Storyline
Enter Firion, Guy, Maria, and Leon. They are four youngsters who live in the kingdom of Fynn. During an invasion by the mighty army of the Emperor of Palamecia and the demons he has released from Hell, their parents are killed and they are orphaned. After being left for dead, Firion, Maria and Guy are rescued by the Princess Hilda of Fynn. It is there that they join her resistance in the town of Altair. To show their appreciation, the three go through a myriad of missions to defeat the Emperor and locate Maria's brother, Leon.
Hilda advises the three to speak who her fiancee, Prince Scott, who they find in a secret room in the pub of Fynn barely clinging onto life. He tells the party that Fynn was invaded because of Count Borghen's betrayal, and that his brother Gordon has great strength. He gives the party his ring, tells them to give it to Hilda and to tell her that he will always love her. The party does as told, and Hilda asks Firion to keep the ring for it was from a brave man. She asks the party to then go to Salamand to search for Mythril. A man in their resistance group named Josef was sent to find it, but has not heard from him since. She sends Minwu with the party on this mission.
The party does as told and finds Josef, who does not want to speak to them for his daughter has been kidnapped by the Palamecian Empire, and Borghen threatens to kill her if he helps the resistance. The party then travels to Semitt Falls where Nelly, Josef's daughter, is being held and they release her from the Empire. After pocketing the Myrthil, they make their way back to Altair.
Firion and his group are then dispatched to Bafsk where the Palamecian Empire has enslaved all the villagers and made them build a powerful airship known as the Dreadnaught. The Dark Knight in charge of watching over the production the airship has been replaced by Borghen, giving the villagers the perfect time to destroy the airship before it is completed. Before the party can reach the airship through the Bafsk Sewers, the Dark Knight, who hadn't left Bafsk yet, takes the airship and flies off with it before they can reach it. With the Dreadnaught, the Dark Knight attacks the cities of Poft, Paloom, Gatrea, and Altair, although the secret base in Altair is not destroyed. A plan is formed to use the Sunfire from Kasuhan Keep, but they need the voice of a Kashuan or the Goddess Bell in order to enter. Josef helps the party go through snow caves to find the Goddess Bell, but the party is attacked by Borghen who releases a boulder that Josef holds back before he is crushed, allowing the party to have enough time to flee.
Wishing to avenge Josef, they continue their mission to Kashuan to obtain the Sunfire. Gordon helps locate Egil's Torch to use as a way of transportation to get to the Sunfire. When they return, Cid and Hilda are being attacked by the Dreadnaught. Cid tells Firion to throw the Sunfire into the Dreadnaught's engine, which destroys it once and for all.
With the Dreadnaught finally destroyed, they return to Altair to see the King is dying. He forms a plan to take back Fynn, and Minwu travels to Mysidia to retrieve Ultima, Gordon takes command of the rebel army to attack Fynn, and Firion and his group are enlisted to travel to Deist to recruit the Dragoons. When they get there, the pirate captain Leila helps them find the last Wyvren who gives the party the last remaining Wyvren Egg before it dies. The group drops it in a healing spring at the bottom of the Deist Cavern to speed up it's growth process.
The party returns with nothing and soon realizes the Hilda on the Dreadnaught was not the Princess. They defeat the Lamia Queen impersonating her and travel with Gordon to the Palamecian Coliseum to earn her as a prize. The Emperor who was watching the math imprisions the party, Hilda, and Gordon. They are later saved by Paul the traveling thief.
After returning, an attack is launched on Castle Fynn. The rebels win, and the party is sent out to seach for Minwu as he is no where to be found. On the way to the Mysidian Tower with the Crystal Rod in hand, the party's ship is swallowed by Leviathan. The party works it's way through Leviathan's innards with the help of Ricard Highwind, and retakes the ship by defeating a Roundworm. As they enter the tower after defeating the Ice, Fire, and Thunder Gigas, they see Minwu attempting to open the Chamber of the Seal. In the end, he suceeds, but dies doing so.
The party returns with the Ultima tome in hand but the towns of Altair, Gatrea, Paloom, and Poft have been destroyed by a force known as the Cyclone. The resistance has to find a way to stop it before it tears apart the world, and so they hatch the Wyvren egg and use the Wyvren to reach the Cyclone.
Inside, they party finds the Emperor and they kill him. When he dies, Leon, the Dark Knight and the Emperor's right hand man, crowns himself the new Emperor. Firion and company go to Palamecia to stop him, but before the party reaches Leon, the Emperor returns from Hell. Ricard attempts to hold off the Emperor but is instead slaughtered. The party and Leon flee on the Wyvern and the Emperor raises Castle Pandaemonium to start a new empire. The party picks up the Excalibur from Deist and heads through the Jade Passage to enter Pandaemonium.
The party defeats the Emperor once and for all, and Leon questions his future at Fynn. Firion tells Leon he will always have a place there and Leon goes off on his own adventures.