If there is one thing theFinal Fantasyseries seemingly loves it is weird names. From side characters like Zhijie fromFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Episode INTERmissionto prominent stars like Count Cidolfus Orlandeau fromFinal Fantasy Tactics, strange names are all over this franchise including titles too. As great as the PS5 version ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeis, that port name is a mouthful.
Then there are the secret organizations within these games. For the most part, they have some pretty clever names along with some that are a bit too on the nose. In honor ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwhich has a boatload of funky names, here’s a look at the series’ roster of secret organizations and find the best of the best. There will be spoilers.
NORA is the rebel group inFinal Fantasy 13that is led by Snow. It’s another organization that doesn’t have a huge role in the game beyond the opening battle scene other than NORA members popping up every now and again.
That said, the opening battle in this game is one of the highlights. Snow isn’t much of a leader either as he is a bit boisterous which is something that annoys Lightning. A lot of this game feels like it is trying to mirror a lot of other entries in the series, and NORA is like their attempt at Avalanche fromFinal Fantasy 7.
The Returners are fromFinal Fantasy 6and players first meet up with the larger group after Locke forms a party with Terra, Edgar, and Sabin. The crew meets with the leader, Banon, who even joins the party temporarily on a trip down the rapids. This is also where players encounter Ultros for the first time leading to the party being split three ways.
The Returners don’t do much beyond this first meeting in the game but their uniforms are snazzy like ace pilots from World War 2. A remake of the game could add a lot to this organization.
SeeD is a special unit inFinal Fantasy 8used to describe military students. The whole revolves around rival schools battling each other, with the main cast belonging to the Balamb Garden school. White SeeD was a secret organization created by the antagonist Edea before she was brainwashed by the witch Ultimicia.
It was a group created to deploy in emergencies and they show up late into the game. Their uniforms are pretty spiffy and they do seem like a well-put-together group, but they don’t have a huge role in the game.
5Comodeen
Final Fantasy: Unlimited
Comodeen is probably one of the most obscure organizations in the series as it is from the anime,Final Fantasy: Unlimited. That said, it is more prevalent than a lot of other organizations as their war with the empire is constant. Everyone has matching costumes, obscuring their bodies and faces which was probably done to save on design costs.
Even if that is true, the Comodeen attire works fine and theCid of this universeeven has a modified version. The anime overall puts some wild twists on the lore such as using guns to call out Summons.
Deepground was an organization within Shinra inDirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7. They were created for black operations even beyond what The Turks handled. When Shinra fell at the end ofFinal Fantasy 7, they eventually took over and Vincent was sent in to clean them out in this game.
They do show up in Yuffie’s DLC forFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeas well, seemingly setting up a return in future games. The team sort of feels like they were taken from aMetal Gear Solidgame as the core members have supernatural powers including their leader, Weiss.
The Church of Glabados was founded by heretics inFinal Fantasy Tactics. They do not see themselves as heretics though because they think their god will come down to remake the world. They use Zodiac Stones to try and be closer to god, and also for power, thus transforming them into horrific monsters.
There have been a lot of dark games in this series, but there are so many moments inFinal Fantasy Tacticsthat it could easily be the scariest. That’s what makes the game so compelling though because the Church of Glabados makes for a good villainous organization in the story.
When it comes to secret organizations within this series, Avalanche is probably at the top of a lot of minds. As mentioned earlier, it’s fromFinal Fantasy 7and Barret frames it to Cloud as an anti-Shinra organization. The team is small but they are mighty as they can destroy multiple reactors in the beginning sections of Midgar.
As the series went on, Avalanche would be more fleshed out including a tie to Wutai. The remake trilogy has set things up for the main branch of Avalanche to have a huge role in the final game for a showdown with Shinra.
1The Turks
Final Fantasy 7
Avalanche is a classic pick, but the absolute coolest organization withinFinal Fantasy 7and the series as a wholeis The Turks. They have a theme song that will be impossible to get out of your head not to mention their suits are incredible. The remake trilogy has truly turned the surviving members into even more badasses.
They even got their own game,Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7. Sadly, it was never released in the West although it is supposed to be remade withinFinal Fantasy 7: Ever Crisisso that fans can finally bask in the glory of The Turks during their height within Shinra.
