- AKA
- Smooth Criminal
So one thing that's always bugged me is the loose and often times misunderstood meaning of 'canon' in regards to multiple media works. This is more a discussion on "canon" and what it means and doesn't mean. First off, let's talk about the term. Canon means:
This is important in regards to stories that span multiple years across multiple platforms. An example would be the obvious series of Final Fantasy VII. A compilation that spans the original 1997 game all the way to the PSP game Crisis Core which came out in 2007. Let's look at the Nibelheim Incident portrayal.
Since the game's release in 1997, the only canon portrayal of how the Nibelheim Incident went down was the portryal shown in the PSone game, with Sephiroth burning down the town, instantly dispatching Zack, and Cloud being impaled through the chest before suddenly tapping into unknown reserves of strength to toss Sephiroth into the mako pit below him, serving Sephiroth his first, humiliating defeat. However, this portryal changed with the release of Before Crisis and Last Order, which showed Sephiroth willingly leaping into the Mako pit, after Cloud summons his strengh and merely tossed Sephiroth to the side. This kind of change is known as a "retcon." Meaning, a retroactive continuity change to an already written/crafted body of narrative.
This was seen by a lot of fans as a "Han shot first" moment in the fandom, which eventually was retconned again. This time to match the original portrayal of FFVII's depiction in Crisis Core. Until this retcon was performed, the actual canon portryal of what happened between Cloud and Sephiroth was the LO/BC depiction which was referred to several times by the writers in various guidebooks and references to the chronology of FFVII. However, once Crisis Core came to be, the scene shown in that game, was referenced as the depiction of what happened in the story.
Suffice to say, canon is a means of neatly outlining and establishing which events and entries in a series line up and connect with one another, to create a coherent chain of entries in a story.
Not every series/story/game/etc has a specified "canon" to certain events. Either because writers choose to leave that to player interpretation, or because it fundamentally doesn't change anything in terms of the completed story since... No other follow up will be written. A perfect example of this is Silent Hill 2. Silent Hill 2 contains multiple endings that are all equally valid and equally ambiguous, in terms of which ending "happened." This is intentional. The original writers of Team Silent expressed their intent at leaving the conclusion up to the players because to them, James Sunderland's story is over and will never be revisited. Which leaves his ultimate fate in the hand of the players.
Contrast that conclusion with what's stated regarding Silent Hill 1 in terms of Silent Hill 3. As explained by the creators and subsequently shown in Silent Hill 3, the canon ending for SH1 is the Good Ending. Not the Good+ or the Bad or Bad+ Endings. As depicted in the following entries of the SH story, SH1's established canon ending is the Good Ending.
A story with multiple endings doesn't necessarily have a "canon" ending, nor does every entry in a series necessarily have to be canon.
You may be asking what my point is, so I'll explain.
Final Fantasy XV is one of a handful of Final Fantasy titles that has multiple endings. Other Final Fantasy titles to depict multiple endings are Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy Type-0. And this is important in regards to discussing which endings are "canon." In terms of Final Fantasy XV, both of the endings shown in the original game and Episode Ignis, are "canon," meaning...They are equally valid, official and acknowledged by the creators.
"But how can that be?" You may ask.
Yes, I understand that they show two widely different progression of events that yield vastly different outcomes. However they're both valid conclusions to the story. Why? Because they're both acknowledged officially, and they conclude the story of FFXV. Meaning, until another entry, event, story, or "Word of God" explanation expounds on what happens post FFXV and on who rules Lucius and the fate Eos... Neither ending stands above the other. Given the fact FFXV has been essentially buried with the axeing of all additional DLC, for the time being, the state of "canon" in terms of FFXV post story is ambiguous at best.
Contrast that to the multiple endings of FFXIII-2. While FFXIII-2 has multiple Paradox Endings, there is a true ending and conclusion that leads directly into the final entry of the FFXIII Lightning Saga, "Lightning Returns." This ending, "The Goddess is Dead" and "Requiem of the Goddess" are considered the true, canon endings of FFXIII-2.
Final Fantasy Type-0 is another entry with no real "canon" ending. Only multiple endings, which signify the multiple possibilities that Orience's spiral may conclude. One such conclusion is the Game Over Ending that depicts the Class Zero doing the same conclusion that results in the Spiral restarting as it did millions of times before, while another ending has them ending the spiral by making the right choice and saving the world, while ANOTHER ending shows them living a life where the Crystals themselves have been removed entirely from their timeline. Which ending is canon? Well, originally there was a proposed Final Fantasy Type-NEXT that was to show Ace and others from Class Zero in a new setting but given Tabata's departure, we may never know now. But each ending is "canon" as it's an official, accepted and acknowledged entry in the story. And no follow up story exists that requires a specific acknowledgment for which "version" is the one that "happened" in the narrative.
Now, in regards to FFXV, one may say, "Well, the creators have said that Episode Ignis is just a 'what-if' scenario!" To which I would say, that's not true. At least, not true in the dismissive sense. I would then refer you to this translation of the Final Fantasy XV Official Works book that discusses "Episode Ignis."
These words show that this episode, is another whole ending, in terms of scope and narrative weight. An alternate outcome where the player, as Ignis, is able to create another possibility, in terms of the outcome of FFXV. It's not a joke ending or a "What if" scenario. It's an ending that posits and reveals an alternative option within the story exists/existed to bring an end to Ardyn and free Eos from the grip of the Starscourge. And it shows clear authorial intent to depict another possibility within the narrative. Whether it was to ameliorate the much criticized latter half of FFXV, or implement a multiple ending story that they were unable to feature in the main game itself, it is clearly intentional. And if one looks at the themes of the story and Final Fantasy as a whole, it fits far more elegantly than the original first ending of the game.
For one, FFXV started off as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. An entry within the Fabula Nova Crystallis series of FFXIII. Which was a series of entries that subverted the usual classic tropes of the crystals of Final Fantasy, and examined the nature of destiny, free will, and fate within its protagonists. Despite being later rebranded as its own main series entry FFXV, much of the themes of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series remain.
One big theme, is fate and destiny. Each of the protagonists of the Fabula Nova Crystallis stories is thrust into this thematic struggle.
Lightning and her comrades of XIII, Class Zero of Type-0, and Noctis and his friends of XV, are all confronted with a task. A focus, in a sense. Which culminates in all of them having to make a choice. Sacrifice yourself in accordance to your fate and find possible salvation, or fight your fate and risk a fate worst than death and failure. For Lightning, it was accept her Focus and become Ragnarok or face becoming a Cie'th and changing nothing. For Class Zero it was to make the decision of becoming Agito by becoming L'cie or fighting fate and taking on the judgment from the Rurusian Arbiter head on even if it meant risking their lives.
However, FFXV is the only title that is out of place here. Noctis is thrust into the fate of the "True King." He is destined to sacrifice his life to bring light back to Eos and vanquish Ardyn in the afterlife. This is because it is foretold that he would do so by the gods. He is given his task. His "Focus" if you will. And in the end, he fulfills it to the letter and martyrs himself in accordance to the will of the gods. On a macro-scale, this is a positive outcome. The planet is saved, the Starscourge is purged from the world, and everyone can live happily ever after. However, thematically and on a micro-scale, namely, in reference to Noctis's friends and family, is this really a fair and noble outcome?
No, not at all. It's ridiculous and terrible.
For one, thematically, it makes no sense. The game juxtaposes the themes and importance of brotherhood and camaraderie against the real solitude and burden of destiny foisted upon Noctis. On one hand, Noctis is told by everyone to not just shoulder the burden of his hardships by himself and open up so that others may help him in the struggles he faces. But near the end Noctis is told explicitly that the path that awaits him is one he can only tread by himself.
So much for opening up, and relying on others, huh?
Noctis is the One True King. He has to march forth alone and die alone (well not completely alone, at least the spirits of his ancestors are there to help kill him and fight with him
) to save the world. In the end, it's a burden only he can bear and he must bear it, otherwise everyone he knows and loves will die. All their sacrifices will be for naught. This is, thematically, no different than the choice the Fal'cie gave Lightning and her friends in regards to either accepting their fate and becoming Ragnarok, or else letting everyone else die and suffer, while potentially damning another innocent group with their focus. Either sacrifice yourself now for the greater good or risk failure and the harm of others. What makes this ending so bizarre and unsatisfying is again, the juxtaposition of the previous themes the game plays up all throughout the story. Noctis is told to open up, team up, and realize he's not alone. But in the end, he is alone. Because.. That's his foretold fate. He even fights the final boss alone. Why? Because fate. Don't question it.
It's only through Episode Ignis that the actual themes of brotherhood and camaraderie continue to their inevitable and consistent conclusion. Noctis, who is too noble and goodhearted to realize the unfair choice he is burdened with, is unable to advocate for himself and see a future for himself other than death. Because of this, Ignis, his close friend, fights for him and puts his life on the line to find a different path for him. A path that allows him to fulfill his goal without becoming a sacrifice.
One may rightly ask, "if such a possibility existed, why wouldn't the gods/astrals reveal it? Such a possibility seems contrived."
But the answer is, "The gods do not care."
One thing that is consistently shown in the Fabulla Nova Crystallis series is that the gods/Fal'Cie/etc are indifferent and incapable of seeing or feeling the impact their choices make on the humans they use. They cannot see into the hearts of humans. As far as the gods are concerned, the sacrifice of one human to protect the planet, is a fair trade, regardless of the pain that it may cause. It's up to humans to fight for themselves and carve their own destinies, lest they be cast aside as tools for the gods to use. While the situation on Eos is different than say, Pulse or Orience, thematically speaking, Noctis and the Lucian bloodline are tools; keepers of the crystal and protectors of the planet. Their well-being and destiny only goes as far as that. This is shown clearly when Ardyn, who tried (albeit incorrectly) to save the world from the Starscourge, is spurned and repudiated by the Astrals and the Crystal for having sullied himself with the darkness. The gods' cold, and unforgiving assessment of him when in actuality, he merely tried to heal and save people the best way he could, clearly shows that the gods have a very limited scope in valuing humans in their charge. While this doesn't absolve Ardyn of any responsibility for the evil he did, it's not a stretch to say that the Astrals played a very real role in Ardyn's descent into evil and revenge given how they treated his human attempt to save humanity. And they don't care nor see a problem with it. Humans are tools to carry out the will of the gods for the greater good, and if they fail, they are failures.
This same cold indifference can be seen in how the gods willingly usher Noctis to give his life in accordance to what they see as the best way possible to eliminate the Starscourge. Noctis having to give his life to fulfill a prophecy is the easy, surest way to end the calamity. Why look at any other possibility? He's only one person, and a tool of fate that's meant to sacrifice himself. Only Ignis, Noctis' friend, sees him as more than just a savior. He's a friend, a brother. And only he is in a position to advocate for another possibility to save Noctis and the world. And thankfully, as shown in Episode Ignis, he succeeds.
Another question that might be asked is, "Did Noctis really succeed in saving the world? The prophecy specifically states that the One True King must die in order to bring light back..."
Well my answer is, who cares about the prophecy? For one, there's no evidence whatsoever that the prophecy is the only tried and true means of ending the Starscourge. For one, the Starscourge is an otherworldly malady that the gods did not know of or account for. For all intents and purposes, the gods are ignorant of it as are mortals. The "prophecy" is merely the means to an end, the Astrals devised as a way to purge it. That doesn't make it the only tried and true way it is possible. Second, the prophecy was for all intents and purposes, a tool to lead Noctis to his "fate" as the One True King. It said what it said only because it was devised that way. And finally, as shown in the ending and stated in the guidebooks, yes... Noctis and his friends did succeed. Why else would they show them succeeding? If there was a twist, it'd be depicted. There's no need to leave such a point ambiguous.
Anyways, what are your thoughts in regards to these endings? I really felt like discussing this point, and kinda getting that annoyance regarding "canon" off my chest. If you managed to read through this entire tl;dr post, then congratulations. You're as big of a nerd as I am
This is important in regards to stories that span multiple years across multiple platforms. An example would be the obvious series of Final Fantasy VII. A compilation that spans the original 1997 game all the way to the PSP game Crisis Core which came out in 2007. Let's look at the Nibelheim Incident portrayal.
Since the game's release in 1997, the only canon portrayal of how the Nibelheim Incident went down was the portryal shown in the PSone game, with Sephiroth burning down the town, instantly dispatching Zack, and Cloud being impaled through the chest before suddenly tapping into unknown reserves of strength to toss Sephiroth into the mako pit below him, serving Sephiroth his first, humiliating defeat. However, this portryal changed with the release of Before Crisis and Last Order, which showed Sephiroth willingly leaping into the Mako pit, after Cloud summons his strengh and merely tossed Sephiroth to the side. This kind of change is known as a "retcon." Meaning, a retroactive continuity change to an already written/crafted body of narrative.
This was seen by a lot of fans as a "Han shot first" moment in the fandom, which eventually was retconned again. This time to match the original portrayal of FFVII's depiction in Crisis Core. Until this retcon was performed, the actual canon portryal of what happened between Cloud and Sephiroth was the LO/BC depiction which was referred to several times by the writers in various guidebooks and references to the chronology of FFVII. However, once Crisis Core came to be, the scene shown in that game, was referenced as the depiction of what happened in the story.
Suffice to say, canon is a means of neatly outlining and establishing which events and entries in a series line up and connect with one another, to create a coherent chain of entries in a story.
Not every series/story/game/etc has a specified "canon" to certain events. Either because writers choose to leave that to player interpretation, or because it fundamentally doesn't change anything in terms of the completed story since... No other follow up will be written. A perfect example of this is Silent Hill 2. Silent Hill 2 contains multiple endings that are all equally valid and equally ambiguous, in terms of which ending "happened." This is intentional. The original writers of Team Silent expressed their intent at leaving the conclusion up to the players because to them, James Sunderland's story is over and will never be revisited. Which leaves his ultimate fate in the hand of the players.
Contrast that conclusion with what's stated regarding Silent Hill 1 in terms of Silent Hill 3. As explained by the creators and subsequently shown in Silent Hill 3, the canon ending for SH1 is the Good Ending. Not the Good+ or the Bad or Bad+ Endings. As depicted in the following entries of the SH story, SH1's established canon ending is the Good Ending.
A story with multiple endings doesn't necessarily have a "canon" ending, nor does every entry in a series necessarily have to be canon.
You may be asking what my point is, so I'll explain.
Final Fantasy XV is one of a handful of Final Fantasy titles that has multiple endings. Other Final Fantasy titles to depict multiple endings are Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy Type-0. And this is important in regards to discussing which endings are "canon." In terms of Final Fantasy XV, both of the endings shown in the original game and Episode Ignis, are "canon," meaning...They are equally valid, official and acknowledged by the creators.
"But how can that be?" You may ask.
Yes, I understand that they show two widely different progression of events that yield vastly different outcomes. However they're both valid conclusions to the story. Why? Because they're both acknowledged officially, and they conclude the story of FFXV. Meaning, until another entry, event, story, or "Word of God" explanation expounds on what happens post FFXV and on who rules Lucius and the fate Eos... Neither ending stands above the other. Given the fact FFXV has been essentially buried with the axeing of all additional DLC, for the time being, the state of "canon" in terms of FFXV post story is ambiguous at best.
Contrast that to the multiple endings of FFXIII-2. While FFXIII-2 has multiple Paradox Endings, there is a true ending and conclusion that leads directly into the final entry of the FFXIII Lightning Saga, "Lightning Returns." This ending, "The Goddess is Dead" and "Requiem of the Goddess" are considered the true, canon endings of FFXIII-2.
Final Fantasy Type-0 is another entry with no real "canon" ending. Only multiple endings, which signify the multiple possibilities that Orience's spiral may conclude. One such conclusion is the Game Over Ending that depicts the Class Zero doing the same conclusion that results in the Spiral restarting as it did millions of times before, while another ending has them ending the spiral by making the right choice and saving the world, while ANOTHER ending shows them living a life where the Crystals themselves have been removed entirely from their timeline. Which ending is canon? Well, originally there was a proposed Final Fantasy Type-NEXT that was to show Ace and others from Class Zero in a new setting but given Tabata's departure, we may never know now. But each ending is "canon" as it's an official, accepted and acknowledged entry in the story. And no follow up story exists that requires a specific acknowledgment for which "version" is the one that "happened" in the narrative.
Now, in regards to FFXV, one may say, "Well, the creators have said that Episode Ignis is just a 'what-if' scenario!" To which I would say, that's not true. At least, not true in the dismissive sense. I would then refer you to this translation of the Final Fantasy XV Official Works book that discusses "Episode Ignis."
These words show that this episode, is another whole ending, in terms of scope and narrative weight. An alternate outcome where the player, as Ignis, is able to create another possibility, in terms of the outcome of FFXV. It's not a joke ending or a "What if" scenario. It's an ending that posits and reveals an alternative option within the story exists/existed to bring an end to Ardyn and free Eos from the grip of the Starscourge. And it shows clear authorial intent to depict another possibility within the narrative. Whether it was to ameliorate the much criticized latter half of FFXV, or implement a multiple ending story that they were unable to feature in the main game itself, it is clearly intentional. And if one looks at the themes of the story and Final Fantasy as a whole, it fits far more elegantly than the original first ending of the game.
For one, FFXV started off as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. An entry within the Fabula Nova Crystallis series of FFXIII. Which was a series of entries that subverted the usual classic tropes of the crystals of Final Fantasy, and examined the nature of destiny, free will, and fate within its protagonists. Despite being later rebranded as its own main series entry FFXV, much of the themes of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series remain.
One big theme, is fate and destiny. Each of the protagonists of the Fabula Nova Crystallis stories is thrust into this thematic struggle.
Lightning and her comrades of XIII, Class Zero of Type-0, and Noctis and his friends of XV, are all confronted with a task. A focus, in a sense. Which culminates in all of them having to make a choice. Sacrifice yourself in accordance to your fate and find possible salvation, or fight your fate and risk a fate worst than death and failure. For Lightning, it was accept her Focus and become Ragnarok or face becoming a Cie'th and changing nothing. For Class Zero it was to make the decision of becoming Agito by becoming L'cie or fighting fate and taking on the judgment from the Rurusian Arbiter head on even if it meant risking their lives.
However, FFXV is the only title that is out of place here. Noctis is thrust into the fate of the "True King." He is destined to sacrifice his life to bring light back to Eos and vanquish Ardyn in the afterlife. This is because it is foretold that he would do so by the gods. He is given his task. His "Focus" if you will. And in the end, he fulfills it to the letter and martyrs himself in accordance to the will of the gods. On a macro-scale, this is a positive outcome. The planet is saved, the Starscourge is purged from the world, and everyone can live happily ever after. However, thematically and on a micro-scale, namely, in reference to Noctis's friends and family, is this really a fair and noble outcome?
No, not at all. It's ridiculous and terrible.
For one, thematically, it makes no sense. The game juxtaposes the themes and importance of brotherhood and camaraderie against the real solitude and burden of destiny foisted upon Noctis. On one hand, Noctis is told by everyone to not just shoulder the burden of his hardships by himself and open up so that others may help him in the struggles he faces. But near the end Noctis is told explicitly that the path that awaits him is one he can only tread by himself.
So much for opening up, and relying on others, huh?
Noctis is the One True King. He has to march forth alone and die alone (well not completely alone, at least the spirits of his ancestors are there to help kill him and fight with him
) to save the world. In the end, it's a burden only he can bear and he must bear it, otherwise everyone he knows and loves will die. All their sacrifices will be for naught. This is, thematically, no different than the choice the Fal'cie gave Lightning and her friends in regards to either accepting their fate and becoming Ragnarok, or else letting everyone else die and suffer, while potentially damning another innocent group with their focus. Either sacrifice yourself now for the greater good or risk failure and the harm of others. What makes this ending so bizarre and unsatisfying is again, the juxtaposition of the previous themes the game plays up all throughout the story. Noctis is told to open up, team up, and realize he's not alone. But in the end, he is alone. Because.. That's his foretold fate. He even fights the final boss alone. Why? Because fate. Don't question it.It's only through Episode Ignis that the actual themes of brotherhood and camaraderie continue to their inevitable and consistent conclusion. Noctis, who is too noble and goodhearted to realize the unfair choice he is burdened with, is unable to advocate for himself and see a future for himself other than death. Because of this, Ignis, his close friend, fights for him and puts his life on the line to find a different path for him. A path that allows him to fulfill his goal without becoming a sacrifice.
One may rightly ask, "if such a possibility existed, why wouldn't the gods/astrals reveal it? Such a possibility seems contrived."
But the answer is, "The gods do not care."
One thing that is consistently shown in the Fabulla Nova Crystallis series is that the gods/Fal'Cie/etc are indifferent and incapable of seeing or feeling the impact their choices make on the humans they use. They cannot see into the hearts of humans. As far as the gods are concerned, the sacrifice of one human to protect the planet, is a fair trade, regardless of the pain that it may cause. It's up to humans to fight for themselves and carve their own destinies, lest they be cast aside as tools for the gods to use. While the situation on Eos is different than say, Pulse or Orience, thematically speaking, Noctis and the Lucian bloodline are tools; keepers of the crystal and protectors of the planet. Their well-being and destiny only goes as far as that. This is shown clearly when Ardyn, who tried (albeit incorrectly) to save the world from the Starscourge, is spurned and repudiated by the Astrals and the Crystal for having sullied himself with the darkness. The gods' cold, and unforgiving assessment of him when in actuality, he merely tried to heal and save people the best way he could, clearly shows that the gods have a very limited scope in valuing humans in their charge. While this doesn't absolve Ardyn of any responsibility for the evil he did, it's not a stretch to say that the Astrals played a very real role in Ardyn's descent into evil and revenge given how they treated his human attempt to save humanity. And they don't care nor see a problem with it. Humans are tools to carry out the will of the gods for the greater good, and if they fail, they are failures.
This same cold indifference can be seen in how the gods willingly usher Noctis to give his life in accordance to what they see as the best way possible to eliminate the Starscourge. Noctis having to give his life to fulfill a prophecy is the easy, surest way to end the calamity. Why look at any other possibility? He's only one person, and a tool of fate that's meant to sacrifice himself. Only Ignis, Noctis' friend, sees him as more than just a savior. He's a friend, a brother. And only he is in a position to advocate for another possibility to save Noctis and the world. And thankfully, as shown in Episode Ignis, he succeeds.
Another question that might be asked is, "Did Noctis really succeed in saving the world? The prophecy specifically states that the One True King must die in order to bring light back..."
Well my answer is, who cares about the prophecy? For one, there's no evidence whatsoever that the prophecy is the only tried and true means of ending the Starscourge. For one, the Starscourge is an otherworldly malady that the gods did not know of or account for. For all intents and purposes, the gods are ignorant of it as are mortals. The "prophecy" is merely the means to an end, the Astrals devised as a way to purge it. That doesn't make it the only tried and true way it is possible. Second, the prophecy was for all intents and purposes, a tool to lead Noctis to his "fate" as the One True King. It said what it said only because it was devised that way. And finally, as shown in the ending and stated in the guidebooks, yes... Noctis and his friends did succeed. Why else would they show them succeeding? If there was a twist, it'd be depicted. There's no need to leave such a point ambiguous.
Anyways, what are your thoughts in regards to these endings? I really felt like discussing this point, and kinda getting that annoyance regarding "canon" off my chest. If you managed to read through this entire tl;dr post, then congratulations. You're as big of a nerd as I am
