WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Square Enix games!
As silly as they are, Square Enix games can also be incredibly somber. Their narratives sometimes tear players' hearts out. The most effective method of doing that is death, especially when it comes to the hero.
Several Square Enix titles involve the main character dying. In many scenarios, these heroic figures give their lives to save friends and/or defeat an overwhelming villain. Certain cases seem to kill protagonists while leaving the faint possibility of survival. While these tales can tug at the heartstrings, they lose points for not going all the way. Only those who are definitively dead can make this list.
Here’s a tragic twist to the “Chosen One” tale.Chrono Triggersees a brave hero named Crono lead a plucky party on a time-traveling adventure. Their goal is to stop an evil mage from summoning an apocalyptic monster named Lavos. They sadly fail in that pursuit. Lavos ultimately awakens and kills Crono. The situation seems hopeless, but not all is lost.
The heroes could bring back their leader. They turn to a time-bending sage named Gaspar, who gives them the “Chrono Trigger.” This device lets them replace Crono with a doppelgänger at the moment of his death, thereby saving him. However,this outcome depends on the player. The party can go on to defeat Lavos and save the world on their own. Crono is still dead at the journey’s end. It simply makes for a bittersweet resolution.
AnyFinal Fantasy 7fan knows this is coming, but it still stings.Crisis Coreis a prequel tale aboutZack Fair, the SOLDIER hero who inspired Cloud. After being unwilling test subjects of Shinra scientists, the two become fugitives from the very company they once worked for. The game’s finale sees them cornered by an army of Shinra troops. Unfortunately, Zack has no intention of coming quietly.
Acting on his sense of honor, he hides the unconscious Cloud and confronts the troops by himself. He takes on an entire battalion singlehandedly, and he actually holds his own for a while. Sadly, the sheer numbers eventually wear him down and riddle him with bullets. As Zack passes on, though, he takes unexpected comfort. He can finally reunite with his friend, Angeal, andsee what it’s like to have his wings.
To loyalists' chagrin, theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy retcons this death. Temporal meddling creates a new scenario where Zack survives, However, the original timeline–and theCrisis Coregame–still involves him meeting his end.
In this case, death actually sets things in motion.The World Ends With Yourevolves around a contest known as the Reapers' Game.Recently deceased people compete to either come back to life or ascend to a higher existence.
The main character, Neku, is one of these players. His memory is hazy, so the game’s central mystery surrounds how he died. He eventually learns that his murderer was Joshua: the game’s enigmatic overseer. He shoots Neku to serve as his personal champion against a would-be usurper. Defeating the villain and passing Joshua’s test earns Neku a second chance. He wakes up back in the real world and finds that he’s alive. Heroes usually live at the beginning and die at the end, but this unorthodox title is the other way around.
This post-apocalyptic story sports two protagonists:androids 2B and 9S. The spotlight shifts between them, but both face death at some point. When and where this occurs depends on the playthrough. For instance, 9S becomes infected by a logic virus. This prompts 2B to put him out of his misery. During another playthrough, 2B dies at the hands of A2, another android. Finally, 9S and A2 take each other out in yet another playthrough. These events riddleNier: Automatawithdepressing repetition, but a small ray of hope shines through.
The game leaves the possibility to secure a happier future with subsequent journeys. However, 2B and 9S still have to die to pave that brighter path. Basically, one has to make mistakes in order to correct them.
Valkyrie Profile 2also has two protagonists, but they share one body. Alicia is the human vessel forSilmeria: one of the Valkyries of Norse mythology. The warrior can even take control of the girl, but the process isn’t easy. It puts a physical and emotional strain on Alicia. That strain catches up with her at the end.
To stop a villain from taking over all creation, Alicia serves as the vessel for three Valkyrie souls: Silmeria, Hrist, and Lenneth. The fused fighter wins the day but sustains a mortal wound. Combined with the immense toll of the three Valkyries, this injury causes Alicia’s body to fade away. She sacrifices herself to save the universe. She later reincarnates as a little girl, but it’s not the same. The Alicia whom players knew is dead and gone. At least she’s not forgotten.
