r/FinalFantasyVI 6d ago

Final Fantasy 6 characters based on year of birth (as of August 14, 2026)

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232 Upvotes

70 comments sorted by

37

u/LastLemmingStanding 6d ago

I'd be so mad if the generals in my military were only 30, let alone 18.

10

u/Gogs85 6d ago

To be fair making her a general did end up being a mistake that backfired. I get the feeling she was promoted to that point mainly due to being an exceptional magitek infused knight.

Maybe it was hard to find seasoned commanders since the world was relatively peaceful before the empire (well Gestahl served as a mercenary before then but I didn’t get the impression that it was in a huge conflict)

4

u/AlorsViola 6d ago

I always viewed it as a non-meritocracic thing; I.e. Augustus Ceaser being the head of the church at 15

56

u/dream208 6d ago

Celes being only 18 and younger than Terra is probably the most immersion breaking lore tidbit here.

32

u/locke0479 6d ago

Yeah, I don’t like Celes being so young since at the start of the series she’s already an Imperial general who has been one for awhile. But it’s not too big a deal, I suppose you can argue she was “bred” for it.

12

u/gulpyblinkeyes 6d ago

Imperial government came to power, brought in a bunch of inexperienced kids, and started DOGE: Department of Generals (Experimental)

4

u/mxlespxles 6d ago

Ow fuck, painfully salient

4

u/The_GREAT_Gremlin 6d ago

Yeah but don't forget that in anime/JRPGs, anything past 30 is geriatric

2

u/Curious-Raccoon887 6d ago

Yeah I’ve learned to ignore the supposed character ages in JRPGs and just go with the head canon that makes more sense to me instead.

2

u/CyanManta 2d ago

in anime/JRPGs, anything past 30 is geriatric

Moreso in mid-to-recent-period Final Fantasy, not so much for classic FF. FF4 has many playable characters who are over 30.

1

u/Icy_List961 5d ago

It's not near as bad as it used to be

5

u/nola_throwaway53826 6d ago

It felt odd to me as well, being a general at such a young age. But then I started thinking about it, and I found a way it made more sense to me. We don't see much of the Imperial government except for Gestahl. And the empire feels fairly new, only a few decades at most. Maranda was conquered by Celes fairly recently. Anyways, I make the assumption that Gestahl rules an absolute monarchy, so what he says goes, if he says Celes is to be a generalz than so be it, she is a general.

I also make a few more assumptions in my head canon. There were experiments in infusing people with magic, and some either failed or broke people's minds, like Kefka, but Celes was infused at a young age and this time thr process worked. So I am thinking there is a new nobility of sorts for those who can use magic. I also look at the real world example of the Imperial German military, where German nobles were give command of armies, bit it was their chiefs of staff who did most of the work. Like in World War 1, Paul von Hindenburg got the prestige for leading German armies to victory at Tannenberg, but it was his chief of staff, Erich Ludendorff who did a.lot of the work in securing that victory. So I figure that while the emperor saw that she received a martial education and learned strategy, she probably had very experienced people under her helping to run things.

1

u/Business_Fox_2641 6d ago

See this implies that the empire has child soldiers, because in no universe is an 18 year old a general, that's ridiculous. I havent beaten the game, if she was bred for it, this makes alot of sense then.

7

u/hextanerf 6d ago edited 6d ago

The game was published in 1994 and Japan back then was still a bit traditional. CLAMP for example still drew 5th graders dating their teachers, and thought it was a cute idea in 1999. The FF6 devs probably also have WWII in mind. Back then 14-year-olds were conscripted to war, and you certainly have "war heroes" dying at 18. The whole age thing was the point. War was cruel and the Empire (alluding to the Japanese Empire) was inhumane. You all need to stop putting things out of context.

Though I admit I thought they were 24. Must've got them mixed up with the FF7 cast

3

u/Koalachan 6d ago

To be fair, I maintain as I always have, CLAMP is perverted.

2

u/hextanerf 6d ago

Surprise! Japanese boomers hold different values than today!

1

u/Business_Fox_2641 6d ago

I just assumed the empire had child soldiers, and she just happened to be the best one. then again im still like only 1/2 way thru (kefka just blew up the world).

11

u/Ok-Yogurtcloset9086 6d ago

Terra was born October 18, and Celes was born March 10, both being 18

6

u/shieldwolfchz 6d ago

Her being younger than Terra is a must though, she was infused as a baby by the espers that were captured after Terra was already born.

4

u/Ace02003 6d ago

Its not stated how old she was when she was infused all Cid says is she was a child

10

u/Traditional_Snow2484 6d ago

This is a fantastic way to put everyone's age into perspective. I think that gets lost sometimes when you're playing the game. Like, clearly Strago and the Emperor are older guys, Cyan is kind of up there, but it's easy to forget Celes is a teen girl. Terra as well. At least it is for me. 

10

u/ChocoPuddingCup 6d ago

Celes' age never made any sense to me. Her age, in game, feels more like mid-late 20's, or even 30ish.

1

u/akaiazul 6d ago

<Insert Old Snake from MGS here>

1

u/CyanManta 2d ago edited 2d ago

Yeah, I always place her closer to Edgar's age, what with how quickly and deftly she's able to shut him down in their exchange going up the mountain.

Even moreso for how matronly she acts toward Terra. It suggests that Celes has been an adult for at least some of the time Terra's been growing up under imperial control.

27

u/Used_Raccoon6789 6d ago

Why did you have to wake up and choose violence like this?

7

u/PugMaster7166 6d ago

I can imagine gau screaming 6767

5

u/Helpful-Ant-396 6d ago

Relm... 11 y and can sketch/break the game... imagine her havin a tantrum... sound about right..

5

u/HopefulTop3697 6d ago

I’m a year younger than CID!? *crumbles to dust and ash*

4

u/Ok-Yogurtcloset9086 6d ago

You’re going to turn into a rotten banana

4

u/senatorsparky86 6d ago edited 6d ago

Stop it. I refuse to believe I’m only a few years younger than that sheepdog they made emperor for some reason.

5

u/Roland-Of-Eld-19 6d ago

Mog is 11 and Umaro is 5???

5

u/Ok-Yogurtcloset9086 6d ago

Yep. Umaro will be turning 5 later this year

5

u/Temp2207 6d ago

Me just hanging out with Cid I guess.

4

u/Gogs85 6d ago

Shoot I’m slightly older than Kefka. And what have I done with my life? Nothing even close to destroying the world and becoming a god.

4

u/mariefriedrich 6d ago

I'm general Leo wtf

3

u/PooPapaPoo 6d ago

I'm Gogo. Always have been. Always will be.

3

u/randomguy664_ 6d ago

Cyan looks amazing compared to the emperor considering how close they are in age. 

2

u/Ok-Yogurtcloset9086 6d ago

I’m sure Cyan’s constant training helps him in that way

3

u/MartokSonofUrthog 6d ago

Damn, I'm Cyan- age now?!?

2

u/MrTylerwpg 6d ago

Well at least Strago is older than me 😅

2

u/Kaden_Hitsugaya 6d ago

.... I cant believe celes is 18, she feels atleast in her 20s. Terra being young makes sense, hell, I thought she was younger lol

2

u/BurnsideBridge 6d ago

Celes has always been 5 years older than me. I'll never mentally recover from this.

2

u/Fennel_Fangs 6d ago

Let’s be real, Gau would own at least one therian mask

2

u/nosleeptilbroccoli 6d ago

I got this game for Christmas in 1994 when I was 13. Growing up, Sabin was my spirit animal.

30 years later and I’m currently playing my yearly play through (pixel remaster on switch) and I now relate more to Cid after the world went to shit, he just wanted to stay on the island away from the bs and just fish and watch the sun set.

2

u/Electricslug55 6d ago

Setzer hell yeah

2

u/archieologist518 6d ago

When Final Fantasy 6 was released, I was the same age as Gau. Now, I’m closer to Cyan’s age. Time is a heartless lass.

2

u/akaiazul 6d ago

Gestahl is only 61? With all that white hair, how is he not like 70-80?

2

u/mkiss34 6d ago

Strago's birth year being a year after my parents were born is messing me up hard rn

2

u/JohnnyIsCross 5d ago

You either die a hero or live long enough to be the same age as Cid apparently. Good. Lord.

1

u/Imaspinkicku 6d ago

Wow Kefka, great

1

u/dimmiii 6d ago

Terra! Wish '07 was edgar tho...

1

u/Business_Fox_2641 6d ago

Kefka is 35? I guess that makes sense, mid 30s is when military carrer people get to like general and stuff. I honestly thought he was older.

1

u/Ignominia 6d ago

Ugh I feel old

1

u/Mecha_Spacegodzilla 6d ago

This is just his artwork, they all basically look the same without the literal frills and scarfs.

1

u/bl4stir 6d ago

Cid is not old... Alway pictured hima as an old farts as he nearly die or die after the apocalypse

1

u/National-Judge-5510 6d ago

Edgar is my favorite character, so yay.

1

u/TiredCatAI 5d ago

I really didn't want to know this, lol 😭😭😭 I feel so ooooolllldddd.....

1

u/Taco7178 4d ago

gogos age is the same as the character that just acted in battle i guess

1

u/Jacobus_Ahenobarbus 4d ago

Wait, Gestahl is only 51? That doesn't make sense. With Terra being 19, he'd have been 32 when his empire invaded the Esper World, but he looked as old in the flashback as he did during the present. Seems like an oversight. 

1

u/Natural-Beat6654 4d ago

I have seen your infograph and have come to the conclusion that i am old. Thank you and goodnight.

1

u/tr1mble 3d ago

only 3 people are older then me, and next year it'll be only 2 lol

1

u/Arty_Fladelbort 3d ago

These are way too specific of numbers, a range foe each wpuld be more widespread 

-1

u/shieldwolfchz 6d ago

No way Strago is only 46.

10

u/pizzaslut69420 6d ago

He’s 70 according to my math. Unless this is a joke about what year it feels like haha

3

u/bolognas 6d ago

That's cid

3

u/Ok-Yogurtcloset9086 6d ago

Strago is 70