According to Square Enix, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is set to tell the story of how Garland fell to Chaos. To do this, it’s brought back many familiar faces from the original Final Fantasy and given them a modern makeover. Fans can expect to see villains like Astos and Captain Bikke return, along with Princess Sarah and the King of Cornelia.
But, as this is a story we haven’t heard before, there are some unfamiliar faces as well. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin follows Jack Garland and his four companions, characters who are new to the world of Final Fantasy. In case you haven’t heard of them yet, or the other characters set to make appearances, here’s a breakdown of all characters confirmed so far in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Note: Minor Final Fantasy spoilers for each character follow.
Characters
Jack Garland
Jack is on a quest to stop Chaos, and is the main character that players will be controlling. While not much is known yet about Jack, Square Enix has revealed that he is destined to become Garland, the sinister main antagonist from Final Fantasy I. In the original game, Garland is an evil and powerful Dark Knight with the goal of bringing Chaos to the world and plunging it into darkness.
Aside from this, though, Garland’s background is primarily shrouded in mystery throughout Final Fantasy I. Developers have stated that Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin’s story explains Jack’s rise to heroism, along with detailing his fall from grace. This means players will finally have the opportunity to learn the events that led to Garland becoming a twisted shadow of his former self, turning into the iconic villain seen in Final Fantasy I.
Ash
Ash is an entirely new character in the Final Fantasy series and is one of Jack’s companions, described as having a cool and collected personality. He primarily fights using his fists to pummel enemies, similar to the Monk job in Final Fantasy I. Ash acts as the group’s muscle, breaking down enemy defenses and protecting the party.
Ash’s background and reasons for seeking out Chaos are still currently being kept secret from players, but he’s said to have recognized Jack’s strength in battle and trusts him implicitly.
Jed
Jed is another new face to Final Fantasy, along with being another member of Jack’s party. Jed is described as being a kind and cheerful soul, and sometimes acts as a mediator for the group. He wields a pair of dual blades in combat, similar to the Thief Job in Final Fantasy I. His speed, along with his agile movements, allow him to quickly pressure enemies before taking them down.
Similar to Ash, Jed’s background and motivations are a secret for now. He’s a steadfast and reliable member of the team, though, said to respect Jack deeply and idolize his power.
Neon
Neon is the fourth member of Jack’s party, and a capable swordsman. At some point before meeting Jack, Neon was a part of another group of heroes on a quest to stop Chaos. Everyone except for Neon met an untimely demise before reaching Chaos, causing Neon to grow disillusioned and view Garland as nothing more than a myth.
She then took on the appearance of Garland-turned-Chaos, hoping to give the world a chance at striking Chaos down. Eventually, she is found and defeated by Jack and his companions. Neon then decides to join them on their journey to see if they’re truly capable of finding—and defeating—the real Chaos.
Sophia
Sophia is the latest new character to be revealed in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. She’s the fifth member of Jack’s party, and shares the same goal of defeating Chaos. Very little is known about Sophia, but trailers appear to show her involved in some kind of altercation with Tiamat.
This could mean that she might have ties to Crystal Mirage and the Flying Fortress, as both of those locations are ruled over by Tiamat. The Lufenians are the creators of Mirage Tower and the Flying Fortress in Final Fantasy I, suggesting she may also have a connection to them if they exist in the lore of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Garland
Garland is one the most well-known and famous villains in the history of Final Fantasy, and for good reason—he’s the first one. Garland kicked off the trend of villainy in the series, and has been referenced in one form or another in multiple Final Fantasy games since his introduction. In Final Fantasy I, he kidnaps Princess Sarah and is the reason the four Warriors of Light start their journey.
During Final Fantasy I, players learn some terrifying information about Garland—he is Chaos. Or rather, its alter-ego. Despite his role, though, the rest of his background has been an enigma for years. According to Square Enix, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will finally tell the tale behind how and why Garland became Chaos itself.
King of Cornelia
The King of Cornelia plays a minor but important role in the original Final Fantasy— he tasks the four Warriors of Light with rescuing his kidnapped daughter, Princess Sarah. This leads to the Warriors of Light’s first confrontation with Garland, setting the events of Final Fantasy I into motion. After Sarah has been rescued, the King of Cornelia rebuilds the Northern Bridge as a reward for the Warriors of Light, allowing them passage to Pravoka.
In Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, the King of Cornelia reveals the Prophecy of Lukahn to Jack and his companions. This prophecy mentions the Warriors of Light, and the King believes that Jack and his group could be those same fabled warriors. He and Princess Sarah ask them to cleanse the darkness corrupting the land and its Crystals, setting them on the path to finding Garland and Chaos.
Princess Sarah
Princess Sarah played another minor but essential role in Final Fantasy I. She was kidnapped by Garland and held hostage in the Chaos Shrine, eventually being rescued by the four Warriors of Light. She gifts them her lute, which is then used to expose a hidden passage in the Chaos Shrine after the Warriors of Light travel to the past.
Not much else is known about her role in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, but it seems to be both similar and different from the one she had in Final Fantasy I. Princess Sarah and the King of Cornelia still send Jack and his group on their journey to defeat Chaos, but she hasn’t been kidnapped by Garland in this story. At least, not yet.
Queen Jayne
Queen Jayne is the mother of the princesses, Sarah and Mia. She doesn’t have much of a presence in the original Final Fantasy, though, since Sarah’s kidnapping by Garland sent her into a deep depression. She isolated herself until Sarah was been rescued by the four Warriors of Light, then returned to joyfully ruling her alongside the King of Cornelia.
Developers have stated that Queen Jayne’s character model in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin was essentially created from scrap, suggesting that she may have more of a presence during the events of this game than she did in Final Fantasy I. Unfortunately, not much else is known about this version of Queen Jayne quite yet.
Princess Mia
Similar to Queen Jayne, Mia was almost nonexistent in the original Final Fantasy—she wasn’t even given a name. Because of that, next to nothing is known about her beyond the fact that she’s a princess of Cornelia. The developers built her character model from the ground up for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, so players will have to wait until the game’s release to find out the role that Mia will have in its story.
Captain Bikke
In Final Fantasy I, Captain Bikke is encountered once the four Warriors of Light reach the seaside town of Pravoka. He leads a band of pirates and has the town under his control, leading to a confrontation with the Warriors of Light. Once he is defeated, the party takes his ship and use it to travel the oceans.
Captain Bikke will fill a similar role in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. The darkness covering the world has made pirating difficult to do, causing Bikke and his gang to resort to more aggressive tactics in order to survive. Jack Garland and his party will encounter Bikke after crossing the Northern Bridge and arriving in Pravoka, possibly gaining their own ship in the process.
Astos
Astos is the King of the Dark Elves, residing in Western Keep and acting as a minor antagonist in the original Final Fantasy. In that game, he tricks the four Warriors of Light into running a few errands for him. Once these tasks have been completed, he then reveals his true identity and attacks the party. The Warriors of Light manage to defeat him and are rewarded with The Crystal Eye of Matoya, a necessary item for awakening the not-so-evil Prince of Elfheim.
It’s unclear how Astos will interact with Jack and his party in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, as the game’s story is one focusing on how Jack becomes Garland and his fall to Chaos. But considering that Astos is the leader of evil elves, it’s safe to assume that he’ll be filling an antagonistic role again.
These are only a handful of the characters that will appear during Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin’s story. More characters may be revealed leading up to the game’s release, so be sure to check back in here at Pro Game Guides for future updates! Looking for more information about Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin? Check out All confirmed locations in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
