Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is an upcoming action RPG that is set in the world of the original Final Fantasy game. This is the first time that FF1 has had a remake on the scale of FF7 Remake, so many of the characters have updated versions of the designs they once had on the NES. But how do the new characters compare to their FF1 counterparts?

FF1 was originally released at the end of '87, which means the series will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2022Stranger of Paradise will be part of those celebrations, as it will offer a new look at the story that kicked off the Final Fantasy franchise. In Stranger of Paradise, the protagonist of the story is Garland, the villain of FF1. It seems that Stranger of Paradise is using the time loop storyline from FF1 as a means of telling a new story within the same world, showing the downfall of a hero, and possibly offering players a means to redeem him.

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The fact that FF1 was released on the NES means that the designs of the characters were extremely limited, with Yoshitaka Amano's incredible concept art being turned into 8-bit sprites. The same sprites were recently updated as part of Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster. These are all of the designs for the FF1 characters appearing in Stranger of Paradise, with both their original sprite work and Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster sprites included, showing the updated versions of these classic heroes and villains.

Garland Changes From FF1 To Final Fantasy Origin

Stranger of Paradise Garland Comparison

Unlike the rest of the cast of FF1, Garland has received updated designs over the years, as he was the FF1 villain representative in the Dissidia series. The original design for Garland on the NES was just a man in a suit of armor, with a horned helm and a purple cloak. Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster added gold trim to his cloak and armor. In Stranger of Paradise, Garland is sporting his Claymore blade, which has the ability to break into smaller swords as needed, which is what he used in the Dissidia series. Garland was shown in his classic armor in one of the trailers for Final Fantasy Origin, where he kidnaps Princess Sarah and kicks off the events of FF1.

FF1's King & Queen Of Cornelia In Stranger Of Paradise

Stranger of Paradise King Queen Comparison

The King of Cornelia and Queen Jayne were only given basic designs and roles in FF1, with the queen sharing the same sprites as her daughters. Stranger of Paradise has had the chance to update their designs, giving them richer clothes and more jewelry. It's also likely that they will have a bigger role in Stranger of Paradise's story, as one of the CG cutscenes in the game involves Garland capturing Princess Sarah and fighting his way through Castle Cornelia.

Lich, The Fiend Of Earth, In FF1 & Final Fantasy Origin

Stranger of Paradise Lich Comparison

The Found Fiends from FF1 are present in Stranger of Paradise and they have all received updated designs. Lich, the Fiend of Earth, now looks totally different. In FF1, Lich was a skeleton wearing purple robes and a horned helm, while yellow arcane energy swirled around its body.

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In Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, the robes were more detailed, as are the skeleton necklace and purple gloves. The version of Lich in Stranger of Paradise is composed entirely of bone and no longer wears robes. Instead, he has bone-like wings on his back, and a purple flame burning within his skull.

Stranger Of Paradise's Princess Sarah & Mia Look Different

Stranger of Paradise Princess Sarah Mia Comparison

Like Garland, Princess Sarah has appeared in Final Fantasy games outside of FF1. The Final Fantasy spin-off games tend to feature a version of Sarah based on her Yoshitaka Amano artwork, whenever they need more representatives from FF1. Princess Mia didn't even have a name in FF1 and barely had any dialogue. They both shared the same sprite in FF1, with Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster giving Sarah a lilac dress and Mia a red dress, with both of them now sporting pink hair. In Stranger of Paradise, the two princesses have blonde hair and wear rich white dresses.

Marilith, The Fiend Of Fire, In FF1 & Final Fantasy Origin

Stranger of Paradise Marilith Comparison

Marilith, the Fiend of Fire, has a design that was taken straight from the Marilith in Dungeons & Dragons. In FF1, Marilith is a six-armed demon, with red skin and yellow hair. The lower half of her body is that of a massive purple serpent, with pinkish-purple skin and black circles. She holds a sword in each of her hands. In Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, she has golden bands on her arms, wields serrated blades, and is sporting a circlet. In Stranger of Paradise, her flesh is now greyish purple, the upper half of her body is armored, and her hair is now flames, with fire also spewing from her eyes.

Bikke The Pirate In Final Fantasy 1 & Stranger Of Paradise

Stranger of Paradise Bikke Comparison

In FF1, Bikke has a generic pirate design, with a blue coat, an eye patch, and a tricorn hat. This design was updated in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, with gold trim on his hat and clothes. In Stranger of Paradise, Bikke now has a detailed pirate outfit, including sashes, belts, and necklaces. Most strikingly, Bikke now wields a massive axe, as he has now been brought up to boss status, as the Warriors of Light only battled his minions in FF1.

Kraken, The Fiend Of Water, In Stranger Of Paradise & FF1

Stranger of Paradise Kraken Comparison

Kraken, the Fiend of Water, might have had the most drastic design update in Stranger of Paradise. In FF1, Kraken was just a big purple octopus, who appeared to be holding some kind of spike weapon. The later artwork for Kraken (like in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster) clarified that the weapon was actually a green cloak, with added rubies.

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The new version of Kraken in Stranger of Paradise looks like one of the aquatic enemies in Resident Evil: Revelations. Kraken has a more humanoid shape, that is flanked by a mass of tendrils and massive claws.

FF1's Astos, King Of The Dark Elves, Changes In FF Origin

Stranger of Paradise Astos Comparison of his three different designs

The version of Astos shown in the Stranger of Paradise trailers likely isn't the boss version that fans are accustomed to. In FF1, Astos masquerades as the King of the Western Keep, who asks the Warriors of Light to search for his crown. Once they return the crown, he reveals his true form, as Astos is secretly a dark elf. Astos' true form is a green-skinned goblin-like creature, with blood-red claws, long limbs, red horns, and red eyes. The version of Astos revealed in Stranger of Paradise looks like prime anime boyfriend material, but this is likely his regal guise, and he will probably transform into a more recognisable form during the events of the game.

Tiamat, The Fiend Of Wind, In FF1 & Stranger Of Paradise

Stranger of Paradise Tiamat Comparison

 

Tiamat, the Fiend of Wind, was originally portrayed as a four-headed dragon in FF1 and she gained two heads in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster. In both of these appearances, she has green scales, a purple underbelly, and blood-red claws. In Stranger of Paradise, Tiamat now has greenish-purple skin, hooves instead of claws on her feet, and she retains her six heads. The biggest change to Tiamat's design is that she now has an unidentified woman stuck to her body, like Zeromus' updated Japanese design in FF4. It's unclear who this woman is, as she could just be an altered part of Tiamat's design or an existing character who has somehow fused with Fiend of Wind.

Next: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Will Have More Jobs Than FFV

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on March 18, 2022.