Zidane Tribal - Final Fantasy
Zidane Tribal is the main protagonist of the role-playing game Final Fantasy IX , developed by Carré and released for the PlayStation in 2000. In the game, players follow Zidane Tribal, Garnet, and a growing group of characters as they attempt to defeat Queen Brahne of Alexandria, who has sparked a war between the kingdoms.
Zidane Tribal was designed by Toshiyuki Itahana and Yoshitaka Amano . Since his appearance in Final Fantasy IX , Tribal has inspired fan art , made appearances in spin-off games , and given rise to merchandise , including a silver Zidane pendant with a yellow gem marking Final Fantasy's 30th anniversary campaign. He has been recreated in several different figures. Since his debut, Zidane has also played roles in Dissidia Final Fantasy , Opera Omnia, Theatrical Rhythm, Record Keeper, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius , and other titles.
Appearance and personality
Zidane has layered blond hair tied into a short ponytail, teal eyes, and a prehensile tail that resembles and acts like a monkey's tail. He is also short but has a muscular build. Zidane wears a white shirt and a short teal vest, along with blue pants and a beige belt. He is also often seen wearing green gloves with blue cuffs and boots the same shade of green. On his hip, he carries a brown scabbard that contains a dagger. Zidane Tribal is a true ladies' man and always seems to be dreaming of women. However, he becomes serious when duty calls. Generally, he is a laid-back and relaxed character. While often confident and cheerful, he also has insecurities about his past and often tries to hide his loneliness and internal problems from others. He is generally motivated and positive, but sometimes questions his existence when he finds himself alone in depressive and lonely states.
Creation and history
Zidane is capable of wielding two different types of weapons in Final Fantasy IX : daggers, which he is often seen wielding with both hands, and thief swords—larger, double-bladed weapons also known as swallow blades. He is also a member of the thief class, an unusual trait for a story protagonist. This class allows him to steal items that enemies carry into battle. This contrasts sharply with the protagonists of other recent Final Fantasy games, as characters like Cloud Strife and Gale Leonhart are seen wielding giant swords. Zidane was first designed by Hironobu Sakaguchi and was meant to be a largely carefree spirit whose most notable trait was that he liked girls.
Zidane fits into the complicated plot of Final Fantasy IX. In the game, the Terrans (a race of beings) realized their planet was on the verge of death, and they chose Garland to find a suitable replacement planet. The Terrans eventually merged their planet with Gaia and left their bodies behind, transferring their souls to Garland's castle, known as Pandemonium. Garland was supposed to watch over Pandemonium until the fusion of the planets was complete; however, it was a massive failure, leading to a complex series of events. Eventually, Garland conceived Zidane Tribal as an "Angel of Death" and became a member of the Genome race to replace Kuja and save the souls of Pandemonium, Gaia, Terra, and the world at large. Kuja becomes extremely jealous of Zidane and eventually becomes the game's main antagonist. He is a cruel, narcissistic, and overall despicable character. He eventually confronts Zidane and the rest of his group on Terra after having already fought Garland. Zidane's group consists of several bandits and himself who call themselves Tantalus and claim to be a traveling theater troupe.
Reception
Michel S. Beaulieu, a contributor to the book Final Fantasy and Philosophy: The Ultimate Walkthrough, describes Zidane as a revolutionary who fights against Queen Brahne's elite class. A book titled The Video Game Theory Reader claims that Tribal was rather feminized, citing his girlish clothing, stature, hair, and other obvious feminine characteristics as evidence. It has been suggested that he might be more difficult for straight players to identify with and easier for gay players to identify with. However, as Zidane develops feelings for the female protagonist Garnet, he is seen as more normal and conventional.
GamesRadar stated that Zidane and Garnet's relationship was terrible, as their looks and chemistry didn't seem to mesh at all. Zidane Tribal was ranked as one of the best Final Fantasy heroes in the entire series, and that his personality stood in stark contrast to "uptight anti-heroes" like Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII and Gale Leonhart in Final Fantasy VIII . GameZone ranked him as the seventh best character in the franchise for his positive and outgoing personality, which set him apart from previous Final Fantasy heroes.
