The Same Old

by Steven Toast 

A lot of people hold Final Fantasy 9 in really high regard for being a throwback to real RPGs-- RPGs that were fantasy oriented and that were always incredibly original and devoid of hackneyed plot devices and characters. I enjoyed FF9 very much; however, I believe that people tend to overlook the fact that its characters and much of the plot resemble very closely the very RPG that FF9 was supposed to be taking us away from. That is, the plotline and characters of FF9 resemble that of FF7 in many different ways.

The first thing to analyze are the very mechanics of the two games. FF9 was supposed to finally be a throwback to FF6j in that you were allowed to have four characters in your party. However, you were required at almost all times to have Zidane in your party. This closely resembles the fact that Cloud could almost never be removed from the party. Both games strongly reinforce the fact that there is in fact one specific main character, unlike the earlier, more fantasy-oriented games FF9 was supposed to reflect. The idea of a main character is not only reflected in the plot but also in the way that the party is reflected in battle.

Next, let us take a look at the similarities between the characters in the game. FF9 represented all the stereotypical characters in all the stereotypical ways, just as FF7 did. The main characters in both are powerful, wily characters who do what they want when they want basically (I’ll later discuss the deeper similarities between Zidane and Cloud). The main character is forced into cooperating with a big physically powerful character who is tightly bound to a cause. In FF7, this is Barret, and in FF9, Steiner. This big powerful character has a soft spot in his heart for the main character’s love interest. This love interest in FF9 is Garnet and in FF7 is Tifa. Garnet, however, is in essence a combination of Tifa and Aeris, both love interests of the main character. Garnet bears not only physical resemblance to Tifa, but also is confused about her life, where she is in life and what she wants. Garnet resembles Aeris in the fact that she is the gentle healer of the group with weaker physical traits, but powerful magic. Eiko and Yuffie are the token energetic annoying characters, who both come from once-great towns with large murals carved in the walls of a mountain, an odd similarity. Cid and Freya are both dragoons who play relatively minor roles in the game but are fleshed out well; both have very strong sides but also are shown as having softer sides with their love lives. Vincent and Amarant are both strong quiet characters. Cait Sith and Quina are both large, round white things who start out as providing comic relief only, but later get a deeper meaning for being in the team. Red XIII and Vivi, well... every theory’s got its holes....

Now, on to the deep similarities between Zidane/Cloud and Kuja/Sephiroth. Zidane and Cloud both have major questions about their pasts that are unanswered. Kuja and Sephiroth are both silver haired bishounen evil characters. Kuja and Sephiroth are both people created by organizations who desire to use them for mass destruction. Not only this, but Sephiroth was created using cells of something that came from another planet. Kuja was also created by using cells not of the main planet in which he is set loose to cause havoc on. Now, Zidane and Cloud both spend all their time running and chasing after their respective enemies only to find out that they are the same as the ones they despise. Zidane was made to replace Kuja and Cloud was experimented on for the purpose of making a clone of Sephiroth. When Garland was explaining his existence to Zidane all I could think in my mind was “Zidane, you are just a puppet...” Sephiroth went insane and decided to destroy the world when he found out his true nature-- that he was the son of Jenova. Kuja went insane and decided to destroy the universe when he found out his true nature-- that he was mortal. Sephiroth decides to go about his ways by summoning the Black Materia. Kuja decides to go about his ways by summoning eidolons. In the end of FF7 Cloud has to go back and face Sephiroth one more time, one-on-one. In the end of FF9, Zidane has to go back and see Kuja one-on-one before his mission can finally be over.

Finally, there are more plot similarities besides the Zidane/Cloud/Kuja/Sephiroth similarities. For one thing, the ultimate enemy comes in the form of an alien. Both games are ultimately concerned with a threat that comes from outer space. In both games, the party spends most of its time in the beginning of the game chasing around after a threat to the earth that comes in the form of an organization that is out to take over the world. In FF7 it is the Shinra and in FF9 it is Alexandria. This organization in both games turns out to not be the major threat to the world and their rulers meet untimely deaths.

I still enjoyed FF9 very much and I think it is a great game. I just have not seen anyone mention the startling similarities between Zidane and Cloud. I think that both games are great and they are different games. I do think it is unfair that people denounce games such a Legend of Dragoon as being unoriginal and not worth playing for the fact that they hold close similarities to other already popular RPGs and everyone overlooks the fact the Final Fantasy 9 does the same thing.