The name Final Fantasy has a rather interesting origin story, and it debunks a popular misconception!
Originally, the developers wanted to call it “Fighting Fantasy,” but that name already belonged to a series of roleplaying gamebooks. So, they needed a new name.
Here’s the truth behind the name:
Not a last-ditch effort by the company: Contrary to a popular belief, the name wasn’t chosen because it was Square’s (the developers) last shot at success.
Focus on the initials: Series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has revealed that they were more interested in a cool abbreviation like “FF” than the actual meaning of the words.
Inspired by a fan (kind of): While brainstorming names, Sakaguchi received a letter from a fan mentioning an elementary school teacher who referred to the game as “the last illusion of humankind” during class. Sakaguchi liked the sound of “Final Fantasy” and the concept it evoked, so he adopted the name.
The name Final Fantasy has a rather interesting origin story, and it debunks a popular misconception!
Originally, the developers wanted to call it “Fighting Fantasy,” but that name already belonged to a series of roleplaying gamebooks. So, they needed a new name.
Here’s the truth behind the name:
Not a last-ditch effort by the company: Contrary to a popular belief, the name wasn’t chosen because it was Square’s (the developers) last shot at success.
Focus on the initials: Series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has revealed that they were more interested in a cool abbreviation like “FF” than the actual meaning of the words.
Inspired by a fan (kind of): While brainstorming names, Sakaguchi received a letter from a fan mentioning an elementary school teacher who referred to the game as “the last illusion of humankind” during class. Sakaguchi liked the sound of “Final Fantasy” and the concept it evoked, so he adopted the name.