Ho Yay / Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy XIII

• Square-Enix has certainly upped their Les Yay levels in Final Fantasy XIII. Vanille and Fang care very deeply for other and they also probably have the biggest amount of lovey-dovey physical contact in the entire game. Not only does Fang like petting Vanille's head a lot more than Lulu liked petting Yuna's head, they're also the characters that hug more and more passionately through the game. Every time they talk about each other, the nature of their relationship seems pretty obvious as well. And don't get me started on the ending, where they "die" holding hands while romantic music plays in the background!
  • They're not really dead, they just became crystals for all of eternity. Then again, that only makes it even more romantic. [1]◊ I mean, just look at them.
    • Fang goes as far as to tell Vanille in Episode i that she doesn't mind spending eternity as crystals as long as they're together.
  • Heck, when they finally meet each other, the game plays a romantic song and they start walking in slow motion to each other, the whole scene just screams "Oh my god they are going to kiss!" but then a random monster appears and you have to fight it...
  • Vanille puts her hand on Fang's breast when they hug at one point!
    • And then Fang kneels down and lifts up Vanille's skirt like she's completely within her rights to do so whenever she wants. Compare to Lightning who was asked to show her brand, instead of Fang just trying to unzip Lightning's blouse herself. Though Fang was not the least bit shy about seeing another woman's breasts in any case.
  • Fang and Vanille's dialogue with one another, at times, closely parallels that of (engaged) Snow and Serah. It could very easily be argued that the game has two central love stories.
    Fang: "I'll tear down the sky if it'll save her...."
  • There are multiple ways to interpret Fang referring to Vanille as her "partner".
  • Both of their Eidolons make their first appearances when they're distraught over the idea of the other one suffering.
    • And speaking of Eidolons, the Shiva sisters' transformation sequence is very, uh, suggestive. They wind their legs around each other quite gracefully, locking each other into place while Snow "rides" them. Heh.
  • Then in Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-, it is revealed that after the ending of Lightning Returns, Fang and Vanille move to an arid region near a remote village in an area full of cattle ranches and rocky wilderness to live out their days together. Or, in other words, Australia (they already have the accents after all).
  • Let's put it this way; if the developers had gone with their original plan of making Fang a male character, and nothing else about the final product were different, the Fan Dumb would be complaining about how cliché Fang and Vanille's relationship is compared to previous Official Couples.
  • The spin-off crossover game Final Fantasy Record Keeper had an event dedicated to Vanille and Fang that was titled "Of Lies and Love". The untranslated title even uses "愛".

Final Fantasy XV

• Strap on your Shipping Goggles! The game even seems to poke fun at the Ho Yay potential itself, such as with this bit of banter:
  Prompto: [sigh] "This place is so romantic."
  Gladio: "And you get to spend it with us."
  Noctis: "All three of us."
  Ignis: "You are a lucky man."
• Prompto's main objects for his photographs are the other three guys. This can and does lead to many photographs of someone's backside, as well as characters getting touchy-feely or ending up in compromising poses with each other. Noctis can even request more shots of one of his friends. And now that you can take photos yourself it's possible to engineer Ho Yay moments by positioning characters together Machinima style.
• After making camp, Noctis may be invited on a 'Tour' with one of his friends, to do a small sidequest. These have been likened to dates by more than one fan.
• Given the designs of sleeping compartments, all four generally sleep piled one way or another. Especially prominent in motels and Cape Caem, where rooms only have two double-sized beds, which are shared in various combinations. Granted it's for convenience's sake but the implications are there.
• Noctis and Prompto, who have known each other since early high school. Prompto's actions and dialogue towards Noctis can almost come off as one-sided crush:
  • Prompto begins his Tours by slapping Noctis' arse. During one Tour, he takes attractive shots of Noctis by the sea. These are to give to Lunafreya, but even so, Prompto sounds veeeery appreciative as he's taking the shots.
  • During another camp (at a motel), they have a heart-to-heart conversation about Prompto's insecurities, wherein Noctis can assure him of his worth. The way the conversation is presented is very similar to a love confession.
  • The flashbacks in Brotherhood which show how Prompto first met Noctis shows us the punishing physical fitness routine that an overweight young Prompto went through, before he considered himself physically worthy to become Noctis' friend. The way it's presented plays out like someone trying to impress his crush.
  • Ardyn's teasing lines to Noctis at the end of chapter 12 and throughout chapter 13 about saving Prompto after he is knocked off of a train and captured by the former are laden with I Have Your Wife undertones.
  "Ah, ah, ah! You shouldn't take what's not yours."
  "I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you."
  "Off you go, then. I wouldn't want to keep you from your friend."
  "Poor Prompto must be feeling the heat right about now."
  "I pray you find your dear Prompto soon."
  • If Prompto is downed in combat and rescued by Noctis, this exchange occurs:
  Prompto: "So this is what it's like to be rescued by a prince."
  Noctis: "Go back to sleeping, Beauty."
  • The Stinger scene in Episode Prompto ends with his dialogue exchange.
  Noctis: "I'm gonna make this world a better place. You with me?"
  Prompto: "Uh-huh. Ever at your side."
• In Episode Duscae Prompto and Gladio can be found roughhousing inside the tent. Prompto will even run out sometimes to give him an Ass Shove.
• Noctis & Gladio also have their moments, mostly revolving around Gladio's role as Noctis' protector. This is prominent in Chapter 4, and the Deadeye hunt. He physically puts himself between Noctis and harm's way many times.
• Gladio's official description has him listed as "closer to [Noctis] than a true brother". Make of that what you will.
• We often see Ignis looking after Noctis - cooking together, or mending his shirts. Their Brotherhood episode also showed how much time Ignis has devoted to caring for Noct, to the point that it seems he's the most important person in his life. He even dedicates a lot of time to perfectly recreating a dessert Noctis enjoyed. Ignis' AI even seems to be programmed to stay close to Noctis in combat, and look out for him there too.
  • During Chapter 13.2 Ignis spends most of his time worrying about Noctis's wellbeing, berating himself over the possibility of Noctis getting hurt, and even being able to hear him from a far distance while Gladio could not even when he himself is blind and unable to defend himself as well as he can. The level of devotion he shows indicates an attachment that goes way beyond just duty.
  • In Chapter 14 after returning from his 10-year slumber inside the Crystal Noctis puts his hand on Ignis's shoulder with a wistful look, suggesting intimacy between Ignis and him.
  • During the alternative version of Episode Ignis Ignis will literally yell that he doesn't care about the world and anyone in it as long as Noctis can live, something usually said at action movies about romantic interests.
  • When Noctis reveals his true feelings in the post-credit campscene, Prompto and Ignis are the ones whose voice is audibly shaking (in japanese and in english). While Prompto has been shown to be an emotional guy, Ignis being on the brink of tears can be seen as him having to face his crush potentially dying.
• Some of Gladio's interactions towards Ignis suggest a fondness for him that's more than platonic:
  • In the game, Ignis seems to be the one character that Gladio gives his unmitigated respect to (a contrast to Noctis and Prompto, who get a lot of snarky comments and stern lectures.)
  • Gladio spends the entirety of Chapter 10 furious, and a big part of it is motivated by concern for Ignis's wellbeing and a feeling that Noctis doesn't appreciate Ignis' sacrifice. It takes Ignis putting his foot down in front of Gladio for him to back off and calm down.
• During a conversation in the car in the evening, Ignis suggests stopping for the night, and Prompto whines that he needs his "beauty sleep", to which Gladio responds:
  Gladio: Eh, you're pretty enough already.
• During Chapter 10 after Ignis is blinded, Prompto spends a lot of time fretting around him, supporting him and in general being very protective and touchy-feely with him.
• When camping out for the night with Ardyn present he will get oddly intimate with Prompto and try to grasp his chin. It's enough that it makes Prompto very uncomfortable.
• In the beginning of Episode Prompto, Ardyn gives Prompto a gun by shoving it onto his chest and having his hand linger there for a second, the camera angle can make it look like he's groping him.
• Ardyn's PA lines in chapter 13.2 towards Gladio and Ignis, he guides them throughout Zegnatious Keep with hints said out in his usual seductive voice and then calling them "good boy" when they do what he tells them.
• On the whole Ardyn can come across as a deranged Stalker with a Crush towards Noctis, particularly after Chapter 9. It doesn't help that a lot of his lines in general tend to be delivered in a very seductive tone:
  Ardyn: Oh... You’re such a tease...
  Ardyn: I feel I've earned the right to call you Noct...
  • If you ask to ride in Ardyn's car during Chapter 4 the delivery on the banter sounds uncharacteristically flirty:
  Noctis: What if I ride with you?
  Ardyn: You might find the cab fare to be more than you bargained for.
  • The one-sided Ho Yay reaches alarming levels in the final battle, particularly the bit where Ardyn is mocking and lying on top of Noctis as he grunts in pain. It's even worse (or better) if you have the Mariachi costume on since the sombrero gets in the way of camera and makes it sound like something obscene really is happening.
  Ardyn: Ohhh, Noct... How long I have waited for this... Longer than you could ever know...
• In the Assassin's Festival, two men talk about Prompto like they both got a crush on him.
  Man A: Hey. Did you see that stylish blonde walking around town?
  Man B: Did I? He's cute and has a nice camera!
  Man A: I know—-I'm so jealous. I wanted to ask where he got it, but just can't work up the nerve to talk to him.
• During the boat ride to Altissia Prompto asks if the reason Ignis doesn't want to bump into Ardyn again is because he's not his type. The way the lines are delivered suggests they don't consider Incompatible Orientation part of Ignis's problem with him.
  Prompto: Reckon we'll see him again?
  Ignis: Certainly hope not.
  Prompto: Not your type?
  Gladiolus: No love lost for phonies.
  Ignis: As Gladio said, his actions are motivated not by altruism but by self-interest.
• When you approach Noctis in Monster of the Deep sometimes he'll ask if you were looking at his "tackle" in a suggestive and flirty tone of voice, regardless of your avatar character's gender.
• In Chapter 14 you can find out that Prompto spent much of the last ten years pursuing Cindy while Gladio has a fiance. Meanwhile no mention is ever given of Ignis having found a Love Interest whatsoever. Meanwhile in the Comrades DLC Cid mentions that Ignis relocated to Galdin Quay^note the location closest to Angelgard, where Noctis remains for 10 years and took up fishing^note Noctis's favorite pastime. Of the three friends Ignis is also the most hopeful and steadfast that Noctis will eventually return to them. Taken together it comes off like Ignis's single status is due to being hung up over Noctis. Of course it could also be the fact that Ignis is depressed from his knowledge of the prophecy and sacrifice Noctis needs to carry out, but that just makes the undertones even stronger.
• Episode Ignis piles on the implications to the point of coming just short of outright stating that Ignis is in love with Noctis, and may have been since childhood. At the very least, it's made clear that, combined with all of his actions elsewhere, his feelings towards Noctis extend far beyond that of mere duty or friendship.
  • Much of the main storyline is of the normally much more composed Ignis making a mad dash throughout Altissia in order to find and protect Noctis. Both Ravus and Gladio have to call him out on how reckless he's being while trying to rescue Noctis. All of his actions and his thoughts throughout Episode Ignis seem to be fixated on one thing only: Noctis's wellbeing. Anything else is regarded as an inconsequential afterthought.
  • After Ardyn makes a play at trying to kill or injure an unconscious Noctis (something he never intended to actually go through with, not that Ignis could've known that), Ignis leaps at the chance to put on the Ring of the Lucii to fight him off, costing his vision in the process, and quietly begs for Noctis's forgiveness. In the main game he tells Noctis a different story of how it happened, although his and Gladio's behavior there suggest (and the DLC later confirms) that Ignis lied to Noctis, likely because he knew Noctis would feel guilty over it and the last thing Ignis wants to do is to upset him any further than he already is.
  • After Noctis recovers Ignis tries to persuade him to call off his journey so he doesn't have to sacrifice himself, even though Ignis knows full well at this point that the world is about to head towards the apocalypse, and that that Noctis's death is the only thing that can dispel it.
  • During their private heart-to-heart after the campfire scene in the regular storyline, Ignis insists on personally following Noctis to the very end, until Noctis has to cut him off by telling him he's already done so much for him and will be with him in spirit. The heavy implication here (which has since been confirmed by Word of God) is that Ignis considers dying by Noctis's side preferable to living without him. Something Noctis himself apparently recognized, and had to talk Ignis down from.
  • Quite a few of the scenes are framed in a light that would not be out of place in a canon romance. For example, the recurring theme of handholding, in particular a lingering shot of Ignis's hand inches away from Noctis's. Or the choice of soft melancholic ballads playing over many scenes. The sad, even romantic piano piece that plays over Ignis's wistful thoughts of emotional moments with Noctis as he declares his disregard for the rest of the world and himself when it comes to Noctis, then puts on the ring in the alternate Extra Verse is a strong standout.
  • Ignis confesses in the Extra Verse route that he doesn't care about the world or what Ardyn plans to do with it, and would rather leave everyone else to just die if it means Noctis has to sacrifice himself for them. He then proceeds to put on the ring and offer up his own life without hesitation for the prospect of sparing Noctis from the tragic destiny Ardyn plans for him to fulfill.
  • If you fail to defeat Ardyn within the allotted time or choose to give up in the Extra Verse, Ardyn taunts a dying Ignis by telling him that his "beloved Noctis" will be with him in his last moments. Sure enough, Ignis's last words are all about not wanting to die without Noctis.
  • In general, if you get KO'd while playing as Ignis his last words will often be him crying out Noctis's name in a desperate tone.
  • The sheer fact that Ignis dedicates a whole 10 years to trying to save Noctis from having to sacrifice himself, and in the Extra Verse, succeeding - something Noctis's actual Love Interest and loving father could not or would not do - speaks volumes about how Ignis might feel about Noctis. And that's not before getting into the various Epileptic Trees about the implications of the alternate ending and how Ignis's actions may have led the world to eventual doom all because he couldn't let go of Noctis.
  • The last shot of the alternate ending is Noctis sitting on his throne, with Ignis alone smiling up at him in soft admiration before silently addressing him as "your majesty". Since it's already been established beforehand he cares far less about Noctis the king than Noctis the person, Ignis's deference comes off as motivated by something else entirely.
  • Composer Yasunori Mitsuda said of the main theme for Episode Ignis that it was meant to convey "the quiet feelings Ignis hides away in the bottom of this heart". He didn't elaborate on exactly what those feelings are, but it's definitely a very suggestive choice of phrasing. Especially considering the main focus of Episode Ignis is on the intensity of Ignis's devotion to Noctis and the Acts Of True Love he performs for Noctis's sake.
  • On a meta level, Ignis's extreme degree of personal devotion to Noctis and willingness to do anything to protect him, to the point he would defy the world and its gods, makes him most like Tidus, Squall Leonhart, Caius Ballad, Snow Villiers, and Oerba Yun Fang; of whom three are motivated by official Love Interests, one definitely had some sort of romantic tension with his loved one, and the last... well, Fang is also on this page for good reason.
• Because it's not fair for Ignis to monopolize all the Ho Yay in Episode Ignis, again Prompto is shown getting particularly handsy around Ignis, and holding an Unbroken Vigil over him as he recovers during the aftermath of Altissia.
• Gladio is audibly distressed when he comes across injured Ignis in the Extra Verse storyline. It's far more emotion than he's ever expressed at any point in the story, more than the death of his own father.
• While it's not quite as overbearing as it is coming from the opposite direction, Episode Ignis also provides a decent amount of fodder for the idea that Noctis might reciprocate Ignis's feelings in a romantic way. There's a reason the alternate ending is jokingly referred to as the game's Gay Option.
  • During the normal ending of Episode Ignis Noctis tells Ignis that he will always have him in his heart and repeats the same hand-holding gesture of their childhood as a show of how much he values him. In the Japanese version he thanks him in a manner quite similar to Yuna's famously Woolseyfied love confession to Tidus.
  • In the Extra Verse, when Noctis finds Ignis he declares, "If I'm really some kind of savior... then why can't I save the ones I love?" While it's not necessarily that kind of love confession, it is an admission of loving Ignis, and more implicitly groups Ignis in the same category as Luna, a character Noctis explicitly showed romantic interest for.
  • In light of the visual parallels to the original ending, it coming on the wake of several scenes of Noctis stressing how important Ignis is to him, and the fact that Luna remains dead in this timeline with no indication of Noctis still mourning her, the alternate ending can be taken as a Maybe Ever After for Noctis with Ignis.
• The official Twitter for XV had a little bit of fun with Valentine's Day 2018 by pairing up Gladio with Cor, to both their chagrins. One for Ignis too, which could be taken as implying both Ignis/Ravus and Ignis/Noctis.
• One of the dialogues added to the Insomnia portion in a later update has Noctis asking Ignis in Insomnia to hold a strategy meeting alone with him in private, to which he responds with a low chuckle and "If it pleases Your Highness." Keep in mind this conversation only triggers at the rest stop, which happens to be a room filled with beds.