Final Fantasy - a question of character

[Torzelbaum]

The first Final Fantasy game did not have unique designs for playable characters since you could give the same class to multiple party members. The second game changed things up by giving each distinct playable character their own design. Every game since then has usually used one of those two options (or in a few cases a mix of both). And the option chosen usually depends on if the game has set classes or a job system. So what are some of your favorite unique character designs from the Final Fantasy series?

 

[Kirin]

I'm a sucker for green hair, so Terra. Her outfit's great too, and the half-Esper concept is fun for a pseudo-class. Also it was really refreshing to have a game with multiple women as main characters who aren't generally defined by the men around them.

Rydia also falls under the green hair umbrella, is a great Summoner variant, plus two designs for the price of one.

Other fave designs: Celes, Setzer, Red XIII, Vincent, Freija, Steiner (basically medieval Zenigata), Lulu, Rikku, Balthier, Fang, Ignis.

 

[Oathbreaker]

On the class-oriented design end of things, the female Samurai in FFT. On the completely distinct character end, I'm not entirely sure. I do like giant swords so maybe Cloud, but maybe also Squall for that absolutely sick jacket and hairstyle. Or maybe Lightning. Or maybe Vivi, or Freya. It's really hard to pick from the distinct ones.

 

[Purple]

So first off, the entire cast of FF6. I can't for the life of me remember the context let alone find it but I once wrote a big long essay (or had a conversation?) about how rare it is for RPGs to really bother with character arcs for anyone, let alone the whole cast, and doing it in a game with such a huge cast, AND everyone's personal arc having a shared theme of learning to move on from trauma after getting an apocalypse for contrast.

Or are we talking purely visual design? In which case yeah, whole cast of 6 again. Plus red mage. Everyone loves Freya. Beatrice but less so. Edea was interesting to have around. There's a reason I've been using the cast of 5 every time I need a virtual tabletop mini for humans for a decade. Lulu and Khimari. There is a boldness to the full unabashed straight up Horny of Fran's design. And then I need to dedicate a whole paragraph to Paine.

I'm sure I've said this elsewhere, but aside from just having a nice punk sorta look, I just completely love the total lack of any justification for 1/3 of the playable cast of 10-2. It really just seems like Lulu refused to play dressup with everyone and so they needed to find a replacement goth girl, and she's the easygoing sort who's happy to just come along. Like am I correct in recalling there's never an explanation for where she even came from? I like to think they just flagged her down one day at like, Spira's equivalent of Hot Topic, or she won a sweepstakes or something.

 

[Torzelbaum]

Or are we talking purely visual design?

I was thinking visual design but feel free to discuss other aspects of character designs.

 

[Peklo]

Like am I correct in recalling there's never an explanation for where she even came from? I like to think they just flagged her down one day at like, Spira's equivalent of Hot Topic, or she won a sweepstakes or something.

Paine has a specific goal in joining the Gullwings which is tied to her mysterious past and relationship with the trifecta of Spira's new movers and shakers in Baralai, Gippal and Nooj. "Easygoing" is probably not how I'd describe her, as her name is like... really on the nose about her guiding headspace as a character. She's just not forthcoming about her personal circumstances at all, but it's (initially) all that motivates her, and is plainly depicted in the game as it goes on. It's expressed differently, but given the highly observable throughline that exists between X-2, XIII and onward in a certain branch of series games, I find Vanille to be her kin, as a party member who has a lot going on internally but divulges little and misdirects the rest.

 

[Purple]

I mean, I'm not saying she has no backstory, but like... she has no introduction into the party. The other two are hanging out because they've been through a lot (and while it's been years they're also cousins?) just kinda bumming around on their airship treasure hunting. In a more traditional RPG you'd like, run into Paine in some early game village and she'd be all like "you seem like good people, let me lend you my sword or whatever" but that part totally happened off camera. She's just kinda there.

 

[Peklo]

There's probably some kind of distinction here that I'm not seeing because that seems even by the strict precedent of this series alone like well-worn storytelling convention, to say nothing of the larger genre. Cecil's got his makeshift family unit around Baron; Cloud's tentatively familiar with Barret and very deeply involved with Tifa; a lot of the SeeD kids know each other at least by reputation even before the eventual revelations; Zidane's got a past with Freya. You're introduced to these dynamics through the eyes and perspective of whomever happens to be the protagonist at the moment, but they're filled in over time without you necessarily ever seeing the "beginning" of said relations. Paine's difference to me seems only in the developmentally transparent maneuvering of creating a "replacement" for the sidelined Lulu, who for whatever reason was relegated to that role, so the audience is primed to question Paine's very existence and frame it as artificial and inexplicable in nature.

 

[chud_666]

Basch! Dude looks great.
Squall. Black gloves, fur trim. Damn

 

[Torzelbaum]

I like Cecil's sprite but they don't seem to match his portraits.

I like Setzer's sprite but I don't care all that much for his portrait or the Amano drawings of him.

Vincent has a pretty cool design (except for maybe his boots). I just wish the claw on his hand was more than just decoration.