Final Fantasy 9released in 2000 and was the lastFinal Fantasytitle to come out for the PlayStation, with subsequent sequels moving onto the PlayStation 2. Unlike its immediate predecessors,Final Fantasy 9is set in a medieval world rather than a futuristic one.
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The game follows Zidane Tribal as he and his companions find themselves embroiled in a war between nations. Together, they set out to defeat Queen Brahne, who started the war, and they hope to bring peace to the continent once more. As the protagonist, Zidane is naturally one of the fan-favorites of this particular title, and players often show their love for this roguish guy by cosplaying as him. Check out these brilliant cosplays of Zidane just below. Spoilers ahead.
10"Piece of cake. I’m an escape artist."
This cosplay byKeto-Paganois a great example of the beloved dual-wielding thief, with the tail looking particularly realistic. The great thing about havingZidaneas a protagonist was that it was a refreshing change for players; the last twoFinal Fantasytitles that released before it had offered up rather sullen protagonists, so Zidane’s laidback attitude was a nice change.
Additionally, it was clear from his monkey-like tail that Zidane wasn’t strictly human, so it was also nice to see another race take the lead role in a game.
9"To hell with looks. It’s what’s inside that counts."
Cosplayersalvarionhas decided to base their costume on Zidane’s appearance fromDissidia Final Fantasy, rather thanFinal Fantasy 9itself. The design changes are only subtle, ensuring that the character remained recognizable in the spin-off title.
For example, Zidane’s belt changes with more loops being added, his ruffled shirt becomes longer and more pronounced, and he has a beaded ornament at his neck, rather than his green ribbon. Additionally,Zidaneis portrayed inDissidiaas having more realistic proportions, as inFinal Fantasy 9the characters were more stylized to have larger heads, hands, and feet.
8Tantalus Theater Troupe
This cosplay bySayuoffers up a brilliant version of Zidane while delighting fans with its beautiful composition and peaceful setting. Once again, this cosplay has chosen to adopt Zidane’s more modern character design from theDissidiaseries.
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Zidane was found by Baku at the age of four, and as a result, he was raised by theTantalus Theater Troupein Lindblum. Tantalus use their acting skills as a cover for their real work - thievery. As such, Zidane was raised to be a thief too.
7Zidane Tribal
This playful cosplay byKeitoshows Zidane relaxing atop a wall with the same carefree attitude that he displays often in the game. The costume is based on his original outfit fromFinal Fantasy 9.
Interestingly, many fans have long pronounced Zidane as “Zih-DAYNE”, but it was revealed in more than one of theDissidiatitles that the correct pronunciation is “Zih-DAN”. His surname of “Tribal” likely comes from the word “tribe” and could allude to the Tantalus Theater Troupe being like a tribe/family of its own.
6Heart Stealer
This imaginative cosplay byI-S-Mastshows Zidane in action, looking like a thief on the prowl for some treasures to steal. The detail of the outfit and weapon are quite impressive. When coupled with the awesome editing of this photo, it really makes for a perfect image that enables the character to take center stage.
As a thief, Zidane usesdaggers or thief swordsas his weapon of choice, and his unique skill is “Steal,” which allows him to take items from enemies. This is rather fitting as this roguish charmer also stole the hearts of fans when the game released.
5"I can’t sit around knowing a girl’s in trouble. Goes against my nature."
Cosplayercirolnanahas paired up with another cosplayer to create this adorable image of Zidane and Eiko together. Unlike his predecessors ofSqualland Cloud, Zidane makes friends incredibly easily. All of the other main playable characters inFinal Fantasy 9are people that Zidane befriends during the game’s story, rather than pre-existing relationships.
Despite his carefree attitude, Zidane cares very deeply about his friends and will selflessly defend them in battle, as well as offering life advice and caring about their well being.
4"You don’t need a reason to help people."
This awesome cosplay byLilith Hollowpresents a strikingly well-done representation of Zidane while offering up a thoughtful and emotive image. The character’s design here is once again based onDissidia, which adds more ornate details to the outfit that the cosplayer has managed to perfect.
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Much likeVivi, during the game’s plot, Zidane has to come to terms with his own existence and purpose in life as he discovers that he is a Genome, created by Garland to be an “Angel of Death.”
3"Piece of cake. I’m an escape artist."
CosplayerEchow Eko Cosplayoffers fans this rather awesome battle-ready stance Zidane in hisDissidiaoutfit. Due to his monkey-like tail, Zidane bears some resemblance to the Monkey King, the protagonist ofJourney To the West, and there are arguably some parallels between the two stories.
Zidane is only seen to really use his tail once in the game, which is when he uses it to evade Steiner while aboard the cargo ship. Additionally, while in his Trance form, Zidane’s body becomes covered in pink fur, with fans noticing a similarity to theSuper Saiyan 4form from theDragon Ball Zseries.
2"I Want To Shine"
This amazing cosplay byMomouses enlarged pants and cuffs to try and recreate the stylized proportions of Zidane fromFinal Fantasy 9. It works really well to create a memorable portrayal of the fan-favorite thief. This bright, well-lit photo is the perfect way to show Zidane’s light and cheerful nature.
This rather awesome cosplayer has other photos of them cosplaying as Zidane, as well as photos of them asGarnetand many other characters, so be sure to check out the rest of their cosplay work.
1"What’s important is being true to oneself."
CosplayerRaimuhas created perfection with this stunning cosplay of Zidane. This image not only captures the character’s personality and recreates hisDissidiaoutfit faithfully with intricate details, but also delights viewers with the impressive photo edit that makes it look as though Zidane is leaping into action.
This cosplayer has a very impressive cosplay gallery, including other awesome images of their Zidane cosplay, but also featuring many other characters including otherFinal Fantasyfavorites. verify to check them out!
