Highlights
- The Final Fantasy franchise expanded into feature films, TV shows, books, and audio dramas to enhance the lore and storytelling beyond gaming.
- Radio dramas like Unlimited After 2 and Tactics Advance Radio Edition offer additional insights and expand on the universe of Final Fantasy.
- Audio dramas like Final Fantasy 10 -Will- and 15 Prologue provide epilogues and prologues for fans, further connecting them to the game world.
Most video game fans know the Final Fantasy franchise as a massively influential series of video games that shaped the role-playing game genre nito what it is today. But in the many years since the series' debut in 1987, it's also branched out into all sorts of other forms of media. The series now includes feature films, TV shows, books, and even audio dramas.
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Final Fantasy's radio dramas are connected to other works in the iconic franchise, and typically tell stories and expand on lore present in the games and anime. There have been seven of these audio dramas to date. This overview details when they came out, what they relate to, and what stories they tell.
6 Final Fantasy: Unlimited After 2
An Anime Epilogue
- Release Date: December 2002
The first Final Fantasy radio drama is Unlimited After 2, which is a sequel to the manga Final Fantasy: Unlimited After. This book, in turn, picks up after the end of the anime Final Fantasy: Unlimited. It follows Kuroki Kaze, one of the main characters of the anime, and his rival Makenshi.
The audio drama contains about forty minutes of content and details Kaze's unending quest to destroy Chaos, a recurring theme in many Final Fantasy installments. Makenshi's motivations are also explored, offering a bit of closure for fans of the anime.
5 Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Radio Edition
Swapping Tactics For Drama
- Release Date: January 2003
As the name suggests, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Radio Edition is an audio adaptation of the plot of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the critically acclaimed tactical RPG that came out that same year. The drama was released in four volumes over the course of several months, each of which included three to four main chapters and one bonus.
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While the basic synopsis of the game is preserved more or less intact, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Radio Edition does have a few story changes from the game. The moogle airship mechanic Nono makes an appearance much earlier in the radio edition than in the game, for instance. While the drama was originally released in installments, a premium version of the complete story was later offered, so fans of the story could experience the whole thing in one go.
4 Final Fantasy: Unlimited Before
Setting The Stage For Final Fantasy: Unlimited
- Release Date: April 2003
This radio drama serves as a prequel to the events of the anime Final Fantasy: Unlimited. It was provided as a pack-in bonus to fans who purchased all nine volumes of the Final Fantasy anime on DVD in Japan. It's a brief story, coming in at only two tracks, one of which is the series' main theme.
Final Fantasy: Unlimited Before covers some of the foundational events of the anime. The deaths of Windaria and Misteria are featured, and the main characters, such as the Hayakawa siblings and Lisa Pacifist, make their first appearances as well. This audio drama certainly isn't required to enjoy the anime, but it's a nice bonus for fans who want to see where the story all began.
3 Final Fantasy 13 Episode Zero -Promise- Fabula Nova Dramatica Alpha & Omega
An Audiobook Prologue
- Release Date: September 2010
Final Fantasy 13: Episode Zero -Promise- Fabula Nova Dramatica Alpha is a retelling of the less wordy Final Fantasy 13 Episode Zero -Promise-, which is a series of web novellas that act as a prologue to the events of Final Fantasy 13. The web novella covers the thirteen days leading up to the main game. It's split into seven chapters, each of which centers on a different major character from Final Fantasy 13, detailing their life and social situation in the days before the game starts.
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Fabula Nova Dramatica Alpha covers all seven chapters, devoting 1-6 minutes to each, and also includes a special bonus story titled "Real." An alternate version of the audio drama, Final Fantasy 13: Episode Zero -Promise- Fabula Nova Dramatica Omega, was launched in November of 2010. It told the same story with a different bonus chapter, further extending the world of Final Fantasy 13 for eager fans.
2 Final Fantasy 10 -Will-
Where Are They Now
- Release Date: December 2013
Final Fantasy X -Will- is an audio drama created for release alongside Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster. As the name suggests, this compilation title combines both games with renewed visuals and new features. The audio drama was just one piece of new content for fans to enjoy, alongside bonus videos and even a new novel.
The audio drama takes place a year after the events of Final Fantasy 10-2 and serves as a sort of epilogue for the story, exploring what happened to the major characters. It centers around two new characters, Chuami and Kurgum, but their narrative quickly becomes entwined with those of the main characters from the games. The relationship between Tidus and Yuna is called into question as main antagonist Sin resurfaces, once again threatening the world. The radio drama ends on a cliffhanger, with Yuna once again vowing to defeat Sin.
1 Final Fantasy 15 Prologue ~Tabidatsu Mono, Nokoru Mono~
A Road Trip Primer
- Release Date: November 2016
The audio prologue to Final Fantasy 15 was released as a preorder bonus for PS4 versions of the game in Japan. It covers the events of the day before the protagonists' fateful road trip, setting the stage for the events of the game to follow. While it's certainly not required to enjoy the game, it does help players learn more about Noctis and his friends.
Final Fantasy 15 Prologue ~Tabidatsu Mono, Nokoru Mono~ is a half hour long audio drama with a story split across three tracks. It's centered around the main characters of the game and the events that send them out on the road before the inciting incident of Final Fantasy 15. It also contains a discussion of the historical events leading up to the game's conflict, giving fans a chance to learn more about the world of the game and their role in it before they start their adventure.
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