So are all 4 Party Members Male?

[Vambran]

I thought in the 3DS version one of them was a female ( Refia ). Just trying to pick the right names. Dont want some guy ( Sprite )named jill.

[Escorian]

Originally posted by Vambran:

I thought in the 3DS version one of them was a female ( Refia ). Just trying to pick the right names. Dont want some guy ( Sprite )named jill.

they are nonbianry originally, just some sprites look male and some look female to people.

[SC_Nikki]

Originally posted by Escorian:

Originally posted by Vambran:

I thought in the 3DS version one of them was a female ( Refia ). Just trying to pick the right names. Dont want some guy ( Sprite )named jill.

they are nonbianry originally, just some sprites look male and some look female to people.

This is true. So it's pretty funny to, say, change from a Monk or a Warrior into a Bard, and so on. There are people who vehemently believe (or at least, used to believe) white mages are supposed to be female (ahem, Minwu), and I think they used this to great effect with Arc in the DS version. As white mages, he and Luneth have their hoods down, like Bartz and Galuf in FF5. But as a Devout, Arc's hood is up... because at that point in the game, he's come out.

You could give one or two characters female names and maybe only choose the feminine-looking jobs for them, if you wish, or just not worry about it. Indeed, Refia was added to the DS version for some "representation" of sorts, I suppose, but this evidently wasn't so important when the original game released in 1990.

What I find fascinating is that, in another series long ago (Ultima), they actually removed a female character in a console port of the fourth game (they changed the Tinker, Julia, to Julius). This is interesting because the cast was evenly split before they did that. I guess it had something to do with the male-dominated console demographic, as opposed to the more neutral PC market of the time.

[HexGramarye]

Originally posted by Vambran:

I thought in the 3DS version one of them was a female ( Refia ). Just trying to pick the right names. Dont want some guy ( Sprite )named jill.

They don't have default names directly in the game, so they're whatever you want them to be. That said, many of the jobs look specifically gendered one way or another, so I just chose gender-neutral names for everyone in case I wanted to change my Knight over to a White Mage or something (not to say the white mage can't be a boy).

[SC_Nikki]

Originally posted by Sir Gramarye:

(not to say the white mage can't be a boy).

Like I said, they masterfully played on this with Arc in the DS version...

[Vorelas]

Where is this Arc bit coming from?

[SC_Nikki]

Originally posted by Vorelas:

Where is this Arc bit coming from?

It's implied that he had feelings for Alus. When you're in Saronia, the other three observe them talking, and Refia asks what's up with Arc. Luneth cracks a joke, and Ingus tells him not to mock them.

The night before you fight Garuda, they refitted the dialogue for Arc and Alus. Alus asks Arc if his father doesn't love him anymore, and Arc is the one who tells him that all parents love their children. This is personal for me because, when my nephew played the game (who was ten years old at the time), even he said, "I think Arc and Alus have a little something going on," during the scene. He perceived that just from the general tone of it, with the two of them looking at each other from their separate beds.

In the ending, when they take Alus back to Saronia, Arc stops as they're all leaving, turns around, and waves to Alus, who waves back. I think that's probably the most they could do without generating any controversy (remember, the DS version was released in 2006).

My point with the hood is that, also in FF5, male white mages wear their hoods down, while females have them up. Arc also does this in FF3. But as a Devout, his hood is up, like Refia's, implying his demeanor. You get the Devout after he meets Alus in Saronia. At the beginning of the game, Arc is very timid and reserved, and at the end, when you go to the World of Darkness, he appears to have gained self-confidence, which is exactly what happens when someone overcomes their insecurities. For Arc, that happened when he met Alus; and wearing his hood as a Devout is a symbol of that confidence.

He's actually a pretty well-developed character, but you have to look beneath the surface to see it.

[Vorelas]

That sounds more like you're just reading a bit much in to things. There's not really anything there that suggests more than friendship, and the Saronia scene is the exact same as in the 2d version barring that the party doesn't just merge together to share one bed.

I mean, if that's your head-canon, that's cool, but it sounded like you were suggesting something more substantial in the events/dialogue.

[SC_Nikki]

Maybe, it could be wishful thinking, I dunno. I always just thought it was cute, and cheered them on in any case. :)

EDIT: Though... The other three characters all develop feelings for NPC's: Ingus for Sara, Luneth for Aria, and Refia for Desch. The closest approximate for Arc would be Alus.

[CrescentMouse]

Originally posted by SC_Nikki:

Originally posted by Escorian:

they are nonbianry originally, just some sprites look male and some look female to people.

This is true. So it's pretty funny to, say, change from a Monk or a Warrior into a Bard, and so on. There are people who vehemently believe (or at least, used to believe) white mages are supposed to be female (ahem, Minwu), and I think they used this to great effect with Arc in the DS version. As white mages, he and Luneth have their hoods down, like Bartz and Galuf in FF5. But as a Devout, Arc's hood is up... because at that point in the game, he's come out.

You could give one or two characters female names and maybe only choose the feminine-looking jobs for them, if you wish, or just not worry about it. Indeed, Refia was added to the DS version for some "representation" of sorts, I suppose, but this evidently wasn't so important when the original game released in 1990.

What I find fascinating is that, in another series long ago (Ultima), they actually removed a female character in a console port of the fourth game (they changed the Tinker, Julia, to Julius). This is interesting because the cast was evenly split before they did that. I guess it had something to do with the male-dominated console demographic, as opposed to the more neutral PC market of the time.

Came out as what? I don't remember there being a scene where Arc came out as trans or non-binary or gay. But he was always my favorite chracter :3

[Jennah]

I just gave them all female names, and shrugged at any of the more masculine sprites.

[Seba Jun]

My monk name's Brigitte Macron

[Xenkaroshi]

Their Onion Knights, they have no genders. Just onions magically growing arms and legs and able to save the world, going back to veggies once this all ends.

[SC_Nikki]

Originally posted by CrescentMouse:

Came out as what? I don't remember there being a scene where Arc came out as trans or non-binary or gay. But he was always my favorite chracter :3

Mine too. :) Maybe it's like Vorelas said, my own "headcanon" or something. I just thought maybe Square was trying to subtly imply that he and Alus were gay, but to such a degree that it'd be open to individual interpretation. Due to potential controversy, creators in the past had to use discretion and nuance to convey these themes (see X and Zero in the Mega Man X series), but it's my understanding that this sensibility has changed in recent years.

Originally posted by Xenkaroshi:

Their Onion Knights, they have no genders. Just onions magically growing arms and legs and able to save the world, going back to veggies once this all ends.

Truth!

[HexGramarye]

Originally posted by Xenkaroshi:

Their Onion Knights, they have no genders. Just onions magically growing arms and legs and able to save the world, going back to veggies once this all ends.

Reject humanity, return to veggie

Originally posted by SC_Nikki:

Maybe, it could be wishful thinking, I dunno. I always just thought it was cute, and cheered them on in any case. :)

EDIT: Though... The other three characters all develop feelings for NPC's: Ingus for Sara, Luneth for Aria, and Refia for Desch. The closest approximate for Arc would be Alus.

Totally agree. I will never not believe Arc is a femboy icon. Most people miss Refia in this version, but for me it's Arc. But the more open-ended roleplaying is nice too here.

[RamenJunkie]

I named my party Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde but got disappointed when the colors of the Onion Knight class didn't carry over to the individual classes.