Every Final Fantasy Movie & TV Show in Order
Created in 1987, Final Fantasy has been a mainstay on the computer game landscape for almost four decades. In that time, Hironobu Sakaguchi’s creation has spawned 16 standalone games, endless side quests, and whole galaxies of other media, including big-screen adaptations and various multi-episode anime TV shows.
Unfortunately, Sony’s first attempt at a live-action show—which had been rumoured to take place in the expansive MMORPG world of FFXIV—isn’t going forward, but we’ve rounded up every movie and TV show that Square Enix has produced to date to assess which are worth your time. As there is little interconnecting tissue, we’ve arranged them in chronological order. Use our guide below to track them all down for streaming online.
Though released the same year as Final Fantasy VI, and just before the games migrated from Nintendo to PlayStation, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals strangely exists in the world of the fifth instalment. That gives the show a nostalgic quality today that any longtime FF devotee will surely appreciate.
Taking place 200 years after the events of the game, the story introduces two new heroes, Linally and Prettz. Together, they must face the evil Deathgyunos, a dark wizard looking to use the crystals to gain power over the Void.
The original four-episode run was released direct-to-television in Japan before coming to DVD in the U.S. a few years later. While some reviewers at the time weren’t too plussed, many embraced the show, with GameFan magazine even rating it higher than the mighty Neon Genesis Evangelion.
I’m old enough to remember going to see the first Final Fantasy adaptation on the big screen. The movie was an event, no doubt, but it has gained something of a mixed reputation, to say the least. Developed over four years, The Spirits Within will always be the first photorealistic feature ever made; yet despite its landmark visuals, star-studded voice cast, and some notable praise from the likes of Roger Ebert, it failed spectacularly at the box office.
Set in 2065, the movie concerns a more earthly dystopia than fans of the games are used to, following a group of soldiers and scientists as they attempt to fend off an invasion of alien lifeforms known as Phantoms. Like it or loathe it, it remains a significant movie and, for fans of the game, is certainly worth seeing.
Released just a few months after the financial disaster of The Spirits Within, Final Fantasy: Unlimited had to face the cruelly ironic fate of having its originally planned run of 52 episodes reduced (or limited) to 25. Regardless, the show is still warmly remembered by most fans, with many noting the softer, more family-oriented energy.
The story follows Ai and Yu, 12-year-old twins attempting to find their parents in a parallel dimension known as Wonderland, where the evil Earl Tyrant rules. The bifurcated show, which combined 2D animation and 3D graphics, would eventually be completed in a series of graphic novels that were released online and in print.
After the chastening experience with The Spirits Within, Square Enix wisely opted for a more fan-service approach with their next big-screen outing. The resulting movie, titled Advent Children, was a direct-to-DVD release but is probably still the most widely beloved Final Fantasy film to date.
Centring on a guilt-ridden Cloud Strife, and set just two years after the events of FFVII, it follows the arrival of a sinister group who plan to resurrect Sephiroth by abducting children who have been infected with a new disease called Geostigma.
A remastered version was eventually released in 2009, and the movie was even given a theatrical run in 2023 to coincide with the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. For fans of that game and the original, it’s an essential watch.
Released as a standalone 25-minute anime as part of The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, a series of sequel and prequel projects that dropped simultaneously with Advent Children, Last Order: Final Fantasy VII revisits some famous flashbacks from the original game.
In the story, Sephiroth murders the villagers of Nibelheim en route to entering the Mako Reactor, where he reunites with Jenova. When Cloud attempts to intervene, Sephiroth impales him, leaving Cloud with mako poisoning and both he and Zack as prisoners of the Shinra military. Together, they attempt an escape.
Similar to Advent, it’s a rewarding watch for anyone with fond memories of those games and anyone looking to briefly re-enter that world.
For the franchise’s first outing on the PlayStation 4, Square Enix was looking to make a splash. Months before the game’s hotly anticipated release, Kingslaive: Final Fantasy XV was given a theatrical run in Japan and the U.S. before eventually being offered in a bundle with the game.
The feature-length story takes place at the same time as the beginning of the game, focusing on Regis, the father of the game’s protagonist, Noctis, and his attempts to broker an armistice with the invading empire of Nilfheim.
It’s a wonderfully animated piece of work with a stellar voice cast of TV royalty, including Sean Bean, Lena Headley and Aaron Paul.
Dropped on YouTube during the months leading up to Final Fantasy XV’s release on the Xbox One and PS4, Brotherhood is a nice addition to the FFXV universe. The five-episode web series follows Noctis’s ill-fated journey to marry Lunafreya Nox Flueret. As anyone who’s played the game will know, Nilfheim will betray his father while Noctis is en route, invading Lucis and setting the events of the game in motion. Through flashbacks and character development, the show establishes Noctis’s backstory as well as those of Prompto, Galdiolus and Ignis—his loyal team.
The show is not exactly an essential watch, but completists will love to see this added layer of character development, as it focuses on the catalyst for Noctis’s quest to regain the throne.
The only live-action Final Fantasy production to date is also the goofiest thing to come out of the long-running franchise. Released Stateside on Netflix in 2017, a full seven years after the game, Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light follows a father (played by veteran actor Ren Ôsugi—who appeared in classic movies like Cure and Audition) and son whose real-world distance is eased by the bond they discover while playing the titular MMORPG.
The eight-episode mini-series remains unlike anything else released by Square Enix; a singular curiosity with an undeniably earnest charm.
As a 15-minute YouTube short, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue, the most recent animated project from the FF world, is also the shortest.
It functions solely to flesh out the character of Ardyn Izunia—the 15th game’s chief antagonist. Taking place 35 years before the events of FFXV, it details his turn from healer to chancellor of Nilfheim, including his introduction to the Empire and the roots of his hatred for the Lucian bloodline. A nice bit of added character development, and one which can be watched over a morning coffee before or after diving into the game.
