Despite being out for nearly four years, Final Fantasy 15 continues to see success and popularity. With an expansive open world, memorable characters, and dynamic combat mechanics, this title resonated with a number of people in the gaming community. That being said, Final Fantasy 15 still possesses a number of aesthetic elements that make a Final Fantasy game unique, including its propensity for anime hairstyles.
With dozens of Final Fantasy games that span different sub-series, there are a number of tropes and elements that give the series a familiar look and feel. Many would argue that the hairstyles of the characters is one element that typically helps people discern a Final Fantasy title or character. In fact, a number of people online were comparing a Starbucks barista to Final Fantasy characters not long ago due to just how much the barista embodied this perceived Final Fantasy character design.
However, a Twitter user who goes by Rex created an edit that cut nearly all of the hair off the main character of Final Fantasy 15, Noctis. His new hairstyle looks more akin to a crew cut, and compared to how he was originally designed it is incredibly jarring. Of course, this drew a lot of attention from a number of Final Fantasy 15 fans, but they weren't the only ones shocked by Noctis' new haircut.
Square Enix, the development studio which created the Final Fantasy series, commented on the tweet saying, "Please put it back." It seems that the studio is not a fan of short-haired Noctis, which is not a surprise considering its reputation for outlandish and memorable hairstyles.
This image does beg the question of how different some Final Fantasy characters would look with much shorter hair, as it's strange to just imagine how different Final Fantasy 7's Cloud Strife would look with a buzz cut. Then again, for how unnatural the design of the hairstyles are, some might argue that they are an integral part of Final Fantasy, and one of the many design elements that fans can frequently point to as something uniquely Final Fantasy.
It will be interesting to see where the franchise progresses at this point. With the arrival of Final Fantasy 16 on the horizon, many fans are looking forward to seeing what kind of characters and gameplay mechanics are implemented into the upcoming game. For now, fans will just have to patiently wait for more information.
Final Fantasy 15 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.