Vaan
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- "One of these days I'll fly an airship of my own. I'll be a sky pirate, free to go where I will."
- —Vaan
Vaan is the main protagonist in Final Fantasy XII and its spin off sequel, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.
An orphan street thief hailing from Rabanastre in the Kingdom of Dalmasca, Vaan hates the Archadian Empire for the death of his brother, Reks, and the subjugation of his home, and dreams of one day owning an airship and being a sky pirate to be free to travel the world adventuring. However, when his attempt to steal from the Rabanastre palace goes awry, he becomes entangled in a world-scale conflict between the Archadian and Rozarrian Empires that could decide the fate of Dalmasca.
Vaan does not play a large role in the game's story, instead being a view-point and foil, observing and contrasting the actions of the other characters, playable and non, that influence the events unfolding around them more directly.
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Appearance and Personality
Edit
Added by Werefang- "Hating the Empire, getting revenge. It’s all I ever thought about. But I never did anything about it. I mean, I realized there was nothing I could do. It made me feel hollow, alone. And then I’d miss my brother. I'd say stuff like "I'm gonna be a sky pirate", or some other stupid thing. Just anything to keep my mind off it. I was just—I was running away."
- —Vaan opens up to Ashe
Vaan is a young man of 17, standing at around 5'7". Like many other Dalmascans, he has tanned skin, blond hair (shown in-game as grayish-white), and gray eyes. Due to his homeland's hot climate, he wears a loose cropped open metal vest held together by a pendant over his chest. According to the manga, it once belonged to his brother. His dark pants are held up by a red ribboned sash belt, and are tucked into a pair of steel boots that come up to his knees. Vaan's style is in the fashion of other Dalmascans.
His appearance Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings remains identical, while his Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift appearance adds a large-collared white shirt beneath his cropped vest and several metal accessories on his side. The ornament on Vaan's waist at his Tactics A2 artwork resembles the Galbana airship.
Vaan has been forced to adopt a leadership role, being the eldest of the city's orphans. He is seen as a brother figure to the younger children, particularly Kytes and Filo. He is protective of his childhood friend Penelo, and though he hails from the Lowtown slums, Vaan dreams of becoming a sky pirate to escape the Archadian Empire's hold and roam the skies freely.
Vaan trains in the Garamsythe Waterway slaying Dire Rats, gaining the nickname "Vaan Ratsbane" from Old Dalan. Despite having been forced to grow up early due to the loss of his family, Vaan is still naive; he holds an idealistic view of one day getting back at the Empire, owning an airship of his own, and his inexperience with the world comes across during his interactions with his more worldly companions, especially when he asks Fran's age in the Eruyt Village. Vaan admits to Ashe that his desire to be a sky pirate stems from wanting to flee the memory of his brother, who was killed during the war.
StoryEdit
Early LifeEdit
Added by Hecko XVaan was born in the year 689 Old Valendia, and grew up in Dalmasca's capital, the Royal City of Rabanastre. In 701 - five years prior to the events of Final Fantasy XII - when Vaan was only twelve, both his parents fell victim to the plague.
In wake of his orphaning, Vaan and his elder brother Reks were taken in by his childhood friend, Penelo and her family. Disaster struck again two years later when the war between Rozarria and Archadia bared upon its middle ground, Dalmasca. A small scale raid of Rabanastre claimed the lives of Penelo's parents, leaving Vaan and Penelo with only one family figure left: Reks.
Final Fantasy XIIEdit
- "Dalmasca? What do you care about Dalmasca? Everything that happened is because of you! Everyone that's died, every single one! Even my brother; YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!"
- —Vaan to Basch fon Ronsenburg
Added by KeltainentoukokuuDuring the Imperial occupation, Reks signed up as a Light Infantry soldier and was sent into the Nalbina Fortress during the counter-attack led by the Insurgency. His squadron was led by Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg of the Order of the Knights. Reks was fatally wounded by what appeared to be Basch during the counter-attack, forcing Vaan to take care of him thereafter in his final moments of life.
All Reks could manage to say prior to his death was how Basch had betrayed Dalmasca and murdered King Raminas, which supposedly led to Basch's execution for high treason. Believing his brother to have been murdered by not only Captain Basch, but also at the fault of the Archadian Empire, Vaan began to grow a seething resentment for the Empire, and vowed vengeance for both Rabanastre and his brother.
Following the Battle of Nalbina Fortress and Reks's death, Vaan was forced to live in Lowtown with Penelo and the rest of the children orphaned by the war. He dreamed of becoming a sky pirate in hopes of escaping Dalmasca and the Empire. Alongside Penelo, he spent his days carrying out menial tasks for the sundry shop owner, Migelo, waiting for his chance to kick start his pirating dreams. In the meantime, he frequently pick-pocketed the Archadian troops that had begun to patrol Rabanastre, rationalizing it to Penelo as taking back the wealth of the city that Archadia was stealing.
When Vayne Solidor becomes the consul of Dalmasca, Vaan decides it is time to sneak into the Royal Palace of Rabanastre during the fête and take back things that once belonged to Dalmasca. During his raid, he chances upon the Goddess's Magicite, and runs into two sky pirates, Balthier and Fran, who demand that he hand over the object. Not knowing its true power but guessing it to be valuable, Vaan refuses, and manages to make a run for it when the Resistance attacks the palace. At this time, the Imperial airship Ifrit flies overhead and repels the insurgence.
Added by Drake ClawfangAs he flees, Vaan overhears Vayne speaking to Gabranth and spies on them overseeing the battle. He is caught and brought before Vayne, who mocks his rage and unwillingness to strike him. When he invites Vaan to attack him if he can reach him, Vaan lunges at Vayne but is blocked by Gabranth. Vaan is taken away by the guards, Vayne ordering him executed for attempting to assault an Archadian official. Before attempting to strike Vayne, Vaan tells the two his brother was killed at Nalbina Fortress, but neither Gabranth nor Vaan realize who the other is yet. As Vaan is carried off, the guards are intercepted by Balthier, who throws Vaan over a bridge and follows suit, the two being flown to safety as Fran flies by on a hovercraft. However, the vehicle malfunctions and crashes in the Garamsythe Waterway.
There, Vaan is forced to join up with Balthier and Fran to escape. As they cross the waterway, Vaan learns of Balthier's suspicions concerning Vayne, who surmises the consul deliberately staged the dinner to lure the Resistance out of hiding and trap them using the Imperial fleet. By chance, they encounter a Resistance fighter named Amalia, who is cornered by several Imperial Guards. Sensing her to be in trouble, Vaan runs to her aid, and following the ensuing battle, Amalia joins the party briefly to locate the exit.
Despite Vaan's aid, Amalia expresses harsh disdain at Vaan's thievery from the palace. Upon reaching the Waterway's exit, they are forced into combat with Firemane. After the party's victory, they are then confronted by Vayne and a battalion of Archadian soldiers. Despite Amalia's insistence that her company is innocent, Vaan is thrown into the Nalbina Dungeons with Balthier and Fran.
Added by KeltainentoukokuuImprisoned in the dungeon, Vaan attempts to defend a wounded bangaa from the three abusive seeq dungeon masters, which results in him getting thrown into a caged battle with them. Initially at a disadvantage, Balthier joins the fray and the two emerge victorious. Following their opponents' defeat, Vaan and Balthier hide within the arena when Gabranth appears with an entourage. They use Gabranth's visit as a means of escape by following him into an Oubliette, where they are surprised to find an emaciated and weak Basch fon Ronsenburg imprisoned. Following Gabranth's leave, Basch pleads the party to set him free.
Despite Balthier's indifference, Vaan cannot hold back his anger towards his brother's killer and Dalmasca's traitor, and furiously jumps atop Basch's cage. His yelling attracts the nearby guards, causing Fran to promptly drop the cage as a means of escape down into the Barheim Passage. Basch joins the party whilst they escape through the Passage, though Vaan makes his distaste at this forced arrangement known. In their passage, Basch explains the Empire framed him two years prior by having his twin brother Noah, who was now the Judge Magister Gabranth, impersonate him to assassinate the king and leave Reks as a witness to "Basch's" treachery. Though Balthier believes the knight, Vaan remains unconvinced.
Added by KeltainentoukokuuThe two escape Barheim and return to Rabanastre, where Vaan parts with the others to report his adventure to Old Dalan. Dalan is impressed, and gives Vaan a sword to deliver to a Resistance member, Vossler Azelas. At the Resistance base in Lowtown, Vaan finds Vossler disrespecting the people who were at the Nalbina counter-attack, including Reks.
Angered, he yells out that Reks was no liar, which Basch – who had been recuperating under the watch of the Resistance – agrees with, stating that Reks was the witness Archadia needed to make it appear that he had turned traitor. Needing to find Balthier, Basch asks Vaan to help him. He apologizes to Vaan, but the boy has let go of his hatred, realizing Basch is innocent and his framing was another of Vayne's schemes.
Added by KeltainentoukokuuThey find Balthier in the Sandsea tavern with a worried Migelo demanding that he look for Penelo, who has been kidnapped by a bounty hunter named Ba'Gamnan, who is seeking Balthier and saw him speaking to Penelo before being taken to the Nalbina Dungeons. Vaan pleads with Balthier to fly them to the Skycity of Bhujerba to find Penelo. When Vaan offers the Goddess's Magicite as payment, Balthier agrees to help him find his friend. The four board Balthier's airship, the Strahl, to fly to Bhujerba, with Vaan excited at the sight of finally seeing an airship first-hand and being able to ride in it.
On their way to the Lhusu Mines, the party is approached by a well-spoken young Archadian boy, Lamont, who wishes to accompany them. Allowing this, the party heads into the Mines to locate Penelo, only to learn that she had already been set free and run away. After dealing with Ba'Gamnan, the party are forced to hide as Judge Ghis appears, this time with "Lamont", who is revealed to be Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, a member of the ruling family of Archadia and Vayne's brother. To Vaan's surprise, Penelo stands with them, having been found by guards just outside the mines. Larsa ensures Penelo's safety and asks her to accompany him to Marquis Ondore's mansion.
Vaan's wishes to rescue Penelo coincide with Basch's need to meet with Ondore. Knowing that Ondore has connections with the Resistance, they concoct a plan to catch the Resistance's attention by having Vaan run around the city proclaiming Basch is alive, hoping to discredit the Marquis who declared Basch executed two years ago. When the stirring spread far enough Vaan is approached by the Resistance, who eventually grant him and the rest of the party an audience with Ondore. Ondore wishes to reunite Basch with "Amalia", and deliberately informs Ghis of the party's whereabouts to have them taken aboard the Dreadnought Leviathan, where Amalia is held captive.
Aboard the Leviathan, they find Amalia – who is revealed to be Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca, the rightful heir to the throne of Dalmasca, believed to have committed suicide after her father's murder two years prior. However, as she cannot prove her birthright, she cannot challenge the Empire. Basch tells her that the Dusk Shard will be proof enough - the Goddess's Magicite Vaan stole from the palace. Vaan hands the stone over to Ghis on the condition their lives be spared, and the group is imprisoned. However, Vossler has infiltrated the ship and they escape their captives.
Added by KeltainentoukokuuWhile escaping, Vaan is finally reunited with Penelo, who had come onboard with Larsa. When the group escapes and returns to Bhujerba, Ashe expresses her wish to locate the third stone belonging to the royal family, the Dawn Shard, to prove her royal blood. Vaan accompanies the team to the Tomb of Raithwall, where they are again captured by the Empire after retrieving the Dawn Shard from the tomb.
After Vossler's unexpected betrayal, the party manages to escape imprisonment for the final time, leaving the imperial fleet and Ghis to be destroyed when they attempt to use the stone to power their ship and it overloads their engines. Landing back in Rabanastre, Vaan points out that whilst Ashe may wish to wreak revenge on Archadia using the Dawn Shard, she ultimately has no knowledge of how to use it. Also wishing to see the Empire fall and Dalmasca be restored to its rightful rulers, Vaan accompanies Ashe as the group travel to the Jahara to learn more about the Dawn Shard.
Added by KeltainentoukokuuTheir travel to Jahara seems unfruitful; the garif do not know how to use the stone either, but point them towards Mt. Bur-Omisace to learn more. That night, Vaan reveals to Ashe that he saw Lord Rasler's ghost when they claimed the Dawn Shard from Raithwall's Tomb, though he thinks it looks like his brother. The two of them are the only ones capable of seeing the spirit, and decide to keep the sighting secret between themselves.
Vaan then goes on to explain how he had always run away from his problems, but that he will no longer be doing that. He will try and make a difference instead of just standing aside. Vaan's confession helps Ashe come into conclusion on what she should do. Accompanied again by Larsa, the party heads to Mt. Bur-Omisace, where Gran Kiltias Anastasis tells them of another treasure of King Raithwall - the Sword of Kings, which can destroy nethicite like the Dawn Shard as well as the artificially produced nethicite powering the Empire.
With the Sword of Kings in hand, the party heads to the Draklor Laboratory to seek out the Midlight Shard in possession of Doctor Cid. On Cid's taunts, they follow him to Giruvegan, where Ashe learns of the Occuria's wish for her to use nethicite to destroy the Empire and the rogue Occuria, Venat, who has told them the secrets to create nethicite. To this end, they give Ashe the Treaty Blade, a new nethicite-destroying sword, and direct her to the Pharos at Ridorana to find the Sun-Cryst, a large crystal from which King Raithwall cut the Dawn, Dusk, and Midlight shards long ago.
Accompanied by the mysterious and wise sky pirate Reddas, the group climbs the Pharos and finds the Sun-Cryst. Here, Vaan asks Ashe if she plans to destroy the Sun-Cryst rather than take its power for herself, but Ashe is unsure. She holds up the Treaty Blade and calls forth a mist from the Sun-Cryst, Rasler's spirit appearing to her and Vaan again. This time, everyone present is able to see him. Ashe takes his appearance as a sign that he wants her to use the stone to destroy the Empire.
As Ashe mentally debates what do, Gabranth arrives and announces himself as the true murderer of Reks and King Raminas, and goads Ashe to strike him down with the Sun-Cryst's power. Gabranth attempts to attack Vaan but is stopped by Reddas, who reveals himself to be Judge Zecht, who used the Midlight Shard to destroy Nabudis two years ago. Reddas urges Ashe to set aside her desire for revenge while Gabranth continues to taunt her. Ashe turns to Vaan, and after a moment's thought, declares she believes Rasler would not desire revenge - Ashe strikes the spirit, revealing it to be an illusion of the Occuria used to sway her decisions.
Added by KeltainentoukokuuAshe resolves to destroy the Sun-Cryst, and when Gabranth questions her, Vaan tells him revenge is meaningless and cannot bring back those that are dead. The group battles Gabranth before Cid returns and Venat merges the three shards back into the Sun-Cryst, spilling a large mist over Ivalice. Cid is defeated and the Sun-Cryst's mist intensifies. Vaan wields the Treaty Blade as Ashe wields the Sword of Kings, and the two attempt to destroy the Sun-Cryst but cannot get close enough with the mist erupting from it. Reddas takes the Sword of Kings from Ashe and sacrifices himself to destroy the stone, the party escaping as the Sun-Cryst explodes.
Added by TheMoonclawWith the mist of the Sun-Cryst awash over Ivalice, the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Sky Fortress Bahamut, powers up with enough mist in the sky to keep it aloft. The Resistance and Archadian fleets meet in battle over Rabanastre, and the party flies the Strahl in to dock on the Bahamut and confront Vayne. Ondore, leading the Resistance fleet, attempts to stop the Strahl's passage due to the peril of their mission, but Vaan imitates Larsa's voice across the intercom to trick the Marquis to letting them go. They successfully board the Bahamut, where Vaan ensures Dalmasca's fate to a doubtful Ashe, stating that she can reign properly since she has good friends.
After defeating Vayne and the transformed Vayne Novus, Vaan charges forward and mortally wounds him with Gabranth's fallen sword, forcing Vayne out onto the Bahamut's deck. Venat and Vayne merge, the Bahamut's rubble gathering around Vayne to form The Undying. With Vayne's death, the Bahamut begins to fall on Rabanastre, and Balthier and Fran remain behind to reactive its power and fly it away from the city. Balthier entrusts the Strahl to Vaan, who pilots the airship to escape with the party in his stead.
Added by TheMoonclawOne year after Vayne's defeat, Vaan has looked after the Strahl, as Balthier and Fran have remained unseen and unheard of since the Bahamut's fall, their fates uncertain. One day, Vaan and Penelo enter the hangar to find the ship gone, in its place a message from Balthier: he is searching for the Cache of Glabados at the Bervenia Palace, and wishes Vaan to meet him in Bervenia to join in on the spoils. With this message, Balthier leaves him Ashe's engagement ring, given to him by Ashe as payment for his services until he found something of greater value. Penelo passes the ring along to Ashe with the letter, and she and Vaan fly out to meet Balthier.
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant WingsEdit
- "A young sky pirate whose journey throughout Ivalice have taught him so much. At last the captain of his own airship, Vaan travels the skies in search of adventure"
- —FFXII: Revenant Wings instruction booklet
After getting Balthier's message, Vaan and Penelo go the Glabados Ruins to meet up with Balthier and Fran, who have found a treasure. Inside, they find two shards of auracite, one of which Balthier gives to Vaan as an introduction to sky pirating. However, the ruins start to collapse, and even though they escape on the Strahl, Vaan's ship is destroyed.
Added by Bogota XBack in Dalmasca, Penelo is a bit glad the ship was destroyed, since it means Vaan will finally stop running around. However, the arrival of the derelict outside of Dalmasca prompts Vaan to sneak onboard with Kytes and Filo. Inside, they are attacked by Ba'Gamnan and his family, but the party uses the auracite to summon some Espers to fight them off.
After tying up Ba'Gamnan, Penelo and Tomaj come onboard, so Penelo can yell at Vaan. However, the ship reacts to Vaan's auracite and lifts off, taking them all to the sky continent of Lemurés. Seeing a chance for a new adventure, Vaan claims the ship to be his until they can take it to its original owner. Kytes and Filo are very glad to join his crew, and Penelo joins up slightly later, albeit reluctantly.
Soon, in the party's first mission in Lemurés, they meet Llyud, an aegyl, who joins their party after him and his companion are saved by Vaan and the others. Their party later grows to also include Balthier, Fran, Ashe, Basch, and even Ba'Gamnan, temporarily. Vaan goes along with his fellow teammates undoing the wrongs of other sky pirates, intent on stopping Mydia and freeing the aegyl. Despite this, the aegyl still despises Vaan and his group.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the RiftEdit
- "Final Fantasy XII's leading man. Tempered by his many adventures, Vaan has matured in the intervening years, but he remains spirited and carefree - some might say careless. Now famous sky pirates, he and his partner, Penelo, even find themselves plagued by impostors."
- —Description
Vaan returns as a playable character in Final Fantasy Tactics A2. First encountered at the Moorabella Aerodrome, Vaan runs into the game's protagonist, Luso Clemens, discovering an airship hijacker. Vaan aids Luso in attacking the hijackers, though Luso is disgruntled, assuming that Vaan is attempting to take credit for his efforts.
After the battle, Penelo arrives, explaining that Vaan was supposed to meet her at a different airship dock in the Aerodrome. While leaving, he alludes to a treasure in the Tramdine Fens - Penelo explains that this "hint" is Vaan's way of apology for the mishap.
Luso and Clan Gully later discover that Vaan and Penelo have been framed for a failed assassination attempt against Jylland's Baron Beltorey. They track down the sky pirates, who explain that Illua and Khamja were behind the botched attack. Vaan and Penelo had been attempting to save the Baron, but were spotted while exiting the Baron's manse, and were assumed to be the attackers.
Later, Luso accepts a quest posted against Vaan, itching at the chance to face his "rival". However, it turns out that the perpetrators were no more than impostors. The real Vaan and Penelo arrive in time to apprehend the impersonators, leaving Luso somewhat disappointed.
Vaan joins Clan Gully after Al-Cid Margrace, at the Fluorgis Aerodrome, gives Luso and Adelle a letter to give to the sky pirate, instructing Vaan to seek Clan Gully in order to learn more about Khamja. Immediately after Al-Cid's departure, Penelo arrives at the Aerodrome, requesting the Clan's aid in locating Vaan. After the Clan saves Vaan from some thugs in the ruins north of Fluorgis town, he explains that both he and Penelo have also been working against Khamja all along, and decides to join the Clan.
In BattleEdit
Final Fantasy XIIEdit
Added by Drake ClawfangVaan has the best overall stats in the game. At Level 99 he has the highest strength tied with Basch, the third highest Magick Power, the highest Vitality, and the second highest Speed. His HP and MP are high as well. Vaan begins with the Licenses "Smallswords", "Leather Armor 1", and "Steal", and is equipped with a Mythril Sword, Leather Cap, and Leather Clothing.
Vaan starts at level 1 with no LP. His current level and LP later determine Penelo's, Balthier's and Fran's level and LP when they join him.
Vaan's Quickenings are Red Spiral, White Whorl, and Pyroclasm. Due to the nature of the in-game menu, Vaan's Quickening button is always 
.
| Level | HP | MP | Strength | Magic | Vitality | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 82 - 84 | 25 - 27 | 23 | 20 | 24 | 24 |
| 10 | 282 - 316 | 40 - 51 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 25 |
| 20 | 645 - 742 | 62 - 89 | 33 | 28 | 31 | 26 |
| 30 | 1,111 - 1,293 | 84 - 127 | 39 | 33 | 35 | 28 |
| 40 | 1,552 - 1,814 | 111 - 176 | 44 | 37 | 39 | 29 |
| 50 | 2,257 - 2,650 | 134 - 217 | 50 | 42 | 42 | 31 |
| 60 | 2,878 - 3,387 | 156 - 255 | 55 | 46 | 46 | 32 |
| 70 | 3,230 - 3,802 | 172 - 282 | 61 | 51 | 50 | 33 |
| 80 | 3,637 - 4,281 | 188 - 309 | 66 | 55 | 54 | 35 |
| 90 | 4,192 - 4,938 | 199 - 325 | 72 | 60 | 57 | 36 |
| 99 | 4,818 - 6,203 | 204 - 330 | 82 | 69 | 61 | 37 |
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant WingsEdit
- List of Vaan's Weapons.
- List of Vaan's Armor.
- List of Vaan's Accessories.
In battle, Vaan uses one-handed swords and attacks like a traditional Warrior. However, his skills are comprised mostly of Thief abilities that steal attributes from enemies to enhance his own. His Quickening, Pyroclasm, does heavy damage to enemies within a certain range. It can be obtained by defeating Belias in a storyline battle.
AbilitiesEdit
| Ability | Level | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual Attack | 3 | Deal damage to one foe with two successive hits. | 
|
| Sprint | 7 | Increase movement speed. | 
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| Steal Speed | 12 | Transfer Speed from one foe to the user. | 
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| Steal Endurance | 18 | Transfer Stamina from one foe to the user. | 
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| Steal Power | 25 | Transfer Strength from one foe to the user. | 
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| Timeslip | 33 | Inflict Stop on one foe. | 
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| Dervish | 42 | Drastically increase user's Attack Speed. | 
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| Pyroclasm | - | 
|
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the RiftEdit
Vaan's unique Job is Sky Pirate, enabling him to raise his speed and dodge-related statistics and allowing him to ignore enemy defenses and look for treasure during battle. He is one of the most agile characters in the game, losing only to Adelle in terms of speed and agility.
Creation and DevelopmentEdit
Added by BluetashVaan's early name was "Aqua" (アクア, as seen in Yoshida's concept art) and intended to be an Iyashi kei character (癒し系, "therapeutic type", a kind of Japanese stock character).
Vaan is known for going over several personality changes over the course of development, originally written as a rugged and world worn character until the developers reconsidered the target demographic and Vaan was rewritten to be more effeminate. After Kohei Takeda was cast as his voice, the developers once again rewrote Vaan to match the energetic personality his voice lent to the character. The executive producer of Final Fantasy XII, Akitoshi Kawazu, has said in an interview [1] that character design is one of the areas the developers mull over extensively, and is one of the most difficult things to develop and decide on.
When commenting on Vaan, Kawazu said Vaan in particular is a little bit younger than the series is used to, and there are a lot of people on the development team who aren't necessarily feeling he is the right character to be the main, because it clashes with the other characters and game environments. However, he also commented it's traditional for the Japanese RPGs to start out with a young, inexperienced character, who grows throughout the story, and that having the lead be a younger immature character who is undeveloped is somewhat expected. He also said that doesn't necessarily mean the producers and designers always like that, but that certain concessions must be made to cater for what the market wants. Vaan's status as main character was a decision made to appeal to the game's intended demographic, causing focus to shift from a more masculine written role to a younger and more energetic one.
During development of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, battle director Takeo Kujiraoka consulted Hiroyuki Itō, the designer of the License Board in Final Fantasy XII and director of the International Zodiac Job System remake of the game, for his thoughts on Vaan's fighting style. Due to Itō working in a different department and being occupied with another project, they were unable to speak directly, so Kujiraoka sent him an email with a demo file of Vaan asking for Itō's opinion. Itō replied he thought Vaan was a great character and that Kujiraoka had chosen his favorite victory pose of Vaan's to use in the game. Itō received a "Special Thanks" credit for the game due to his feedback.
Musical ThemesEdit
In Final Fantasy XII, Vaan is associated with the song "The Dream to be a Sky Pirate" (空賊への夢, Kūzoku e no Yume?), which plays when Vaan speaks of his dream to become a sky pirate, the theme is mixed with the Salikawood's theme. In Revenant Wings Vaan's theme is a remix of the Mosphoran Highwaste theme. In Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Vaan and Penelo's appearances are accompanied by the song "The Sky Pirate From the East", a remix of Penelo's original theme from Final Fantasy XII.
VoiceEdit
| Bobby Edner as Vaan | |
| "One of these days, I'll fly an airship of my own. I'll be a sky pirate, free to go where I will."
| |
|  |
| Trouble with the audio sample? | |
In the English release of Final Fantasy XII, Vaan is voiced by Bobby Edner. He is voiced by Kouhei Takeda in the Japanese release. Edner reprises his role for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.[2]
Other AppearancesEdit
Dissidia 012 Final FantasyEdit
- Main article: Vaan/Dissidia
Vaan appears in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as a hero representing Final Fantasy XII. He is a fairly new addition to the cycles of war, and offers naive but heartfelt comments on the events around them, putting him at odds with Lightning. Vaan finds Terra in his travels and is forced to fight her to defend himself when she attacks him. He later sees her being tortured by Kefka, and helps her escape when he realizes she isn't fighting for Chaos willingly.
Explaining he doesn't care about her allegiance and just wanted to help, Vaan asks Terra to hide until he can take her to Cosmos and have her turn Terra into one of her warriors. Along with the other five new characters, Vaan later travels to the Lands of Discord and sacrifices his life to seal the portal to The Void that the manikins are emerging from.
Vaan's first alternate outfit is based on his Yoshitaka Amano concept art, giving him a dark gray and black version of his base outfit. His second alternate outfit is his Tactics attire, a light blue shirt under his vest with different pants. As a bonus fourth outfit available for download, Vaan wears an original design by Final Fantasy XII character designer Akihiko Yoshida, dressing as a traditional sea pirate with a pirate hat and blue and white boots and a coat.
Theatrhythm Final FantasyEdit
Vaan is a playable character in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.
| Cloud: I couldn't finish 'em. Looks like this's gonna get complicated. |
| The following tables are incomplete for one or more reasons. If you wish, please examine the table and add anything missing. Remove this notice upon completion. |
StatsEdit
| Level | HP | CP | Strength | Magic | Agility | Luck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 228 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 21 |
| 10 | 907 | 13 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 48 |
| 20 | 1663 | 19 | 52 | 47 | 52 | 79 |
| 80 | 5647 | 50 | 159 | 141 | 158 | 238 |
| 90 | 5856 | 50 | 164 | 146 | 163 | 247 |
| 99 | 6043 | 50 | 170 | 151 | 169 | 255 |
AbilitiesEdit
| Ability | Level | CP | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirage (Lv1) | 5 | 3 | Reactive (Probability) | Activates if Bad or worst; 25% chance of avoiding damage. |
| Mirage (Lv2) | 50 | 5 | Reactive (Probability) | Activates if Bad or worst; 50% chance of avoiding damage. |
| Mirage (Lv3) | 75 | 7 | Reactive (Probability) | Activates if Bad or worst; 80% chance of avoiding damage. |
| Steal (Lv1) | 20 | 16 | Reactive (Probability) | 10% chance of stealing an item from downed enemy (only works 1 time per BMS) |
| Steal (Lv2) | 70 | 20 | Reactive (Probability) | 20% chance of stealing an item from downed enemy (only works 1 time per BMS) |
| Steal (Lv3) | 85 | 24 | Reactive (Probability) | 30% chance of stealing an item from downed enemy (only works 1 time per BMS) |
| Mimic | 65 | 8 | Reactive (Special) | Activates after getting Good or better on 125 Triggers, and copies the effects of the last abilities. |
| Spare Change | 10 | 10 | Reactive (Special) | Used in BMS, on the second enemy, causing damage in proportion to current score, reducing it after use. |
| Pyroclasm | 40 | 18 | Reactive (Limit Break) | Used on BMS, on every boss, causing damage in proportion to its STR, MAG and LV |
| Earth Blues (Lv1) | 1 | 5 | Proactive (Augment) | Agility+20. During BMS, Luck+40. |
| Fortune's Refrain (Lv1) | 1 | 7 | Proactive (Song) | All members receive Luck+10 for the entire stage. |
| Agility Up (Lv2) | 30 | 8 | Proactive (Augment) | Agility+70, Strenght-30 |
| Agility Up (Lv3) | 55 | 14 | Proactive (Augment) | Agility+100, Strenght-40 |
| Treasure Hunter (Lv1) | 35 | 12 | Proactive (Special) | Low increase in chance of rare item |
| Treasure Hunter (Lv2) | 60 | 16 | Proactive (Special) | Medium increase in chance of rare item |
| Treasure Hunter (Lv3) | 80 | 20 | Proactive (Special) | High increase in chance of rare item |
| Luck Up (Lv1) | 15 | 5 | Proactive (Augment) | Luck+50, HP-500 |
| Luck Up (Lv2) | 25 | 10 | Proactive (Augment) | Luck+80, HP-1000 |
| Luck Up (Lv3) | 45 | 15 | Proactive (Augment) | Luck+110, HP-1500 |
Final Fantasy Airborne BrigadeEdit
- "Lives in Lowtown and dreams of being a sky pirate. A lighthearted young man whom the orphaned street urchins view as their leader."
- —Character Description
Vaan appears as an ally and a summonable Legend in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade. He is depicted in his default Final Fantasy XII outfit. His ability is Inferno. He is first introduced as an event ally in the event, Final Fantasy Special Event Part 2 - Showdown, in which he was unlocked by clearing the Ridorana Cataract stage. Leveling him up to 99 in these events granted the player his individualized SSR weapon, Treaty-Blade. In battle, Vaan is armed with his sword and uses the ability Inferno.
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Vaan's icon.
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Vaan I (SR) summon stone.
 | This section of the article about Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade is a stub. You can help Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it. |
Final Fantasy All the BravestEdit
- "This youth from the Lowtown slums longs for unbound freedom in the skies."
- —Description
Vaan is an exclusive character only available from the Premium Character Shop as a random downloadable content, he uses the White Whorl ability during battle.
Final Fantasy Trading Card GameEdit
Vaan appears in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game with numerous cards. Most of his cards are wind-elemental, but his Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy pirate costume card is of the water element.
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Trading card.
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Trading card.
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Trading card.
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Trading card.
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Trading Card.
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Trading card.
Non-Final Fantasy AppearancesEdit
Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street SpecialEdit
Vaan is one of the two Final Fantasy XII characters to appear, alongside Ashe.
Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street PortableEdit
Vaan appears along with the other five main characters of Final Fantasy XII in Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable. The game was released prior to Final Fantasy XII.
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Vaan in Itadaki Street Special.
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Vaan's portrait.
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Vaan in Itadaki Street Portable.
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Vaan and Fran artwork.
MerchandiseEdit
Being the main character of Final Fantasy XII, Vaan has featured in few pieces of merchandise, such as in the Final Fantasy Play Arts Action Figures and Final Fantasy Trading Arts Mini.
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Vaan's necklace.
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Play Arts Figure.
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Trading Arts Mini Figure.
GalleryEdit
| Final Fantasy XII | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Final Fantasy XII character model.
 Promotional artwork.
 Promotional artwork of Vaan with Penelo and Basch.
 Promotional artwork by Yoshitaka Amano.
 Vaan battling a Fell Wyrm by Yoshitaka Amano.
 Penelo with Vaan - Artwork by Isamu Kamikokuryo.
 Penelo with Vaan at the parade.
 Vaan angry at Basch.
 Vaan, bored during Vayne's speech.
 Vaan and Penelo.
 Vaan and Ashe.
 Vaan on the cover of the manga adaptation Volume 2.
 Vaan in Final Fantasy XIII.
 Vaan in the 25th Anniversary Poster of Final Fantasy.
 Vaan at the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea.
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| Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings | ||||||
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 Sprite - Revenant Wings.
 Portrait sprite - Revenant Wings.
 Render - Revenant Wings.
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| Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift | ||||
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 Sprite - Tactics A2.
 Portrait sprite - Tactics A2.
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| Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy | ||||||
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 Vaan's appearance as drawn by Yoshitaka Amano render from Dissidia 012.
 Vaan's Final Fantasy Tactics A2 appearance render from Dissidia 012.
 Vaan's "Pirate" costume designed by Akihiko Yoshida.
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EtymologyEdit
Vaan is a variation of the Hebrew name Van meaning "God is Gracious".
TriviaEdit
- Vaan's sprite is unlocked in Final Fantasy XII's Sky Pirate's Den after successfully stealing 50 times, earning the player the title, Master Thief.
- Vaan was originally considered to fill the Final Fantasy XII spot in Dissidia Final Fantasy, but was rejected in favor of Gabranth. When Penelo appears in the Battle Tips, she complains of Vaan's rejection.
- Vaan was used in the production of Final Fantasy XIII to stand in for characters who had not been finished yet.
- Both Vaan's Japanese and English voice actors had confirmed that they returned for a new Final Fantasy game, but they did not give any more information on what game it was. It was later revealed that the game they were speaking of was Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. However, due to problems with his agency, Kouhei Takeda was not able to reprise his role in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. As a result, in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Vaan is voiced by Kensho Ono, who is known for his work re-dubbing Harry Potter's voice in Japanese media.
- Vaan's Japanese voice acting is the center of mondegreen parodied by its fans. The most notorious one is the oiyoiyo (オイヨイヨ), which is misheard from the line tobioriro 飛び降りろ, "jump down") when he first encounters Ashe in the sewer.
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