Wolf Kanno
04-17-2011, 05:09 PM
This is basically a new version of an old thread, I'll find the link later...
So recently, I acquired two of the 20th Anniversary FF Ultimania guides that were released a few years back and contains information on all of the numbered FFs from FF to FFXII. While I can't exactly read Kanji and thus most of the book is lost on me, it doesn't take much to figure out some things.
Probably one of the funniest things I've noticed is how odd the ages are in the games. Not only are a few of them retconned from older source materials (okay, maybe just one) but starting with FFVII, the ages of the cast remain within a very tight age group. What this means, is that often times, characters who play the role of "token cranky old man" are actually relatively young.
Basically, its the anime age joke"
Prime of your life - 15-20
Veteran and world worn - 21-25
Old man - 26-35
Elderly old man/corpse - 36-40
Ancient magical being - 41-infinity
This doesn't quite just extend to the later FFs the older ones have some weird things as well. Mainly a high number of children fighting...
So here's some fun facts about age:
VII has the distinction of having both the oldest male main protagonist and the oldest female main protagonist in the series.
Cloud is 21
Tifa is 20
Aerith is 22
Yes... that means every other protagonist is under those ages. There is one exception and that is if you feel Locke is a main protagonist, he's also 22.
XII's Cid has the distinction of being the oldest Cid in the main numbered series at 56. It should be noted that not all of the Cid's have ages listed. II, III, V, and XI's Cid's don't have ages given. What surprised me was how young many of them were. Despite it always being there in the manual, I have a very hard time believing Cid Highwind is only 32 years old and actually one of the younger members of VII's cast. :p Cid of Fabul is also 35 despite having gray hair and an epic mustache. His wife is 25 for those wondering...
34252 34253 34254
Basch is actually older than Auron by a year.
34250 34251
Gestahl's age appears to have been retconned. The Timeline in the SSH Character guides have his age set at 78. The new Ultimania has it retconned to 50, making him roughly the same age as Cyan.
Also, Cecil is the second youngest male character in FFIV at the age of 20. Kain is 21 and Edge is 24 and from there it just gets higher... Despite his goofy antics, Bartz is 20, and after Galuf dies, is tied with Faris as the oldest party members.
Anyone else get a fun kick out of learning how weird the ages are for some of the characters? Course I have a weakness for useless trivia. :D
So recently, I acquired two of the 20th Anniversary FF Ultimania guides that were released a few years back and contains information on all of the numbered FFs from FF to FFXII. While I can't exactly read Kanji and thus most of the book is lost on me, it doesn't take much to figure out some things.
Probably one of the funniest things I've noticed is how odd the ages are in the games. Not only are a few of them retconned from older source materials (okay, maybe just one) but starting with FFVII, the ages of the cast remain within a very tight age group. What this means, is that often times, characters who play the role of "token cranky old man" are actually relatively young.
Basically, its the anime age joke"
Prime of your life - 15-20
Veteran and world worn - 21-25
Old man - 26-35
Elderly old man/corpse - 36-40
Ancient magical being - 41-infinity
This doesn't quite just extend to the later FFs the older ones have some weird things as well. Mainly a high number of children fighting...
So here's some fun facts about age:
VII has the distinction of having both the oldest male main protagonist and the oldest female main protagonist in the series.
Cloud is 21
Tifa is 20
Aerith is 22
Yes... that means every other protagonist is under those ages. There is one exception and that is if you feel Locke is a main protagonist, he's also 22.
XII's Cid has the distinction of being the oldest Cid in the main numbered series at 56. It should be noted that not all of the Cid's have ages listed. II, III, V, and XI's Cid's don't have ages given. What surprised me was how young many of them were. Despite it always being there in the manual, I have a very hard time believing Cid Highwind is only 32 years old and actually one of the younger members of VII's cast. :p Cid of Fabul is also 35 despite having gray hair and an epic mustache. His wife is 25 for those wondering...
34252 34253 34254
Basch is actually older than Auron by a year.
34250 34251
Gestahl's age appears to have been retconned. The Timeline in the SSH Character guides have his age set at 78. The new Ultimania has it retconned to 50, making him roughly the same age as Cyan.
Also, Cecil is the second youngest male character in FFIV at the age of 20. Kain is 21 and Edge is 24 and from there it just gets higher... Despite his goofy antics, Bartz is 20, and after Galuf dies, is tied with Faris as the oldest party members.
Anyone else get a fun kick out of learning how weird the ages are for some of the characters? Course I have a weakness for useless trivia. :D