History Fridge / FinalFantasyIX

* Having Marcus, the resident TattooedCrook and pirate-themed individual as the ''romantic male lead'' in 'I Want to Be Your Canary' seems like a case of WTHCastingAgency at first -- until you factor in Zidane's constant mentions of "improvising" at the time. Which would be a far more relevant skill in their ''mercenary'' jobs, under its better known name of XanatosSpeedChess. Speaking of which, once you figure out the Tantalus member roles you get [[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Baku=Drew Carey]] (bespectacled Big Guys), Blank=Wayne Brady (EnsembleDarkhorse), Zidane=Chip Esten (MrFanservice), Marcus=Ryan Stiles (LargeHam), Cinna=Colin Mochrie (ButtMonkey), even Benero and Zenero=Brad Sherwood (heavy-lifters and TheBigGuy) and Ruby=Creator/GregProops (resident perfectionist).

* In the Japanese version, Freya speaks in an archaic-sounding dialect that's also similar to the Hiroshima dialect. It's kind of fitting, then, that she's from a nation that has two of its cities get destroyed in a war, at least one of them being by a superweapon of sorts, then (presumably) become allies with the nation that destroyed said cities once new leaders are in power.

** Even worse, Mist is the remnants of the souls of dead Gaians who are prevented from returning to the planet by the Iifar Tree. They are expelled onto Mist Continent were they decay into the Mist and spawn monsters. This means all the people who died in the destructions of the various cities on Mist Continent and the dead loved ones of the heroes, like Garnet's father and her biological parents, the massacred Cleyrans etc. none of them got to return to the planet, contribute their memories to the crystal, and reincarnate, they all were reduced to Mist.
* Congratulations! By defeating Soulcage, you stopped the flow of the Mist from the Iifa Tree. But wait. Aren't the Mist Continents' airships only able to fly where there's Mist? ...Oh.

* Black Waltz 3 mainly uses lightning magic. When you encounter him on disc 2 you can steal a lightning rod from him.

* Black Waltz 3 mainly uses lightning magic. When you encounter him on disc 2 you can steal a lightning rod from him.

** While some of the others are arguable (Emperor from II and ExDeath from V) Kefka most certainly does not come from any twist moments before you fight him; he is literally the first (and last) antagonist you see in the game.

* Compared to other Final Fantasy games, there is a ton of hidden treasure to find with goodies hidden on just about every screen in the game. That makes perfect sense when you remember that this one's protagonist is a thief! This contrasts well with Videogame/FinalFantasyVIII, because its protagonist was focused on his mission and reputation as a mercenary and hated relying on others. Naturally, that game had no treasure chests at all and few hidden items to pick up.

* Having Marcus, the resident TattooedCrook and pirate-themed individual as the ''romantic male lead'' in 'I Want to Be Your Canary' seems like a case of WTHCastingAgency at first -- until you factor in Zidane's constant mentions of "improvising" at the time. Which would be a far more relevant skill in their ''mercenary'' jobs, under its better known name of XanatosSpeedChess. Speaking of which, once you figure out the Tantalus member roles you get [[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Baku=Drew Carey]] (bespectacled Big Guys), Blank=Wayne Brady (EnsembleDarkhorse), Zidane=Chip Esten (MrFanservice), Marcus=Ryan Stiles (LargeHam), Cinna=Colin Mochrie (ButtMonkey), even Benero and Zenero=Brad Sherwood (heavy-lifters and TheBigGuy) and Ruby=Greg Proops (resident perfectionist).

*** But that presents the very real possibility that some of those Cleyrans that escaped from Odin took refuge in Lindblum's industrial district...[[InferredHolocaust hope they weren't still there when Atomos showed up]].

'''As a Fridge subpage, all spoilers are unmarked [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff as per policy.]] Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''

[[AC:Fridge Brilliance]]
* Vivi's name, his whole story is about living your life to the fullest, knowing who and what you are and livng around it, his personal story is about living life to your full potential, it's only fitting that Vivi is actually latin for "Living" or "To Live".
* Not sure if I should move it up, but seeing as how it has nothing to do with Necron, I'll keep it down here. One time I was talking to a guy who was critical of the old Final Fantasies and seemed to especially have it in for IX. I remember one of his complaints about the game was the Trance system, specifically the fact that Zidane's was pink when everyone else has a more metallic color. Now, I disagree with the latter statement, (Freya seems purple-ish and Vivi and Quina seemed to fall through a negative filter in photoshop) but I'll pretend it's valid, since he refused to believe me on that statement. Anyway, I turned on my my PSP, noticing that I had left it on the picture of Kuja's EX mode, noticing yet another aversion to his rule, seeing as it was red. Red like Terra... then bam! Zidane's also from Terra, so in theory, he'd trance red, but he's sympathetic with Gaia, so it lightens up to the "Metallic" spectrum he spoke of, thus, a hot pink trance.
** If you look closely, you'll notice each character in their Trance state represent the race they belong to! Both Eiko and Garnet/Dagger/Sarah are summoners, so they both follow the blue/indigo-yellow/gold palette, Freya, Steiner, Vivi and Quina are all gold/violet, perhaps to represent the 'standard' trance... the only odd one is Amarant, who might suggest he is a completely other race. Furthermore, if you look at Zidane and Kuja's... they both are VERY similar, but with different colors, hinting at their parental bond.

*** What's funny is that it took me until much later in life to decide that I thought the last battle was an homage to the Cloud of Darkness from [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII FF III]] - The embodiement of blind destruction of EVERYTHING theme, and even their boss themes seem similar to me. Now I wonder if maybe it was meant to be a combination of the two bosses.

** Heh... and after I thought about Necron's significance (not to mention all the underworld "wailing and gnashing of teeth" going on just before the fight), I kept coming back to the overarching theme of the entire game - that ''all beings strive to live.'' Even Kuja wanted more than anything else to have a soul, some true semblance of life. Once Kuja was defeated and dealt his final blow to the party, there was only one thing that Zidane and Co. could do, and that was ''fight death itself.''
** Hate to throw around another "fundamental theme", but Final Fantasy IX is essentially a massive homage to all of the earlier Final Fantasies. What do the final bosses of Final Fantasies I through VI have in common? They all come from twists minutes before you battle them, they all want to destroy everything, and they're all visually [[OneWingedAngel One Winged Angels]].

** As another point- the void they talk of, it's a nothingness with great power that people with a desire for power seek. They then seek to destroy existence. This may be a property of the void. Official sources say it was Kuja. Necron "Monster created by fear of death A being awoken by the fear, despair, and hatred of Kuja, who discovered, with the fulfillment of his ambition near, that he had little time left to live. It rejects the cycle of life through the crystal and attempts to return every world, including Terra and Gaia, to nothing. The final enemy to confront Zidane’s team." We also know it has something to do with the soul divider, since it exploded after Necron died.

** The game's status as a grand homage of the series so far may also explain why Necron has a similar name and design to one of the last bosses in VideoGame/FinalFantasyV, Necrophobe.
** Necron appears to be a cumulation of many aspects seen in the series final bosses. Like the Void in ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII FFIII]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV V]]'' he is presented as a force that seeks to end all existence and stands as a contrast to the Crystals which create life. ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII FFII]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV FFIV's]]'' final bosses are representations of the villain’s hatred and distain for life after they are killed, and Necron was awoken and influenced by Kuja’s attempt to wipe out existence. Like Kefka in ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI FFVI]]'', Necron displays nihilistic beliefs as he does not understand why creatures strive so hard to live when they are all fated to die. Many people complain that Necron is too random and makes no sense, but if you look at the Final Fantasy series as a whole (especially the classic Sakaguchi games) you can see that the final battle with Necron represents what the series stands for: Existence against non-existence.
* On an unrelated note, same game, I just realized, what's the first thing you do in the original ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Final Fantasy]]''? Rescue Princess Sarah. And what's the first thing you do in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''? Kidnap Princess Garnet whose real name is 'Sarah'.

* The Burmecian doors--you know, the ones with the keys-that-are-bells. I always thought that they were silly, pointless, and utterly nonsensical (aesthetically-pleasingly silly, yes, but still). Then it occurred to me: When seeking entrance at certain doors, what do we do in RealLife? Why--we ring the doorbell.
*** Another level of brilliance evident when you think about it: Cleyra was formed by pacifist Burmecians. To both of them, music is an important part of their society. What better key, then, then something musical?

* It seems a little bizarre when the guy playing the character of "Marcus" in ''I Want To Be Your Canary'' turns out to be [[ContrivedCoincidence actually named Marcus]]. Until you stop and think - what does Baku love? The theater. What does Baku ''do''? Adopt kids off the street for his troupe/gang. And who probably got to name those kids...?

* Having Marcus, the resident TattooedCrook and pirate-themed individual as the ''romantic male lead'' in 'I Want to Be Your Canary' seems like a case of WTHCastingAgency at first - until you factor in Zidane's constant mentions of "improvising" at the time. Which would be a far more relevant skill in their ''mercenary'' jobs, under its better known name of XanatosSpeedChess. Speaking of which, once you figure out the Tantalus member roles you get [[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Baku=Drew Carey]] (bespectacled Big Guys), Blank=Wayne Brady (EnsembleDarkhorse), Zidane=Chip Esten (MrFanservice), Marcus=Ryan Stiles (LargeHam), Cinna=Colin Mochrie (ButtMonkey), even Benero and Zenero=Brad Sherwood (heavy-lifters and TheBigGuy) and Ruby=Greg Proops (resident perfectionist).
* Having Freya wearing what looks a godawful lot like a raincoat when you realize Burmecia is known in-universe as 'the Realm of Eternal Rain'. Doesn't explain Fratley's lederhosen though...
** This troper thinks they look more like waders or similar. The kind of legwear that's meant to be water-resistant and roomy enough to allow movement
* Amarant has a number of abilities which make sense for somebody fighting in a group, but not for [[IneffectualLoner him]]. This is because his character arc is about learning to be a team player!

** Except that that didn't happen until well after Final Fantasy IX was released.
** Thats really more HilariousInHindsight

* Getting the Gold Chocobo to fly involves launching it from any forest. Why, you ask? Well, a little-known trait of freerange chickens involves leaping from branch to branch in order to climb trees and reach normally impossible heights for chickens - maybe Choco needs the treetops for a convenient launchpad.
** It also serves, once again, as a MythologyGag to the pre-FFVII Black Chocobos, which could fly but only land in forests.

** Mist ''and rain''. Rainfall goes through the Mist and enters their water supply like acid rain... in a different sense of the word.

* FridgeBrilliance here - why do South Gate and North Gate exist when you're piloting an airship, why not just fly over the mountains instead of through the gates? Because the airships run on Mist and are known to not be able to fly on other continents without Mist. Flying too high would invite the same problem, which is why the gates exist.
* Another FridgeBrilliance coming up. Noticed how Garnet's SummonMagic at the game's start have extremely high MP costs but once she loses her abilities and starts to relearn them one by one, the MP cost afterwards is a lot lower? Garnet stated in the beginning of the game that she is terrified of her powers and is too scared to use them (explaining her high MP cost). Once Garnet accepts her responsibilities with her summoning powers and wants to use them to help out, her boost in confidence lets her use her powers freely and explains why the MP cost was reduced!
** You can get her to use summons before she gets them extracted. If you do so naturally, through consistent levelling, it'll probably be around Treno on the second Disk. Perhaps Garnet's confidence was growing just enough to enable her to at that point?
** She can really only start relearning her summon spells after she suffers her HeroicBSOD. At this point in the game, most players will teach her all the summons she can learn at that point. Re-establishing a bond with her eidolons probably helps her cope with her pain. Notice that she cuts her hair and fully rejoins the party after Zidane gives her the garnet that contains the spirit of Bahamut, one of her most powerful eidolons.

* The name of the theme that plays over the opening title screen is called "The Place I'll Return To Someday." Where does the tune to this theme show up again? It's the background theme for Terra, where Zidane was born. It's the birthplace he's been looking for, and so it ''is'' the "Place He'll Return To Someday"

* Add another one to long list of [[CallBack Call Backs]] in this game: Your first full party in game is created by Zidane, Vivi, Garnet and Steiner. Comparing them to typical FF classes, we get Thief, Black Mage, White Mage and Fighter - your default party in the original Final Fantasy!
* I hope I'm not the only one who notices this FridgeBrilliance. At the very beginning of the game, you control Zidane and Vivi while their name is still unrevealed. At the time, you can open the menu and their name is written as "??????????". As far as I can remember, no other protagonists beside them experience this thing. This is likely foreshadowing their true nature: they are artificial being (Gnome and Black Mage, respectively) and they lack their own identity.

* Beatrix is listed under BondVillainStupidity on the main page for leaving your party alive after each fight. However notice that each time we see her pre-HeelFaceTurn, she never actually kills. Even the Burmecian soldiers that approach her just before the first fight - all she does is order them out of her sight. She could also have killed the priest in Cleyra but she just left with the jewel. It seems that while Beatrix is a fearsome knight in battle, she won't kill unless she has to. During the invasions, it's the only Black Mages who do the killing - and they are commanded by Brahne, not Beatrix. The dialogue after Cleyra is destroyed implies that Beatrix disapproves of this; in fact what she says implies that she was just under the impression that they'd hold Cleyra up temporarily to steal the jewel - and then leave the people alive. So it's a rather subtle RewatchBonus that drops hints to Beatrix's true nature. Even then in the ending she is clearly suffering a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment - especially since she helped in the destruction of two nations.
* Another one regarding the love story. Zidane and Garnet hit it off almost straight away - because Garnet clearly finds Zidane exciting, since he's travelled so far. You can even see Garnet doing a little flirting on the first Disk. However around the Dali part of the game (where he grabs her ass) and then further on in Lindblum, she cops on to his skirt-chasing nature and figures that she's just another girl he wants to charm. Zidane actually does fancy her early on and is probably turned on by the fact that she doesn't respond to his flirting - thinking she's playing hard to get or something. However when he gets a taste of his own medicine from Eiko's annoying flirting ("Is ''this'' what I've been putting Dagger through?"), he doesn't flirt as much. But then there are numerous little moments on the latter part of Disk 2 where Zidane shows genuine concern for Garnet. It's probably around the time Amarant comes into the party that Garnet has realised how much Zidane truly does care for her. Any SlapSlapKiss or WellExcuseMePrincess element in their relationship is abandoned in Disk 3 and the two instead act as the other's emotional support.
** There's also the possibility that Garnet rebuffed Zidane's advances because a) she thought he was just a womaniser and b) she's the princess, so any attraction he has to her will never amount to anything. But around the same time Zidane starts to show genuine affection for her, she discovers she is in fact ''not'' the real princess. And clearly some time on Disk 3, she probably goes "Well, I ''am'' the Queen. I can marry whoever I want".

* The choice of using Odin on Cleyra and Atomos on Lindblum. Odin wipes out Cleyra with a throw of his sword, while Atomos only destroys part of Lindblum. Odin's in-game attack is a OneHitKill and Brahne had the Desert Star - so she had no reason to leave Cleyra intact. Atomos meanwhile deals gravity-based damage that can't kill, and Brahne only wanted Lindblum weakened so she could search for the Falcon's Claw.
** Also, note Atomos' unaugmented damage - 30% of enemy's HP. How much of Lindblum does it destroy? One of the three districts - close enough to the 30% it's supposed to deal

[[AC:FridgeLogic]]
* At one point, Garland tells Zidane that Kuja has a tail, but hides it. How?! Does he [[UnfortunateImplications shove it you-know-where]]?
** He wears clothes that hide the tail. His....skirt/cape thing keeps the tail hidden. When he's in Trance, the thing is flared which exposes the tail.
* At the begining of the game, the Tantalus say they are kdnapping Garnet to get a hefty ransom. Uhh.... Didn't Cid contract you to get her?
** Cid is paying the ransom to have her kidnapped. A ransom is just a price paid for a hostage. It wasn't uncommon to capture nobles to ransom back to their country after a battle, for example. The context in the game means it would probably be called a "bounty" in real life, but ransom is still a correct word for it.
** Knowing Baku, he didn't agree to kidnap the princess out of the goodness of his heart. Cid must have agreed to pay him something. Also perhaps he was hoping the Queen would pay a ransom to get her back and he would get even more money?
** Consider the diplomatic stink that would happen if Cid openly took Garnet away from Brahne; the whole "kidnapping and ransom" thing is just a cover for what is really a rescue.

[[AC:Fridge Horror]]
* Fridge Horror time: You know how the Mist is a product of souls of the dead? Well after Terra blew up, guess why Gaia is covered in nothing but mist?

** Don't forget the horror implied in [[PoweredByAForsakenChild powering airships off of the souls of the dead]] ...
* FridgeHorror: Upon first viewing the ending, many players do not realize that Vivi is the only character who could be delivering the final monologue, and is heavily implied to have expired some time after the final battle. Needless to say, it's [[PlayerPunch quite a punch in the gut.]]
* A small one at the Black Mage Village. The scene in itself is kind of tearjerking, but it gets even worse if you've played before. Black Mage No. 288 is explaining how the Black Mages became self-aware, and he asks Zidane, "do you remember being born?" Zidane replies he doesn't. Seems like a really obvious answer, right? Well it's worse than that. Of course he doesn't remember - he's forgotten everything about his Angel-of-Death past on Terra. Considering what Zidane was born ''for'', and [[HeroicBSOD what happens when he does remember,]] that's probably a good thing.

** Well you do run into some Cleyrans later in the game at Lindblum and Dagguerro. So presumably some of them survived. They did seem to know some magic, so maybe they could have protected themselves somehow. Alternately while you were fighting Beatrix, they snuck out and fled down the tree. Quina was able to survive so perhaps some Cleyrans did too.
*** But that presents the very real possibility that some of those Cleyrans that escaped from Odin took refuge in Lindblum's industrial district... [[InferredHolocaust hope they weren't still there when Atomos showed up.]]

** This seems to be the case in-universe too. In the FMV, Zidane is seen running after her looking very panicked. He clearly thought she was planning to kill herself too, especially with the ambiguous line "Remember me the way I was".
* Let's just hope that Gaia's Crystal is still going strong and healthy and not suffer permanent damage after the abuse it endured thanks to Galarand and the Iifa Tree as they prevent souls from returning to the crystal which is supposed to sustained and make it grow or Gaia will suffer a very short life span.