout Final Fantasy XIII we often hear Lighting talk about Serah and how she had to be protected and saved. So that’s why I never imagined how exciting it would be when the roles were reversed and Serah became the hero. It totally didn’t fit with the image of someone who had to be protected and was always timid.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, we see Serah stand on her own. We see her being brave, strong and learning to be independent of the others around her, all despite her doubts and fears. Getting to see Serah taking a stand and no longer wanting to bring others down because she could not help or protect others was a great feeling to experience. Every time I think about how much Lightning and Serah care about each other it hits me right in the feelings.
Rinoa Heartily (Final Fantasy 8)
Many will remember Rinoa as the girl who caused so much drama and never listened to anyone at the beginning of the game. However, as the story goes on we get a bit of her back story and we understand why she did what she thought was right.
She was a hero who got tired of constantly being told to stay behind. So any time she was left behind she would actually sneak in and get into trouble. I really liked that about her, she wanted to help in any way she could so, in the end, she was forced to try and make a difference on her own. Her methods might not have been that smart but her heart was in the right place and that’s what truly matters.
Yuna (Final Fantasy 10/10-2)
Yuna is one of the most iconic and beloved female Final Fantasy heroes to this day and it is purely because of her kindness and her heart. She is soft-spoken and protecting others is what she is all about. From a very young age, Yuna decided that she would do whatever it takes to protect everyone. She often second-guesses her choices but she has friends that believe in her and support her.
Her relationship with Tidus is what truly brings her to realize that she doesn’t have to follow the path that was laid out before her. It’s only then when she realizes that she can create her own future that her character and her sense of values truly come to life.
Garnet/Dagger (Final Fantasy 9)
Everyone saw this one coming! Since I’m a HUGE Final Fantasy IX fan it should come as no surprise. Dagger is your typical sheltered princess who is looking for adventure at the beginning of the game. Who could blame her? She was always locked away, guarded and protected. She wanted her freedom!
As the story progresses we see her having to go through some really horrible times and she reaches the point where she has to stand up and do the right thing. For the people of her kingdom, and for herself. Thanks to her companions she learned from their mistakes, and even though she made her own along the way, she still managed to stand strong when the going got tough.
As I look back at the female heroes on the list I do have to say that they did not go through all the tragedies all on their own. They always had support from friends and comrades. I feel like that is the one thing that always helped them take that final step or gave them the final push they needed to stand up for themselves and fight back. Just like in real life it’s very important to find something worth devoting yourself to in order to fight for, and I think the Final Fantasy series always manages to get this right every time.
Final Fantasy has been a big part of my life and helped make me who I am today. Looking back at the game franchise I can proudly say that they did a fantastic job with showing young and older generations that we as girls can also take a stand and stand up for ourselves.
Final Fantasy has so many female heroes to look out for and each of them are amazing in their own right. Did I mention your favorite character? Hopefully, I added someone onto the list you like.
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Beautifully written! It’s always great to see female characters become empowered and evolve into strong independent Heroes.