This is a trope sheet for the cast of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII''.
!The Main Party
->Voiced by: Creator/HikaruMidorikawa (''Origins'' opening FMV, ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia]]''), Creator/JohnnyYongBosch (''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia]]'')

The hero of the game. Firion is a youth from Fynn, who flees it as the Empire lays siege to and occupies it. Together with his adopted family Maria and Guy, they manage to make it to Altair, the base of [[LaResistance the Wild Rose Rebellion]], headed by the princess of Fynn. They convince her to allow them to join, and together they work to defeat the Empire, take back Fynn, and [[SavingTheWorld save the world]]. Firion appears along with the Emperor in the ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' series and appears as a player character in the SpinOff ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy''.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Together with Minwu, the first such characters in the series.
* BadassesWearBandanas: His signature, he may be a SociallyAwkwardHero but he single handedly spearheads the rebellion to victory.
* {{Bishonen}}: He's a ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' hero. What did you expect?
* BrownEyes: Firion fits the down-to-earth and humble meanings of the trope--besides, this is simply ''rare'' for Squeenix..
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Even before his adoptive parents died in the siege of Fynn, he was already orphaned. Precisely ''why'' this is convenient is explained in Maria's section (see NotBloodSiblings).
* CovertPervert: [[AllThereInTheManual Old manuals]] reveal that he apparently has a weakness for "feminine charms". [[NeverLiveItDown No kidding]].
** CannotTalkToWomen
* DarkSkinnedBlond: Silvery hair, not blond, but the overall effect is much the same.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Interesting, in that this is a one-artist variation on the trope -- Creator/YoshitakaAmano drew Firion quite differently from picture to picture, to the point where a lot of official art of the character has to be labeled as such in order to be recognizable as Firion. His face and his armor would remain the same but he frequently changed his headgear and color scheme.
** Put it this way -- in ''Dissidia'' [[ Firion's]] [[ three]] [[ costumes]] all have different hair accessories, different hairstyles, and differently styled and colored armor, and all three are based on different Amano arts.
* DubNameChange: His Japanese name, フリオニール, ''Furioniiru'', is officially transliterated as Frioniel. This became Firion in English due to character limits, and has remained such likely due to a combination of inertia and euphony.
* [[HairDecorations Every Bishounen Is Prettier With Hair Decs]]: Oh so very many pretty pretty beads in his hair.
* HappilyAdopted: Until his new parents died as well.
* TheHero
* HeroesPreferSwords: Though he can be trained in the use of all weapons in the game, his initial equip and InfinityPlusOneSword are... well, swords.
* JackOfAllStats: Of your initial party, his stats are the most evenly balanced.
* MagneticHero
* AManIsNotAVirgin: Averted, because he almost certainly is. Heck one of his {{Fan Nickname}}s literally means "virgin".
* NiceGuy: But you'd better BewareTheNiceOnes if you plan on attacking his village and killing his friends.
* OfficialCouple: With Maria in the Japan-only novelization.
* RummageSaleReject
* ShipTease: He seemed pretty willing to oblige Hilda before he realized it was actually the Lamia Queen...
* ShortHairWithTail
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Averted, in that he's the hero and a very nice guy.

->Voiced by: Creator/NorikoShitaya (''Origins'' opening FMV)

Firion's adopted sister, who fled Fynn with him when the Empire took it. She too joined up with the Wild Rose Rebellion, despite her angst and worry over what has happened to her older brother Leon, as last they knew he was with them, and then he disappeared.

* ActionGirl: Eager to join LaResistance and fight for her freedom, she can also be made one gameplay-wise due to the infinite customization of the StatGrinding system.
* BrotherSisterIncest: [[NoExportForYou According to the novelizations of the game]], she has an unrequited secret crush on Firion.
** NotBloodSiblings: But at least they're not related, so it's not as bad as it could be.
* TheChick: Only one of the main party, and, with a lot of her focus on her caring about her family, fits as the emotional center.
* {{Fanservice}}: In the novels, she has bathing scenes. ''Illustrated'' bathing scenes.
* TheHeart
* LadyOfBlackMagic: Of the main party, she has the best initial stats for Black Magic.
* PluckyGirl: No matter what, she will not give up hope.
* ShipTease: With Firion. The novel has them eventually graduate to OfficialCouple.
* SquishyWizard: Her HP is the worst of the initial party, putting her in the back row by default. Fortunately, especially in later remakes, StatGrinding means she can become more durable, making her last longer.
* {{Stripperiffic}}: Very tight clothing, bare back, and there is nothing covering one breast except for half a golden cup.
** ImpossiblyCoolClothes: The jury's out on whether or not it's "cool" but it's definitely impossible. How any of the fabric or metal covering her upper body stays on is beyond human ken.
* SexyBacklessOutfit
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Indigo to be exact. It varies between versions.

->Voiced by: Creator/KentaMiyake (''Origins'' opening FMV)

Firion's best friend and, [[AllThereInTheManual according to various Japan-only materials]], also an adopted brother. Guy was abandoned in the wild as a baby, only being raised by humans from age ten onwards, and as a result is very... well, slow, and quiet. Nonetheless, he has a close bond with Firion, Maria, and Leon, and joins them in their quest to save the world from oppression.

* AnAxeToGrind: His initial equip and [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Weapon]] are both axes.
* BarbarianHero: If he wore animal hides instead of armor, he'd be a perfect fit.
* BareYourMidriff: In his Creator/YoshitakaAmano art.
* TheBigGuy: Fits it to a tee.
* CombatMedic: Bizarrely, despite being a huge hulk with an axe, his stats for White Magic are quite good.
* TheDitz: A bit harsher and sadder than typical Ditzes, as his lack of mental prowess is due to neglect, not any fault of his own.
* DubNameChange: Has sometimes been called "Gus" in English translations.
* DumbIsGood
* DumbMuscle
* FriendToAllLivingThings: It enables him to [[SpeaksFluentAnimal speak Beaver]], apparently.
* {{Gonk}}
* HairColors: Brown, and subsequently quite simple.
* HulkSpeak: How he communicates with human beings. Presumably, he's more fluent in the various animal languages.
* RaisedByWolves: Specifically, a beast named Mauza. [[NoExportForYou Not that many Anglophones can figure that out]].
* SleevesAreForWimps
* UnderwearOfPower: In his original art and PSP sprite.
* WildChild: Was one until kind people in Fynn took him in.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: He's actually the youngest party member at sixteen, but is quite large and... well, ''craggy.''



Maria's older brother (this time, not adopted), who fled Fynn with them when it fell, but vanished along the way. When he turned up again, he was working for TheEmpire, but all may not be as it seems...

* AloofBigBrother: To Maria.
* AnAxeToGrind: Wields an axe and sword when he rejoins the party.
* TheAtoner: After the game, Leon leaves his family behind to go try and find a way to redeem himself for all the evil acts he did in the Empire's service as a Dark Knight.
* BlackKnight: First Dark Knight in the series.
* BladeOnAStick: On of his initial equips is a spear, as is his [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Weapon]].
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to his adopted family, at first... though interestingly while Firion and Guy would also qualify as Abels, Maria is the best Abel candidate.
* DarthVaderClone
* TheDragon: To the Emperor, at first.
* DragonAscendant: Subverted. After the Emperor is killed in the Cyclone, Leon crowns himself Emperor, and it falls to the party to confront him and take him out, so clearly, he's the ''real'' villain, right? And this was all an elaborate scheme to grab the throne? [[spoiler: Maybe so, but sadly, the Emperor's not put paid for yet, and trumps Leon quite soundly]].
* DualWielding: Yes, everyone can dual wield anything in this game, but Leon gets special mention because he dual-wields a sword and an axe upon joining the party.
* DubNameChange: His Japanese name is レオンハルト, ''Reonharuto'' (Leonhart), but he has always been called Leon in English releases due to character limits.
* EasilyForgiven: Firion and Maria are willing to welcome him back, no conditions and no questions asked. However, he can't forgive himself nearly as easily.
* FaceHeelTurn: In the beginning of the game, he joins up with the Empire offscreen after the siege of Fynn.
* HeelFaceTurn: Near the end of the game, [[spoiler: after the Emperor shows that he will not go down nearly as easily as they'd hoped]].
* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Played straight. Leon, the mysterious Dark Knight, wears one during his stint as a Heel, but ditches it upon joining the party.
* HeroesPreferSwords: While his InfinityPlusOneSword is, in fact, a spear, the ''other'' weapon he dual-wields when joining the party is a sword, and he is usually depicted as wielding one in artwork and [=FMVs=].
** In the ''Dawn of Souls'' version, giving him the Blood Sword in the final battle allows him to do almost '''4x''' the damage that Firion can dish out.
* MagikarpPower: He may start out slightly behind your party in HP, depending on your level grinding, and has only 5 MP and no spells. But he innately has Stamina and Magic in the 30s, and since those two stats determine HP and MP gain, those two stats will quickly shoot up to considerable levels, especially in the 20th Anniversary release where his exclusive Longinus piles another 50 Stamina onto him.
* MultiMeleeMaster: Though everyone can train to be the same, he's naturally proficient to some degree with all weapon types when he joins, as well as shields. Axes and swords are his highest followed by spears, but he can just as easily grab a bow or a staff and shield.
* NamesTheSame: As another [[spoiler: traitorous]] [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny JRPG knight.]] Subverted in the Japanese version of both, though - as their names were Leonhart and ''Lion'' respectively.
* ASinisterClue[=/=]TheSouthpaw: One of many lefties in this game.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Leon is not his original name (see DubNameChange above), but the lack of an "official" transliteration has led to people calling him Leonhart, Leonhardt, Lionheart, etc.
* TheUnfought: A boss fight with him is foreshadowed, but never happens, [[spoiler: being interrupted by the Emperor's resurrection and Leon deciding it'd be a good idea to join up with the people against the Emperor now]].
* VillainousWidowsPeak: It serves as a clue to his betrayal.

!Other Playable Characters


A former soldier of the Palamecian Empire ([[AllThereInTheManual according to the manual]]). He lives in the icy mountain town of Salamand, and aids the party after they save the men of his town from being forced into slavery. Sadly, though, he dies after heroically saving the rest of the party from a DeathTrap.

* AllEncompassingMantle: Though it is sometimes drawn as a slightly-less-badass poncho.
* BadassMustache: He has a nice one.
* BaldOfAwesome: You better believe it.
* BareFistedMonk: So much so that equipping weapons on him at first will actually lower the damage he does.
* CantCatchUp: He's far and away the most useless character in Soul of Rebirth, unless you've leveled him to compensate.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Considering that he left the Empire long ago and nowadays has nothing nice to say about it...
* GuestStarPartyMember
* HeroicSacrifice: Saves the party from a giant rolling boulder trap.
* NoPronunciationGuide: It's actually pronounced like "Yosef", not "Joseph."
* OrnamentalWeapon: His artwork always has him carry a sword on his back despite being a BareFistedMonk.
* PapaWolf: It's not smart to threaten Nelly's safety.
* WolverineClaws: Despite using nothing but his bare hands most of the story, the PSP and iOS versions do give him an [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Weapon]] in the Dragon Claws.



A prince of the fallen kingdom of Kashuan. Gordon is anxious and has no self-confidence at first, constantly comparing himself to his deceased brother and coming up short. Later, though, he finds strength within himself and grows into a respected leader of the Wild Rose Rebellion.

* {{Bishounen}}
* BladeOnAStick: His initial equip and [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Weapon]] are spears.
* CharacterDevelopment: Goes from being a pathetic coward to a competent leader of the Rebellion.
* CowardlyLion: Sure, he's afraid, but he ends up doing remarkably gutsy things despite that.
* GuestStarPartyMember
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Indicates how he is noble and true despite his self-doubt.
* JokeCharacter[=/=]MagikarpPower: His initial stats are utterly pathetic... but if you stick with him, you can have a quite good character that can easily pick up any role.
* NonActionGuy: Yes, he is a party member for some time, but he fits the personality type, and does better in a leadership position than actually doing the fighting.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He braves Kashuan Keep and leads the rebellion.
* RebelLeader: Co-Leader with Hilda after his CharacterDevelopment.
* ShipTease: With Hilda, most notably in the [[DanceOfRomance dance scene]] and his very forceful desire to SaveThePrincess when she is kidnapped.
* SpareToTheThrone: The source of most of his angst.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: If he had more balls of steel, then [[spoiler: maybe Josef would've lived rather than be crushed by a giant boulder to save the party!]]
* WisePrince: He becomes this at the end after his CharacterDevelopment.



A pirate captain. She's hired by the party to transport them to an island nation, but she betrays them--however, after the party kicks her and her crew's ass, they wisely change sides and join with the Wild Rose Rebellion.

* ActionGirl: Comes with the whole "pirate captain" territory; also she's initially geared as a fighter when she joins your party.
* BigDamnHeroes: Saves Firion's bacon from the Lamia Queen.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: After she gets beaten, she happily joins up with the party and is quite friendly.
* DressedToPlunder: In accordance with standard pirate dress codes.
* FragileSpeedster: Geared towards speed for her initial stats.
* GracefulLoser: She's willing to face the consequences on behalf of her crew after you defeat them. Luckily for her, the party has a much better idea.
* GuestStarPartyMember
* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Her favorite food is "ale".
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She may be a gruff pirate, but she's far from a bad person.
* KnifeNut: Her initial equip and [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Weapon]] are daggers.
* LoveableRogue
* [[{{Pirates}} Pirate]]: [[CaptainObvious Duh.]]
** PirateGirl
* ScarfOfAsskicking: Has quite a few of them.
* ShockAndAwe: Joins the party with a Thunder spell, which is more than one can say for any other character besides Minwu.
* TheSouthpaw: One of many lefties.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Leila, Layla, Reila...
* {{Stripperiffic}}: Not as much so as Maria, but miniskirts are hardly ideal pirating clothes.
* TalkLikeAPirate: Yarr, matey.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: How ''did'' she escape and survive when the ship was swallowed by Leviathan...?
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Blue or purple, depending on sprite.



White Wizard of Mysidia, and apparent advisor to the Fynn royal court. He is the one who saves Firion and his party, and later fights alongside them in their quest to stop the Empire. He is tragically killed by the magic necessary to undo the seal on [[SealedGoodInACan Ultima]]. He appears as a playable sub-character in ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy''.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: Fits in with his design being clearly Arabic-influenced.
* BadassLongRobe: Real men wear robes with skirts and kick ass while doing so.
* BareYourMidriff: In his character art.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: He uses up all his life energy to break the seal on Ultima, but is surprisingly nonchalant about his own death, saying that it's his destiny.
* {{Bishounen}}: Probably, and even if he's not, in the hands of his fans, he is made into one.
** However in the novelization he's a CoolOldGuy.
* BreakoutCharacter: SquareEnix noticed his popularity in Japan, and has since been made the protagonist for the ''Soul of Rebirth'' sidequest.
* CourtMage
* CrutchCharacter: When he joins your party, he is ''amazingly'' powerful--true, a powerful healer more than a fighter, but still enough to ensure your survival.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: He believes it is the fate of all who live to someday die, and when his own death comes, he accepts it.
* GuestStarPartyMember
* HeroicSacrifice: To let the party at the legendary White Magic, Ultima.
* MagicWand: One of his [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Weapons]] is the Stardust Rod.
* ManInWhite: Again, striking against the dark skin, and visual shorthand for his purity, and fitting for a White Wizard to, you know, wear white.
* TheMedic: Hands ''down''.
* NiceHat: Nice turban, Minwu.
* SimpleStaff: His initial equip and one of his [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Weapons]].
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Minwu, Minh, Ming-du, Ming-wu...
* WhiteMage: He is, as of yet, the ''only'' male healer in the franchise. The rest have been female.



The last dragoon of Deist. Ricard finds the party when they are swallowed by [[SeaMonster Leviathan]], and together they break free and he joins their quest to stop the Empire. Dies nobly while covering the party's escape from the newly revived and powered-up Emperor.

* {{Badass}}: Started the trend of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' dragoons/lancers being very, very {{Badass}}.
* BladeOnAStick: In the original version his WeaponOfChoice was actually a sword but every remake gives him a lance more in line with the series Dragoon class.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: He does not appear in the continuity of the novel.
* CoolHelmet: His helmet is shaped like a dragon's head, and is all kinds of awesome.
* CrutchCharacter: In Soul of Rebirth, he's practically guaranteed to be the strongest party member in terms of stats and available equipment.
* DragonRider: Dragoons wouldn't start Jumping until the next game; here, they are knights who [[{{Badass}} ride wyverns into battle]].
* DubNameChange: Has been renamed Edward and Gareth in several English translations.
** SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name in Japanese, リチャード, ''Richaado'', is quite clearly meant to be Richard, but character limits mean that in English, he's usually Ricard.
* GuestStarPartyMember
* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Subverted, he always wears his helmet and is no less heroic for it.
* HeroicSacrifice: Killed by the Emperor when he raises Pandaemonium, he dies so that the rest of the party can flee.
* LastOfHisKind: Sort of, he's the only surviving dragoon warrior of Deist, and apparently one of few people left alive in the place.
* NoLastNameGiven: Averted, he's one of the few characters in this game to have a last name--Highwind, which would become a recurring surname in the series.
* ThePromise: Promises to return to Elina (his best friend's widow) and her son Kain when the war ends so that they can be a family. Unfortunately, he doesn't manage to keep it.
* TheSouthpaw: Yet another lefty.
* TwentyFourHourArmor: This trope gets even more ridiculous when it's shown that Ricard sleeps at an inn still in his armor.
* YouShallNotPass



A prince of Kashuan, and Gordon's older brother. He dies of injuries sustained during the failed defense of Fynn, very early in the game... but in the BonusLevelOfHeaven, he is a playable character, and is the key to investigating the mystery behind why the afterlife is suddenly such a hostile place.

* AbortedDeclarationOfLove: In his dying moments, he is about to relay his love to Hilda, but orders the heroes not to tell her that [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy so that she will not suffer]].
* AscendedExtra: In the original version of the game, Scott had a small part--but come ''Dawn Of Souls'' onwards, he's a vital character in the bonus level.
* {{Bishounen}}: Just like his brother.
* ContinuityNod: Asking Gordon about mythril will have him note that Scott had a prized sword made of the material. Guess what Scott's default weapon in Soul of Rebirth is.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Noble, brave, and true, yep.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Initial equip and InfinityPlusOneSword are both swords.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: In his dying moments, he forgoes a final chance to tell his beloved his feelings so that she can move on.
* JackOfAllStats: Is this initially, [[TheRedMage having both black and white magic as well as skill with a sword]].
* MagikarpPower: Because he was never playable (and thus level-up-able) in the main story, his initial stats are... depressing. But once you start raising him, he turns into a powerhouse.
** CrutchCharacter: On the other hand, having a character with set stats is very useful if you neglected the three characters that can be improved beforehand.
* PosthumousCharacter: Has a handful of lines prior to his own death... then becomes a major character afterwards.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The reason he dies is because he was fighting on the front lines in the defense of Fynn.
* TheSouthpaw: ''Yet another'' lefty.
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: Brave, noble, a powerful warrior, and in love with the beautiful princess. Yeah, he's doomed.
* TheWisePrince: Was this in life, by all accounts.

!Non-Playable Characters


Princess of Fynn and leader of the Wild Rose Rebellion. Hilda is the brains behind the operation, and sends the party on most of their missions, eventually retaking her throne in Fynn. After her father the king dies halfway through the game, she is upgraded to "Queen."

* BigGood: The leader of the good rebels, by far the most important (as in irreplaceable) character on the side of good in the game.
* DistressedDamsel: Minimally invoked: she's kidnapped only once, and there are indicators that the Emperor had no idea she was even on the airship when he captured it. Pretty good for TheEighties.
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Likely why she's never called a queen despite becoming one halfway through the story.
* {{Expy}}: Of Princess Sarah from the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI previous game]].
* HairDecorations: Pretty, sparkly beads!
* TheHighQueen: Has elements of it now, and is hinted to become this once the world is saved.
* NiceHat: Just look at her artwork. Interestingly, it mirrors the HornedHairdo of the evil Emperor.
* PimpedOutDress: Most obvious in the Amano rendition.
* PoliticallyActivePrincess
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Is this to Firion's party.
* RebelLeader: Her raison d'etre in the game.
* RebelliousPrincess: In that ''she's'' the one doing ''all'' the leading.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The strategist and brains behind the Wild Rose Rebellion. Gets bonus points for going and camping with her troops before the assault to retake Fynn, instead of staying in Altair where it was safe.
* ShipTease: With Firion, Gordon, and even, in the novels, [[FoeYay the Emperor]].
* WhatTheHellHero: Gets angry with Gordon, saying that if he had opened the way to the Sunfire, Josef wouldn't have died on the way to the Goddess Bell.

!! Nelly

Josef's young daughter, who adores her father and thoroughly supports him.

* BreakTheCutie: She has a minor breakdown after being informed of her father's sacrifice.
* CheerfulChild
* DaddysGirl: Josef would do anything for her, and she in return thinks he is the greatest.
* PluckyGirl: After she is orphaned she gets a job and is determined to make Josef proud.

!! Paul

A thief from Fynn who is friends with Firion and the gang. Claims to be the greatest in the world.

* GreaterNeedThanMine: He gives Firion the Blood Sword along with all his treasure so they can defeat the Emperor.
* IWorkAlone: Subverted, as he's perfectly capable on his own and has no qualms about hanging out with the party from time to time.
* LoveableRogue: He's really very nice, and loyal to his village and friends.
* {{Ninja}}: Resembled one in his original sprite, but later looked more like a traditional thief.
* StickyFingers: At the end of the game, he even tells his friends they had better watch their pockets.

!! Borghen

A nobleman who betrays Fynn to the Empire and defects to save his own skin. He turns up to bother the heroes several times as a boss.

* DirtyCoward: Usually lets others do the fighting, since he's so pathetically weak.
* EliteMook
* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies: Reappears as a ChestMonster inside Pandaemonium.
* EvilRedhead
* FaceHeelTurn: Sold out Fynn to the Empire when he realized they were losing.
* FatBastard
* KickTheDog: Kidnapping Nelly and forcing her to do slave labor.
* TheQuisling: See RewardedAsATraitorDeserves below.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: He is given a position in the Emperor's army in return, but is quickly deemed worthless and isn't even mentioned after his death.
* SeeYouInHell: He does, actually.
* TakingYouWithMe: Causes the rock fall that kills Josef.
* UnEvilLaugh: This guy's no [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka]], so it makes sense that his laugh sounds more like a gobbling turkey than anything else.



The villain of the story. The Emperor of Palamecia is so dedicated to taking over the world, he even sold his soul to gain control of the LegionsOfHell to aid in the effort. He's also one of the least sympathetic and most evil ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' villains to date. How evil? [[spoiler: When he dies, as the remakes reveal, part of his soul is (somehow) good enough to get into heaven... and then proceeds to conquer ''that'' [[SerialEscalation too]]]]. In the novelization, apparently the Emperor was able to actually kill Satan despite his powers [[DealWithTheDevil coming directly from a deal with him.]] He has appeared in the ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' series alongside Firion and returns as a boss character in ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy''.

* BadassBoast: "You have braved the bowels of Hell to reach me. But the hand of man, which deals in false justice and forsaken love, can never hope to defeat the lord master of Hell!"
* BigBad: [[CaptainObvious Duh.]]
* {{Bishounen}}: The first in a long line of ever-so-lovely ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' villains.
* BlondGuysAreEvil: [[LackOfEmpathy Oh so much]].
* CaptainErsatz: Of Jareth from ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', released two years prior.
* ClassicVillain: He starts out as one, siccing the LegionsOfHell on the innocent people of the world, [[spoiler: and then proceeds to [[UpToEleven top himself in bastardliness by taking Hell for himself]] as the [[FromBadToWorse game progresses]]]]. Even CrisisCrossover ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia]]'' ups his ill reputation as a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]] [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] willing to play ally and foe alike for his own ends, including [[spoiler:[[TheStarscream killing off both Cosmos and even his OWN boss, Chaos, and take the world for himself]]]].
* ColonyDrop: His signature attack, Starfall.
* CombatStilettos
* DealWithTheDevil: The novelization heavily implies that his powers came from a pact with Satan. Also subverted in that unlike most characters in this trope, Satan pretty much didn't expect how much of a monster Mateus would become.
** Also inverted in the interquel "Dawn of Souls", [[spoiler: where the Emperor's light half (who's also just as bad) attempts to beg those of the party who ended up dead in the main game to forgive him for the actions that his dark half committed, and in exchange will give them eternal life. Of course, they don't buy it]].
** According to other sources Satan '''is''' [[spoiler: the Emperor's Dark Half]] in the novelization.
* EightiesHair: It's almost awe-inspiring.
* TheEmperor: Hint: It's why he's ''called'' one.
* [[HairDecorations Every Bishounen Is Prettier With Hair Decs]]: Staggering amounts of doo-dads in his hair.
* [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Everyone Calls Him the Emperor]]: He has a name -- Mateus -- but it is only ever mentioned in the novelization, otherwise in all his other appearances he's simply "The Emperor."
* EvilOverlord: Almost a perfect archetypal example.
* EvilOverlooker: In the official [[ Amano artwork]].
* FanNickname: "Emperor [[DavidBowie Bowie]]."
* FemmeFatalons: In all depictions of him.
* FlatCharacter: [[DefiedTrope Defied]] in the revised continuity -- though not by much.
* FollowTheLeader: Pun aside, some of his actions were later repeated by later Final Fantasy villains. For starters, his action of poisoning the water supply of the Dragoon fortress was later redone with Kefka, the latter of whom managed to take it to an even new low by poisoning a civilian kingdom (Doma), and most of Mateus' personality and traits (even his coming back from the dead) were reused with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Seymour Guado]]. In addition his using a flying fortress capable of generating a cyclone and then being killed in it (not to mention having the title Emperor) is later repeated with Vayne in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' and his use of the Sky Fortress Bahamut in the final battle before being killed, although unlike Mateus, Vayne ''doesn't'' come back from the dead.
* FreudianExcuse: Surprisingly enough, the official ([[NoExportForYou Japanese-only]]) novelization ''attempted'' to give him one. Apparently, his unsatiable greed is caused by an even worse demon sealed in a stone taking him over to wreak vengeance against humanity. It's also hinted that every single Emperor before Mateus were this demon's human proxies. He also exiled his mother under the influence of this demon, and she was trying to get him back to the good side. In a way, he seems very tragic in that respect. Though its unclear if the novel is part of the game continuity as the game series (although it should be noted that the novel was written by the same guy who wrote the story of the first three games).
* GodEmperor: By the end of the game, he pretty much is one.
* {{Greed}}: His most defining trait.
* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Not so much in the game, but definitely present in the novels with Hilda.
* LargeHam: His death scream.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: Why do you think he's surrounded by all those mooks? To let ''him'' do the fighting? I don't think so.
* [[spoiler: LightIsNotGood: His Light half is every bit as evil as his Dark half]]. Although he tries to hide it at first.
* [[spoiler: LikeABadassOutOfHell: A Type 4 -- he ''took it over'' and came back to Earth to finish what he started]].
** According to some sources on the [[NoExportForYou Japanese-exclusive novelization]], Mateus made a pact with Satan to summon demonic minions to help him conquer the world, [[spoiler: and when Mateus dies and Satan tries to collect his soul, he ''defeats'' him to become the new ruler of Hell. Really drives home the {{Badass}} part of this trope. Of course ''other'' sources claim the novel version of Mateus never kills Satan and it is ''Satan'' who's the Emperor of Hell]].
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Yep.
* TheManBehindTheMonsters
* MegaTwintails: To the extent that he can ''hang ornaments'' on them (if ''Anthology'''s FMV can be considered canon).
* NoNameGiven: The novel gives him the name full name Emperor Mateus Palmecia but this is only referenced but never directly stated in the games.
* OneWingedAngel: Turns into [[spoiler: the Hell Emperor]] for the final battle.
** However in the novel, [[spoiler: it's just Satan taking his form]].
* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Arguably his plan all along.
* NiceShoes: Nice stiletto heels.
* NietzscheWannabe: Granted, it was not enough to actually make him destroy the world, but he does mention [[in both his Dark Emperor form and Light Emperor form his belief that humanity is good only at executing flawed justice, forsaken love, and having inherently violent tendencies]].
* NoNonsenseNemesis: Probably ''helped'' by his status as a FlatCharacter rather than hurt by it. The entire game is essentially Mateus upping the ante after the party's every move, almost always without warning, and almost always with civilian or party casualties.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Taking into consideration his hair styling and wardrobe changes, it's a wonder he even has time for world domination.
* PurpleEyes: A special and magical character has special and magical eyes.
* RapunzelHair: Calf-length flowing glossy hair.
* RummageSaleReject: See picture. Holy ''crap.''
* ShockAndAwe: He favors offensive Thunder spells.
* ShoutOut: Let's just say that he bears an uncanny resemblance to Labyrinth's Jareth. His appearance in the AnimeMusicVideo for the PSX version of Final Fantasy II also invokes the appearance of [[Disney/SleepingBeauty Maleficent]].
* ShowgirlSkirt: A translucent pink one, to boot.
* SorcerousOverlord: Another perfect archetype.
* TakeOverTheWorld: It's what he does.
* TinTyrant: In heels, no less.
* TragicMonster: At least In the novel. For more see FreudianExcuse.
* TheVillainMakesThePlot
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: In some Amano art of the character. Usually he's platinum blond.

!! Deumion


A new character added in the 20th Anniversary Edition. He is the immortal guardian of the ultimate magic and an extremely powerful mage.

* BadPowersGoodPeople: He was born with the ability to cast Destroy, however he refuses to use it since he doesn't wish to kill anybody.
* BareYourMidriff
* DudeLooksLikeALady: Seriously, that's a guy?!
* MagicWand[=/=]SimpleStaff
* OlderThanTheyLook: Much much older. We're probably talking hundreds if not thousands of years.
* SummonMagic
* [[ThresholdGuardians Threshold Guardian]]: Was turned into this due to his powerful magical abilities.