Final Fantasy III is a strange title in the series' history. For many years, it was completely unavailable in the United States, as it wasn't included in the numerous Final Fantasy compilations Square-Enix (then Squaresoft) put out following the success of Final Fantasy VII. It wouldn't be until 2006 when it would finally see a North American release in the form of a remake for the Nintendo DS. Even then, it wouldn't be seen in a classic pixel-style version until the Pixel Remasters came out in 2021.

It's not hard to see why, either. While the game began some series mainstays like the crystals being core story elements and the interchangeable job system, it feels very rough by today's standards. It's a difficult game to enjoy and has many design elements that seem baffling today, such as forcing you to inflict status elements on your party members to progress further. It's a strange oddity in the series lineage. As such, odds are good you're not very familiar with the lore of this title, so I'm here to help with that!

Let's have a look at some of the cards from the new Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy set and cover some of the lore behind them! Select your job and let's dive in!

Final Fantasy III returns from a wholly new story to a new tale of the Warriors of Light and brings the crystals back and to the forefront. Rather than the Warriors of Light - perhaps better known as the Onion Knights in this game - merely having the crystals at the game's start, they instead stumble onto The Wind Crystal while exploring the areas outside their home of Ur. The Wind Crystal dubs them the Warriors of Light and sets them on their quest to save the other Crystals of Light from the powers of darkness. In doing so, it grants them a selection of jobs - or classes - to choose from in order to help progress through the game.

Each of the other Crystals of Light grant additional set of jobs along the way, with access to some of the most powerful jobs coming towards the end of the game. The Fire Crystal's powers are obtained in the Molten Cave after defeating Gutsco, who stole the Horns of Ice from a village of dwarves. The Water Crystal is guarded by the mighty Kraken in the Cave of Tides (similar to how the players defeat another Kraken in the first game) and grants further powers when the Kraken is defeated. Finally, The Earth Crystal is obtained after defeating the mighty Titan toward the end of the game.

Xande is the primary antagonist of Final Fantasy III, who leads a charge at corrupting the Crystals of Light so that darkness may dominate the land. Xande was a student of the great sage Noah alongside fellow students Doga and Unei. While Doga was granted incredible magical abilities and Unei was given dominion over the world of dreams, Xande was bestowed the simple ability of mortality. Compared to what his colleagues received, Xande felt extremely slighted by his master's gift and the fear of death it instilled in him. As a result, he chose to exact his revenge by summoning the forces of darkness to corrupt the Crystals of Light and stop death from happening.

As the game comes to its final act, the Warriors of Light make their way to the Crystal Tower. Here, the final Crystal of Light - the Earth Crystal - is guarded by the formidable Titan. Once defeated, the Warriors of Light either begin their ascent to confront Xande or take a portal to the forbidden land of Eureka. If they go to Eureka, they can gain powerful endgame jobs and equipment. At the top of the tower, the party defeats Xande, only for him to summon the powerful Cloud of Darkness.

The Cloud of Darkness defeats the party and escapes to the World of Darkness. After this happens, the Warriors of Darkness emerge and come to the aid of the Warriors of Light. The party then travels to the World of Darkness to purge the Crystals of Darkness and do battle with the Cloud of Darkness. When reached, the Cloud is revealed to have manipulated Xande all along, seeking to send both worlds back to nothingness. The party battles the Cloud of Darkness and defeats it following a grueling battle, bringing the game to its conclusion.

If you ask me as a fan of the series, Final Fantasy III is a bit of a mess. It's a tough game that in some ways feels like one step forward and two steps back. It wouldn't be until later tiles would try this game's mechanics once again before it would really shine. I hope this article helped shine a little light and understanding on the story behind this game, because personally, I'd only recommend it if you're a die hard fan and want to experience everything Final Fantasy.

Paige Smith

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