25 years afterFinal Fantasy 9was released on the original PlayStation, fans now know an interesting tidbit about resident Black Mage Vivi - the origin of his name.Final Fantasy 9introduced gamers to many memorable characters, and one of the most popular is Vivi Ornitier, a young wizard who befriends Zidane Tribal in the game’s early chapters and proves himself a valuable asset to the party thanks to his powerful magical abilities. Much of Vivi’s personal story arc inFinal Fantasy 9is centered around his mysterious past, as well as his learning to become a stronger person in the face of the dark truth behind his origins.
Final Fantasyfans adore Vivi thanks to his cute design, sweet personality, and surprisingly tragic backstory. He has since appeared in spin-off games likeTheatrhythm Final Fantasy,Kingdom Hearts 2, andWorld of Final Fantasy. Many fans alsoenjoy cosplaying as Vivior modeling their in-game character after him in other titles likeDestiny 2. However, there are still many things thatFinal Fantasy 9fans don’t know about the lovable Black Mage who stood strong with his friends against the dark forces threatening the world of Gaia, even over two decades after he first appeared on the original PlayStation.
Earlier this week, Square Enix released a newFinal Fantasy 9picture book set before the events of the game, titled “Vivi and Grandpa On the Day of Departure.” It is written byFinal Fantasy 9event designer Kazuhiko Aoki, with illustrations by original character designer Toshiyuki Itahana. As its name implies, this picture book tells the story of Vivi and his adoptive grandfather Quan in the days leading up to Vivi’s fateful trip to the kingdom of Alexandria.
Final Fantasy 9 Prequel Book Explains Vivi’s Name
At one point, it is shown that when Quan first found Vivi, theyoungFinal Fantasy 9Black Magedidn’t have a name. Some fans believe that Vivi’s given name is short for Vivienne, which roughly translates to “alive” or “lively” in Latin. However, the official reason for the name is a bit more straightforward:when Quan was measuring his adoptive grandson, his height reached 6'6 while standing on his tiptoes and accounting for his fully straightened hat. The numbers on the wall are in Roman numerals, meaning that the measurement reads VI’VI - hence “Vivi.”
For the past few years, there has been speculation that Square Enix is developing amodern remake ofFinal Fantasy 9in the style of its successfulFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeseries, but members of the original development team have denied working on such a project. This hasn’t stopped fans from theorizing that a remake is coming, especially after Square Enix updated the officialFinal Fantasy 9webpage with new artwork of characters like Zidane and Vivi earlier this year.
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Zidane and the Tantalus Theater Troupe have kidnapped Princess Garnet, the heir of Alexandria. To their surprise, however, the princess herself yearned to escape the castle. Through a series of unusual circumstances, she and her personal guard, Steiner, fall in with Zidane and set out on an incredible journey.Meeting unforgettable characters like Vivi and Quina along the way, they learn about themselves, the secrets of the Crystal, and a malevolent force that threatens to destroy their world.Learn new abilities by equipping items. When fully mastered, these abilities can be used even without equipping items, allowing for nearly endless customization options.Fill your Trance gauge as you sustain hits in battle. When fully charged, your characters will enter Trance mode, granting them powerful new skills!Never let items go to waste. Combine two items or pieces of equipment together and make better, stronger items!
