JRPGs are one of the most interesting video game genres. They’re role playing games, but made by a Japanese developer. RPGs themselves have tons of tropes and commonalities, and JRPGs share those same tropes as well. JRPGs have been a sub genre for so long, they’ve even managed to get their own tropes associated with their groupings of games. One trope that this article will be focusing on is “the character destined to die”.
This is a trope that many video games, but especially JRPGs, can’t get enough of. This writer has been playing games since he was a young boy, and it didn’t take long for him to realize this common writing strategy in many of his favorite games. The games that will be talked about here, obviously include massive spoilers. In particular, these games are the Final Fantasy 7 games, including the original and Remake and Rebirth, as well as Persona 3 and Persona 3 Reload.
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy is arguably the most popular JRPG franchise in all of gaming. This trend of characters dying has been a common one in many entries, but the one character here that will be talked about is Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII. This character died in the original game, tragically, at the hands of the main villain, Sephiroth. This is common knowledge at this point.
Many people theorized that for the remake, the story would change and Aerith would somehow be saved. They even hinted at this heavily, but in the ending of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Aerith met her fate. And it was beautifully sad as well. It’s compelling, because some characters feel like they’re meant to bite the dust, but even when they do, it’s still so heartbreaking and tragic. That’s the telltale sign of good writing.
Persona 3
Persona is another popular JRPG series, not as big as Final Fantasy, but still. In Persona 3, the last party member you get is Shinjiro Aragaki, a mysterious, ax-wielding, strong and silent type. He has ties to the main group of Persona users, since he used to be one, then took a break, and is now back in the fight. His death is very shocking to the player on the first run through of the game.
He sacrifices himself for Ken Amada, another party member who had a grudge against Shinji. It’s very sad, and really affects the entire party in a significant way. Again, this death is something that unfortunately, many people will get spoiled for them. It’s just the way these kinds of games work. But it still doesn’t lessen the impact of the character writing or the emotions behind the scene.
The Tragedy of JRPG Deaths
Now looking at this from the perspective of the video game shines a completely different light. It’s tragic, because many times, the character who dies will be a significant character to the story and the party. This means they’ll be fun to play, interesting to watch, and a compelling character. So of course, one of the most enjoyable characters to be with, is doomed to die. It’s a double edged sword.
Even so, it’s still tragic and poetic. That a great character must die so the story can continue. Maybe they’re defined by their death. When you ask someone about Shinji or Aerith, they’ll probably mention how they die. There are so many great JRPGs with well written characters who meet a similar fate. These characters should be remembered fondly. It is a trope, but it’s a trope for a reason. It adds so much tragedy and beauty to an already well written story.
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