Party members in a JRPG are typically the cornerstones of a game’s experience, helping drive the narrative and allowing the player to connect with friends along the way. ForFinal Fantasygames, the party is essential in crafting an adventure worth taking and a journey worth making. The franchise has told stories of loss, despair, revenge, and more that each member of the party has been an essential part of.
The dynamic between Cloud and his party, as well as between Noctis and his party, is quite similar despite having very different levels of relationship and character development. Noctis and his comrades have known each other for years, whereas several of the characters inFinal Fantasy 7meet each other just days before the journey begins. In a lot of ways,Final Fantasy 7andFinal Fantasy 15tell different stories of loss and redemption, but the dynamic between the characters captures similar emotions of despair and redemption.
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FF7: Aerith, Tifa, and Barret
The main cast ofFinal Fantasy 7largely meets each other within days of the main plot taking place. Cloud returns to Midgar for a job with Avalanche, only staying longer atthe request of his long-time friend Tifa. Players get to know Cloud and Tifa’s relationship over time, as well as Cloud meeting Barrett and eventually Aerith. In just a few days this crew of acquaintances shares equal amounts of sorrow and strife from both Shinra and Sephiroth. Then as the journey goes on, the party grows and experiences great suffering and redemption as they work to defeat Sephiroth and save the planet.
At least in terms ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, which elaborates on the first seven hours of the original game in greater detail, players begin to understand the characters' feelings and motivations pretty quickly. Barrett believes in Avalanche’s lofty ideals of saving the planet and ending the tyranny of Shinra. Tifa expresses doubts onthe methods of accomplishing Avalanche’s mission. Aerith’s lineage has her consistently escaping the clutches of Hojo and Shinra’s research team. While Cloud himself has his own struggles with Shinra and transversely with Sephiroth, each key member of the core party is deeply affected by the same issues at large. Even though they basically just met, the group bonds together quickly at the face of a common sorrow.
FF15: Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto
Noctis' crew inFinal Fantasy 15are royal protectors of the prince, but have also known Noctis for a long time. Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto are all childhood friends of Noctis. When the story begins, players are already in the presence of great friends, whose stories unfold and evolve over time.Final Fantasy 15’s story was largely built around the themes of a road trip; long journeys with friends/family that allows people to connect and strengthen their bonds over time. Players know that Noctis is already great friends with his three companions, but those relationships are given opportunities to contextualize and grow over time as Noctis reminisces with Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto.
Obviously there’s an inherent bond that players come to understand between Noctis and his friends, but the story does challenge these relationships in meaningful ways. The death of Noctis' father, the takeover of his kingdom, and other sacrifices Noctis and his group make over their journey brings up a lot of moral arguments and judgement calls that Noctis has to make. What’s interesting is that Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto all challenge Noctis in different ways if he’s not making the right decision or is being naive.Noctis' coming-of-age is heavily influenced by the companions at his side, guiding him and teaching him right from wrong in their own ways.
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Comparing The Heroes: Cloud and Noctis
Regardless of any gripes withFinal Fantasy 15’s disjointed story, it’s hard not to argue that one of the best aspects of the fifteenth entry are the main cast. Noctis and his brethren bounce off each other like true friends, with banter ranging from incredibly serious to downright silly. They share the tragedy of theirfallen kingdom by Ardyn’s hands together, similar toFinal Fantasy 7’s characters. Cloud and the gang all experience trauma at the hands of both Shinra and Sephiroth, bringing them together in such a short amount of time. Both groups encourage each other to fight for what’s right, supporting each other both in battle and emotionally.
The main difference between the supporting casts inFinal Fantasy 7andFinal Fantasy 15is their individuality, and how it relates to the connection with the main character. Noctis' crew are ride-or-die for him, as they are servants of the same kingdom and all want to reclaim the throne for Noctis because of their bond and duty. Barret, Tifa, and Aerith all have their own individual reasons for going on their journey against Shinra and Sephiroth. They’ve all had their lives severely changed by the actions of Shinra and Sephiroth, and all have their own unique justifications for going on the journey with Cloud.
Both crews fromFinal Fantasy 7andFinal Fantasy 15have very similar goals in the end, that differ only in their respective justifications. Even though each game has very different narrative themes and cultural inspirations, the strong bonds between the main character and their supporting cast are what makeFinal Fantasygames so great.
