There are many JRPGs that come to mind when one brings up the topic of some of the greatest games ever made, with numerous titles from theFinal Fantasyseries being fair picks due to their immense level of quality. While most people might assume thatFinal Fantasy VIIwould be the universal pick in the franchise, the fact of the matter is that there’s actually another title that is beloved by many instead, and that is Final Fantasy VI.
RELATED:Final Fantasy VI Vs Chrono Trigger: Which Game Is Better?
Featuring the biggest main cast in aFinal Fantasygame, coupled with some of the most ambitious world design ever attempted in a JRPG,Final Fantasy VIhas got pretty much everything that a lover of classic JRPGs would desire.A big draw of this game is the characters, withCeles being one notable characterwho manages to make a very strong impression even after being introduced relatively late in the game.
The originalFinal Fantasy VIwas released before the creation of the Japanese rating system, CERO. Hence, for the GBA re-release, some changes needed to be made to ensure that the game didn’t receive a rating that would block its sales.
One major scene that had to be changed for this was Celes' interrogation scene, which featured a pretty lengthy beatdown. InFinal Fantasy VI Advance, this sequence has been shortened and censored heavily.
9Locke Could’ve Been The Character Who Wielded Her Abilities
During the initial moments ofFinal Fantasy VI’s development, the abilities that characters would wield ended up swapping hands quite a bit.
Initially, it was Locke who would havea magic swordthat would aid him in battle, but his background was changed to that of a charismatic treasure hunter instead. However, the idea of a party member having a magic sword remained intact, and Celes became the receiver of this weapon instead.
8She Was Similar To Locke’s Old Flame Rachel, Which Is Probably Why He Fell In Love With Celes
The connection between Locke and Celes is something that has been explored quite extensively inFinal Fantasy VI, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. After all, Celes is definitely similar to another person Locke was very close to at one point.
RELATED:Final Fantasy: What Summon Are You Based on Your Chinese Zodiac?
This person is none other than Locke’s old flame, Rachel, who ended up passing away after a string of unfortunate accidents that Locke was unable to prevent. However, in the case of Celes, he actually manages to save her in a situation that was very similar to the one Rachel had found herself in.
7There’s Actually A Way For Her To Ensure That Cid Survives His Illness
After the World of Ruin comes into being, the first character that players end up controlling is Celes. She ended up being in a coma for a year after the world changes and was being taken care of by the legendary Cid himself. However, Cid falls prey to a disease and dies shortly afterward,although things don’t necessarily have to be that way.
When Cid asks Celes to bring a fish, the player should try and geta fish that is big and moving around quickly, as opposed to the slower and more lethargic ones. Doing so will prevent Cid from dying a meaningless death, although the player would miss one of the more iconic moments in the game.
6Celes' Background Was Heavily Influenced By Yoshinori Kitase
After the idea of an ensemble cast was finalized, various developers ended up giving their own personal inputs for each character in the game. For Celes, this person ended up being the legendary Yoshinori Kitase himself.
With this talented individual at the helm of writing Celes' character, it was only a given that Celes would be one of the more riveting characters in the game.
5Kitase Considers Celes To Be His Favorite Final Fantasy VI Character
Kitase has a habit of getting extremely invested in the personalities and stories of the characters in the games he’s played a major role in developing, with his personal likes and dislikes shaping the prominence of most characters in the titles as well.
This is perhaps why Celes ended up having such a major role over the course ofFinal Fantasy VI. Kitase did have a sweet spot for the character he spent the most time on, after all.
4She Would’ve Been Insane Due To The Forced Magical Infusions
Various early drafts of Celes' character don’t really paint a pretty picture when it comes to her personality. After all, the idea of her beingjust as insane as Kefkawould’ve been quite an interesting prospect, though Celes' current character is still way more riveting. Giving her such an odd personality quirk would’ve been quite a gamble in this context. Could she have actually become a villain?
3She Was Meant To Be A Double Agent Who Constantly Doubted Herself
Initially, Celes was meant to be a double agent. She would pretend to aid the Returners but actually feed information to the Empire instead about the resistance and their movements.
RELATED:The 5 Most Powerful Bosses In Final Fantasy 6 (& The 5 Weakest)
However, due to the kindness she experiences at the hands of Locke and the other characters, she would’ve started doubting her mission before trusting her gut and going with the true heroes ofFinal Fantasy VIinstead.
2The Initial Concept Of Her Character Was Used For Cait Sith In Final Fantasy VII
While Celes' story as a double agent was ultimately crapped, not everything about this particular background went to waste. Elements of this initial concept did end up making their way intoFinal Fantasy VIIinstead, with Cait Sith playing the role of the double agent.
Given how forgettable his character was, perhaps it was ultimately a good thing that Celes never fell for this double agent trap.
1She Was Initially Not Meant To Have Such A Major Role In The Game
There was a time when Celes was meant to have a more muted role as opposed to how impactful her presence was in the final product.
This was partly due to Kitase, once again, after developing a liking towards Celes,he ended up writing parts of the story’s second halfto incorporate her character even more. This is evident from the very moment that players step into the World of Ruin, in Celes' shoes, no less.
