Here's an angle- what if we are looking at MP the wrong way? When you fight Atma Weapon, it claims to be made of energy. Not magic energy, just energy. One of the recommended ways of killing Atma Weapon is to constantly cast Rasp and Osmose; these deplete its MP and will cause it to die without losing any HP. So what if Ether isn't replenishing MP but rather energy. It might help explain why Figaro Castle sells Ether. Figaro Castle is known for its incredible machines but what do those machines run on? Maybe the machinery runs on Ether and maybe Edgar's Tools run on Ether. And since anyone can buy Tools in the castle, maybe Ether also powers those Tools. It's a lot of maybes, I know, but it's an idea.
I mean, the ether beng referenced in the games is not aether, but ether, most likely diethyl ether. It had many uses, but most notably it was used as an anesthetic. It also found wide use among people at all levels of society as a recreational drug. It's effects are akin to alcohol consumption, but at higher doses, it can cause visual and auditory hallucinations Similar to how the oracles at Delphi were high out of their mind and their hallucinations considered mystical, the hallucinations caused by diethyl ether were sometimes considered mystical. Other fun fact: ether was sometimes drunk, often times diluted with water, and sometimes people abused it by inhaling the noxious vapors.
Maybe its because the places that sell ethers are allies of the empire, and the empire was experimenting with magitek knights? Figaro castle was posing as an ally, and Albrook was near the esper world so the empire was based there? I dont know just a half baked theory of mine
To me personally. FF 6 truly felt like that were going for a different type of apocalyptic outcome that probably stemmed from a much more advanced society that fell to "natural" magic(devastation) and back to destructive magic. Leading to the story we played. Of bringing "magic" back. (Cycles of life) I just feel there was A LOT more they wanted to add to this game( in particular) but technological constraints lead to us only getting this part of the story. And then they went and put all the extra into 7,8,9, and so on. FF 6. Just feels grander than it is. But that also is up for debate. Like for a while I seriously thought 15 was in some way(even if thru alternative dimensions) was linked to 6. But I clutch at straws too much. Long winded I know.
No no I love the long winded, that’s where theories are born, my friend. I mean this whole video stemmed from “isn’t it weird that ethers are still around even though magic was supposed to be eradicated”. And then my mind just ran wild haha. FF6 will always feel massive to me. I’m not sure what it is - but I would LOVE to see everything that didn’t make it in to the game. Thank you so much!!
Could be that Figaro Castle has them because of the connection to the ancient castle? And Albrook has them bc they can go to the cave and somehow harvest it. They start making them to help the magitek program??
Interesting theory! Except the only connection Figaro has to the ancient castle is by happenstance. The breaking of the world via Kefla’s judgement light, unblocked the pathway underground. And Figaro, having the ability to submerge just happened to come across it while travelling under ground.
@Jay Eccleston What in the game or its published lore provides for that? It certainly seems implied by the engineer at the switch that puts the castle into drive but could it be that it was a protected secret by the royal family passed down through the ages?
I would say that it makes sense for Albrook and Tzen to have ethers for sale. The experiments at Vector infuse soldiers with magic (Celes, Kefka, and also others that you fight). Gestahl takes over the towns in the southern continent and, likely, drafts some of its soldiers from those towns. I'd imagine that those soldiers would need items to heal their own magic. Similarly, at the beginning of the game, Figaro Castle is pretending to be allied with the empire so they may have exchanged goods at some point... But I guess why would Figaro want an item to heal magic if they don't think magic exists? When Terra uses her magic in battle right after Edgar joins, both he and Locke do seem very surprised. But it does seem like they are aware magic is a thing, just have never seen it. It does seem like the history we are given at the beginning of the game may be perhaps what the general people know, and not the ultimate truth of the world. So, in general, people don't know if magic, but there are those in the Gestahlian empire (+ Thamasa) that do know of it. It just isn't general knowledge. I don't think though that the argument that ethers can't be some item (like a ginger ale) that aren't necessarily intended to do something but actually do heal magic is strong. Just because we only see a set list of items, doesn't mean those are the only items available in world. We could imagine the party needs to buy things like food and water, but we don't buy them in game. It could just be that the party buys other necessities that there is no game mechanic for, which include this drink that we know heals magical ability, but the ethers are the only ones that make sense to include because those are the ones that are relevant.
Thank you for this well thought out comment! This is exactly why I love putting these types of videos out! They spark a huge conversation with lots of thought and knowledge of in-game events. I won’t say too much but I am working on a few more deep dives similar to this! I’d really like to focus specifically on FF6 for a little while and do more things with it as it’s just a huge game but I know there are many different fans of different games so I need to cover everything!
@@TheReturnersHideout I love FF6 (made my wedding dress based on Amano's Celes art) so I'd be interested in seeing the others! I have had other questions and thoughts and enjoy thinking about the in-world logistics like this. My fun fact is the glaring oversight of early FF games planet not being a sphere and instead being a torus, but I don't think that was a deliberate decision of the game designers.
This is great, I love speculation like this. Personally, I think it probably just has to do with the places where magic can be found as the story opens. With the Empire using Magic Knights, Ethers would be vital to their cause. That would be the main catalyst for their propagation throughout the world, I think. Then there's Thamasa, where their ability to remain isolated relies somewhat on their ability to use magic rarely and secretly, so of course they'd have some on hand. I'd think the idea of places like South Figaro refusing to sell them could be interpreted as a subtle sign of protest against the Empire, actually. I don't know, just a bunch of stuff off the top of my head. Also, there's no problem with comparing this game or others to serious events in our world. This game itself is clearly heavily inspired by World War 2, which is one of the reasons why I particularly like certain facets of it, like how they handled the character of General Leo, showing that even people with great minds and hearts can be naive and ultimately deceived and manipulated by those with evil intentions. Fiction like that can really help people understand how their own beloved relatives can fall prey to damaging political ideologies, so I think it's got its own gravity in relation to events in our world.
An interesting theory, tying it to the SNES explanation of the Mage Warriors being persecuted, but trying to invent a division of Figaro and South Figaro due to it seems a bit much. I don't even really know why you link Nikeah and South Figaro due to Ferry, because there is a literal mountain range between them, a ferry or ship going back and forth between two separate economic cities is important. The Distinction of Figaro and South Figaro, is most likely due to both being of one nation of "Figaro" and since Figaro castle is in a desert with no castle town around it and its capability to sink under ground and travel to Kohlingen as a defenisve ability would really not need one, It's more important to list the two places as both being "Figaro" to establish they're of one nation. After all, most final Fantasies tend to fall into having City States, with each city being separate from one another. In reality, the far more believable alternative is Ether is used for something else, most likely like a soft drink or something, that while tastes good and makes you feel good, no one in one thousand years has used MP in the vast majority of the world, and thus no one knew it also could restore MP. We know it does due to the Menu being an external source of information, like how could anyone know that the Teleport Stone does the same thing as a spell of the same name or what Magicite Shard is called or does.
I love this, thank you for commenting! I always try to come up theories that don’t necessarily ‘invent’ a division between the two specifically, but present it as if it’s a ‘could this be’ type of situation! Do I believe that Figaro castle and South Figaro actually have a rift? Never! But what if they did? Your comment is VERY well thought out and I love that. Thank you much for that!
I...could see the random drink thing. You point out Echo Screen curing Silence, but keep in mind that Silence isn't JUST the game effect of "can't cast magic". It also means "can't talk", and if there was some kind of way to cure temporary voice loss (e.g. being horse from yelling too much or losing your voice from allergies or an upper respiratory infection), it does seem that might be available at medicine shops, especially in a world without an FDA. There's also the FFXV example where Noctis' powers make ordinary items do extra things. I think they use that description for potions and stuff in that game. So imagine you could drink a CokaCola with the effect today of "sweet drink", but if you have some kind of magical potential, it revitalizes some of your mental energy/magic points. For people who haven't unlocked magic, it wouldn't do that simply because they haven't unlocked the capacity to have a thing restored that they don't have access to. I'm not saying this IS the explanation, just that I don't see it as strictly NOT possible/believable. The biggest shot against this to me is expense and rarity in FF games in general. They're much more expensive than normal potions, so it seems they'd need to do SOMETHING else for the common man to be worth that price tag.
I feel like this makes sense. It's similar to apples in Deathnote. I think it might be a drink of the old days (people just forgot what it really does, because magic faded and it's been 1000 years) and therefore mostly rich people drink it as an antique beverage, so the price is high, also because there's a limited amount of it, which drives up price. So those that do know what it is take advantage of this ignorance and sells it with magic users in mind.
It could make sense for it to be a beverage to most people, but have other effects on certain people/creatures. It's similar to apples in Deathnote. I think it might be a drink of the old days (people just forgot what it really does, because magic faded and it's been 1000 years) and therefore mostly rich people drink it as an antique beverage, so the price is high, also because there's a limited amount of it, which drives up price. So those that do know what it is take advantage of this ignorance and sells it with magic users in mind.
That’s actually brilliant on a few levels, and would add to why it’s in Thamasa and not Figaro. But to say there’s a limited amount, I always get 99 of them so many I’m the driving force of the cost 😂😂 Brilliant theory!
If ethers were just a random drink that happens to have a helping magic side effect, why are they more expensive than a potion, which is actual medicine? Wouldn't water or tea or other regular drinks be far less expensive than potions, let alone not MORE expensive?
yes but still NOT worth it by the time I could buy the full 99 of them I had lv 40+ party members with around 500 MP each and the MP Drain Osmos spell learnt in FF6 MP draining enemies and transferring its MP to use or using Rasp to drain their MP without restoring your OWN STILL does more then 50 points in damage MP healing. So the Ethers in FF6 still suck.
Oh yeah ethers aren’t worth the dough for sure! But as I was finishing this video I remembered - I believe there are actual Ethers aside from the Tinctures that can be bought and sold.
@@veghesther3204 No they don't. Tinctures healing only 50mp may seem lackluster when you can buy tents or go to an inn, but those are creature comforts that exist when you have safety. In the field, you run out of magic and you only have the stuff you have and enemies can use osmose/rasp/etc. The 1500/750 cost only seems expensive, but you can get a lot of money from wins,stealing,drops, and 50mp can get you several heals while doing so. You can't buy Ethers(150mp?), but I played the SNES version and don't know of the ports.
That’s the best compliment I could ever get, my friend! Thank you so much! Ive got a livestream coming up on June 2nd here if you wanna hang out - I’ll be playing through FF4 and doing some trivia and challenges and all sorts of crazy stuff. If not, it’s totally cool but I think it’ll be a bit of alright!
Monsters had no problem with magic, especially the undead. It is a stat that shows on your character sheet and there are items that are specific to boosting all forms of magic. Equipment is obvious. Certain attacks and limit breaks are like magic. What is strange is how after meeting with Ramuh, everyone suddenly got MP to use. It is not because of possessing magicite, since you can get the item that randomly casts a summon. That means magic is innate in all beings and there needed to be a way to bring it out. The War of the Magi simply made it difficult for people since they didn't have the knowledge of bringing it out. Elixirs are the result of a superstition of placing water in clocks so that water absorbs the passage of time or whatever and that fully restores you. People has knowledge of how it works so it can be created. It is the long lost tech situation you see in fantasy, but applied to magic.
I play this game in Japanese on every device I have. My favorite version is the super Famicom version. Equipping everyone with drills for helmets (thank you jp only glitch)
There are plot holes that exists so that the game can work. Enemies the world over use magic, but Edgar and Locke are surprised when they see Terra use it. Why? Because the story telling isn’t held hostage by gameplay mechanics. Ether is just a raw material, the fact that it restores MP is the use identified in game, but doesn’t mean it has no other purpose. Great video regardless, this is my favorite game and I love how it stirs so much imagination.
On this same token...why would half these items exist? Echo Screen would be useless if nobody is capable of casting spells. So what is it Banana Boat and prevents sunburns too? And Soft. Wouldn't Soft seem magical to people who had never been exposed to magic? And you'd think supply and demand would warrant Soft being SEVERELY undervalued, considering that NPCs who had loved ones turned to stone (again...magic) would be willing to pay whatever it takes to bring their loved one back, right? Of the generic shop items, the deep dive doesn't stop at Ether.😜
It's generally accepted for the most part (with a few exceptions) that items are more or less considered non-canon. And that they exist in order to facilitate gameplay. And sometimes things like Tellah having 90 MP reflect the story in that way. But Tellah doesn't canonically have 90 MP, he is just canonically a frail old man.
FYI, Mana or MP doesn't exist in D&D, they use a confusing (at 1st) spell slot system. mana would be WAY better imo. Which is why the image you show when mentioning it says "Hey, I homebrewed this idea of using mana potions" because it doesn't exist in the SRD.
There is not enough GOOD evidence of this theory in the game and you have to stretch so far to get these "coincidences" that you can't possibly expect us to believe this was intentional and not just a stretched ass theory at best. The explanation that its just a side effect of a common item is completely reasonable and has such a higher likely hood of being the real reason.
Great vids, new fan. Am I the only one who spent all the time and energy to make one character an Imp with all of the Imp Weapons? That beast was one of my party leaders for the final battles.
Magic isn't gone in FF6. Humans just can't it. Most enemies you meet out in the fields can cast some sort of spell. Perhaps tinctures are meant for humans who work with monsters in some capacity, perhaps as Beastmasters? Or maybe there's an unspoken Chrono Trigger type of situation where non-hostile monsters coexist with humans, and they sometimes shop for tinctures?
couple of things: 1. I don't buy a schism between figaro castle & south figaro, as south figaro is subject to figaro castle, Edgar rules them basically. Also, we have to consider the geographic considerations within Figaro, South Figaro has the fertile land while Figaro 'proper' is desert. If there was some kind of political break the Figaro royalty would be unable to hold power thru the centuries due to lack of resources (Edgar is credited with the mechanization that would tip the scales of power in the royalty's favor). Also, we can reasonably conclude that the name 'ether' is really just referencing real world medical/chemical ether... as opposed to the original greek etymology for upper air/sky. Said chemical getting it's name from it's lack of color, but also it's volatility (it evaporates quickly). However, digging into the etymology, the original Greek root word was less about being 'airy' so much as it was about being 'bright' (cause air high up is brighter from the sun?), & even had associations with straight up fire. Which lends credence to Figaro having ether as a kind of fuel. It's also possible that FF6 ether retains it's medical anesthetic properties... which wouldn't be something they chose to reflect in game mechanics. Also, even today there is a lucrative market in folk & pseudo-science cures. Hopefully not to ruffle any feathers, but any homeopathic treatment is frankly in that category (said treatments being basically specially prepared water), people buy them because they believe they have an effect even though they don't.
Huh, I truly did miss the implication of Echo Screens existing in shops (even if mute matters for more than spellcasting). I had presumed the Ether supplies were due to Imperial stockpiling and embargos. With Returner run cities selling them freely and only specific Imperial cities selling them at all otherwise (Albrook being a town that has many soldiers buying supplies). But this idea of people embargoing Thasmia is interesting
Tinctures are available in castle Figaro, not ether. Tincture literally means a mixture of herbs. Maybe the problem is that you're playing too many different versions?
It’s been a little while since I played but… didn’t Edgar send scouts/ships to the empire as a reconnaissance to see what is going on? Is it possible that they may have stumbled upon the recipe for Ethers and then decided to sell them at the castle? For those that were able to survive and make it back, that is. Aside from that, wasn’t Edgar and Sabin’s father at one point allied with the empire? so it’s possible they shared some secrets like how to create ethers.
Yeah, the theory that it's just a recreational drink for normal folks but just happens to restore MP for those who can use magic makes sense. Or it's like an energy drink, everyone is energized by it but not everyone can use that energy to do magic, or they don't know how to without the aide of Espers.
With your echo screen example, I'm going to nitpick game mechanics here and say that it also affects gambling odds since you can use it at the start of a battle to manipulate RNG into guaranteeing Setzer's joker doom attack.
After using an echo screen in battle, pause the game as your choosing slots to guarantee any of Setzer’s slots! There’s a way more in depth explanation, but I’ve always just used an echo screen, starting paying and unpausing to get slots I wanted lol
1:00 Kind of wondering what the fuck you're talking about? Ethers are like over the counter medicine. Magic isn't used in their creation at all. A better question would be why are they SELLING them when we don't know any other use, but that's still not much of a question. 5:40 Albrook is also much closer to Vector and the magitek research facility where a few imperial figures have been using magic for a generation and it is now being rolled out en masse for the Imperial army that occupies Albrook. 6:30 Oh, here's a good point. You might be on to something! Nah. Merchants react quickly to changing demand. What stores sell ethers in the game doesn't tell you anything about which stores sold them a short 30-40 years ago prior to the first attack on the sealed gate. This is a little underwhelming, but I'll give some of your other videos a look.
I am rather curious about your thoughts about FF6 lore in regards to "Magic hasn't been seen in 1,000 years, but Duncan and his students, such as Sabin, can do Hadokens!" I realize that in many lore systems there is a difference between "magic" and "chi", but, to me, the idea of saying "Sabin can shoot fireballs from his palms, but it isn't magic!" comes across as a bit ridiculous. It seems like the same energy, only being summoned and used through an entirely different method, as in FF14 lore. Different game, yes, but I cannot help ponder it. We can perhaps assume that Martial Arts has existed for some time, but have those Chi powers been around just as long? Have the "Monks" been able to keep that secret just as long as Thamasa? WHILE also still recruiting students? Admittedly, we dont know how many. Maybe it is a Fist of the Northstar situation. One Master, a few students, but only one to end up being the next Master.) Did Duncan himself learn them from a master, or is Duncan the Oogway of FF6? Is it possible the Chi Powers are a recent development/discovery, and therefore perhaps had a recent catalyst? Did Madelyn opening the Gate to the Esper world allow for enough magic from the Triad escape unto the world that Duncan was able to develope them? So many questions! Tied to these questions is whether the Monk class maintained these abilities AFTER the fall of God Kefka and the Triad. Ok.... Now I am rambling. Apologies. Great video, as always!
Thank you so much for that! That’s an interesting theory for sure - and even more so if you apply one of my older theories to it that Duncan is Banon. Banon had the hideout because he believed in the Mage Warriors and if he IS Duncan - I mean.. Banon can “heal” pretty well… so it’s not too far if a stretch to think he, as Duncan, is teaching his students a kind of magic, or chi. That’s super interesting and I’m DEFINITELY going to have to revisit it. There’s a lot there to work with! Thanks again!
@@TheReturnersHideout I started spit balling there and plot holes most likely abound in those theories. But I enjoyed thinking about it. I look forward to your own thoughts, if you so choose! Again, Great channel!
The reality is that ether gets you high and as a result, you end up thinking your MP is replenished and are now able to start casting spells again. Duh. ❤😂
Here's my thought.... we have to think about the technological level of development of the world of FFVI. The world of FFVI seems to take place right around the time of the dawn of the second industrial revolution, which in our world happens around 1870. Coincidentally, the concept of germ theory also happens around the same time in 1860. Prior to germ theory, western society had the four humors concept of medicine, and it's entirely possible that a similar process is at play here. Ethers may have been prescribed to patients who were seen to have an imbalance of one of their humors, and considering the way that ether works, probably someone with an overabundance of yellow bile? I might be wrong there... I only know a little about the humors.
Well in ff15 potion and stuff are energy drinks that become magical with noctis influence. Could be the same, energy drinks that react to people that have magic.
I personally love the writing style of the FF series. It seems to me like a team or teams of writers each tackle a character or characters and then Miyamito(producer) takes all that information together and creates one cohesive story. That being said I'm not sure if he is privy to all of the easter eggs left by the writers or doesn't highlight parts he doesn't agree with even if pieces are left to be used to theorize. Which makes doing so very fun. For instance Miyamito will deny 🎉up and down that Rinoa isn't/doesnt become Ultimecia. But there's enough evidence sprinkled around in not only FFVIII but other titles like Dissidea..that it would hold up in a court of law.
Really isn't Ether the most useless item in FF games? In the begining so expensive so you never use them, and in the end useless in serious battles because they don't really give that much mp anyway. I would rather see FF 6 without them in the same way as I would only like to see that the characters gifted from start could learn more spells. Magic becomes to mainstream in that game in my opinion
That would add such a cool element, some characters could only learn base level spells or maybe even a different set of spells that are more.. artificial?
Ether is a drug, it wasn't sold in some places before the end of the world because there was less demand for it, afterwards everybody was depressed and wanted to get high. Hey, it's possible.
Your argument that "Echo Screen only cures the inability to use magic" falls flat on its face. Echo Screen cures Silence, the inability to talk. Even without magic, being forcibly silenced would be a detriment worthy of a simple cure. So why wouldn't Ether (in the context of FF6's world) not be a simple drink? Just because the tooltip doesn't specifically say something doesn't mean it is void from reality. That's a mindless stretch of moon logic if I've ever heard it.
Guess this generation doesn’t get to learn about coping with loss and moving on, or feeling responsible for the pain and death of a loved one.. they get to learn there’s always another try if you just imagine hard enough..
@@TheReturnersHideout lol you’re not going to believe this but I left this comment on a different video (one about FFVII having different timelines and .. Aerith or something) So no I’m not this jaded because of your FFVI theory, you’re the one who convinced me that Bannon and Duncan are the same person!
@trufreedom I’m usually on top of answering comments but lately it’s been challenging - I’m sorry I missed it! But I am glad I caught it right now and thank you again for commenting!
You’re trying to expand our known knowledge into a fantasy game. It’s fun but not at all applicable to the game……. I mean let’s talk about phoenix downs
Here's an angle- what if we are looking at MP the wrong way? When you fight Atma Weapon, it claims to be made of energy. Not magic energy, just energy. One of the recommended ways of killing Atma Weapon is to constantly cast Rasp and Osmose; these deplete its MP and will cause it to die without losing any HP. So what if Ether isn't replenishing MP but rather energy. It might help explain why Figaro Castle sells Ether. Figaro Castle is known for its incredible machines but what do those machines run on? Maybe the machinery runs on Ether and maybe Edgar's Tools run on Ether. And since anyone can buy Tools in the castle, maybe Ether also powers those Tools.
It's a lot of maybes, I know, but it's an idea.
This is good stuff! I’m definitely going to have to dive in more I suppose!
I mean, the ether beng referenced in the games is not aether, but ether, most likely diethyl ether. It had many uses, but most notably it was used as an anesthetic. It also found wide use among people at all levels of society as a recreational drug. It's effects are akin to alcohol consumption, but at higher doses, it can cause visual and auditory hallucinations Similar to how the oracles at Delphi were high out of their mind and their hallucinations considered mystical, the hallucinations caused by diethyl ether were sometimes considered mystical.
Other fun fact: ether was sometimes drunk, often times diluted with water, and sometimes people abused it by inhaling the noxious vapors.
Maybe its because the places that sell ethers are allies of the empire, and the empire was experimenting with magitek knights? Figaro castle was posing as an ally, and Albrook was near the esper world so the empire was based there? I dont know just a half baked theory of mine
Amazing imagination. This is wild and I love it. Adopting this for my head canon.
To me personally. FF 6 truly felt like that were going for a different type of apocalyptic outcome that probably stemmed from a much more advanced society that fell to "natural" magic(devastation) and back to destructive magic. Leading to the story we played. Of bringing "magic" back.
(Cycles of life)
I just feel there was A LOT more they wanted to add to this game( in particular) but technological constraints lead to us only getting this part of the story. And then they went and put all the extra into 7,8,9, and so on.
FF 6. Just feels grander than it is. But that also is up for debate.
Like for a while I seriously thought 15 was in some way(even if thru alternative dimensions) was linked to 6. But I clutch at straws too much.
Long winded I know.
No no I love the long winded, that’s where theories are born, my friend. I mean this whole video stemmed from “isn’t it weird that ethers are still around even though magic was supposed to be eradicated”. And then my mind just ran wild haha. FF6 will always feel massive to me. I’m not sure what it is - but I would LOVE to see everything that didn’t make it in to the game. Thank you so much!!
Could be that Figaro Castle has them because of the connection to the ancient castle? And Albrook has them bc they can go to the cave and somehow harvest it. They start making them to help the magitek program??
I mean it’s plausible - Vector is also very close to Albrook! I’ll definitely have to dig in deeper with the Ancient Castle angle though!
Interesting theory! Except the only connection Figaro has to the ancient castle is by happenstance. The breaking of the world via Kefla’s judgement light, unblocked the pathway underground. And Figaro, having the ability to submerge just happened to come across it while travelling under ground.
@Jay Eccleston What in the game or its published lore provides for that? It certainly seems implied by the engineer at the switch that puts the castle into drive but could it be that it was a protected secret by the royal family passed down through the ages?
I would say that it makes sense for Albrook and Tzen to have ethers for sale. The experiments at Vector infuse soldiers with magic (Celes, Kefka, and also others that you fight). Gestahl takes over the towns in the southern continent and, likely, drafts some of its soldiers from those towns. I'd imagine that those soldiers would need items to heal their own magic. Similarly, at the beginning of the game, Figaro Castle is pretending to be allied with the empire so they may have exchanged goods at some point... But I guess why would Figaro want an item to heal magic if they don't think magic exists? When Terra uses her magic in battle right after Edgar joins, both he and Locke do seem very surprised. But it does seem like they are aware magic is a thing, just have never seen it. It does seem like the history we are given at the beginning of the game may be perhaps what the general people know, and not the ultimate truth of the world. So, in general, people don't know if magic, but there are those in the Gestahlian empire (+ Thamasa) that do know of it. It just isn't general knowledge.
I don't think though that the argument that ethers can't be some item (like a ginger ale) that aren't necessarily intended to do something but actually do heal magic is strong. Just because we only see a set list of items, doesn't mean those are the only items available in world. We could imagine the party needs to buy things like food and water, but we don't buy them in game. It could just be that the party buys other necessities that there is no game mechanic for, which include this drink that we know heals magical ability, but the ethers are the only ones that make sense to include because those are the ones that are relevant.
Thank you for this well thought out comment! This is exactly why I love putting these types of videos out! They spark a huge conversation with lots of thought and knowledge of in-game events. I won’t say too much but I am working on a few more deep dives similar to this! I’d really like to focus specifically on FF6 for a little while and do more things with it as it’s just a huge game but I know there are many different fans of different games so I need to cover everything!
@@TheReturnersHideout I love FF6 (made my wedding dress based on Amano's Celes art) so I'd be interested in seeing the others! I have had other questions and thoughts and enjoy thinking about the in-world logistics like this. My fun fact is the glaring oversight of early FF games planet not being a sphere and instead being a torus, but I don't think that was a deliberate decision of the game designers.
The throwing the change on the cushion and snatching the Ether was great. 😂
4:22 actually Setzer learned a nice recipe with echo screen, slot and pause buffers
This is great, I love speculation like this. Personally, I think it probably just has to do with the places where magic can be found as the story opens. With the Empire using Magic Knights, Ethers would be vital to their cause. That would be the main catalyst for their propagation throughout the world, I think. Then there's Thamasa, where their ability to remain isolated relies somewhat on their ability to use magic rarely and secretly, so of course they'd have some on hand. I'd think the idea of places like South Figaro refusing to sell them could be interpreted as a subtle sign of protest against the Empire, actually. I don't know, just a bunch of stuff off the top of my head.
Also, there's no problem with comparing this game or others to serious events in our world. This game itself is clearly heavily inspired by World War 2, which is one of the reasons why I particularly like certain facets of it, like how they handled the character of General Leo, showing that even people with great minds and hearts can be naive and ultimately deceived and manipulated by those with evil intentions. Fiction like that can really help people understand how their own beloved relatives can fall prey to damaging political ideologies, so I think it's got its own gravity in relation to events in our world.
I love this comment! Thank you so much!
An interesting theory, tying it to the SNES explanation of the Mage Warriors being persecuted, but trying to invent a division of Figaro and South Figaro due to it seems a bit much. I don't even really know why you link Nikeah and South Figaro due to Ferry, because there is a literal mountain range between them, a ferry or ship going back and forth between two separate economic cities is important. The Distinction of Figaro and South Figaro, is most likely due to both being of one nation of "Figaro" and since Figaro castle is in a desert with no castle town around it and its capability to sink under ground and travel to Kohlingen as a defenisve ability would really not need one, It's more important to list the two places as both being "Figaro" to establish they're of one nation. After all, most final Fantasies tend to fall into having City States, with each city being separate from one another.
In reality, the far more believable alternative is Ether is used for something else, most likely like a soft drink or something, that while tastes good and makes you feel good, no one in one thousand years has used MP in the vast majority of the world, and thus no one knew it also could restore MP. We know it does due to the Menu being an external source of information, like how could anyone know that the Teleport Stone does the same thing as a spell of the same name or what Magicite Shard is called or does.
I love this, thank you for commenting! I always try to come up theories that don’t necessarily ‘invent’ a division between the two specifically, but present it as if it’s a ‘could this be’ type of situation! Do I believe that Figaro castle and South Figaro actually have a rift? Never! But what if they did?
Your comment is VERY well thought out and I love that. Thank you much for that!
Hey, I just re-started FF6 (T-Edition) and your videos have suddenly become very relevant to me. This is a great channel. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much!
Why would they even sell echo screens then if magic isn’t around
to allow gamblers to cheat with their slots 🤣
People drink ethers and tinctures? I thought you put them on a rag and huffed them until your mp regenerates.
Great video! Well researched and entertaining. I look forward to watching more of your material
Awesome, thank you! I hope you like the rest of the videos!
I...could see the random drink thing. You point out Echo Screen curing Silence, but keep in mind that Silence isn't JUST the game effect of "can't cast magic". It also means "can't talk", and if there was some kind of way to cure temporary voice loss (e.g. being horse from yelling too much or losing your voice from allergies or an upper respiratory infection), it does seem that might be available at medicine shops, especially in a world without an FDA.
There's also the FFXV example where Noctis' powers make ordinary items do extra things. I think they use that description for potions and stuff in that game. So imagine you could drink a CokaCola with the effect today of "sweet drink", but if you have some kind of magical potential, it revitalizes some of your mental energy/magic points. For people who haven't unlocked magic, it wouldn't do that simply because they haven't unlocked the capacity to have a thing restored that they don't have access to.
I'm not saying this IS the explanation, just that I don't see it as strictly NOT possible/believable. The biggest shot against this to me is expense and rarity in FF games in general. They're much more expensive than normal potions, so it seems they'd need to do SOMETHING else for the common man to be worth that price tag.
I feel like this makes sense. It's similar to apples in Deathnote.
I think it might be a drink of the old days (people just forgot what it really does, because magic faded and it's been 1000 years) and therefore mostly rich people drink it as an antique beverage, so the price is high, also because there's a limited amount of it, which drives up price.
So those that do know what it is take advantage of this ignorance and sells it with magic users in mind.
I work in a chemistry lab and we have lots of ether. The industrial capacity of the FFVI would probably rely on the use of all kinds of ether.
You forget npcs and monsters who can use magic like the Zozo slam dancers and obviously supernatural creatures and arts.
It could make sense for it to be a beverage to most people, but have other effects on certain people/creatures. It's similar to apples in Deathnote.
I think it might be a drink of the old days (people just forgot what it really does, because magic faded and it's been 1000 years) and therefore mostly rich people drink it as an antique beverage, so the price is high, also because there's a limited amount of it, which drives up price.
So those that do know what it is take advantage of this ignorance and sells it with magic users in mind.
That’s actually brilliant on a few levels, and would add to why it’s in Thamasa and not Figaro. But to say there’s a limited amount, I always get 99 of them so many I’m the driving force of the cost 😂😂 Brilliant theory!
If ethers were just a random drink that happens to have a helping magic side effect, why are they more expensive than a potion, which is actual medicine? Wouldn't water or tea or other regular drinks be far less expensive than potions, let alone not MORE expensive?
Great video. Interesting theory. I honestly didn't realize that you could only get ethers at certain towns in ff6.
yes but still NOT worth it by the time I could buy the full 99 of them I had lv 40+ party members with around 500 MP each and the MP Drain Osmos spell learnt in FF6 MP draining enemies and transferring its MP to use or using Rasp to drain their MP without restoring your OWN STILL does more then 50 points in damage MP healing.
So the Ethers in FF6 still suck.
I never even thought about it until I just happened to come across it while putting this video together!
Oh yeah ethers aren’t worth the dough for sure! But as I was finishing this video I remembered - I believe there are actual Ethers aside from the Tinctures that can be bought and sold.
@@veghesther3204 No they don't. Tinctures healing only 50mp may seem lackluster when you can buy tents or go to an inn, but those are creature comforts that exist when you have safety. In the field, you run out of magic and you only have the stuff you have and enemies can use osmose/rasp/etc.
The 1500/750 cost only seems expensive, but you can get a lot of money from wins,stealing,drops, and 50mp can get you several heals while doing so.
You can't buy Ethers(150mp?), but I played the SNES version and don't know of the ports.
Would be interesting if there was an entire Parallel Story here that was Missed.
Every time I watch your videos it makes me want to play all the final fantasy games again, especially 6 lol
That’s the best compliment I could ever get, my friend! Thank you so much!
Ive got a livestream coming up on June 2nd here if you wanna hang out - I’ll be playing through FF4 and doing some trivia and challenges and all sorts of crazy stuff. If not, it’s totally cool but I think it’ll be a bit of alright!
@@TheReturnersHideout definitely tuning into that!
Monsters had no problem with magic, especially the undead.
It is a stat that shows on your character sheet and there are items that are specific to boosting all forms of magic. Equipment is obvious. Certain attacks and limit breaks are like magic.
What is strange is how after meeting with Ramuh, everyone suddenly got MP to use. It is not because of possessing magicite, since you can get the item that randomly casts a summon.
That means magic is innate in all beings and there needed to be a way to bring it out. The War of the Magi simply made it difficult for people since they didn't have the knowledge of bringing it out.
Elixirs are the result of a superstition of placing water in clocks so that water absorbs the passage of time or whatever and that fully restores you. People has knowledge of how it works so it can be created.
It is the long lost tech situation you see in fantasy, but applied to magic.
I play this game in Japanese on every device I have. My favorite version is the super Famicom version. Equipping everyone with drills for helmets (thank you jp only glitch)
There are plot holes that exists so that the game can work. Enemies the world over use magic, but Edgar and Locke are surprised when they see Terra use it. Why? Because the story telling isn’t held hostage by gameplay mechanics.
Ether is just a raw material, the fact that it restores MP is the use identified in game, but doesn’t mean it has no other purpose.
Great video regardless, this is my favorite game and I love how it stirs so much imagination.
On this same token...why would half these items exist? Echo Screen would be useless if nobody is capable of casting spells. So what is it Banana Boat and prevents sunburns too?
And Soft. Wouldn't Soft seem magical to people who had never been exposed to magic? And you'd think supply and demand would warrant Soft being SEVERELY undervalued, considering that NPCs who had loved ones turned to stone (again...magic) would be willing to pay whatever it takes to bring their loved one back, right?
Of the generic shop items, the deep dive doesn't stop at Ether.😜
Or maybe even non-magic users feel revitalized by consuming an ether? Even if they're not using their MP, they still have an MP pool
It's generally accepted for the most part (with a few exceptions) that items are more or less considered non-canon. And that they exist in order to facilitate gameplay. And sometimes things like Tellah having 90 MP reflect the story in that way. But Tellah doesn't canonically have 90 MP, he is just canonically a frail old man.
Another obvious solution is that Ethers had lots of other uses like getting drunk.
Well now I’ll have to go through every pub and investigate LOL
@@TheReturnersHideout remember to equip your OP Economizer...
FYI, Mana or MP doesn't exist in D&D, they use a confusing (at 1st) spell slot system. mana would be WAY better imo. Which is why the image you show when mentioning it says "Hey, I homebrewed this idea of using mana potions" because it doesn't exist in the SRD.
There is not enough GOOD evidence of this theory in the game and you have to stretch so far to get these "coincidences" that you can't possibly expect us to believe this was intentional and not just a stretched ass theory at best. The explanation that its just a side effect of a common item is completely reasonable and has such a higher likely hood of being the real reason.
Great vids, new fan. Am I the only one who spent all the time and energy to make one character an Imp with all of the Imp Weapons? That beast was one of my party leaders for the final battles.
Assuming there's other tasty drinks in the world but they aren't for sale to the player. The theory of it being tasty doesn't work
Magic isn't gone in FF6. Humans just can't it. Most enemies you meet out in the fields can cast some sort of spell. Perhaps tinctures are meant for humans who work with monsters in some capacity, perhaps as Beastmasters? Or maybe there's an unspoken Chrono Trigger type of situation where non-hostile monsters coexist with humans, and they sometimes shop for tinctures?
Go home final fantasy. You're drunk.
Maybe so, but it’s entertaining!
couple of things:
1. I don't buy a schism between figaro castle & south figaro, as south figaro is subject to figaro castle, Edgar rules them basically. Also, we have to consider the geographic considerations within Figaro, South Figaro has the fertile land while Figaro 'proper' is desert. If there was some kind of political break the Figaro royalty would be unable to hold power thru the centuries due to lack of resources (Edgar is credited with the mechanization that would tip the scales of power in the royalty's favor).
Also, we can reasonably conclude that the name 'ether' is really just referencing real world medical/chemical ether... as opposed to the original greek etymology for upper air/sky. Said chemical getting it's name from it's lack of color, but also it's volatility (it evaporates quickly). However, digging into the etymology, the original Greek root word was less about being 'airy' so much as it was about being 'bright' (cause air high up is brighter from the sun?), & even had associations with straight up fire. Which lends credence to Figaro having ether as a kind of fuel. It's also possible that FF6 ether retains it's medical anesthetic properties... which wouldn't be something they chose to reflect in game mechanics.
Also, even today there is a lucrative market in folk & pseudo-science cures. Hopefully not to ruffle any feathers, but any homeopathic treatment is frankly in that category (said treatments being basically specially prepared water), people buy them because they believe they have an effect even though they don't.
Huh, I truly did miss the implication of Echo Screens existing in shops (even if mute matters for more than spellcasting). I had presumed the Ether supplies were due to Imperial stockpiling and embargos. With Returner run cities selling them freely and only specific Imperial cities selling them at all otherwise (Albrook being a town that has many soldiers buying supplies). But this idea of people embargoing Thasmia is interesting
Tinctures are available in castle Figaro, not ether. Tincture literally means a mixture of herbs. Maybe the problem is that you're playing too many different versions?
Here's a theory: The developers didn't think that deep into things, they just wanted to make sure you could replenish your MP at certain points.
It’s been a little while since I played but… didn’t Edgar send scouts/ships to the empire as a reconnaissance to see what is going on? Is it possible that they may have stumbled upon the recipe for Ethers and then decided to sell them at the castle? For those that were able to survive and make it back, that is. Aside from that, wasn’t Edgar and Sabin’s father at one point allied with the empire? so it’s possible they shared some secrets like how to create ethers.
Yeah, the theory that it's just a recreational drink for normal folks but just happens to restore MP for those who can use magic makes sense. Or it's like an energy drink, everyone is energized by it but not everyone can use that energy to do magic, or they don't know how to without the aide of Espers.
You know...this theory actually supports why Banon put so much emphasis on Terra ...a magic user. Being the key to winning the war.
Good theory I enjoyed listening to it very in depth and sounds like it might be possible overall 10/10
Hey thank you so much! I got another theory video coming out this Sunday!
With your echo screen example, I'm going to nitpick game mechanics here and say that it also affects gambling odds since you can use it at the start of a battle to manipulate RNG into guaranteeing Setzer's joker doom attack.
Wait what? How so?
After using an echo screen in battle, pause the game as your choosing slots to guarantee any of Setzer’s slots! There’s a way more in depth explanation, but I’ve always just used an echo screen, starting paying and unpausing to get slots I wanted lol
1:00 Kind of wondering what the fuck you're talking about? Ethers are like over the counter medicine. Magic isn't used in their creation at all. A better question would be why are they SELLING them when we don't know any other use, but that's still not much of a question.
5:40 Albrook is also much closer to Vector and the magitek research facility where a few imperial figures have been using magic for a generation and it is now being rolled out en masse for the Imperial army that occupies Albrook.
6:30 Oh, here's a good point. You might be on to something! Nah.
Merchants react quickly to changing demand. What stores sell ethers in the game doesn't tell you anything about which stores sold them a short 30-40 years ago prior to the first attack on the sealed gate. This is a little underwhelming, but I'll give some of your other videos a look.
I don't use magic much i just use edgar/sabin/gogo/gau until i get economizers and or cyan with dual wind slash weapons.
I am rather curious about your thoughts about FF6 lore in regards to "Magic hasn't been seen in 1,000 years, but Duncan and his students, such as Sabin, can do Hadokens!"
I realize that in many lore systems there is a difference between "magic" and "chi", but, to me, the idea of saying "Sabin can shoot fireballs from his palms, but it isn't magic!" comes across as a bit ridiculous. It seems like the same energy, only being summoned and used through an entirely different method, as in FF14 lore. Different game, yes, but I cannot help ponder it.
We can perhaps assume that Martial Arts has existed for some time, but have those Chi powers been around just as long? Have the "Monks" been able to keep that secret just as long as Thamasa? WHILE also still recruiting students? Admittedly, we dont know how many. Maybe it is a Fist of the Northstar situation. One Master, a few students, but only one to end up being the next Master.)
Did Duncan himself learn them from a master, or is Duncan the Oogway of FF6? Is it possible the Chi Powers are a recent development/discovery, and therefore perhaps had a recent catalyst? Did Madelyn opening the Gate to the Esper world allow for enough magic from the Triad escape unto the world that Duncan was able to develope them? So many questions!
Tied to these questions is whether the Monk class maintained these abilities AFTER the fall of God Kefka and the Triad.
Ok.... Now I am rambling. Apologies. Great video, as always!
Thank you so much for that! That’s an interesting theory for sure - and even more so if you apply one of my older theories to it that Duncan is Banon. Banon had the hideout because he believed in the Mage Warriors and if he IS Duncan - I mean.. Banon can “heal” pretty well… so it’s not too far if a stretch to think he, as Duncan, is teaching his students a kind of magic, or chi. That’s super interesting and I’m DEFINITELY going to have to revisit it. There’s a lot there to work with! Thanks again!
@@TheReturnersHideout I started spit balling there and plot holes most likely abound in those theories. But I enjoyed thinking about it. I look forward to your own thoughts, if you so choose! Again, Great channel!
How does Setzer slot ability works? He can use magic with slots? Rem sketch why not she is a descendant of mage but Setzer sorry can't explain this.
Could... just be that tinctures and ethers have additional, everyday uses in addition to restoring MP...
The reality is that ether gets you high and as a result, you end up thinking your MP is replenished and are now able to start casting spells again. Duh. ❤😂
Ethers are the major export of Thamasa
Here's my thought.... we have to think about the technological level of development of the world of FFVI. The world of FFVI seems to take place right around the time of the dawn of the second industrial revolution, which in our world happens around 1870. Coincidentally, the concept of germ theory also happens around the same time in 1860. Prior to germ theory, western society had the four humors concept of medicine, and it's entirely possible that a similar process is at play here. Ethers may have been prescribed to patients who were seen to have an imbalance of one of their humors, and considering the way that ether works, probably someone with an overabundance of yellow bile? I might be wrong there... I only know a little about the humors.
Oh thank God. I had this thought back when I was 7 and playing my SNES. WHY do these exist?
Well in ff15 potion and stuff are energy drinks that become magical with noctis influence. Could be the same, energy drinks that react to people that have magic.
I personally love the writing style of the FF series. It seems to me like a team or teams of writers each tackle a character or characters and then Miyamito(producer) takes all that information together and creates one cohesive story. That being said I'm not sure if he is privy to all of the easter eggs left by the writers or doesn't highlight parts he doesn't agree with even if pieces are left to be used to theorize. Which makes doing so very fun.
For instance Miyamito will deny 🎉up and down that Rinoa isn't/doesnt become Ultimecia. But there's enough evidence sprinkled around in not only FFVIII but other titles like Dissidea..that it would hold up in a court of law.
That esper sprite of senna is... Sheesh
Ethers are used as hair conditioner 💅
I was going to comment about that being a very expensive hair care product but.. have you seen prices lately, lol?!
Really isn't Ether the most useless item in FF games? In the begining so expensive so you never use them, and in the end useless in serious battles because they don't really give that much mp anyway.
I would rather see FF 6 without them in the same way as I would only like to see that the characters gifted from start could learn more spells.
Magic becomes to mainstream in that game in my opinion
That would add such a cool element, some characters could only learn base level spells or maybe even a different set of spells that are more.. artificial?
@@TheReturnersHideout Yes that's good ideas.
Or that some characters is limited to only white magic or something.
Ether is a drug, it wasn't sold in some places before the end of the world because there was less demand for it, afterwards everybody was depressed and wanted to get high. Hey, it's possible.
Your argument that "Echo Screen only cures the inability to use magic" falls flat on its face.
Echo Screen cures Silence, the inability to talk. Even without magic, being forcibly silenced would be a detriment worthy of a simple cure.
So why wouldn't Ether (in the context of FF6's world) not be a simple drink?
Just because the tooltip doesn't specifically say something doesn't mean it is void from reality. That's a mindless stretch of moon logic if I've ever heard it.
Here's my theory: either is just final fantasy Adderall.
Ether = Coca Cola
Or... ether is also a solvent...
Great video tbh.
In this world, Ethers are like bananas in East Germany 😂
Thank you so much!
Guess this generation doesn’t get to learn about coping with loss and moving on, or feeling responsible for the pain and death of a loved one.. they get to learn there’s always another try if you just imagine hard enough..
Thanks for commenting!
@@TheReturnersHideout lol you’re not going to believe this but I left this comment on a different video (one about FFVII having different timelines and .. Aerith or something)
So no I’m not this jaded because of your FFVI theory, you’re the one who convinced me that Bannon and Duncan are the same person!
@@TheReturnersHideout I’ve never had that happen before but I really enjoy your channel and a lot of your FF theory videos!!
@trufreedom I’m usually on top of answering comments but lately it’s been challenging - I’m sorry I missed it! But I am glad I caught it right now and thank you again for commenting!
well you can consider me a returner i just subscribed
Stolen from enemies (poor cat) 😂
Ethers suck. You’re better off with a tent or sleeping bag to restore MP. 😂
you are confusing Ethers with Aether.
can I imagine a final fantasy without ether ... yeah FF8 :D
With a little bit of editing, articulation, and fun music, you too can create useless content on RUclips.
You’re trying to expand our known knowledge into a fantasy game. It’s fun but not at all applicable to the game……. I mean let’s talk about phoenix downs
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