Summary
Many JRPG narratives are often incredible, withwell-developed storytelling by writerswho capture the player’s attention throughout the characters' entire journey. Numerous stories even conclude with good endings, where after many challenges, the protagonists achieve their goals, defeat the villains, and emerge victorious.
However, many other JRPGs have sad endings, where even with the enemies defeated, a tragic fate awaits the main characters, or, in some cases, they fail to stop the villains. Despite this, these sad endings leave a lasting impact on the player, reinforcing the emotional depth of the narrative and also serving as reminders that not all stories end in victory, yet they are still memorable.
DespiteXenoblade Chronicles 2having an incredible story, tragedy permeates every moment of Lora and Jin’s tale, characters who desperately fight to change the fate of the kingdom where they are, but regardless of their efforts, the destruction of Torna is inevitable. The story, stemming fromTorna - The Golden Country, an expansion of the game, narrates a cycle of sacrifices where victories are fleeting but defeat is permanent.
This sad narrative shows how, even with heroic efforts, fate can be cruel and unchangeable for many characters. The fall of Torna and the forgetting of the heroes who fought for it leave a deep emotional mark, making this JRPG an unforgettable story with an ending as devastating as it is beautiful.
Theweight of choices can be devastating,and Tatsuya Suou is a character who lives this to the extreme. To save the world, he is forced to sacrifice his own memories and sever ties with those he loves. This difficult decision is at the heart ofPersona 2: Eternal Punishmentand the tragic outcome reinforces the theme of eternal punishment at the cost of one’s own identity.
The conclusion, where Tatsuya abandons everything he knew and loved, carries an immense emotional weight, especially for players who followed his journey throughout thePersonaduology. Thus, the character’s journey reveals that not all battles end in celebration, and the price of salvation can be one’s own happiness, leaving players immersed in the cruel fate he suffered.
From the very first moments,Mother 3delivers a narrativefilled with losses and personal tragedies. Lucas, the protagonist, faces the grief of his mother’s death and the unexplained disappearance of his own brother, while the world slowly disintegrates. This makes much of the story a continuous reflection of the character’s pain.
By the end, Lucas finally wins, but the emotional scars from the losses he suffered never disappear; indeed, the ending implies that all the protagonist’s efforts still result in total destruction.Mother 3is a JRPG that uses simplicity to convey a powerful message about the fragility of life and the permanence of grief, making it an emotionally profound experience for players.
The canonical ending ofShadow Heartsis incredibly dark, where the protagonist Yuri Hyuga loses his beloved Alice and is left to face his own fate alone; indeed, it’s from this premise that the sequel begins its narrative. Thus, the story of these two characters is melancholic at every moment, with little hope for happy endings.
This ending reflects the game’s dark themes, where the struggle for survival and hope do not always guarantee a reward.Shadow Heartsstands out as a JRPG with a devastating ending, leaving the player with a sense of loss and melancholy that persists after the credits, makingCovenant, the sequel, an obligatory choice for those who enjoyed the first game’s story.
Capable of leaving a deep mark on many players,Final Fantasy Tacticshas a denser narrativethan many other games in the franchise, presenting players with a JRPG with a sad ending. Here, Ramza Beoulve’s journey is marked by sacrifice and betrayals that occur constantly, and despite his victories, he does not receive recognition and is forgotten.
This melancholic ending to Ramza Beoulve’s journey also reflects the harshness of the war-torn world of Ivalice present inFinal Fantasy Tactics. Even fighting for justice and playing a fundamental role in the conclusion of the War of the Lions, the church decides to erase him from history, showing players that courage is not always rewarded in the end.
The premise ofFire Emblem Three Housesis that after spending the first half at the Officers Academy with all the characters, the second part of the game has playerswitnessing all the characters involved in war. So, given the nature of military confrontations, happy endings cannot be expected in this narrative.
Therefore, regardless of the route the player chooses or which nobles they support during the two halves of the game, no ending in this JRPG is happy, on the contrary, all are, at best, bittersweet. However, tragedy accompanies many characters here, causing many faces familiar to the protagonist to meet cruel deaths on the battlefield.
From thebeginning of Makoto Yuki’s journeyinPersona 3 Reload, players are confronted with the inevitability of death, an element present in practically every moment of the story. As the story progresses and the end of the world becomes inevitable, the game’s protagonist manages to sacrifice himself to seal the darkness, facing his own destiny silently to save the world.
Despite the sad tone of the ending, there is a poetic beauty in Makoto Yuki’s final moments, for as he fulfills his mission, his last moments are of peace and acceptance. The song “Memories of You” reinforces the emotional impact of the conclusion, highlighting the importance of human connections and closing the game in a memorable and powerful way.
Tales of Xillia 2places Ludger Kresnikin a position of making devastating choices, where each decision carries a great loss. The game offers multiple endings, all emotionally heavy, from Ludger’s personal sacrifice to the loss of loved ones, and none of the endings are truly happy, at best bittersweet.
The experience of facing these bitter conclusions leaves the player with the feeling that there isn’t always a happy way out for certain stories, even in fantasy worlds. This makesTales of Xillia 2a JRPG with one of the darkest and most tragic endings in the franchise, but it also wraps up the game’s narrative well.
InNieRand its sequelNieR: Automata, players are led through cycles of suffering and sacrifice. Depending on choices, the narrative can have multiple endings, but all carry intense emotional weight. Whether with characters sacrificing their lives or living in a desolate world, these games persist with endings that evoke sadness and reflection.
Each conclusion seems to convey that sacrifice, no matter how necessary, may not bring the expected happiness. The emotional depth and existential themes about humanity, destruction, and rebirth transform these games into memorable experiences, even if painful.
Final Fantasy 15is a JRPG with a profoundly sad ending, where Noctis sacrifices his life to save the world. The campfire scene, shortly before the final battle, is particularly heartbreaking. There, Noctis shares a final silent moment with his friends, reflecting on the sacrifice he is about to make.
This moment is especially touching, as it reinforces the depth of the connections created throughout the journey, mainly among the four friends, this being the most important point of the game’s narrative. Thus, Noctis’s farewell before the tragic fate he is about to face makes the ending of this JRPG one of the most emotionally devastating scenes in the franchise.
