Ruins Ruins are found across worlds in the " Final Fantasy " series as remains of ancient civilizations that fallen into a state of disrepair either through natural causes or by deliberate acts of destruction . In most cases , these ruins indicated a certain level of technological advancement that have ceased to exist in , or is hidden from , the present society . Ruins play a varied role in the series - either to advance the plotline by , for example , revealing a machine that will further aid in the protagonist ' s quest , or to present backstories and offering optional subquests and powerful bosses for players to challenge their character ' s fighting capabilities . Appearances . " Final Fantasy III " . The Ancient Ruins are attributed to the enigmatic race known as the Ancients . Here the ruins serve as an important plot location - housing an airship that will be used extensively by the party . " Final Fantasy IV " . While not appearing the original version of " Final Fantasy IV " , the Lunar Ruins , first appearing in the " Advance " version , house an optional dungeon and is unlocked only by defeating the final boss . " Final Fantasy V " . Among other ruins that appear in this title , the Ronka Ruins is most prominent for housing the Earth Crystal , which is worshiped by the ancient civilization of Ronka . The ruins is found floating in midair by the crystal ' s power , and despite being empty , still houses a working defense mechanism . " Final Fantasy VI " . The World of Ruin is the remnants of the World of Balance thrown into disarray . Here , most towns have been obliterated through the heinous acts of the main villain Kefka , and society has crumbled in fear of the horrors unleashed . " Final Fantasy VII " . Ancient and modern ruins exist in this title , found across the world . The existence of the ancient Cetra civilization is hinted at with the Temple of the Ancients ; a maze - like complex inspired from Mayan designs , and the Forgotten Capital of the Cetra ruined by the appearance of Jenova . After the events of " Final Fantasy VII " , the capital of Midgar was left as absolute ruin due to the dangers of Mako leaking from the reactors . Even before that , Midgar had already shown major signs of urban decay , such as the haunted Train Graveyard situated near the slums of Sector 7 . Society had built itself a replacement city in Edge . " Final Fantasy VIII " . The nomadic civilization of Centra left many settlements that grew into large cities . However , their capital was obliterated by the Lunar Cry and whatever remains became the Centra Ruins . This location serves for two optional sidequests for obtaining a Guardian Force . " Final Fantasy IX " . The world of Gaia housed a number of ruins in its four continents , due to the failed planet - assimilation with Terra . The Mist Continent houses the Gargan Roo , an ancient underground tunnel that serves as a transportation network across the continent , and Fossil Roo that leads to the Outer Continent . Both of these are served by a Gargant , a large insect that travels the two Roos along the roots of the Iifa Tree . The Outer Continent is home to the infamous ruins of Madain Sari , home to the obliterated race of summoners . The Forgotten Continent is another ruin hotspot that houses structures of Terran origin , Oeilvert and the so - called Ipsen ' s Castle . " Final Fantasy X " . The appearance of many ruins marked a civilization that had transgressed its boundaries . The Zanarkand Ruins was once home to a civilization engaged in a Machina War against Bevelle . The war resulted in the creation of the creature known as Sin . Other ruins include the submerged island city of Baaj and the Omega Ruins that contains a powerful optional boss . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . Situated at the Calm Lands is an optional dungeon , the Ruin Depths . The dungeon serves for the game ' s chocobo raising sidequest . " Final Fantasy XI " . Because of the age of the land of Vana ' diel , many ruins can be found dotting the landscape . The Horutoto Ruins , Delkfutt ' s Tower , and Fei ' Yin are ancient relics left behind by the Zilart and Kuluu people . The Ruins of Alzadaal are remnants of an ancient race found in the Near Eastern Empire of Aht Urhgan , spanning the underwater area between the mainland and the Arrapago Islands . " Final Fantasy XII " . The ancient civilization of Galtea existed before the events of " Final Fantasy XII " , and left ruins across the region of Ivalice alongside lost and forgotten technology . The Tomb of Raithwall and the Stilshrine of Miriam are exclusive locations only accessible to blood members of the Dynast King Raithwall ' s legacy . The Glabados Ruins in the island at the southern coast of Bervenia is home to a mysterious structure attributed to the predecessor of the aegyl race . " Final Fantasy XIII " . The Hanging Edge , the area in which the game begins , is a ruined area once used as a residential area for the people of ancient Cocoon . During the War of Transgression , parts of Hanging Edge were damaged and exposed to the outside world , and as such the area has been declared off limits to the public . In addition , far into the area of Lake Bresha , a ruined area used by people of Cocoon long past can be found . It is here that the party fights the Garuda Interceptor and secures an aircraft to help them escape . " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " . After the fall of Cocoon , The crystallized waters of Bresha have gone and now only the ruins remain . New tunnels were discovered since the fall and the ruins became an archaeological site for Academy with restricted passage for civilians . It is here that the party faces Atlas from a distant future . In 20 AF , ruins suffer sudden monster influx . After Cocoon ' s second fall , Gran Pulse falls into ruin and two visitable areas from 700 AF — New Bodhum and A Dying World — are ruins of hometowns of two main characters of the game , Serah Farron and Noel Kreiss , respectively . Ruins of New Bodhum are small area and in the place where once a sea was , there ' s an endless plain of mushroom - shaped rocks , while A Dying World is a large valley with the ruins of a Farseer settlement to the east . The Dead Dunes are dotted with ancient ruins beneath its sands , mainly : , , and the Temple Ruins . " Final Fantasy XIV " . The aftermath of Bahamut ' s rampage in the Calamity resulted in a number of ruins being unearthed throughout Eorzea . Some of the better known include the Sunken Temple of Qarn in Southern Thanalan and the Floating City of Nym in Outer La Noscea . The Ruins of Delgantua . " " . The Ruins . " Final Fantasy Adventure " . The Cave of Ruins is the only ruin in the game , the entrance to this place is blocked by a crystal in the Crystal Desert . " Final Fantasy Legend II " . The Relics of the Ancient Gods is the only ruin in the game , its hidden inside South Forest on First World . " Final Fantasy Legend III " . There are quite a few ruins found within the game . The first ruins the player comes across is the Northern Ruins found on the Floatland . The next set of ruins are found in Pureland , they are : Southwest Ruins and Eastern Ruins where the barrier machine is located . Etymology . are the remains of human - made architecture : structures that were once complete , as time went by , have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair , due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction .