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[BadWolf]

FFX easily, the feels.

 

[Michał Jaworski]

It depends on definition I guess. If by best ending you mean most meaningful and one to remember - I would say I got very emotional with FFX ending. If we're talking 'best' by happy, most satysfying ending - I would go FFVIII (which was great game) and then FFX-2 (ending was only good thing about that piece of shit).

 

[Wilsongt]

Loved IX and X's ending.

12's was interesting and a nice closure to know that Balthier and Fran made it out.

I liked the way they ended XIV. They leave you pretty helpless, yet managed to still provide a little hope. Plus, they introduced probably one of the only interestin lala's in the game outside of Tataru.

 

[Fou-Lu]

VIII was honestly great, and while I enjoy the story more than most people, I'll still admit it was a bit of a clusterfuck, but the ending just brings everything together and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

IX has an absolutely perfect ending that fits the game, there's nothing more you could ask for.

X is the most bittersweet, emotional ending in the series and I very much wish X-2 had never happened.

 

[BigBadShamoo]

Crisis core man why you gotta make me remember it

so good. So sad. I haven't beaten 13-2 or 13-3 yet but I am highly enjoying 13-2.

 

[aerts1js]

They all have pretty decent endings (Haven't played any of the 13's) but I'd have to say Crisis Core & FFX are the best.

 

[Peyotl]

Definitely FFIX - the whole epiloge is great.
I also love that the staff credits lets you relive the whole adventure - I had a huge grin on my face the whole time. perfect way to end an awesome game

 

[FLAguy954]

Obviously Final Fantasy 4, where everybody who killed themselves instead of using basic problem solving skills is miraculously revived to show the player that death doesn't mean anything and the whole game is a farce.

Came here to post this.

 

[Brandon F]

Obviously Final Fantasy 4, where everybody who killed themselves instead of using basic problem solving skills is miraculously revived to show the player that death doesn't mean anything and the whole game is a farce.

I actually thought this exact same coming into the thread. Hard not to love the game even if the ending had no teeth and ruined so many of the memorable moments.

 

[Sheroking]

I'm partial to VII here. It didn't need to overstay it's welcome with an epilogue, you understood that they won and Holy was going to beat Meteor. Great imagery with Aeris.

 

[hal9001]

Final Fantasy 8

 

[Muffdraul]

I loved FFVII's ending so goddamn much. ...until Squeenix ruined it with Advent Children etc. I thought it was an incredibly ballsy move to leave it ambiguous as to whether "the Planet" decided humanity was a threat or not. The ending of the game proper certainly made it seem very possible that Holy had wiped out humanity along with Meteor. Losing that ambiguity in favor of FFVII sequels was so fucking not worth it to me.

FFVIII's ending is my favorite "feel good" FF ending. Squall the poor abandoned sour puss finally learned to open is heart again, and smile. Good for him! The scenes before that of him becoming stranded in time and space and almost going over the brink were freaky and impactful. The flashback of Laguna proposing to Rain, Zell choking himself like an idiot, Irvine being a manslut and pissing Selphie off, seeing Matron back to her old self... I had a big smile on my face throughout the whole ending.

FFX's ending is the only FF ending that ever made my eyes actually well up.

 

[skLaFarebear]

Crisis Core.

Stil have to make more progress in FF14 before I can say for sure, but for someone who didn't play FF7 before and had basically 0 knowledge of it, Crisis Core hurt bad.

I also really liked FF13 and 13-2's endings as well.

 

[UncleSporky]

I loved FFVII's ending so goddamn much. ...until Squeenix ruined it with Advent Children etc. I thought it was an incredibly ballsy move to leave it ambiguous as to whether "the Planet" decided humanity was a threat or not.

It was never ambiguous.

At the end of the game Red 13 was on the Highwind. If all of humanity was wiped out, there was no way he could've gone on to land it by himself and survive for the extended ending sequence.

 

[Cathcart]

10's ending would have been great if Tidus had died. As it is it's my least favorite.

Gonna go with 6 and 8.

 

[Muffdraul]

It was never ambiguous.

At the end of the game Red 13 was on the Highwind. If all of humanity was wiped out, there was no way he could've gone on to land it by himself and survive for the extended ending sequence.

Cute.

 

[UncleSporky]

Cute.

Seriously, I've always believed this, back before there was any hint of more stories set in the FF7 world.

 

[MaxwellParrish]

FFIX was by far my favorite ending out of all the games in the series. It has come full circle in that ending.

FFX was the most emotional and is my second favorite, bud sadly FFX-2 ruined that.

This is pretty much my stance too.( Even if I still hadn't played FF 1 to 5 so I can't say about that)
I don't find that X-2 ruined the final for X, but I don't consider the 100% completion final to be the real one....

 

[Mr. RPG]

Final Fantasy IX, obviously.

 

[AwShucks]

Oh god, if we're including Crisis Core then yes, this.

 

[CHC]

It's got to be VIII. It may not be the "best" Final Fantasy, but it is certainly the most ambitious. Whether or not you understand what the hell is going on, you can't deny that the ending has a certain strange effect and emotional weight.

 

[Muffdraul]

Seriously, I've always believed this, back before there was any hint of more stories set in the FF7 world.

Believe whatever you want, but it's hardly compelling to me. A lot crazier things happen in FF than a character surviving an airship crash. Red XIII parachuted down to Shinra HQ along with everyone else for the final assault, who's to say he couldn't have done it again if the ship was going down?

 

[Kilvas]

Crisis Core's ending had me crying on an airplane. I was not expecting it to be that emotional at all. You are literally fighting until you are overrun by soldiers. Zack was relentless. Still get a bit choked up about it.

Had me crying in a car. Still amazes me well they used the slot machine mechanic for the ending.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Believe whatever you want, but it's hardly compelling to me. A lot crazier things happen in FF than a character surviving an airship crash. Red XIII parachuted down to Shinra HQ along with everyone else for the final assault, who's to say he couldn't have done it again if the ship was going down?

Didn't the old guy in Cosmo Canyon with the giant floating ball for legs (Bugenhagen or something? It's been over a decade since I played VII) essentially hint that Holy/Lifestream is the planet's defense and will eliminate any possible threat when unleashed?

This made many (myself included) believe that included humans, hence why a cultural/political focal point like Midgar is reduced to an ancient ruin in the future, as opposed to surviving and expanding.

Then Advent Children came along.

 

[Muffdraul]

Didn't the old guy in Cosmo Canyon with the giant floating ball for legs (Bugenhagen or something? It's been over a decade since I played VII) essentially hint that Holy/Lifestream is the planet's defense and will eliminate any possible threat when unleashed?

This made many (myself included) believe that included humans, hence why a cultural/political focal point like Midgar is reduced to an ancient ruin in the future, as opposed to surviving and expanding.

Then Advent Children came along.

That's pretty much what I was referring to in my first post in here:

I loved FFVII's ending so goddamn much. ...until Squeenix ruined it with Advent Children etc. I thought it was an incredibly ballsy move to leave it ambiguous as to whether "the Planet" decided humanity was a threat or not. The ending of the game proper certainly made it seem very possible that Holy had wiped out humanity along with Meteor. Losing that ambiguity in favor of FFVII sequels was so fucking not worth it to me.

And I'd say Bugenhagen more than just hinted:

"It is up to the planet to decide.
What is best for the planet. What is bad for the planet.
All that is bad will disappear. That is all.
Ho Ho Hooo.
I wonder which we humans are?"

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Nothing beats CC.

 

[Hollycat]

Definitely my pick. They need to remake it immediately.

Spoiler

Or just release it on Vita.

 

[Aurongel]

CC and X for me.

Faults and all, X's ending is actually pretty moving and impactful. Very good stuff for it's time.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

That's pretty much what I was referring to in my first post in here:



And I'd say Bugenhagen more than just hinted:

"It is up to the planet to decide.
What is best for the planet. What is bad for the planet.
All that is bad will disappear. That is all.
Ho Ho Hooo.
I wonder which we humans are?"

So Aerith was willing to risk committing a global genocide?

 

[Mac the KNife]

FFVIII is the most powerful for me.
Everything from Squall being lost in time compression, Seifer finally at peace, Laguna's bittersweet moment, the party (brilliant 'hand-held cam' idea; well done, Kitase ), the awesome credit medley song (especially starting here), and the kiss. Just such a well designed ending that works like a silent film. Absolutely wonderful and still easily watchable 16 years later.

My favorite as well, mainly cuz I loved Seifer so much, I was happy to see him and his cronies survive.

 

[PBalfredo]

VI

 

[Ludist210]

Crisis Core, X, and then VI in my book. I still need to beat VIII...

The scene where Tidus hugs Yuna at the very end always gets me choked up, but the way Crisis Core segued into VII made it perfect to me.

 

[sublimit]

FFX

FFX-2 kinda ruined it tho.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

I may know the answers.
Journeys over snow and sand.
What twist in fate has brought us
To tread upon this land?

Distant worlds together.
Miracles from realms beyond.
The life-light burns inside me
To sing to you this song;

Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia

You

I like you

 

[Mohasus]

XIII-2, and I don't even like that game.

 

[jb1234]

X chokes me up every time. I also really like IX and VI's.

 

[Rajang]

Crisis Core.

 

[StealthGoblin]

Crisis Core or FFX for me.

 

[LegendofDragoonLives]

Read just the first page, but IX and X rightfully dominating. X has one of the most emotional endings on any medium. Finished it several times, got emotional every single time.

 

[UnluckyKate]

Top 5 ending in gaming along TLOU, Journey, MGS3 and SotC.

exactly. All of it.

 

[pashmilla]

Crisis Core made me sob like baby. "If you see Aerith, say hi for me." FFS. And then the post-credits scene of Cloud arriving in Midgar... dem feels.

I didn't even like X, but I have to admit that ending was emotional. I laughed when Yuna fell through him though.

XII was great cos it was so uplifting and hopeful without being a cheesefest.

 

[Muffdraul]

So Aerith was willing to risk committing a global genocide?

She was a Cetra. #1 priority is defend the planet, even if it means sacrificing themselves, which they did in the past the first time they defeated Jenova. And besides, if she didn't cast Holy, Meteor would have killed off humanity along with the planet and everything else living on it.

 

[Sola Scriptura]

Best ending was Final Fantasy X until SE went and ruined it with X-2.

 

[Disaster Nebraska]

Original Final Fantasy, especially considering when it came out. Lots of literary themes scattered throughout, before the series got all anime (nothing particularly wrong with that, if that's your taste).

 

[Tenebrous]

VI & IX are tied.

Too many games in the franchise just end with a nice happy ending, but VI ends properly... You may have killed the villain, but the world is fucked beyond recognition. People will still be drinking from poisoned waters, struggling to rebuild their homes & whatnot. There's no optimism in post-cataclysm FF6 like there is in FF10 where everyone just seemingly forgets about it and moves on.

IX is just what VIII & X would be like with likeable characters and a story that wasn't written by a monkey (FF10) with the shittest pacing known to man (FF8).

 

[Jomjom]

FF6 of course.

 

[Zomba13]

If that counts then that because even though you knew it was coming (if you played FFVII) it still hits you hard with how well it was done. Fantastic ending.

If it's only counting main-line (and not FFXI explansions or XIV post 2.0 story) then I'd say FFVI.

Also, although maybe doesn't count, shout outs to FFXIV's ending (the one that leads into Heavensward) for being action packed, changing the state of the world, leaving you (you character in the story) with next to nothing and uncertain of the path ahead. Shit goes down and really gets you hyped up for the expansion.

 

[Arkeband]

9 and 10 hit it out of the park, since they're happy romance and somber romance endings, respectively.

To even get the 'good' ending for FFX-2 you need to sell your soul to a strategy guide and/or GameFAQS, and it shits on the beautifully sad ending of FFX. So that should actually be the 'worst' FF ending.

FFXIV has the most interesting MMO ending, just because those rarely happen in such a cinematic way, but because I have such hesitations considering it a true FF game, with basically zero emotional attachments to any of the characters shown ("that represents MY cat-girl-man!"), it should be disqualified on technicality. It's still a badass "ending", though.

On the first page, someone said that in the Japanese version of FFX she says "Thank you" instead of "I love you". I think it's better in English, because:
A) "Thank you" is dumb.
B) "I love you" is powerful and emotional, AND it's in contrast to Tidus telling his father "I hate you" while he dies in his arms.

So English > Japanese in this case.

 

[semiconscious]

yep. wonderful ...

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Original Final Fantasy, especially considering when it came out. Lots of literary themes scattered throughout, before the series got all anime (nothing particularly wrong with that, if that's your taste).

Eh. It's just a ripoff of Ultima 1.