Final Fantasy has inspired many cosplayers to try and translate the complicated character designs seen in them into real life for many years. One cosplayer has done her part to pay tribute to her favorite characters with the art of costume making, and her latest may touch the hearts of Final Fantasy 9 fans. Reddit user MeruruAya has shared her Dagger, aka Garnet, cosplay in all its beautiful detail.
Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, better known by her alias Dagger, is the female lead of FF9. Her story deals with her personal guilt and drive to serve her people as a princess. For a majority of the game, Dagger spends her time in an iconic yellow jumpsuit, and that's the version MeruruAya shared with Reddit after sharing her Beatrix cosplay.
Fittingly, the cosplay photos were shot in a park location that echoes the same architecture seen in Final Fantasy 9's Alexandria, Garnet's home kingdom. One of the poses MeruruAya chose also matches Dagger's main render from the game's artwork, helping players imagine what the character would look like in a more Final Fantasy 7 Remake style game. There is a fan-made Final Fantasy 9 remake in the works, but it's less realistic.
In the comments, fans are saying the cosplay was enough to make them hear Garnet's Theme in their heads, which MeruruAya is taking as a compliment. Some commentators are excited to see more Dagger cosplayers and fewer Tifa cosplays, with one comment on the post one actually leading MeruruAya to consider doing the FF7 favorite next.
The cosplay is very clearly made with love, even to the finest detail of the costume design. She has even stated that she made Dagger's pendant personally, only buying the crystal used. For players interested, MeruruAya has said she also has a short-haired Dagger cosplay inspired by the later parts of the game, but she also says in the comments that this cosplay is her "last tribute" to Final Fantasy 9.
Regardless if MeruruAya revisits Garnet, the cosplay has definitely left an impression on fans' hearts to see their favorite character honored in such a way. The cosplayer's tackled both the jumpsuit and Garnet's princess dress, so with all her hard work, MeruruAya has definitely brought back memories of FF9 for gamers. Time will tell what cosplay MeruruAya decides to tackle next, but there's no question that it will be just as beautiful as the others.
Final Fantasy 9 is available now on PC, PS1, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.