Final Fantasy is considered by many to be one of the greatest JRPG series around, and one of the main reasons why this is the case is due to the rich legacy of this franchise. The first game of this series came all the way back in 1987, and the series has never stopped wowing us ever since. One of the major reasons why Final Fantasy has remained so relevant is because the games always tried their best to evolve with the times and integrate unique mechanics that would keep the titles as fresh as can be.
Final Fantasy V is a great example of this, with the Job System becoming one of the most impressive mechanics in the game. A series like Final Fantasy has a bunch of devout fans who will definitely go above and beyond when it comes to knowing everything there is to know about all the games in the franchise. However, it's very possible that they might've missed out on the following 10 things about Final Fantasy V.
10 Sakaguchi Expanded On Gilgamesh's Backstory In An Interview
Gilgamesh is one of the most iconic recurring characters in the series, and he made his first appearance in Final Fantasy V.
In an interview, Sakaguchi talked about Gilgamesh's past in detail. He grew up in a village where everyone was a warrior and the Genji Equipment was passed down to the best warriors. The centuries of blood, sweat, and dust is what has led to the Genji equipment being one of the most resistant armor sets around.
9 Faris' Original Concept Was That Of A Female Gambler
Faris was originally supposed to be a female gambler, but Square faced a ton of issues when it came to integrating this character into the overarching setting of Final Fantasy V. So, her background was changed to that of a pirate instead.
However, that's not to say that this design was completely useless...
8 This Character Inspired The Design Of Setzer In Final Fantasy VI
Faris might've become a pirate, but the people over at Square weren't going to discard the idea of a gambler in a Final Fantasy VI.
Final Fantasy VI ended up being a more appropriate setting for this character, and Setzer Gabbiani became the recipient of this character... albeit with a male twist.
7 There Are Several Unused Items In The Game
As is the case with most early Final Fantasy games, there are several dummied out items in Final Fantasy V, all of which are still present in the game files.
These include a Mythril Staff (boosts Attack by 19 points), Hematic Shield (minor boosts to both Defense and Evasion), Sabre (a weapon without any benefits), and — perhaps the oddest one of the lot — an item called Final Fantasy that has no known effect.
6 A Combination Of Four Berserkers And The Kitchen Knife Leads To Something Interesting
The freedom that Final Fantasy V game when it came to job customization allowed for a bevy of party arrangements, some of which are downright ludicrous. Take the four Berserker setup as an example — players will basically have no control over their characters, turning every battle into an Auto-Attack fiesta.
However, if the player has one of its characters equip a Chicken Knife, then there's a chance that the Escape ability might trigger. However, this leads to the game bugging out and all damage being negated. This pretty much locks the game since no side can kill the other.
5 Exdeath Was Known As Exodus In The Japanese Release
As is the case with most translated releases, the game's antagonist was actually known by a different name in the Japanese version.
Exdeath is known as Exodus in the Japanese release, which is quite interesting since there's an esper named Exodus in Final Fantasy XII that certainly looks like Exdeath. Along with this, there's another Exodus in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance in the form of a Totema, which looks like Exdeath's tree form.
4 Exdeath's Tree Form Is Inspired By Yggdrasil
Anyone who's well-versed in Norse mythology would've instantly realized that Exdeath's tree form is inspired by Yggdrasil.
Of course, unlike Exdeath, Yggdrasil fulfills a very important purpose of being the beam that essentially supports the entire universe.
3 Exdeath Was Supposed To Look Like A Devil Centaur
One interesting thing about Exdeath is the fact that his final design was completely different from what he was envisioned. The character designers certainly went overboard in the Fantasy side of things when it came to Exdeath's design, turning him into a demonic centaur of sorts.
Thankfully, this design was rescinded in favor of a more human-like visage. That being said, aspects of the centaur-like design were certainly integrated into his final boss form.
2 Final Fantasy V Was Supposed To Be Released As Final Fantasy Extreme In The West
Final Fantasy V was not released in the West since the game seemed a bit too complex for Western gamers, as per the higher-ups. It didn't help that Final Fantasy IV didn't exactly sell great in the West either.
There were plans to repackage Final Fantasy V for the west as a hardcore experience by the moniker by the name of Final Fantasy Extreme, but this idea never saw the light of day.
1 Ted Woolsey Has Expressed His Regret At Not Being Able To Localize Final Fantasy V
Ted Woolsey is one of the most legendary names in the JRPG community, serving as a translator for several beloved titles like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger.
However, he never got the opportunity to do the same with Final Fantasy V, since the game never received a Western release. Woolsey was extremely disappointed by this, even going so far as to say that he could've been accosted in the street by passionate gamers for not releasing this beloved product.