Characters of ''Final Fantasy XV''

Promotional artwork featuring the main cast of Final Fantasy XV. From right: Gladiolus Amicitia, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ignis Scientia and Prompto Argentum.

Final Fantasy XV, an action role-playing video game released in November 2016, is the fifteenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series, and is thematically connected to Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy, a subseries of games linked by a common mythos which includes Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0. The world and main characters were created by Tetsuya Nomura, the game's original director. Nomura also designed the main characters, with later revisions and additional characters being designed by Yusuke Naora: other character designers involved with the game included Roberto Ferrari and Yusaku Nakaaki.

The story revolves around a conflict between Lucis, the last free kingdom in the world, and the expansionist empire of Niflheim. The main protagonist is Noctis Lucis Caelum, sole heir to the throne of Lucis. On his journey, he is accompanied by three companions: Gladiolus Amicitia, a brother-figure from a noble family sworn to Noctis's protection; Ignis Scientia, Noctis's strategist; and Prompto Argentum, a friend of Noctis from a lower-class family. A key character is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Noctis's fiancée through an arranged marriage. Other characters include Noctis's father Regis, the king of Lucis; Cor Leonis, a famous warrior of Lucis; Gentiana, Lunafreya's companion and attendant; Cindy, who with her grandfather Cid acts as mechanic for Noctis' car; and Iris, Gladiolus's sister. Characters from Niflheim serve as the game's main antagonists, including emperor Iedolas Aldercapt, his chancellor Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya's brother Ravus Nox Fleuret, and mercenary dragoon Aranea Highwind.

Originally a spin-off game titled Final Fantasy Versus XIII, the game changed multiple times during its ten-year development cycle, including the redesign or removal of characters and story elements. Additional media and merchandise based upon the world and characters of XV have been produced, with its expanded media being dubbed the "Final Fantasy XV Universe": these include the original net animation Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV and the CGI feature film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.

Concept and creation

The concept and setting of Final Fantasy XV, initially a spin-off titled Final Fantasy Versus XIII (ファイナルファンタジーヴェルサスXIII, Fainaru Fantajī Verusasu Sātīn), was created by original director Tetsuya Nomura.^[1] Initially in development for PlayStation 3, Versus XIII was shifted to the eighth generation consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. During this transition, Final Fantasy Type-0 director Hajime Tabata became co-director; later in development, he assumed full directorial duties from Nomura.^[2][3] The development period ultimately lasted about ten years, although Tabata now refers to Versus XIII and XV as different games.^[4]

The game was originally part of Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy, a collection of games united by a common mythology and shared themes.^[5] When it was renamed, XV "disconnected" from Fabula Nova Crystallis; although the mythos was retained, its role in the story was reduced and its unique terminology was removed to aid with marketing and provide Final Fantasy XV with an individual identity.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} A surviving theme from the mythos was the struggles of humans chosen by a divine crystal.^[11] The central concept behind the world of XV is "a fantasy based on reality": the setting is based on the real world and the fantasy elements grew out of familiar settings. Realizing this aspect of the game was quite difficult for Nomura before the game's move onto eighth-generation hardware. While the story was similar to other entries, he wanted to create more realistic characters.^[12] His ambition was to make XV "about man in the real world", including less fantasy elements. He also described Final Fantasy XV as the darkest entry in the series, acknowledging that this atmosphere might narrow its target audience while feeling that the time was right for such characters.^[13] Nomura wanted to depict a story centered on a group of men traveling the world, much like that of a road movie. This approach was inspired by experiences from his youth, in which he often witnessed single-gender groups taking extended trips. Nomura also did not want the protagonists to be drawn together by a grand destiny, instead being natural friends confronted with bizarre and dangerous situations.^[14][15] To help convey the road movie theme, the team created towns featuring both strange and familiar elements, taking inspiration from the opening scenes of Back to the Future Part II.^[16]

The initial story themes were "misery" and "bonds", with all characters representing these themes through their actions and circumstances. It was intended to be a painful story that emphasized the power of friendship.^[17] The theme of bonds was represented in Final Fantasy XV by the relationships between Noctis and his comrades, as well as Noctis and his father, Regis.^[18] A key narrative element was Noctis' personal journey from prince to king.^[19] The original script was written by Kazushige Nojima, who described his story for Versus XIII as "Myth vs. Reality".^[20][21] When Versus XIII became FInal Fantasy XV, multiple aspects were changed. A scene that was removed was the original opening, in which Noctis met another character at a treaty-signing party, then had to escape Lucis when the forces of Niflheim attacked; those scenes were changed to have the group being away at the time of the invasion. However, other characters revealed during earlier trailers were retained and would have important roles in the story. When consulted over how his original draft could be reworked, Nojima said that he would be content as long as the overall concept remained faithful to the original. This gave the team the confidence to rework and realize the original story within XV.^[21] This rewriting was primarily done by Saori Itamuro, who was credited as "Lead Scenario Designer".^[22] The story takes place over a ten-year period, and the characters' appearances were altered as they aged: this bucked the trend of many similar JRPGs, with the team wanting to properly represent the characters growing through their journey.^[23] The game's opening depicts a scene late in the game; this approach was inspired by Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, which featured a conclusion linked to the original Final Fantasy VII. In both cases, the developers wanted players to experience a sequence of events leading up to a known conclusion.^[24] The ending was left deliberately ambiguous so that players could develop their own interpretations.^[11] For both Versus XIII and XV, game staff stated that it would likely be the saddest Final Fantasy story to date.^[1][25] Alongside the serious plot, several elements of light comedy were added as a counterbalance. A large amount of dialogue was conveyed using in-game conversations instead of cutscenes. Nomura also wanted the dialogue to sound "natural and not game-like or lofty".^[26]

Character design

In contrast to many previous Final Fantasy titles, the playable cast of XV is all male. This concept was chosen by Nomura from the outset, and agreed upon by Tabata despite some later reservations on his part. Women still have significant roles in the story, and Tabata noted in an interview that it is "not healthy to have a bias in genders".^[14] The game's main cast was designed by Nomura.^[1] The clothing for characters was designed by Hiromu Takahara, lead designer for Japanese fashion house Roen.^[1] Takahara's involvement principally came due to the detail needed for the costumes, which were inspired by western fashion: designing them himself would have been time-consuming for Nomura to do along with his other duties, which included designing characters for Final Fantasy XIII. He also wanted to continue to express the game's realism through the character outfits.^[27] The design trait for the main characters was "jet-black", while all the character clothing in the game utilized Roen's distinctive asymmetrical styling.^[1][28] Roen's designs were kept in the game when it became XV, as the team felt it would be wrong to remove them.^[25] The changeover from Versus XIII to XV resulted in the redesign of characters such as Regis, and the replacement of the previous main heroine Stella with the similarly-named Lunafreya.^[21][29] A result of the shift onto new hardware was that the art style moved away from the "stylized" look required by earlier hardware limitations.^[30] To help maximize the realism of the characters, their hair was first created by a hairstylist using a mannequin's wig, then rendered into the game using the technology of the Luminous Studio engine. The same technique was used for Agni's Philosophy, the engine's demo at E3 2012.^[31]

The characters of Ardyn, Gentiana, Iris, Aranea, Umbra, Cindy, Cid, and Verstael were all designed by Roberto Ferrari, who had previously done work on Type-0 and was involved with the project from its earlier development as Versus XIII. These designs were completed by 2010, when the project was still known as Versus XIII.^[32][33] Ferrari was brought on board the project in 2010 after an unidentified female designer resigned from the project as her art was repeatedly rejected by the developers.^[34] The change and subsequent alterations to the game's content meant that many of Ferrari's character designs went unused, something he was openly frustrated about as he considered these unseen characters more visually striking than his surviving designs.^[33] Many of his surviving character designs were altered during later development, including those for Gentiana and Umbra. Ardyn and Aranea remained mostly unchanged.^[34] Another contributing artist was Yusaku Nakaaki, who helped design the character Cindy.^[35]

Localization

Final Japanese voice casting for the game began in 2010.^[36] The English localization of XV was led by Dan Inoue.^[37] One of the aspects of the localization was using different accents to show the characters originating from different regions of the world: a cited example was Ignis, who spoke with a British accent while the other main characters spoke with an American accent.^[38] One of the early issues—which drew public attention with the release of Episode Duscae—was Noctis's voice in the English dub; it was pitched rather low, making the character seem older and less energetic than his Japanese counterpart. This was explained as being due to tight scheduling removing the opportunity for Tabata to catch the issue and re-record before it was time for release. After Episode Duscae, the voice work was redone to better convey Noctis's personality.^[39] Different issues raised later included Ignis's localized lines, which changed aspects of the character interaction, and the alteration of Cindy's name from the original "Cidney".^[37] In an interview with Famitsu during Gamescom, Tabata revealed that the main reason for the delays in XV's release were related to the game's localization and debugging, as the team wanted to bring the game out in the west close to its Japanese release.^[6] In addition to being released with French and German dubs and text translation for those respective regions, it was also localized for Latin America with Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese text: this was the first time a Final Fantasy title was localized into these languages.^[40]

Main characters

Noctis Lucis Caelum

Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Japanese); Ray Chase (English)^[41][42]

Young Noctis

Voiced by: Miyuki Satō (Japanese); Hyrum Hansen (English)^[41][42]

Noctis Lucis Caelum (ノクティス・ルシス・チェラム, Nokutisu Rushisu Cheramu) is the protagonist and sole playable character of XV. The crown prince and protector of Lucis, he was chosen by the Crystal as the legendary True King when he was five years old. At the game's beginning, he is en route to the city of Altissia for his arranged marriage with Lunafreya when he receives the news of Lucis's invasion by Niflheim.^[43]

Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII

Voiced by: Tsutomu Isobe (Japanese); Jim Pirri (English, XV);^[41] Sean Bean (English, Kingsglaive)^[42]

Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII (レギス・ルシス・チェラム113世, Regisu Rushisu Cheramu Hyakujūsansei) is the king of Lucis and Noctis's father, being a key character in Final Fantasy XV and Brotherhood, and one of the main protagonists of Kingsglaive. As the ruling king of Lucis, he safeguards the Crystal and protects Insomnia using a magical barrier called the Wall using the hereditary Ring of the Lucii. Maintaining the Wall drains Regis of his life energy, causing him to age rapidly.^[44][45] In Brotherhood, it is revealed that Regis fought off the Daemon that almost killed Noctis, but the two become distanced as Regis begins to weaken due to the Wall's energy demands.^[46][47][48] During the events of Kingsglaive, Regis accepts Niflheim's offer of peace despite knowing it is a trap, and later fights until the Ring of the Lucii is cut from his hand by Niflheim's General Glauca. While rescued by Lunafreya and Kingsglaive member Nyx Ulric, he stays behind and dies in his final battle with Glauca.^[49] In Final Fantasy XV, Regis sent Noctis away from Insomnia so he would not be caught in the chaos, hoping Noctis would fulfill his destiny as the Chosen King.^[50] Regis reappears as one of the Lucii—the spirits of past Lucian kings bound to the Ring of the Lucii—when Noctis sacrifices himself to end the Starscourge and destroy Ardyn, delivering the final blow that kills Noctis.^[51]

A character carried over from Versus XIII, Regis underwent a major redesign during development, becoming an older character in appearance. This was due to Regis's expanding role in Kingsglaive and the new technology available. The development team wanted to create a more expressive character and aged him to properly convey his stature as a king. Due to this, his in-game incarnation was redesigned to better fit with his portrayal in Kingsglaive.^[29] The redesign was also chosen as his original design no longer fit into the reworked story of Final Fantasy XV.^[52] As with the rest of Lucis' royalty, he is dressed in black due to its specific significance.^[53] Regis' motion capture and physical model were provided by British actor Jon Campling.^[54]

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret

When the transition was made from Versus XIII to XV, multiple story elements and characters were changed or removed. One of the major changes was the replacement of Stella Nox Fleuret (above) with the similarly-named Lunafreya (below) as the main heroine.^[21]

Voiced by: Rina Kitagawa (Japanese); Amy Shiels (English) (XV)^[41]

Voiced by: Shiori Kutsuna (Japanese); Lena Headey (English) (Kingsglaive)^[42]

Young Lunafreya

Voiced by: Liliana Chomsky (English)^[41][42]

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret (ルナフレーナ・ノックス・フルーレ, Runafurēna Nokkusu Furūre, Lunafrena Nox Fleuret), "Luna" (ルーナ, Rūna) for short, is the main heroine of Final Fantasy XV and Kingsglaive, and one of the central figures in Noctis' journey.^[11][55] A princess of the royal family of Tenebrae, Lunafreya forms an early connection with Noctis when her mother, Queen Sylva, cures him of a Starscourge infection.^[11] During Noctis' stay, Lunafreya tells him of his role as the True King who will save Eos, and her future role as Oracle acting in support of him.^[56] Following the death of Sylva during Niflheim's attempted assassination of Regis and Noctis, Lunafreya becomes the youngest Oracle in history, her position granting limited autonomy to Tenebrae.^[11][45] During the events of Kingsglaive, Lunafreya unsuccessfully attempts to reach Noctis and Regis, then becomes central to Niflheim's infiltration and eventual invasion of Lucis's capital Insomnia. Lunafreya escapes with the Ring of the Lucii as both Regis and Kingsglaive member Nyx Ulric sacrifice themselves to ensure her safe escape.^[49] Lunafreya then travels ahead of Noctis, waking the Astrals and preparing Noctis' covenants with them while guiding him through her companion Gentiana.^[56][57] After successfully awakening the Astral Leviathan, she is fatally stabbed by Ardyn, managing to give the Ring of the Lucii to Noctis before dying.^[58] It is later revealed that her covenants with the Astrals were slowly killing her, and she had been counting on her brother Ravus to finish what she started.^[59] Lunafreya continues to support Noctis in spirit form, aiding him directly in his final confrontation with Ardyn in the afterlife. She then reunites with Noctis.^[51][59]

Lunafreya's place in XV was originally held by the similarly-named Stella Nox Fleuret (ステラ・ノックス・フルーレ, Sutera Nokkusu Furūre), the main female protagonist of Versus XIII.^[21] The relationship between Stella and Noctis was originally designed to be platonic rather than romantic, as Nomura felt a preference towards portraying a different kind of relationship between male and female protagonists. He also wanted to make her the first female character to "stand out from all previous [Final Fantasy heroines]".^[60] A key scene for Stella was the meeting and conversation with Noctis during the game's opening.^[61] While Nomura deliberately designed her against his usual tastes, he grew fond of her design over the years. Stella's design underwent alterations between 2011 and 2013, mainly to make her more beautiful.^[28] She was intended to be a very polite person, with that politeness conveyed through specific dialogue traits in her speech.^[62] During the transition from Versus XIII to XV, the developers envisioned a different type of heroine which did not fit with Stella's original role, but Stella was already known to and expected by fans who had followed the game's development.^[30] Stella was initially redesigned to play a more active role in the story, but Tabata was uncomfortable about this.^[63] Faced with the scenario of fans being disappointed if Stella's personality or role were changed, the developers instead opted to replace her entirely.^[30]

Stella's replacement Lunafreya was conceived by Tabata; he wanted a heroine who would properly portray the darker and more somber elements of the rewritten story of Final Fantasy XV.^[63] Lunafreya was described as the "keystone" linking the narratives of Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive and Brotherhood.^[55] While she did not have an active role in Kingsglaive, her character strength was conveyed through a single-minded determination.^[64] During the design process, it was decided that Lunafreya would assume and accept responsibility from a young age, putting her in direct contrast with Noctis; this required Lunafreya to be older than Noctis, which influenced elements of her character design.^[65] According to Tabata, the relationship between Noctis and Lunafreya was not a typical love story despite their being engaged.^[66] He also defined Lunafreya's personality as being stronger than either Stella or Noctis.^[67] Lunafreya was designed by Naora.^[68] Her appearance was defined by Tabata as "strong and heroic", which would be conveyed by her expressions and actions.^[65] Lunafreya was designed to give off the look of a strong-willed woman. To achieve this, the designers focused on the shape of her eyes and mouth, blending her appearance in Final Fantasy XV with that in Kingsglaive so she could project an air of grace and strength even when standing still. Her expressions reflected a notably wide range of emotions born from her goals, which resulted in her expression being "serious and somewhat sad".^[65] To convey Lunafreya's strong will and her high-born status through her appearance, Naora consulted a professional hairstylist and makeup artist; the way makeup was applied to her eyes and mouth was changed accordingly, and her hairstyle was done to resemble "something that would require the assistance of a handmaiden". Care was taken not to make her too prim, so that players could relate more to her.^[68]

Gladiolus Amicitia

Voiced by: Kenta Miyake (Japanese); Chris Parson (English)^[41][42]

Gladiolus Amicitia (グラディオラス・アミシティア, Guradiorasu Amishitia) is the eldest son of a noble family pledged to the protection of the Lucian royal family. While he acts as Noctis's guardian as tradition demands, his bond with Noctis is more akin to that between brothers.^[43][69] During their youth, Gladiolus disliked Noctis due to the latter's cold attitude, but warmed to him when Noctis kept Gladiolus' sister Iris out of trouble.^[70] During the course of the story, Gladiolus serves as both Noctis' most loyal companion and a foil for his impulsive nature.^[57] He is briefly demoralized when he is easily defeated by Ravus, and during the events of Episode Gladiolus proves himself to the first King's Shield Gilgamesh and regains his faith in his role as Noctis' King's Shield.^[56][71][72] The events at Altissia and Ignis' injury drive a brief wedge between Gladiolus and Noctis until Ignis forces a reconciliation.^[73][74] Gladiolus and Ignis later make their way through the Niflheim fortress Zegnautus Keep after being separated from Noctis, encountering the Daemon form of Emperor Aldercapt and seeing footage of Ravus' death.^[75] Gladiolus, along with Noctis' other companions, become Daemon Hunters until his return, and accompanies him to the final battle against Ardyn.^[51]

Gladiolus' design and role was established from an early stage: as the King's Shield, he was more than a part of Noctis' entourage, having trained all his life to protect and at times chastise the current Lucian king. With this in mind, he was given a muscular design and an outspoken personality, with his other hobbies and quirks fitted in around that.^[76] Gladiolus's original design was dubbed a "straight muscleman" by Naora, but was redesigned to appear more intellectual for Final Fantasy XV. His eyes were also narrowed to give him a "sultry gaze off into the distance". For the musculature of his chest and midriff, which was designed to appear realistic and in keeping with his lifelong training, martial artists and other similar real-life figures were used as references.^[68][76] As with the rest of the party, he is dressed in black due to its specific significance to the Lucian royal family.^[53] When deciding upon Gladiolus' English vocal performance, Inoue's guideline was to make him sound like a young version of John McClane, the main protagonist of the Die Hard film series.^[77]

Ignis Scientia

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese); Adam Croasdell (English)^[41][42]

Ignis Scientia (イグニス・スキエンティア, Igunisu Sukientia) is a man raised alongside Noctis to be his advisor. Provided with an extensive education, he developed a collected composure and tactical instinct.^[43][69] Ignis acts as Noctis' confidant and helper, forming a deep connection to Noctis during their youth when Noctis begins realizing his eventual fate of becoming Lucis' king.^[47] Ignis ends up severely wounded during the Covenant ceremony with Leviathan; while most of his injuries heal, he is left permanently blind. His blindness causes tension within the group until he forces a reconciliation.^[73][74] Ignis and Gladiolus later make their way through the Niflheim fortress Zegnautus Keep after being separated from Noctis, encountering the Daemon form of Emperor Aldercapt and seeing footage of Ravus' death.^[75] Ignis, along with Noctis' other companions, become Daemon Hunters until his return, and accompanies him to the final battle against Ardyn.^[51]

Ignis' personality was designed to be expressed in both his looks, the way he spoke, and his gestures. His role as the party's cook came about when considering which among them would be most likely to take up that duty. His cooking skills are explained in-game to exchanges with Noctis during their early lives.^[78] Out of the main cast, Ignis went through the least changes despite the technological improvements during the shift between Versus XIII and Final Fantasy XV. To reflect his position as Noctis's protector from a young age, he was made to look more toned and his musculature was developed, particularly around the neck. Care was taken to retain his intellectual look.^[68] As with the rest of the party, he is dressed in black due to its specific significance to the Lucian royal family.^[53] For Ignis' English version, Inoue wrote him to be a suave and logical character like a younger version of James Bond or Sherlock Holmes.^[77]

Prompto Argentum

Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara (Japanese); Robbie Daymond (English)^[41][42]

Young Prompto

Voiced by: Aki Kanada (Japanese); Griffin Burns (English)^[79][80]

Prompto Argentum (プロンプト・アージェンタム, Puronputo Ājentamu) is a friend of Noctis from a lower-class family, dating back to their teenage years. On their journey, Prompto acts to lighten the atmosphere of the party, taking on burdens for others and lifting their spirits with his antics.^[43][69] Initially a shy and obese child when he first met Noctis at school, a chance encounter with an injured Pryna prompts Lunafreya to ask him to be Noctis' friend—Prompto slims down and builds up his confidence, ending up firm friends with Noctis when they meet in high school.^[81] During their journey to Niflheim, Ardyn tricks Noctis into knocking Prompto from the train, leading to his capture by Niflheim's forces.^[74] Upon being found, Prompto reveals that he is actually from Niflheim, a baby designed to become a Magitek soldier but was spirited away to Lucis.^[75] Prompto, along with Noctis' other companions, become Daemon Hunters until his return, and accompanies him to the final battle against Ardyn.^[51]

A major element of Prompto's character is his humble origins when compared to Gladiolus and Ignis, expressing this in his words and actions.^[82] Prompto's facial features and hairstyle underwent multiple redesigns, the more recent ones based on negative feedback from fans, so that he would have international appeal.^[83] As with the rest of the party, he is dressed in black due to its specific significance to the Lucian royal family.^[53] The character was initially unpopular with series fans, so the team designed Prompto's photography hobby—and its subsequent gameplay and story interactions—as a way of making him useful and enabling each player to chronicle their journey through the game.^[30] Tabata later defined Prompto's camera as a manifestation of Prompto's wish to record Noctis and Lunafreya's journey.^[82] Prompto proved to be the starting point for Brotherhood, as producer Akio Ofuji conceived the series based around wanting to expand upon a backstory created by staff surrounding his difficult childhood.^[84] For Prompto's English performance, Inoue based him on the titular protagonist of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.^[77]

Ardyn Izunia

Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese); Darin De Paul (English)^[41][42]

Ardyn Izunia (アーデン・イズニア, Āden Izunia) is the main antagonist of XV. He is introduced as the Imperial Chancellor and one of the most powerful figures in Niflheim, acting as the main political force running the empire and the one responsible for its most recent Magitek technology.^[85] His true name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum (アーデン・ルシス・チェラム, Āden Rushisu Cheramu), a healer and one of the first kings of Lucis. Originally chosen by the Crystal as the True King, he saved people from the Starscourge by absorbing it into his body, only to be ostracized by the people and denounced by the Astrals as impure, forcing him into hiding. Rendered immortal due to the Starscourge and supplanted as the Crystal's chosen by Noctis' ancestor, Ardyn swore revenge against the royal bloodline and the Crystal, taking on the name "Izunia".^[75] Meeting up with Noctis early in his journey, he initially aids Noctis on his quest to form covenants with the Astrals.^[56][86][87] Ardyn later fatally wounds Lunafreya after she summons Leviathan. He later torments Noctis by tricking him into throwing Prompto from the train they travel on, then continuing to taunt Noctis as he travels through Zegnautus Keep.^[74][75] Ardyn then allows the Starscourge to overrun Eos during the next ten years, and when Noctis arrives to confront him he first summons the rogue Astral Ifrit before challenging Noctis to single combat. After Ardyn is killed, his spirit is destroyed by Noctis and the combined power of the Lucii.^[51]

Ardyn was created in 2010 while the game was still titled Versus XIII following the deletion of another character, a Niflheim officer called Safay Roth.^[11][32] According to Tabata, Ardyn is an unusual antagonist within the Final Fantasy series as he actively helps Noctis through his quest, even though it ultimately serves his desire for revenge. Both Tabata and Itamuro called Ardyn a character driven by his hatred of the Lucian royal line, with everything in his life serving his quest for revenge and his wish to torment Noctis.^[88] Ardyn was designed by Roberto Ferrari, remaining nearly unchanged throughout development;^[32] his design stood out from the other cast members', with one notable feature being the fedora he wore. He is described by the staff as "an interesting and strange character", with a unique personality and using his attire to express it, comparing it to the outfit of Kefka Palazzo, the main antagonist of Final Fantasy VI.^[29] His red hair color was chosen because his Japanese voice actor, Keiji Fujiwara, had previously voiced red-haired characters Reno from Final Fantasy VII and Axel from the Kingdom Hearts series.^[26]

Other characters

Iedolas Aldercapt

Voiced by: Shōzō Iizuka (Japanese); Bob Joles (English, XV);^[41] David Gant (English, Kingsglaive)^[42]

Iedolas Aldercapt (イドラ・エルダーキャプト, Idora Erudākyaputo) is the emperor of Niflheim and an antagonist in XV. At the game's beginning he has withdrawn from frontline politics, delegating the task of administrating his empire to his chancellor Ardyn. Nevertheless, he retains an active role within Niflheim's political scene.^[85] Aldercapt is depicted as being hungry for power, seeing the Crystal as a prize and his possession of it a symbol of his control over the nations of Eos. This makes it easy for Ardyn to manipulate him into starting the war. When the party arrives in the imperial capital of Gralea, they find that Ardyn has transformed Aldercapt into Foras, a gargoyle-like Daemon. Nevertheless, Aldercapt's desire for the Crystal remains, and he claims it as his own even as the party defeats him.

Ravus Nox Fleuret

Voiced by: Yūichi Nakamura (Japanese); Trevor Devall (English)^[41][42]

Young Ravus

Voiced by: Zachary Gordon (English)^[42]

Ravus Nox Fleuret (レイヴス・ノックス・フルーレ, Reivusu Nokkusu Furūre) is Lunafreya's older brother and a former prince of Tenebrae. He bears a grudge against Lucis and the Caelum dynasty for abandoning his homeland, joining the imperial army in order to exact his revenge. During the events of Kingsglaive, Ravus attends the treaty-signing as part of Niflheim's delegation, subsequently participating in the empire's invasion of Lucis. He attempts to wield the Ring of the Lucii, but it rejects him and burns his arm.^[49] Upon the death of General Glauca, Ravus is promoted to high commander of Niflheim's armies, with his maimed arm replaced by a Magitek prosthesis.^[11] While appearing antagonistic, it is revealed that he merely deemed Noctis unworthy and resented the fact that Lunafreya's work on his behalf was killing her.^[59] After Lunafreya asks him to give Noctis Regis' sword, Ravus rebels against the empire and is sentenced to death for both this and his failure to contain the summoning of Leviathan, witnessing Niflheim's capital Gralea falling to Daemons. He is then killed and resurrected as a Daemon by Ardyn, before being defeated by the party.^[58][75]

Verstael Besithia

Voiced by: Jin Urayama (Japanese); Steve Blum (English)^[80]

Verstael Besithia (ヴァーサタイル・べスティア, Vāsatairu Besutia) is the head researcher of Niflheim, and the biological father of Prompto.^[11] Under the auspices of Ardyn, he developed the technology that would give rise to the imperial Magitek army. He is seen persuading Emperor Aldercapt to capture Lunafreya alive, seeing use in her link to the Astrals.^[87] In Episode: Prompto, released on 26 June 2017, it is revealed that the entire Magitek Army consists of humans cloned from his genes and infected with the Starscourge, and Prompto is one of them, albeit one who was ultimately not daemonized and turned into a soldier for Niflheim.

Cor Leonis

Voiced by: Hiroki Tōchi (Japanese); Matthew Mercer (English)^[41]

Cor Leonis (コル・リオニス, Koru Rionisu), known as "the Immortal General" (不死将軍, Fushi Shōgun),^[69][45] is a guest character in XV.^[89] The Marshal of the Crownsguard and a famous warrior of Lucis, he follows the party in order to protect the prince and his group, occasionally joining them in battle.^[69][90] He fought alongside King Regis against the forces of Niflheim in his youth. While Cor initially assists the party by organising the search for tombs holding the Royal Arms, he is later referred to as suspending the search to assist the hunters in dealing with particularly difficult Daemons. He admits to Noctis that he struggles to deal with his failure to protect King Regis, and is last seen sitting alone, implying that he leaves the Crownsguard. In Episode Gladiolus, it is revealed that he was the sole human to fight Gilgamesh and escape with his life, which earned him his moniker.^[72]

Cor was one of the characters created for Versus XIII, initially designed as the fifth permanent playable character who joined the group during the course of the game. When transitioning from Versus XIII to Final Fantasy XV, Cor was retained, but his role was reduced to a guest character and mentor figure for the group. This was because the team decided to focus on the dynamics within the core group of similarly-aged men rather than have an older man changing that dynamic. His character went otherwise unchanged.^[30] Cor's Japanese voice actor, Hiroki Tōchi, was originally cast as Noctis's chauffeur in Versus XIII before its transition to Final Fantasy XV.^[69]

Gentiana

Voiced by: Sayaka Kinoshita (Japanese); Renee Faia (English)^[79]

Gentiana (ゲンティアナ, Gentiana) is a non-playable character who serves as Lunafreya's lady-in-waiting.^[91] She plays an important role in the game;^[92][93] where Lunafreya, as Oracle, speaks to the Astrals so that they may know the will of the people, Gentiana acts as Messenger, speaking to the people—through Lunafreya—so that they may know the will of the Astrals. Gentiana is ultimately revealed to be the human form of the Astral Shiva.

Iris Amicitia

Voiced by: Megumi Han (Japanese); Eden Riegel (English)^[41]

Iris Amicitia (イリス・アミシティア, Irisu Amishitia) is a guest character in XV.^[89] The younger sister of Gladiolus and a childhood friend of Noctis and Ignis, she escaped Insomnia during Niflheim's invasion, taking refuge in Lestallum.^[94] Iris is depicted as having a carefree attitude and is close to all four of the party members; particularly Noctis, whom she is implied to have a crush on. While Gladiolus is very protective of her, he acknowledges that she is capable of taking care of herself. Following Ardyn's conquest of the world and Eos' descent into eternal night, Iris becomes one of the most notorious Daemon hunters in the world, being dubbed "the Daemon Slayer".^[51]

Cid and Cindy

Cid Sophiar

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Katsube (Japanese); Jack Angel (English)^[41]

Cindy Aurum

Voiced by: Yū Shimamura (Japanese); Erin Matthews (English)^[41]

Cid Sophiar (シド・ソフィア, Shido Sofia) and his granddaughter Cindy Aurum (シドニー・オールム, Shidonī Ōrumu, "Cidney"^[95]) are supporting characters who act as mechanics for Noctis's car. In his youth, Cid fought alongside Regis and Cor against the forces of Niflheim.^[45]

Cindy was designed by designers Roberto Ferrari and Yusaku Nakaaki, among others.^[39][35] A character crucial to the story and gameplay, Cindy was first introduced in the Episode Duscae demo. Tabata described her as "the kind of girl who is very good at dealing with men".^[96] In response to negative comments about her appearance in player feedback for Episode Duscae, Nakaaki stated she had not been deliberately sexualized, but that the team had perhaps put too much "heart and soul" into her design. They chose to make adjustments so players would be more comfortable with her.^[39] Originally, Cindy's breasts jiggled so much that Tabata had to ask the team to tone it down.^[97]

Aranea Highwind

Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese); Kari Wahlgren (English)^[41]

Aranea Highwind (アラネア・ハイウィンド, Aranea Haiuindo) is the captain of the Third Army Z-Corps 87th Airborne Units, a group of Daemon hunters and mercenaries employed by Niflheim. Due to her prowess in aerial combat, she is known as "the Dragoon".^[85] Over the course of the story, she becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the empire's actions—particularly in capturing Daemons for experimentation—and ultimately cuts her ties to them, instead using her resources to aid refugees.

Aranea was designed by Roberto Ferrari.^[33] Compared to other characters, Aranea—who was designed in mid-2010—underwent very few changes during the game's development. The only notable change was to her weapon, which was altered as it was deemed unsuitable. Two characters closely connected to her, Biggs and Wedge, originally had major roles with unique designs: they were eventually reduced to a minor role with Niflheim NPC character models.^[32]

Nyx Ulric

Voiced by: Gō Ayano (Japanese); Aaron Paul (English)^[42]

Nyx Ulric (ニックス・ウリック, Nikkusu Urikku) is the main protagonist of Kingsglaive, and a member of the titular elite guard that defends Lucis from the invading forces of Niflheim. In his youth, he lost his mother and sister when his hometown of Galahd was conquered by the empire, and was rescued by King Regis; as a result Nyx develops a fierce loyalty to him.^[98] During the events of Kingsglaive, Nyx is appointed as Lunafreya's protector, which leads him to discover Niflheim's plot to invade Insomnia; he subsequently sacrifices himself to allow Lunafreya to escape, when he wields the Ring of the Lucii at the cost of his life.

Reception

Gladiolus' relationship with the rest of the party members was praised for its portrayal of male bonding.^[99] He has been described as the "big brother" of the group and as "a man who knows exactly where his place is in the world and embraces it".^[100] Favorable reception also went to the fact he challenges gender roles by expressing emotion and adoration to his teammates, as well as being a healer.^[101]

Ignis has been given the 2016 Best Sidekick of the Year award from Game Informer, who cited "...the multifaceted ways he helps the group and the sacrifices he makes to ensure their journey is successful" as their reasoning for their choice.^[102] Ignis also came in second in USGamer's Best Sidekick of the Year award; USGamer's Kat Bailey, in her reasoning for nominating Ignis for Sidekick of the Year, said that "...Ignis still makes his mark in the latter part of the story. In fact, the turn his character takes and the effect that it has on the party is ultimately why I think he's the most significant of Final Fantasy XV's secondary characters."^[103]

Cultural impact

There has been an internet meme focused on Noctis and his friends in the Regalia looking at photoshopped images. Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto found it comical and motivated fans to produce more in order to increase people's interest in Final Fantasy XV.^[104]

References

External links

• Final Fantasy XV - Characters (in Japanese)