Summary
For all their morals, heroism, and ideals,Final Fantasyprotagonists are also adept at one other thing - fashion. Across 16 mainline titles, spin-offs, and movies, some ofFinal Fantasy’s greatest heroes couldalso be classified as fashion icons, as they have proven that while they can slay numerous monsters and bosses, they can also look good doing it.
Thanks to character designs by the likes of Yoshitaka Amano and Tetsuya Nomura,Final Fantasy’sbest heroes have often also been the best dressed. And it’s not just their default design, either, asFinal Fantasyhas often seen characters swap costumes throughout the course of an adventure. These characters have been ranked both on their default designs, in addition to any accessorizing or alternate costumes that may appear throughout the course of a project.
Despite being one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time and ultimately ending Square’s movie division,Final Fantasy: The Spirits Withinremains one of the most innovative, technically impressive films ever made. And its lead character, scientist Aki Ross, spends the majority of the film in some pretty stylish outfits that perfectly fit the movie’s sleek, grounded science-fiction aesthetic.
Voiced by Ming-Na Wen ofERfame, Aki’s default outfit is a slick jumpsuit that she often pairs up with a nifty-looking eye-piece that brings the whole outfit together. Aki also spends portions of the movie in more formal wear, as she dresses in a spectacular blazer and skirt combo during the middle section of the film. Aki isn’t one to stay stagnant, as her evolving look throughout the film adds some variety and realism to the whole affair.
The world ofFinal Fantasy 10takes strong influence from the culture of Polynesia and Southeast Asia, which is evident both in the art design and more importantly, the way the characters dress.AndFF10’slead, Tidus, is a prime example of that, as he is one of the most sharply dressed characters in the franchise’s history.
The brightly colored top consists of red, blue, and yellow, which are in perfect contrast with the darker shades of black at the bottom. It is a wonderfully unique outfit, equipped with numerous bits of jewelry like Tidus' necklace and a high collar. It is one ofFinal Fantasy’smost iconic outfits, and Tidus wears it perfectly.
One ofFinal Fantasy’s most remarkable protagonists, Terra finds refuge with a group known as the Returners and leads a revolution against a tyrannical empire. But like most lead characters in theFinal Fantasyseries, she does so while looking absolutely fabulous, with an iconic outfit that has stood the test of time and still looks incredible today.
While thesprites from the SNESfound it difficult to get smaller details across, later versions of Terra seen inDissidiaandExplorerswould showcase just how fantastic it is. The combination of colors is flawless, featuring shades of pink, red, and white in her cape and top. The boots are simply gorgeous, while her accessories include a sash that hangs from a multicolored belt and a hair tie that gives her an altogether classy and fierce look.
Final Fantasy 13made a lot of significant changes to the series and was the first tofeature a female protagonist inthe lead role since 1994, as Lightning went on to star in not just oneFFgame, but two sequels. But as much as things change, they also tend to stay the same, as Lightning is still one of the most exquisitely dressed protagonists in the entire franchise.
Her initial outfit is absolutely wonderful, as the white coat meshes perfectly with the black gloves and sleeves, while her red half-cape and intricate boots accentuate the outfit beautifully. Her appearance would continuously evolve over theFinal Fantasy 13trilogy, adding more armor and layers, proving that this fashionista is one of the franchise’s most stylish heroines.
Yuna’s shy, reserved demeanor was just part of what made her one ofFinal Fantasy’smost beloved protagonists, and her outfit fromFFXties into her personality perfectly. The influences from Asia and Japan are clear, as she draws from the looks of Geishas, as well as Chinese monks. Fast-forward toFinal Fantasy X-2and Yuna has further evolved her look, embracing a sort of 2000s-era pop star energy.
Along with Rikku and the newcomer Paine,Yuna goes on an adventurethat sees her ditch the skirt and add bits of leather and fur. It’s a remarkable transition from one outfit to the next, but one that she pulls off expertly. Yuna is still one ofFinal Fantasy’smost elegant characters, and her fashion choices have embodied that ever since she first debuted in the series.
Cloud Strife entered the world ofFinal Fantasyin the most raucous way possible, leaping off a train headed for mako reactor 1 in his now-famous duds, which has become one of the most iconic outfits in gaming. The large, dome-like shoulder pads work in tandem with his harness belt that wraps up around his upper body, and despite all this, he still knows how to dress outside of that.
The now legendary scene that sees Cloud don a dress and infiltrate Honey Bee Inn shows he isn’t afraid to embrace a different side of himself, while his beach wear seen inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis all just a part of his evolving wardrobe. Cloud isn’t afraid to dress for the occasion, and when he does, he usually does so better than most in theFinal Fantasyfranchise.
Squall Leonhart perfectly captured the 1990s bad-boy energy that Square wasgoing for withFinal Fantasy 8, introduced in his now iconic black leather jacket that is complete with a tufted fur collar, while he manages to accessorize with a griever necklace and various straps. He doesn’t stop there, either, as his dance with Rinoa sees him don a classy dress outfit, one that combines black with gold trim and some nifty jacket decorations.
Later on, Squall continues to evolve his look, as he briefly wears a SeeD uniform that makes use of a light blue jacket with incredible silver highlights. Squall’s evolution in fashion is something that Square didn’t really do much of later, but it helped to make the characters feel like they were in a world that actually existed, and his outfits inFinal Fantasy 8are still some of the best in the entire franchise’s history.
