Multiple endings

Some games in the Final Fantasy series have multiple or secret endings, the ending depending on the player's actions taken during the game.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
At the end of the Subterrane, the party is attacked by Cecil's Dark Knight doppelganger. Golbez takes a mortal hit meant for his younger brother, giving Cecil the will to fight on. If Ceodore and Rosa are in the party with Golbez and Cecil, then Golbez will survive the battle. If they are not present, he dies. If Golbez dies, a scene is witnessed at his grave site.

In the ending, if Asura and Leviathan were not saved in the Depths, they will be revived along with any other defeated Eidolons.

Final Fantasy V
The ending sequence depends on who is left alive at the end of the final battle. If everyone is left alive, the Warriors of Light return to their lives in their new world, and one of the survivors sends a letter to Mid Previa about what has been going on since the final battle. If everybody survives, the sender of the letter will be Krile. The Warriors of Light meet up at the Great Forest of Moore and embark on another adventure to keep on protecting the crystals of the world.

If one or more characters are Knocked Out at the end of the final battle, they won't be able to leave the Void and are left behind. The ending progresses as normal, but the other characters are mourning for their lost comrade(s) and wonder if they were swallowed into the Void. When the remaining Light Warriors gather at the Guardian Tree, the Warriors of Dawn appear and bring back any lost party members, saying it's not their time yet to join them, and the four are once again reunited.

If no one dies in the final battle on the mobile/Steam version, the player gains the achievement "The Real Letter".

Final Fantasy VI
The ending sequence depends on who the player has recruited back into the party by the time they fight the final boss. Celes, Edgar and Setzer are the only mandatory members for the final battle, and Terra will appear after the battle to take part in the ending, regardless of whether she was recruited or not. The more party members the player has, the more ending sequences they get and the content of the ending sequences varies slightly depending who is included. In particular, the absence of certain characters may have an effect on another character's ending if the two share a close connection. Celes's ending is different without Locke, Edgar's ending is different without Sabin and Relm's ending is different without Strago.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-
The player can unlock the secret ending that shows Genesis Rhapsodos (played by Gackt) waking up in an underground cave, if they collect all G Reports during the game.

Final Fantasy IX
The player can unlock an extra scene in the ending by having the Hammer in the inventory during the ending sequences. The Hammer can be obtained as the final prize from Queen Stella during the Stellazzio coins sidequest. The extra scene shows an additional part of the I Want to Be Your Canary play where Baku as King Leo "executes" Blank.

Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2 has a few different endings.

If the player loses the final battle, Vegnagun will fire its cannon and destroy Spira. For this to occur, rather than simply meeting normal Game Over conditions, the player must fail to defeat Vegnagun within the time allowed, which it not specified on-screen, but is a rather lengthy period. This gives Vegnagun's primary weapon time to power up. Defeating the final boss ends the game with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine flying away on the Celsius while Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai hold a speech at the Luca theater about Spira's future.

If, after getting the "Chapter 5 Complete" message, the player presses button ( in the Japanese version) Tidus will whistle at Yuna while she is crossing the Farplane Glen. If the player missed either talking to Maechen in Chateau Leblanc in Chapter 3 or did not trigger Tidus's whistle at the Farplane when Yuna fell in at the end of Chapter 3, the player gets a scene where Tidus's spirit embraces Yuna, Yuna says that she loves him, and that he will always be a part of her. Tidus's spirit then disperses into pyreflies and disappears.

If the player talked to Maechen in Chateau Leblanc in Chapter 3, got Tidus to whistle four times in the Farplane at the end of Chapter 3, pressed after the "Chapter 5 Complete" message to trigger Tidus's whistle, Bahamut's fayth appears in the glen asking Yuna if she wants to see Tidus again.

If answered positively, Tidus will reunite with Yuna. If answered negatively, Yuna says Tidus is already with her and walks away from the glen. The ending plays as normal, and Tidus does not return, but the player gets an extra scene after the credits where two monkeys sit in the sunset in Zanarkand.

If the player achieves 100% completion, and Yuna tells the fayth she wants to see Tidus again, there is an extra secret ending where Tidus and Yuna travel to Zanarkand together with the reassurance that this time, he won't disappear.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
If the player completes all missions and defeats the final boss at level 99, they get a secret ending after the credits where Vaan and Penelo run away from Rabanastre together and briefly kiss, suggesting a romantic connection between the two. They are chased by the initial crew of the Galbana (Filo, Kytes and Tomaj), who want to tag along, summoning Yarhi to stop them while Vaan protests that this is an "adventure" for a sky pirate and his partner, carrying Penelo away. Incidentally, Penelo is waiting for Vaan in the same spot Mydia was waiting for Velis before the war three years ago.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Final Fantasy XIII-2 features multiple endings: the normal ending features Serah dying from her Eyes of Etro prior to Noel and Hope witnessing the synthesis of Nova Chrysalia while a crystallized Lightning sits on Etro's throne with a screen reading, "To Be Continued". In the downloadable episode "Lightning's Story: Requiem of the Goddess", the player can get an extra scene of Lightning waking up from crystal stasis hundreds of years in the future if they beat Caius with a five star battle rating.

There are eight additional paradox endings, scenes viewed by making certain choices at different stages of the game. They do not change the overall structure of the plot, being only hidden "goodies". Witnessing all possible endings earns the player the "Anomalous" achievement/trophy.

Obtaining all fragments and paradox endings unlocks a secret ending scene, with a revived Caius declaring he will create a world without a goddess where he and Yeul are freed from the goddess's gifts as he unleashes the chaos on Gran Pulse.

Final Fantasy XV
There have been two versions of the ending, one where the camera pans up into the black sky from the campfire scene and the screen turns black upon Noctis's line "What can I say? You guys are the best," and another where Noctis stands up from his chair to address the others, the camera focuses on his face for the first sentence and blacks out after "You guys". It appears the first version only happens if the player doesn't update their game with patches at all after installing from the disc.

The photo left on the throne after Noctis's passing, and the same photo he hands to Lunafreya Nox Fleuret at the wedding, depends on which photo the player chooses from their album right before the final battle. Choosing a certain type of picture will have Luna cry when she looks at it. To have Luna shed a tear, the player should pick a picture of her wedding dress or any picture from the party's first visit to Altissia.

Final Fantasy Type-0
The standard ending features Class Zero accepting their inevitable deaths, due to sacrificing their lives to bring down the Rursan Arbiter. Machina and Rem arrive some time later to find Class Zero passed away and gathered around the monument they built for themselves, and they resolve to honor the legacy of their friends.

If the player accepts the Vermilion Bird Crystal's offer of becoming l'Cie a short way into the final mission, Class Zero will be sent out to fight an endless onslaught of Rursan Reavers, where they eventually perish. Orience is destroyed, and Arecia bids "goodnight" until the world is reborn once more. The player receives a Game Over from choosing this option.

Completing the game unlocks additional cutscenes, which can be viewed from the Annals of Orience section of the Rubicus. The "Chapter of Truth", available after the first playthrough, features the events leading to the ending as witnessed by Arecia, Tiz, and Joker, causing Arecia to release Machina and Rem from crystal stasis. "In Another Spiral" is unlocked after completing a second playthrough, and features an alternate scenario where the members of Class Zero are depicted as normal high school students, set to "Colorful - Falling in Love".

"Rise from the Ashes", exclusive to the HD release, is unlocked after completing the first playthrough. It is a short teaser set to "Utakata" that depicts Ace in a feudal Japan-like environment, reflecting a concept for a possible sequel, and is followed by the staff credits for Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.

Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)
If the player obtains all the Chaos and Cosmos Reports a secret ending is unlocked where Cosmos is revealed to be alive and well, and discusses the future of World B with Cid of the Lufaine.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Further explanation is given about the aforementioned scene in the prequel, as Cosmos resigns to remain in the dying world after the events of Dissidia as she wishes Cid the best of luck.

Bravely Default
There are two versions of the final chapter, both of which conclude with the ending credits and saving a cleared game file. After clearing the game, the player will be returned to their previous location before triggering the final chapter, allowing them to pursue the other variation.

Due to the repetitive nature of Chapters 5 to 8, "Finale: Lying Airy" can be reached at any point within those chapters, by continuing to press during a Rite of Awakening even after Airy tells Agnès to stop praying. Doing so triggers cutscenes in which Ringabel and Tiz reveal Airy's true intentions and Agnès's prayers shatter the Crystal. Airy responds by transforming into a beast who defeats the party, then flees to the Dark Aurora. After being resurrected by a voice from Agnès's pendant, the party travels to the Dark Aurora to stop Airy, and fight her in two forms as the final boss.

Although Airy warns that her master, Ouroboros, has yet to awaken, the Dark Aurora disappears and the Great Chasm is about to disappear. Lord DeRosso and Sage Yulyana keep the Chasm open long enough for the party to use it to return to their respective world. The Vestal Garb for Agnès is unlocked after completing this chapter. Prior to the Dark Aurora, the player may also speak to Lord DeRosso at Vampire Castle to gain access to Dimension's Hasp, although the tenth and final floor will be locked by a seal.

By proceeding with the game as usual and completing Chapters 5 to 8, the canon ending "The End: Bravely Default" is reached. After passing through the Holy Pillar five times, Airy has linked enough of the multiple versions of Luxendarc so Ouroboros can enter the Celestial Realm. Celebrating her victory, Airy reveals her deception to the party and is fought aboard Grandship in her first two forms. After flying off to the Dark Aurora, the party goes to Yulyana Woods Needleworks to seek out the help of Sage Yulyana, where he and Lord DeRosso explain the events that were prophesied to them. Yulyana will also unlock the seal on the final floor of Dimension's Hasp.

At the Dark Aurora, the party battles Airy in her third and final form, but after she is devoured by Ouroboros, the party must confront the Bringer of Ruin himself as the final boss. Following his defeat, the party uses the Great Chasm to return to their respective worlds, where Tiz releases the Celestial that Ouroboros told him he was carrying. Completing this chapter unlocks New Game Plus and a Special Movie teaser for Bravely Second: End Layer.

World of Final Fantasy
World of Final Fantasy has two endings, considered a "bad ending" and a "good ending." Playing through and beating the game normally actually unlocks the bad ending, which is an essential condition for continuing to unlock the game's good ending.

In the first time playing through the game, Reynn and Lann, not understanding the true nature of their actions, charge ahead into the final dungeon, Castle Exnine, and confront Brandelis the Exnine Knight, Lann ultimately sacrificing himself and sealing them both together in a cage. Lann, returned to Nine Wood Hills by Tama, is left devastated by her brother's state, trying to get forget her pain by watching television in a vegetative state, but always troubled. The game's credits are set to the song "Silent World," a sad song performed by Tama's Japanese voice actress, Ayana Taketatsu. At the end of the credits, Reynn gives a shouted "No!" as she can no longer accept the events of the game's ending as they happened.

Tama then appears before her as Tamamohimé the fox, offering to sacrifice her remaining nine lives in exchange for rewinding the clock. Not realizing who Tamamohimé is, Reynn agrees and finds herself back before the final dungeon with Lann, but now also with Serafie, who has taken Tama's place in their journey. Revealing little of what she knows, Lann says that they cannot yet take on Brandelis and devises a new plan. The two collect more Mirages and continue to participate in Interventions, eventually discovering a way to restore Tama. Once prepared, they confront the final battle in a new way, this time falling into the Ultima Gate with Brandelis, but leaving behind copies of themselves. The final credits are a dance party of the Final Fantasy characters, set to an upbeat JPop tune "World Parade," performed by the Japanese voice actresses of Enna Kros, Tama and Serafie.