FF9 Is Not What It Seems 

Minor characters in FF9 who are playing roles: The theater troupe Prince Puck Queen Brahne Gilgamesh Ramuh Doctor Tot Cid Basically everyone in Dali village Of the playable team, arguably the only character who isn't playing a role is Quina.

FF6 is an opera, FF9 is a stage play.

FF9 was the first Final Fantasy I played. Strange one to start with, but I was hooked to the franchise from that day forward.

Remember Lani, Amarant's partner assassin, who tried to seize Garnet for the Jewel? It is revealed that she ended up staying with the Moogles in Madain Sari, and ended up loving them and re-evaluating her life.

Kuja's entire character arc is based around this collapse of playwright and actor. From the beginning he knew he was just a puppet acting to Garland's script, but he aspired to surpass Garland and write his own script. He failed when Garland destroyed Alexander, but he wasn't dissuaded. He thought of a new plan, and a new script, and this time it works and he defeats Garland. But then Garland reveals the truth to him. His part is already over, because Kuja was designed to only live long enough for Garland's true angel of death, Zidane, to be ready. Kuja is about to die. Therefore, for Kuja to escape Garland's script only one choice remains. He must destroy everything. He must destory Terra and Gaia, so that the souls of Terra can't take over Gaia and Garland's plan is ruined. Also, if you think about it, Necron is Kuja's Deus Ex Machina. Kuja is losing, with the last of his energy he uses a suicide attack. But it fails to kill the party. Then Necron descends to fulfill Kuja's play, to resolve the problem Kuja could not solve: finishing off the party. Defeating Necron puts an end to Kuja's script and condemns Kuja, who thought he was a script writer, to being just another actor. Kuja's final act, as he lies dying among the roots of the Iifa Tree, is to send Zidane and the party to safety. But Zidane refuses to leave him alone, and enters the Iifa tree. There Kuja tells Zidane that after he lost everything, he finally realized what it meant to live. While he never expounds on this, it's possible that once his script is ruined, he was finally able to see the world as it is and not as some play where he's writing the script. That he wasn't just directing actors on a stage. They were people, and many of them died.

I think it's very interesting that Vivi, the character who is arguably the least 'alive' and has the shortest life, ends up full of so much life by the end.

As someone with a lifelong special interest in FF9, this is the most original analysis I've seen of it in a long time. Wonderful job. Also, Quina (my favorite character) refuses to pretend or perform, unlike literally everybody else in the cast. They're literally part of an agender race and they don't conform to humanoid gender identity. They refuse to lose their love for food, and in fact, their character arc - if anything - is being able to show that love even more (Quan's Dwelling scene), and being able to share their heart with their friends more (You're Not Alone scene + their frequent kind words to Vivi, even including the silly "I... so happy..." which I think was kind of genuine in a silly childish way). I love Quina so much.

Ahhh the unusual battles near the end of the game while "you are not alone" plays and a disheartened Zidanes companions pop up to stand by him... a tear is literally rolling down my cheek. I love this game; great analysis - thanks a bunch!

The algorithm works! Never enough FFIX love in the world!

I think this is wonderfully well argued! I hadn't really thought about how much everyone is 'playing a role'. Even Eiko is pretending to be grown-up and mature. One more point: the final scene. It is clear that the monologue being given throughout the vignettes is Vivi, however we never see him, only his children. It becomes clear that Vivi has ceased to function, and we are hearing his 'truth' at long last. To your point, he has 'faked it until he made it' and death was the end of the whole charade, he was no longer faking it, he was his true autonomous self - so much so he delivers the epilogue of the story. He caps out the importance of life, of living, of choices - much like a Shakespearean play, he closes out the production by reaffirming the themes from the entire piece. Very well done!

Great work. I gotta say, I really appreciate how you correctly used "subconsciously" at 8:03 instead of saying "unconsciously," which is an extremely common error.

It was because of these details that I fell in love with video games. But the industry got lost along the way and today companies are no longer able to create games with the quality of the Playstation 1 era.

The song "you're not alone" suddenly took a whole new meaning after this video.

100/10. Liked and subscribed. The conceptual connections you have so meticulously unearthed here have been an inexplicable charm that repeatedly drew me back to FFIX for decades. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Baudrillard must be very proud

after playing dark souls 2, that ending line really hit hard. theres a description that says something like, is death nature holding a mirror up to humanity, and you really gave an answer to the purpose in life in reflection. to live your life and forge an identity

I don't often find videos that analyze FF9 compared to the others in the series, so they're always welcome for me. Great one.

A pity you had no comments on the battle gameplay of ff9, which is massively spectacular on it's own, the camera work on every single battle is very clearly meant to give a very cinematic feel to the actions, with abilities having all these dramatic close ups and what not. Also the friendly monsters exist in the game, which are just a simulacra of the regular battle gameplay on their own way.

Wonderful video! There's always so much thought behind video games. I'm making one myself and the sheer amount of thought put into every aspect of a game is astounding. Not to mention the jrpg gold era of the OG Playstation.

Vivi made me cry

Good video but you left out any mention of best girl Freya.

coming to watch this after finishing FFXIV

FF9 is like the last Final Fantasy with a happy ending

Lore of FF9 Is Not What It Seems momentum 100

This is a brilliant perspective. I knew ff9 was a reference to theater but how often it does it, your video surprised me. Thanks for acknowledging the reoccurring details.

10/10 can't wait to see your analytical process applied to other works.

I call Dagger "Knives" every time. Quilianna also means "weighty". I don't know why I'm sharing this. I keep everyone else's names as default, but absolutely love changing these two.

You were explaining something entirely different about the love letter scene at 4:07, but with the theater and Shakespeare connection in my mind all I could think while watching it was how that could be a scene right out of Much Ado About Nothing. It's the exact kind of misunderstanding and confession that occurs all over that play.

I was in actual tears at the end of this. Playing this game with my partner was one of our foundational experiences as a couple and we named our kiddo after Dagger so this game is very close to my heart. Thank you for making this and for describing all the things I love about it but don't have the words for.

This was a really beautiful and insightful analysis of FF9. I genuinely hadn't noticed, or even considered, the themes of theater. Excellent work!

As a small alternate to the last point, perhaps Garnet and Zidane embracing at the end is, instead, encouraging the spectator to fully, openly, and honestly embrace the performance, to show the love we have for the art. In this case, it's a very emotional way of saying "Thank you for playing," I think, and shows that the creators of this wonderful art want to love and embrace those that support their creations.

My take from this perspective is 13:08 The idea of missing someone's identity or having identity crisis of who they're really are is really on point! I really appreciate this piece and advice from the end of the video! Its so fitting.

FF9 was inspirational. There's so much it did so amazingly that it stands out from most other games.

I thought it was Dion-Nai-sys?

It feels like a lot of players have finally gotten around to trying 9. I'm seeing more and more people say it's their favorite now. I love it, there's a reason why it's the creator of the franchise's favorite game.

This was a good video considering FF14 just had an entire FF9 themed expansion

"You owe them nothing." ...Oh god, my friend, I started tearing up. Beautiful video

Vivi, along with all the FF9 cast of characters. Told me a truth that I needed in my childhood. That no matter what is someone's life. We have the right to choose our path in this world, and not let ourselve be guided by some string of false concept of "Destiny" After all. Wouldn't it be tragic to do something for a person that see us like puppets? To be discarded like we worth nothing after doing their bidding? We worth more then we though it to be.

That was honestly better than a MatPat video during its golden age. That was a great analysis of the story, world and characters!

This was fantastic. First video I have watched from you and instantly subbed. The analysis of themes and presentation you've dissected here, in my favourite FF, and related to life's mysteries and deeper questions, is greatly appreciated. 👏👏

Thanks for the work dude, you have a very nice way of expressing and speaking. Btw, lovet the image of "they fall into the text". Very nice theatrical analysis

What a well written video! There is a lot about ix that is so special to me and has always been and the way you went into details about its parallels to theatre really opened my eyes to me understanding it on a different level. This game will always be special to me. And you expressed it perfectly. Really. Thank you. ❤

Zidane, in name, is awfully close to The Dane....being Macbeth.

FF9's ending is so beautiful. It's not even my favorite FF, but it has my favorite ending easily. "Bring my beloved Dagger to me!" gets me every single time. Started with a performance and ended with one. Zidane even fakes his own death. I think the romance in FF9 is the best in the series. It's the little things like Zidane beneath Dagger on the ladder, or when he says they should start their own thief group called "The Betrothed". His love seems so real and sincere. Anyway, I digress.

You being so well read brings out so much of the narrative of this game. Hope to see future videos like this one.

Just want to say I love the choice of music in this.

This was a wonderfully told retrospective of the themes of FF9. Very good work.

I love this so much. I'd like to add that Kuja is stuck in his role believing he's the better creation when he isn't, yet he played many roles: working with the queen as an advisor, Garland's loyal agent of war, the Angel of Death (when he isn't), etc.

Beatrix gets so many monologues. She enters, her theme plays and its almost like she gets a spotlight for her moments I love it

I'm 1 minute into this video and I realize, every Final Fantasy is my favorite Final Fantasy.

FF9 is probably my favorite out of any. Each has a special place in memory and heart. FF9 however hold such a deeply resounding attachment. Great synopsis

Oh my God what an absolutely wonderful video, you've made something truly special and to think that a little game from my childhood that i barely understood at the time could have so much meaning is unbelievable

FFIX is still what I would consider Square's magnum opus for the PSX generation. The entire world, it's myriad high fantasy settings, and it's characters, both major and minor, were all so full of life and personality. The game and its world felt very much alive, and existed with real reason and purpose. It's still without question my favorite in the series, and in my arguably biased opinion, one of the best Square has ever made

this is a really nice analysis, you pointed out aspects i'd never noticed or considered before. what strong themes, so much to appreciate.

This is a great video! Good deconstruction of the theatre framework--we see the series play with this early on in Final Fantasy 6 and then the theatre scene in 7, but 9 really takes it all the way home. It's such a special game. So visually and narratively simple which made it digestible to even my 11 year old self at the time it released. Yet it's so unimaginably deep that I'm still thinking about it 24 years later. Your video gave me a perspective I hadn't considered though which is just how much they play with the camera angles and animations to relay a theatrical drama.

And just like that I'm playing FFIX again. Brilliant video!

By far the most interesting take I've seen for ff9. Whenever I play the game now I won't be able to stop noticing these spectacle-to-spectator setups and the real/fake themes. Thank you for the different perspective.

coming to this after finishing Dawntrail made me appreciate it even more

These details were well observed. I think also of Freya questing for Fratley, who then can't remember her and as such both is and isn't her lover. That his memory, his old self, never returns contrasts with the dramatic self-revelations the main characters despair through. So who's fate was worse? And was Freya's forgottenness worse than death, as implied by how she's quoted in the game guide? Being forgotten is surely a kind a of death, as is remembering who you really are. But the game seems to contradict the "worse than" comparison by ultimately recoupling Freya and Fratley. It potentiates a new history for them in both the ruins of a Burmecia that calls them to rebuild it (a symbol of their relationship) and in the bliss of now: "How long will it take to rebuild Burmecia?" "I don't care, as long as I am with you [...] I just want to cherish our time right now." Thanks for your thoughts.

I'm not sure if anyone has pointed out yet, but another thing that reinforces the "theatrical" idea is that this final fantasy reintroduces the concept of classes in the series, so each character has one well defined role in the party, unlike the previous ff7 and ff8 where the player was free to choose each character's skills

Amazing video, I'm so glad I clicked it on a whim. FF9 will always be my favorite FF; I always struggle to put into words exactly why that is. I knew the theatrical component was part of it (as I am a big fan of theater), but I never knew it ran so deep in FF9's DNA. 10/10 video for sure, liked and subscribed

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts

30 seconds in and you've adequately captured why I loved and continue to love this game so much. I played countless games, before and after 9, and it's just so special. Edit: excellent video, subbed

Dude, this was a great video. I haven't played FF9 since I was a kid, too young to consider all you've discussed... it's fascinating! I never realized how thematically coherent the game is! I really appreciate it, thank you for your efforts!

This was EXCELLENT! You brought new life to one of my favorite games.

I don't know how many times I've played this game over the years, and you made me appreciate its story even more. Thank you.

Great insight! That was an excellent watch

My personal favorite game of all time, beautifully understood by you. You've got a sub.

I really like Steiner, he is a man with one duty and he will go all the way in, it also helps how many times he saved my bacon by being the impregnable fortress, man every time he tranced i was sure i would not get a game over while it lasted.

Finally a legitimate analysis video essay instead of just a summary. Well done. FF9 is definitely my fave

Literally made my entire day! Thank you

Ff9 I have replayed this game and I would say it is even better than Ff10. . .

I must admit to have been too absorbed by the play the game is, to notice the intricacies you pointed out here. Much appriciated for these wonderful insights! Subbed!

Idk how I ended up here. This was my first FF game as a kiddo. Replayed it many times in my life. Thanks for making this video. Really touched me

This was a wonderful video that encourages deeper thought not only about the game itself but our own existence and actions. Very well done.

Video sends some very real Sam from Rhystic Studies vibes.

My favourite game of all time and this is something I never picked up on. Well done for connecting those dots, this was really interesting to watch

You've given me a whole new perspective on FF9. Time to replay it and gain a whole new appreciation.

Oh. OK. I Went Ahead and Got FF9. Started downloading Moguri mod. Then You Told Me Garnett von Dagger Is Named: Sarah. This Is Important. Thank You. Now I Know I Am Playing It For: Artemis.

FF9 also has a circular pattern as it both starts and ends with a theatrical play.

I'm so happy to see FFIX getting more recognition.

I never thought about this in the history of the game, it's really brilliant how this game never stops surprising me!

What an outstanding video , this is my favorite game of all time and i finished it more than 10 times. I always thought that this game is a theatre opera so i'm proud somebody made a video about the "literature aspect" of ff9. I share everything you said . One thing i was thinking about was about Necron , even dough it is personification of death /end of all, following your thoughts about the play , the characters defeat necron (personification of both death and "acting") and became creators of their own destiny , they stop acting and live without any "role". The fact that zidane and garnet stop pretending at the end is the whole representation of this game , because as almost every ff game this is a love story. Hope this is right. Thanks for this video

Wow! I've loved this game for my whole life, and you've put such a fresh polish on its themes!

Garnet actually is a princess. Her mother was the queen. She escaped with her daughter who is the princess. Braun had her mother killed and lied to Garnet over what transpired. Braun became the queen of Alexandria as Garnet’s defecto mother. Since there is no King, by default the crown goes to next in line. It’s hinted at in the beginning. This is why Garnet has feelings for Braun as a mother figure. She’s not a fake princess.

weird. it’s almost as if ffix is exactly as it seems

This is the 2nd FF9 video Im watching that was recently uploaded. I am feeeeeeling that remake being announced any time now!!

Remember the grandpa of Vivi was just acting as such and wanted to grow Vivi to eat him later.

Beautiful explanation of performance and performer. While you have explained and explored, I have observed. Well played kind sir

Hello, thank you for the video. One critique: when i’m wearing headphones it sounds as if there’s something wrong with them. It’s as if your voice has the bass artificially removed

Hope you get 10k subs soon. It's an underrated channel

Great video! So many layers on the theatrical roots of the game. I really like when games involve the player in the story indirectly through presentation, and use those links to develop the main themes even further. Remedy does this a lot, in Alan Wake 2 for exemple. In FF 9 its the performers and the audience and in Alan Wake, the writer and the readers. Alan has the ability to change the story by rewriting it, but it has to be plausible, it can’t be just a happy ending, in other words, it has to be interesting to us, the readers. Alan servers as a vessel for the writers of the game that want to deliver a good story for us, and we fill the role of players in the vessel of the readers. Great media literacy! Learned a lot from this video

And then there's Quina! They're hungry.

Philosophical musings on ff9? Sign me up

186 years of functionality for master Orniet

The execution of this video is fantastic! *chef's kiss* I hadn't thought about this perspective until now. I'm not a gamer, but I adore a good story. (Theater, literature, band nerd for life!) My husband got me into watching him play when FFX came onto the scene. Since then, I have developed a deep appreciation for the series. Great job!

well done! love love love this

FF9 - man, imagine what could've been had the final boss wasn't Necron. A no-name entity arrives and upstage's the emotional turbulence between Zidane & Kuja. Majority of the time spent in the game is attempting to stop Kuja, and then the game makes Necron's reveal feel like it doesn't belong. Necron could have been introduced or hinted at much earlier which would have generally fixed all of the issues people have with it's existence as a final boss. FF9 is so close to being on FF6's level, and would be, if the ending was more climactic.

There also seems to be a theme about the two worlds: The real physical one, and the one about our memories, stories, myths, and of course, fiction. And a lot of the conflict in the game derives from one world being more natural or more artificial, one true and the other illusory, one physical and the other spiritual or energetic. And one is always predating on the other, as is for one to exist, it has to extinguish the other. I haven't thought about the themes of duality and acting being always present in the game, and specially, the ending may be meaning that it is love the link between both worlds, one being symbolized by theater actors and the other by spectators , where both bodies and spirits fuse peacefully.

Our hero, David Bowie, is part of a gang of thieves, named Tantalus.