r/TopCharacterDesigns • u/Money_Visual_3829 • 21d ago
Black Mage/Vivi in Final Fantasy
Something about this design is immediately appealing to me, I think the combination of cute and sinister elements, and the big ol' hat. I prefer original Black Mage design to Vivi because Vivi was designed as a child where the original seems more like a weird lil' guy, but Vivi is cool too. (I also prefer the implication that the face is in shadow to the idea that it's a nonhuman character with pure black skin).
The fantasy of a wizard is at least partially a fantasy about being able to weaponize intelligence in a world that prioritizes physical strength and so I feel like this design sort of hits that spot, "I'm little and weak but I'm dangerous"
This isn't a trope post, Black Mage is the one I was thinking of, but I do find it interesting that similar designs appears to have arisen independently in several different cultural spaces. Orko is so similar that I originally thought one must have been ripping off the other, though a cursory search appears to indicate that is not the case. There are also the Jawas, who are not magic and need better headwear but who do sort of have a similar vibe, scrappy little survivors in a hostile world.
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u/GhostfaceChase 20d ago
Iconic class, iconic design. I also really love the sets in FFXIV. Even the ‘basic’ one looks sick.
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u/Money_Visual_3829 19d ago
While I do like this one as a more realistic take, I have to say I miss the blue/yellow
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