So, at the height of all the Star Wars Episode 3 hype a couple months ago, I put together a list of similarities between Final Fantasy 6 and the original Star Wars trilogy. I'm not sure what I was trying to prove at the time, but, anyway, I thought you guys might enjoy it, as fellow enthusiasts of the SNES era of RPGs (who I'm guessing have probably seen Star Wars). Let me know if there's anything you would add.
STAR WARS IV-VI vs. FINAL FANTASY VI- They both open with several paragraphs of exposition.
- In both, it's explained that, long ago, a war was fought (the War of the Magi : the Clone Wars) after which some magical force (magic : the Force) became more myth than reality.
- In both, there's an empire called "The Empire" seeking out a group of rebels called "The Rebels."
- Final Fantasy 3 opens with two imperial soldiers named Biggs and Wedge. In Star Wars, Luke's wingmen during the attack on the Death Star are Biggs and Wedge.
- There are characters who speak entirely in grunts, groans, and strange noises who everyone understands for some reason anyway. (moogles, Gau : Chewie, R2D2, the guy with the big head in Jedi)
- The protagonist (Terra : Luke) doesn't know but will eventually discover her/his troubled lineage, as she/he comes to terms with her/his own powers that nobody else understands.
- There's an emperor (Gestahl : Palpatine) with a first officer (Kefka : Darth Vader) who secretly wants to overthrow him, and has a trademark sound effect. (Kefka laughing : Vader breathing)
- The protagonist's most trusted companion is a womanizing bounty hunter with an arguably more interesting personality. (Locke : Han Solo)
- There's an old guy with a beard who knows everything but dies of his own accord to become more powerful (a dead version of being powerful). (Obi-Wan : Ramuh)
- The Empire has a Death Star, from which they fire a laser to destroy individual planets. Kefka has a tower from which he fires a laser to destroy towns. Both Death Star and Kefka's tower fall apart when the last boss dies, leaving the protagonist(s) to escape daringly. Both movie and game have bittersweetly understated endings.
- The guy with the ship (Han Solo, the Millennium Falcon : Setzer, the Blackjack and later the Falcon) is a womanizer involved in shady dealings, with a price on his head.
- There's a skirmish in a big ice place. (Narshe : Hoth) There's a sasquatch. (Umaro : a sasquatch)
- There's a faceless bounty hunter with only a couple lines who has an angry cult fan base in real life. (Boba Fett : Shadow)
- The one with arguably the most wisdom is small, funny-looking, found in isolation, has a speech impediment. (Yoda, talking backwards : Mog, ending every sentence with "kupo!")
- A huge turning point leaves everything Poops McGee. (the fall of the Republic, Lucas's excuse for why technology turns to crap after Episode 3 : the cataclysm, which transforms the face of the planet, leaving everything a hideous purple and orange)
