The Final Fantasy franchise needs no introduction. For gamers all around the world, the series is synonymous with sprawling RPG adventures. Whether you’ve been enjoying the franchise since the days of the original or recently hopped on board with the HD remasters of some of the classic entries, you’ve surely at least dabbled in Final Fantasy.
Even if you’ve played a given instalment over and over again, there’s always something new to discover. Obscure trivia, for instance. Let’s take a look at the game Metacritic deemed the best in the series: Final Fantasy IX. If you want to know the age, height and birthday of every main party member, you’re in the right place. Interestingly, though, we’re talking about birth months here, as Square-Enix haven’t ever revealed the official birthdays of this title’s main cast (bar one). With that in mind, let’s get started.
8 Amarant Coral
Amarant is the final member of the main party to join Zidane’s quest. He’s a proud, enigmatic man, who prefers working alone and is initially reluctant to join our happy-go-lucky hero.
It’s lucky he does, though, because his signature claw weapons, physical strength and handy supportive abilities make him a valuable member of the team. At 26 years old, he’s one of the oldest party members. He was born in November 1773 and is a formidable presence on the battlefield at 7’4’’ tall.
7 Eiko Carol
The second-to-last character to become a permanent party member, the player meets little Eiko shortly after leaving the Mist Continent. She’s a lonely little girl who instantly takes a liking to Zidane, who is certainly grateful to have her on board.
Her healing skills are invaluable to the team, being more of a White Mage than Garnet (who leans towards the Summoner class). She learns some great spells that Garnet cannot, including the ultimate White Magic attack, Holy. A precocious six-year-old, Eiko was born in March 1793 and is four feet tall.
6 Freya Crescent
Freya Crescent is a proud, troubled Dragon Knight from the forsaken nation of Burmecia (which is ransacked by the forces of Alexandria early in the story’s events). She fights with a spear, boasting the familiar characteristics of the Dragoon class.
The young woman was born in July 1778, making her only 21 at the time of the game’s events. Nevertheless, she’s an impetuous and fearless fighter, clad in heavy armor and standing 6’1’’ tall. She’s a popular party pick, thanks to her useful mix of offensive and supportive abilities.
5 Garnet Til Alexandros XVII
Dagger to her friends, Princess (later Queen) Garnet is the catalyst for the whole game’s events. Right from the introduction cinematic (in which she’s the first character we see), it’s made clear that she’s going to be incredibly significant to the game’s plot. She’s the driving force behind everything that follows.
With the twists and turns of the plot, it’s a long time before the player is able to access Garnet’s true potential as a party member. Still, if you’re in the market for a Summoner with a very effective sideline as a White Mage, she’s worth putting the time into to learn her summon spells. The sixteen-year-old Garnet is 5’4” and is the game’s only main character whose exact birthday has been officially confirmed: January 15, 1784.
4 Quina Quen
Quina Quen is one of those Final Fantasy party members that fans either love or hate. We first encounter this Qu Clan member in Qu’s Marsh after leaving Lindblum for the first time (your earliest opportunity to meet Quina can be skipped entirely if you don’t enter the marsh) and players quickly learn that they’re tough to use.
Quina is the Blue Mage of the party, a gourmand who can eat enemies when their health is low and learn a new Blue Magic spell in the process (if eating the right enemy, obviously). Some of these spells are far more useful than others, so knowing which to use and when is the key to using this quirky character. Being born in 1710, Quina is 89, the oldest main character in the game. Quina stands 5’7” tall.
3 Adelbert Steiner
Adelbert Steiner is another character who often splits players’ opinions. While his initial pompous nature can grate a little, his character development (and hilariously animated hopping-up-and-down tirades) makes him quite interesting and multi-faceted. For our gil, he’s the funniest character in the game.
In the early-to-mid-game, he’s a powerhouse, dispensing pure physical power and knightly vengeance and tanking hits like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator movies wherever he goes. When he finally gains access to the Shock ability, the pain train continues. Born in March 1766, Steiner is 33 years old and stands 6’2” tall.
2 Vivi Ornitier
With Final Fantasy 9 serving as a homage to the franchise’s roots, there was no question that a Black Mage was going to feature prominently. Sure enough, there’s a whole angry army of them (as a well as a hidden village of benevolent ones), but the most important Black Mage in the game has to be Vivi Ornitier.
This adorable little guy soon proves to be an incredibly powerful ally and fierce friend. His personal quest to discover his place in the world is probably the poignant arc in the game, with some truly touching scenes throughout. He was born in July 1799, making him either 6 months or nine years old (given his origins, there’s some debate there). Like Eiko, he’s four feet tall.
1 Zidane Tribal
Finally, we arrive at the main man himself, Zidane Tribal. This loveable rogue has a sunny, positive attitude (for the most part) that proves truly refreshing after the series’ last two protagonists, Cloud Strife and Squall Leonheart.
Like Vivi, Zidane unearths startling revelations about his part that shake him to his core, but the party members he has fiercely defended up to that point display the strength of their bond and rally around him. This cunning, agile Thief is a super valuable member of the team (remember, friends: always steal from bosses) and his blossoming relationship with Garnet is a joy to watch. He’s also sixteen, 5’7” and was born in September 1783.