Final Fantasy XI/Characters
A character sheet for the cast of the MMORPG that is Final Fantasy XI.
Considering the Loads and Loads of Characters (a couple of starting points: https://web.archive.org/web/20130528034746/http://www.ffcompendium.com/h/ff11characters.shtml for a brief starting point that is still pretty huge, and http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Category+:NPCs if you want the full list), it might be prudent to split this by the nations from the original version, and from then on work by expansion names - but not before covering an important character:
You
- Big Damn Hero - Due to the way most mission and quest fights take place, there's usually only something to fight when you get there to take care of the situation, usually just in time to help a given NPC.
- Hammerspace - Inventory items come in all shapes and sizes, but if you're not wearing them they might as well be invisible and weightless. And then there's key items, which don't even take up inventory space, which is amazing since for a certain quest one of them is a whole cardian in need of repairs, and those are bigger than a taru.
- Hello, Insert Name Here
- Heroic Mime - Conversations are implied, but the only lines assigned to you are menu choices.
- Kleptomaniac Hero - Due to the shared envirment, this usually involves interacting with specific spots in the scenery, usually identified only with "???" - while it's safe to do so in towns and cities, in dungeons and outdoors it may cause an notorious monster or more to spawn depending on your quest and mission progress.
- Mix and Match - With the main and sub-job combinations.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero - The San d'Oria quest line in the past comes to mind.
- Only One Name
- Protagonist Without a Past
- Saving the World - You get the luxury of taking your time for this - or not, depending on how much help you may need for a given battle or task.
- Super Mode - Some of the 2-hour abilities, depending on the job chosen. Some Notorious Monsters and some very few allied battle NPC canalso use these.
- Unwitting Pawn
Bastok
Cid
- Gadgeteer Genius - Tradition!
- Shout-Out
President Karst
- Reasonable Authority Figure - Even if his delivery comes off as cold as dismissive, he cares very much for the well-being of his country.
Raogrimm
Volker
- Fake Ultimate Hero - Although through no fault of his own - Zeid was the one that defeated the Shadow Lord in the war, but perhaps due to the tense relationships between humes and galkas Volker was credited with the victory, though he's not comfortable with that and doesn't make the claim himself.
Zeid
- Badass - His swift disposal of an antican soldier in Wot G makes this really clear if there were any doubts. His hume-given name "War Cloud" should also be an eloquent hint.
- Black Knight
- BFS
- Mentor Archetype - Guides you on the path to becoming a Dark Knight.
- Nice Helmet
- Only One Name - As is standard for true Galka names.
- 24-Hour Armor - Then again, we practically never see him in a relaxing situation where he'd actually take it off - that includes secret meeting between high Bastokan officials in Wot G cutscenes, where even president Prien himself is always seen wearing armour.
- Walking the Earth
San d'Oria
Curilla
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Unfortunately, she doesn't believe that.
- Disappeared Dad: Her father is already dead, but finding out more about it is the quest chain of obtaining the Red Mage class.
- Lady of War
- Master Swordsman: Officially the best in Vana'diel.
- Peek-a-Bangs: To cover said scar.
- Scars Are Forever
Prince Trion
- Knight in Shining Armor
- Paper-Thin Disguise: He wears a gold version of his armor and just that. Absolutely no effort to hides his face in public to the point of no one believe he really is the prince of San d'Oria.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something
- Sibling Rivalry: Trion and his younger brother Pieuje are often in odd of each other. The militant Trion that always thinks with his sword while the diplomatic Pieuje thinks that his brother is an idiot. Their rivalry is quite bitter as well; people of San d'Oria and their sister are actually wondering why they aren't killing each other yet.
- White-Haired Pretty Boy
Windurst
Ajido-Marujido
- Rebellious Spirit - Despite his responsabilities as a minister, he often goes out on his own to investigate issues which are taboo in Windurst, which gets him (and you) into some trouble.
Shantotto
The Ensemble Darkhorse that made her way to Dissidia. Shantotto's a Tarutaru Black Mage and a hero from the Great Crystal War. She's (in)famous for her rhyme-y speech and iconic laugh.
- Breakout Character - Well, this is how she got to Dissidia Final Fantasy and got an expansion based on her. Plus, the developers liked her.
- Brown Eyes - Likely more for the contrast with the light hair than any of the down-to-earth connotations.
- Christmas Cake - Interestingly enough, in Dissidia's Character Files, it states that Shantotto's one and only regret in life is that she never married.
- Girlish Pigtails - Considering her implicit age, it's slightly disturbing... Still, it's typical of hairstyles for taru females.
- Hair of Gold -
In a striking subversion of Blondes Are EvilWhat subversion? - Heroic Sociopath - While certainly an asset to her nation, especially during the war, her default treatment of everyone isn't pleasant - just ask the journalist outside her house who during a quest line ends up on the receiving side of a curse.
- Killer Rabbit: You know what they say about judging by appearences.
- Little Miss Snarker: "Little" being just her physical appearence, but damn if she doesn't have some of the best quotes of the game.
- Noblewoman's Laugh: A trademark of hers.
- you never get to actually hear it in-game though. Final Fantasy Dissidia took care of that, including her as a bonus character to represent the whole game.
- Voiced by Megumi Hayashibara, no less!
- Older Than They Look: She's a Tarutaru. Comes with the territory.
- Retired Badass: Her status is actually of a retired minister of the Orastery and veteran of the Crystal War.
- Rhymes on a Dime: Her way of speaking is full of this, a chance for rhyme she'll never miss.
- Small Body Big Ego
- Yeah, but she lives up to that ego.
- Squishy Wizard: In that she makes her opponents pop like tomatoes.
- The Battle Didn't Count: In the optional Heroine's Combat, if Shantotto is fought and defeated, her defeated pose reveals that "Shantotto" was actually a magically controlled doll under Shantotto's control.
Star Sibyl
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Star Sibyl is the title of Windurst's prophetic leader. Her real name hasn't been revealed. Note that, consistent with the term for an ancient Greek prophetess, the y comes second.
- Rapunzel Hair: For a Tarutaru standard, though. Her hair is almost larger than she is.
- Waif Prophet: Subverted in that she secretly lost her ability to see the future twenty years before the game's story begins. Her first gaze into the future revealed the imminent and complete destruction of her nation and prompted her to feed false information to her people. Though this devastation did occur, Time Travel created a new version of history in which it was averted at the cost of the Sibyl's powers. From her perspective, therefore, she has never correctly seen the future. That she continues to offer prophecies to the public ultimately makes her more of a false prophet.
Jeuno
Altana
The creator-goddess of Vana'diel. According to legend, she created a race called the Zilart, but after they destroyed themselves through their own hubris, she shed five tears that created the five Enlightened Races of Vana'diel.
Aldo
The leader of the Jeuno chapter of Tenshodo, an organisation of thieves and smugglers.
- Big Brother Complex - To Verena, who may or may not be his real sister - she's certainly not the one he lost in the game's intro sequence.
Maat
An old man in Jeuno who has mastered every single job in existance. Players must defeat him in a Mirror Match to raise their level cap to Lv.75.
Wolfgang
Captain of the Ducal Guard in Jeuno.
Rise of the Zilart
Ark Angels
The Ark Angels are a group of five twisted, dark reflections of the five Enlightened Races. They are summoned by the two Zilart princes as their servants.
- Cat Smile: The Mithra always has it, in contrast of the other Ark Angels' Perpetual Frowner. And she always has it. She also never loses it, not even when she shattered to pieces.
- Five-Bad Band
- Literally Shattered Lives: This happen after you defeated them. And you can wear their ear as an earring.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning
- Theme Naming
- Uncanny Valley: Invoked. They were created with the same substance Altana created the Enlightened Races from. The thing is, they don't have soul and only do what they are programmed to do. When the player finally have chance to fight them, they are very unsettling in more than one way.
- White-Haired Pretty Girl: The Mithra and the Elvaan. Whether the rest of the Ark Angels are White-Haired Pretty Boy is up to your choice.
Carbuncle
Eald'narche
The brother of Archduke Kam'lanaut. One of the last Zilart nobles in existence, his botched attempt to open the Gates Of The Gods led to the destruction of his race. He and his brother were frozen in stasis, only to be inadvertently reawoken centuries later by Raogrimm. He is actually the elder of the two brothers, but his body was frozen in time after being exposed to one of the Mothercrystals.
Eald'narche is the final boss of the Rise of the Zilart expansion, as he continues his insane vision to open the Gate of the Gods.
- Big Bad: Of the Expansion and arguably the games main storyline.
- Blond Guys Are Evil
- Child Mage
- Enfant Terrible
- Eyepatch of Power: Notable because he uses it to cover his crystallized left eye that he got in an accident which made him stuck in a body of a child forever. Subvert because in his Final Boss battle, he throws said eyepatch and clearly stronger that way.
- Flunky Boss: He hides behind his exoplates and orbitals in the first battle with him.
- Immortal Immaturity: It's just an act.
- Man Behind the Man
- Older Than They Look
- Power Floats
- Red Right Hand: His crystal eye under the eyepatch.
- Stronger Sibling
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: To his own brother, no less!
- What Could Have Been: He and his brother were considered to appear in Dissidia as villains.
Fenrir
Gilgamesh
The leader of the Tenshodo, based in Norg.
- Cool Old Guy
- Pirate
- Shout-Out - Sharing a name with a beloved character of the series may be one of the reasons why said character is yet to make an appearance in a game that can be updated with more characters at any time...
Kam'lanaut
The current Archduke of Jeuno. A powerful and respected leader who united the four warring nations of Vana'diel against the Shadowlord's army during the Crystal War. In truth, he is a Zilart prince and one of the last few remaining Zilart in existence. Together with his younger brother Eald'narche, they resume their centuries-old plot to open the Gate of the Gods.
- A Sinister Clue: The only left-handed known in Vana'diel.
- Bishonen
- The Dragon
- Facial Markings
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy
- Magic Knight
- Spell Blade: His specialty En-spells.
- Older Than They Look: And from an in-game newspaper, it seems like the entire Jeuno knows that Kam'lanaut and his brother are older then they appear because they look exactly like that since 50 years ago, yet they doesn't say anything about it.
- Power Floats
- What Could Have Been: He and his brother were considered to appear in Dissidia as villains.
Lion
The adopted daughter of Gilgamesh. Lion spends most of her time investigating the true cause of the Crystal War, eventually discovering the existance of the Mothercrystals that each Beastman race protects and the Zilart's role in manipulating Vana'diel to gain control over them. She eventually sacrifices herself to stop Eald'narche from destroying Vana'diel in an act of petty revenge.
- Flat Character: Common complain from the fanbase.
- Knife Nut
- Miss Exposition
- Red Headed Heroine
Chains of Promathia
Bahamut
Diabolos
Prishe
- And I Must Scream: Her fate in Abyssea. When the final battle against Promathia went wrong, Promathia absorbed the (Abyssea-verse) Player Character and Selh'teus, transforming into Shinryu. The only thing that prevented Prishe from meeting the same fate was her immortality, but Shinryu's influence on Al'taieu was so strong that even if there were any survivors they would never be able to leave. So there she is, sitting cross-legged in Empyreal Paradox alone, with only constant promises and visits from the Player Character keeping her sane.
- Bare-Fisted Monk
- Big Eater: Boosts her stats using food items in battle, asks her allies for food during "Heroine's Combat," and lists her favorite snacks while beating up enemies in Dissidia Duodecim.
- Cursed with Awesome
- Cute Bruiser
- Dynamic Entry
- Heroic Resolve
- Hot-Blooded
- Immortal Immaturity: Acts more like the teenager she resembles than the adult she technically is.
- It Was a Gift: Her crystal amulet; given by the first person that let her out of her confine, Cardinal Mildaurion. Doubly as Hypno Trinket
- Kung Fu Wizard: White Mage + Monk = this trope.
- Older Than They Look
- Screw Destiny
- White Magic
Tenzen
Treasures of Aht Urhgan
Alexander
Aphmau
- Adorkable: She might be an empress, but hell if she isn't this when she falls flat to her face when she tries to greet you.
- Hair of Gold
- Marionette Master: The only puppetmaster in the whole FFXI who can control two Automaton, Ovjang and Mnejing. Only Ovjang is hers, though.
- Rebellious Empress
- Royals Who Actually Do Something
- The Masquerade
Gessho
- Cultured Warrior - Remarkably eloquent and diplomatic, when you consider he looks like the You No Take Candle Yagudo you deal with in the game sometimes.
- Ninja
- The Mole
Luzaf
Naja Salaheem
- Bad Boss
- Berserk Button: Don't call her a cat.
- But Thou Must!
- Carry a Big Stick: Her infamous Morning Star, which she often swings with bravado while giving a melodramatic speech... or uses it to her own employee.
- Greed
- Jerkass
- The Runaway: A daughter of a famous mercenary leader, but run away from her homeland and changed her name for an unknown reason.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Raw fish with salt and olive oil, also coffee and some desert of Aht Urhgan. Giving her these items will makes her generous enough to give you a scroll of Instant Reraise.
Odin
Wings of the Goddess
Lehko Habhoka
- The One Guy - The one male mithra have an access to outside their home nation.
Lilisette
- Genki Girl
- Half-Human Hybrid - Although there are a few cases of hume and elvaan NPCs in relationships (and even one married Galka), she's the only one we ever see with mixed heritage. Might be justified by the fact that at some points Bastok (humes) and San d'Oria (elvaans) were at war.
- Heroic Sacrifice
- Tsundere: Lilisette shows signs of being a Type A, to the point that her stage name of "Moonshade Butterfly" is warped into "Moonshade Wolverine" by her troupe-mates for how she treats men until she meets your character.