Final Fantasy: 7 Best Dressed Protagonists In The Series

In order for a Final Fantasy protagonist to stand out as interesting and memorable to fans, they need to have an intriguing personality, a prominent role in the wider story, and of course, a recognizable fashion sense. Considering just how incredible of a designer Tetsuya Nomura is, it’s no surprise why many of the protagonists look as good as they do, but when it comes to their actual outfits, there are some who are far more interesting than others.

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While some characters will wear a uniform that suits their role or position within the world, some protagonists simply enjoy showing off their own sense of style, no matter how flashy or vibrant it may be. There’s no occasion that calls for dressing up quite like saving the world from utter annihilation, so it’s time to take a look at the Final Fantasy protagonists who made the biggest impression on fans with their outfits of choice.

7 Cloud Strife

Cloud’s Tinkered With The Standard SOLDIER Uniform To Make It A Little More Casual

Cloud sports a standard SOLDIER uniform for much of Final Fantasy 7, but he’s also tinkered with a few parts of the design to create something entirely unique to him. For one, Cloud has a single shoulder pad as opposed to wearing two, and the one he does have has been fitted with screws to make it look even more bulky and industrial.

He’s also chosen to go for a sleeveless version of the standard attire which manages to somehow make this military uniform look almost casual in its appearance. When comparing the outfit to other soldiers such as Roche and Zack, Cloud has evidently tried to strip back a few of the outfit’s layers so that it doesn’t look quite as intimidating or basic as his peers, and it results in what has become an iconic fit that may not be very flashy or vibrant, but that still stands out.

6 Noctis Lucis Caelum

He May Be A Prince, But Noctis Still Decides To Rock A Signature Modern Black Outfit

There’s a reason so many people were calling the group of Final Fantasy 15 a “boy band” when they first started appearing in trailers, and it’s because of how much effort SquareEnix was clearly putting into making them look as modern as possible, Noctis specifically. Despite being a prince, Noctis has his own personal style which he wears for the entire game, consisting of a casual shirt covered by his now signature pitch-black jacket which only reaches down to his elbows.

Noctis is clearly a fan of the more muted colors, as he also wears a pair of black cargo pants to finish off the look, giving him a very simple, but ultimately extremely cool outfit. It just goes to show that when he’s not attending to his royal duties, Noctis seemingly spends a good amount of time color-matching his outfit so that nothing ever looks out of place.

5 Lightning Farron

Lightning’s Sleek And Stylish Guardian Corps Outfit Is A Real Highlight Of Her Character

Similar to Cloud, Lightning wears a uniform that was given to her during her time in the Guardian Corps, but she’s clearly added some of her own creative flares to make the outfit as eye-catching and interesting as possible. The most noticeable part of her getup is the sleeveless white jacket that is partly undone to reveal a dark undershirt. It’s an extremely stylish outfit that looks both cool and practical at the same time, and the same could be said about her bright red cape that hangs off her left shoulder.

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Since the cape is on the smaller side, it means that it doesn’t look impractical, but still serves the visual purpose of making Lightning look like a true badass. There are also a few other smaller decorations that prove that Lightning has a pretty snazzy fashion sense, such as her knee-high brown boots, and the gold plates that cover her wrists.

4 Firion

Firion’s More Traditional Costume Features A Few Of His Own Personal Ornaments And Details

Because a lot of the earlier titles were much more firmly rooted in the fantasy genre compared to the modern games, it meant that many of the outfits ended up being much more exaggerated and over the top, and while this could sometimes be a little jarring, Firion pulled it off perfectly. Firion’s dark blue chestplate and arm gauntlets are essential for someone who’s going to be involved in a plethora of fights throughout their journey, but the small emblems and patterns that cover the armor make it far more visually interesting than anything worn by regular foot soldiers.

What really makes Firion’s outfit so unique though is how he manages to look dangerous and intimidating, while still inserting some of his own personal taste to showcase his more relaxed and kindhearted personality, with the biggest example of this being his multicolored bandanna, which only partly covers his glossy silver hair.

3 Clive Rosfield

Clive’s Big And Bulky Armor Is Paired With A Badass Cape And A Bright Casual Undershirt

When players first boot up Final Fantasy 16, they’ll start off controlling a much younger version of Clive who isn’t exactly the most interesting in terms of appearance, but once a few years pass, and he sets out on his journey, his look almost completely changes. Clive is dressed to the nines in armor, sporting big and bulky gauntlets, pitch-black leather pants, and a mighty cape that even rivals the likes of Sephiroth in terms of size.

While he’s clearly suited for battle, the mixture of colors and the casual undershirt help to ensure that this isn’t just a typical set of durable armor. Instead, there are small additional elements of Clive’s character mixed into the outfit that make it a real feast for the eyes.

2 Terra Branford

The Medley Of Bright And Vibrant Colors Makes Terra’s Outfit Incredibly Captivating

Terra’s unique outfit contains a wide array of colors that seem like they should clash with one another, but instead, they all come together to create a very flashy, vibrant, and eye-catching look which is in stark contrast to the moodier color pallets used for most protagonists. Her outfit is primarily made up of a mixture of reds and pinks, including her stylish patterned dress, but she’s also been shown to wear white stockings too, along with a pair of red and golden high heel boots.

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Terra manages to toe the line between the more traditional look of earlier Final Fantasy protagonists, and the modern aesthetic granted to some of the recent ones. Because Terra loses her memories at the beginning of Final Fantasy 6, she’s supposed to be somewhat of a blank canvas with little to no personality, it’s clear that in her past life, she had a massive interest in fashion, if her captivating outfit is anything to go by.

1 Squall Leonhart

Squall’s Iconic Biker-Esque Outfit Is Effortlessly Cool And Stylish

Rather than putting on a set of armor to keep him safe for the journey ahead, Squall instead simply decides to wear the most stylish outfit he can think of during the events of Final Fantasy 8, and it’s resulted in what many people consider to be the most iconic look in the series. What’s immediately noticeable is his glossy leather jacket which has been fitted with a white fur collar to make it appear as luxurious as possible, and considering that Squall also wears a pair of black gloves, it almost looks like a unique take on a classic biker outfit.

That’s not all though, as Squall also sports a bright v-neck undershirt which is complimented by an extremely flashy and heavily detailed necklace. While weird and unusual belts have also been a mainstay of the series, Squall takes this to a whole new level, wearing two brown belts that strap over one another in a diagonal fashion. Squall’s personality may not have been universally loved by fans, but there’s no mistaking that he’s somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to dress code.

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