Is Life Truly Worth Fighting For?
‘Endwalker’ dives into the philosophical boundaries of JRPG’s greatest trope
At some point during the JRPG you’re playing, a character is going to make an impassioned play for all of existence. They are going to turn to the beleaguered protagonist (or, in some games, the protagonist is the one making the speech) and tell you — the player — that all of this is worth fighting for. That despite the things that have happened (and they have been terrible), there’s reason to continue on.
We’ve all encountered the enduring Power of Friendship trope at least once. It’s cute, endearing, and on the nose. It’s a standard and far-reaching story beat that is often the narrative lynchpin of the RPG, whether the game is as philosophically aggrandizing as Final Fantasy XIV or as charming and easygoing as Paper Mario.
The gist is that no matter what force brings itself to bear against you and your scrappy party of rebellious heroes, there is no power in all the universe (and beyond) that can stop the intangible love that you and your comrades carry for one another. The power of friendship — regardless of game, story beat, power…
