There are many different varieties of video games that have been able to connect with audiences, but the RPG genre features some truly lengthy and addicting stories. Many great RPG series exist, but it’s Final Fantasy that has become one of the biggest.
New Final Fantasy releases are treated like major events and the series is still the crown jewel of Square Enix’s many properties. The Final Fantasy games are excellent for all of their diverse characters, spells, and weapons, but some stand out more than others. The Ragnarok is one particular weapon that gets used all of the time, but players may not actually know a lot about the blade.
10 It's A Counterpoint To Dark Swords From The Series
There are a number of weapons throughout the Final Fantasy series that recur throughout the different games. Titles may not exist in the same universe, but the recurring presence of certain weapons speaks more to how they function as certain symbols.
There are some swords in Final Fantasy like the Valhalla and the Balmung that are considered to be dark weapons and are tied to villainous acts and events. Alternatively, the Ragnarok is a holy sword that can help fight against these evil weapons. The Ragnarok inspires calm just like how these other weapons can create panic.
9 There's A Useless Joke Version Of It
The Final Fantasy games are typically heralded for their strong gameplay and innovations to the RPG genre, yet there's also a wry sense of humor that sometimes gets to present itself. Final Fantasy Tactics features an odd joke where the Ragnarok has a doppelganger weapon known as the Nagrarok, which is meant to trick the player.
The Nagrarok has an attack power of 1 and will sometimes cause the spell Toad to occur when it strikes opponents. A similar gag is present with the Excalibur's Excalipoor, but it's only weapons with such lofty reputations that get this kind of treatment.
8 It's Added Back Into The Earliest Final Fantasy Games
The Ragnarok didn't appear in the first few Final Fantasy games, but it became such an important weapon and force of hope within the series that it was actually inserted into earlier titles for some of the re-releases and anniversary editions.
The original Final Fantasy's 20th-anniversary version, as well as the Dawn of Souls combo package, incorporates the weapon as a reward for beating the extra boss, Shinryu. The handheld PSP Anniversary Edition for Final Fantasy II also adds the Ragnarok in the game's Arcane Sanctuary and makes it the game's most powerful sword.
7 It Begins As A Magicite
Final Fantasy VI is an entry in the series that takes a creative approach to Ragnarok. The game introduces Ragnarok in its purest form of magicite, which can then be refined into the iconic sword or instead be used to refine the player’s magical abilities.
They can use the Ragnarok magicite to learn the incredibly powerful spell, Ultima. Final Fantasy VI lets the audience have some agency over what they do with Ragnarok and how exactly they want it to make them stronger. Regardless of how it’s used, Ragnarok is still a major asset in battle.
6 Final Fantasy XIV Turns It Into An Axe
Final Fantasy XIV takes a number of liberties by shifting to an MMORPG style. Final Fantasy XIV introduces a number of Zodiac Weapons, which are all very powerful items that can be used by warriors once they've reached certain conditions.
If the player builds both their own and their weapon's stats properly, then the Ragnarok can turn into the Ragnarok Zeta, which is the warrior's strongest weapon. Every game features Ragnarok as a huge sword, but Final Fantasy XIV turns this Zodiac Weapon version of it into a mighty axe.
5 It's One Of The Twelve Radiant Arms
The Final Fantasy series has a strong library of core mainline games, but the franchise has indulged in spin-offs that have brought some creative ideas to the franchise. Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is a free to play online RPG that remixes the Final Fantasy universe in unique ways.
It establishes a set of Twelve Radiant Arms, legendary weapons that helped end the Age of Gods. One of the most important pieces of the Radiant Arms, Ragnarok is a sword that's directly responsible for the destruction of Gods and it's highly difficult to acquire.
4 It Has Several Different Names
It’s not uncommon for changes through localization to result in weapons getting different names in different regions. Ragnarok is a prime example of one weapon that’s called a number of different things, but “Ragnarok” is by far the most epic of the lot and a title that properly accentuates the sword’s power.
The Super Nintendo’s Final Fantasy IV classifies the Ragnarok as the Crystal Sword and the game’s Easy Type version refers to it as the Sword of Gods. While interesting deviations, later entries in the series settled on Ragnarok as the definitive name for the holy weapon.
3 It Can Be Used As A Summon Or An Item
Part of what makes the Final Fantasy series so entertaining is how it's not afraid to mix up its canon. Final Fantasy VI plays with the idea that Ragnarok is actually an esper that can be summoned, albeit one that still looks like a sword.
Ragnarok's summon ability turns enemies into items, which is rather unique. Earlier Final Fantasy games also allow Ragnarok to be used as an item in battle instead of as a weapon. Doing so will result in the casting of the move Flare, which again speaks to the intense power and magic that's contained within Ragnarok.
2 There’s A Two-Handed Version Of It
The Ragnarok is one of the most important weapons in the Final Fantasy series and even though it's a blade that deals a hefty blow, it's still a sword that's predominantly shown to be wielded with one hand. Final Fantasy IV begins a strange rumor over how there's a two-handed version of Ragnarok that's in the game's data, but not accessible through conventional means.
It's also present in the game's follow-up, The After Years. Final Fantasy didn't go with the two-handed approach for the weapon, but this data shows that it might have been under consideration at one point.
1 It's One Of The Most Powerful Swords In The Series
The Final Fantasy franchise has done an excellent job with the many unique weapons that it has established throughout its titles. There have been a number of weapons from the series that have become iconic in the video game industry and a lot of the most memorable ones are some kind of sword.
The Ragnarok is typically one of the most powerful weapons in a game and some highly difficult boss or obstacle needs to be conquered in order to claim it. It helps give the weapon the same sense of reverence that it holds within the franchise.