Final Fantasy might've revolutionized JRPGs... but that doesn't mean it's invulnerable to making mistakes.

There are very few gaming franchises that have withstood the test of time to truly become one of the most popular and recognizable gaming series of all time. Names like Grand Theft Auto, Mario, The Legend of Zelda, God Of War, Doom, and Wolfenstein come to mind. Of course, this list would be incomplete without the mention of one particular IP that has been going strong ever since its inception way back in 1987. This series is none other than Final Fantasy, and there's no doubt in anyone's mind that this particular franchise shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. While it might've faced its fair share of hiccups in the 21st century, the continued support and acclaim that Final Fantasy XIV and XV have received have quelled any doubts that anyone might've had when it came to the future of the series.

The series as a whole is so popular that it is solely accredited for popularizing the JRPG genre in the western world, which is largely true for the most part. It also brought over a bunch of mechanics that have become common in the role-playing games of today — a feat that very few gaming franchises can boast of. However, while I'm certainly not debating just how influential Final Fantasy has been in the RPG genre, the fact of the matter is that there still are many small quips and complaints one might have with the series that stem from the fact that these mechanics make little to no sense. So, keeping in line with this train of thought, here are 30 things in the Final Fantasy genre that make absolutely no sense.

30 Sephiroth Can Destroy The Universe Time And Time Again With The Same Move (FFVII)

Final Fantasy VII truly transcended boundaries when it came to bringing the series to the mainstream, breaking the Western market and amassing a ridiculous number of sales, unlike anything ever imagined before. The sheer wave of popularity that JRPGs experienced in the West due to the success of this game-changing title simply cannot be stated enough, and its reverberating effects can still be felt in the modern gaming world — after all, there's a reason why this game is being remade more than 20 years after it debuted for the very first PlayStation (yes, it's really that old).

One of the major reasons for this game's success was its antagonist.

Sephiroth truly is one of the most memorable characters in video game history. His tragic past, imposing figure, and the epicness of the final battle that the cast has against him have truly transformed him into one of the greatest villains ever. However, one might argue that this final battle is a tad too epic. Take Sephiroth's iconic move Supernova — it's an extremely long and taxing move that destroys an entire galaxy and takes away 31/32th of everyone's HP... but for some reason, Sephiroth has the ability to perform this move again!

Someone should tell the developers that the Universe doesn't really work that way.

29 Summons Seem Like Absolute Game-Changers... But Become Largely Irrelevant By End-Game

While Supernova certainly isn't a summon by any means, it does share the same problems that most summons have in the world of Final Fantasy. Just imagine — you have the power of what is essentially a god. Such an impressive power should essentially mean that fear should strike your enemies' hearts every single time. After all, summons take a substantial amount of MP and take a ton of time to finish their attach — trust me, I'm not exaggerating when it comes to the latter statement — so one should obviously expect the world when it comes to these imposing beasts.

However, this isn't even remotely the case.

While the usefulness of summons is certainly quite a lot during the early and mid-stages of any Final Fantasy game, they become quite useless and overbearing in the later stages of the game when you have more powerful techniques that don't require you to stare at your screen for hours on end after initiating a summon (okay, I might be exaggerating a bit there). While there are still a few summons that actually end up being somewhat useful even in the late-game, the number of techniques that overshadow their power is simply too many to ignore.

One such technique is the topic of discussion for our next entry...

28 Limit Breaks Truly Are Way Too Over-The-Top At Times

One of the staples of the series, Limit Breaks are some of the most awesome techniques in the Final Fantasy series. Featuring power the likes of which simply can't be imagined, it must be said that these limit breaks have completely changed the landscape when it comes to the sheer power that can be wielded in Final Fantasy. These limit breaks truly became over the top when the franchise went 3D, to the point where they essentially replaced summons as the most powerful techniques one could utilize in the game. The "Aura" magic in Final Fantasy VIII certainly helped a lot in this regard, since it would essentially allow you to spam your limit breaks left, right, and center.

However, one must admit that these limit breaks are pretty... extra.

There are just so many instances of this being the case that citing any one of these many techniques would be a disservice. Take the example of Zell's "My Final Heaven," which basically turns a normal guy into the flash as he runs across the globe to deliver an extremely powerful punch for the ages. Cid's "Highwind" limit break is also a tale to tell, where the freaking airship comes out of nowhere to shoot up enemies with a bunch of enemies, regardless of where you might be.

27 Blue Mages Are Pretty Weird, To Be Honest

There is a bevy of job classes in Final Fantasy, which have also become a staple of the series due to the change in playstyle that they afford to a particular player. There was a time when these classes were restricted to that of a Warrior, Monk, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage, and Red Mage. However, over time, Square decided to add more and more classes, after which they decided to dedicate certain characters into fulfilling this particular role. This included one particular class that we absolutely must mention — the Blue Mage.

From the viewpoint of pure stats, Blue Mages aren't anything special. They always happen to be mediocre for the most part, and don't really add to the overall experience by much. However, it must be said that their technique is extremely special, to the point where you won't really find any other gameplay mechanic like this in other RPGs. Basically, some of the most notable techniques that your enemies use can be copied by your Blue Mage, which can prove to be incredibly useful in more ways than one. However, the actual manner in which this technique works warrants many questions, such as how Quistis is able to muster Bad Breath in the first place.

It honestly makes us feel slightly queasy, to be perfectly honest.

26 Quina Is Way Too Weird (FFIX)

Speaking of blue mages, here is perhaps the weirdest of the lot whom we absolutely need to mention. This particular character is optional, but we highly recommend that you pounce upon the first opportunity to enlist this character in your roster as soon as possible. The character that we're speaking of right now is none other than Quina, a Blue Mage who is — without a shadow of a doubt — one of the most eccentric characters in the entire series. There are so many reasons as to why this is the case, and we're going to list them all out one by one.

The first thing that we need to mention is the fact that she is essentially a genderless person. Yep, that's right — throughout the entirety of Final Fantasy IX, Quina is constantly referred to as a s/he, which is obviously confusing for more reasons than one. If that wasn't to make this character eccentric enough as is, there's also the manner in which she attains her blue magic. Basically, to expand her arsenal, Quina needs to literally eat its enemies. One must wonder exactly how bad these people must taste...

But hey, at the end of the day, it's just a video game, right? I mean, just how creepy can one get?

25 Hojo Is A Next-Level Creep (FFVII)

When one thinks about some of the biggest weirdos in Final Fantasy, then suffice to say Hojo is certainly one of the characters that top the list of many Final Fantasy aficionados. And why wouldn't that be the case? After all, the entire history of Hojo is nothing short of disgusting. He was essentially the creepiest of scientists who stole the love interest of Vincent Valentine — a fan favorite character, no less — and fused JENOVA cells into his yet-unborn child to give birth to Sephiroth. This is enough to label Hojo as one of the most psychopathic characters of all time, but he'd just started out with his demented acts.

His actions during the main game in Final Fantasy VII truly cement his reputation as a mad scientist of biblical proportions. During the group's infiltration of Shinra Headquarters, the party stumbles upon Hojo for the first time, and also figure out where Aerith is being held — in a cage with Red XIII, a lion-like beast. Apparently, according to Hojo's maniacal explanation, these two were the last remaining Ancients, and the only way to conserve this race was to make them breed.

What the frick?

24 What Were They Thinking When They Designed Cindy's Outfit? (FFXV)

Speaking of things that the developers clearly didn't think about too much, it's time to look at a bit of fanservice that was clearly done in bad taste.

The character Cid is a staple of the Final Fantasy series, and fans were obviously stoked at the fact that they could control their very own Cid in Final Fantasy IV (well, to an extent) and Final Fantasy VII. As the series went on, Cid appeared in many forms, shapes, and sizes. However, his appearance in Final Fantasy XV is pretty memorable... but for all the wrong reasons — after all, it's not like he plays a sizeable role, to begin with. Nope — the person who's the main focus of this list is none other than Cindy.

Initially, when Cindy was revealed to the public, there was a pretty substantial backlash regarding the portrayal of this character — and why wouldn't that be the case? After all, Square Enix had truly shown just how badly they'd misjudged their core audience. There is a time and a place to see scantily-clad people, and playing a game where the future of the entire world hinged on the protagonists' actions certainly isn't one of them.

But hey — this is just one of the many missteps made by Final Fantasy XV.

23 How Is Gladiolus Able To Squeeze Through Places That Are Tight Even For Noctis? (FFXV)

Gladiolus is one of the best party members ever in Final Fantasy history — and no, we're not saying that just because of his glorious abs that are on full display at all times (hey, don't judge). In fact, one might argue that all of Noctis' party members deserve a spot as some of the best part members in the series due to just how fleshed out they actually are. It's a crucial aspect of the gameplay that was nailed right on the head, and added to the sensation of four bros broing it out on the open road. However, when it comes to this particular character, there's one small complaint that we need to get off our chest... or preferably, Gladio's meaty chest.

There are moments in Final Fantasy XV when Noctis and the gang need to squeeze through extremely tight spaces. Aside from the unnerving sense of claustrophobia that obviously arises as a result of this, there's another pressing question that we need to ask — how does Gladio fit in these tight spaces? After all, according to the game, these pathways are so narrow that even Noctis has a hard time fitting through these cracks. For a person like Gladio, this should be downright impossible!

22 Why Can't Rosa — A White Mage — Cure Herself After Falling Ill? (FFIV)

We've already talked about the iconic class system present in Final Fantasy, which has pretty much become a staple of the series ever since its inception. However, in a bid to take a more story-driven approach that would immerse the player (or at least, that was the intention), Square took the bold initiative of casting definite characters who would each adopt their very own permanent class. Now, as much as we'd like to list out all the characters and their classes, a simple Google search will give you all the information you need if you're unfamiliar with this particular entry in the series. Instead, let's talk about a character who's the focal point of this entry — Rosa Joanna Farrell.

This character serves the role of the White Mage in the game, and is a godsend for obvious reasons. After all, it's fairly evident that any Final Fantasy player would require a white mage that would be able to take care of any and all ailments, no matter how serious it might be. Well, Rosa does manage to fulfill this role... save for one major hiccup. Basically, during a certain story arc, Rosa falls victim to an illness called Desert Fever. This is equally sad and frustrating, since a White Mage who had the power to remove any and all ailments was helpless to a stupid disease that should've been cured with a single casting of Esuna.

But you know what's really, really stupid?

21 The Fact That The Entire Cast Was Together In An Orphanage Is Too Convenient (FFVIII)

If you happen to be a newcomer who's just getting into the series, then there's a chance that you've already heard about the complaints that veterans of the series have when it comes to Final Fantasy VIII. However, trust me when I tell you that you should take all these gripes with a grain of salt — Final Fantasy VIII is still one of the highlights of the series, that was groundbreaking in more ways than one. After all, the fact of the matter is that this title essentially showcased just how vastly different the game could be with character models that were the same inside and outside of battle. Yes, I know that sounds stupid, but it's just one of the many things that wowed people when Final Fantasy VIII came out, and contributed to its immense success as well.

However, there is one gripe that even I — a person who's blinded by nostalgia when it comes to this game — must agree with. One of the major plot revelations in the game is that utilizing Guardian Forces or GFs (the game's equivalent of summons) caused memory loss. Once the cast manages to get their memory back, it turns out that all of them were from the same orphanage — an orphanage that was run by none other than Edea, who is the supposed antagonist of the game up till that point. I mean, really? That's just way too much of a stretch.

But this is nothing compared to the next entry.

20 The World Is Doomed, But Blitzball Is Somehow More Important (FFX)

Narrative dissonance is the bane of storytelling, and games generally get the short end of the stick when it comes to this recurring problem. We say this because games and movies (or TV shows, for that matter) are extremely different forms of entertainment, and it must be said that there are a lot of things that a game needs to be padded with so that it feels like... well, a game! We've already talked about this dissonance in Final Fantasy XV — perhaps the worst offender of the lot when it comes to this particular problem, but there's one more game that makes this fatal mistake as well.

It's obvious that the game in question is none other than Final Fantasy X, which is admittedly one of the best games in the entire series. It weaves a sad tale that will leave even the most stoic of people in tears, and anybody who's played the game can attest to this claim. However, there's one major problem with this setting — the world of Spira is under threat by a creature called Sin, which can lay waste to the entire world at any single time... and yet, instead of taking care of this urgent threat, the gang decides that playing Blitzball is an infinitely better option. While the game does explain this by saying that the Blitzball tournaments provide the people of Spira with a sense of, it's still no excuse for how callous the heroes can get in the wake of impending doom.

19 Leaving A Kid In Charge Of A Rowdy Pub Is The Stupidest Thing Ever (FFVII)

When one thinks about some of the most stupid things ever done in Final Fantasy, the actions of AVALANCHE pretty much top the list in this regard. Why, you ask?

Well, first of all, before we get into detail on this particular subject, let us state beforehand that AVALANCHE is a self-styled eco-terrorist group, which is bad enough as is. No matter how pure you might make your actions seem, the fact of the matter is that your actions are meant to instill a sense of terror if you brand yourself in that sense. Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and the rest of the gang might seem like the heroes of the story, but they're anything but. In fact, their poor judgment is painfully apparent in one of the worst decisions ever made in video gaming history.

Basically, during one of their excursions in Midgar to destroy one of the Mako Reactors, Tifa and Barret take the extremely smart decision of placing Marlene in charge of The Seventh Heaven. In case you're wondering why this is such a big deal, let us remind you that The Seventh Heaven is a rowdy pub placed at the very heart of Midgar, and Barret put his freakin' four-year-old daughter in charge of this establishment!

But hey, it's not like the 'villains' of the game have better judgment. After all...

18 Destroying An Entire Sector Just To Capture Some Criminals Is Way Too Over-The-Top (FFVII)

You'd think that a corporation that's at the head of one of the biggest and most powerful cities in the world would've done so through sound decision-making, right? WRONG.

Shinra is — by far — one of the stupidest corporations ever in video game history. The fact of the matter is that these people are nothing short of the vilest, most selfish, and downright absurd corporate overlords that you'll ever have the displeasure of knowing — and for good reason. The fact that they're essentially sucking the life out of the planet to fulfill their own selfish ambitions is just one of the many evil things that they do, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

To showcase just how horrible these people can be, let us bring you back to one of the major plot points in Final Fantasy VII — namely, the destruction of Sector 7. After Shinra gets wind of the fact that AVALANCHE has set up their headquarters, these people debate exactly how they'll capture this terror group. After what must've only been like less than five minutes of debate, the higher-ups decide that the best course of action to take is to freakin' bring down the entire plate on the Sector, potentially ending the lives of thousands of innocents!

Who even comes up with this nonsense?!

17 Dance After Every Victory, Regardless Of How Urgent The Situation Might Be

Probably the people who think that dancing after every victory is a sane thing to do.

Now, before you get on your keyboards and start typing up a storm of words that make little to no sense, let me state beforehand that I absolutely love the concept of the party doing a quick victory dance after disposing of their enemies. After all, why wouldn't that be amazing? You just made short work of your foes, and any veteran JRPG player would obviously love the victory pose that their party whips out after taking care of what might be a tough challenge. However, there's a time and a place for these dances to happen.

Again, the concept of narrative dissonance comes into play here. The later iterations of the series might've fixed this problem, but that doesn't take away from the times that your characters were dancing after what was essentially a harrowing time in their lives. Take the example of Final Fantasy VII — after setting up the bomb in the Mako Reactor, Cloud and the rest of the gang need to run outside the reactor as quickly as possible. However, whenever the player wins a random battle, precious seconds will be wasted in a stupid victory dance that is completely unnecessary at that point.

Like, really?

16 No Matter What, The Hair Of The Main Characters Will Always Be Immaculate

But hey, when it comes to the concept of stupid things, it absolutely must be said that the design of the characters themselves warrant a mention.

Now, it would be extremely hypocritical of me to rip on the hairstyles of the main characters — after all, most forms of Japanese entertainment rely on striking visuals to convey a sense of wonder to the viewer, and what better way to do so that by making the main cast look like the greatest and most dedicated cosplayers of all time? However, there's a point when this feeling of wonder turns into an exasperating sense of disbelief, and this happens a lot in Final Fantasy — heck, in pretty much any action-heavy Japanese show.

Yes, the spiky hair or the long locks might be incredibly cool, but at the end of the day, it's legit nothing more than hair. If that happens to be the case, then how does this hair stay absolutely immaculate come what may? It's just plain stupid, and certainly be quite jarring after a while. This is obviously not just a Final Fantasy problem, but the sheer number of crazy hairstyles in this franchise does warrant a mention of this particular trope, at the very least.

15 The Main Cast Does Have Incredible Inventory Space, Don't They?

Now, this is a sticking point that can apply to pretty much any RPG game, but most modern games at least make some effort in this regard by limiting your character with a weight limit. This basically means that you need to perform a fair bit of inventory management so that you aren't forced to literally walk through the entire game. It's a pretty annoying gameplay mechanic, although it does have the positive connotation of making a gamer think twice before picking up something that is essentially useless. However, this is certainly not the case in Final Fantasy.

The fact that a handful of people can carry every weapon, armor, items, and any other miscellaneous objects that are simply lying around is beyond any explanation. Why it is certainly quite convenient and doesn't allow one to get frustrated due to the implementation of this particular gameplay mechanic, it still has some implications that simply cannot be described, no matter what.

Perhaps the best way to describe just how ludicrous this mechanic actually can get is by going straight to the next entry, which will definitely shed more light on this rather odd predicament.

14 Carrying 99 Tents, Cabins, And Sleeping Bags Is Seriously Pushing It

The World Map is an integral aspect of the Final Fantasy, and while I could get into detail when it comes to just how ludicrous the entire concept of a World Map is in the first place, we'll let bygones be bygones — well, for now at least. Similarly, the concept of a Save Point might make a ton of sense from a gameplay perspective — after all, any veteran JRPG player would obviously breathe a sigh of relief after landing on a Save Point after a grueling trek through a dungeon. But of course, as is the case with most video game mechanic, the existence of a Save Room or Point is certainly quite weird, to say the least. But we digress — the topic of this list involves something that can be done on the World Map or Save Point in a Final Fantasy game that warrants a further mention.

As we've already mentioned before, people can carry as many items as they want in a Final Fantasy game — up to 99 items to be precise. This includes certain healing items like tents, sleepings bags, and entire cabins! It doesn't take an expert to state why this is odd — after all, carrying a whopping total of 99 tents and cabins is simply impossible, and makes no sense whatsoever.

13 Staying Up As Long As Possible To Get That Sweet EXP Multiplier (FFXV)

The concept of sleeping at a save point doesn't really exist in Final Fantasy XV. After all, you can pretty much save everywhere on the world map, aside from a few select places where the autosave option is still active. However, the tradition of camping is still a pretty strong one in Final Fantasy, and Hajime Tabata decided to keep this trope alive by mandating the need to rest at an inn or a campsite to level up. It's a nifty little concept that adds a much-needed breath of fresh air to the gameplay mechanics of Final Fantasy, that was honestly getting somewhat stale.

There's one small problem that arises due to this though — there are different perks of staying at a proper inn and a campsite. While we'll delve into more detail when it comes to the latter, the former does warrant a closer look. Basically, staying at an inn or a hotel will allow you to attain an experience multiplier, which will help you level up faster. However, the problem with this is that players who wish to level up much faster will end up docking these experience points for days on end. One can only wonder the trials and tribulations that Noctis and his groups have to go through for days on end, just because of the selfishness of the player.

12 Eating Good Food Impacts Your Performance In Battle... Really? (FFXV)

Now that we've covered the problem that arises with staying in an inn or a hotel in Final Fantasy XV, the next thing that we must mention involves the mechanic of staying in a campsite.

Anyone who's played Final Fantasy XV knows just how palatable and delicious the food in the game can look at times. It truly reinforces the fact that Ignis is one hell of a cook, and kind of functions as the glue that holds the group together. In fact, his food just doesn't look good — it also has several beneficial properties that provide extremely powerful buffs to your party members and allow them to tackle any challenge head-on with relative ease.

But of course, as is the case with most of the entries on this list, the very semblance of logic itself is completely thrown down the drain with this mechanic. After all, how does one even explain the fact that simply eating tasty food will augment one's performance in battle? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and just goes to show just how convoluted these gameplay mechanics actually are.

But when one talks about convoluted gameplay mechanics, the next entry pretty much takes the cake in this regard.

11 How Does Having 7777 HP Translate To 7777 Damage Per Attack? (FFVII)

Let us not spew endless rhetoric about why Final Fantasy VII is one of the greatest games of all time (mostly because we already have). Square's first venture into a 3D Final Fantasy game was nothing short of splendid, and paved the way for the prominence of JRPGs on the PlayStation. One of the many reasons for this title's unmitigated success was the sheer amount of innovation when it came to the gameplay mechanics that were on display. From the Materia system to the revamped limit breaks, the entire game ended up being nothing short of a blast from start to finish.

However, not all the gameplay mechanics were well-explained or executed. One such mechanic that is the focal point of this list is the "Lucky 7" system. Basically, if a character's HP happened to stop on the number 7777, then this system would kick in. The player now had the ability to deal a total of 7777 damage with each hit of this particular character, which allowed them to dish out a stupidly high amount of damage. It's a hidden mechanic in the game that makes absolutely no sense if one chooses to think about it at length.