Characters of Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy IX, a PlayStation role-playing game consisting of four CD-ROMs, features a cast containing various major and minor characters. Players control a maximum of four characters for combat at once, with eight main playable characters in the party and other, temporary characters, the names of the character's listed in this article are their official names, though the names of the main playable characters can be changed by the player.

The main characters were based on the character class archetypes from previous Final Fantasy games. Zidane is based on the Thief class, while Steiner is based on the Knight class. Each character in Final Fantasy IX has a unique ability; these include summoning, black magic, white magic, blue magic, and techniques such as "Jump". The characters were designed after the creation of Final Fantasy IX's plot, unlike its predecessors VII and VIII, which had their protagonists created before the story. Both Zidane and Vivi's size and age were made to be less than the characters from these titles. Zidane was one of the original three characters to be revealed, along with Vivi and Steiner.

Original concepts and designs were created by Toshiyuki Itahana, Shūkō Murase, Hideo Minaba and Shin Nagasawa.The game's character designs were meant to strike a balance between realism and a comic-like style, while taking inspiration from the style employed for the characters in The Dark Crystal.

Zidane Tribal (ジタン・トライバル, Jitan Toraibaru; /zɪˈdɑːn/) is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy IX. He was conceived and written by Hironobu Sakaguchi. The womanizing aspect of his character was conceived by Hiroyuki Ito. Sakaguchi described him as a person who "likes girls and doesn't care for much", lacking any real objective and being carefree, but a key character nonetheless. Zidane has shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a prehensile monkey-like tail, as shown in game when he uses it to evade Steiner. He wields either two daggers or a single swallow-blade. Zidane is identified as a thief, and has the unique ability to steal items from enemies. He assists in the kidnapping of Garnet, who goes willingly, as she desires to escape the kingdom. He takes an instant liking to her and does not hesitate to flirt with her throughout the game. Near the end of the game, it is revealed that Zidane is a Genome created on the planet Terra to replace the antagonist Kuja as a more powerful "Angel of Death".

Vivi Ornitier (ビビ・オルニティア, Bibi Orunitia) first appears at the beginning of the game, becoming embroiled in Tantalus's plan to kidnap Princess Garnet when he travels to Alexandria to attend a performance of the play I Want to be Your Canary. Vivi's appearance is based on the black mage characters from previous Final Fantasy games. He wears a blue outfit and a tall hat, and has no facial features beyond a set of yellow eyes. He joins with Zidane and others, and later discovers others like him, later learning that they are mindless, manufactured foot soldiers created by Kuja. He continues to search for the truth about his origins and point in life, as well as what makes him different from others like him, such as his ability to express emotions. In the Black Mage Village he discovers, he eventually learns that Black Mages live for only one year, though that Vivi may be a prototype with a longer lifespan. In the ending, it is implied that he eventually died, having multiple Black Mage children.

Adelbert Steiner (アデルバート・スタイナー, Aderubāto Sutainā) is the Captain of the Knights of Pluto, the only group of male soldiers in Alexandria's military force. Steiner is unusual amongst Final Fantasy characters in that while the game allows the player to choose his name, the chosen name becomes his surname instead of his first name. For instance, if the player entered the name "Steve", he would be called "Captain Adelbert Steve". This also makes him one of the few Final Fantasy characters to be called by both the first and last name given in the game's manual during actual gameplay.

Steiner wears a full suit of heavy armour throughout the game, giving him a bulky appearance. His armour is often remarked on by others, such as when Zidane refers to him as "Rusty" early on in the game. Steiner only seems to mind this once, though his armour never actually appears damaged or ill-maintained.

Steiner meets Zidane and the Tantalus group during their performance of the play I Want to be Your Canary. He follows the Tantalus group after their "kidnapping" of Princess Garnet because of his oath to protect her from danger. He joins forces with Zidane, whom he hates due to being a thief, but is willing to put up with just about anything to ensure Garnet's safety. When the party learns of the Queen's role in the attacks on Burmecia, Steiner questions his loyalty, as he does not believe such horrible deeds could be committed by the person he dedicated his life to defending. He resolves this conflict by transferring his loyalty fully to Garnet.