The Officer's Hat is a mid-ranked light armor headgear in Final Fantasy XII that boosts the wearer's magickal defense by 34 (Zodiac) or 32 (original), HP by 350, and Speed by +3. It can thus be a good headgear for those who use weapons that take the wielder's Speed stat into account: bows and daggers and ninja swords. However, a helm that boosts Strength has a bigger impact on the damage dealt.
Obtain[]
Original[]
In the original PlayStation 2 versions, the Officer's Hat is sold for 7,000 gil in Phon Coast and Archades. It is found as a treasure in Sochen Cave Palace's Falls of Time (50% chance to appear, 50% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is the Officer's Hat without the Diamond Armlet equipped 
).
The Officer's Hat very rarely drops from the Silicon Tortoises in the Zertinan Caverns, and is the rare steal from the Silicon Tortoises on the rainy Giza Plains.
Zodiac[]
In the updated Zodiac versions, the Officer's Hat is sold for 7,000 gil in Archades and Balfonheim Port. It is found in a treasure in Tchita Uplands' Realm of the Elder Dream (20% chance to appear, 70% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is the Officer's Hat without the Diamond Armlet equipped), and is still a very rare drop from the Silicon Tortoises in the Zertinan Caverns, and the rare steal from the Silicon Tortoises in the rainy Giza Plains.
Use[]
The Officer's Hat is a mid-ranked light armor hat, giving 32 or 34 magick resist depending on version, 350 HP, and 3 to Speed. In the original version where everyone can wear any equipment piece, the more expensive heavy armor helm, Steel Mask, or the mystic hat Gaia Hat, may be preferable purchases if the player can stretch their funds to them, as the HP boost from light armor is not usually worth prioritizing over heavy armor that boosts Strength for physical attackers, or mystic armor that boosts Magick Power for spellcasters. Though the Officer's Hat boosts Speed, its effect is minimal, and even those whose weapons take the wielder's Speed stat into account benefit more from the Strength-boosting heavy armor helms.
In the Zodiac versions, Machinist, Monk, Archer, and Shikari can equip the Officer's Hat, and so it is only useful to buy if the player has chosen these License Boards for their party. In The Zodiac Age, after fighting Belias, the player can choose two License Boards per party member, and so more party members can choose from the potentially more useful heavy and mystic armor sets.
The party could potentially procure an Officer's Hat early, as soon as they can fight a Silicon Tortoise either in the Zertinan Caverns or on the rainy Giza Plains, however, via both drop and steal methods it is a rare yield. The best chance would likely be to get the Thief's Cuffs at the earliest, and then steal from the tortoises on the rainy Giza Plains. If the party can get an Officer's Hat this way, they can skip quite a few light armor headgear.
Etymology[]
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority.