Final Fantasy Lost Stranger Manga Deserves More Attention

Back when I read the Final Fantasy XIV Eorzea Academy manga, I was enchanted by its story and direction. I wished there’d been more of it, rather than the sole volume that exists. It was only after reading it that I discovered I’d been missing out on Final Fantasy Lost Stranger all along. Yet another series tied to the Square Enix series in a more general way and released in English by Yen Press, it is interesting in that it calls back to familiar sorts of hallmarks and elements of entries FFXIV, while also offering its own take on isekai manga stories. And, since it has been running since 2017, there are 10 volumes to catch up on.

Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for early volumes in the Final Fantasy Lost Stranger manga series below.

Like many isekai stories, the Final Fantasy Lost Stranger manga begins with a destined encounter with truck-kun. Shogo Sasaki and his sister Yuko both work at Square Enix. Instead of painting it as some ideal job, it’s far more realistic! Hazuki Minase acknowledges that even if you get what seems like a “dream” job, it might not be exactly what you expect. Plus, work is work. So Shogo hoped to work on Final Fantasy, as did Yuko, but things didn’t work out as planned. However, after an instance with the aforementioned truck, both siblings wake up in what is basically a fantasy world based on all Final Fantasy games.

Right away, this isekai manga feels like someone might expect from FFXI or FFXIV. Though the series is infused with references to mascot characters, spells, and mechanics from the games, Final Fantasy Lost Stranger kicks off with Shogo and Yuko joining a guild and trying to find jobs. This… gets Yuko killed. Which means that while it is based on Final Fantasy, it isn’t exact. Because there’s no “Raise” spell or means of reviving his fallen sister.

This kicks off the rest of the adventure, as Shogo is determined to find Raise to restore her. As a result, we get to see how well elements of Final Fantasy translate when implemented in an isekai manga. Shogo and Yuko’s first allies are a black mage, white mage, and warrior. After Yuko is killed, they take part in a raid to defeat the dragon that killed her. Raise might not be present, but Toad certainly is. The existence of that spell and status effect ends up being a part of a whole plotline. Familiar locations, like the Gold Saucer, show up as well.

This even extends to familiar characters. Or, as is common in Final Fantasy, variants or folks who happen to share their names. There’s a Cid here, and he eventually ends up becoming one of Shogo’s allies. The Magus Sisters appear, and we meet a Princess Sara too. So in addition to the familiar archetypes, we’re seeing these other recurring staples to make us feel at home and see how they’ll behave this time. Especially when compared to the ones we remember.

Sometimes, I feel like the number of isekai manga series out there can get overwhelming, but the influx of Final Fantasy elements made it really easy to absolutely devour Final Fantasy Lost Stranger once I started reading the manga. I really appreciate the story and the way it incorporates elements and themes from multiple installments. Seeing nods to familiar character concepts and gameplay elements really kept me involved. Not to mention that, given Shogo’s age and situation, he felt like a very identifiable protagonist. It all comes together very well.

Volumes 1-10 of the Final Fantasy Lost Stranger manga are available now, and Yen Press will release volume 11 on December 10, 2024.