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Final Fantasy IX character details[06.04.00] » Is your favorite character a hermaphrodite? Find out inside! After months of silence, information on Final Fantasy IX has been flooding out from Square's gates over the past week. Now, thanks to the latest Electronic Gaming Monthly, in-depth character details have been revealed for each of the eight major characters. Warning: The following character summaries contain minor spoilers for the individual characters' backgrounds and interactions with the rest of the cast. Read at your own risk. Zidane Tribal: The focus of Final Fantasy IX, Zidane follows Square's formula for modern heroes: he's a young do-gooder with no recollection of his past up until a certain point. 16-years-old and with his eyes on Princess Garnet, Zidane isn't too far removed from your average teenager. "He's a player, or tries to be anyway," says Square localization expert Maki Yamane. Yamane stresses that Zidane is "not a jerk, like Squall"--overall, Zidane is an optimistic kid. He constantly cheers on his teammates and does his best to keep their morale high. In battle, Zidane has a Steal command which can grab some of the best items in the game. Other special battle commands include enemy diversion tactics such as "What's That?!," which makes your opponents turn around while you attack them from behind. Zidane matures throughout the course of the game, eventually making his quest to find the mystery of his birth and origins. Princess Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th: The daughter of the malevolent Queen Brahne, Garnet has difficulty communicating with everyday people after her voluntary kidnapping. Like My Fair Lady in reverse, Zidane has to carefully instruct her on how to associate with and talk like a commoner. While Garnet may not look tough, she can dish out major damage via by summoning monsters. She'll also have White Magic abilities to keep the party in tip-top shape. Vivi Ornitier: With the biggest role after Zidane, Vivi is a 9-year-old Black Mage who has forgotten his past. Although extremely clumsy, Vivi is also an extremely powerful wizard, and like all wizards is both feared and respected all over Gaia. Unfortunately, little Vivi knows nothing about himself besides the fact that he's the only Black Mage not under the control of Queen Brahne. Vivi joins Zidane's side after being caught in the midst of a battle between other Black Mages and the band of thieves sent to kidnap Garnet. From then on, Vivi will aid the party with a wide variety of Black Magic. If Vivi and Steiner are in the party at the same time, Vivi can cast elemental magic on Steiner's sword, such as fire and ice. Adelbert Steiner: Twice the age of the other heroes, 33-year-old Steiner is a giant knight who doesn't exactly see eye to eye with Zidane. Captain of the Knights a Pluto, the only squadron of male soldiers in Alexandria, Steiner's only duty is to protect Garnet at all costs. Tension, of course, grows between Steiner and Zidane, as Steiner labels Zidane a threat to Garnet. Steiner isn't exactly the most comprehending person around--he'll spend a good portion of the game trying to come to grips with the once noble Queen Brahne's new behavior. Even after the Queen's forces capture him, Steiner is convinced it's a communication snafu and not an actual betrayal. Although Steiner may not have many distinct battle skills, he brings his massive physical strength to the table. Steiner can equip the heaviest equipment and weapons found throughout the game and will eventually learn physical fighting techniques that will rack up major damage. Salamander Coral: Salamander's giant, imposing look isn't too far from his true nature. Salamander fights alongside Zidane's group reluctantly, as Zidane apparently pulled a trick on Salamander years ago, and Salamander has yet to forgive him. Salamander depends on his strength, not other people. He can Throw items and Gil, heal the party's HP/MP, and use Street Fighter-esque Blitz manuevers. Eiko Carol: Eiko is the last survivor of a tribe of summoners and is desperately afraid of being alone. She now lives as the only human in a village of moogles. Once she joins up with the heroes, she quickly develops a crush on the grown-up Zidane (Eiko is only 6 years old) and forms a rivalry with Garnet. She can summon powerful healing creatures and also use White Magic. Freya Crescent: Freya is one of the last surviving Dragoon Knights, and a long-time friend of Zidane. Freya meets up with the other heroes while searching for her lost love. She's glad to assist the party with her powerful fighting skills and keen sense of street smarts. Her battling abilities are molded after the traditional Final Fantasy Dragoon; the Jump command takes her off the screen and away from enemy attacks before she pounces on her opponents. Quina Quen: Saving the oddest character for last, Quina is on a quest to become a master chef. This gargantuan clown thing lives out in Qu's Marsh and practices Blue Magic. His weapon of choice is a massive fork which allows him to Eat his enemies and learn their abilities. The twist for the character? He's not necessarily a he. Square's made it quite clear that no one knows what gender Quina is, if any. Thanks to Steve Andrews and Curtis Bryan for help with this story.
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