FINAL FANTASY IV:
Cecil Harvey:OK, so Cecil doesn't really count, on account that his hair is invisible. Like, he wears a helmet constantly, so----Wait, there's more game? And he changes class? Oh, OK. Well, what does the cool anti-paladin change class to? ....oh. Well, that's OK, they're both cool concepts, I guess. Anyhow, what does his hair look like?
...k. So, I'm gonna be honest here, I never really got the appeal of the albino superman thing that Japan seems obsessed with, but on the other hand, good on them for reading Moorecock in addition to Tolkien. Take a goddamn lesson American Fantasy writers. In his portrait and Dissidia art, as well as his official art (not shown), Cecil has sort of longish, white-as-the-driven snow hair, which is oddly the stock choice for both Dark Knights AND Paladins, so hey, I guess they couldn't really miss. He has long flowing locks, like a girl, and as someone who used to have hair down to his ass, I can tell you that it doesn't grow that way.
He gets a single bonus point above the "Meh" line for his in field and battle sprites, where he is rocking some WICKED Helmet Hair, and honestly, for a guy that was in his helmet all day every day, including to sleep, for like, ten years or so, that makes sense.
6/10
Kain Highwind:
Ok, now THIS guy. HE never takes off his helmet, so...
.....really? ...like
right at the end? Like Metroid? Well, I mean, surely he's got something wrong with him, and it's a phantom of the opera reveal, yeah? I mean, he's the other guy, the unloved one. What's he look like?
Oh, a leonine god. .... Come on, Kain, you had to fixate on the most boring woman on your planet? I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have trouble getting laid if you just broadened your horizons.
You know, Kain is REALLY dark in his original artwork. This hair just feels incongruous, and it honestly felt incongruous as a little kid, too. NONETHELESS, I'm rating him on his hair, not my expectations of his hair, and damn it, it's not bad. And, unlike Cecil's hair, this actually looks like it grew out of a human head.
8/10
Rydia of Myst
OH MY GOODNESS. Look at those mats young lady! HONESTLY. Where is your moth----oh, right.
So, aside from the official Amano Art (And her original SNES "In Battle" sprite which looks kind of like an octopus), and, let's face it, Amano's gonna Mano:
Rydia consistently has good hair. In a variety of art styles. It translates between platforms, games, young and adult Rydia. It's cute, has a realistic level of human bounce, and she even takes the time to accessorize. As far as JRPG characters, Rydia wins the hair category. Yes, I realize right now that my sample size is "3".
10/10 you go, girl.
