Thanks to TheAquarianAge for the inspiration!
We spoke to each other in this post, where TheAquarianAge wrote:
So, I’ve played through the games I listed above, but you could look at FF1 and 7, and draw some sort of historical continuum by considering the Mako Reactors as Giant Power Plants, built over Crystal Shrines, to focus the powers of the crystals to extract the pure essence of the elemental energy of the world. In Final Fantasy 1, only certain types of characters could use magic, and could only buy “spells” (or, I always liked to think that they were buying training in casting that spell), which implied that magic use was part of a secret society that required training and mastery to enter–in FF7, every common man has access to Materia.
Pretty interesting, huh? Most people have tried to find the historical continuity between the Final Fantasy worlds, but with varying success. But according to TheAquarianAge, there’s no need to retcon the stories or find any grand unification theories. Any two of the stories could connect through their respective tropes. For example, consider the connections between Final Fantasy’s VIII & III. The connections between Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy VIII have already been discussed before. One parallel that matches TheAquarianAge idea:
It is also interesting to note that Hyne lived in the medieval world of Final Fantasy III, while the tale told of him was in the futuristic world of Final Fantasy VIII.
Hein could be the modern-day variant of the old world Hyne for all we know. But it also could be said that I & III connect (through the use of the legends about the Light Warriors) or that I & VIII are connected (though the time travel element).
Maybe even Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy XIII connect through gunblades. The latter could be a distant future of the former.
Maybe Final Fantasy XIII connect to Final Fantasy VII. Lightning can wear both Cloud’s SOLDIER uniform and Aerith’s clothing.
Maybe Final Fantasy VII connect Final Fantasy X through Shinra,
Maybe Final Fantasy VII connects to Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy IV, and Final Fantasy XV? The name Highwind is present in all games.
It’s all a possibility based on what connections you would like to make.