Thanks to DaleLeatherwood for the inspiration!
The Turks in FFVII would be the heroes in every other Final Fantasy game, but for some reason, the game tracks a group of terrorist dissidents.
But how true would this have been throughout the Final Fantasy series?
In Final Fantasy I, the Warriors of Light fight Garland to save Princess Serah on behalf of Kingdom Cornelia. But not only were the Warriors of Light independent heroes, this isn’t the standard throughout the Final Fantasy series.
In Final Fantasy II, Firion, Gus, and Maria fight against the Palamecian Empire. The Warriors of Light in Final Fantasy III help miscellaneous kingdoms. Cecil protests and eventually rebels against Baron Castle in Final Fantasy IV. Bartz helps the Tycoon kingdom indirectly by joining forces with the princesses Lenna and Faris. And in Final Fantasy VI, Terra sides with the Returners, another resistance force.
Final Fantasy VII’s AVALANCHE is another resistance movement. While AVALANCHE engages in terrorist work, they’re fighting against an evil empire. Shinra is a global corporation, and the Turks fight on the side of Shinra. Final Fantasy VII didn’t reverse the usual protocol or do anything differently. The Turks would have always been the villains.