Info on Vincent Valentine
Statistics Full Name: Vincent Valentine
Date of Birth: October 13
Age: 27
Birthplace: Unknown
Height: 184cm or 6'0"
Weight: Unknown
Blood Type: A
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Naturally brown, scientifically altered to red
Occupation: Former employee of Shin-Ra (Turk)
Final Fantasy VII Profile
A mystical man, stern and upright while at the same time dark and mysterious. His past connection with Shin-Ra, Inc. is what made him join Cloud and the others. He may seem frail at first glance, but hidden inside his body lurks a fearsome power.
Ehrgeiz Profile
An ex-gunman for the Shinra Intelligence Sector (The Turks) who has a dark past and was put to sleep in the Shinra Mansion. After being killed by someone within the Shinra Mansion, Vincent underwent anatomic reconstruction, and was brought back to life. He now possesses new and improved abilities beyond those of normal men.
Preface
As we know, much of Vincent's past is a mystery. Here I have attempted to piece together what little we do know about his background. The dates and years provided are a mixture of fact and estimation. Any date in pink is official and those in light blue are my estimations. Please refer to the Things Clarified section for important source information and further explanation of methods used for estimations.
Timeline/Story
50 Years Ago - Era 1957 - October 13
A woman gives birth to a little boy whom she named Vincent. It is unknown as to who his parents were, what happened to them, and what kind of childhood he had. This part of Vincent's life that is shrouded in mystery.
Unknown Year
Vincent decides to work for the infamous Shin-Ra Company under the Administrative Research branch (The Turks).
25 ~ 30 Years Ago - Era 1977 ~ 1982
Vincent is assigned to protect the scientists working on the Jenova Project at the Shin-Ra Mansion in Nibelheim.
During this assignment, Vincent becomes good friends with one of the scientists working on the project, Lucrecia. Over time, he realizes that his feelings for her are more than friendly and falls deeply in love with her. One day, while the two were walking around Nibelheim together, Vincent takes her hands in his and reveals his feelings to Lucrecia. Lucrecia, being a married woman, shakes her head and races away. A heartbroken Vincent later sights his beloved Lucrecia in the arms of her husband, Hojo, and takes the hint. Vincent tells himself that all that matters is that she is happy, and doesn't pursue her after that.
Sometime after the letdown, Vincent discovers that Lucrecia is with child and that she and Hojo plan to experiment on her using Jenova's cells. Vincent is completely against the idea, and confronts Hojo. Lucrecia, in the background, looks down as if remorseful for participating in the experiment. She and Hojo both ignore his protests.
23 Years Ago - Era 1984
Lucrecia faints in the Nibelheim inn and Vincent angrily confronts Hojo once again. The two of them quarrel for a while, and finally, Hojo pulls out a gun and shoots Vincent, killing him. Hojo lays the deceased Vincent on his operating table, and reconstructs him. The revived Vincent awakens alone in the room, realizing the horrific thing that Hojo has done to him. He screams out in anguish, hands grasping his head. Before anything else can be done, Hojo returns and puts the ashamed Vincent to rest in the Shin-Ra mansion's basement. Around this time, Lucrecia mysteriously disappears
1 Year Ago - Era 0006 - December 19
Veld and another Turk accidentally discover Vincent in the Shin-Ra mansion while searching for materia in Nibelheim. Veld recognizes Vincent as an old colleague and they converse for a while until Vincent returns to his sleep.
0 Years Ago - Era 0007 - December 09
Vincent is awoken by Cloud and decides to join the party.
Vincent
Etymology: The name Vincent is derived from Vincentius, which in turn comes from the Latin word vincere, meaning "to conquer or prevail". Even though the definition is probably not the reason the name was chosen, it is still fitting. Vincent's main motivation for joining Cloud was to confront Hojo and possibly take revenge on him. In terms of prevailing, his personal struggles are to overcome his guilt and resolve his past.
Possible Factors: Vincent is a name that is often associated with a melancholy, misunderstood nature. Vincent van Gogh, a famous painter, had this sort of temperament, and this could be why the name conjures up thoughts of moodiness. The first impression players get of Vincent is that he is a sad, dejected man.
Valentine
Etymology: The surname Valentine, like the name Vincent, also has Latin roots. It is drawn from Valentinus, derived from the word valens, which means means strong, vigourous, healthy, able, and brave.
Namesake: The Christian holiday, Valentine's Day, is a celebration of love in honor of Saint Valentine (Valentius). There are different versions of Saint Valentine's story, but they are all love-centric and portray the man as a heroic martyr.
A third century Roman priest, Valentine lived under the reign of Claudius II. Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers than those with wives, and decreed that young men could not marry. Valentine was outraged by this law and continued to marry young couples in secret. Eventually, Valentine was discovered and in punishment for his crimes, he was sentenced to death.
Some versions of the legend add that while Valentine awaited execution, his only friend, Claudius' blind daughter, comforted him. His last letter to her before his execution was signed "From Your Valentine". This addition varies from story to story. In some cases, the girl he gives the letter to is the jailor's daughter, whom he is in love with.
Vincent's story is that of a tragic love, so it is fitting that Tetsuya Nomura chose a surname with such a romantic history for his character.
Physical
Vincent is the second tallest character in the party. Unlike the three other men in the group, Vincent is thin and not very muscular. This makes sense, however, as his strengths lie not in physical strength, but in shooting and transforming.
Eyes
Due to the scientific alterations, Vincent's eye color is an unusual crimson red. Naturally, his eye color is brown, though the exact shade varies. In FF7, his eyes are dark brown, but the color is more of a hazel or autumn brown in Dirge of Cerberus.
Costume
» Standard Attire
» Turk Uniform
» Compilation Alterations
Hair
Short: As a Turk, Vincent kept his hair short. In the front, there are many loose strands and bangs, but nothing ever reaches past his chin.
Vincent's hair is parted in such a way that the left side receives more hair. Because of this, his bangs are longer on his left, covering his eye. Next to these longer strands and right in the middle of his forehead, there are shorter bangs. Near the top, a couple of loose strands of hair spike out.
The right side, due to the comb over, has less hair, so the long bangs in front don't cover any part of his face. In the back, the hair is cut against the neck similar to a traditional boy cut.
Long: In FF7 original art, Vincent's long hair is waist length and more gravity defying. The comb over from his Turk hairstyle remains, giving the left side more hair and longer bangs. On the right, three thinner strands pop out from the headband and end right above the neckline. Vincent's hair is in the same style and position as when he was a Turk, it's just much longer.
Vincent's long hair has minor adjustments made to it in both Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus. His hair is smoother, flatter, and overall more realistic in the film. In Dirge of Cerberus, strands of his hair have jagged edges. These alterations were most likely done for stylistic purposes, to fit the overall look of the work.
Everything here has been hand-typed using various sources because I wanted to only have information that described Vincent's character. This is also why there are no extra comments from myself. All the things I felt best described Vincent have been shortened and written in general form.
Zodiac Sign
Vincent was born on October 13, therefore making him a Libran. Librans are represented by scales because they seek balance and harmony in their lives. They try to avoid conflict, and prefer to make peace rather than war. Librans also seek partnership, and are very romantic. Those born under this sign find practicing courtship rituals to incredibly important when in a relationship. Even though Librans are generally fair, they do have a tendency to take a liking to the things they find beautiful to the eyes. Regardless, for the most part they are very diplomatic and good-natured.
Birthstone
Though numerous stones represent those born under the month of October, the main one is the lovely opal. The highly sought after, fragile stone was believed to possess the fire of the carbuncle (*cough*), the brilliant purple of the amethyst, and the sea-green color of emerald. As a birthstone, however, it simply represented hope. The opal supposedly brings clarity to its owner, helping them to see possibilities in themselves, others, and objects. It does this by mirroring the bearer's buried emotions, feelings, and most passionate desires.
Blood Type
Squaresoft chose to give Valentine blood type A because traditionally, those with the type are very levelheaded and serious. A types are quite fragile on the interior, but they suppress their insecurities to make them appear strong and at ease. They also have trouble revealing secrets, which sometimes causes them to become pessimistic. Though seemingly emotionless and uncaring, they're really quite sensitive and loyal. They are also quite methodical in their ways, and always think before they act.
Final Fantasy VII Information, weapons, limit breaks, and secrets.
Advent Children Vincent's role in the FF7 movie sequel.
Before Crisis A brief appearance in the mobile phone prequel.
Dirge of Cerberus Protagonist of this Gun RPG.
Ehrgeiz Introduction, fighting techniques, and secrets.