[maxpower]

I am writing a paper on Religious aspects in Final Fantasy. It is interesting to me how much more religion was involved in recent games like Final Fantasy X. Especially because Nintendo originally outlawed any type of religious images in games created for both the NES and SNES, (game creators had to leave out any type of crosses, devils, etc, http://www.filibustercartoons.com/Nintendo.php has a great article on this) For example in the American Final Fantasy III even while Sabin and group are riding the death train their dialoged never referrs to "death" or "heaven" but instead talks about "the other side." I am just wondering if anyone else has noticed anything weird like this.

[Angantyr]

The Final Fantasy Series has way more Pagan influences that christianity in it, a lot used from the Gods, themes were used, and the general ambience of the FF games was a Typical pagan game, there is a few occasions but like that guide said, a lot of stuff was changed around for American censorship.

If you want a game that is more based around Christianity then may I recommend Dragon Quest VIII, I don't know how much there is but you have to save at a church.

[Palazzo]

Just thought I'd post this:

http://www.ffcompendium.com/h/

It has a lot of info on religious aspects in FF (among other stuff).

Also, looking at that site you posted, FFVII seems to be full of what Nintendo didn't want in their games.

• include sexually suggestive or explicit content including rape and/or nudity;

Honey Bee Inn anyone?

• contain language or depiction which specifically denigrates members of either sex;

You could possible say Don Corneo for this since he pretty much describes women as only being sex objects.

• depict random, gratuitous, and/or excessive violence;

A lot of people beating each other up and killing each other.

• depict graphic illustration of death;

Aeris. Though not really that graphic.

• depict domestic violence and/or abuse;

Cloud attacking Aeris. I suppose that's not really domestic though, but still...

• reflect ethnic, religious, nationalistic, or sexual stereotypes of language; this includes symbols that are related to any type of racial, religious, nationalistic, or ethnic group, such as crosses, pentagrams, God, Gods (Roman mythological gods are acceptable), Satan, hell, Buddha;

I'm not too sure on this, but I'm sure I've seen one or two pentagrams in FFVII. Also Sephiroth says that he wants to become a God.

• use profanity or obscenity in any form or incorporate language or gestures that could be offensive by prevailing public standards and tastes;

One word: Cid

• incorporate or encourage the use of illegal drugs, smoking materials, and/or alcohol (Nintendo does not allow a beer or cigarette ad to be placed on an arena, stadium or playing field wall, or fence in a sports game);

Has a fair few alcohol references.

Wow.

[maxpower]

Thanks for that web site Palazzo. It is awsome! Also what you wrote made me think of some other interesting things in later games like the church that you find Aeris in. Also isn't their a big golden Idol in the town Wutai in Final Fantasy VII.
Also (speaking of the Honey Bee Inn) I wonder if the old Nintendo rules would have allowed the scene were Cloud and Aeris go on a date that ends with fireworks?

Well back to the Religion in Final Fantasy.....

Yes there is a lot of Religion in Final Fantasy games, but there is religion in many other games.... The only Final Fantasy game that really does with religion I think is Final Fantasy Tactics, heck that game destroys religion.

[relm]

Before I took a religions class at my school, I had
no idea that so many things in FF could relate to
religion. Especially hinduism, where we have names like:
Ifrit
Shiva
Atma
Famfrit
And many more... There is just so much, that I cannot
name them all at the moment. Hmm...
We even see names from Epics like:
Gilgamesh
Alexander
Now that I understand this, I feel there is more mystery
to these FF games...

[Anomaly]

...a word to the pagan, who said anything about christianity to begin with?

Yes, theres lots of religion in Final Fantasy. there's a lot of supernatural references in most games. In most books for that matter. In fact a hefty chunk of entertainment. One of the most famous(and infamous) movies of the moment is based by an large around religion.

Don't act shocked about it.

FFVII is rife with references to christianity and the kabbal
FFVIII touches on everything from Aztec to Norse gods
FFIX seems to take a slightly more secular view, replacing 'souls' with 'memories'
FFX is excessively spiritual, but seems ot have more in relation with Shinto-ism than anything
Dirge of Cerberus has the name of a mythological beast right in the title.

*shrug*

It happens.

And really i'd say the churchs of Dragon Quest have more in common with an organized verion of the wiccan faith.

[relm]

I was thinking about what you said Anomaly...
Very interesting to know how they've gotten ideas
for the FF's through different beliefs.
And now that I think about it, more RPGs also seem
to have religion as a big part of the game.
Has anyone every played Breath of Fire II?
That whole St. Eva & the fake church conspiracy totally
freaked me out. >_>

[Anomaly]

Or for that matter Grandia II. I quiet loved that plot line. I thought the 'Evil God' was rather poorly done to. Wasn't his fault people were filth.

[relm]

Or for that matter, I was also thinking about the many
similarities between Chrono Trigger and the religion of Islam.

Just thinking about the religion...
-One of Islam's holy cities is Medina. Medina is in CT.
-The prophet Muhammad ... The prophet Magus.
-The Mystics vs Humans
-Certain names like Jin & Barghast.

Sorry, I'm a little off-topic, but CT can be counted
as 1/2 FF, yea? C'mon.

[Palazzo]

Another one from CT is the three Gurus being named after the three wise men.

Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.

[cloudsephiroth]

There is some sort of religious activity in final fantasy 10 with the fayth thing and little temples and little prayer quest to me final fantasy 10 has the most religious feel to it.

[Michael Belmont]

And what about VI some fan fic athuors keep on having the characters say goddess and not god has Ted Woosley twisted their minds or something?

[Lordofdragons]

FF has names for a lot of characters, people gods from all around the world, from hindu, christianity to norse mythology. So it would be fare to say all the games incorperate a lot of different things from all the religion and mytholigy from around the world. But i never noticed the religion factor until you posted this thread i hope to read your full paper.

[Kaiser Dragoon]

Yeah, its really amazing how much (and how many) religious references there are in the Final Fantasy, among other RPG titles, there are. Quetzecoatl (don't think i spelled it right) is a Aztec(?) god, and a BUNCH of the other summons are gods/deities from other religions.

[rainbow chronicler]

The game was so into being pagan I suppose. Well, I havent played all the FF games, but I think from what I played, they dont take on gods, since the story doesnt focus much on those things. But I think that violence is something that is almost common to games, I think.

[Georg Prime]

Welll yeah Final Fantasy titles and RPGs in general are notorious for having religious influences. Almost every rpg you can trace has some influence, whether it be summons, monsters, town locations, etc.

Here are some big affiliations

Final Fantasy - mostly pagan
Dragon Quest - Christian
Breath of Fire - Christian

..then there are games like Xenogears, Terranigma, Castlevania, even Grandia II which have received a lot of negative criticism from the church.