Kris; Mantichorus; Sam Vimes; Neku Sakuraba; Koki Kariya; Hazama; CuChulainn; Yu Narukami; Mewtwo; Rival Silver; Suicune; Kanata; Professor Oak; The Brigadier; VIII; The Engineer
Kris; Mantichorus; Sam Vimes; Neku Sakuraba; Koki Kariya; Hazama; CuChulainn; Yu Narukami; Mewtwo; Rival Silver; Suicune; Kanata; Professor Oak; The Brigadier; VIII; The Engineer
In Zidane's case? Definitely the tail of a simian - too prehensile for anything else. Although, I've seen a few (otherwise forgettable) fanfics that compare genomes to cats.
So guys, I have to admit. One of the big reasons I love Zidane/Dagger so goddamn much is because I'm a huge sucker for this trope. I love the cliche of the princess falling in love with a lowly thief.
I used to love to compare Z/D to Aladdin and Jasmine. But I think
Yes, this was sort of an excuse for me to squee about Tangled. Ya'll should watch it now fgj
There are a lot of fanfics trying to narrate what happened after the final scene of FFIX, when Zidane and Garnet reunited. This one, however, is the most plausible, possible, and even logical (as much as logic is contained in a FF game, that is) continuation I've ever read. Nothing feels rushed, everyone is In Character and the spirit of FFIX is alive.
Hmmm... Even if the highlight is definitely Zidane saving her from the falling castle of Alexandria, I've gotta say, the beginning is still deepest in my heart.
"Please, I demand to be kidnapped immediately!"
"Then, I'll do my best to kidnap you!"
... to paraphrase.
It was at that moment that I thought: "Oh okay, I'm gonna love this couple."
My favourite thing about this couple is that their romance doesn't completely obliterate their individual character development half-way through the story (I'm looking at you, Tifa. Squall too. Actually there's a whole list.)
Zidane/Garnet is so seamlessly integrated into the plot that as a storyteller I look at it with a kind of slack-jawed fascination. There's only one moment when it actually takes complete focus and that's the beginning of Disc 3, but leading up to that point it never really holds the spotlight on its own, the scenes are always ALSO serving to exposit Zidane's past (black mage village) or Garnet's various quests to flee from/save her homeland.
I think one of the greatest things about Final Fantasy IX is its ability to take a timeless story and completely turn it on its head. In FF1, you play the stalwart heroes off to rescue the kidnapped princess, but in FFIX, you play the kidnappers. The quote that Tea-Chan just mentioned is another surprising twist, but it also served to start the romance right away. So here I am, thinking that this is going to be a pretty straight-forward fantasy romance, but it almost never takes the spotlight. Instead, the romance is subtly integrated into the plot, which never loses pace to make room for it. But you know it's there.
My favourite thing about this couple is that their romance doesn't completely obliterate their individual character development half-way through the story (I'm looking at you, Tifa. Squall too. Actually there's a whole list.)
I like that they aren't just a couple because the story demands it; and I like that there's this whole section of the game where they're separated and we really get a feel of how they act apart from each other, so they each get equal development that's not completely dependent on them falling in love.
That's also probably why Dagger is my favorite FF heroine -- she's not just playing second fiddle as "the chick" or the love interest, she really is a fully fleshed out co-protagonist.
Although tbqh...
I'm a huge sucker for this trope. I love the cliche of the princess falling in love with a lowly thief.
Now, that's karma! Just when this thread was revived, とりこ updated her gallery (HIGHLY recommended artist, she has done some of the best FFIX and ZidanexGarnet art EVER)!!!
I love the sixth one.
Some more of her older art.
Now, since it IS my favourite FF couple, might as well share my thoughts.
Let me begin by saying that I HATE the cliche "common man that falls for the delicate princess and she with him". I L O A T H E it. Mostly because it portrays the princess under the "delicate flower that must be protected" light and I want to PUNCH characters like that had they been real. Still, this couple won me over, because of its individuals and its development. Be it obvious from the beginning that this would be the main couple, Garnet hated Zidane and Zidane wouldn't take Garnet seriously in the beginning. Garnet had to grow a pair for a reason other than him for Zidane to see her under another light and start truly falling for her and he is one of the biggest catalysts for developing further. Plus, the ever optimistic Zidane wouldn't have gone far in the moment of his biggest crisis had it not been her, with her newfound courage. It was like she had returned the favour, not out of obligation, but as the result of their interactions. As a cliche hater, making me love this couple SO much was a huge accomplishment.
I love the pairing cause I love the characters individually. Looney's right when she says Tangled exemplifies the couple as a Disney pair. Cause Zidane isn't just a doofy thief and Garnet isn't just a delicate princess: there's a lot underneath each character that makes me love them. And moreover, even though Garnet is annoyed by him she doesn't act like one of those annoying tsunderes and constantly beat on him, it just takes her a while to actually start to like him and for him to take her seriously.
Though I admit, princess and the pauper (OR IT REVERSED, I'M LOOKING AT YOU RHAPSODY) is really cute.
FAVORITE MOMENTS:
Dagger: "Why don't we take her home?"
Zidane: "Yes, yes... Anything for my lovely wife."
Eiko: "You two are married!?"
Zidane: "Yep, we're newlyweds."
Dagger: "No, no. We're just friends."
Zidane: "Well, I guess that's better than nothing..."
Zidane: "Dagger... Are you all cozy on your throne already!? No! No,
no, no! I can't start my day without Dagger! Her smile! Her
voice! Her voice is like a beautiful song... And her song makes
me soar high into the sky! But now..."
Zidane: "Well, look who's here. Man, we went through some crazy stuff,
huh? I honesty didn't think I was gonna make it this time. But
as you can see, I'm alright now."
Dagger: "......"
Zidane: "Dagger... Is something wrong?"
[Dagger shakes her head.]
Dagger: "......"
Zidane: "Ohhh, okay. You're so happy to see me, you don't know what to
say. I didn't know you loved me so much." (Did I do something
wrong...?) "Alright, what did I do wrong?"
Dagger: "......"
Zidane: (...Maybe she's just tired. A lot has happened since Brahne's
death... ...I'd better cheer her up.) "Hey, remember that
promise we made before the festival? You still owe me a date.
Come on. Let's go."
Dagger: "......"
Zidane: (...I think she's starting to get annoyed. Maybe I should
leave her alone.) "I guess you have a lot on your mind right
now. Sorry to bother you. I'll see you later."
Let me begin by saying that I HATE the cliche "common man that falls for the delicate princess and she with him". I L O A T H E it. Mostly because it portrays the princess under the "delicate flower that must be protected" light and I want to PUNCH characters like that had they been real.
Lol, I love cliche romances, but I'm a romantic myself so that makes sense. I can see how they'd be annoying to a lot of people. Though, some cliches can be annoying FFIX certainly wasn't. BD I hate it when people say that Garnet's character is weak, or a waste, because she is a very well developed character, that grew stronger over time. She went from a naive princess, to recognizing her duties. In the very beginning, she was sticking up for herself by leaving the Kingdom too, so I don't get why some people think that Garnet is a weak character. Some people assume that when a character, especially female, was not made to be a fighter, that they are weak. She's been through A LOT in her life. After everything that Brahne did, Garnet still loved her. That was so sweet to me. </3 I think romances are often times in series, rushed or forced upon you. As much as I love Tidus x Yuna, it was so cheesy and flirtatious right from the beginning. While Zidane is flirtatious, it's not in the dorky way like Tidus and it's his nature, and it even gets him into trouble later. xD He becomes depressed when Garnet goes off to become Queen causing conflict. I *like* couples with conflicts, not this perfect sunshine bubble gum crap constantly. That's why I like Cloud x Tifa, Celes x Locke, and so on. Though I do like some 'perfect pairs' which I'd consider as Cecil and Rosa. But they've been deeply in love ever since childhood, and I find badass romantic fighters to be awesome. When I first saw Tangled I thought: "Wow, these two make the perfect badass team". Squinoa is a pairing that shoves it all in your face, that it's almost random. =I That is do not want worthy.
Let me begin by saying that I HATE the cliche "common man that falls for the delicate princess and she with him". I L O A T H E it. Mostly because it portrays the princess under the "delicate flower that must be protected" light and I want to PUNCH characters like that had they been real.
I absolutely adore this couple and this game. They are both my faves out of what I've played in the FF series.
Zidane I love partially because I would think something and he'd literally say it like 2 seconds later. XD It was awesome.
I love the character growth they both go through.
Zidane goes from some flirt that feels like a misfit and kinda seems to just float through life to a guy with a purpose and the whole you gotta do what you gotta do thing. -not sure how to say what I'm talking about. Forgive me X_x-
Garnet's development was amazing. Now she was Naive to begin with, but who wouldn't be if you were shut in a castle your entire freaking life? XD I mean seriously.
Naive is fine if it's believable but what I love was that she was smart! She wasn't an idiot. It also helps that she knew that there was a lot of things that she wouldn't know about and tried very hard to learn very quickly and did. She knew she couldn't just expect things to work out and actually trained and studied to leave the castle.
And all that at 16? Really? XD
And I know a lot of people give her lots of crap for the time she lost her voice, saying that she was weak and it was pathetic. Well I don't know if it was a LOT of people but I know it's been said. XD But like seriously, after all the shit that happened I'd be kinda mad if she just brushed it off. The fact that she took it THAT hard but kept going is amazing to me.
I love the whole princess and the thief thing. I hate ditsy princesses though and Garnet definitely wasn't a ditz.
There are so many things to love about this pairing I could keep going but I won't.
Also.... I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS THAT MUCH FANART! MOOOOORE
And I know a lot of people give her lots of crap for the time she lost her voice, saying that she was weak and it was pathetic. Well I don't know if it was a LOT of people but I know it's been said. XD But like seriously, after all the shit that happened I'd be kinda mad if she just brushed it off. The fact that she took it THAT hard but kept going is amazing to me.
I don't think spoilers count in this club, the game's been out for years and we're all obviously fans of it. : )
But holy shit it irritates me so much when people bitch about that part. Just rely on Eiko for curing ffs, it's not even like Dagger loses her voice for a huge portion of the game.
Someone I was talking to tried to compare her to Vivi, saying Vivi got stronger through his pain when Dagger got weaker (lol). Um, nearly right after losing her second mother, the girl witnesses a massacre for which she feels responsible. Yeah, let's get on her case for actually giving a damn about people other than herself and taking personal responsibility. YOUR HUMAN EMOTIONS, GET OVER THEM
Plus it's entirely worth it to see her cut her hair and become all badass. She looks way better with it short, I always thought.
Cutting your hair - in English tradition - has been typically symbolic of coming-of-age, much like getting your first pair of long pants in Germany, or your first heart attack in America.
Although it's usually associated with boys, I though it was a cool gesture for Garnet to make. But the game was made in Japan so at the end of the day I don't know anything.
What I gather is that her cutting her hair is like her cutting her ties to the past. Not like she's giving up on Alexandria and her responsibilities, but more that she understands but is moving on from the troubles that happened.
I've seen it in other Japanese shows where people will not cut their hair as a way to repent symbolically and then when they're done repenting or they stop blaming themselves they cut it.
Symbolism my dear people.
Yeah it's symbolism. I don't think it's exclusive to Japan though. Generally a woman greatly altering her hairstyle is a way to change who they are. So they cut it/dye it because they want to become someone different or like you said, to cut their ties to the past.
Still, this couple won me over, because of its individuals and its development. Be it obvious from the beginning that this would be the main couple, Garnet hated Zidane and Zidane wouldn't take Garnet seriously in the beginning. Garnet had to grow a pair for a reason other than him for Zidane to see her under another light and start truly falling for her and he is one of the biggest catalysts for developing further. Plus, the ever optimistic Zidane wouldn't have gone far in the moment of his biggest crisis had it not been her, with her newfound courage. It was like she had returned the favour, not out of obligation, but as the result of their interactions. As a cliche hater, making me love this couple SO much was a huge accomplishment. 
