Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy/Recurring elements

The following is a list of recurring elements in the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy subseries.

Roles of crystals
As the games in Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series share a common mythos, they have common concepts albeit used with varying interpretations. Crystals are a common theme, representing souls, divinity and the origin of magic. This harkens back to the main Final Fantasy series where crystals have been a staple since the series' inception, but Fabula Nova Crystallis, as the name suggests, aims for new interpretations of the role of crystals in the series.

In Final Fantasy XIII and its sequels crystals represent life. People's souls can appear as crystalline specks, and l'Cie in crystal stasis, as well as those who go on to turn into Cie'th, have their souls trapped on the mortal realm by crystallizing the body (some refer to this as gaining an eternal life). The crystals (known as eidoliths) that turn a regular human into a l'Cie are implied to originate from the gods, as when Lightning and her companions enter the domain of the gods to face the god Pulse, his tendrils appear to implant the crystal shards into their bodies. The fal'Cie, directly created by the gods—Pulse and Lindzei—are sentient immortal machines powered by a crystal core, presumed to likewise originate from the gods. L'Cie and fal'Cie, as well as Cie'th, wield magic, and it is implied this power is granted by the crystal, as l'Cie "channel" their spells from their eidolith. A l'Cie can forge a pact with an Eidolon, messengers of goddess Etro, and summon them to the mortal realm via their eidolith. Serah Farron relinquishes a "crystal tear" to her fiancé Snow Villiers, and it is implied to act as an extension of her being, allowing her to see and hear those near the crystal tear even if her physical body is elsewhere.

In Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy XV the crystals take a more traditional role as in early main series Final Fantasy games as entities that govern great magical power granted to the kingdoms of the world. In Final Fantasy Type-0 the crystal is the one to make humans l'Cie, even if Pulse and Lindzei also exist in the mythos, but one's soul can again be bound on the mortal realm via crystallization of the body. The Eidolons have a different form in Final Fantasy Type-0 than in Final Fantasy XIII, not being mechanical beings, but they are again implied to be of divine origin.

The power to wield magic and summon Eidolons originates from the crystal in Final Fantasy XV, but instead of the power being granted to those chosen as l'Cie, it is granted to the royal family of a kingdom tasked with protection of the crystal. Eidolons in Final Fantasy XV are beings again implied to be of divine origin, but unlike being bound to a l'Cie, they are linked to different locations of the world, yet those who wield the power of the crystal can gain the power to summon them.

Divine tasks given to humans via the intermediary of the crystal is an overarching concept in the series. In Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0 these manifest as Foci, tasks given to the l'Cie either by the fal'Cie (in Final Fantasy XIII) or the crystal (Final Fantasy Type-0), but the effects on the l'Cie are different between these worlds. In Final Fantasy XV the crystal appears to lend magical powers to a chosen family, but whether they have a task akin to a Focus is yet unknown.

Roles of humans
The concept of l'Cie alludes to the Warriors of Light, a recurring theme in the Final Fantasy series where a group of warriors brought together by circumstance become "branded" the Warriors of Light by the crystal, giving them a mission to save the world and often special powers to achieve said mission. This is part of a larger concept of Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy in re-imagining core concepts of the series in new ways. In previous games becoming a Warrior of Light was shown in a positive and heroic light, whereas the Fabula Nova Crystallis series explores the concept of servitude to the crystal in a more sinister light, bringing the chosen "warrior's" free will into question.

Human souls and their journey to the gate to the afterlife, known as Etro's Gate, plays a role in all of the Fabula Nova Crystallis games, as do the recurring deities Pulse, Lindzei and Etro. This alludes to the original mythos where the creator god Bhunivelze wishes to find a way to enter the realm of the dead without needing to die himself, and creates the three lesser deities to help with the task. In Final Fantasy XIII series and Final Fantasy Type-0, the deities have tasked their followers to find the gate in varying ways, but the humans of the world are largely ignorant of the concept of the afterlife. In Final Fantasy XV it is the people who repeat the legend of the goddess of death who opens the gate to the beyond.

Final Fantasy XIII

 * Orphan indirectly refers to the series title with the line, "From shattered shards, a new crystal legend will arise".
 * The thirteenth Analect is called "Fabula Nova Crystallis".
 * There is a piece of music on the fourth disk of the Final Fantasy XIII: Original Soundtrack called "Fabula Nova Crystallis".

Final Fantasy XIII-2

 * The fragments Etro's Sorrow, Pulse's Resolution, Lindzei's Desire, Mwynn's Tenderness and Bhunivelze's Sleep allude to the official mythos where Etro suffered abandonment, Pulse was determined to find the gate to the afterlife, Lindzei wanted to protect the world, Mwynn was kind and compassionate, and Bhunivelze fell into a deep crystal sleep to be awaken when the Door of Souls would be found.
 * Chaos, the malevolent substance that is also the building block for human souls, was not mentioned on Final Fantasy XIII but plays a crucial role in Final Fantasy XIII-2. The idea alludes to the official mythos where chaos was shown as the substance threatening world balance.
 * The concept of reincarnation is introduced in the form of Yeul and Valhalla. In the official mythos all souls part of a soul cycle and eventually reincarnated. In Final Fantasy XIII-2 souls pass on through Valhalla to the unseen realm where they turn into the chaos that eventually becomes new souls for the mortal realm, but Yeul was unable to fade into chaos and thus Etro took pity on her and always sent her back to the mortal realm to be reborn as the same person.
 * In the official mythos goddess Etro crafts people's hearts by placing a shard of chaos inside every newborn. In Final Fantasy XIII-2 Caius has the "Heart of Chaos", said to be Etro's own heart and given to him by her.
 * Hope named the New Cocoon "Bhunivelze" after the deity who created Pulse, Lindzei and Etro in the official mythos.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

 * Bhunivelze is from the official Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy mythos. His turning into a crystal in the end alludes to the official mythos where Bhunivelze fell into a deep crystal sleep to sleep till he would be ready to challenge Mwynn at the unseen realm. Like in the official mythos, Bhunivelze desires to be the all-powerful ruler of the universe.
 * Bhunivelze wanting to make Lightning the new goddess of death to facilitate the cycle of life may allude to Mwynn giving Etro a similar task in the official mythos.

Final Fantasy Type-0

 * L'Cie, Foci, and crystal stasis are present in Orience.
 * All deities, except for Bhunivelze, have an accessory named after them.
 * There are numerous references to Etro's Gate:
 * Ace's cards have a symbol similar to the Gate on them.
 * Cubes sport a symbol similar to the Gate.
 * Relic terminals sport a symbol similar to the Gate.
 * The cover of Rubicus bears a depiction of the Gate.
 * The front of the Altocrystarium sports a symbol similar to the Gate due to its relationship to souls, or phantoma.
 * Above the Pandaemonium there is a large fiery sphere around which cogs turn and a mechanism with likeness to Etro's Gate.
 * Certain trap floors in Pandaemonium that deal damage when stepped on bear the likeness of Etro's Gate.
 * The design of the Rursan Arbiter sports many eye-like structures upon it.
 * Ignis, an Ifrit Class Eidolon in Final Fantasy Type-0, is a name also seen in the other Fabula Nova Crystallis titles. Ignis is an ability name for Bahamut in Final Fantasy XIII and Chaos Bahamut in Final Fantasy XIII-2, and is a name for a character in Final Fantasy XV.

Final Fantasy XV

 * Goddess Etro as the goddess of death who opens "the door" to the afterlife.
 * Noctis has been given powers that originate from the crystal. This is a recurring theme in the Fabula Nova Crystallis games.