The 10 BIGGEST Final Fantasy Plot Holes

Nibelheim Incident

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

When you really think about it, the whole Nibelheim incident in "Final Fantasy VII" is way messier than people remember. Though technically not a full on plot hole, it is a plot hole that was covered with tape by the writers. Yeah, we know Sephiroth snapped and burned the town down, but the details? They’re all over the place depending on who’s telling it. In "Final Fantasy VII" and even "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII," you’re mostly seeing events through Cloud’s perspective, and that’s already unreliable. Sephiroth definitely killed a lot of people, but it’s never clearly confirmed that everyone in Nibelheim died. What’s even stranger is how Shinra handled it. They basically rebuilt the town, filled it with actors, and acted like nothing ever happened. If you want me to believe that Cloud and Tifa were the only people to escape, and that this incident was covered up this well, I will, but I’m not happy about it.

Cait Sith Joined by Chance?

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

Sorry for the two FF7 entries in a row, but this game is easy to zero in on due to its popularity. Let’s talk about Cait Sith in "Final Fantasy VII", because it is a bit of a weird one. He’s this robotic cat being remotely controlled by Reeve, which kind of makes sense once he joins Cloud’s group… but before that? Yeah, it raises questions. Are we meant to believe that Cait Sith was just hanging out before accidentally stumbling upon the most useful group of travelers Reeve could have anticipated. And does this guy not have an actual job to do? Rather than secretly controlling a robot on the off chance that it stumbles upon people who can lead him to eventually betraying them? Again, not a proper hole, but definitely something we’re meant to just ignore, and I refuse.

Leon?

“Final Fantasy II” (1988)

Leon in "Final Fantasy II" is one of those moments where the story just kind of… skips a step and hopes you don’t notice. He starts in your party, disappears almost immediately, and then later you’re told he’s working for the Emperor. That’s a pretty massive jump, and the game barely fills in the gap. What actually happened in between? Did he get captured? Did he choose this? Was there some big turning point we just never saw? It’s never really shown. Then, just as suddenly, he comes back and rejoins the group like everything’s fine. No real buildup, no deep explanation… just vibes.

That’s Earth

“Final Fantasy VIII” (1999)

Laguna’s third dream in "Final Fantasy VIII" already feels weird enough, but then you walk into that flower restaurant and suddenly things get really off. Sitting there by the stairs is a world map… except it’s not the game’s world. It’s ours. Like, actual Earth. So now you’ve got to ask, what is that doing there? Is this some kind of easter egg that accidentally breaks the universe, or does it mean something way bigger? It doesn’t, it’s just an oversight by the developers that creates a hole I can stick my finger right into. Gross.

What Are Cid and Yang Made Of?

“Final Fantasy IV” (1991)

"Final Fantasy IV" has this weird thing where survival just feels completely random. Cid and Yang get caught in a massive explosion, like a full-on should-not-walk-away-from-that kinda explosion, and somehow they turn up later mostly fine. Not even a scratch worth talking about. Meanwhile, Cecil and Rydia get hit with an earthquake and are instantly out cold. Rosa gets taken down by a fever so bad she’s basically out of commission, and Edge gets wrecked by Rubicante’s fire magic like it’s game over for him. So what’s the rule here? Explosions = totally survivable, but everything else = serious damage.

Let’s Not Get Physical

“Final Fantasy XVI” (2023)

Ultima in "Final Fantasy XVI" is supposed to be this all-knowing, calculated being… which makes his decision to take a physical form feel kind of questionable the more you think about it. If he’s aware of everything, then surely he understands the risks of becoming something that can actually be harmed. So why do it? Was Clive really that broken that Ultima felt safe enough to drop his guard? Or was it just arrogance kicking in? Because up until that point, he’s basically untouchable, existing beyond physical limits, with no real threat to him. God this god is so goddamn dumb... Jesus.

Why Aren’t There More Unsent?“Final Fantasy X” (2001)

The whole Unsent idea in "Final Fantasy X" sounds cool at first, but the more you think about it, the more it kind of falls apart. The rule is simple, if you’ve got unfinished business, you can just… stick around. No death, no consequences, just keep existing. But if that’s the case, why isn’t everyone doing it? You’re telling me only a handful of people had something left to do? That logic opens the door way too wide. Then there’s Auron, who somehow ages, keeps fighting, and resists multiple sendings like it’s no big deal. The game just treats it like something he can “do,” and honestly the reason comes down to “sometimes unsent can do that”. And by “sometimes,” they mean “this specific time, because aging him will look cool.”

Did They Run?

“Final Fantasy IX” (2000)

Here’s a real final season of ‘Game of Thrones” kind of plot hole. After rescuing Hilda in "Final Fantasy IX," the group just casually ends up back in Alexandria… and the game never really explains how. No airship, no boat, no clear route, nothing. They’re in one place, then suddenly they’re somewhere completely different like it’s no big deal. And it’s not like there’s an obvious path either. There aren’t any Gargant routes that connect Linblum straight to Alexandria, so that option’s off the table too. So what did they actually do? Walk? Teleport? Hitch a ride on something we never see? It’s one of those moments where the story just skips over the logistics entirely.

Squall Survived

“Final Fantasy VIII” (1999)

Squall getting impaled at the end of Disc 1 in "Final Fantasy VIII" is one of the most confusing moments in the entire series. He’s literally skewered by a massive ice spike, like, no ambiguity, that should be fatal. Then Disc 2 starts… and he’s just fine. No explanation, no cutscene showing recovery, nothing! The game doesn’t even acknowledge how serious it was. Everyone just carries on like he took a light hit instead of a full-on impalement. Sure, fans have come up with ideas: Edea healing him, magic intervention, but that’s all outside the game itself. It’s such a bizarre jump that it’s what sparked the whole “Squall is dead and everything after is a dream” theory. And honestly… the game doesn’t do much to shut that down.

Where is Cloud Standing?

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

Aerith’s death scene in "Final Fantasy VII" is iconic, but the more you look at it, the weirder it gets. Cloud is standing in the water holding her… but where exactly is he standing? The lake is shown as deep enough for her body to sink out of sight, yet he’s just casually upright like it’s gut-deep. Then there’s the fact she doesn’t bleed at all after being stabbed, which feels oddly clean for such a brutal moment. And on top of that, her body sinks. Slowly. Gracefully. Which sounds emotional, sure, but also… that’s not how bodies work. It’s one of those scenes where the emotion hits hard, but the logic kind of quietly falls apart.