Happy endings, sad endings

[Don]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>I was reading Hikaru No Go Volume 15 when this question came across my mind. Are sad endings really that good? They all seem to follow a simple formula. Develop someone interesting, and then axe the said character, and you get instant climax. Did Aeris's death have a real meaning besides moving the plot along? I'm not so sure anymore. There are only two games I think that handled character death and subsequently the sad endings really well: Final Fantasy Tactics and Front Mission 3. Both games share a common trait. People die left and right throughout the game from both the good guys and the bad guys. That's why when someone important dies, it seems more believable than just random villian axing a major character just because the time is right. I think the tragedy of these two games is that both the good guys (Ramza or Kazuki) and bad guys (Zodiac Beasts or Lukav) do a lot of killing. It's not this one way mega villian going around chopping people's head off which is how a typical RPG handles it. I'm finding it harder and harder to believe in sad endings because they all seem to abuse death as a plot device. Take say Skies of Arcadia. If you want instant drama, just have Ramirez kill either Fina or Aika.

Of course, that's not to say happy endings are all good. In fact a lot of them are ridiculously cheesy, but I don't know, if I'm going to watch some unoriginal rehash story, then I rather it end in a happy way. Might be just me, but while a bad happy ending can be cheesy, a bad sad ending is... I don't know, unnecessary. I hate seeing the characters that are well-developed died in meaningless death just to create drama.

For whatever it's worth, here's a list of games with sad/happy endings that I truly enjoyed:

Happy endings - Wild ARMs, FF8 (yes, I don't like this game, but I like the ending), Terranigma, Chrono Trigger, Skies of Arcadia.

Sad endings - Final Fantasy Tactics. Front Mission 3 Emma's Scenario ending, and Alisa's Scenario during gameplay.

<b>Spoiler Message:<b>
<span style="background: black; color: black;">Why on earth did they killed Sai in HnG... so uncalled for. Yes everyone knows that Hikaru's the one who will find the Hand of God, but I'm sure everyone expects Sai to be there when Hikaru finds it.</span></div>

[Blotus]

<div style='font: 10pt "arial narrow"; text-align: left; padding: 0% 5% 0% 5%; '>I've always wanted to play an RPG where the bad d00ds end up winning, and the main character(s) die... not like a sacrifice for others either, just have them slaughtered.</div>

[Don]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>What I hate is when the evil guys somehow killed one of your important guys with ease but fail to kill the rest of them.</div>

[Stephen]

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>...and he tells you, "Oh, you were looking for God Killer? He slipped in the shower and broke his neck three days ago. I guess you win."

And that's it. Game over. Roll credits. It would rock.

......no. No, it wouldn't. Actually, now that I think about it, that's one of the worst fucking ideas I've ever heard. I must have gotten it from someone else. Anyway, forget I said anything.</div>

[Don]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Sounds kind of like Secret of Evermore</div>

[Kupek]

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>CT's endings where you don't revive Crono are sort of happy. I think they're very well done - people go off to search for him, and after the credits where Marle was just standing there next to the tree on Death Moutain, then runs into the darkness.</div>

[Torgo]

<div style='font: 9pt Arial; text-align: left; '>FFX handled Tidus' death very well, I think. It was sad, but the characters go on with their lives. I'm glad they didn't have some Deus Ex Machina where he would still exist after the Fayth stopped dreaming. Of course, it'll probably all be rewritten when(if) FFX Gaiden is released.</div>

[Gentz]

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>Aeris has been shot, slashed, burned, had grenades exploding inches from her face countless times, yet one little pussy stab from Sephiroth puts her down for good?</div>

[Don]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Yes I used to thought they handled it very well until they made it clear that Tidus wasn't going to die. Yojimbo and Shiva both said that Tidus will continue to exist somehow, and if you seen FFX International Tidus is also very alive.</div>

[Torgo]

<div style='font: 9pt Arial; text-align: left; '>That's what I'm afraid of.</div>

[Eric]

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '><b>Link:</b> <a href="http://www.rpgworldcomic.com">http://www.rpgworldcomic.com</a>

You guys should check out this comic strip, looks like they're building up for a RPG style death.</div>