That hurt, ya stupid jerk!
Puck after being attacked by the Antlion
Puck, also known as Rat Kid before introducing himself, is a non-player character in Final Fantasy IX. He is the prince of Burmecia, and the first Burmecian met in the game when he acts as Vivi Ornitier's guide in Alexandria.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Puck is a juvenile Burmecian, a rodent-like race of people living on the Mist Continent. He has brown fur and long rat-like tail. Despite his high status, he wears tattered clothes: blue shirt under red overalls. He wears red leg warmers and wears a red cap that resembles the top of an acorn in shape.
Puck is the only member of his species depicted with brown, rather than off-white, fur. He also has five digits per hand, flat humanoid feet, floppy dog-like ears, whiskers, and a limp, dragging tail, all features that are also not shared with any other Burmecian.
As only his father is seen in the game and not his mother, it is possible that he may be some form of cross-breed, thus explaining the differences in appearance.
Personality[]
Puck is bratty and bossy, identifying Vivi as someone lost and malleable, and without missing a beat decides to make him his "slave" who has to do everything he says. Puck flouts rules and is determined to sneak into the I Want to Be Your Canary performance even without a ticket. He is not malicious, however, just impatient and used to getting his own way.
Story[]
Puck and Vivi watch I Want to Be Your Canary.
Puck is the prince of Burmecia. He ran away from home one month after Freya left. Vivi meets Puck in Alexandria and is made Puck's "slave" to sneak into Alexandria Castle and watch the play I Want to Be Your Canary. The guards find them and the two flee. Puck escapes, but Vivi trips and is chased onto the deck of the M.S. Prima Vista.
When the party is staying in Cleyra they hear Puck is being attacked by the Antlion. After being saved, his royal identity is revealed. He runs off, not wanting to see his father, and Vivi says Puck is the first friend he ever had. During the Alexandrian invasion of Cleyra, Puck runs down the tree trunk to alert the party that the town is under attack.
When Freya meets Sir Fratley, Puck says that he had found the knight during his travels. He apologizes to Freya, stating that he knew she was not ready to see Fratley so suddenly. He runs off before his father or Vivi have a chance to talk to him.
Puck bumps into one of Vivi's sons later, when Tantalus Theater Troupe returns to Alexandria to perform I Want to Be Your Canary.
Other media[]
In the Dawn of Souls and 20th Anniversary remakes of the original Final Fantasy, Puck is one of the automatic names the player can choose for the Thief job.
Behind the scenes[]
It is impossible to prevent Puck from running into Vivi when they meet near the beginning of the game; Puck will always run into Vivi, even if the player tries to dodge and stay out of his way.
In dummied out dialogue, Vivi tells Puck he bought the theater ticket from "a moogle with a hat". Puck says he will hurt the moogle if he ever finds them.[2]
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
Puck is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that was based on the ancient figure in English mythology, also called Puck. He's a mischievous elf or sprite that personifies the trickster or the wise knave in the aforementioned play.
Many characters in Final Fantasy IX are named after Shakespearean allusions.
Citations[]
- ↑ Final Fantasy IX Ultimania, p.34
- ↑ [Final Fantasy IX] Hidden Scenes (Accessed: November 13, 2019) at YouTube