{Fan Essay} Onion Knight: A Final Fantasy III Protagonist Essay
Username: Yin of breyzyyin
Class: White Mage
Title: Onion Knight: A Final Fantasy III Protagonist Essay
Characters/Pairings: Onion Knight, Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus.
Word Count: 2,522
Summary: An essay for the ultima_arena Protagonist Essay challenge on Onion Knight and his role in FFIII.
Rating/warnings: Slight spoilers for FFIII and Dissidia: Final Fantasy.
Final Fantasy III is an interesting title in terms of its release history. Similar to FF II before it and FF V after it, the game never had an official English release in its original incarnation on the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, unlike the second and fifth games in the series, both of which were first released in English in the Sony Playstation era (and then subsequently released on other gaming systems as well), FFIII's official English release was not until it appeared on the Nintendo DS much later on.
Unlike FFII and FFV, where the Playstation ports of both titles were pretty much straight-up ports of the original game with sharper graphic details and FMV intros...the first version of FFIII that English-speaking gamers were exposed to was a game that was completely overhauled and reworked from its original NES iteration: a true remake in every sense of the word, and not just a port. The graphics were 3D and completely different, characters and story details were reworked or given more detail, and gameplay mechanics were altered in several instances. In terms of FFIII, there are essentially two different versions of the same game in existence now.
However, because the game was not originally released in English before...that fact was not well-known as Square-Enix often advertised the DS version of FFIII as being the only game in the series that hadn't yet been released in America. Unless someone was curious enough to research the title more, they would not realize the Nintendo DS game was, in fact, a remake.
Which in turn led to confusion when Dissidia: FF came out and the character of Onion Knight was chosen to represent FFIII in the roster:
"A youth bearing the title of Onion Knight. Intelligent and mischievous, he unquestionably believes there's nothing he can't do.
In the original game, he was an orphan raised by the Ur village elder, Topapa. After a sudden earthquake opened a cavern in the ground, the boy and his friends went to investigate and fell into the Altar Cave. Eventually they were chosen as Warriors of the Light by the Wind Crystal."
--From the Dissidia: Final Fantasy Museum Character Files
Gamers who only knew of the DS remake were not sure what to make of the character, assuming that he must be one of the DS version characters who, for some reason, was not being given one of their names. Speculation as to which FFIII DS character he is supposed to be is still talked about and debated on in forums for the series.
Further confounding the matter was the fact that Onion Knight had a palette swap that switched his design to look like a younger version of Luneth (one of the main protagonists from the DS remake)...with a DLC palette swap being added for Ingus (another main character in the DS game) in Dissidia: 012 as well.
Taking into account the Warriors of Light from the remake (excluding Refia for rather obvious reasons), there are three "possible" main characters and protagonists from the DS remake that are speculated on in regards to Onion Knight’s identity: Luneth, Arc, and Ingus.
Luneth is the first character Onion Knight is associated with: mainly due to the palette swap Onion Knight has of him in both Dissidia titles. However, Luneth's design (which is speculated to be loosely based off of the unnamed Warrior of Light that Amano drew for the logo of FFIII) does not really fit with Onion Knight's Dissidia design due to different hair and eye coloring. Personality-wise, the two are vastly different as well: Onion Knight is seen as a clever and quick thinker who outwits opponents, though he has some fears and doubt issues he doesn't readily like admitting to himself that he still needs to work out in the beginning of Dissidia...while Luneth is seen as a carefree boy with a bit of an adventurous and courageous streak.
Luneth often acts on impulse and tends to be pretty confident through and through. It is hard to picture Luneth questioning what he should do as Onion Knight is sometimes seen to do in Destiny Odyssey, and he probably wouldn't think of bluffing his way out of an encounter with a stronger opponent or tricking the Cloud of Darkness to gain the upper hand in a fight either. So, the two don't really match up personality-wise at all.
Next up is Arc. Again, his and Onion Knight's character designs are completely different...so on a physical level they share no traits in common. There are two personality traits both characters have in common, however: the fact that both are considered to be rather intelligent and have confidence issues at times. However, how those traits are actually presented is rather different for both characters. Arc is portrayed as being more scholastic and was even bullied due to his "bookworm" tendencies...the embarrassment of that harassment and his appreciation of his "brother" Luneth's encouragement is what has him wanting to prove himself at the very start of the DS version of FFIII. He is aware of his weaknesses from the very beginning and wishes to become stronger through his journey in order to overcome them. He tends to be rather hesitant and his peaceful nature has him tending to avoid anything that he considers dangerous if he can do so, though he has no qualms about offering help or facing a challenge head-on if there is no alternative.
Onion Knight's intelligence stems from his cleverness and being able to outwit opponents: something Arc never does. He is reckless in his willingness to fight opponents he believes he can beat easily. Unlike Arc, Onion Knight is somewhat in denial about his weaknesses and confidence issues until he is forced to face them head-on when a comrade's life is at stake. Again, the two are very different characters from a design and plot perspective...and it is very hard to imagine either Onion Knight or Arc acting similar to the other if their roles were reversed in their respective games.
...And then there is Ingus, the character many debaters fall on as the most "likely" Onion Knight candidate. This was also strengthened with the Ingus palette swap added as a DLC outfit to Dissidia 012. Ingus and Onion Knight both have blond hair and blue eyes...so the case has been put forth that Onion Knight is supposed to be a younger version of Ingus. Except that Onion Knight’s own biography in Dissidia (featured earlier in this essay) shoots down that possibility as it states that Onion Knight was raised in Ur. Ingus was raised in Sasune Castle as a youth, so this would be more conducive of Arc or Luneth...both of whom were raised in Ur.
Also, personality-wise, Ingus and Onion Knight are vastly different: Onion Knight's reactions at certain points in the game are hard to imagine even a younger version of Ingus sharing. Ingus is mature-minded, duty-bound, practical, and loyal...his personality showcasing all of the classic characteristics of knights. He is humble and doesn't boast of his prowess or skill, and doesn't seek out easy fights either as he is noted for going out to train on several occasions in FFIII. Onion Knight's mannerisms do not fit with a youth who was brought up to be an accomplished and somewhat serious-minded knight...so the comparison falls short again despite the similarities in their designs.
...Which goes back to the question of who Onion Knight is. His biography would lend itself more to Arc or Luneth...but his personality doesn't. There is also the mention of his friends, also from Ur and who also investigated the Altar Cave at the same time as he did. Again, only Arc and Luneth were raised in that village...with Luneth being the only one who is dropped into the Altar Cave and encountering the Wind Crystal. Refia was from Kazus, and Ingus was from Sasune Castle. It isn't until later when they come back as a group that all four of them become Warriors of Light. Looking only at the DS version, his story has gaping inconsistencies with what many fans know of FFIII's plot.
But it doesn't actually have inconsistencies in regards to the original FFIII, which never saw an official English release. The original game was similar to the first FF in that four youths (who were given no direct personality and were unnamed) were the Warriors of Light...all four of them coming from the village of Ur and becoming Warriors of Light through the Wind Crystal after falling through a hole at the Altar Cave and defeating a Land Turtle. The DS remake altered this by having only Arc and Luneth be from Ur...with Luneth being the only one to fall through the hole and face the Land Turtle. Doing so caused the story of the game to be heavily rewritten at points in order to allow the four Warriors of Light to become defined characters with their own personalities and reasons for being in the plot. This also caused them to have more of an impact on the overall story and to interact more with the other characters in the game (Ingus's connection to Sara Altney, Refia's eventual friendship and understanding of Desch, Luneth's cheerful companionship with Aria, and Arc's strong bond with Alus). In the original NES game, the Warriors traveled around and were more or less bystanders to what was going on around them.
The default Job Class in this version was Onion Knight: it was replaced by Freelancer in the DS game, with Onion Knight being a secret and very powerful high level job class as a tribute to the game's predecessor. It is no surprise that Onion Knight remains in that Job Class throughout both Dissidia titles and "changes" Jobs during his EX move: Dissidia is mirroring how that was the starting Job Class in the original FFIII and that other Jobs opened up as you advanced through the title.
Onion Knight is not actually based off of any of the DS protagonists at all. Instead, in a similar vein to the Warrior of Light (the representative of FFI in Dissidia who is loosely based off of Amano designs of an unknown Warrior of Light for that game and one who shows up in the FMV intro of later ports--not on the Warrior design used in the game itself), Onion Knight is a representative of one of the four unnamed youths from Ur in the first version of FFIII.
Perhaps further adding to the confusion of "who Onion Knight really is" was the fact that the four Onion Knights had been given their own names and designs for the Legend of the Eternal Wind: Final Fantasy III manga adaptation of the original NES game, though these names were later replaced with the four DS remake character names in the Ultimania for Dissidia despite the fact that the stories of those characters were still different...but that is something that wouldn't be readily known to those who either hadn't played the original game or those who hadn't read the manga adaptation of it either (Source: Onion Knight (Final Fantasy III) article page on the Final Fantasy Wikia).
Since the original FFIII game was never released officially outside of Japan, it wasn't something some gamers even knew about as their only exposure to the titles would be the DS remake of it instead...thus the confusion over Onion Knight's identity. The palette swaps of Ingus and Luneth were put in the game as a tribute to the fact that a DS remake had been made and had distinct characters in it. In fact, the palette swap for Luneth even features Refia's outfit colorings for her Job Classes instead...further, if indirectly in the game, representing a third Warrior of Light from the DS title: having that game being "represented" in a way while still keeping the focus on the original game as Onion Knight's personality and mannerisms do not alter any while using the Luneth or Ingus palette swaps.
As his own character, Onion Knight's personality makes a lot more sense. He is clever and quick-witted, able to overcome opponents through fast thinking. While he is outwardly confident in his abilities, he has his own doubts and fears that he doesn't readily admit to...and his decision to only fight opponents weaker than himself initially is somewhat problematic, and he is sometimes so eager with his goals that he can be blinded to the reality in front of him. A younger character, his story is about learning to accept one's weaknesses but learning ultimately to overcome them instead of simply running away or avoiding them: it is only when he does so, when he becomes encouraging to his comrades and brave despite being scared still that Onion Knight truly starts to become the mature character he wanted to be seen as by others.
He starts to become a warrior through the course of his story...almost making you wonder if he didn’t become a Warrior of Cosmos sometime shortly after he and the other youths stumbled upon the Wind Crystal and became Warriors of Light. As with Arc, Luneth, and Ingus...he has very distinct strengths and weaknesses as a character. Having overcome his doubts later on in Dissidia, he is even noted for being the character who encourages everyone to not give up when things look their bleakest for the group.
If any of the DS main protagonists had been included in Dissidia instead, the Final Fantasy III portion of the game would have played out incredibly different...as none of them have the same youthful, only "just beginning" tone to their personalities and plot that Onion Knight has. Luneth would probably have been portrayed more in the same easygoing way as Bartz, Tidus, or Vaan; Ingus would have probably interacted with people in a way similar to Cecil or Firion; Refia would have been a strong-willed Warrior of Cosmos who would not hesitate to voice her opinions on a subject and would not stand down from her viewpoints readily...though she’d likely play a comforting friend role such as Tifa does; and Arc would have perhaps been an interesting mixture of a male version of both Terra and Yuna. The storyline would not have been or played out the same, since there are key differences in plot and viewpoints between the characters.
So, in the end, Onion Knight is actually his own character: a representative of the first FFIII and its story. This is a compare and contrast essay in that regard...but the intention of it wasn't to say that any one character or group of characters are better than the other: merely it was to point out why the debate on Onion Knight's identity is rather unnecessary. Like Arc, Refia, Luneth, and Ingus...Onion Knight is his own separate character. All five of them have unique personalities, distinctions, flaws, and strengths…and all of them should be recognized for them. All are main protagonists of Final Fantasy III in one form or another, and should be viewed as the strong individual characters that they are in that capacity.
Class: White Mage
Title: Onion Knight: A Final Fantasy III Protagonist Essay
Characters/Pairings: Onion Knight, Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus.
Word Count: 2,522
Summary: An essay for the ultima_arena Protagonist Essay challenge on Onion Knight and his role in FFIII.
Rating/warnings: Slight spoilers for FFIII and Dissidia: Final Fantasy.
Final Fantasy III is an interesting title in terms of its release history. Similar to FF II before it and FF V after it, the game never had an official English release in its original incarnation on the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, unlike the second and fifth games in the series, both of which were first released in English in the Sony Playstation era (and then subsequently released on other gaming systems as well), FFIII's official English release was not until it appeared on the Nintendo DS much later on.
Unlike FFII and FFV, where the Playstation ports of both titles were pretty much straight-up ports of the original game with sharper graphic details and FMV intros...the first version of FFIII that English-speaking gamers were exposed to was a game that was completely overhauled and reworked from its original NES iteration: a true remake in every sense of the word, and not just a port. The graphics were 3D and completely different, characters and story details were reworked or given more detail, and gameplay mechanics were altered in several instances. In terms of FFIII, there are essentially two different versions of the same game in existence now.
However, because the game was not originally released in English before...that fact was not well-known as Square-Enix often advertised the DS version of FFIII as being the only game in the series that hadn't yet been released in America. Unless someone was curious enough to research the title more, they would not realize the Nintendo DS game was, in fact, a remake.
Which in turn led to confusion when Dissidia: FF came out and the character of Onion Knight was chosen to represent FFIII in the roster:
"A youth bearing the title of Onion Knight. Intelligent and mischievous, he unquestionably believes there's nothing he can't do.
In the original game, he was an orphan raised by the Ur village elder, Topapa. After a sudden earthquake opened a cavern in the ground, the boy and his friends went to investigate and fell into the Altar Cave. Eventually they were chosen as Warriors of the Light by the Wind Crystal."
--From the Dissidia: Final Fantasy Museum Character Files
Gamers who only knew of the DS remake were not sure what to make of the character, assuming that he must be one of the DS version characters who, for some reason, was not being given one of their names. Speculation as to which FFIII DS character he is supposed to be is still talked about and debated on in forums for the series.
Further confounding the matter was the fact that Onion Knight had a palette swap that switched his design to look like a younger version of Luneth (one of the main protagonists from the DS remake)...with a DLC palette swap being added for Ingus (another main character in the DS game) in Dissidia: 012 as well.
Taking into account the Warriors of Light from the remake (excluding Refia for rather obvious reasons), there are three "possible" main characters and protagonists from the DS remake that are speculated on in regards to Onion Knight’s identity: Luneth, Arc, and Ingus.
Luneth is the first character Onion Knight is associated with: mainly due to the palette swap Onion Knight has of him in both Dissidia titles. However, Luneth's design (which is speculated to be loosely based off of the unnamed Warrior of Light that Amano drew for the logo of FFIII) does not really fit with Onion Knight's Dissidia design due to different hair and eye coloring. Personality-wise, the two are vastly different as well: Onion Knight is seen as a clever and quick thinker who outwits opponents, though he has some fears and doubt issues he doesn't readily like admitting to himself that he still needs to work out in the beginning of Dissidia...while Luneth is seen as a carefree boy with a bit of an adventurous and courageous streak.
Luneth often acts on impulse and tends to be pretty confident through and through. It is hard to picture Luneth questioning what he should do as Onion Knight is sometimes seen to do in Destiny Odyssey, and he probably wouldn't think of bluffing his way out of an encounter with a stronger opponent or tricking the Cloud of Darkness to gain the upper hand in a fight either. So, the two don't really match up personality-wise at all.
Next up is Arc. Again, his and Onion Knight's character designs are completely different...so on a physical level they share no traits in common. There are two personality traits both characters have in common, however: the fact that both are considered to be rather intelligent and have confidence issues at times. However, how those traits are actually presented is rather different for both characters. Arc is portrayed as being more scholastic and was even bullied due to his "bookworm" tendencies...the embarrassment of that harassment and his appreciation of his "brother" Luneth's encouragement is what has him wanting to prove himself at the very start of the DS version of FFIII. He is aware of his weaknesses from the very beginning and wishes to become stronger through his journey in order to overcome them. He tends to be rather hesitant and his peaceful nature has him tending to avoid anything that he considers dangerous if he can do so, though he has no qualms about offering help or facing a challenge head-on if there is no alternative.
Onion Knight's intelligence stems from his cleverness and being able to outwit opponents: something Arc never does. He is reckless in his willingness to fight opponents he believes he can beat easily. Unlike Arc, Onion Knight is somewhat in denial about his weaknesses and confidence issues until he is forced to face them head-on when a comrade's life is at stake. Again, the two are very different characters from a design and plot perspective...and it is very hard to imagine either Onion Knight or Arc acting similar to the other if their roles were reversed in their respective games.
...And then there is Ingus, the character many debaters fall on as the most "likely" Onion Knight candidate. This was also strengthened with the Ingus palette swap added as a DLC outfit to Dissidia 012. Ingus and Onion Knight both have blond hair and blue eyes...so the case has been put forth that Onion Knight is supposed to be a younger version of Ingus. Except that Onion Knight’s own biography in Dissidia (featured earlier in this essay) shoots down that possibility as it states that Onion Knight was raised in Ur. Ingus was raised in Sasune Castle as a youth, so this would be more conducive of Arc or Luneth...both of whom were raised in Ur.
Also, personality-wise, Ingus and Onion Knight are vastly different: Onion Knight's reactions at certain points in the game are hard to imagine even a younger version of Ingus sharing. Ingus is mature-minded, duty-bound, practical, and loyal...his personality showcasing all of the classic characteristics of knights. He is humble and doesn't boast of his prowess or skill, and doesn't seek out easy fights either as he is noted for going out to train on several occasions in FFIII. Onion Knight's mannerisms do not fit with a youth who was brought up to be an accomplished and somewhat serious-minded knight...so the comparison falls short again despite the similarities in their designs.
...Which goes back to the question of who Onion Knight is. His biography would lend itself more to Arc or Luneth...but his personality doesn't. There is also the mention of his friends, also from Ur and who also investigated the Altar Cave at the same time as he did. Again, only Arc and Luneth were raised in that village...with Luneth being the only one who is dropped into the Altar Cave and encountering the Wind Crystal. Refia was from Kazus, and Ingus was from Sasune Castle. It isn't until later when they come back as a group that all four of them become Warriors of Light. Looking only at the DS version, his story has gaping inconsistencies with what many fans know of FFIII's plot.
But it doesn't actually have inconsistencies in regards to the original FFIII, which never saw an official English release. The original game was similar to the first FF in that four youths (who were given no direct personality and were unnamed) were the Warriors of Light...all four of them coming from the village of Ur and becoming Warriors of Light through the Wind Crystal after falling through a hole at the Altar Cave and defeating a Land Turtle. The DS remake altered this by having only Arc and Luneth be from Ur...with Luneth being the only one to fall through the hole and face the Land Turtle. Doing so caused the story of the game to be heavily rewritten at points in order to allow the four Warriors of Light to become defined characters with their own personalities and reasons for being in the plot. This also caused them to have more of an impact on the overall story and to interact more with the other characters in the game (Ingus's connection to Sara Altney, Refia's eventual friendship and understanding of Desch, Luneth's cheerful companionship with Aria, and Arc's strong bond with Alus). In the original NES game, the Warriors traveled around and were more or less bystanders to what was going on around them.
The default Job Class in this version was Onion Knight: it was replaced by Freelancer in the DS game, with Onion Knight being a secret and very powerful high level job class as a tribute to the game's predecessor. It is no surprise that Onion Knight remains in that Job Class throughout both Dissidia titles and "changes" Jobs during his EX move: Dissidia is mirroring how that was the starting Job Class in the original FFIII and that other Jobs opened up as you advanced through the title.
Onion Knight is not actually based off of any of the DS protagonists at all. Instead, in a similar vein to the Warrior of Light (the representative of FFI in Dissidia who is loosely based off of Amano designs of an unknown Warrior of Light for that game and one who shows up in the FMV intro of later ports--not on the Warrior design used in the game itself), Onion Knight is a representative of one of the four unnamed youths from Ur in the first version of FFIII.
Perhaps further adding to the confusion of "who Onion Knight really is" was the fact that the four Onion Knights had been given their own names and designs for the Legend of the Eternal Wind: Final Fantasy III manga adaptation of the original NES game, though these names were later replaced with the four DS remake character names in the Ultimania for Dissidia despite the fact that the stories of those characters were still different...but that is something that wouldn't be readily known to those who either hadn't played the original game or those who hadn't read the manga adaptation of it either (Source: Onion Knight (Final Fantasy III) article page on the Final Fantasy Wikia).
Since the original FFIII game was never released officially outside of Japan, it wasn't something some gamers even knew about as their only exposure to the titles would be the DS remake of it instead...thus the confusion over Onion Knight's identity. The palette swaps of Ingus and Luneth were put in the game as a tribute to the fact that a DS remake had been made and had distinct characters in it. In fact, the palette swap for Luneth even features Refia's outfit colorings for her Job Classes instead...further, if indirectly in the game, representing a third Warrior of Light from the DS title: having that game being "represented" in a way while still keeping the focus on the original game as Onion Knight's personality and mannerisms do not alter any while using the Luneth or Ingus palette swaps.
As his own character, Onion Knight's personality makes a lot more sense. He is clever and quick-witted, able to overcome opponents through fast thinking. While he is outwardly confident in his abilities, he has his own doubts and fears that he doesn't readily admit to...and his decision to only fight opponents weaker than himself initially is somewhat problematic, and he is sometimes so eager with his goals that he can be blinded to the reality in front of him. A younger character, his story is about learning to accept one's weaknesses but learning ultimately to overcome them instead of simply running away or avoiding them: it is only when he does so, when he becomes encouraging to his comrades and brave despite being scared still that Onion Knight truly starts to become the mature character he wanted to be seen as by others.
He starts to become a warrior through the course of his story...almost making you wonder if he didn’t become a Warrior of Cosmos sometime shortly after he and the other youths stumbled upon the Wind Crystal and became Warriors of Light. As with Arc, Luneth, and Ingus...he has very distinct strengths and weaknesses as a character. Having overcome his doubts later on in Dissidia, he is even noted for being the character who encourages everyone to not give up when things look their bleakest for the group.
If any of the DS main protagonists had been included in Dissidia instead, the Final Fantasy III portion of the game would have played out incredibly different...as none of them have the same youthful, only "just beginning" tone to their personalities and plot that Onion Knight has. Luneth would probably have been portrayed more in the same easygoing way as Bartz, Tidus, or Vaan; Ingus would have probably interacted with people in a way similar to Cecil or Firion; Refia would have been a strong-willed Warrior of Cosmos who would not hesitate to voice her opinions on a subject and would not stand down from her viewpoints readily...though she’d likely play a comforting friend role such as Tifa does; and Arc would have perhaps been an interesting mixture of a male version of both Terra and Yuna. The storyline would not have been or played out the same, since there are key differences in plot and viewpoints between the characters.
So, in the end, Onion Knight is actually his own character: a representative of the first FFIII and its story. This is a compare and contrast essay in that regard...but the intention of it wasn't to say that any one character or group of characters are better than the other: merely it was to point out why the debate on Onion Knight's identity is rather unnecessary. Like Arc, Refia, Luneth, and Ingus...Onion Knight is his own separate character. All five of them have unique personalities, distinctions, flaws, and strengths…and all of them should be recognized for them. All are main protagonists of Final Fantasy III in one form or another, and should be viewed as the strong individual characters that they are in that capacity.