Final Fantasy VI Remake Blueprint: A Character-by-Character Vision for a Modern Revival

If Square Enix ever decides to remake Final Fantasy VI, they’ll be walking into sacred territory. This isn’t a game with one protagonist — it’s a full ensemble cast where everyone gets their moment, their trauma, and their questionable fashion choices. A modern remake needs to treat each character with the same respect the original gave them, while using today’s storytelling tools to deepen their arcs.

Here’s how each major character could be modernized without losing the heart of Final Fantasy VI.

Terra Branford — The Emotional Final Fantasy VI Core

Terra’s arc is already one of the strongest in the series: identity, autonomy, and the terrifying question of what it means to be human.

A remake should:

• Lean into her internal conflict with stronger performance capture and more nuanced dialogue.
• Show her memories visually, not just through exposition.
• Expand her early scenes to highlight her fear and confusion after the slave crown.
• Let her World of Ruin arc breathe, giving more space to her found‑family role in Mobliz.

Terra doesn’t need reinvention — she needs amplification.

Locke Cole — The Rogue With a Wound That Never Healed

Locke’s story hits hard, and a remake could make it hit even harder.

Key improvements:

• Play out the Rachel flashbacks as fully playable sequences, not just cutscenes.
• Show Locke’s guilt more subtly, through body language and quiet moments.
• Give his treasure‑hunter persona more charm, not modern snark.
• Let his bond with Celes grow naturally, not through forced romance beats.

Locke works best when he’s torn between who he was and who he wants to be.

Celes Chere — The Soldier Who Has to Learn How to Feel Again

Celes is already one of the most complex characters in the game. A remake should treat her with the same gravity.

Modernization ideas:

• Expand her time with the Empire, showing the moral conflict she tries to bury.
• Give the opera scene full cinematic treatment, but keep the interactive lyric mechanic.
• Handle the island scene with care, using subtle animation and sound design to convey her despair.
• Let her leadership in the World of Ruin feel earned, not assumed.

Celes is the emotional anchor of the second half — a remake should embrace that.

Edgar and Sabin Figaro — Brothers With Opposite Lives

These two are fan favorites for a reason.

For Edgar:

• Lean into his political savvy, not just his flirtiness.
• Show the burden of ruling a kingdom through expanded Figaro Castle scenes.

For Sabin:

• Make Blitz inputs more fluid, but keep the martial‑arts flair.
• Expand his time with Duncan, giving more emotional weight to his training.

Together:

• A playable flashback of their escape from Figaro would be perfect.

Shadow — The Assassin With a Past He Pretends Doesn’t Exist

Shadow is begging for a modern reinterpretation.

A remake should:

• Make his dreams fully playable, stylized, and haunting.
• Show his internal conflict through animation, not exposition.
• Give more context to his relationship with Relm, without spelling everything out.

Shadow works best when the game trusts the player to connect the dots.

Cyan Garamonde — The Heartbreak That Defines a Kingdom

Cyan’s story is devastating, and a remake could make it unforgettable.

Key upgrades:

• Turn the Doma poisoning into a cinematic gut punch, with expanded scenes of the aftermath.
• Reimagine the Phantom Train sequence with modern visuals and emotional weight.
• Make his dreamscape arc a surreal, playable dungeon, not just a quirky side quest.

Cyan deserves the full tragic‑hero treatment.

Gau — The Wild Child With a Quietly Beautiful Arc

Gau’s story is simple but powerful.

A remake could:

• Expand his interactions with Sabin and Cyan, building a found‑family dynamic.
• Make the Veldt more dynamic, with evolving enemy behaviors.
• Give Gau’s father scene more emotional nuance, not slapstick.

Gau doesn’t need a rewrite — he needs respect.

Setzer Gabbiani — The Gambler With a Broken Heart

Setzer is stylish, dramatic, and deeply wounded.

A remake should:

• Expand his backstory with Daryl through playable flashbacks.
• Give the Blackjack and Falcon more personality, visually and mechanically.
• Lean into his “last romantic” persona, not turn him into a joke.

Setzer is the soul of the airship era — let him shine.

Relm and Strago — The Odd Pair That Works

Relm:

• Make her painting ability visually spectacular, with unique animations for each enemy.
• Give her more emotional scenes with Shadow, subtly.

Strago:

• Modernize Lore without making it overpowered, and give him more depth as a mentor.

Together, they bring warmth and humor — a remake should keep that energy.

Kefka Palazzo — Chaos in Clown Makeup

Kefka is one of gaming’s greatest villains. A remake must not soften him.

Key principles:

• Keep him cruel, unpredictable, and theatrical, not sympathetic.
• Use modern animation to show his descent, not explain it.
• Make the world‑ending moment visually shocking, but not gratuitous.
• Let his final battle feel operatic, not just flashy.

Kefka is the soul of the game’s chaos — untouched, unfiltered, unforgettable.