All Final Fantasy XV Chapters RANKED!
I am one of the few long-time Final Fantasy fans who believe Final Fantasy XV is a top-tier Final Fantasy game—I've played the series since I was three, starting with the original Final Fantasy! This game has so many outstanding chapters that make up some of the best content from the series! So, I had to make this ranking for the sake of my sanity! One thing to note: I will only be ranking the chapters based on their story content, as ranking them based on the sidequests that open up would be cruel and unusual punishment for me, myself, and I. And, in doing so, I will not be including Chapter 15, as it has no story elements. However, in terms of sidequests, it would be in first place on this list. But I digress. Now, without further ado, RPG Ranked presents... All Final Fantasy XV Chapters RANKED!
20: Chapter 8 - "Seaworthy"
This chapter is so stupid it isn't even funny. After the already stupid Chapter 7, this chapter focuses on delivering Mythril to someone in Lestallum and fighting some monsters in a power plant with a mysterious man, who turns out to be Gladiolus. And then you hitch a boat to Altissia. Yipee, how fun. Yeah, this chapter is awful. It's as simple as that.
19: Chapter 3 - "The Open World"
Like Chapter 15, this chapter is all about sidequests. At least there's some story here! After receiving the first of the Royal Arms in the previous chapter, Noctis and the gang hear the news that Gladio's sister is alive and protected in Lestallum by an elderly gentleman aptly named Jared. At least the emotional reunion of Gladio and Iris is good, but, yet again, this is practically nothing chapter. Like Chapter 15, this chapter never was meant to have a good story, but at least it has some story. And has a better story than Chapter 8!
18: Chapter 7 - "Party of Three"
This chapter is so odd. Gladio leaves the party, and the other three (in leagues with Aranea) go on a mission to receive Mythril so that the team can travel to Altissia. Outside of Aranea's character, this chapter does absolutely nothing special. Collecting the Mythril was way better in Final Fantasy II. That's all I have left to say on the matter.
17: Chapter 6 - "A Way Forward"
This chapter is Chapter 5, but worse. Instead of commencing a covenant with an Astral and beating up two side villains, this chapter is about avenging an underdeveloped NPC and starting repairs on King Regis's boat. The gameplay is incredibly similar, but the contextualization is simply not interesting—especially since it is a replication of the chapter directly before it, like a broken record, but with a middle school orchestra cover of the song. I struggle to see why this chapter even needed to exist, but at least it wasn't as worthless as the last couple of chapters.
16: Chapter 12 - "End of Days"
This chapter has a great story, but it is executed poorly, and frankly, there's an utter lack of gameplay. However, when reading a well-executed plot synopsis of the chapter, you realize it had a lot of potential at its core. The boys take another stop on the train, this time at Tenebrae, the hometown of Lunafreya and Ravus. In this chapter, it is revealed that Ravus was always on Lunafreya's side, only siding with the Empire because he doubted Noctis's role as True King and hated how Luna's affiliation with Noctis was ruining her health. It is also revealed that Ravus was executed, plunging the world into darkness due to the disintegration of the Oracle's bloodline. Also, Noctis performs a pact with Shiva here and learns of Ardyn's true nature. This should've been one of the game's best chapters, but unfortunately, it struggles to execute the story and gameplay in a compelling and not-convoluted way.
15: Prologue
Finally, we've reached the first genuinely great chapter of the game! This game has one of my favorite opening moments of the whole series! While the prologues of Final Fantasy usually last no longer than half an hour, they are always great, and this is one of my favorites in the series! In ascending order of the series, we've got a game where you are thrown right into the world and tasked to save a princess; a game where you get utterly destroyed in a battle and lose one of your best friends to the Palamecian Empire; a game where you have to save a region from becoming ghosts; a game where you are the villain and blow up a girl's town and kill her family; a game where a motley crew comes together and realizes they are meant to save the world; a game where you are an amnesiac woman whose companions die from a mysterious Esper; a game with a literal bombing mission; a game with a SeeD exam where you fight a ton of epic bosses; a game with a kidnapping of the Princess in a theatrical way; a game where the main character's city is attacked by the enormous whale entity, Sin; a game that right of the bat throws you into dealing with the implications of the Crystal War; a game where you play as a random soldier thrown into the middle of a political crisis; a game where your entire party becomes the most "evil" entities the world has ever seen; a game where you've been thrown into the action as a brilliant sequel/reboot to the original game... and then there's Final Fantasy XV. It starts with four best friends who are pushing their car to a gas station because their tank is empty. All while playing a cover of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" in the background. What an absolutely brilliant opening. This perfectly sets the tone for the whole game moving forward. Great stuff.
14: Chapter 5 - "Dark Clouds"
This chapter is Chapter 6, but better! Instead of avenging an old dude named Jared, that doesn't really matter, Chapter 5 is about infiltrating a base and stealing back the Regalia, as well as beating up Ravus Nox Fleuret, the brother of Lunafreya, who is oddly teamed up with the Empire. Prior to this epic sequence, Noctis undergoes the Trail of Ramuh, which, while mediocre gameplay-wise, is fun to see in terms of the story. Ultimately, with a story-focused first half and a gameplay-focused second half? This is a solid chapter of Final Fantasy XV.
13: Chapter 10 - "The Heart of a King"
Several weeks after the events of Chapter 9, the boys are on a train to the imperial capital of Niflheim, Gralea. Lunafreya's death has shattered Noctis's will to continue on his mission. He will not use the Ring of the Lucii, which, frankly, pisses Gladio off—Ignis didn't lose his sight just for Noctis to give up. On the way, they pause their mission to reclaim their homeland with the power of the Crystal so they can find a weapon at the depths of Fodina Caestino. Afterward, Ignis talks some sense into Noctis and Gladio, and their animosity ceases. While this chapter's gameplay is bland, the character moments and story are pretty brilliant. This is an alright enough chapter all around.
12: Chapter 2 - "No Turning Back"
This chapter has some fantastic moments! Learning about the peace treaty ruse, the backstory of the Ring of the Lucii and the Crystal, the truth of Noctis and Regis, and the pilgrimage to receive the thirteen Royal Arms was all good stuff. In terms of gameplay, Noctis obtains the first of the Royal Arms and takes down the Norduscaen Blockade with the help of Cor, a Crownsguard who protects King Regis loyally. This chapter is a fantastic follow-up to the game's first chapter and defines the main objective of the game—to take back the Insomnian throne. While the story could've used some refining (like most of Final Fantasy XV's chapters), this chapter was still great Final Fantasy at its core.
11: Episode Gladiolus
Episode Gladiolus has practically no story, but it has a great gauntlet of boss fights! The Cor super boss is particularly a standout, as it is one of the very few things in the game that poses a threat, with only Omega, the bros while playing as Ardyn, and the awfully repelling Pitioss Ruins comparing. The combat here is excellent, but combat alone isn't enough to make it into the top ten chapters of this great game.
10: Chapter 13 - "Redemption"
People typically hate how this chapter "drags on", but I thought it was fantastic. The three boys head to the Imperial Capital to rescue Prompto from Ardyn, and Noctis uses the Ring of the Lucii to own a bunch of enemies in what I believe to be one of the game's better dungeons! This chapter has some of the game's best heartfelt bro moments, and the plot twist that Noctis must sacrifice himself was pretty sad. This chapter may not have had the best story or gameplay, but it had an excellent blend of them all in what I'd consider to be the game's jack-of-all-trades chapter. A fantastic penultimate episode of Final Fantasy XV's story.
9: Chapter 11 - "In the Dark"
Outside of Prompto being yeeted off of a train and Ardyn being Ardyn, there's practically no story here. However, there's the brilliant and fun train sequence where you beat up a bunch of soldiers and aircraft. Gameplay-wise, Final Fantasy XV truly has some of the most epic moments in the series, and this stands as a perfect example!
8: Chapter 4 - "Living Legend"
After being introduced to Ardyn, who claims that the Astral Titan is calling to Noctis, the four boys head to the Disc of Cauthess to form a covenant with Titan. Simply put, this chapter is epic and one of the best summon-receiving battles in the series. This is Final Fantasy XV's cinematic nonsense at its best, and I love it. What a chapter.
7: Episode Ignis: Final Verse
As a relatively short retelling of the last moments of Episode Ignis, it's shocking how much I loved this extra chapter. This tells the story of Ignis joining Ardyn's side and then betraying him during the time of Chapter 13. This leads to an extraordinary alternate ending for the game where Ardyn is killed before the world plunges into darkness, which is an equally satisfying conclusion to the game (albeit a much happier ending). Ignis pulls an Iron Man Avengers: Endgame Infinity Gauntlet moment and literally goes insane to kill Ardyn—you can literally get an over x100 damage multiplier with Ignis! Ultimately, if it were a little longer and less rushed, this could be contending for a top-five spot. However, as it is, it's still a brilliant chapter.
6: Chapter 1 - "Departure"
After the prologue, the boys go to Galdin Quay, planning to take a ferry to Altissia so that Noctis can marry his childhood friend Lunafreya in a political union and proof of a peace treaty. Upon staying at a hotel before boarding the boat the next day, Noctis and friends read in a paper that Insomnia has been destroyed; it was attacked by Niflheim. The peace treaty was a ruse! Noctis, his father, and Lunafreya are pronounced dead, but Noctis still decides to go to Insomnia, as he can't believe what he is reading. However, Cor, a member of the Crownsguard, confirms the truth: the King is dead. After a lighthearted and personal prologue, this heart-wrenching intro is a tear-jerker. While it takes the game quite a while to live up to the bombastic Chapter 1, this chapter has always been outstanding and made me genuinely love Final Fantasy XV from the start. This will always stand as one of my favorite opening sequences to a Final Fantasy game.
5: Episode Prompto
The story here is rather odd and feels like a shoehorned backstory for Prompto. However, while unnecessary, the execution was fantastic! The major highlight of this episode is undoubtedly the gameplay, though. The first third is a stealth mission focused on Prompto discovering who he is before shooting his "father" dead. The second third is an open-world, snowmobiling extravaganza with sidequests and an enjoyable terrain. The final third is about infiltrating a base and killing a giant mechanical worm. If the story here wasn't as shoehorned into the plot as it was, and it was executed better? This could definitely secure a top-three spot. Unfortunately, the narrative here holds it back from greatness.
4: Chapter 9 - "Callings"
While Ignis's perspective of the events of Chapter 9 is more fun and intriguing than Noctis's, this is still a top-tier chapter of Final Fantasy XV. The Leviathan boss fight is so incredible, and the scenes of Noctis and Lunafreya are so heartbreaking. This is an emotional rollercoaster of a chapter, but that doesn't stop it from being utterly terrific. What a great chapter!
3: Episode Ignis
I loved Episode Prompto and found Episode Gladiolus decent enough, but nothing prepared me for how brilliant this DLC would be. This episode takes place during Chapter 9 but from the perspective of Ignis. And I couldn't have expected this to be so dang good. The first third is all about gameplay, with Ignis donning a grappling hook and zipping about Insomnia and beating up soldier after soldier after soldier. The second third is all about commandeering a boat and taking down soldiers while teaming up with Ravus. And the third third? It's all about the massively moving story of Ignis wearing the Ring of the Lucii and warding off Ardyn long enough until he and Noctis can get the heck out of there. Ignis stepping up to the plate literally made me tear up! The comradery of the bros is the best part of the game, and this is a perfect example of just how much Ignis cares for Noctis. This is Final Fantasy at its finest.
2: Chapter 14 - "Homecoming"
After a ten-year time skip where Noctis gains the power of Bahamut and the Crystal (and the boys are dealing with the World of Ruin that Ardyn plunges the world into darkness), the crew of four must travel to Insomnia and kill Ardyn once and for all. In the Royal Edition, Insomnia is a fantastic final dungeon, and it stands as one of my absolute favorites in the series. The ending is one of the most beautiful and phenomenal endings of the entire series, with Noctis sacrificing himself to save the people of his kingdom. While it isn't exactly as good as the brilliant finales of Final Fantasy IX or Final Fantasy X, this was a satisfying and scintillating conclusion to one of my favorite Final Fantasy games.
1: Episode Ardyn
This DLC episode is one of the best things that has ever graced the Final Fantasy series. First of all, we get the emotional backstory that details Ardyn's descent into madness. He loses his throne, his beloved, and his mind, being imprisoned for two millennia! No wonder he is a villain! He probably lost all his brain cells! Second of all, we get more of a look into the villainy of both Somnus and Bahamut, both of which are incredible side villains. Third of all, the gameplay here is some of the most extraordinary gameplay ever put into a video game. Playing as Ardyn is so satisfying—he can slash with his sword, daemonify his adversaries to gain stat boosts, knock enemies into the air with dark magic, phase through reality with his shadow-stepping capabilities, and, best of all, a magically enhanced sniper rifle that can slow down time to a halt and dish out incredible damage. This is a DLC episode I'll come back to and play for no reason at all every now and then—it's that good. Top-tier Final Fantasy through and through.
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