Religious allusions in Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy series has drawn inspiration from various real-world religions, and incorporated elements of them into the fiction that makes up the series.

In the Series
The recurring summoned monster Leviathan is based on the biblical sea monster Livyatan (לִוְיָתָן). Though the word means 'whale' in modern Hebrew, it has been interpreted to be a fearsome sea monster from various biblical passages, and is mentioned multiple times in the Tanakh and in Talmud. In Christianity, the Leviathan was portrayed as a demonic avatar of Satan, described by Thomas Aquinas as a 'demon of envy'.

Similarly, the Behemoth is a biblical land beast, again mentioned in the Book of Job. Though in modern Hebrew it lacks the visceral connotation of the English, Behemot means 'beasts' and has been interpreted accordingly as a vicious and dangerous creature.

Odin is based on a Nordic god of the same name, and is often depicted with a horse. Several other summons and monsters from the series are based on gods and goddesses – Shiva, for instance, may be based on the god Shiva of the Hinduism religion, although the god is considered male.

Some items, weapons and equipment in most Final Fantasy games are references to Greek and Roman mythology, like Zeus' Wrath, Hades Equipment, Hermes Sandals, Minerva Bustier, Artemis Bow and Arrow and Perseus Bow.

Final Fantasy
In the original Japanese Famicom version, many of the towns contained churches, know as 'Clinics' in the North American NES version due to Nintendo of America's policy on religious references. The churches have a cross on the steeples, and are run by priests that wear outfits similar to the Pope. Other religious references in the Japanese version is the addition of pentagrams in the Crystal Rooms of the Four Fiends, as well as crosses that lead up to Bahamut. Chaos himself may be based on Satan from the Bible.

Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II strong direct allusions to the Abrahamic religions. Towards the end of the game, the party travels into Pandaemonium, the palace of Hell depicted in Paradise Lost. In Pandaemonium, the party encounters several demons from demonology, like Beelzebub, and Astaroth. In Soul of Rebirth, the party travels to Araboth, the highest heaven which contains the throne of God. While not in the game itself, the novelization Final Fantasy II Muma no Meikyū indicates the Emperor had sold his soul to Satan for his magical powers.

Final Fantasy IV
The Tower of Babil refers to the biblical Tower of Babel (מגדל בבל Migdal Bavel) built by a united humanity, with the intention of reaching the heavens. This is an interesting allusion, as the Tower of Babil houses a great power from the moon, and both God from the Genesis story and the Giant of Babil had the intention of 'confounding' humanity, so to speak.

Kain Highwind's name is from the Genesis story of Cain and Abel (קין והבל, Kayin v'Hevel), in which Cain, in his jealousy and envy of his brother, betrayed him by slaying him (fratricide). This is reflected in Kain repeatedly betraying his adoptive brother, Cecil Harvey (coincidentally to Cecil's real brother, Golbez). Kain's ultimate weapon is Abel's Lance, a biblical allusion to the story of Cain and Abel.

The concept of Yin and Yang (Darkness and Light) may be represented by Palom (a black mage) and Porom (a white mage). The concept of Yin Yang says the two depend on one another, perhaps shown in the twins' ability, Twincast.

In western culture, traditionally symbolize the dichotomy of good and evil. This is seen in the elements of Holy and Dark. Holy representing the force of good while Dark represent the force of evil. The Dark element is unavailable to the player, there's no Dark-elemental spells, summons, nor weaponry outside of the dark swords which are exclusive to the Dark Knight.

When the SNES version was released outside of Japan, several changes were made, such as The Tower of Prayers which became Tower of Wishes, and the removal of Rosa's Pray ability. The Holy spell renamed to "White".

Final Fantasy VI
The original name for what is later referred to as Heartless Angel, Fallen One, alludes to a name of the fallen angels, Lucifer, better known as Satan or the devil, which Kefka's god form bears some resemblance to.

Kefka's final battle with the Returners mirrors the Divine Comedy, which entails Dante's journey from Hell, to Purgatory, to Heaven, and eventually meeting God face-to-face where he tells him the meaning of life. The Rest and Lady portions of the final battle with Kefka are based on the Pieta statue, depicting Mary holding Jesus shortly after he died on the cross. It is further alluded to in the Japanese version, where Lady's name is Maria.

When trying to convince Terra to support the Returners' cause, Banon speaks of a box someone opened that unleashed the evils of the world, but contained within it a single ray of light, hope, and asks her to be their hope. This is a reference to the "Pandora's box" of Greek mythology. Pandora was given a beautiful container and told to not open it under any circumstances, but was compelled by curiosity. When she opened it, all evil contained escaped into the world, but at the bottom of the box remained a Spirit of Hope named Elpis.

Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII draws heavily from the Lurian Kabalā (Jewish Mysticism), a medieval Jewish variant of Gnosticism. Gnosticism originated as a Roman-era fusion of Christianity and Ancient Greek philosophy, and its adherents were said to have knowledge of the "true" nature of the world. Like the Cetra, the Gnostics were persecuted until their beliefs died out, though traces remain in the Kabbalah, Sufi Islam, and Jungian psychology (which also relates to Cloud's journey into the Lifestream to confront the buried shadow aspects of his mind). In addition, Hojo's Reunion Theory, where entities infused with Jenova's cells will reunite with Jenova/Sephiroth at the North Crater, seems to stem from Gnosticism, namely the concept of each human having a fragment of God.

Both belief systems, Gnosticism and its Kabbalist branch, proclaim that all humans have inside their bodies a spark of divine light from the Absolute which returns there upon death. This Absolute is an infinite wellspring of spiritual energy, knowledge, and goodness, mirroring the function of the Lifestream. The Kabbalah states that the Absolute is the Judeo-Christian God, whereas early Gnostics believed him to be an incompetent or malicious false god known as the demiurge ("artisan" in Ancient Greek) who merely believed himself the uncreated deity because he was shielded from the Absolute by his "mother", an emanation from the Absolute (known as an Aeon) who fell from the skies. This demiurge, trapped in the material world, cannot create anything good, and instead corrupts the sparks of light, just like Jenova's corruption of the Lifestream and of human beings.

The name Jenova has Hebrew and Latin components. One is taken from the ineffable Hebrew name of God, יהוה (yud-hei-vav-hei), often romanized into Yahweh or Jehovah, although the original pronunciation is no longer known. This is combined with the Latin word nova, meaning 'new'. Thus Jenova is, in a sense, a 'new god', just like the demiurge when created by his mother. As Jenova is Sephiroth's "mother" yet is also implied to be virtually one and the same, their relationship is similar to the mainstream Christian view of Jesus Christ's relationship with Jehovah, as he is considered both the Son of God and Son of Man. Depending on how one counts the Remnants' and Sephiroth's will, this also alludes to the Holy Trinity, the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" in Christian dogma.

Sephiroth factors in through Kabbalism. His name is Hebrew in origin (ספירות Sfirót) and means 'Counting', or 'Enumeration'. Many have compared this aspect to the name of the Sephiroth Clones, each given a number. The ten aspects of God and creation known as Sephirot (same as the Gnostic Aeons) are often arranged in a unique pattern known as the Tree of Life. These aspects are "Crown, Wisdom, Understanding, Benevolence, Strength, Beauty (known in Hebrew as "Tifaret"), Eternity, Splendor, Foundation (Vessel) and Royalty (Kinghood)," though some lists differ slightly.

Sephiroth summons Meteor to create a wound to the Planet, thereby condensing the entire Lifestream at the impact site which would allow him to ascend to Godhood. It is said in the Zohar that "If one tried to pour all of infinity into a vessel, the vessel would break." It would fissure, and the universe would rupture into a flowing, yet familiar pattern (the Tree of Life). This principle would also apply to Ultimecia's desire to unite all of existence and reform it to her liking in Final Fantasy VIII.

Sephiroth is practically a Fallen Angel. In both design and story, he is comparable to Lucifer (better known as Satan or the Devil), an angel who rebelled against God and fell from Heaven. This is reflected by his attempting to become God and destroy the world, similar to Satan or an Antichrist. Also, in Sephiroth's "rebellion" he tried to capture the Promised Land, a heavenly place of myth, for himself.

Much of Sephiroth's design is also similar to a fallen angel. The top of his hair is shaped like devil's horns, and he has a single black wing protruding from his back; fallen angels' wings are often depicted as black, and he only has one, not two as in the case of Heaven's angels. Sephiroth's final form is a Seraph with 7 wings (6 white, 1 black). Lucifer was a seraph, the angel of the Morning Star to be exact. He worked with God before he turned against him, while Sephiroth worked with Shinra before turning evil. He also has the Heartless Angel attack.

Aerith Gainsborough grows flowers in an abandoned church in the Midgar Slums that is reminiscent in structure to a Catholic or Lutheran church. The flowers grow from a hole where the pulpit would have once stood. Aerith herself is part of a race able to talk to the Planet. A similar concept of a "chosen people" being able to speak to God is present in Judaism and Christianity, and the Pope is supposedly chosen to deliver God's will to the world. Sephiroth holds a similar, though much darker, belief about himself being "the chosen one, chosen to rule this planet". This connection is strengthened when Aerith prays at an alter to get the Planet to cast Holy. After her death, Aerith travels through the Lifestream, easing the passage of departed souls, and working against Sephiroth. As such, she can be likened to Jesus Christ, a saint, and/or a guardian angel, although angels traditionally are not born of the souls of the departed.

Tifa's bar, 7th Heaven, is named for a concept in both Jewish and Gnostic belief, whereby the Throne of Jehovah/the demiurge is located above the seventh circle of heaven. Tifa herself is possibly named after a concept from the Judeo-Gnostic Kabbalah, the "Tifaret", the emanation of the Absolute concerned with beauty and masculinity.

The Jenova-mutated form of Hojo, Helletic Hojo, is a misromanization of "Heretic Hojo", referring to Heresy, a concept in various religions where people interprets beliefs in a religion that goes against the norm of the religion.

Final Fantasy VII holds many references to Norse Mythology, particularly in names. Midgar comes from Midgård, the Realm of Mankind, and is depicted as the most highly advanced city in the world in terms of technology and man-made devices. Nibelheim comes from Niflheim, the realm of mist and darkness, where Hel (the precursor to Hell) is located, which is in the game set upon a cold mountaintop and is the location of the Nibelheim Incident, possibly the most catastrophic event in the compilation. Fenrir is a hell hound known for his great strength and is related to Hel who is located within Niflheim, which is interesting as in the game Fenrir is the name of the motorcycle ridden by Cloud, known for his strength, and was born and raised in Nibelheim.

The Lifestream is similar to Japan's native religion, Shinto, which purports that all things have souls. In Final Fantasy VII, all living things have souls, which contribute to the overall soul of the Planet after they depart and "Return to the Lifestream". The Planet breeds new life from this soul in a process similar to reincarnation, although in Hinduism, the individual soul joins the overall soul only upon reaching enlightenment.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Angeal Hewley sprouts two wings on one side of his body, both white and feathered like those of angels as they are often depicted. His first name is a respelling of the word "angel".

Angeal having two white wings protruding from his back is done in contrast to Sephiroth and Genesis. He has two white wings, which makes him more Godly and akin to a heavenly angel, while Sephiroth and Genesis have one black wing each, representing them as fallen angels/Lucifer. This would explain why Angeal is cast more as a protagonist, while Sephiroth and Genesis are the villains.

Genesis is named after the Biblical account of Creation and has a black wing protruding from his back, much like Sephiroth. He is often seen offering a Banora White apple to people he wishes to join him, a reference to the temptation of Adam and Eve where the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is often said to have been an apple. Similarly, Genesis was the first to learn about the "sin" of the Jenova Project, but unlike Sephiroth, he achieves salvation, as well as spiritual and physical healing, from the Gift of the Goddess.

Angeal Penance uses attacks named after the Seven Deadly Sins, which are a part of Christian ethics and the Catholic culture. His attacks are: Defense of Lust, End of Gluttony, Charge of Greed, Rage of Sloth, Unleashed Wrath, Thunder of Envy and Wings of Pride. Penance is the repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

Minerva's presence as the personification of the Lifestream reflects the role of Sophia in Gnostic belief, an Aeon made from the pure energy of the divine realm of light known as the Absolute, who was fragmented and trapped inside the bodies of human beings. The name Minerva is the Roman name of Athena, the wise Greek goddess of war strategy and crafts, a play on the name Sophia meaning "wisdom" in Greek.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
The story of Advent Children is based heavily on Christianity. The title itself refers to the Christian belief in the 'advent', or second coming of Jesus Christ to restore life and take the pious to the Kingdom of Heaven. The plot focuses on the inevitable rebirth of Sephiroth and the collection of all those who are infused with Jenova cells into the Lifestream so he may take control of the Planet and drain its power.

Much of the film revolves around Cloud as he attempts to seek forgiveness regarding Aerith's death and cure his Geostigma. This mirrors the Christian belief that for one to be forgiven of sins, they must present themselves before God/Jesus and ask for forgiveness, the reward being "Eternal Life". That "Eternal Life" aspect is Cloud being cured of the fatal disease and being forgiven of letting Aerith die. At the end of the film, Aerith cures everyone in Gaia of the stigma. This is taken from the Christian foresight that when Satan has risen to power and the world is at its worst (Sephiroth has returned and the world is suffering from the stigma), Jesus will present himself and heal those who believe in him of their sins.

The additions of "stagnant Mako", which make up Chaos, and "negative Lifestream", controlled by Sephiroth, imply a sort of Hell or karma to the story's reincarnation system. It most closely resembles Hell in Hoshi wo Meguru Otome, where souls who don't move on are explicitly said to be suffering torment, in this case of their own grief and regrets. Wailing can be heard coming from the stagnant mako. Thus, Sephiroth's Lifestream reflects the belief of an evil being, such as Satan, who corrupts humans to evil and reaps their souls when they die.

The scene where Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo infect the children with black water containing negative Lifestream is reminiscent of a Satanic baptism, while Aerith curing the Geostigma through means of rainwater and a church pool is reminiscent of a Christian baptism in the name of Jesus.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-
Vincent Valentine's primary weapon in both Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-, the three-barreled Cerberus handgun, references the three-headed guard dog of Hades in Greek Mythology. His other weapons in Dirge of Cerberus, Hydra and Griffin, also refer to creatures of Greek mythology.

Weiss's subtitle, the Immaculate, as well as his being born untainted by the negative Lifestream, alludes to a concept in the Catholic church of someone born free of Original Sin, believed to be the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ.

Chaos, the harbinger of death and destruction on a global scale who works with Omega, resembles the ends time figures associated on the Day of Judgement in Christian Eschatology.

Final Fantasy VIII
Omega Weapon's attack Megiddo Flame may refer to the final battle at the end of time in Abrahamic religions, Armageddon. The word itself is based on in modern-day Israel, where the battle is alleged to take place.

Rinoa's Limit Break, Angel Wing, has her sprout white feathered wings like those of angels as depicted in most works. Angels and angel wings are Rinoa's motif in Final Fantasy VIII, with her having the wings printed on the back of her duster, her dog's name is Angelo, her ultimate weapon is made of interlocking white featherly wings, and she is associated with a single white feather, which she uses to seek out Squall who is trapped outside of time.

Final Fantasy IX
Freya Crescent is named after the Nordic Goddess Freyja (lit. 'Lady'), whom among other things, was associated with war, magic, death, and love. As a throwback to previous Final Fantasy games, the town of Lindblum has a church.

Final Fantasy X
Much of Final Fantasy X is based around the corruption of organized Catholicism and the misuse of such faith to support an evil cause. The Order of Yevon is similar to the Roman Catholic Church, but corrupted and manipulating the masses to maintain the status quo while committing heresies in the background. The Order of Yevon is comprised of leaders known as Maesters, which include Seymour Guado, Wen Kinoc, and Kelk Ronso. These positions are comparable to the Catholic roles of cardinals, and Grand Maester Yo Mika's wardrobe resembles the pope's.

The downfall of Yevon alludes to the religious skeptic's argument that organized religion is corrupt, and has its followers worshiping lies. The Yevon religion resembles a theocracy; one that exercises authoritarian political power, rather than solely administrating its doctrinal affairs. Like Final Fantasy VII (which the developers have said is connected to Final Fantasy X) there are strong Gnostic undertones to the portrayal of spirituality in Spira.

One of the game's main protagonists, Yuna, is similar to a Miko of Shinto religion. Like a Miko, Yuna is a female raised in the ways of her religion and travels to do good in the world. To further the elements of Japanese religions, the pyreflies are based on the concept of human souls appearing as fireflies.

One of the game's main antagonists, Seymour Guado, envisions himself as a Messiah to Spira as he beguiles the promise of a better life. However, Seymour's goals are more akin to the Hindu deity Shiva, intending to destroy everything in order to save it.

Gnostics believed all humans have a fragment of divine light, corresponding to the pyreflies, inside them. Only by rejecting the material world and recognizing all life stems from the Pleroma/the Absolute can the fragments return to the source (i.e. the Farplane), bringing their memories of life with them. This overlaps with Seymour's nihilistic worldview, in that he attempts to free people's souls from the pain of life, though it differs in that he attempts to kill them rather than enlighten them.

The Roman Catholic Church persecuted the Gnostics as heretics, and the Gnostics' esoteric knowledge of how to return to the source of life was mostly eradicated, dooming the fragments of divine light, in the Gnostics' eyes, to keep cycling (a key theme in Final Fantasy X) into the material world. Similarly, the true nature of Sin and the destruction it wreaks was subsumed by the Yevonite church, who created a doctrine to fit their own ideals, perpetuating their organization and, by extension, the suffering of the Spirans.

The Crusaders are named for the legions of the Catholic Church who fought against the Muslims during the Crusades.

Gnostics believed in aeons, manifestations of the Absolute formed from its divine light, like how the aeons are made of pyreflies in Final Fantasy X. One of the aeons, Anima, is a concept of the eternal feminine in the psychology of Carl Jung, who was inspired by Gnosticism. The name "aeon" has its root in the Greek deity of the unending cyclical nature of time, "Aion".

Sin is a transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate. Yu Yevon created Sin as a bodyguard and for power, thus he exhibited lust, pride, and greed (and possibly more): three of the seven deadly sins. Sin may also be a representation of the Christian concept of "original sin", and the Maesters state Sin can never be vanquished, as humanity will never be that pure.

Yunalesca tempts the summoners into committing another sin (murder) under the guise that it will be for the greater good. The summoner's pilgrimage is a religious pilgrimage, the summoner praying to shrines of departed spirits to receive their protection as a spirit guide. The summoners are viewed as martyrs, a concept where one dies for their religion in the face of an enemy, physical or spiritual, and is exalted for it.

Valefor is a demon in the "ars goetia" (demonology text listing the names of all the demons and their orders). "He tempts people to steal and is in charge of a good relationship among thieves. Valefar is considered a good familiar by his associates till they are caught in the trap." He commands ten legions of demons, though his appearance in the game is different then his form in the aforementioned texts (lion with the head of a man or donkey). His description is reminiscent of the game in general, since the aeons are created by the fayth who, in turn, were created by Yu Yevon.

Final Fantasy XIII
The Sanctum is the militant version of a corrupted Roman Catholic Church as a majority of its leadership manipulates the public while being manipulated themselves by the fal'Cie of Cocoon who are the true power behind them. One of fal'Cie, Barthandelus in his guise as Galenth Dysley, can be considered the Sanctum's version of the pope while he was Primarch right down to similar attire and the use of purples and whites in his attire. But ultimately, Barthandelus is more like a false prophet as he manipulates events and people to suit his kind's needs.

The concept of l'Cie is an allusion to principles within Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Bön, and other Indic religions. According to the principle of samsāra, life on earth is a curse, and ideally a sentient being must ascend, over many lifetimes, to nirvāna, a more ideal, though not earthly, state of being. Nirvāna is comparable to crystal stasis in this respect.

The means of escaping samsāra are known as Atman, like a Focus. There are many paths to ascension, although it is never clearly stated which a person must take. One of them is alluded to in Oerba, with Vanille's robot Bhakti. Bhakti comes from the word bhakta (love) and refers to the idea that one way to achieve salvation is through personal devotion to a deity (fal'Cie).

The idea of Ragnarok originates from the final war mentioned Norse mythology where the world is destroyed with only a handful of survivors, both divine and immortal, who repopulate the world as it is reborn. The idea of Ragnarok is thematically revisited in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, with the merging of Gran Pulse and Valhalla marking a slow decline of the world into destruction, and Lightning being tasked to guide the survivors to the new world that is about to be born.

The word Eidolon itself is a Greek term used throughout the Bible for false gods or idols, which are explained to be either nothing at all, or demons.

Orphan is named after the Ophanim, a choir of angels described in Ezekiel's vision as fiery wheels covered in eyes, a description approximated by Orphan's design.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
In Norse mythology, Valhalla was a majestic hall in Asgard, where the gods and half of those who died in combat dwell. It was ruled over by Odin, who appears as Lightning's Eidolon.

There is an NPC who quips, "Need an ark? I Noah guy!", a reference to the Biblical story in which a man names Noah builds an ark at God's command and places two of each type of animal within it to guard against their extinction due to a cataclysmic flood about to be unleashed by God.

Noel and Yeul have their names derived from French and alternate English name for Christmas, respectively. Noel's name refers to his 'birth' as a Guardian, in case of Yeul it refers to her fate of being reborn, although it's more closely connected with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with whom Christmas is directly connected with.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Various Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII aspects are based on Norse mythology. As alluded to by Ragnarok in Final Fantasy XIII, the world will end in a great battle called Ragnarok, killing numerous gods, triggering many natural disasters, and a globe-spanning world war. After Ragnarok ends, the world will be reborn, and the surviving gods and mortals will join to rebuild civilization in the new world.

Final Fantasy XIV
While Garlean Empire is not shown much, many amongst its invasion forces expressed a denouncing view on the divinities worshipped by residents of Eorzea to the point of committing iconoclasm as seen with Gaius Van Baelsar.

Final Fantasy Tactics
A major antagonistic organization in Final Fantasy Tactics is the Church of Glabados, an allusion to the old Roman Catholic Church and the infamous Medieval Inquisition. The Church's Messiah, St. Ajora, is a reference to Jesus Christ, although his actions were closer to that of a false prophet or the Antichrist. His comparison to a false prophet was indicated by his job class, "False Saint" or "Phony Saint".

Germonique's betrayal of St. Ajora to the proper authorities, exempting the more noble reasons behind the betrayal, were similar to Judas's betrayal of Jesus Christ to Pontious Pilate. The Lucavi, who possess humans upon death, refer to demonic possession. The Lucavi are explicitly referred to as demons, and their leader, Ultima, a fallen angel.