FF9. Has no voice actors, has chibi "childish" graphics, characters have minimal facial expressions. Yet despite of its simplicity (mechanics-wise), it was able to make such a strong emotional connection with its players. Its one of those games that you will play over and over again.
I originally had it on PS1 but the system broke. Years later and I found it digitally on PS4 and purchased it right away. Have played through it several times already. Love this game so much.
I remember when I played FF9 with my ex and... yeah, Vivi was the emotional core and heart of FF9. He’s just something that is so engrained with it that saying otherwise is just false.
I find it ironic that out of everyone in IX’s party (not counting guests), Steiner and Amarant are the only ones who could be considered 100% human. Though the wide variety of races is part of why I love the game so much.
Could be a consequence of translation. I think english doesn't have a good word other than "person" that would mean something more than animal or machine but equal to human. 🤷🏻
To date, there's still no JRPG character that has made me cry as much as Vivi Ornitier. I remember it was the second time I played the game (about 2-3 years ago?) and out of nowhere I started to bawl my eyes out when I got to that one part on the Black Mage Village, the weight of this revelation hit me harder even though I have already played the whole game before, that's really telling about how much Vivi has grown into me. Playing FFIX for the first time as a teenager was very different than when I played it again as a fully grown adult, and for that, it has an entirely new meaning to me, Vivi's growth and struggles were now things that I could better understand and for that you could tell how much work and care they put on writing his character. Even though he's not the main character, Vivi is essentially the heart of FFIX, and, in my opinion, one of the most important characters in the entire FF franchise.
He's so cute and lovable! The development of Vivi is incredible, such a dark backstory... despite his low self-confidence at the beginning and fears after he found his origins, he doesn't give up and grows courage and determination. This video explains perfectly why Vivi is such a great character. He's my favourite of the saga without a doubt!
I still get very teary-eyed when hearing about his death. As a kid, he was my FAVORITE character, I would watch my brother play and he would always read me his lines. As an adult now, I can see how he tried hide rhe fact from me, but having beat the game myself now, it puts a deep hole in my heart. Still, I would say he's one most well developed, best character, and the most bad ass of all Final Fantasy characters.
Matt Vinci they were both dull as fuck. DULL AS FUCK. I fucking hated 8, it was a chore to finish it. 7 had a really good mythology, but the characters were very 2D.
@@FudgieKun think about it this way though. 8 was my first FF and why I even play FF to this day. It's the reason I played any of the other games. The game that followed was 9. That was the second FF I played. Besides ViVi and bahamut I hated 9 and haven't played it in about 10 years. Never beat it because it loses my interest and Garnet aka Dagger is a discount midget Rinoa.
I love Vivi so much. It's heartbreaking how he learns about death. But Vivi lives up to his name which means Life. Even though his birth was unconventional, he has a conscious and a soul.
Vivi isn't just my favourite character in Final Fantasy, he's my favourite character of all time. I could go on and on to why I adore him but the biggest reason for me is how much he reminds me of myself. Back in the day, I was scared to speak my mind and I was scared to associate with people but over time, I learned more about myself and got to meet many people that were just like me and over time, we matured and became more willing to speak up and say what we're thinking. And 1 of the main characters responsible for helping me with that is Vivi because as I played through this game time and time again, I would have Vivi's motives and his determination be even more ingrained into my own mind. And what's funny about this is Vivi's story is nothing like what you would ever go through in reality as human beings obviously aren't made the way he was but yet despite that, he still manages to be so relate-able.
I played FFIX as a kid and never realised that at the end of it, those weren't Vivis, but clones of him and that he had stopped by the end of it. I learnt about it when I was older and got so shocked and devastated. He's my all time favourite character of all the games I've ever played in my life, his development and growth will never be replicated and replaced by anyone else in my heart. He was my favourite as a child simply because of his adorable nature, being small and clumsy, and super OP. The way he bounces and jumps when he casts his spells, to the way he runs and shifts his hat and uncertainty when he talks… but as I get older I realise I liked him more than just that. He just grows onto you so much through the story, especially how he learn about life and himself and the people around him. He holds such a special place in my heart I can't even describe it but he's definitely my number 1.
All these years, after many playthroughs, I never knew ViVi actually died! The copy that I had, I never saw that part, heck, the ending hardly worked at all! OMG!!!
First time I played the game as a kid I didn't know it was him at first. I kept reading and then about halfway through it soon hit me that it was Vivi. He was never shown in the after credits like the rest and they only showed his kids. Then his final line came on the screen and made me cry so hard because I knew that he had "stopped"
Vivi didn't buy the counterfeit ticket, he ran into someone when he first got into town who dropped the ticket. Someone picked it up and "returned" it to him. At least that was my impression.
I am not an experienced FF player, I have only played FFXV and it was an okay introduction to the series. But this? I have never been so invested into a character and I wasn't even playing the game. Vivi might be the reason why I seriously get into FF now.
Beatz Pop honestly he’s so worth it. Really Final Fantasy IX is completely worth it. Hope if you do explore it that you have a good time and perhaps that you enjoy the other games too :)
this is how recent FF are different from the older ones, "Square Soft" FF had better character development, they dont constantly feed you with main character's story
Vivi is my favourite character, though I barely can think about him without a tear. I also love how they made the black mage village's theme to be Vivi's theme with a giddier arrangement.
vivi was the heart of FF9...his curiosity made him wonder and question almost everything, specially his very own origins and purposes. he was a very emotional character, caught between conflicts and traveling the world in search of his true self. the little guy was shy and often froze in a mental block for not knowing what to do but in the end he grew up more than any other character in the game and became one of the strongest. i only wished his last magic, doomsday wasn't such a suicidal waste of MP unless one equips all party with shadow-absorbing gear and his comet and meteor would be as powerful as the ones some enemies use( enemies rarely miss it and most times deal a near-death or an instant kill on hit while vivi's usage of those is too damn low in accuracy and many of times it does hit, the damage is pratically a joke). glad he does compensate with flare being so powerful and being able to nulify the element magic and double its power through the use of reflect(mag-elem. null + reflect-x2 passive abilities).
I think Vivi represents so many things to so many people that Vivi was bound to resonate with others. From the person who is naïve and needs protection, to the person dealing with a sense of grief, to a person learning to stand on their own two feet, to the moral compass, Vivi's blank slate tragedy motif allowed him to be both perfect and flawed all at once. Add that he arguably represents the same element of story that Zidane did but in a more relatable way, I think he was bound to be a fan favorite not just of the game, but of the entire series.
Well, I have to go ahead and fake news myself. Roman numerals for 66 is "LXVI". BUT, if you take "VI", which is 6 and put it together twice, you get 66. You know... if you read it wrong 😭 MY WHOLE CHILDHOOD WAS RUINED! BY ME!!
When I was 10yrs old i played FF9. I loved vivi way back then. Now as an adult, all I can say is Vivi is one the greatest character in Final fantasy game. He is also my Favorite mage of all of time
Evidence of just how popular Vivi is: he is the only FF character to appear in the Kingdom Hearts series who was not personally designed by Tetsuya Nomura.
Thanks Richard! I was trying to slow myself down a bit with this one, as I know I have a tendency to rush a little. Glad it paid off and that you were able to enjoy all the elements (including Lauren's great job capturing the right moments) aligning! :) ~Darryl
@@FinalFantasyUnion while we're at it. That background music is so calm through the encouraging and hopeful moments, yet heart-wrenching when hearing you narrate the tragic bits of his story. What track is it???
You should do a comprehensive Cid compilation. Every Cid, from every entry in the various core titles and spin offs. Why is there always someone named Cid? I've always wondered.
I went for a walk a few days ago wearing a Vivi t-shirt. 2 young elementary school students laughed at me as they walked by. My mother has terminal cancer, the shirt gives me confidence in what will inevitably come. Hope, strength, confidence, everything I will need ...
I didn't feel normal for a week after. I was SO scared they'd kill him off then I get to the ending thinking he'll be around, MAYBE the early death won't have happened yet but NOPE. I can't even have ONE nice thing.
I've never played FFIX before but the ending of this video almost made me cry... oh man it makes me want to play this game just to experience Vivi. This was a wonderful video. Well done FFU, as always.
This. This is why Vivi is such an amazing character and why I love him so much. This is also why Kingdom Hearts 2's portrayal of him makes my blood boil. They really screwed up Setzer too. I get it if they throw characters in for the sake of fan service, but at least treat them with a little more respect.
I hated what they did to Setzer. Hes way more complex then the bantering fool we see in Kingdom hearts. Though it's been a while since I even seen that cutscene
Looking it on the bright side in KH 2 he seemed to be a normal kid. Sure he is no bad ass black mage but I think he also got a normal live span and he seems to be happy.
Dude,honesty you are amazing, the time and effort you put into these videos is crazy. I played all the FF games from 6 onwards when i was a kid. But as a non native speaker i couldnt always understand the story behind the story. im so glad you have all these origin videos it makes me connect with the game on another level. keep up the amazing work!
What a great video. The story of ViVi means so much to me. He really is one of the most well-developed characters in any of the Final Fantasy games.There's a lot we can learn from him and his legacy stretches out beyond the screen into the real world.
The ABSOLUTE knife in the gut when I found out about the end of Vivi's story! He was my favorite character from ALL of Final Fantasy as a kid and his presence in KH definitely left an impact on me my whole life But I guess I had never actually gotten to the end of FF9. RIP papa, your sons live on
Love this video series. Can’t wait to see who you cover next. Your Lore vids are a great balance between being in-depth enough to really understand the character’s storytelling but also easy to digest without being convoluted.
I've been thinking for years what made the old final fantasy so special compared to newer ones. It turns out it's pretty simple. The story and characters actually make you care. They are simple, based on comprehensible setting and pace. The new FF games are all about Crystals, Moogles and super-high density polygonal hair-cards that would make for a nice hair-gel ad. All-the-while having incomprehensible "Focus", "Ring of Lucii" type stories that Deus-Ex Machinize the entire plot from the very start. Look at Vivi, you look at him and he makes you care, he is a classic FF character, if not one of the best. The fact you control him in the beginning of the game without knowing much yet still it's a great way to show off the world to the player and acquaint you with a lighthearted colorful game. Compare that to the new boys band in FF15 and you see where I'm coming from. Square-Enix badly needs supervision from Hironobu Sakaguchi, I believe they are losing their compass and FF is becoming nothing more than a series that needs to pull-off a specific amount of sales for Sony/Square-Enix to keep profit. AKA g o CG, fite with GTA bros... Yea... They need to hire back Sakaguchi and make him give Yoga classes to the new S.E. employees. The corporate structure in Square Enix is bonkers. They give Tetsuya Nomura too much director power. The guy is a great artist, but looking at his comment scares me a bit where he's taking the creative content to: "I don't like to socialize with people, I only want to work". When I see that and compare it to Honolulu picture-snapping Sakaguchi-Uematsu tagteam, makes me sad where S.E. is taking FF. Oldschool FF's were the thing... Ah memories.... :)
I could say a lot of similar things about Terra from FF6. On the surface, she's the classic "Fish out of water" trope, but when one takes a closer look, you find hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties, and much more. If you haven't played 6, I highly recommend it.
It's definitely about the characters. Consider every FF game ever has had magic, monsters and unreasonably large swords wielded by unfathomably powerful people, they're not very relatable worlds. It's the characters that bring it to life and make it great. Take the most recent one (Which I think was decent, but missed the mark on being great). The characters are cool, they're likeable. But with no character development, the rest of the game takes a nosedive. The guys 'do' stuff, but nothing makes them change 'as people'. Noct becoming powerful enough to defeat his enemies isn't forcing him to reevaluate who he is. It's having his cake and eating it. In FF9, the story is told almost entirely through the characters experience of it. The story initially has nothing to do with any of them, and they were essentially forced into it. In and of itself, this makes the characters go through change and become better people. And through that change, they become who they are to be able to 'face' their fears in game. How powerful you are is left to the gameplay. None of this flying around blasting Levaiathan out of the sky, making you more powerful in a gloryfied cutscene than you ever can be in game.
swamdono I have a structural proble with the new FF's being too driven by their own over-the-topfullness in the usage of FF lore. It's distasteful they way they recycle old ideas trying to "hide" the initial nerd culture that was built in the early games. In trying to get every installment more and more HD they killed every potential goosebump a fan could get with Limit Breaks, Renzokuken. (zelda avoided this by remaining HD free and it worked!) I think of things like coffee, it's all about that very specific blend/result and how it makes you feel. I think if they had FF9 or even FF8's content with super glorified HD, but without lootboxes, dlc, or all that crap it would surpass FF15 setting, feeling and purpose by heaps. Past FF12 I think they've slowly gone nuts with their content. I think it's time they become more honest and simple in their content creation. Using FF lore and HdHair to hide bad storytelling/unresourceful plot is not good. I remember watching FF10 making of videos and how they were inspired by bouddhist temples and complex emotions. But at least it made sense. Same goes for all prior releases and even ff12.. but starting 13 going 15, their burnout can really be felt. =) sorry i like dissing a bit on the new wave ffs im kinda old school and getting old =D
@M4R I agree with you there. That's not my greatest problem with 15 though. I think it's a pile of crap honestly. It's basically "Hold the Circle button and you win". I was in some cave, and entered a battle against a fuckload of these little creatures. I closed my eyes, held the controller over my head whilst holding the circle button, and I won. I wasn't even looking at the TV. That's just crap.
jb111082 actions rpg's =D thats why i was sad shen they did ff12, but it had a rather advanced battle system for the time. ff15 is really an early to mid generation game. ff16 or ff17 or whatever they call it should be far more polished. im very worried they will go story telling more and more into that crystals nonsense, while getting more and more Tekken, Namco in the looks =D
Garnet!!!! Please. Tbh I like every character in FFIX, so I would love it if they could also tell the story of Freya. Just like Garnet, I feel like she is so underrated
I am a grown man and still have to admit that these character origins videos tear me up something unexpected.....just..... the feels.... the feels that come back for these characters and their stories
When, as you put it Vivi "stopped functioning" my tiny little 9 year old heart broke into pieces and guess what, now at the age of 28, it STILL breaks my dang heart, gets me every time man, seriously. 😥
It's been over 20 years. This is the game that got me hooked on RPG genre. I need to play this again as I had forgotten most of the stories and characters. But I still remember Vivi and his story.
I won't lie, I really love the designs for all the Black Mages...From the classic in FFI to Vivi to Black Waltz No. 3...I swear they're my fave from the major roles that continue to partake in most of the series.
Just started watching the FF Lore videos as I am restarting a few of the games. Vivi has always been one of my favorite characters as his development throughout the game is probably one of the best of any game in the Final Fantasy series. Thanks for doing him justice like this and explaining it so well.
This was fantastic, thank you. I never finished FFIX so I didn't know how the story of Vivi concluded. I'm very sad that he stopped functioning. I always loved Black Mages in FF games and this little guy was the most intriguing, now even more so.
FF came along after I was deep into other games and never had a place in my consoles or PCs. But I did take notice of it as a huge part of the gaming universe. I always wondered about this little "Jawa in a big hat." This video is perfect. As a writer I greatly appreciate the full rendition of this complex character. Every game I play must have good characters plus development beyond just gaining power and items. Thank you for a very entertaining video.
The most child like character but got to face the most meta-philosophical question having a serious existential crisis finding the reason and purpose of life being or not being human etc etc. In the end Vivi aced all those questions with a ending suited for a hero.
I just watched this. I own the game and never got beyond a certain point but with this video, learning everything and what happened, got me to cry. Vivi is one of my favorites because of his unique outlook on life. ❤️
I only got to the begining of disc 2 and it was stolen from me but I always had a special place in my heart for him and I'm sad to hear he died in the series... I'm happy he had lil sons thou that made me smile
The scene where the black mages stood at the front of the ship to defend Vivi, I was struggling to hold back tears. These seemingly emotionless dolls, saw Vivi as their own, not the Waltz #3. They wanted to protect him. And when they were destroyed, and Vivi saw it all, just the emotion in that cgi was too much, someone who always felt alone, for the first time saw something worth fighting back for. This translated well when he realizes he has to fight for those he cares about and those who care for him. I was 11, and I never thought I belonged anywhere. The idea that there would be those willing to lay down their lives for me was out of my realm of comprehension. I should not have played this when I was 11. It was refreshing and haunting.
It is also where Vivi gains his trance form. Trance is an ability that activates from high emotional stress, this includes when a loved one is in danger.
Vivi to me is a metaphor not only for the 'classic' Final Fantasy games, but of childhood itself, playing these FF games. It's over before you know it, but what a beautiful adventure it was.
When I first finished Final Fantasy IX on the PS 1 way back in 2005 or 2006, it was nothing like any other game I had played then. As an adolescent, I thought it was the most magical and imaginative story I had ever experienced. I also thought it was Garnet who gave a farewell soliloquy to the other characters because she had to be Alexandria's queen. I recently played and finished the whole game again on a PS 1 emulator on my PC. Only then did I realize that the letter at the end of the game was Vivi's farewell letter to the others. It legit made me cry. I love this game even more now. :-3
OMG! This video on Vivi was so impactful, had so much meaning, WOW, just incredible! Then at the end of it, Vivi actually DIED, I was like:'WHAT!', the copy I had was old, and I had many playthroughs, the ending was messed up, and I never saw that part! This character was a badass! The questions he had, we have in our own lives! This video made his character mean so much more than before! A amazing video!
Vivi is my main in 9 so you done good. Also I think it'd be cool if you did Ashe, Balthier or Umaro would love to see what you'd learn and thus reveal about him.
Vivi was my favorite character in FF9, when i beat the game i cried at the end when vivi died. He is the BEST character in the chronicles of final fantasy
Vivi will always be my favorite FF character. His story is so good and seeing how he grows is one of my favorite parts of the game. I’m only recently beginning to understand how he came to view life by the end.
I grew up with Final Fantasy IX, and, even though I didn't understand English at that time, Vivi was my favorite character. Over the years, as I slowly improved in English, I could start understanding him more and feel even more connected to him. It was really on my last playthrough that I realized that he indeed died at the end. It made me feel very sad, and, yet, at the same time, glad that his story and his character were so important at the end of the game. Like him, I'm a storyteller, so he'll forever be one of my favorite characters.
one day someone planted a tree and it grew to be evil :) my bad jokes aside i would like to see that, like how did he learn of the void? and just how powerful is he really no void control that is.
I played this game as a kid and I was fascinated with him grew attached he was my favorite charecter I adore him and well.. I miss him I wish he was in more games anyway this video made me cry it was a good video thank you so much :")
You know what i've always wondered...When Vivi created his sons...did he give them longer life spands? could he? either way it is tragic even more so when you realize his friends likely meet his children and had to come to terms with the fact that a very short time after there adventurers there friend Vivi died.
Square achieved such an unbelievable height in terms of story and character development with FFIX, they've hit pretty close to it since then but haven't quite reached the same level. Vivi is an amazing character and I love replaying FFIX just to experience his story again and again.
VIVI HAS STOPPED BY THE TIME THE FINAL REUNION OF DAGGER AND ZIDANE HAPPENED?!?!!! I'm serious right now, this is not something I ever found to be implied in any way (not that I can't see it making sense) and you're fucking on my day a little with this right now, not gonna lie. emotional shots fired
The chocobo scene is what made me love vivi I have a tattoo with vivi happy on a chocobo. When he first split from the party he saw a happy chocobo chick and saw life and sat next to it next thing i know he's captured the friendship he gained after that made him the crazy mage he was before his sad passing
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you all for your patience, hopefully we were able to do Vivi's story proud! ~Darryl/Lauren
Thank you thank you thank you for taking my and others suggestion of a Vivi Origins!!!! VIVI IS BAE!!!!!!
The origin video may have not been about Zack Fair or Kefka,but at least we have an origin video.
Always wanted to see Vivi eat that Kupo Nut and describe the flavor.
Final Fantasy Union please do Garnet next! She’s coming out in DFFOO!
Zidan?
FF9. Has no voice actors, has chibi "childish" graphics, characters have minimal facial expressions. Yet despite of its simplicity (mechanics-wise), it was able to make such a strong emotional connection with its players. Its one of those games that you will play over and over again.
I originally had it on PS1 but the system broke. Years later and I found it digitally on PS4 and purchased it right away. Have played through it several times already. Love this game so much.
Final Fabtasy IX always stays my favorite FF.
@Iván Moreno yea. 9 is particularly grindy. 7 and 8 were a little more mainstream and much easier leading to mass appeal
I'm about to play it for the 6th or 7th time from watching this
@@Xero-th6bh I try to replay on my PS2 but my brother took all disks since FF7 so time for an new series such as Tekken 7
I like how Steiner always refeered to him as "master" Vivi.
Steiner is also an amazing character
Yea he respected his magical destructive abilities
Went from being called slave to being called a master
Yeah!
@@MartianEggs tbh I didn't really like Steiner, he was very unlikable.
Vivi is the heart of ff9
He is the only reason i want to replay the game...
Huh I miss him knowing he is running out of time
And Freya is the grounded voice of reason.
@@robertsilvermyst7325 with quina being everyone at 3am, constantly.
I remember when I played FF9 with my ex and... yeah, Vivi was the emotional core and heart of FF9. He’s just something that is so engrained with it that saying otherwise is just false.
The CGI scene where Vivi sees the lifeless Black Mages falling from the airship while Black Waltz attacks always breaks my heart.
"What if I'm not even human?" He said next to an anthropomorphic marshmallow and a rat goat girl.
I find it ironic that out of everyone in IX’s party (not counting guests), Steiner and Amarant are the only ones who could be considered 100% human. Though the wide variety of races is part of why I love the game so much.
@TheRealBandito also...human is only one of many races. People of Gaia are better referred to as gaians
Could be a consequence of translation. I think english doesn't have a good word other than "person" that would mean something more than animal or machine but equal to human. 🤷🏻
@@alanlee67 But the word Gaians can also describe Vivi since he is made in Gaia.
Lmfao this made me laugh way to laugh
To date, there's still no JRPG character that has made me cry as much as Vivi Ornitier. I remember it was the second time I played the game (about 2-3 years ago?) and out of nowhere I started to bawl my eyes out when I got to that one part on the Black Mage Village, the weight of this revelation hit me harder even though I have already played the whole game before, that's really telling about how much Vivi has grown into me. Playing FFIX for the first time as a teenager was very different than when I played it again as a fully grown adult, and for that, it has an entirely new meaning to me, Vivi's growth and struggles were now things that I could better understand and for that you could tell how much work and care they put on writing his character.
Even though he's not the main character, Vivi is essentially the heart of FFIX, and, in my opinion, one of the most important characters in the entire FF franchise.
There is one for me, Celes from ff6, there is one moment in the game thats fucked up sad
I couldn't agree more...
He's so cute and lovable! The development of Vivi is incredible, such a dark backstory... despite his low self-confidence at the beginning and fears after he found his origins, he doesn't give up and grows courage and determination. This video explains perfectly why Vivi is such a great character. He's my favourite of the saga without a doubt!
We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said goodbye.
Let them ring out loud til they unfold
In our dearest memories I see you reaching out to me
Though you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name.
I still get very teary-eyed when hearing about his death. As a kid, he was my FAVORITE character, I would watch my brother play and he would always read me his lines. As an adult now, I can see how he tried hide rhe fact from me, but having beat the game myself now, it puts a deep hole in my heart. Still, I would say he's one most well developed, best character, and the most bad ass of all Final Fantasy characters.
Matt Vinci He wanted to carry on his legacy and keep his species going? Idk who or how black mages bang though so use your imagination.
Matt Vinci they were both dull as fuck. DULL AS FUCK. I fucking hated 8, it was a chore to finish it. 7 had a really good mythology, but the characters were very 2D.
@@FudgieKun funny I think the same about 9. 8 is the shit
@@FudgieKun think about it this way though. 8 was my first FF and why I even play FF to this day. It's the reason I played any of the other games. The game that followed was 9. That was the second FF I played. Besides ViVi and bahamut I hated 9 and haven't played it in about 10 years. Never beat it because it loses my interest and Garnet aka Dagger is a discount midget Rinoa.
Vertex The Hunter "Dagger is a discount midget Rinoa" bruh I'm fucking dying. 💀💀💀
I love Vivi so much. It's heartbreaking how he learns about death. But Vivi lives up to his name which means Life. Even though his birth was unconventional, he has a conscious and a soul.
Vivi isn't just my favourite character in Final Fantasy, he's my favourite character of all time. I could go on and on to why I adore him but the biggest reason for me is how much he reminds me of myself. Back in the day, I was scared to speak my mind and I was scared to associate with people but over time, I learned more about myself and got to meet many people that were just like me and over time, we matured and became more willing to speak up and say what we're thinking. And 1 of the main characters responsible for helping me with that is Vivi because as I played through this game time and time again, I would have Vivi's motives and his determination be even more ingrained into my own mind.
And what's funny about this is Vivi's story is nothing like what you would ever go through in reality as human beings obviously aren't made the way he was but yet despite that, he still manages to be so relate-able.
Pagan Min
I played FFIX as a kid and never realised that at the end of it, those weren't Vivis, but clones of him and that he had stopped by the end of it. I learnt about it when I was older and got so shocked and devastated. He's my all time favourite character of all the games I've ever played in my life, his development and growth will never be replicated and replaced by anyone else in my heart. He was my favourite as a child simply because of his adorable nature, being small and clumsy, and super OP. The way he bounces and jumps when he casts his spells, to the way he runs and shifts his hat and uncertainty when he talks… but as I get older I realise I liked him more than just that. He just grows onto you so much through the story, especially how he learn about life and himself and the people around him. He holds such a special place in my heart I can't even describe it but he's definitely my number 1.
Rest in peace little hero dude.
All these years, after many playthroughs, I never knew ViVi actually died! The copy that I had, I never saw that part, heck, the ending hardly worked at all! OMG!!!
I actually didn't know Vivi died at the end of the game til' much later when someone told me that was HIS text at the end of the game.
I play this game when I was a kid and only found it today.
I'm ignoring this, no.
I saw someone lets play the game and voice act that last lines wrong. I was so furious, because this is the best and saddest part of the game.
@@notaboutroses1710 lol dang
First time I played the game as a kid I didn't know it was him at first. I kept reading and then about halfway through it soon hit me that it was Vivi. He was never shown in the after credits like the rest and they only showed his kids. Then his final line came on the screen and made me cry so hard because I knew that he had "stopped"
You definitely did Vivi justice 💜🧙🏻♂️
Sasha Legge yes he did
Vivi didn't buy the counterfeit ticket, he ran into someone when he first got into town who dropped the ticket. Someone picked it up and "returned" it to him. At least that was my impression.
Nah, Disc 3 Treno some dude named Marco (I think) asks Vivi how the show went, cause he set the whole thing up.
FF9 is still my favorite game of all time. I really appreciate the coverage of these characters.
It's strange, and sad, that Vivi died thinking that Zidane had died when he went after Kuja...
Viúvo da SEGA Wow, powerful thinking.
Viúvo da SEGA ... I can't believe I never thought of that... WHY DID HE HAVE TO STOP :(((
Never made that connection holy crap you're right
Reading this hurt me a lot.
My deep thinking of the game only went as far as wondering whether Brahne and Kuja ever had sex.
As a kid, Vivi was the character I related to the most and to this day he's still my favorite character in the series.
I am not an experienced FF player, I have only played FFXV and it was an okay introduction to the series. But this? I have never been so invested into a character and I wasn't even playing the game. Vivi might be the reason why I seriously get into FF now.
Beatz Pop honestly he’s so worth it. Really Final Fantasy IX is completely worth it. Hope if you do explore it that you have a good time and perhaps that you enjoy the other games too :)
Beatz Pop Good luck my friend.
FFXV and XIII are two that are very different from other FFs… But 7 8 9 should be worth a try. or IV on ios/android
Beatz Pop 7, 9, 10 are must plays!! 6, 8 and 12 are fun as well.
this is how recent FF are different from the older ones, "Square Soft" FF had better character development, they dont constantly feed you with main character's story
This warmed my heart. Such a amazing character. One of my all time favorites. great video 😊
Vivi is my favourite character, though I barely can think about him without a tear.
I also love how they made the black mage village's theme to be Vivi's theme with a giddier arrangement.
I actually hadn’t noticed that before. But I went back and listened to both, and you’re right
Vivi is my most favorite character in FF9 period......
david liu he is my fav char ever
vivi was the heart of FF9...his curiosity made him wonder and question almost everything, specially his very own origins and purposes. he was a very emotional character, caught between conflicts and traveling the world in search of his true self. the little guy was shy and often froze in a mental block for not knowing what to do but in the end he grew up more than any other character in the game and became one of the strongest. i only wished his last magic, doomsday wasn't such a suicidal waste of MP unless one equips all party with shadow-absorbing gear and his comet and meteor would be as powerful as the ones some enemies use( enemies rarely miss it and most times deal a near-death or an instant kill on hit while vivi's usage of those is too damn low in accuracy and many of times it does hit, the damage is pratically a joke). glad he does compensate with flare being so powerful and being able to nulify the element magic and double its power through the use of reflect(mag-elem. null + reflect-x2 passive abilities).
I think Vivi represents so many things to so many people that Vivi was bound to resonate with others. From the person who is naïve and needs protection, to the person dealing with a sense of grief, to a person learning to stand on their own two feet, to the moral compass, Vivi's blank slate tragedy motif allowed him to be both perfect and flawed all at once. Add that he arguably represents the same element of story that Zidane did but in a more relatable way, I think he was bound to be a fan favorite not just of the game, but of the entire series.
The day I figured out that "ViVi" is Roman Numerals for "66", and all the black mages were given a number, I about screamed.
Michael Whisenhunt
Mind blown
Holy Sh*t '0'
Well, I have to go ahead and fake news myself. Roman numerals for 66 is "LXVI". BUT, if you take "VI", which is 6 and put it together twice, you get 66. You know... if you read it wrong 😭 MY WHOLE CHILDHOOD WAS RUINED! BY ME!!
Oh man ;-;
I cried when I saw this, thank you 😂
But... Quan named him.
When I was 10yrs old i played FF9. I loved vivi way back then. Now as an adult, all I can say is Vivi is one the greatest character in Final fantasy game. He is also my Favorite mage of all of time
Evidence of just how popular Vivi is: he is the only FF character to appear in the Kingdom Hearts series who was not personally designed by Tetsuya Nomura.
Darryl, your voice seems super relaxing in this video, and the background music really adds to that. Thanks for the high quality video!
Thanks Richard! I was trying to slow myself down a bit with this one, as I know I have a tendency to rush a little. Glad it paid off and that you were able to enjoy all the elements (including Lauren's great job capturing the right moments) aligning! :) ~Darryl
@@FinalFantasyUnion while we're at it. That background music is so calm through the encouraging and hopeful moments, yet heart-wrenching when hearing you narrate the tragic bits of his story. What track is it???
You should do a comprehensive Cid compilation. Every Cid, from every entry in the various core titles and spin offs.
Why is there always someone named Cid? I've always wondered.
I went for a walk a few days ago wearing a Vivi t-shirt. 2 young elementary school students laughed at me as they walked by.
My mother has terminal cancer, the shirt gives me confidence in what will inevitably come.
Hope, strength, confidence, everything I will need ...
FF9 was my first FF and Vivi made it the most memorable and favorite FF of all
Just finished FF9 for the first time earlier and Vivi was my favourite character. Have been crying for hours over his death 😢
I didn't feel normal for a week after. I was SO scared they'd kill him off then I get to the ending thinking he'll be around, MAYBE the early death won't have happened yet but NOPE. I can't even have ONE nice thing.
I've never played FFIX before but the ending of this video almost made me cry... oh man it makes me want to play this game just to experience Vivi. This was a wonderful video. Well done FFU, as always.
Jason Lee all the necessary aspects of great story telling. My favorite FF to date.
I stopped playing after 9. The series just lost it's way after that.
FF IX was my first FF ever...and after 18 years I still consider him my most cherished character in the whole series
Kristian Sinzar Hafner he is the most cute and a hope character
This. This is why Vivi is such an amazing character and why I love him so much. This is also why Kingdom Hearts 2's portrayal of him makes my blood boil. They really screwed up Setzer too. I get it if they throw characters in for the sake of fan service, but at least treat them with a little more respect.
Hold up, what did they do to him? Maybe I should do some research for that.
I hated what they did to Setzer. Hes way more complex then the bantering fool we see in Kingdom hearts. Though it's been a while since I even seen that cutscene
Looking it on the bright side in KH 2 he seemed to be a normal kid. Sure he is no bad ass black mage but I think he also got a normal live span and he seems to be happy.
Dude,honesty you are amazing, the time and effort you put into these videos is crazy. I played all the FF games from 6 onwards when i was a kid. But as a non native speaker i couldnt always understand the story behind the story. im so glad you have all these origin videos it makes me connect with the game on another level.
keep up the amazing work!
What a great video. The story of ViVi means so much to me. He really is one of the most well-developed characters in any of the Final Fantasy games.There's a lot we can learn from him and his legacy stretches out beyond the screen into the real world.
I'm crying again, I always knew Vivi's story was heavy, but this retrospective reminded me on just how heavy it was. Thank you.
The ABSOLUTE knife in the gut when I found out about the end of Vivi's story! He was my favorite character from ALL of Final Fantasy as a kid and his presence in KH definitely left an impact on me my whole life
But I guess I had never actually gotten to the end of FF9. RIP papa, your sons live on
Love this video series. Can’t wait to see who you cover next. Your Lore vids are a great balance between being in-depth enough to really understand the character’s storytelling but also easy to digest without being convoluted.
I've been thinking for years what made the old final fantasy so special compared to newer ones. It turns out it's pretty simple. The story and characters actually make you care. They are simple, based on comprehensible setting and pace. The new FF games are all about Crystals, Moogles and super-high density polygonal hair-cards that would make for a nice hair-gel ad. All-the-while having incomprehensible "Focus", "Ring of Lucii" type stories that Deus-Ex Machinize the entire plot from the very start.
Look at Vivi, you look at him and he makes you care, he is a classic FF character, if not one of the best. The fact you control him in the beginning of the game without knowing much yet still it's a great way to show off the world to the player and acquaint you with a lighthearted colorful game. Compare that to the new boys band in FF15 and you see where I'm coming from.
Square-Enix badly needs supervision from Hironobu Sakaguchi, I believe they are losing their compass and FF is becoming nothing more than a series that needs to pull-off a specific amount of sales for Sony/Square-Enix to keep profit. AKA g o CG, fite with GTA bros... Yea...
They need to hire back Sakaguchi and make him give Yoga classes to the new S.E. employees. The corporate structure in Square Enix is bonkers. They give Tetsuya Nomura too much director power. The guy is a great artist, but looking at his comment scares me a bit where he's taking the creative content to: "I don't like to socialize with people, I only want to work". When I see that and compare it to Honolulu picture-snapping Sakaguchi-Uematsu tagteam, makes me sad where S.E. is taking FF. Oldschool FF's were the thing... Ah memories.... :)
I could say a lot of similar things about Terra from FF6. On the surface, she's the classic "Fish out of water" trope, but when one takes a closer look, you find hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties, and much more. If you haven't played 6, I highly recommend it.
It's definitely about the characters. Consider every FF game ever has had magic, monsters and unreasonably large swords wielded by unfathomably powerful people, they're not very relatable worlds. It's the characters that bring it to life and make it great.
Take the most recent one (Which I think was decent, but missed the mark on being great). The characters are cool, they're likeable. But with no character development, the rest of the game takes a nosedive. The guys 'do' stuff, but nothing makes them change 'as people'. Noct becoming powerful enough to defeat his enemies isn't forcing him to reevaluate who he is. It's having his cake and eating it.
In FF9, the story is told almost entirely through the characters experience of it. The story initially has nothing to do with any of them, and they were essentially forced into it. In and of itself, this makes the characters go through change and become better people. And through that change, they become who they are to be able to 'face' their fears in game. How powerful you are is left to the gameplay. None of this flying around blasting Levaiathan out of the sky, making you more powerful in a gloryfied cutscene than you ever can be in game.
swamdono I have a structural proble with the new FF's being too driven by their own over-the-topfullness in the usage of FF lore. It's distasteful they way they recycle old ideas trying to "hide" the initial nerd culture that was built in the early games. In trying to get every installment more and more HD they killed every potential goosebump a fan could get with Limit Breaks, Renzokuken. (zelda avoided this by remaining HD free and it worked!) I think of things like coffee, it's all about that very specific blend/result and how it makes you feel. I think if they had FF9 or even FF8's content with super glorified HD, but without lootboxes, dlc, or all that crap it would surpass FF15 setting, feeling and purpose by heaps. Past FF12 I think they've slowly gone nuts with their content. I think it's time they become more honest and simple in their content creation. Using FF lore and HdHair to hide bad storytelling/unresourceful plot is not good. I remember watching FF10 making of videos and how they were inspired by bouddhist temples and complex emotions. But at least it made sense. Same goes for all prior releases and even ff12.. but starting 13 going 15, their burnout can really be felt. =) sorry i like dissing a bit on the new wave ffs im kinda old school and getting old =D
@M4R I agree with you there. That's not my greatest problem with 15 though. I think it's a pile of crap honestly. It's basically "Hold the Circle button and you win". I was in some cave, and entered a battle against a fuckload of these little creatures. I closed my eyes, held the controller over my head whilst holding the circle button, and I won. I wasn't even looking at the TV. That's just crap.
jb111082 actions rpg's =D thats why i was sad shen they did ff12, but it had a rather advanced battle system for the time. ff15 is really an early to mid generation game. ff16 or ff17 or whatever they call it should be far more polished. im very worried they will go story telling more and more into that crystals nonsense, while getting more and more Tekken, Namco in the looks =D
Rinoa Heartily or Garnet please. I loved this video Vivi is so sweet
Naomi Foord Rinoa yesss please
Garnet!!!! Please. Tbh I like every character in FFIX, so I would love it if they could also tell the story of Freya. Just like Garnet, I feel like she is so underrated
Vivi is adorable, sweet and I want to give him all the hugs.
Garnet/Dagger next please!
to me, vivi is the most precious thing, and this vid reminds me that I still need to find a vivi plushie so I can hug him whenever I want to.
Kairikey OMG. yes. I want a plushie of Vivi too! He is so adorable and a hope character
I am a grown man and still have to admit that these character origins videos tear me up something unexpected.....just..... the feels.... the feels that come back for these characters and their stories
When, as you put it Vivi "stopped functioning" my tiny little 9 year old heart broke into pieces and guess what, now at the age of 28, it STILL breaks my dang heart, gets me every time man, seriously. 😥
It's been over 20 years. This is the game that got me hooked on RPG genre. I need to play this again as I had forgotten most of the stories and characters. But I still remember Vivi and his story.
I won't lie, I really love the designs for all the Black Mages...From the classic in FFI to Vivi to Black Waltz No. 3...I swear they're my fave from the major roles that continue to partake in most of the series.
Just started watching the FF Lore videos as I am restarting a few of the games. Vivi has always been one of my favorite characters as his development throughout the game is probably one of the best of any game in the Final Fantasy series. Thanks for doing him justice like this and explaining it so well.
This was fantastic, thank you. I never finished FFIX so I didn't know how the story of Vivi concluded. I'm very sad that he stopped functioning. I always loved Black Mages in FF games and this little guy was the most intriguing, now even more so.
"That'll do Vivi, That'll do..." ;_;
😭😢
FF came along after I was deep into other games and never had a place in my consoles or PCs. But I did take notice of it as a huge part of the gaming universe. I always wondered about this little "Jawa in a big hat." This video is perfect. As a writer I greatly appreciate the full rendition of this complex character. Every game I play must have good characters plus development beyond just gaining power and items. Thank you for a very entertaining video.
You're most welcome Morgan, it's great to hear how much you enjoyed the video. Thank you for taking the time to comment! :) ~Darryl
The most child like character but got to face the most meta-philosophical question having a serious existential crisis finding the reason and purpose of life being or not being human etc etc. In the end Vivi aced all those questions with a ending suited for a hero.
My favorite character in all of Final Fantasy. Thank you for this.
I just watched this. I own the game and never got beyond a certain point but with this video, learning everything and what happened, got me to cry.
Vivi is one of my favorites because of his unique outlook on life. ❤️
I only got to the begining of disc 2 and it was stolen from me but I always had a special place in my heart for him and I'm sad to hear he died in the series... I'm happy he had lil sons thou that made me smile
The scene where the black mages stood at the front of the ship to defend Vivi, I was struggling to hold back tears. These seemingly emotionless dolls, saw Vivi as their own, not the Waltz #3. They wanted to protect him. And when they were destroyed, and Vivi saw it all, just the emotion in that cgi was too much, someone who always felt alone, for the first time saw something worth fighting back for. This translated well when he realizes he has to fight for those he cares about and those who care for him. I was 11, and I never thought I belonged anywhere. The idea that there would be those willing to lay down their lives for me was out of my realm of comprehension. I should not have played this when I was 11. It was refreshing and haunting.
It is also where Vivi gains his trance form.
Trance is an ability that activates from high emotional stress, this includes when a loved one is in danger.
I have a tattoo of Vivi because of how much I loved him and FF9 thank you for making this video
He's up there with Balthier for me
One of three best characters ever created. In any game. Period
Vivi reminds me of my son. So, he's like my son, even in the game. One of my favorite characters
I love this video so much
Vivi is my favourite in FF9. Not for his skills but for his story. Thanks for this.
Vivi to me is a metaphor not only for the 'classic' Final Fantasy games, but of childhood itself, playing these FF games. It's over before you know it, but what a beautiful adventure it was.
Am I crying again? Damn FFIX characters... Such beautiful video.
I must confess that when I first saw Vivi, I thought he was a Heartless.
Finally my favorite character!
Yay! Thank you for covering my favorite video game character! Much love
Vivi has always been my favorite character from Final Fantasy Nine. he was also the only character who I got emotional about at the end.
I was smile so much when i see Vivi again in opera omnia. Thank you so much for the video!
When I first finished Final Fantasy IX on the PS 1 way back in 2005 or 2006, it was nothing like any other game I had played then. As an adolescent, I thought it was the most magical and imaginative story I had ever experienced. I also thought it was Garnet who gave a farewell soliloquy to the other characters because she had to be Alexandria's queen.
I recently played and finished the whole game again on a PS 1 emulator on my PC. Only then did I realize that the letter at the end of the game was Vivi's farewell letter to the others. It legit made me cry.
I love this game even more now. :-3
Who needs emulators? Just get FF IX on Steam ;)
Love your videos, you have a very soothing voice as well. Literally find myself listening to you for hours on end.
One of the most memorable characters of my childhood
OMG! This video on Vivi was so impactful, had so much meaning, WOW, just incredible! Then at the end of it, Vivi actually DIED, I was like:'WHAT!', the copy I had was old, and I had many playthroughs, the ending was messed up, and I never saw that part! This character was a badass! The questions he had, we have in our own lives! This video made his character mean so much more than before! A amazing video!
Vivi is my main in 9 so you done good.
Also I think it'd be cool if you did Ashe, Balthier or Umaro would love to see what you'd learn and thus reveal about him.
Ok after 20 years of my existence and 9 years of loving final fantasy nine NOW I’M CRYING
Vivi was my favorite character in FF9, when i beat the game i cried at the end when vivi died. He is the BEST character in the chronicles of final fantasy
Great stuff man! Keep up the good work. Would like to see one about Basch fon Rosenburg.
Vivi will always be my favorite FF character. His story is so good and seeing how he grows is one of my favorite parts of the game. I’m only recently beginning to understand how he came to view life by the end.
Vivi is life. Or Iifa anyway.
yellowsquashbanana fun fact its actually spelled iifa.
I grew up with Final Fantasy IX, and, even though I didn't understand English at that time, Vivi was my favorite character. Over the years, as I slowly improved in English, I could start understanding him more and feel even more connected to him. It was really on my last playthrough that I realized that he indeed died at the end. It made me feel very sad, and, yet, at the same time, glad that his story and his character were so important at the end of the game. Like him, I'm a storyteller, so he'll forever be one of my favorite characters.
Just looking at Vivi and I'm already crying..
11:32 man, I cry everytime that scene plays.
Made me a little misty eyed. That was very well done.
I'm gonna avoid the usual "Steiner When?" and jsut go straight to Exdeath Origins please :£.
Great video as always, a lot of work into these
one day someone planted a tree and it grew to be evil :) my bad jokes aside i would like to see that, like how did he learn of the void? and just how powerful is he really no void control that is.
Personally, I love how Zidane and Vivi kinda form a big brother/little brother like relationship
Final Fantasy IX Has one of the best stories in all videogame History and a great merit goes to it's chacarcters, Vivi Is my favourite ever
I played this game as a kid and I was fascinated with him grew attached he was my favorite charecter I adore him and well.. I miss him I wish he was in more games anyway this video made me cry it was a good video thank you so much :")
YES! so glad vivi is being looked at. good lore analysis guys =D
You know what i've always wondered...When Vivi created his sons...did he give them longer life spands? could he? either way it is tragic even more so when you realize his friends likely meet his children and had to come to terms with the fact that a very short time after there adventurers there friend Vivi died.
You skipped a few details, yet it's still a massive 30minute video!
it shows how much detail there is in IX.
I didn’t cry when my father died. But I was broken for literal weeks when I saw Vivis death
This was really well scripted and comprehensive. Thank you.
The only character that can make me cry everytime when I finish the game..
Square achieved such an unbelievable height in terms of story and character development with FFIX, they've hit pretty close to it since then but haven't quite reached the same level. Vivi is an amazing character and I love replaying FFIX just to experience his story again and again.
VIVI HAS STOPPED BY THE TIME THE FINAL REUNION OF DAGGER AND ZIDANE HAPPENED?!?!!!
I'm serious right now, this is not something I ever found to be implied in any way (not that I can't see it making sense) and you're fucking on my day a little with this right now, not gonna lie.
emotional shots fired
The chocobo scene is what made me love vivi I have a tattoo with vivi happy on a chocobo. When he first split from the party he saw a happy chocobo chick and saw life and sat next to it next thing i know he's captured the friendship he gained after that made him the crazy mage he was before his sad passing
i ugly cried as a kid and an adult when i played this again.. Vivi is my favorite Final Fantasy character