Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Heroes

Final Fantasy IX is cited by many fans as their favourite game in the series. It has a captivating narrative, sizable level of content depth and magnificent villain in the form of the theatrical and maniacal Kuja, but is more of an ensemble than specifically character-driven piece when it comes to its playable characters.

Romantic leads Zidane and Garnet/Dagger obviously have a huge part to play, whilst Steiner, Eiko, Freya and to a lesser extent Amarant and Quina are all far from forgettable given their own transformations over the course of the game’s four discs.

At its heart, however, is Vivi. His journey of self-discovery as he uncovers and defies his intended purpose as a weapon of war, develops friendships and confronts his mortality, all with a childlike innocence and curiosity, is the ever-present core of the game.

Few scenes are as powerful as watching hordes of his black mage brethren mercilessly wiped out by the maniacal Black Waltz #3 as they line up to protect him, or the harrowing realisation that he is narrating the game’s otherwise heart-warming ending from beyond the grave, thanking his friends for the short but wonderful life that they enabled him to lead.

All of this emotion is conveyed without Vivi’s face ever being revealed, hidden as it is behind the hood of a traditional series black mage outfit. Masterfully written, he’ll always be treasured.