Killing Off Player Characters: How to do it Right
Entry posted by Pahrak Model ZX
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As should be evident, this blog post will contain MASSIVE spoilers. Seriously, if you keep reading you’ll spoil a super important and surprising thing that happens in a video game, so do so at your own risk.
At first this was going to be a post opening discussion about what games people felt had effective player character deaths, but then I decided to stop playing around and just openly gush about Final Fantasy V. Well, one aspect of it, at least. The title probably tipped you off, but around the middle (or maybe a little later) of the game, one of the four playable characters you’ve had up to that point actually dies as part of the story. And it’s actually pretty great.
Galuf’s death is my favorite player character death, without a doubt. Part of this is because I love the game as a whole, but at the same time, this is actually one reason why I love it.
One of the factors to this is that I didn’t know it was coming. In the age of the internet, everything’s spoiled, and while it’s certainly still possible to enjoy something you know is coming, there’s still a special satisfaction in being genuinely surprised by a plot development. Final Fantasy V is easily one of the lesser known installments of its franchise, due at least in part to the fact that the original SNES version was never brought over to American shores. It’s also not a game for Job System haters, the almost parody-like tone of it can put off some, and I’ve seen several people say they encountered the final boss’s first form and thought it was a completely ridiculous reveal. (Not that it was a surprise; they tell you Exdeath’s true form right when they introduce him. People really need to pay attention…oh, wait, I’m digressing.) While a part of me is saddened by this because of how much I love the game, I’m also very glad that Galuf’s death was a surprise. Although, I guess that now that I’m explaining it, that sort of ruins the surprise for anyone who’ll play it after this, ahahaha…sorry. (But you should still totally play it.)
Another important point: it’s just simply awesome. Let me briefly set it up for you: the main villain of the game is Exdeath, who possesses exceptional power and has the ability to very quickly recover from injuries. Galuf, with the help of three other characters who were collectively referred to as the Dawn Warriors, fought Exdeath many years before the start of FFV, but were unable to truly defeat him. Together they were able to weaken him enough that they could use the power of the crystals to seal him away. During the course of FFV, Galuf (now with three new companions, the Warriors of Light) is ambushed by Exdeath in the Great Forest of Moore, where the villain uses the crystals to immobilize the four Warriors and Galuf’s granddaughter. All of a sudden, Galuf bursts free and charges Exdeath, sending you into a one-on-one boss battle. Prior to this, Galuf had already defeated another villain, Gilgamesh, single-handedly, so you think maybe he can do this too…but Exdeath is simply too powerful, and your HP is taken to 0 in a very short time. Exdeath and the player alike expect it to end there—I was already lamenting my bad luck, planning to reload and grind a bit, when I noticed that the battle wasn’t over. Galuf kept fighting. It may sound lame for me to say this, but it was absolutely awe-inspiring to see Galuf keep attacking Exdeath at 0 HP. By all rights, he should be dead already, but aside from his battle sprite kneeling to show fatigue, he just shrugs death off and keeps hammering away. This old man managed to break the game through sheer force of will. In response, Exdeath panics. You read that right. The all-powerful evil mage who effortlessly bounces back from the brink of defeat starts blabbering in confused fear in the face of Galuf unwavering assault. Exdeath triple-casts the game’s three strongest spells—Holy, Flare, and Meteor—one right after another, and Galuf still gets back up on his next turn. Years ago, in his prime, Galuf needed the help of the other three Dawn Warriors to incapacitate Exdeath, but now, despite his old age, he manages to completely ignore death long enough to force Exdeath into retreat all on his own. My explanation doesn’t even do it justice.
You know what else? There’s gameplay-story integration. As stated above, the thing that so impresses the player and frightens Exdeath is that Galuf continues fighting long after hitting 0 HP, but it doesn’t stop there. How many times, in reference to Aerith’s death in FFVII, have you heard someone joke “Why didn’t they just use a Phoenix Down?” You know what? In FFV, they did. After Exdeath retreats, Galuf collapses, and Bartz, Faris, and Lenna all rush to his side and start tossing out all the items and spells they can think of—Phoenix Down, Elixir, Curaga, Arise. The story of the game acknowledges the abilities the characters possess in gameplay. It may sound simple, but it’s a wonderful effect that isn’t always as common as you think. And it makes it even more meaningful when none of this works. Despite everything the Warriors of Light do, Galuf can’t be saved, and, after proving just how awesome he is, this character who you’ve been following from the very beginning of the game finally dies.
It’s an emotionally powerful scene. All at once, you’re awestruck at what Galuf just did, overjoyed that he was able to save everyone, desperate to see the others’ efforts to save him succeed, and heartbroken at seeing the old man fade away. But no matter how sad it is, I was never angry that Galuf died. He went out in a blaze of glory, like any good player character deserves, and he didn’t regret doing it even as he drew his last breath. He was satisfied with the results, so I feel like that makes it okay for the player to feel that way too.
Also, his spirit (and the spirits of the other Dawn Warriors and King Tycoon) aids you in the final battle. I worry that it might sounds like that cheapens his death, but that’s by no means the case: it’s great to see Galuf still helping you out, and even more satisfying to see him help in finishing what he started even if he wasn’t alive for it. He willingly gave up his life to defend the world and his loved ones, and even now, he wants to do whatever he still can to save a world he’s no longer a part of.
And…this is sort of terrible to say, but another thing that makes it great is that there aren’t any gameplay consequences. Once Galuf dies, his granddaughter, Krile, joins the party, and she gets Galuf’s level, stats, and Job progression. It’s just really nice to know that all that progress wasn’t for nothing!
Galuf’s death is one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy V, and just thinking about it still makes me get a little emotional. On some level I’m a little embarrassed to say that, but I also think that I don’t really need to feel that way. Rather, it’s a compliment to the game: it was made well enough that it still makes me tear up years after playing it. Games and other forms of media (usually, at least) try to connect with us on an emotional level, so when one succeeds—especially one that’s relatively obscure—it should be something worth talking about. Don’t you think?
So basically, go play Final Fantasy V. It’s on smartphones now so you really don’t have an excuse.
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