It’s been a little over 20 years since Final Fantasy V was released for the PlayStation in America. While it’s a great game, it’s been overshadowed in recent years by its successors like Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X. However, the series' fifth installment took a lot of things from previous games and changed it up, making it very different.
With these changes, Final Fantasy V brought 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 of Final Fantasy have a lot to thank the game for.
10 Expanded The Jobs/Roles Of Characters In Battle
Before Final Fantasy V, most characters were limited to one or two roles in battle. For example Firion from Final Fantasy II was considered a warrior; Rydia from Final Fantasy IV was mainly a summoner (though also functioned as a black mage). Final Fantasy V changed it up by allowing players to give 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 IV did extend it the system a little, but Final Fantasy V kicked it up a notch and influenced the roles of characters in future installments.
9 Job Versatility & Different Commands
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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, and make 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.
8 Gilgamesh Became An Iconic Character
One character from Final Fantasy V became iconic in the series as a whole: Gilgamesh. He debuted as a recurring enemy in the game, and became a recurring character after this. In Final 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 other Final Fantasy games and spinoffs, including being a secret playable character in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.
7 The Trope Of Main Characters Crossdressing
Just about every Final Fantasy fan knows about the iconic moment Cloud Strife had to crossdress to get into Don Corneo’s mansion in Final Fantasy VII. However, some fans might’ve forgotten he’s not the first main character to crossdress. In Final 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.
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 in Final Fantasy X-2, and some of Lightning’s garb in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII has masculine tones.
6 Bartz Is A Little Different From Previous Heroes
Before Bartz appeared, most of the main heroes Final Fantasy games 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. Other main heroes like Zidane Tribal from Final Fantasy IX and Tidus from Final Fantasy X are similar to Bartz, being easygoing heroes that mature throughout their journey.
5 Romance Is Not Needed
A lot of Final Fantasy games do have romance in 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 the Final Fantasy games. However, Final Fantasy V opted 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 like Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XIII continued this trend, and did not have any romance between the main characters.
4 The Introduction Of Superbosses
Hidden/Superbosses have been part of the Final Fantasy series for so long that some fans might have forgotten that Final Fantasy V started 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 appear in Final Fantasy games. 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.
3 Faris Paved The Way For Tough Women
Just as Bartz is different from previous main heroes, Faris is very different from previous Final Fantasy female protagonists. While Maria from Final Fantasy II, and Rosa and Rydia from Final 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 all Final Fantasy female heroes had to be feminine and soft-spoken.
Other female heroes later in the series would be reminiscent of Faris and be tomboyish like her. Paine from Final Fantasy X-2, Celes Chere from Final Fantasy VI, and Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII are much like Faris in being a little rougher around the edges than their fellow female party members.
2 It Showed That Evil Can Win (Even If A Little)
The classic trope of good vs. evil is shown in all of the Final Fantasy games. The main goal is to put an end to the villain’s evil plans, which usually revolve around ruling or destroying the world. The heroes usually win and save the day, but Final Fantasy V changed 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.
1 Sequels Became A Possibility
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Final Fantasy V was 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-favorite Final Fantasy games.
In this vein, Final Fantasy VII would go on to have both prequel and sequel games, plus a sequel movie. Final Fantasy X-2 was the first sequel game in the series, showing its potential for longer storylines. Final Fantasy XIII had two sequels and is the first trilogy in the series.