Faris Scherwiz
Faris Scherwiz | |
---|---|
Final Fantasy character | |
First game | Final Fantasy V (1992) |
Created by | Hironobu Sakaguchi |
Designed by | Yoshitaka Amano Kazuko Shibuya (sprites)[1] |
Voiced by | EN: Emily O'Brien JA: Rie Tanaka |
Faris Scherwiz (
In the first English version of Final Fantasy V, she spoke with a
Conception and design
Faris Scherwiz is a pirate captain who was created as a protagonist for Final Fantasy V by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who based the idea of her being a Princess disguised as a man on the manga Princess Knight.[2] Her character design was commissioned from artist Yoshitaka Amano, who identifies her as one of his favorite works.[3] Standing 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) tall, Amano drew several unused designs which depicted her wearing a red outfit with a flowing cape she could wrap around herself, exposed upper thighs, and a see-through section of her top that exposed her midriff.[4]
Her in-game sprites were designed by Kazuko Shibuya based off his artwork.[1] Shibuya's designs differed from Amano's concept, with her hair changed to a peek-a-boo hairstyle obscuring the right eye.[5] The overall process was demanding, due to the large number of "Job" options in the game, each requiring their own sprite set.[1] The Dancer Job's design in particular drew inspiration from Japanese singer Linda Yamamoto's look, in particular the pants and exposed stomach.[6]
In the Japanese version, Faris uses the masculine pronoun
Appearances
Faris first appears in Final Fantasy V, where she is the captain of a pirate ship disguised as a man.
The second Crystal is shattered, and Syldra appears to rescue them, but Syldra's wounds are too great and she drifts into the current. They attempt to save the Fire Crystal but are unable to do so. Faris tells Lenna that they are sisters, and they discover King Tycoon on their way to find the Earth Crystal. Tycoon then proceeds to attack the group. They are saved by Galuf's granddaughter Krile who brings him to his senses. The Earth Crystal shatters and releases antagonist Exdeath, leading the King to sacrifice himself to protect the group. Faris battles against Exdeath in another world, where he shatters that world's Crystals and kills Galuf. Faris wakes up in Tycoon Castle where her return is celebrated, but she dislikes this and she and Lenna reunite with Bartz and Krile. She also discovers Syldra's spirit, who grants Faris the power to summon her. They battle against Exdeath and their spirit reforms the Crystals to bring back peace to the worlds. Faris returns to Tycoon Castle to serve as Queen, but soon returns to a life of piracy. She reunites with the other Warriors of Light years later.
She has appeared as a playable character in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia, and Final Fantasy Record Keeper.[12][13][14] She appears in World of Final Fantasy as a supporting character.[11]
Critical reception
Since appearing in Final Fantasy V, Faris has received positive reception, particularly as a female video game character. In a Japanese poll on players' favorite Final Fantasy women, Faris ranked eighth, tied with
Shayera the Starsword of RPGamer enjoyed her character archetype and noting her as an exception to a lack of cool female characters in Final Fantasy.[21] Chad Concelmo of Destructoid praised Faris' outfit for being an interesting spin on pirate's garb and for being complex in a similar way to Faris. They took issue however with the raised collar and "too-high boots".[22] RPGamer writer Cassandra Ramos considered Faris one of her favorite characters, saying that her character development was subtle, but was nevertheless noticeable, making Faris a memorable character for her. She appreciated Faris' relationship with Syldra, as well as how she comes to accept both her life as a pirate and as a princess.[23]
In an observation of how Final Fantasy V improved the surrounding franchise, Sarah Prado of GameRant cited Faris specifically. In one aspect she drew attention to how the character introduced the concept of crossdressing to the franchise. In particular she noted that some of Faris' in-game outfits appeared masculine, a tone later shared by some outfit options provided for
Jonathan Remoiville in the book La Légende Final Fantasy IV & V praised Faris' journey of self discovery, and how her interactions with the party not only allowed her to open up but also display her bravery and resourcefulness. He further added that despite being a princess, her rejection of a luxury life of a princess but also preferring her traveling companions over her previous pirate life illustrated her evolution of character. He additionally noted the symbolism in her names, feeling they helped further illustrate her fighting spirit, while also showing the developers wanting to give her an "exotic side" in Remoiville's eyes. He further drew comparison between her artwork and in-game sprites; while the artwork portrayed her as a pirate, her sprites invoked imagery of a thief through the use of a bandana and bracelets. This coupled with the imagery of her name illustrated the two sides of her character to Remoiville: the warrior and the ruffian. He closed with describing her as "a colorful heroine, associated with many questions about the relationship to gender and self-acceptance", fitting with Final Fantasy V's adventurous spirit.[8]
Her
References
- ^ a b c 「最近目指しているのは,洗練された美しいドット絵,ですね」――FF誕生以前から,アルバム「FINAL FANTASY TRIBUTE ~THANKS~」までを,スクウェア・エニックスのデザイナー・渋谷員子氏に振り返ってもらった (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. March 16, 2013. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-1940535180.
- ^ "Gaming+Culture v25n16". PC Mag. August 30, 2006. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ISBN 9781506706443.
- ^ Kazuko, Shibuya [@Skazuko] (November 27, 2021). 趣味的いたずら描き発掘。FF5作ってた頃。レナとファリス 紙は御徒町時代のもの (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2022-04-02 – via Twitter.
- ^ Square Enix (July 26, 2023). Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Special Interview | Part 2 of 2. Event occurs at 15:10. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Mandelin, Clyde (June 1, 2019). "Tricky Translations #4: "I" & "Me" in Japanese". Legends of Localization. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9791094723821.
- ^ a b c Lakuszka, Aaron (November 17, 2006). "Final Fantasy V Advance". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Romano, Sal (December 25, 2015). "World of Final Fantasy characters and Mirages detailed". Gematsu. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ a b "World of Final Fantasy PlayStation Vita". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
- ^ Spencer (November 12, 2011). "Aerith, Snow, Vivi, And Faris Are In Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy Too". Siliconera. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
- ^ Romano, Sal (November 7, 2016). "Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia delayed to early 2017 in Japan". Gematsu. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
- ISBN 978-3319905426.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 17, 2013). "Square Enix Poll: Favorite Female Final Fantasy Character". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- GamesRadar. Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Top 25 Final Fantasy Characters - Day III". IGN. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- Escapist Magazine. Archivedfrom the original on July 23, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Round Table: Our Favorite Heroines". Nintendojo. November 6, 2010. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Marrujo, Robert (December 30, 2014). "Best of ND 2014! Top Ten: Women of Nintendo". Nintendojo. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Shayera the Starsword. "Female Stereotypes in RPGs". RPGamer. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Concelmo, Chad (March 3, 2010). "The Gamer's Red Carpet: Final Fantasy". Destructoid. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Fuller, Alex (December 18, 2022). "RPGamer's Favourite Final Fantasy Friends". RPGamer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ Prado, Sarah (November 19, 2021). "10 Ways Final Fantasy 5 Improved The Franchise". GameRant. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Musashi. "Final Fantasy Anthology". RPGFan. Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- 1UP.com. Archived from the originalon November 26, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Juba, Joe. "Final Fantasy V Advance". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2019.