Which Mainline Final Fantasy Game Should I Play Next?

The Steam Winter Sale is here. I've resisted sales for the last few years, but I have to admit the writing in the last few patches of Dawntrail (patches 7.2, 7.3, 7.4) have peaked my desire to play one of the single player Final Fantasy games. I've only completed the first game in the series, although I tried playing FF2 last year. I think I want to finish another game in the series in 2026 but I'm not sure which one to play.

Do I play Final Fantasy IX, now on sale for only $8.39, and get some background on one of my favorite characters of Dawntrail? My understanding is that Sphene is based on Princess Garnet. And for those thinking or hoping Dawntrail is the downfall of FFXIV and Yoshi-P, Otis apparently is a reference to FFIX's Steiner. I wouldn't gain any insight into Wut Lamak, though. A little research told me the expansion's most hated character (at least according to social media) was influenced by the anime series One Piece.

Or do I look forward? I turned to Copilot for some help choosing. The first recommendation was Final Fantasy VIII, on sale for $4.79. I watched the trailer on Steam and thought, "Yeah, I could see this winding up in the next expansion."

The AI gave me reasons to play FF8 next.

• Yoshida (Yoshi-P) has previously expressed admiration for FFVIII’s themes of identity, fate, and its unique junction system.
• Fans speculate that FFVIII’s focus on mercenary groups (SeeD) and time-compression narrative could inspire new job systems or story arcs in FFXIV.
• The game’s mix of grounded military academy life with cosmic-scale conflict fits well with FFXIV’s pattern of blending personal and epic storytelling.

Now, I'm not sure that the first point isn't an AI hallucination. But the last two points sound interesting. But I also received these other games as suggestions:

• Final Fantasy IV: Its themes of duality (light vs. dark, Cecil’s transformation) have already influenced Shadowbringers, but could resurface in new forms.
  
  
• Final Fantasy XII: Political intrigue and sprawling world-building in Ivalice remain fertile ground, especially since FFXIV has already borrowed Ivalice elements for raids.
  
  
• Final Fantasy Tactics: Given its strong ties to Ivalice, tactical warfare and moral ambiguity could inspire future narrative beats.

I already own FF4, but maybe I should pick up Final Fantasy XII. It's only $19.99 during the Steam sale.

Or maybe I should do a little more research before picking out a game. After all, the sale runs through January 5th, so I have time.