Final Fantasy 9: The Masquerade

One of the many examples of performance throughout the game.

Final Fantasy 9 is a game about self-discovery. The incredible cast of characters must overcome the odds and band together to save the world, while also finding out things about themselves along the way. Sounds like a Final Fantasy game alright, the usual tale of a rag-tag bunch of misfits setting off on an adventure together. Final Fantasy 9 is different though; it has a self-awareness. It is no coincidence that cast of characters is a theater term, as every character is knowingly playing a role.

Performance and masquerade feature heavily in Final Fantasy 9; they are so prevalent that it can be argued that they are, in fact, the central themes of the game. There are countless examples of theater terms used, countless nods to masquerade balls, and countless nods to disguise and acting; it is no coincident that the entire game's opening has a Shakespearean-esque fantasy feel.

Perhaps the biggest case for this argument is that all the events of Final Fantasy 9 are book-ended by theatrical performance; the game starts and ends with the fictional play I Want to be Your Canary.

Theater is consistently referenced throughout Final Fantasy 9.

I Want to be Your Canary tells the story between a noble and a peasant and is written by Lord Avon (an obvious reference to Shakespeare being known as the 'Bard of Avon'). Zidane, and the rest of Tantalus, perform the play as part of a plan to kidnap the Princess of Alexandria.

Zidane and Princess Garnet are both familiar with I Want to be Your Canary, Zidane must know the play in depth if he is able to perform multiple roles from it, and it is revealed that Garnet studied the play as a youth. It is no surprise that, with their expertise in theater, the leading man and lady are playing roles throughout Final Fantasy 9.

The first time Princess Garnet is encountered she is in disguise. She then changes her name to Dagger and alters her speech pattern in order to play the role of a commoner. And, like Zidane, it is eventually revealed that her true identity is not what was initially thought.

One of the many different guises Garnet takes during the game.

Every character in Final Fantasy 9 acts at a point. They either disguise themselves or put on a mask to cover deep seated emotional issues; each member of the main cast, from party members from antagonists do this, even many of the minor characters as well. In fact, Zidane seems like the only genuine one among them. He encourages his friends onward in the face of adversity, charges fearlessly into danger, he does all the things a traditional hero would...

Maybe, just maybe, he's playing a role too. The role of the hero.

It's already established that Zidane must have an in-depth knowledge of theater and acting, and his life as thief shows his silver tongue and ability to persuade. The player learns, towards the end of the game, that Zidane, much like Garnet, is not as he seems. What if he'd also been knowingly playing a role about all the way through the events of the game?

Was Blank the true hero of Final Fantasy 9?

In terms of heroic protagonists, Zidane hardly fits the bill. His motivations, before the events in Evil Forrest, are that of a ladies man and a thief; he's more Han Solo than Luke Skywalker. He even boasts to Blank how he's going to 'reel in' a Princess.

Blank - Sheez... You really dig her, huh?
Zidane - I can't sit around knowing a girl's in trouble. Goes against my nature.
Blank - Whatever. You're full of crap.
Zidane - Oh... I get it. You're jealous that I'm gonna get me a sweetie pie.

Blank then proceeds to give Zidane advice and medicine; both which prove to be of great help. Even with those things, and the help of Vivi and Steiner, Zidane still struggles to rescue the princess. It is only when Blank arrives, to save the day, that they are successful. He then saves Zidane's life, sacrificing himself in the process, before throwing him the map that would ensure the survival of the party.

It's not just his actions that argue for his place as true hero/protagonist. Although it is hard to gauge how Tantalus is ordered, he seems to have more seniority than Zidane. As well as being the Prima Vista's pilot, he is also trusted to helm the Blue Narciss later in the game. The single time he is a party member, he takes the primary slot, which is usually reserved for the party leader. He wields a sword, the traditional weapon of the hero. And, he fights in the struggle for Alexandria immediately after being unfrozen from petrification.

It is only after Blank is turned to stone and Zidane finds himself alone in the wilderness with a Princess, an oafish knight, and a child, that he takes on the role of the hero. He starts out playing one, but truly becomes one by the end of the game when he makes his own heroic sacrifice.

Black Waltz No.3 and the Cargo Ship.

The images of a masquerade ball come to mind when considering the the theatrical within Final Fantasy 9; the musical style of certain sections, the overarching themes of an outer facade masking inner truths, and specific character designs. Take the Black Waltz's for example, the name makes obvious sense because there are three of them, but it is no coincidence that they are named after the sort of dance that is performed at a ball.

In another nod to Shakespeare, the idea of the farce comes to mind when examining the series of events that eventually bring Beatrix and Steiner together. A love letter, intended for Zidane, falls into the hands of many characters before being dropped and subsequently found by Beatrix, believing it from Steiner. The same night, Steiner finds the same letter and, in turn, mistakes it being from Beatrix addressed to him. The whole thing takes place as an audience of characters watches from afar.

A Happy Ending

Final Fantasy 9 ends as it begins: with a performance of I Want to be Your Canary. As the first performance is interrupted, by the events of the game, the player is unaware of how the story concludes. It is only as the final performance plays out, at the end of the game, that the player experiences the entire story. The narrative of both the play and the game itself are intertwined, and it is no coincidence that once I Want to be Your Canary finally ends, the game does as well. Zidane finally throws off his final disguise, his last masquerade, and the performance is over.