During the lengthy ending sequence of Final Fantasy 9, there’s one moment that’s simply a letter – the final words of a little Black Mage named Vivi, whose short life has come to an end. He thanks the protagonist Zidane and the rest of the party for taking him on wondrous adventures, and teaching him that life doesn’t last forever. “That’s why we have to help each other and live life to the fullest.”
Final Fantasy 9’s smallest character has the most profound impact, especially on a ten-year-old sitting hunched over a tiny CRT TV, trying to forget the crushing weight of a world that felt like it didn’t accept them. While I didn’t know it at that exact moment, Final Fantasy 9 was the game that changed my life forever.
