Summary
TheFinal Fantasyseries has always pursued reinvention, with each new installment introducing fresh worlds, innovative combat systems, and bold storytelling choices. Now, the potential for the next game in the series, presumablyFinal Fantasy 17, to break new ground is more present than ever, especially afterFinal Fantasy 16proved that big moves can pay off.
While absolutely nothing is known yet aboutFinal Fantasy 17, including whether it is even in development, the series' evolving landscape as of late presents the next installment with an opportunity to continue defying expectations and making bold steps toward innovation. It’s assumed thatFinal Fantasy 17will introduce a new world and fresh combat mechanics, as each new mainline installment always has, but there remains an argument for it to make one very important leap in an area that has been largely ignored as of late. Specifically,Final Fantasy 17needs a female protagonist again, likeFinal Fantasy 6’s Terra andFinal Fantasy 13’s Lightning.
Final Fantasy 17 Needs a Female Protagonist Like Lightning and Terra
Over the course of the now-37-year-old series,Final Fantasyhas primarily featured male protagonists. This is most likely due to the male-dominated game audience that was present duringFinal Fantasy’s early days, but those days are long gone, as the increased prominence of female protagonists in gaming has proven. Nevertheless, a female protagonist has not been featured in aFinal Fantasygame since the release ofLightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13over 11 years ago. Since then,Final Fantasyfans have had the privilege of playing as Noctis Lucis Caelum inFinal Fantasy 15, Clive Rosfield inFinal Fantasy 16, and Cloud Strife in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakegames.
Needless to say, it’s high time forFinal Fantasyto feature a female protagonist again, especially since only four games in the series (two of them being direct sequels) have been led by a heroine.Final Fantasy 6was the first game in the series to feature a female protagonist, withTerra Branfordfilling that role. Coincidentally, Terra is also one of the most well-receivedFinal Fantasyprotagonists, due to her deeply nuanced character arc that revolves around her struggle with her identity as a half-human, half-Esper. Terra also broke gaming stereotypes at the time, as her character was not defined by her relationships to male characters or romantic subplots, making her stand out even more.
Lightning,Final Fantasy 13’s protagonist, wasn’t initially received well by fans and critics, with many likening her cold personality toFinal Fantasy 7’s Cloud Strife. However, over time, Lightning has been recognized as one of the series' best leads, and much of this recognition was thanks to the evolution of her character throughout theFinal Fantasy 13trilogy. By the time the credits roll inLightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13, Lightning’s vulnerability and inner struggles have come to light, making her more relatable and human than she was initially portrayed to be.
Serah Farron is one of the main playable characters inFinal Fantasy 13-2, but Lightning, who helps narrate the story, is still considered a supporting protagonist.
AsFinal Fantasy’s historyhas shown, female protagonists have just as much potential to offer compelling character arcs as male protagonists do, so there’s little reason whyFinal Fantasy 17should feature a male lead — especially given the prominence of male protagonists in the series as of late. Additionally, as gaming audiences grow increasingly diverse,Final Fantasy 17featuring a female protagonist would ensure that different players can see themselves in the story, which is arguably one of the most important parts of any narrative. It’s not that characters like Noctis, Clive, and Cloud aren’t good enough, but that there are even more opportunities out there with female leads thatFinal Fantasy 17should take advantage of.
