Twenty-five years after its first release on the original PlayStation, Final Fantasy 9 is still surprising its loyal community with fresh, though previously unseen facets of its rich history. Square Enix has recently revealed fresh information about one of the game’s most beloved characters, black mage Vivi Ornitier, in a prequel photo book called “Vivi and Grandpa On the Day of Departure.” The shock release, 25 years since the game was originally released, reveals the simple, but lovable, history behind Vivi’s name, something which had been speculated upon by fans for years.
Authored by Kazuhiko Aoki, the event designer for Final Fantasy 9, and beautifully illustrated by Toshiyuki Itahana, the game’s original character designer, the picture book delves into Vivi’s early life with his adoptive grandfather, Quan. It chronicles the moments leading up to Vivi’s fateful journey to Alexandria, providing context that deepens our understanding of his innocent beginnings.
For many years, there have been whispers circulating regarding the etymology of the name Vivi, leaning towards a more symbolic interpretation with others suggesting it comes from the Latin “Vivienne” and has the connotations of vivacity or a vitality. But the just-published story provides us with an even less complex, but much more poignant, reason that suits Vivi’s true nature.
Quan named Vivi by a mere measurement of height, the picture book tells us. When Vivi stood on tiptoe, his hat obligingly rearranged, his stature precisely measured up to the six-foot-six-inch line on a wall, which Quan had marked in Roman numerals as VI’VI. It was this numeral mark, VI’VI, that endearingly became the true name of the centenarian Black Mage. This tidbit of information not only answers an age-old question but introduces a poignant note of simplicity into the early history of Vivi.
