is a video game character in the Final Fantasy series and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy IX. He was conceived and written by Hironobu Sakaguchi, while his appearance was designed by Shuko Murase and Hideo Minaba. Like other members of the Final Fantasy IX cast, but unlike characters of previous Final Fantasy games, Zidane was designed after the plot for the game was written. Presented as a charming, puckish character, Zidane has an outgoing, seemingly self-confident and flirty personality whose mixture of bawdiness and a devil-may-care attitude helps put danger into perspective.
Zidane has appeared in the Dissidia Final Fantasy spin-off series, and in smaller roles in various spin-off Final Fantasy and crossover games. While some sources have criticized Final Fantasy IX's art style and the visual design of its characters, Zidane is mostly well received, particularly in Japan, where he is rated as one of the most popular Final Fantasy characters in fan polls. Various sources have commented on Zidane's characterization being a departure from prior Final Fantasy protagonists, who are known for being moody, as well as his relationship with Garnet, while criticism was focused on his inconsistent character arc.
Concept and creation Zidane, along with other characters, was designed after the creation of Final Fantasy IXs plot, unlike its predecessors, VII and VIII, which had its protagonists created before the story. He was one of the original three characters revealed, along with Vivi and Steiner. He was conceived and written by Hironobu Sakaguchi, while his appearance was designed by Yoshitaka Amano and re-interpreted by Toshiyuki Itahana. Both Zidane and Vivi's size and age were less than that of the characters from VII and VIII. Zidane's womanizing aspect was designed by Hiroyuki Ito. Sakaguchi described him as a person who "likes girls and doesn't care for much", lacking any real objective and being carefree, but a key character nonetheless. Kazuhiko Aoki regrets not developing how Zidane is afflicted by the difference in social status between him and Garnet, illustrating the breakdown of relations with the nobles in Treno due to their disapproval of Zidane and Garnet's relationship, Zidane butting up against the social confines he faces and the incredible power Garnet holds as royalty, and how Zidane gets back up on his feet despite everything. Aoki believes that he should have helped the team more to properly develop Zidane's characterization.
Zidane has shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a monkey-like tail that has prehensile capabilities, as seen in game when Zidane hangs from his tail to evade Steiner. He can either use two daggers or a single swallow-blade as weapons. In trance form, Zidane's hair becomes longer, and his clothing is replaced with pink fur. Zidane is identified as a thief, and has the unique ability to steal items from enemies. As he is considered the main character of Final Fantasy IX, the stealing mechanic was made more important than in previous games, meaning that players have ample opportunity to acquire valuable items earlier than normal through stealing them from enemies.
He was redesigned by Tetsuya Nomura in the video game Dissidia Final Fantasy. As downloadable content, Nomura readapted Zidane's black clothing from the ending of Final Fantasy IX as an alternative costume. He is voiced by Romi Park and Bryce Papenbrook in the Japanese and English versions of Dissidia respectively. Papenbrook described Zidane as a "really really fun character". In particular, he enjoys voicing Zidane as, during his childhood, he used to play the Final Fantasy games as well as the Square Enix game Bravely Default. For Dissdiia NT, he particularly aims to bring a feeling of sassiness in his lines while calling him "snarky" due to his womanizing traits. He was glad during a convention where he met a cosplayer of Zidane who expressed satisfaction with his performance in his games.
Appearances Final Fantasy IX
Zidane first appears in the video game Final Fantasy IX as one of its protagonists. Prior to the events of the game, an orphaned Zidane leaves his adoptive father Baku to search for his real home, his only memory being a blue light.Zidane: "Once upon a time... ...there was a man. There was a man who didn't know where he came from..." / Dagger: "...Zidane?" / Zidane: "This man had longed to find his birthplace ever since he was a small child. His birthplace. A place he only remembered in his dreams..." / Dagger: "Why...?" / Zidane: "He wanted to know more about himself, maybe. About his place, the house where he was born... One day, the man left the home of his adoptive father and went on a quest to find the answer. His only clue was the blue light he saw in his dreams..." Unsuccessful in his search, he returns to Baku and rejoins Tantalus, his troupe of performers and criminals.Zidane: "Hey, you're jumping ahead. A lot of things happened along the way. Alright, we can skip ahead... No, he never found it. How could he? His only clue was a colored light. So he went back to the home of his adoptive father... What do you think his father did when he came home?"
At the age of sixteen, he becomes involved in Baku's scheme to kidnap Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, fomented by Regent Cid Fabool VIII of Lindblum in order to distance Garnet from her increasingly hawkish adoptive mother, Queen Brahne of Alexandria.Regent Cid: "I once promised your father, that should anything happen, I would protect you. We've known about the disturbances in Alexandria for some time. But had we acted directly, it would've started a war. So, I asked Baku for help. He and I go way back. The play was the perfect cover to enter Alexandria and get you out. No one would suspect Lindblum was behind it. We were forced to take action, because we knew Alexandria would never seek our help. I'm relieved we were able to get you here." Zidane and his cohorts travel to the kingdom of Alexandria aboard the airship Prima Vista, ostensibly to perform a theatre play as a part of their plot to kidnap Princess Garnet.
While the rest of the crew is performing the play "I Want to be Your Canary" before Queen Brahne and her citizens, Zidane uses the cover to sneak in and attempt to kidnap Garnet. He first encounters her when she tries to sneak out of the palace herself, and, at her request, promises to do his best to kidnap her.Hooded Girl: "As you have no doubt suspected... ...the truth is that... I am actually... Princess Garnet Til Alexandros, heir to the throne of Alexandria. I have a favor I wish to ask of you... I wish to be kidnapped...right away."Zidane: "Alright then, Your Highness! I shall hereby do my best to kidnap you!" As the crew escapes from the castle aboard the Prima Vista with Garnet, the Queen's forces damage the airship, causing Zidane and his crew, along with Garnet, her stowaway bodyguard Adelbert Steiner, and the black mage Vivi, to crash-land into a magical forest full of monsters. They embark on a world-spanning adventure involving war, subterfuge, magical crystals, summoned monsters, and clones.
Zidane takes a liking to Garnet and does not hesitate to flirt with her throughout the game, much to Steiner's dismay. His dagger became the inspiration for Princess Garnet's chosen alias for herself.Garnet: "Stop it, you two! ...Steiner, I do not intend to return to the castle. And I do see Zidane's point. I need a new name... Zidane... What is this called?" Zidane: "That? That's a dagger. All knives of that length are called daggers. Short swords are a bit longer. The big sword you hold with both hands is called a broadsword. And..." Garnet: "Oh, okay... I understand now. So this is called a 'dagger'..." Steiner: "Princess! It's a weapon! Please be careful." Garnet: "I've decided! From now on, my name is..." Zidane adapts to his role as party leader, his charisma and personality drawing in many characters throughout the game: Eiko joins the party after becoming infatuated with him, and his rival Amarant joins the party out of curiosity following his defeat by Zidane.Red-headed Man: "What are you after?" / Zidane: "Follow me and maybe you'll understand. Besides, you're pretty good in a fight. We could use someone like you. We're hunting a man down." / Red-headed Man: (Hmph. His only constant is his unpredictability...) / Zidane: "Huh? You say something'?" / Red-headed Man: "Very well. I'll find out what makes you so strong."
Later in the game, the true reason for Zidane's existence is revealed: he is a Genome, an artificially cloned humanoid. He was originally created by the wizard Garland on the planet Terra to replace his failed creation, the villain Kuja, as a more powerful "Angel of Death", whose purpose is to wipe out all life on the planet Gaia.Zidane: So...Kuja is just an angel of death who sends souls to the Tree of Iifa. / Garland: Yes, my angel of death. But only until you came of age. / Zidane: What do you mean!? / Garland: His soul is not eternal... I was going to create you next, after all.Garland: "When you received the gift of life in Bran Bal, Kuja could not bear it. He could not bear to see a Genome with more power than his own; he felt threatened. Kuja discarded you. He dropped you onto Gaia, the world he would destroy." As part of the Terrans' original plan to save their dying civilization, the young planet of Gaia was selected for assimilation. The Terrans left their physical bodies and locked their souls in Pandemonium to be watched over by Garland until the fusion's completion. The fusion was a disastrous failure, leaving Gaia's surface in ruin and Terra shifting inside it. Garland was tasked with removing the souls of Gaia's "cycle of souls" and replacing them with the souls of Terrans. The Genomes are empty, soulless vessels synthesized by Garland to eventually host the Terran souls, and he planted the Iifa Tree, a gigantic brain-like tree filtering the souls of Gaia.
Bitter and jealous that Garland had created Zidane to replace him, Kuja exiled the newly-created Zidane down to Gaia, where he was found and adopted by Baku. The revelation drives Zidane to despair and he briefly abandons the party, but returns after the group manages to mollify him. After the party is rescued from the Iifa Tree due to Kuja and it starts to collapse, Zidane chooses to go back inside to save him. For nearly a year, it is believed that he did not survive; however, he makes a dramatic reappearance on stage in Alexandria at the end of the game, reuniting with Garnet.
Other appearances Zidane appears as the protagonist hero representing Final Fantasy IX in the Dissidia series of games: Dissidia Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012, Dissidia NT, Dissidia Opera Omnia, and Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy. He is also featured in the rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and Curtain Call as the main character representing Final Fantasy IX. His appearances in Final Fantasy spin-off games include Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Brave Exvius, and All the Bravest. His appearances in crossover video games include Itadaki Street Portable, Monster Strike, and Puzzle and Dragons.
Promotion and reception Zidane, along with three other protagonists of the Final Fantasy series, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonheart, and Tidus were released as figurines as part of the first volume of the Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts series to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary. Zidane, along with Cloud, Squall, Tidus, and Lightning are part of a line of super-deformed mini figures released by Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts series. Zidane was released as a figurine in Square Enix's Bring Arts line, sold as a pair along with Garnet.