Since its release,Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originhas been well received by fans for a myriad of reasons. Fromits interesting take on the Warriors of Lightto its fascinating job system,Final Fantasy Originhas enough content that will leave players hooked for hours on end.
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Perhaps the biggest reason, however, that players enjoyFinal Fantasy Originso much is due to its contributions to the original game’s lore. As a retelling of the very firstFinal Fantasygame, this game adds several new elements to the original game and clarifies existing points. Here are just some examples ofFinal Fantasy Origin’sundeniable impact on the very first game of the series.
7Lufenia’s History
In the originalFinal Fantasygame, Lufenia served as a sanctuary for the Lufenians who fled the Flying Fortresswhen Tiamat invaded. But other than that, the Lufenian race remains shrouded in mystery throughout the original game.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origingreatly expands upon Lufenia’s lore by connecting the civilization with that of Cornelia. The role of the Lufenians has also been clarified, with certain groups of Lufenians, called Strangers, being tasked to play the role of the Warriors of Light and bring balance to light and darkness.
6Garland’s Identity
Before venturing out to the Chaos Shrine, Jack and his party are tasked to look for a knight called Garland by Princess Sarah. Garland is described by Sarah as a knight with a horned helmet, while in the original game, Garland is a fallen Cornelian knight who kidnapped Princess Sarah.
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Having fallen in love with Sarah in the past, Jack’s recovered memories upon her death, coupled with Garland’s signature horned helmet, prove that Jack was indeed the knight whom Princess Sarah was looking for. However, withthe continuation of the time loop, the original incarnations of Garland and Sarah have likely had their memories of their past relationship wiped out.
5The Four Warrior’s Cycle
The Garland in the originalFinal Fantasygame, after his first defeat at the hands of the Warriors of Light, began a time loop in which his Four Fiends sent him into the past for the sole purpose of prolonging his life. Inversely, he sent the Four Elemental Fiends into the future to deal with the Warriors.
More or less the same inFinal Fantasy Origin,the time loop is further expanded upon by the discoveries made by Jack and his party. In particular, should the Warriors of Light fail in defeating Chaos, they will ultimately be corrupted by darkness, though why this did not apply to Neon and Sophia still remains unknown.
4The Crystals' Lore
Crystals in theFinal Fantasyserieshave played a major role in each game, withFinal Fantasy Originbeing no exception. For the most part, the Crystals play the same role as in the original game. Jack and his party also set out to restore light to the Crystals, similar to the Warriors in the first game as well.
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The biggest difference lies in the fact that only Cornelian Warriors of Light are able to truly banish the darkness from the kingdom. As a result, the fact that there was more darkness prevalent in Cornelia after Jack’s party tried to restore light to the Crystals may be proof of their false status as the fabled four warriors.
3The Four Fiends' Formation
Just as Garland was portrayed as a fallen knight, the Four Elemental Fiends in the original game were little more than bosses. Though they caused trouble for the people of Cornelia and Lufenia, there were never any hints as to where the Four Fiends came from.
InFinal Fantasy Origin, the Four Elemental Fiends are revealed to have previously been Warriors of Light that had failed their quests. While some of them regain their original forms upon defeat, as is the case with Neon and Sophia,others unusually turn into bits of darkness, a phenomenon that still has yet to be explained.
2The Link Between Lufenia And Cornelia
Although both civilizations are present in the originalFinal Fantasygame, the technologically-advanced Lufenia andthe medieval Corneliaare portrayed as having nothing to do with each other. This was also the case at the beginning ofFinal Fantasy Origin;Cornelia is the first location to be shown with no mention of Lufenia.
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As the story progresses inFinal Fantasy Origin, however, it is later revealed that Lufenia is responsible for polluting Cornelia with darkness, prompting the Strangers to remove the excess to keep the balance. The Lufenians even possess the power to reboot the world should the Strangers fail at their task, much to the chagrin of Jack and his party.
1Chaos' Origin
Throughout the course ofFinal Fantasy,Chaos has always been described as Garland’s alter ego, a form he can transform into upon absorbing the power of the Four Fiends. This is somewhat similar to the process inFinal Fantasy Origin, in which Jed, Ash, Sophia, and Neon plan to turn Jack into Chaos.
However,Final Fantasy Originelaborates on the process of becoming Chaos. In addition to absorbing darkness, the process also involvesexperiencing intense negative emotions. As a result, any Stranger that becomes Chaos is discharged from Lufenia due to their inability to control them.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
