I've been playing Final Fantasy longer than any other video game series.  From blowing into the cartridge of the original for my 8-bit NES to blasting Vayne Solidor's nethicite to bits on my PlayStation 2, a long span of my formative years were spent hack-and-slashing through the digital adventures of some orphan thief and rebellious princess as they take down an evil empire.  (Seriously, when I start my own evil empire, I'm ordering all klepto orphans and bratty royalty killed.) Some might say all this time spent playing leaves me ill-equipped to deal with the real world, but the surprisingly high number of female Final Fantasy fans and I would disagree.

 

There are countless lists online of RPG Cliches that are true in these games, but not in real life. Here's a peek at my personal favorite. And yet, Final Fantasy's twelve epics are packed full of life lessons proven true both in the games, and in real life.  Don't believe me?  Check out the unique parallels between their worlds and ours.

 

How many of them apply to you?

 

I. Friends and Allies

 

You can't be best friends with everybody.  Find two or three pals whose strengths complement yours, and stick by them.

 

 

Only a handful of people seem actually interested in saving the world.  Everyone else is too busy convincing us it doesn't need saving.

 

 

If your friend is always at war with something, it's only a matter of time before they're at war with you.

 

 

Don't waste your time with someone cute, but useless in battle.

 

 

 

Nobody likes a whiner.

 

 

II.  Foes and Fiends

 

At least one of your advisors will always be scheming after your throne.

 

 

There's always an evil empire somewhere and your country will always be at war with it.  Unless you're starting the fight, and then you are the evil empire.

 

 

If your king boasts that the evil empire would never dare attack you, run. Now.

 

 

Those we first perceive as villains are rarely the ones pulling the strings.

 

 

You will face your greatest villains several times throughout your journey, and they'll be more powerful each time.

 

 

III. Dating and Relationships

 

Guys are more effective at smashing stuff, but girls cast better magic.

 

 

The more innocent and caring you are, the more bad things will happen to you.

 

 

 

If you flaunt your assets constantly, people will hate you for it.

 

 

If you try to keep a princess all to yourself, she'll either run off the first chance she gets or destroy you herself.

 

 

When the one you love most takes you for granted, remember that being with them, or without them, is your choice.

 

 

Don't seek out perfect love.  If you do find it, something horrible is about to happen.

 

 

IV.  The Facts of Life

 

Sometimes it's our dumbest quotes that everyone remembers.

 

 

You can either look backwards of forwards. You can't do both at the same time.

 

 

Anything really cool in life was somehow stolen from Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.

 

 

You'll rarely ever believe the prophecies passed down by your parents, but by the time you realize they were right, it's almost always too late.

 

 

Letting a good friend go is never easy, especially when you don't have a choice.

 

 

If you run straight at your main goal in life and ignore everything else, you'll never achieve it.  You'll need to do some good for those around you before fortune will smile.

 

 

New stories aren't much different from the old, they just get a little more color each time.

 

 

There we go!  The results of a lifetime of wasted hours packed onto one page for your viewing enjoyment.  Hope you learned something, I know I did. Lali ho, nerd girls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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