Final Fantasy

Lore & Background

Final Fantasy began in 1987 as a last-ditch attempt by Square to save its own company, and it became a cultural phenomenon almost overnight. The series established the template for the Japanese role-playing game: a party of heroes, a world-threatening antagonist, a soundtrack that swells with orchestral grandeur, and stories that linger in the player's memory long after the credits roll. Each numbered entry reinvents its setting—medieval kingdoms, steampunk cities, spacefaring civilizations, modern-day Japan—yet the emotional core remains: ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, forced to choose between duty and compassion.

The franchise's identity in Smash Bros. is inseparable from Final Fantasy VII, the 1997 title that became a global touchstone. Cloud Strife's tragic backstory, Sephiroth's chilling villainy, and the world of Midgar with its towering Shinra megacorporation gave the series a visual and narrative language that fans instantly recognized. When Cloud first appeared in Smash 4, it felt like a long-overdue homecoming for a character who had become a symbol of the entire genre. The addition of Tifa and Aerith in Ultimate deepened that VII connection, while Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VIII brought the series' 1999 era into the mix with his cooler, more introspective tone.

What makes Final Fantasy's Smash presence unique among the franchise roster is the emotional gravity its characters carry. Where a Mario or a Pikachu brings cheerful energy, Cloud stands in silence, Sephiroth drifts with quiet menace, and Aerith's very presence evokes loss. The franchise contributes a narrative weight and a cinematic sensibility that no other series in the crossover quite replicates, making its stages and fighters feel like steps into a story rather than mere arenas.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell on Midgar in long silver sheets, drumming against the corrugated steel of the slums below. Cloud stood at the edge of a rooftop, his Buster Sword resting across his back, watching the Shinra towers bleed light into the overcast sky. Somewhere far above, in a chamber of glass and corporate ambition, a single figure traced the rim of a glass of water, his long silver hair catching the glow of a monitor that displayed nothing but static. He had been waiting. Not for a battle. For a conversation. The city hummed beneath them—motes of dust rising from the grime, the distant clatter of a train, the faint sound of a piano playing a melody no one in the building would ever recognize. And then the rain stopped, all at once, as if the sky had drawn a breath. Cloud turned. The blade was already in his hand. It had always been in his hand.

Reader's Guide

Final Fantasy enters the Smash roster in 2014 with Cloud Strife and Sephiroth, both drawn from Final Fantasy VII. Cloud's moveset channels his swordplay and Limit Breaks, while Sephiroth brings a slower, more deliberate fighting style punctuated by his iconic Masamune slashes. Squall Leonhart arrives as a downloadable character, his Blitz and Lionheart abilities giving him a distinct, heavy-hitting rhythm.

In Ultimate (2018), the roster expands with Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough. Tifa's fighting style emphasizes close-range combos and her chain-whip, while Aerith's moveset draws from her magic and healing abilities, making her a more utility-focused fighter. Squall also receives his full Ultimate treatment here.

Stages include the Shinra Building (a multi-level corporate tower with destructible platforms and a dramatic backdrop of Midgar's sky), Cloud's House (a cozy, small arena set in the quiet countryside of Nibelheim), and Midgar itself (a sprawling urban stage with the iconic Sector 5 plate as a hazard). Each stage is richly detailed with in-world props and environmental storytelling.

In Ultimate's World of Light story mode, Cloud and Sephiroth appear as key figures. Sephiroth serves as a boss encounter, and Cloud's presence ties into the mode's narrative of gathering lost fighters. The franchise's musical identity is strong throughout—Nobuo Uematsu's compositions, particularly "One-Winged Angel" and the FF7 main theme, are instantly recognizable to any fan.

Easter eggs abound: Cloud's victory poses reference his FF7 character moments, Sephiroth's idle animation includes his signature hair-sweep, and the Shinra Building stage features background details like the company logo and the plate's edge. Squall's stage references the Garden from FF8. The crossover identity shines here because Final Fantasy's characters don't just fight—they carry the emotional residue of entire narratives, making every match feel like a scene from a story the player already loves.

Did You Know?

• Cloud Strife was one of the most frequently requested characters in Smash Bros. history before finally debuting in the 2014 3DS/Wii U title, a wait that spanned over a decade since his 1997 introduction.
• Sephiroth's battle theme, "One-Winged Angel," composed by Nobuo Uematsu, is widely regarded as one of the most recognizable and emotionally powerful pieces of video game music ever written.
• Squall Leonhart was released as a downloadable character in Smash 4, making him one of the earliest DLC fighters in the series and a fan-favorite addition from Final Fantasy VIII.
• The Shinra Building stage in Smash features a multi-level layout with destructible platforms, and its background art includes the iconic Sector 5 plate of Midgar, directly referencing Final Fantasy VII's setting.