Western fans took note that Final Fantasy IV was ‘Final Fantasy II’. They couldn’t help but notice many other similarities between the two.
The Theory
The ‘Highwind’ surname spans across several Final Fantasy games, without any apparent connection between the characters. However, one fan theory links the games together through the Dragoon class, a sword and a famous town.
Evidence
First, Ricard is a Highwind from the land of Deist. The Kingdom on that land is unknown, but many believe it’s Baron. Geographically, Deist is an island, with a similar terrain to Barron.
Fans believe the young boy Gareth looks after is actually ‘Kain’, who follows in his surrogate father’s footsteps. We see the Dragoon class for the first time in Final Fantasy II. While he doesn’t jump, Gareth serves as inspiration for the other Highwinds to come.
Final Fantasy II also had the Dark Knight class. The sword Cecil uses as Dark Knight (Deathbringer) has connection to Leonhart.
Players also note the Mysidia in both games. Both towns are home to mages.
Refutation
‘Kain’, as the boy’s name in Final Fantasy II, is not only a homage but also a retcon. In the original Final Fantasy II, this boy was nameless. Also, Kain’s father in the original version of Final Fantasy IV was nameless. Later version gave Kain’s father the name Ricard for a stronger homage. No mention of the Emperor in the game, however.
Both worlds have a Mysidia, but none of the geography and locations seem to match up. Contrasting Final Fantasy II with Final Fantasy IV reveals that the former is more or less connected, whereas the latter has several more islands. Also, Final Fantasy II Mysidia appears around the southwest; Final Fantasy IV Mysidia appears slightly southeast of that world’s prime meridian.
Source(s):
11 Wild Final Fantasy Fan Theories That Link the Games Together
Forum:Inter-Game Connections | Final Fantasy Wikia
TAKING A LOOK AT CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND THOUGHTS ON FINAL FANTASY