Tetsuya Nomura explains his unique take on Final Fantasy villains
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Tetsuya Nomura's Unique Approach to Villains
Introduction
Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura is known for creating unique villains. From Sephiroth to Genesis, his characters often wear leather trench coats and an excessive number of belts.
In an interview with Young Jump, translated by Automaton, Nomura shared insights into his character design philosophy. His high school friend's frustration with unattractive protagonists influenced his approach.
Character Design Philosophy
Nomura recalled a high school classmate saying, "Why do I have to be ugly in the game world too?" This stuck with him.
As a result, he designed characters in Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 10, and Kingdom Hearts to be cool and interesting. He admits he doesn't go overboard with player characters so players can relate to them.
Unconventional Villains
Nomura believes that making characters too unconventional can make them hard to understand. Therefore, he channels his wildest ideas into antagonists like Sephiroth, who players are meant to hate.
The Final Fantasy series is full of extravagant characters. Even the more reserved ones, by Nomura's standards, stand out. For instance, Cloud from Final Fantasy 7 has spiky blonde hair and a massive sword.
Recent Titles and Strategy Shift
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the latest game in the franchise. The PC version of Final Fantasy 16 was also released recently.
Both games had mediocre performances, leading Square Enix to shift its strategy towards multiplatform releases instead of focusing mainly on PlayStation.
Key Takeaways
- Tetsuya Nomura is known for his unique villain designs.
- His high school experience influenced his character design philosophy.
- He aims to make player characters relatable.
- His wildest ideas are reserved for antagonists.
- Recent Final Fantasy titles led to a strategic shift at Square Enix.
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Written by Streamers Visuals.
