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Template:Featured article Template:FFIX character Virtue - "You don't need a reason to help people."


Zidane Tribal (or Yitán in Spanish) is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy IX. He is a thief who works for the Tantalus Theatre Troupe. His Japanese name can be transcribed as "Jitan" or "Zitan" depending on what system of transcription one uses to transcribe the katakana, though the pronunciation obviously remains the same.

Appearance and Personality

Playful and flirtatious, Zidane possesses little of the sullenness associated with previous Final Fantasy protagonists Squall and Cloud. Zidane has shoulder-length blonde hair and a prehensile monkey-like tail. In trance form Zidane's hair becomes longer, and his clothing is replaced with thick fur covering his body. It is not revealed whether or not he has fur under his clothing when not in trance form.

One main thing about Zidane that differs from the regular thief class is his choice of weaponry. He wields two daggers or short swords at once and at times even uses dual-handed weapons, such as a short double-bladed Naginata, commonly referred to as a "swallow blade", this type of weapon bears some resemblance to two short swords merged at the handle, though with the handle being an arms length. The trailer of Dissidia: Final Fantasy shows that he can combine his two blades into the "swallow blade".

Story

Template:Spoilers

Zidane Amano

Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano

It is revealed that Zidane began his life as an "Angel of Death" created by Garland. Long ago, the people of a planet named Terra realized that their world would soon collapse on itself and they would be destroyed. As they had done several times before, they planned to save their civilization through the assimilation of another planet, Gaia. The people of Terra left their physical bodies and locked their souls in containers to be watched over by Garland, who was given the task of removing the souls of Gaia's "cycle of souls" and replacing them with Terra's. To assist him in this endeavor, he gave a soul to a new Genome and named him Kuja. Kuja would be Garland's "Angel of Death", sent to Gaia to cause immense unrest and death. Kuja's will, however, was too much for Garland's tastes. A limit was placed on Kuja's life, and another improved Genome was created who would eventually replace him, this Genome was Zidane.

Kuja, infuriated by Garland's decision to create another, more powerful Genome, immediately deposits Zidane on Gaia. Young Zidane, completely unaware of his mission, ends up in Lindblum where he is raised by Baku as a member of the Tantalus band of thieves and only remembering one thing of his childhood years: a blue light.

Twelve years later, Tantalus arrives at Alexandria on a mission appointed by Lindblum's Regent Cid to kidnap Princess Garnet. Although the mission was a success the Prima Vista had suffered major damage during the escape and, eventually, crashed into the Evil Forest. After rescuing Garnet from a monster and escaping the forest Zidane, Steiner, Vivi and Garnet made to escape the Mist by going through the Ice Cavern.

Escaping the Mist they settled in the Village of Dali, discovering that Dali was making Black Mage soldiers and delivering them to Alexandria the group commandeered a supply ship and fled to Lindblum.

Arriving in Lindblum it is revealed that a great many concerns have been arising surrounding Alexandria and its Queen. Taking advantage of a mission completed Zidane opted to to participate in the Festival of the Hunt, reuniting with Freya while doing so. Zidane wins the Festival, earning himself an award in 5000gil but as the participants settle to a complimentary feast a messenger from Burmecia enters to report of an army of Black Mages attacking Burmecia, requesting aid the messenger dies soon after. Freya insisted on going and Zidane and the others agreed that they would go to assist and also, despite their attempts to stop her, Garnet also decided to go, with Steiner by her side. Right after she dosed them all with sleeping potion.

FFIX-Zidane EmotionConcept

Zidane's concept art.

Following after her Zidane, Freya and Vivi encountered Quina while traveling through Qu's Marsh and arrived at Gizamaluke's Grotto just as it lay under seige from the Alexandrian Black Mages, commanded by Zorn and Thron. Fighting through the monsters the group figures that Garnet and Steiner had gone through the South Gate to Alexandria. Making it to Bermacia Zidane helps Freya find her king while battling Alexandria's army and evacuating the castle's citizens, instead they discover Queen Brahne, Beatrix and Kuja in the royal palace. They overhear that the King had escaped to Cleyra and end up challenging Beatrix to a duel. They lose and are left for dead as the villains move to attack Cleyra.

When the heroes come to they leave immediately for Cleyra finding, upon arrival, that they were expected. While Freya leaves to meet with the king Zidane and the rest explore the settlement and end up saving Prince Puck in the process. When the sandstorm fell the settlement Cleyra came under attack from the Alexandria army. Zidane, with the timely arrival of Sir Fratley, held off attack after attack, bringing the survivors to the cathedral for sanctuary but, although they survived the attacks, with Beatrix's stealing of the sacred jewel that powers the sandstorm, the battle seemed lost and indeed it was when Brahne appeared, summoning the eidolon Odin she destroyed Cleyra with one attack. Completely decimating the settlement and everyone in it. Zidane and Co. barely escaped as they sought to follow Beatrix's army through their own teleport spells.

Reappearing aboard Brahne's ship, the Red Rose they overhear Beatrix voicing her doubts about her queen. They also overhear Brahne's plans to execute Garnet, who lay captive in Alexandria. Using the teleportation magic again they arrived in Alexandria ahead of Brahne and, with Steiner and Marcus's help, defeated Zorn and Thorn and found Garnet's sleeping form. As Freya and a reformed Beatrix hold off the guards Zidane, Garnet and Vivi escaped through the underground tunnels, reappearing in Pinnacle Rocks they watched as Brahne invaded and destroyed Lindblum with the eidolon Atomos, only relenting when Lindblum surrendered. Sneaking into the city the group reunites with Cid and discuss their options. Deciding to go after the source of the problems, Kuja, they use a tunnel could Fossil Roo to cross continents from their own to the Outer Continent.

Zidane Blank

Zidane and Blank

Encountering the Black Mage Village on their travels through the continent they stay for a while for Vivi while Zidane tells Garnet about what he knows about his past and where he came from. The following day they learn of a possible place where Kuja resides, the Iifa Tree, along the way Zidane and Garnet are involved in a marriage ceremony and they meet Eiko, a girl who can summon Eidolons, and she joins the group.

Arriving at the Iifa Tree they find Kuja and Brahne fighting each other and while Brahne summons him Kuja uses Bahamut to destroy Brahne's own fleet and kills her. Zidane and the rest return to Alexandria where Garnet is to become the new queen.

Zidane however begins to miss her and head to Treno to participate in a card tournament. Eventually castle Alexandria comes under attack from Kuja but is warded off when Garnet and Eiko summon Alexander. Kuja attempts to take Alexander but is prevented from doing so when Garland interferes. Zidane saves Garnet as Garland destroys both Alexander and Alexandria. Zidane wakes up later in Lindblum where repairs are still being done, as the party discusses their next strategy they learn that Garnet has lost her voice in response to the tragic events that have happened. The party decide to once again go after Kuja.

Finding him the group is captured and imprisoned, Zidane is momentarily blackmailed into helping Kuja but later helps to free his friends and chases Kuja to the Lost Continent. Only to run across a dead end. Eventually they make it to Terra where Zidane meets Garland and learns of his true origin & nature. He attempted to fight Garland, only for his Terran soul to be removed from his body. Zidane maintained his identity with anguish that everything he knew was a lie and his true purpose in life was to aid in Gaia's destruction. He ran off from his friends, until they came to his aid. It was from there, Zidane realized he did have a true purpose in life: protecting everyone he cares for.

While facing Garland one last time however Kuja reappears and uses them to ascend to Trance. He kills Garland but, after learning that he will indeed die soon, moves to destroy Terra along with everything in it. Zidane and co. commandeer the Invincible just in time to evacuate Terra and reappear in Gaia. Summarizing that Kuja would soon destroy Gaia they made their way to the Iifa Tree to stop him but, upon his defeat, Zidane stayed behind to try to save him from dying and the tree consumed them both.

With the young hero thought dead time went by until, during another performance of "I want to be your Canary" by Tantalus in a rebuilt Alexandria the character Marcus threw away his cloak to reveal himself as Zidane. Queen Garnet raced to his arms. The pair was thought to live happily ever after, till the end of their days.

Spoilers end here.

In Battle

Skills

Steal

Like the name suggests, the "Steal" ability allows players to steal items from an enemy. Some items can only be obtained by stealing, and sometimes, players only get one shot at stealing it.

Skill

The "Skill" ability allows Zidane to use certain Skills in battle. When learning a skill, he also learns a Dyne attack (see further down), which can be used when in Trance. If equipping multiple items that teach you the same ability, the speed of which the ability is learned is multiplied by the amount of items. E.g. equipping Dagger and Germinas boots at the same time, teaches you the ability "Flee" at twice the speed, if trying to learn that ability.

Skill Item(s) Learned From MP Usage AP to Master
Annoy Gladius, Sargatanas 4 50
Detect Mage Masher, Orichalcon 0 40
Flee Mage Masher, Dagger, Zorlin Shape, Ultima Weapon, Germinas Boots 0 40
Lucky Seven Gladius, Exploda, Rune Tooth, The Tower, Thief Hat 6 85
Sacrifice Exploda, Masamune 32 55
Soul Blade The Ogre 6 35
Thievery Angel Bless, The Tower 8 100
What's That!? Butterfly Sword 2 40

Dyne

Trance Zidane Tribal

Zidane in Trance mode

When in Trance, Zidane's "Skill" ability changes to Dyne. Dyne raises his physical attack power as well as having attacks that can damage all enemies. His Dyne and Skill abilities are connected, as he needs to learn a Skill to unlock the corresponding Dyne.

Creation and Development

The FFIX Cast

The main characters of Final Fantasy IX were based on the character class archetypes from older Final Fantasy games (e.g. Zidane is based on the Thief class while Steiner was based on the Fighter class.)

Other Appearances

Itadaki Street Portable

Zidane has appeared in Itadaki Street Portable as a playable character.

Dissidia -Final Fantasy-

Zidane is set to appear in Dissidia -Final Fantasy-, along with Kuja, with whom he is seen fighting against in the Crystal World, and features him in his Trance form and using a melee version of the Grand Lethal attack.
He is to be voiced by Junko Takeuchi.
Template:FFIX

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