In regard to the "generic" black mage archetype of the Final Fantasy series as a whole, it seems to be common knowledge that they basically look like the heartless from Kingdom Hearts.

In the original, he was simply a human like every other party member. The huge brimmed hat and the over sized robe were meant to imply secrecy. Since he dabbled in the dark arts, it worked with his concept to be mystically and physically shrouded in mystery.

After he gets an upgrade to Black Wizard in the Citadel of Trials, we see he has a face just like everyone else.

Blackmage-ff1-psx.pngBlack_Wizard_(Final_Fantasy).png

In later ports of the game (after the WonderSwan Color) his upgraded form retains the hat and mystery visage, but gets an added accessory like a scarf.

BlackWizard-ff1-psp.png

Which version do you prefer?

This thread has all the makings of a General Final Fantasy thread, but I wanted to get some action down here in the lower forums. So for this thread:

If you could choose your look after you go to the Citadel of Trials, would you choose to remain shrouded in mystery or have the hat come off?

If you create backstories for your characters, I kind of like the idea of the hatless black mage. It's like he's unashamed of using dark arts now that he's a master of them and knows he can use them for good, and he doesn't feel like he has to hide anymore.