Hidden passage

Hidden Passages are a recurring feature found in the series, namely in older installments. Hidden passages are passages that are impossible to detect unless the player pays close attention to suspicious areas or checks along walls, and usually leads to completely optional areas that house useful items and equipment. Several hidden areas can only be found through thorough searching.

Final Fantasy V
The Thief job learns a skill called Find Passages that displays all hidden areas on the field.

Final Fantasy VII
In Godo's house in Wutai, the player can find two hidden passages behind fake walls to find Magic Shuriken for Yuffie and a Hairpin for Red XIII.

Final Fantasy XI
Many locations, such as the Crawlers' Nest and Pso'Xja, have walls that appear solid but can be passed through. It is suspected that the Zilart originally created these illusory walls. Sometimes a person can pass through these secret passages freely. Other passages are one-way only, however.

Final Fantasy XII
In some places, it is possible to walk off the map to a hidden area.

In Tomb of Raithwall, after defeating both of the Demon Walls, the player can examine the wall where the optional Demon Wall came out to open a secret passage. The secret passage has a random chance of spawning a treasure chest that contains the Demonsbane sword.

Henne Mines has many off-the-map areas. Some are only shortcuts, but some contain good treasure. For example, one of the off-the-map areas that can be accessed the first time the player enters the mines has a random chance of spawning an Elixir chest.

In the Stilshrine of Miriam the player can find a hidden passage in the Ward of the Sword-King area; at the junction the path to the left has a wall that will vanish if the player approaches it in a way the camera will attempt to go "inside" the wall. At the end of the hidden section the player finds a treasure containing the Shell Shield. The Rare Game Matriarch Bomb can be found in the area.

In Nabreus Deadlands has a hidden passage through the swamp to enter the area in the north of the area. The player must visit this area as part of the Medallions sidequest, and to fight Roblon. In the Necrohol of Nabudis the player can find an off-the-map area in the north of the first area (when entering from the Salikawood entrance). In there, the player can fight Pandoras and find a secret Baknamy merchant who sells some of the best equipment, items, spells and technicks in the game.

On the Phon Coast the player can find a hidden passage between The Vaddu Strand and Limatra Hills. In Vaddu Stand the player can keep running left to find the hidden path under the cliff.

In the Pharos at Ridorana the player can chop down some fake walls, called fool's façades, to reveal hidden areas that may lead to waystones or treasures.

In the Subterra only a small part of the map is actually visible. The player can find more fool's façades to reveal areas behind walls.

On top of the other hidden areas, there are a number of off-the-map areas that can only be accessed by riding a chocobo. On Ozmone Plains the player can only access the Henne Mines entrance by a chocobo. On Mosphoran Highwaste the player must use a chocobo to unlock the area where Exodus is fought. The player can even cross Tchita Uplands on a chocobo to enter Cerobi Steppe, even before having gone to Archades.