I mean, c’mon. What…like they can’t they keep their parents or something? Orphans seem to be a common theme in Final Fantasy, but parents aren’t amirite?!. Here’s a SPOILER list:

• FFI: We’re not sure if any of the six warriors are orphans. Are they teens without parents? Kraken. Called it.
• FF2: Is Leila a orphan, a runaway, a tempestuous woman – or all three? I don’t know, I don’t know… After Mateus destroys their hometown Fynn, Firion(el), Maria, Gus, and Leo become orphaned.  Scott and Gordon are orphans. Josef leaves behind a daughter. The king of Fynn dies, making princess Hilda an orphan. Countless amounts of people die.
• FFIII: In the original game, they were kids…but we don’t see their parents. In the remake, we don’t see Luneth’s, Arc’s or Ignis’ biological parents. Prince Alus becomes an orphan.
• FFIV: The king of Baron adopted Cecil. Rydia becomes an orphan due to Cecil’s actions. The village of Mysidia raised Palom and Polom (no biological parents in sight).
• FFV: Bartz is an orphan, wandering around the world at his father’s dying request. Lenna and Faris, and then Krile, become orphaned.
• FFVI: Terra becomes an orphan after Emperor Gestahl invades the world of Espers. Sabin and Edgar become orphans when their father dies. Relm and Gau are orphan partly due to parental abandonment.
• FFVII: Red XIII is the last of his kind. Sephiroth orphans Tifa and Cloud. Aerith’s mother dies.
• FFVIII: All of your party members, sans Rinoa, are orphans due to parents dying in a war. Many students of their respective Gardens parent’s are dead.
• FFIX: Do Zidane and Vivi count? Either way, Eiko and Garnet for sure since they’re the last of the summoners.
• FFX: Tidus becomes an orphan soon enough.
• FFXII: Vaan, Reks, Penelo and Ashe are all orphans. Because their parents die.
• FFXIII: Lightning, Serah and Hope are orphans. Plus, Orphan is the final boss.
• FFXV: Noctis and Gladio become orphaned. Prompto already seems to be. King Regis probably “hired” Ignis as Noctis’ servant. Yet Ignis had no family.
• FFT: After King Barbaneth dies, Ramza and Alma become orphans, along with their brothers. Delita and Tietra were orphans at the start of the game. Rapha and Marach towards the third chapter. Meliadoul towards the end.
• Type-O: All 14 class members are orphans. Probably every other student is an orphan as well. Since all of their parents are dead….wow.

Can one orphan an adult? According to Wikipedia, yes.

Adults can also be referred to as orphan, or adult orphans. However, those who reached adulthood before their parents died are normally not called orphans; the term is generally reserved for children whose parents have died while they are too young to support themselves.

So then what if they fulfill a rite of passage, such as taking up the throne? How many other characters are orphans? And why is it such a prevalent trope in Final Fantasy? Could have to do with Japan’s involvement in WW2:

The Second World War, with its massive numbers of deaths and population movements, created large numbers of orphans in many countries…

Japanese orphans in China consist primarily of children left behind by Japanese families following the Japanese repatriation from Huludao in the aftermath of World War II. According to Chinese government figures, roughly 2,800 Japanese children were left behind in China after the war, 90% in Inner Mongolia and northeast China (then Manchukuo).

…so whaaat’s the deaaal with all the orphans?!

Huh?