So I just randomly did 2 of my favorite things in succession: Binge watch all of Stranger Things, and play old school video games. My game of choice: Final Fantasy I. I've played Final Fantasy before...but this time I noticed some striking coincidences.
Before I begin, I think it's important to define plagiarism.
"Plagiarism - the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own." - dictionary.com
So, in this regard, it could be said that Final Fantasy plagiarized D&D. However, in context, most of D&D is based on ancient myth and lore...so while the monsters might be the same, the story will often differ, as people make stories what they will. Herein lies the problem: The stories have many parallels that have caused me to second guess the originality of the popular Netflix series.
Parallel #1: There are 4 main protagonists, or warriors in both series. In Final Fantasy, you can choose your own names. In Stranger Things, the 4 warriors would be Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin. In Season 1 Episode 1, we discover that Mike is a Master and Will is a wizard. Later on, Dustin identifies as a dwarf while Lucas identifies as a Knight. In Final Fantasy, you have options to start as a Thief, Fighter, Monk, or Mage (Red, Black, or White); which, when evolved become Ninja, Warrior, Master, and Wizard, respectively. Thus, the only one that varies from the game is Dustin the Dwarf, though dwarves do appear as NPC's in various locations of Final Fantasy.
The worlds. In both Stranger Things and FF, they have "this world" as their home world. In Stranger Things, it is 1983 Hawkins, Indiana, while Final Fantasy, although released in 1987, does not divulge information as to the exact time of their "current world." What is interesting though, is the parallels of the "other worlds." Stranger Things refers to this world as "The Upside Down," while Final Fantasy considers it to be 2000 years ago, wherein the heroes find themselves in a castle. In Stranger Things, access to this other world is explained by a girl named Eleven, who supposedly "accidentally opened the gate." In Final Fantasy, access is granted to this other world by obtaining 4 crystals and touching an orb.
The end boss (Season 1), Demogorgon vs. Chaos. So, remember that 2000 year ago castle? This is pretty important. Demogorgons didn't appear in Final Fantasy until the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, where FF defines demogorgon as follows: "A strange looking statue which began moving after being possessed by wicked thoughts. Although it was initially meant to guard castles and temples against dark and evil spirits, absorbing them as part of its duties ultimately morphed it into an evil being itself. Having a demogorgon manifest in one's own property is a sign that someone in close proximity is full of terrible intentions, bringing about great dishonor and shame." Dungeons and Dragons, as well as Stranger things, define Demogorgon as follows: "Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince. He is known as the Prince of Demons, a self-proclaimed title he holds by virtue of his power and influence, which, in turn, is a title acknowledged by both mortals and his fellow demons."
Interestingly enough, Final Fantasy describes Chaos as such: "Chaos is the antagonist and the final boss of the original Final Fantasy. He is a demonic monster who maintains a time loop." Generally speaking, Chaos is defined as pure and complete evil. His early depictions resemble a devil-like being.
Now Now, I know what you're thinking. How do the Byers, Nancy, Barb, Steve, Murray, Eleven, and all these other characters tie in. Well,one theory is that they are NPC's. It is not uncommon for NPC's to have vital roles in continuing the journey. For example, in Final Fantasy's Mt. Duergar, Grandpa Melnac destroy land with Nitro Powder, and Eleven opens (and later closes) a gate.
Also, sometimes stories that happened in the past affect what happens now. For example, in Final Fantasy, in Lufenia, we are told these people built arships many many years ago. The heroes discover this airship during the course of the game. While the Lufenians won't be coming with us on our journey, the actions of their ancestors directly affect whether or not we even find the airship today. Likewise, whether Nancy is dating Steve or Jonathan, I believe plays a vital role in whether our heroes can continue our journey. You see, if Nancy continues dating Steve, then Steve is no longer available to help the kids ward of Demodogs; nor does he get involved in the fight with Billy that allows Max to venture with the new gang. This is the least correlated part of the 2 series, and thus offers perhaps a benefit who don't think there may have been plagiarism involved.
What are your thoughts? Any thoughts from Season 2? Could Max be the Red Mage? How does the Mind Flayer correlate to Final Fantasy? (fyi, the Mind Flayer is a regular non-boss enemy in Final Fantasy, but as of now I couldn't find a suitable story correlation).
