Divinity in Final Fantasy

Throughout the Final Fantasy series, there have been instances of gods, goddesses and other divine beings. Divine beings often play an active part in the story, usually in the role of antagonist, but on other occasions, the deities are only part of the game's mythology and lore.
== Appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy ===
When Garland was taken 2000 years into the past by the power of the Four Fiends, he became Chaos. He sent the monsters into his former present to create a stable time loop that essentially made him an immortal deity-like being until he is defeated by the Warriors of Light. Melmond has a temple that was destroyed by The Vampire. In the Japanese version, towns had chapels with a cross on top, showing that the townsfolk might have been Christians.
=== Final Fantasy II ===
Using dark magic to summon demons to aid in his conquest, the Emperor of Palamecia splits himself into two beings after his demise. The demonic incarnation takes Pandaemonium as his palace that he raises to the surface to resume his conquest, while his angelic counterpart takes residence in Arubboth. The Emperor ultimately dies on two fronts: his demonic half defeated by the party of Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon, while his angelic half is defeated by the deceased party of Josef, Scott, Minwu, and Ricard Highwind.
There are buildings in every town called Sanctuaries, indicating religious practice. Praying at the altar, two angels will descend upon the fallen party member(s) and revive them. A statue of an unnamed goddess can be found at Mysidia.
=== Final Fantasy III ===
The Cloud of Darkness is the entity that returns universes to nothingness.
=== Final Fantasy IV ===
The summoned beasts are said to be spirits, with Bahamut being the Hallowed Father of all summons.
==== Final Fantasy IV: The After Years ====
The Creator created the Crystal capable of recording the history of a world and distributed them upon planets that held the promise of life, including the Blue Planet. The Creator, deeming the evolutionary failures of the inhabitants of the Blue Planet can no longer be permitted, sent out the Maenads to retrieve the Crystals in preparation for the merging of the planet with the True Moon.
=== Final Fantasy VI ===
left|125px|Kefka in god form.
The Warring Triad is a trio of divine beings, the source of all magic in the world, and the beings who created the espers. The three are named Demon, Fiend and Goddess. In ancient times the Warring Triad began to fear each other's power and started the War of the Magi during which they enslaved humans, turning some of them into espers.
When the war ended the gods turned themselves into stone, becoming known as the Statues. The gods' final act was to give the espers their free will and ask them to protect the Statues. The espers fashioned a new realm, where they fled with the Warring Triad's petrified figures. With espers and the Triad gone, magic faded into legend. The Triad was placed in a delicate balance, and it was said catastrophe would occur if they were moved out of position.
A thousand years later, Emperor Gestahl rediscovered magic and invaded the Esper World and raised the Floating Continent with the Warring Triad's power. Kefka, a general working for the emperor, seized the Triad's power and moved the Statues out of alignment, shifting the face of the world. Kefka used the power of the Triad to send a ray of energy called the "Light of Judgment" to burn anyone who opposed him, or even entire towns. Kefka before fighting the party for the last time also implies that, aside from using it to destroy opposition, he also used it to amuse himself.
When the Returners enter Kefka's Tower they must destroy the Triad to rid Kefka of his power source. However, by this point, Kefka has drained most of the Triad's power into himself and thus, he had become the source of all magic, and in effect, a god himself. After the party defeats him, magic disappears from the world.
=== Final Fantasy VII ===
Minerva is considered the planet Gaia's goddess, or its consciousness, and a powerful being created by the Lifestream to protect itself. As depicted in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Genesis Rhapsodos believes the "Goddess" mentioned in the poem LOVELESS can cure him of his degradation with her gift, and eventually encounters what appears to be a vision of Minerva in the lifestream.
A goddess statue (which, however, bears little resemblance to the vision of Minerva Genesis encounters in the lifestream) can be seen in Banora Underground in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- and in Midgar in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
In a sense, the lifestream can be thought as the divine power and entity guarding the planet. Sephiroth attempts to merge with the lifestream to become a god, while he does succeed in this goal, he is ultimately is stopped.
It appears the world of Final Fantasy VII has little in the way of practiced religions, although the nation of Wutai worships the Water Dragon deity Leviathan. An old church also exists in the Midgar Slums. In the days of the Junon Republic, humans held religious beliefs about life and death. They believed in the afterlife, one would go to heaven or hell, determined by gods (in a polytheistic religion) judging them. The religion of which the Sector 5 slums church was part of was a monotheistic religion where worshippers prayed to God as a way to let the dead know they were thinking of them, although the church became abandoned as people lost faith. However, teachings of planetology had existed prior to this point.
=== Final Fantasy VIII ===
thumb|Sorceress power has its origins in the Divine.
Hyne is a god in the legends, said to be the origin of the sorceress power. There appears to be no practiced religion, and the stories of Hyne appear more as legends and myths told to children. The story of Hyne is that of a god who created the world, and created the humans to help him build it while he would sleep. As Hyne woke up, he realized people had populated the planet in great numbers.
Hyne considered there to be too many people and attempted to reduce their numbers, but the people rebelled and waged war against their creator, and eventually cornered him. Hyne tricked the people by promising them a part of his power, but it turned out the part Hyne had given the people was nothing more than his cast-off skin. Furious, the people searched for the god, but no trace of him could be found.
The Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania contains a short story written by the game's scenario writer, which delves more into the sorceresses' origins. It appears that Hyne, after casting off his skin, divided his being and entered his spirit inside certain human women, as he felt sympathy toward them as beings that needed protection. These women gained the power to use magic, becoming sorceresses. It could thus be said that sorceresses wield divine power that doesn't perish along with the human body, but upon the sorceress's death will seek a new host.
Although there are no churches, and Hyne's name is only mentioned when specifically discussing the mythology surrounding him, characters do use the word "God" as an exclamation.
=== Final Fantasy IX ===
thumb|The mother crystal is the source of all life in the universe.
It could be said that the crystal, the origin of all life in the universe, is a divine being. Every planet has its own crystal residing in the planet's core that is the source of all life on said celestial body. Planets' crystals can also give birth to powerful beings born of memories of myths and legends, known as eidolons, to protect them.Final Fantasy IX Ultimania p.042
Kuja travels back in time to the Crystal World and to the beginning of all time to destroy the crystal and end the universe. The link between the crystal in Crystal World and the planets' own crystals is unclear, although it could be speculated that the planets' crystals originate from the "mother crystal". Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania, explains that after the planet's crystal grows old, it will die and return to the cosmos, which could mean that all life eventually returns to the mother crystal, the origin of the universe.
After Kuja's attempt to destroy the universe, Necron appears with the intent of reducing all existence into nothingness, or "zero world". It is unclear what sort of being Necron is, as although Necron claims to be eternal, Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania — File 1: Character Book explains Necron having been born out of Kuja's will to destroy all existence.
Esto Gaza is a place of worship for the "Path of Souls" where the dead return to the stars via the Shimmering Island. As a result, many travel to Esto Gaza on a religious pilgrimage. Shimmering Island's status as the gateway between Terra and Gaia, which causes it to shine when open, is most likely the reason it has gained religious relevance. The use of the word "sabbath" in a note written by Morrid also implies some sort of organized religion in Gaia, and there is a church in Lindblum. Early into the game, Steiner says "God help me" while drinking medicine, and at another point Freya exclaims "By the gods!". Legends of a dragon god related to water (implied to be Leviathan due to the Aquamarines obtainable here) are mentioned by denizens at Daguerreo, but it doesn't seem to be actively worshiped.
=== Final Fantasy X ===
The majority of the world of Spira follow the teachings of Yevon, a summoner from ancient times, though the doctrine taught in the modern times actually follows the example of Yevon's daughter, Yunalesca. The teachings posit that the monster Sin is the people's curse for having used machina to do all of their work as well as kill each other. Through repentance, the people may rid themselves of Sin for good. Most of the world, with the exception of the Al Bhed, follow Yevon, and most towns have a temple.
Within the temples lay the Chambers of the Fayth, where a summoner can gain the power of summoning the aeon of the temple's fayth. Summoners set out on a pilgrimage to Zanarkand where they obtain the Final Aeon, with which they can attempt to destroy Sin. Yevon teaches that if the people repent enough, Sin won't be reborn.
It is revealed that the unsent Yevon is, in fact, the very being that keeps summoning Sin, resulting in its return after each defeat. Yevon's daughter Yunalesca had destroyed Sin's corporeal form with the first Final Summoning, but Yevon's spirit only possessed a new host body and created Sin anew. Yunalesca stayed on the mortal plane as an unsent to grant the gift of the Final Summoning to summoners who reach her, knowing this will not save Spira, but can grant the populace hope. The temples then adopted the pilgrimage practice as doctrine to be followed. After Summoner Yuna and her guardians destroy Yu Yevon, Sin disappears for good, but so do aeons, as the dreams of the fayth disperse.
==== Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~Eien no Daishō~ ====
In Besaid Temple in the distant past, the main hall had statues of the gods people worshiped before the time of Yevon: Kush, goddess of food and shelter; Velm, god of safety; Slone, god of quenching regret; Alb, god of knowledge; Luchel; god of War, Kanaela; goddess of protection from darkness; Meiyou, goddess of light; and Guarudo, god of rest.
=== Final Fantasy XI ===
The creation myth widely accepted in Vana'diel centers around the Dawn Goddess Altana and the Twilight God Promathia. Altana created Vana'diel, whereas Promathia cursed the children of Vana'diel with the flaws they have.
Although the majority of the enlightened races worship the Goddess Altana, Her followers are divided into various orders, such as the Church of San d'Oria, the Church of Tavnazia and the Eimert Church. The beastmen Sahagin also worship the goddess. Promathia is shunned and rarely brought up, if not forgotten entirely. Although he is taken to be the patron deity of the beastmen, they do not explicitly worship him. Promathia is mistakenly worshiped by the Moblins, whose true patron deity is Alexander.
Besides Altana and Promathia, there are elemental beings known as the Sleeping Gods that reside in proto-crystals scattered around Vana'diel. While knowledge of their existence is limited, they are typically only revered as entities of great power. The exception is the Dark Divinity Odin, who has since been freed from his proto-crystal. Odin counts the Kindred as his followers, as well as the fallen civilization of Ephramad and those who have pledged themselves to be his servants.
There are numerous other religious beliefs in Vana'diel, but not all, such as Talekeeperism and Animitism, make references to divine entities. In the Near East, the people of Aht Urhgan follow the teachings of the great sage Walahra and worship the Serpentking Zahak. The beings known as Cait Sith that adventurers come into contact with during the events of Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess can be considered as divinity, as they are created from the tears of Altana herself.
The rest of the beastmen of Vana'diel worship a diverse pantheon of gods. For instance, the Yagudo Theomilitary worship their leader, the Manifest, and the tonberries worship the disfigured goddess Uggalepih, who may not actually exist given the origins of their kind.
=== Final Fantasy XII ===
==== The Occuria ====
thumb|Gerun, the leader of Occuria.
The Occuria are known as the gods of Ivalice, although the Occuria refer to themselves as either Occuria or Undying. The Occuria watch over Ivalice and attempt to manipulate history by giving power to persons they deem worthy. Among these are those referred to as the "Dynast King", but the Occuria themselves call them "Saints". Following the Occuria's wishes, the Saints set out to wield the magickal power given to them in form of nethicite, and destroy and conquer nations as the Occuria see fit.
One Occuria takes a different route and sets out to free mankind from the Occuria's grasp by teaching people how to manufacture their own nethicite. To fight this turn of events the Occuria choose Princess Ashe as their new Saint and ask her to destroy the Archadian Empire. Ashe claims she is "no false Saint for them to use", and destroys the Sun-Cryst, the origin of all nethicite and its power, severing the tie between the Occuria and mankind.
The Occuria also created the Espers, immortal beings who wield great magickal power. As the game's bestiary entries suggest, the Espers in time grew arrogant, believing themselves the greatest force in all the world, and, deeming themselves even greater than the Occuria, set out to wage war with them. The battle was led by the leader of the Espers, the Archangel Ultima. The Espers were no match for the Occuria who banished them to the realm of Mist only to manifest in the material world when a summoner would call upon them.
Despite Occuria's immense power and immortality, it is unclear whether they are truly divine. It appears they used to live on Ivalice, judging by the ruins of Giruvegan they have left behind, and also the fact they are unable to directly influence the mortal world, and only meddle via the intermediary of nethicite, possession and illusions. It appears Occuria may be intelligent beings able to wield magick who found a way to transcend the material world and now live in a separate plane of existence.
==== Faram the Father, God of Light ====
The Light of Kiltia was founded by the prophet Kiltia 2000 years ago, and is a polytheist faith system where a pantheon of gods is led by Faram the Father, God of Light. Mt Bur-Omisace is the faith's center, and those who hold to the faith are known as the Kiltias.
Kiltias are known to end their prayers with the name of their deity, Faram, and do the gesture of crossing their arms across their chest. The highest among the ranks of the Light of Kiltia is the Gran Kiltias, who stays in the temple atop Mt Bur-Omisace. The Gran Kiltias is a man of wisdom and deep thought, with possession of powerful magick. The Gran Kiltias at the time of Final Fantasy XII is Gran Kiltias Anastasis.
==== Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings ====
The aegyl worship the god Feolthanos who is revealed to be a false god who attained immortality by siphoning power from the auraliths. Long ago Feolthanos was a normal aegyl and the leader of the race and had a viera wife and children. Feolthanos revolted against the Occuria, and took his people to Lemurés, using the auraliths, powerful magickal crystals, to lock the sky continent away in Mist. Before sealing Lemurés Feolthanos left behind treasures for his viera children, in the form of auracite and a giant airship, the Galbana, hoping that one day they would be reunited.
When the aegyl settled in the land of Lemurés, Feolthanos wrote the Canon, a book of verse laying down the foundations and principles for the aegyl. He harbored a hatred toward the Occuria and used the auracite to build a palace high in the sky where he absorbed the auracites' power, melding with the auralith to become a god himself. He used the other two auraliths to steal the anima of the rest of the aegyl to make them easier to control. Vaan and his friends defeat him, making him a mortal again. Feolthanos fades away and without him, Lemurés crumbles and falls from the sky.
=== Final Fantasy XIII ===
The world of Final Fantasy XIII knows three deities: Hallowed Pulse, Fell Lindzei, and Divine Etro. A video of the mythology of the Fabula Nova Crystallis shown at the January 18th 2011 Square Enix Conference reveals a god named Bhunivelze created the three deities to find the door to the unseen realm, where he believes his defeated mother Mwynn resides. The gods' true forms are crystals, and they are represented in the official mythology video as symbols.
The deities and the crystals are linked, as the fragment "Bhunivelze's Sleep" in Final Fantasy XIII-2 mentions that the crystals give birth to all things via the deities' wills and that the eternal dream world of the crystal lies within the unseen realm.
Pulse created the world of Gran Pulse and the fal'Cie that aid in terraforming the land to find the Door of Souls, which links the living world to the afterlife. Lindzei produced fal'Cie to serve in Bhunivelze's desire to defy death as he entered a deep sleep until the door would be found. Etro, being discarded for her resemblance to Bhunivelze's mother, sacrificed herself, disappearing from the world, and humankind was born out of her blood through Lindzei's power. Etro became the keeper of the Door of Souls, serving to preserve the natural order which Bhunivelze was attempting to disrupt with his fal'Cie.
According to legend, Lindzei created Cocoon and tasked fal'Cie with maintaining it and luring humans to live in the paradise. However, both Lindzei and Pulse were gone without a trace, leaving their respective fal'Cie orphaned. Lindzei's fal'Cie devised a plan to mass sacrifice the humans of Cocoon to force Etro's gate to reveal itself to summon back their Maker. This plan needed to involve Pulse's fal'Cie and their chosen human servants, as Lindzei's fal'Cie could not destroy themselves, nor use their own servants against themselves. Lindzei's fal'Cie seek to destroy their power source, Orphan, and deactivate Cocoon with the resulting crash killing all its residents.
Unlike Pulse and Lindzei, Etro appears to be the only deity who still actively influences the world of Final Fantasy XIII; among such measures are the Eidolons, whom she sends to l'Cie involuntarily bound by a Focus to save them from despair. The Gran Pulse legends also recite that it was Etro who stopped Ragnarok during the War of Transgression, and later intervened to release Lightning and her allies, save Oerba Yun Fang and Oerba Dia Vanille, from crystal stasis and l'Cie status.
==== Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII ====
The events of Final Fantasy XIII-2 culminate in Etro's death, creating the unstable reality that Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII takes place in. Bhunivelze was revived and seven days before the end of the world names Lightning as his savior to have her guide the souls of Nova Chrysalia to a new world he is creating for the souls to reside and begin life anew. Upon learning of Bhunivelze's plans for humanity, Lightning defeats the deity and his body is sucked into a new unseen realm with humanity departing to a new world devoid of deities.
Bhunivelze is depicted as the God of Light in juxtaposition to the deceased Etro, still known as the Goddess of Death. The two chosen of Bhunivelze, Lightning and Hope, were groomed to become these gods, with Lightning to replace Etro in the new realm, and Hope becoming the vessel for Bhunivelze, his heart inhabiting the god's body. When Hope is possessed by Bhunivelze, he is floating with Bhunivelze's crest behind him so the symbol on the crest's center gives him the god's wings and crown. Bhunivelze's deity form appears in sihlouette when Lightning encounters Hope again at the Cosmogenesis, and later appears in full after Lightning directly addresses Bhunivelze shortly afterwards when telling him the latter could never see people's hearts/souls.
=== Final Fantasy XIV ===
Multiple beings in Eorzea are called or worshiped as deities. The Twelve are benevolent deities who ruled the continent and its surrounding islands until the arrival of wandering tribes. Impressed by the resilience of the primitive settlers, each of the Twelve saw fit to ensure their welfare before departing. They became worshiped by the new residents of Eorzea, becoming patrons of various cities, regions and guilds. Primal versions of the Twelve were summoned by the Elezen mage Louisoix Leveilleur to re-imprison the elder primal Bahamut after he was released from the prison moon Dalamud by the actions of Nael van Darnus.
As opposed to the new races, the native beastmen of Eorzea worship beings known as the primals (referred to as eikons by the forces of the Garlean Empire), beings sealed away from Eorzea until the death of the dragon Midgardsormr, which broke a seal containing a vast store of aether. This promoted the tribes to attempt summoning their respective primals, threatening the stability of the land due to the vast amount of energy needed for the summonings.
The Twelve are frequently mentioned or evoked by name, while the primals become enemies that must be defeated by adventurers. Beings claiming to be the Twelve appear following Hydaelyn's death, and seek to challenge the Warrior of Light as-of-yet-unknown reasons.
Two other main deities are mentioned, along with sects that worship or work in their name. One deity is the goddess Hydaelyn, referred as the creator of the world, which shares her name. The other deity is called Zodiark, a male deity of darkness. His worshipers are the Ascians, a race of ethereal beings who work through other people to ensure the release of their god. Emet-Selch later reveals to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn that both are primals summoned by his lost civilization.
=== Final Fantasy XV ===
The world of Eos is guarded by a group of six beings known as the Astrals. Said to have descended upon the planet as protectors, they are treated as deities by Eos's people, who were made in their image, they are sworn to defend Eos from any threat—even from each other. They are the Draconian Bahamut, God of War and presumed leader of the Astrals; the Archaean Titan, God of Earth; the Hydraean Leviathan, Goddess of the Ocean; the Fulgurian Ramuh, God of Storms who oversees the natural world; the Glacian Shiva, Goddess of Ice; and the Infernian Ifrit, God of Fire.
The Astrals have been mostly dormant for a long time, but are revered figures of legend as detailed in the Cosmogony books; associated with the "power of the stars", they are seen as representing the will of Eos. While the five out of the six are still commonly worshiped across Eos, the fallen Astral Ifrit was the patron deity of Solheim, an ancient civilization which thrived two millennia before the game's events. Specific locations across Eos are associated with an Astral, such as Leviathan with the Celluna Cascades near Altissia and Ifrit with the volcanic Rock of Ravatogh on the continent of Lucis. While each Astral has a physical presence in the world, their more enduring presence is spiritual.
Another deity-like being in the world is the Crystal, a stone said to be sentient and a source of great magical power in the mortal world. Born from Eos itself, the Crystal is said to hold the "soul of the star", and to have been given to mankind to ensure their continued prosperity. Though the light of the Crystal is said to be for the benefit of all of mankind, its powers are directly used by the kings of Lucis, whose departed spirits are held within the Astral-created Ring of the Lucii and have a deity-like presence in the form of ancestral worship.
The Lucian bloodline combines its powers across generations via the bonding of the souls as facilitated by the Crystal and the Ring of the Lucii. The kings and their kin gain various magical abilities normal humans don't have. In exchange for empowering them, the Lucian kings are sworn to protect the Crystal until the day comes when the True King will be born of their line. Some aspects of that power also come at the cost of the king's life essence. According to a prophecy, the True King will save the world from darkness by wielding the full powers of the Crystal, said to make him even more powerful than the Astrals.
There exists another bloodline in Eos, that of Nox Fleuret, whose female members wield divine power granted to them by Bahamut. The Oracle, a chosen female member of the Nox Fleuret line, can commune with the Astrals and heal the corrupting influence of the Starscourge, a malady that turns life on Eos into daemons and lengthens the nights, threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness. The Oracle's calling is to help the king of Lucis in his mission, and like the Lucian kings her powers can weaken her to the point of death.
When known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, the game made use of the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos, including the terminology and featuring deities such as Etro in key roles. By 2015, the use of the mythos had been reduced to an unexpressed thematic base for the game's world. The woman represented in the was said to be the most important goddess in the world's lore.http://www.finaland.com/?rub=site&page=news&id=5516『ファイナルファンタジーXV』発売時期を示唆、『Just Cause 3』との技術協力も決定【gamescom 2015】 QUOTE:――ではもうひとつ。神話や神についての設定は、『FFヴェルサスXIII』から『FFXV』への移行により変更があるのでしょうか。田畑:　『FFXV』にする段階で、そこまでに固まっていた設定については、神話とは強く絡めず『FFXV』の設定として取り込んでいます。ファブラの神話として出てくるものではありませんが、ベースとして活きています。http://www.gamespot.com/articles/16-more-things-we-learned-about-final-fantasy-15/1100-6430160/ The lyrics of "Somnus" and "Omnis Lacrima" refer to a sleeping god waiting for the call to awaken, and calling for aid through his "children". This likely originally referred to Bhunivelze and the actions of the fal'Cie. Many elements from the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos have carried over into Final Fantasy XV, but specific references and terminology were removed so as not to limit the game's audience.http://www.lacapitalolvidada.com/blog/2016/10/13/30-minutos-con-hajime-tabata/
In the Final Fantasy XV-Terra Battle 2 crossover story arc Close Encounter of the Terra Kind, the main antagonist the Eroder boasts being a god and uses that as its motive for "remaking" the world.
=== Final Fantasy XVI ===
Back in ancient times, the populace were members of the Circle of Malius religion that worshipped Ultima as its god, and believed in the coming of eight heavenly messengers in the form of Eikons, whose appearance would herald the coming of paradise. The Circle of Malius faith has long since fallen into legend, though some elements of it still remain in the Crystalline Orthodox, which could be considered an off shoot of the Circle of Malius. Adherents of the Crystalline Orthodoxy are primarily found within the Iron Kingdom, and worship the Mothercrystals.
Another deity worshipped in Valisthea is the goddess Greagor, who is especially revered in the Holy Empire of Sanbreque where the holy emperor is believed to be an embodiment of the goddess. Rosarians revere their nation's unnamed Founder, though this is not a religion with belief in the supernatural or dogma; however, the Rite of Ancestral Communion does appear related to the story of the Founder, the original "ancestor", and could be seen as akin to a religions ceremony.
Hugo Kupka, meanwhile, believes that Dominants are akin to gods themselves, and gains delusions of grandeur of his own role in the world.
Not much is depicted of the tribes of the Northern Territories, but it is known that some warriors used to tattoo their arms and legs in religious imagery with ink made of wyvern tail root even if the ink is venomous: should the tattooing kill the warrior, it was believed that he had "failed to find favor among the heavens".
Long before the Valisthean alphabet became commonplace, the tribes across the Twins used a form of lettering now known as "runes". Some religious sects still believe that the symbols hold power unlockable when used in a specific order.
Worshiping the land itself as a deity is common on the outer continent; the mention of "Gaian presbyters" suggests it is an organized religion.
=== Final Fantasy Tactics ===
Nearly a century after Final Fantasy XII, a separate Kiltia sect was created by Saint Ajora, with his claiming that Faram is the only one true deity to worship. Saint Ajora was, in fact, a human host for the Esper, or Lucavi as they are known in Final Fantasy Tactics, Ultima. Saint Ajora became a prominent figure in the Church of Glabados. The Lucavi attempt to resurrect their leader, the Archangel Ultima, by orchestrating the War of the Lions and finding a new host for her.
Two spell quotes from the Black Mage mention two unnamed gods. The quote from the Death spell mentions a death god, and the Flare spell mentions a dark god. Ultima's spell quote for Return mentions the Gods of time and tide.
Although Church of Glabados resembles that of Christianity, it is a polytheistic faith. Tom Slattery, the translator for Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, explains it thus:
http://www.rpgamer.com/features/insidegaming/tslatteryint.html
==== Time God Zomala ====
The Time God Zomala is mentioned in Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. He is a deity whose powers are invoked via a pact made by the summoner. His most notable power is creating dimensional rifts that lead to forbidden places.
In Final Fantasy Tactics, Loffrey Wodring chants a spell involving Zomala, which sends both him and Ramza Beoulve to the Necrohol of Mullonde. In Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, when Illua is defeated by Clan Gully at the Ruins of Delgantua, she reveals that she has made a pact with the Time God. Calling upon an ancient spell, she transports Clan Gully and herself to Zellea, the Forbidden Land.
=== Final Fantasy Type-0 ===
As part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, Final Fantasy Type-0, along with its prequels Final Fantasy Agito and Final Fantasy Awakening, includes parts of its mythos. In this version, the deities themselves are barely mentioned, but their servants play key roles in the history of Orience.
The characters Arecia Al-Rashia and Gala are affiliated to the deities Pulse and Lindzei respectively. Their affiliations can also be seen in their ways of trying to find the Unseen Realm: while Arecia uses powerful souls to reveal the gate, which becomes known in legend as the Agito, the Judge and his Rursan Reavers try to force the door to manifest by slaughtering the people of Orience. The goddess Diva is a neutral observer and recorder of the world's history. She exists as two bodies with the same will and spirit. Her instructions, given to her by the "Great Will", are to observe and never interfere with events.
The land's four semi-sentient Crystals create l'Cie to protect them and their respective nations. Orience l'Cie bear the brand of Pulse, further reinforcing Arecia's connection to the god, as she was the one who created them.http://type0.haloandwingsstudio.com/tabata/ When Tempus Finis, or the end times, commences, Gala's chosen Judge sets trials for the Crystals' chosen l'Cie to deem their worthiness of being Agito, the soul who can open Etro's gate. If there is no Agito, and the souls released by the Rursus also fail to reveal the gate, the world is destroyed and the spiral started anew.
=== The Final Fantasy Legend ===
The Creator (God in the Japanese version) is the creator of all the worlds and the Tower. He spread the rumor that Paradise can be found at the top, awaiting those who would challenge the Tower. In truth, it is but a game for his entertainment, to see who would attempt and succeed in scaling the Tower's perils; Ashura and the Fiends.
=== Final Fantasy Legend II ===
The New Gods are beings that have used MAGI to become gods. Ashura was once a humble Goblin before he used the power of MAGI: the race of the other New Gods is unclear. The player characters and Guardians gather the MAGI, but do not use them to their full extent and are not considered New Gods.
Three other beings also carry and use MAGI, though they are not identified as New Gods by the Guardians: Ki was born with MAGI in her body and uses them inadvertently to heal others. The robot Dunatis is called a god, but not a "New God". Lastly, the mysterious Magnate is unknown to the Guardians until he appears before the party and Taro. Alongside Dunatis, Apollo's World has rumors of a god named "Neptune", but the party discovers that acts attributed to this "god" are actually the fault of the Undersea Volcano.
The MAGI itself is the remains of a statue of the Goddess Isis, who is an "Ancient" and claims not to be god, throwing the divinity of the New Gods into question.
=== Final Fantasy Legend III ===
The Masters are "Gods" in the sense of the Cthulhu Mythos, which inspired them. They rule the Purelanders. Sol (God in the Japanese version) is among their number: he is said to have created the player character's world and also the Talon.
=== Vagrant Story ===
The nation of Valendia introduces the faith of St. Iocus and a long forgotten branch of Kiltia led by the enchantress and dancer Müllenkamp. Over two millennia ago, Müllenkamp of Kiltia established a city for her followers, known as Leá Monde, and used it as a stronghold while she wove spells into grimoires and enticed demons to learn of the powers of the Dark.
The power of the Dark grants the wielder many abilities, such as the use of magic, the power to summon monsters, and the awakening of psychic powers on the spiritual level, from casting illusions, controlling minds, to clairvoyance and reading the depths of one's heart. Those who die bathed in its influence are subjected to a theological limbo for all eternity unable to pass into the afterlife and forced to remain in the world, while absorbed into the Dark's collective of souls and left in emotional torment as a formless and forever lost spirit.
The Church of St. Iocus is a faith not unlike St. Glabados, that has its roots in Valendia. Identified with a six-lined cross adopted from the faith of Müllenkamp, known as the Holy Rood, it establishes itself as a monotheistic faith that condemns the use of magic throughout Valendia. Although its influence has spread throughout the nation, even to the city of Leá Monde, it nonetheless uses its banishment of magical arts as covert means to gain the powers of the Dark to attain immortality for the faith's Cardinal, and possibly, to use as a potential weapon.
=== Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008) and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy ===
World B, an alternate dimension to World A, the world of the original Final Fantasy, knows two gods: the God of Discord, Chaos, and the Goddess of Harmony, Cosmos. The two are perfected manikins, artificial beings created from crystal ore originating from the Rift that ended up in World A.
While Chaos is the product of multiple memories in one hideous body, Cosmos is a duplicate of Cid of the Lufaine's wife who was created by the military as an alternate means to soothe Chaos. Cid explains that it was the summoned warriors (likely the generation of Shantotto, Prishe and Gabranth) who dubbed the cycle "the conflict of the Gods".
After they ended up in World B as the result of Chaos unleashing his powers and opening a portal to World B, Cid made a bargain with Shinryu to devise a means to return to their world. Becoming the bodiless "Great Will", Cid oversees the endless conflict between the warriors Cosmos and Chaos summon from other worlds to battle for them, while Shinryu revives the fallen warriors after every subsequent war with the losing group losing all memories of themselves and past cycles. Deciding to put an end to the conflict after eleven cycles, Cosmos places her power within her warriors and sends them on a quest that would manifest the power into crystals.
Despite the manikins' introduction to the war, and losing a number of her warriors as a result, Cosmos's plan succeeds in the thirteenth and final cycle. It leaves Cosmos weakened and it gives Chaos the chance to destroy her. As the world begins to crumble, the heroes remain in the world due to the crystals, giving them the chance to kill Chaos for good. After Garland is sent back in time to restart the cycle from this position, Chaos is overwhelmed as he regains the lost memories of his life in World A, giving him true understanding of the cycle of war.
Shinryu gives him the power to end the cycle in his victory, and purge all existence. In the final battle, Chaos is defeated, and the warriors of Cosmos return to their worlds as the god is consumed in fire. Cosmos survives, and intends to remain in World B even as it begins to fade out of existence.
Although not a deity himself, the Emperor just prior to fighting the Warriors of Cosmos for the final time reveals his intent to have even divine beings come under his rule.
=== Dissidia Final Fantasy NT and Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia ===
Two deities have appeared to replace Cosmos and Chaos based on lingering memories of them: Materia, the Sublime Goddess of Protection, and Spiritus, the Savage God of Destruction. Their purpose is defined by the remnant memories that made them; fight each other using the summoned warriors of other worlds, using the energy to grow and sustain their realm. Regardless of their actual personalities, they play the role of heroine and villain to sustain World B.
Shinryu returns along with other summons, acting as the main antagonist who is absorbing the new realm created for Materia and Spiritus.
===World of Final Fantasy===
The universe of World of Final Fantasy tells that Espers were born from light, and monsters and humans both from darkness; Espers all have the potential to become full deities. A mentioned realm is the Extraverse, where dark gods dwell that thrive on death and destruction.
A notable being referred to as a deity is Enna Kros. Seen only in a human form, Kros is a version of Alexander, hailing from the same realm as the version of Alexander that exists in Grymoire. She found an ancient mystical power spawned from "fantasy" which enabled her to create multiple worlds inside her including Grymoire, drawing on the fantasies of older worlds to create its inhabitants and locations. The powers of Lann and Reynn, along with their parents, were derived from Enna's own abilities.
The Girl Who Forgot Her Name also holds divine powers, being a partner to Kros's efforts. She is a being who watches over time and the doorways between time periods from a tearoom placed outside time, granting access to those she deems worthy of influencing the lives of others. The Exnine Knights such as Brandelis are a fusion of human, Esper and Extraverse deity, and consequently hold god-like status and abilities.
=== Final Fantasy Brave Exvius ===
The Populace revers many Espers as gods, while others tend to distance themselves from humans. Notable examples of deified Espers include Leviathan, who is worshiped as the patron God of the Olderion Federation as she wards off monsters by purifying waters. She loves humans and adopts a female personality to approach them in a motherly fashion, with the Wardens and Priestess of the Waters being the major authorities of the nation and who answer to Leviathan directly.
The Esper Kokuryu is worshiped in the country of Pharm where the citizens brew sake as an offer to the dragonic Esper who in turn makes the land prosperous. Kokuryu also loves humans and particularly enjoys the offerings.
The Esper Asura is worshiped in the Militant Town of Moraque as their War Goddess, as it is a town of all kinds of warriors and martial artists. Asura governs over a dimension known as The Six Realms, inspired on the real world Six Domains of the Desire Realm from Buddhism cosmology. Asura loves battles and challenges visitors to deem if they are worthy of lending her power to. 
Other Espers, while not referred as gods, fulfill prominent roles in the worlds. The Esper Titan has the power to mold the land and Sakura at one point requested his aid to shape the landscape, in which she founded the nation of Mysidia.
The Esper Phoenix is a mighty entity who governs over life and rebirth. When the circumstances demand it, Phoenix will fly and set the world ablaze with his flames so that the world can be purified and reborn from the ashes. By the Esper's own account resurrecting the dead is a possible feat, but in exchange any person is revived with a changed personality so that they do not repeat mistakes that led to a futile death.
The Will of Light and the Will of Oblivion are two crystal-shaped entities that govern over creation and destruction, respectively, maintaining a balance in the universe of worlds across the Farplane. The disruption of the balance between these forces becomes the central plot of the game's third season, in which Fina, learning of her own origins and her relationship with the two crystalline beings, leads her party to restore the balance. Afterward, the two Wills vow to no longer interfere in human affairs.
=== War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius ===
Gilgamesh is referred to as a mysterious supreme being in the land of Ardra. It is him who has bestowed the ancient relics across the multiple nations and spurred them into war in order to trigger an event known as the Time of Judgement. Gilgamesh dons a new set of armor crafted by the last Sage of Hess and uses its flight abilities along with the powerful Excalibur to travel through time and space.
==Citations==
Category:Deities
Category:Recurring story elements