It seems like “Killing God” is one of the most popular tropes in JRPGs. From the SaGa franchise to Lufia, Xenogears to Final Fantasy, players are going to defeat some kind of extraordinary celestial being. However, it’s a pretty fascinating thing to look at, as a concept. Some have viewed it as an attack on Christianity, considering Japan’s persecution of Christians in the past.
However, it’s not likely quite as deep as that. For JRPGs, the topic of “Killing God” is more likely down to a few concepts and ideas, instead of simply “God is bad.” The concept of god in one of these games isn’t even someone who starts off as a powerful entity in many cases.
It’s not always “Killing God” in the traditional sense in JRPGs
In most JRPGs, modern or otherwise, it’s not literally killing god that’s your primary task. At the very least, it’s not the god that Christians, Muslims, and Jews worship. Instead, it’s often some mysterious force from beyond the stars, some sort of gnostic entity. What task could possibly be more intense than defeating a god?
Instead of looking at it as a stand-in for Jesus, or YHVH, or another important monotheistic figure, consider this. The word “god” doesn’t just mean the creator and ruler of the universe. In other religions and settings, it’s merely a superhuman figure, some divine force that humanity cannot comprehend.
In some cases, the person who ultimately is the god that is killed, doesn’t even start off as a god. Take Kefka Palazzo in Final Fantasy 6, for example. He’s just a guy dressed like a jester – a court official and advisor. Through the events in the story, he becomes god, and a maniacal, evil one at that.
Admittedly, this isn’t always the case. In Shin Megami Tensei 2, for example, you fight an entity based on the Judeo-Christian God, and can even team up with Satan/Lucifer. That’s a pretty common trope in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise.
The Megami Tensei games are more focused on Gnosticism – the idea that the supreme being that created the world is not a kind, forgiving one. It’s more flawed and imperfect. Chrono Trigger, another one of the most popular JRPGs of all time, tends to focus on the killing god trope in its own way.
You have Queen Zeal, who is desperately seeking godhood and immortality, but she’s not really the final boss. Ultimately, the unthinking, uncaring, unfeeling Lavos is your final boss. It is a powerful parasite that goes from planet to planet, spreading its young, and leeching upon the lifeforce of that planet. When there’s nothing left, it moves on.
It’s certainly a godlike being, a seemingly unstoppable force of nature. It kills Chrono, the main protagonist with nary a thought about it. When Lavos appears in the year 1999, it demolishes the entire surface of the planet. There’s no plan for world domination, no ulterior motives – just destruction.
The JRPG trope of “Killing God” is more exaggerated thank you think
Every final boss of a JRPG isn’t some unknowable god-force that players have to overcome. It can be a person who has gained incredible powers, or perhaps a force behind the scenes. Some of the biggest RPGs admittedly involve some sort of a god, but that’s not always the case.
Take the Yakuza franchise (now Like a Dragon). Yes, it’s a JRPG franchise. In particular, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a literal turn-based RPG set in Japan, by a Japanese developer. The final boss is never some godlike being – only ultra-powerful or influential human beings. Suikoden didn’t go to the well of “Killing God” as often either.
The Fire Emblem franchise avoids fighting god as well, in several cases. More often than not it’s a super-powerful dragon. Admittedly, Radiant Dawn makes you fight the Goddess of Order though.
The popular Super Mario RPG/Paper Mario franchise also doesn’t use this trope. Interestingly enough, Final Fantasy 15’s “god boss” was the next to last fight – Ardyn took the spot as the final encounter.
While yes, it’s not uncommon to see a primordial being as the last fight in many JRPGs, it’s not always going to be the case. It’s a fun trope to think about, but there are so many series that go a different route.
Breaking the Bonds of Fate with friendship is a powerful motivator
What could be more fun than the concept of shattering fate, and making your own way in the world? I think that’s the real reason we see Killing God as a trope in so many JRPGs. People often feel trapped by the hand that life has dealt them. It can feel cruel, and often unfair.
In JRPGs, you find these stories where a group of friends or allies come together. They shatter the chains of fate, and defeat the supernatural godlike force that’s holding them down. Through that, they can make their own fate, and live how they want to.
In Final Fantasy X, for example, they literally defeat the god of the world that was keeping them in a cycle of death and misery. What could be more metal, more satisfying, than killing a godlike being? What could possibly be more climatic than that at the end of a long, story-driven JRPG?
There are plenty of JRPGs that do and don’t focus on killing a god. However, to say that it’s the only option, or that there aren’t games that don’t do this, is a falsehood. Some titles do admittedly paint organized/Western religion in a negative light; Breath of Fire 2 is a fantastic example of that.
Though it is a common trope, it’s by far one that won’t wear out its welcome anytime soon. There’s always going to be a new way to approach that kind of story.
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