Warning: This article contains potential spoilers for the Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Ninja Gaiden. Despite being mocked upon its reveal for its edgy tone, the reception has changed. People are now excited for the honest cheesiness of this title.
Stranger of Paradise is aiming to be a reimagining of Final Fantasy 1 from the NES, but it does not appear to be a remake as several new plot elements are present. However, returning faces are popping up in the game's marketing, and some with incredibly different designs.
Warriors Of Light
The Warriors of Light is a generic term thrown around a lot throughout the franchise. In the context of Final Fantasy 1, it refers to the party. This group of adventurers is ed by the king of Cornelia to rescue his daughter and is unknowingly added to an ancient time loop. However, none of these characters are named.
There have been attempts to personify the hero or heroes of the first title, but for the most part, they could be anyone. It is just a group of different Final Fantasy job classes that players take to the end. As such, the heroes in this game do not appear related to anyone from the original. That is with the exception of the lead.
Tiamat
Tiamat is a character that shows Final Fantasy 1's heavy inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons. The game took a lot of elements from the tabletop classic. While the name Tiamat is from ancient Mesopotamia, Gygax's RPG popularized the name in a gaming context. Thus, Square took it for their multi-headed dragon deity.
Tiamat's Stranger redesign is one of the strangest. It is still one of the Four Fiends of the world and sports multiple giant draconian heads. Now, though, it stands on a more humanoid bipedal form and seems to have a woman encased in its outer shell. It is a very strange addition to what was already a good design.
Lich
Another one of the Four Fiends was Lich, the fiend of Earth. This undead skeleton sorcerer was a pretty tough fight but also had one of the more memorable designs in the game. The purple robe and other clothing gave it a unique look. However, the redesign took a different direction.
Instead of the wizard form, the human skeleton branches off in all directions. The skeleton is reassembled into a horrific monster with multiple limbs and no traditional human legs. While this new design is more horrifying, the original had its own appeal. The goofy design of the undead magician was a completely different vibe from an actual fiend.
Royal Cornelians
In the original Final Fantasy, the Cornelian royal family did not serve any large purpose. Cornelia (or Coneria in the original translation) was merely the starting town of the game. The King was merely the first quest giver, sending you to rescue his daughter. While his wife and other daughter appeared, they were hardly characters.
This is going to change in Origin. The royal family has been completely reworked in the game's bid to rewrite the original's plot to stand among Final Fantasy's best. The Queen and second Princess have been given the names Jayne and Mia respectively. They all seem to be playing much larger roles due to their prevalence in trailers.
Kraken
Another one of the Four Fiends, the Kraken probably has the most extensive redesign in the game. In the original game, it was merely a giant sea monster. It looked like an octopus monster that could menace the protagonist of an old animated short film. The redesign, in comparison, is among the scariest Final Fantasy characters.
While squids are definitely still brought to mind, this Kraken is not so simple. Tentacles burst from his form at all angles. Aquatic features like gills and fringes come out of his recognizably human frame at weird places. This asymmetrical design certainly enhances what was merely a forgettable boss in the original experience.
Astos
Astos, king of the Dark Elves, is probably the most drastic redesign. What was formerly a monstrous figure has turned into a svelte pretty boy. The redesign is not exactly surprising, but it now makes a monster from Final Fantasy classic resemble the characters of FFVII. What is more surprising is his new role.
He appears to have some familiarity with the heroes in this game. In the original, he was an imposter of the King of Western Keep. However, the new design and familiarity he shows with the party could imply a more benign interpretation, or it could all be a part of the charade.
Marilith
Marilith is another of the Four Fiends and is the fiend of fire. Again, her name was taken directly from old Dungeons and Dragons. This demonic presence was a woman with a snake's body. She had many arms and many swords and was quite intimidating.
Surprisingly, her design remains mostly unchanged in Stranger of Paradise. Now, fire bursts from her body and eyes, and she even sports fire hair. Her snake-like back half, though, has been maintained, even if it looks more scorched. She is shaping up to be the most terrifying of the bosses.
Bikke
In the original game, Bikke was a pirate captain the party encountered. The city of Pravoka is overwhelmed by him and his crew, and the players must stop their raid. After he summons nine pirates to attack the party, he gives in. It is a pretty harmless encounter, and Bikke himself had a stereotypical design.
Bikke in Stranger of Paradise looks like a proper grand villain. He looks way more menacing and halts an entire town with his crew, and he comes off way more intimidating. He also has been upgraded from "minion summoner" to actual boss with a great axe to wield. This one-off encounter is looking a lot grander in its HD makeover, and players are excited to see it.
Sarah
Final Fantasy and female characters have had a history. All of that history goes back to Princess Sarah, the first named female character in a game. While she was just a damsel with implied magical powers in the original, she has made infrequent appearances since. This is perhaps because she is one of the only named characters in the game.
Origin's Sarah is being billed as a major character throughout the plot. She is to be voiced by Cherami Leigh, who is known for voicing tougher anime characters. She is also implied to be in a romantic relationship with the protagonist, Jack. However, their relationship is sure to be rocky, given what players know about him.
Garland
Garland was the main villain of the original Final Fantasy and also its first villain. He begins the game by kidnapping Princess Sarah and fleeing to the Chaos Shrine. His defeat there sends him back in time, where he empowers the Four Fiends and becomes the villain Chaos. This time loop essentially rendered him immortal, and his kidnap attempt is shown in Origin's marketing.
The demos show that the "Garland" at the shrine is actually an illusion, and the main character, Jack, is revealed to have the surname Garland. The possibility that the player character is Garland himself is a fantastic possibility. Getting to see the possible origins of one of gaming's first grand villains could be a treat, and it expands the lore of the original game. Fans are excited to learn the difference between Jack, Garland, and Chaos when the game releases on March 18th.
