Gladiolus Amicitia

a character from a game

Gladiolus Amicitia is a companion of Noctis and a playable character in Final Fantasy XV. Although not directly controllable, he is in Noctis's party and the player will be able to co-opt moves with him and issue him commands.

He is a childhood friend of Noctis and Ignis. As the eldest child of his family, Gladiolus acts as the shield of Noctis's family. He has known Noctis since early childhood and considers him a brother.

Appearance
Gladiolus is a man of tall height and large build. He wears black leather trousers with a small side chain, an open black shirt with nothing but a pendant underneath, a small arm sleeve over his left wrist, and black shoes with red soles. He has amber eyes, a long scar over his left eye, tattoos covering his arms, his hair is straightened to the back and partially shaved along the sides, and he sports a jaw beard. Like all party members, he has skull motifs to his outfit. The buttons on his jacket have skulls on them, his necklace has two golden skulls, and there is a small skull on his belt buckle and on the tag of his trousers' zipper.

Personality
Gladiolus seems to be a cheerful person, contrasting with his imposing physique. In the original trailers, he appeared to be the group's senior. In Pax East 2015, it is revealed that Gladiolus is the eldest in the party members. In the 1st Production Department Premier trailer, he is heard urging the group to escape from the soldiers invading the city.

Gladiolus has been a fan of the great outdoors since he was young, and has collected various Coleman camping equipment items. He enjoys fighting, and thus researches techniques and skills. He will say things like "I think this move would be good," and then will make it available as a cooperative ability between party members in combat.

Story
Gladiolus accompanies Noctis and his friends on a road trip across the lands toward Altissia where they are to meet a woman named Luna. When passing through the Duscae region they pass by a giant Adamantoise.

Gameplay
In battle, Gladiolus uses bare-fisted fighting techniques with a pile bunker, wrestling moves, such as a powerbomb, and can summon a heavy greatsword. He also appears to have a power similar to Noctis, being able to manifest swords and have them vanish at will. His physical power seems to be far superior to Noctis, being able to wield greatswords without being affected by the weight, whereas weight is a factor for Noctis. He has the highest HP in the party. One of his Physical Abilities is Brave Slash.

Creation and Development
Gladiolus's design was redone from his original appearance. In his old design he wore a black undershirt with his unbuttoned leather shirt, but has since been made bare-chested, and his trousers and jacket have been made more detailed with pockets and seams.

Voice
In Final Fantasy Versus XIII Gladiolus was voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto. When it became Final Fantasy XV, Gladiolus is now voiced by Kenta Miyake.

Etymology
Gladioulus Amicitia is literally translated to "Short sword of friendship."