10 Best Hairstyles in the Final Fantasy Series

Final Fantasy and fashion have a lot in common, as the heroes and villains of the franchise are often exceptionally well-dressed. Most Final Fantasy characters come dressed to kill, but if you're planning on looking good, having a good hairstyle is a great place to start. It just goes hand-in-hand, after all.

Through sixteen mainline games, sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and remakes, the characters of Final Fantasy haven't shown any sign of having a bad hair day yet. Lucky for them, as I don't think any of us can say the same.

Having great hair can go a long way in making a character more memorable, too. Back in the early days of both 2D and 3D game development, when pixel and poly counts had to be kept down, having a strong silhouette was important in making sure characters stood out. These days, having great hair is almost a bonus, but these Final Fantasy characters are among the best of the best.

10 Seymour Guado

A Bit Rich, but Okay

Villains in any medium tend to have all the fun. They've usually got the coolest weapons, the best outfits, and the most interesting dialogue. That's certainly true of Seymour Guado, one of the main antagonists of Final Fantasy 10.

Since Sin's rather unorthodox form meant good hair wasn't an option, Seymour had to pick up the slack. And pick it up he did, as his flashy hair and unique flow stood out from every other character in the game.

No other character in Final Fantasy 10, save for maybe Kimari, had hair as cool as Seymour. It really looks fabulous from every single angle, and when you look at the character concept art by Tetsuya Nomura, you can really see how well they adapted his design into 3D.

9 Kefka Palazzo

He's Out of Line, but He's Got a Point

Kefka is an out-of-control monster during the events of Final Fantasy 6, as his nihilistic quest to destroy hope and human free will is the stuff of nightmares. At the very least, however, you have to admit his hair is absolutely spot-on. I hate this hideous clown as much as you do, but you have to give him his due.

His long, flowing blonde locks are simply divine, tied up into a high, tight ponytail. Not only that, Kefka has a pretty keen eye for how to accessorize and make his hair stand out even more, as he accentuates it with a feathered collar.

When Kefka turns into a grotesque beast during his final form, the most amusing part is how his hair never fades. Even at the end, Kefka understood the assignment and didn't let his hair go.

8 Cecil Harvey

A Luxurious Mane

It was a bit hard to tell during the 2D era of Final Fantasy, but Cecil Harvey had some seriously incredible hair. Thanks to the 3D remake of Final Fantasy 4, and its disappointing sequel, The After Years, the full extent of Cecil's gorgeous hair was never clearer.

After the former Dark Knight atoned for his sins and became a Paladin, all the darkness and violence that surrounded him began to fade. In subsequent appearances, Cecil's crystal white hair has continued to look more and more amazing each time.

In his appearances in various fighting games, like Dissidia, and the high-quality cutscenes of the FF4 remake, Cecil has shown just how much he cares about his hair. The former Dark Knight turned Paladin is one of Final Fantasy's most overlooked heroes, and his recognizable flow has helped maintain his presence for years.

7 Ultimecia

Devil in the Details

The powerful, time-traveling Sorceress Ultimecia torments the party of Final Fantasy 8 over the course of four discs and roughly fifty hours of gameplay. During that time, Ultimecia was always keen to understand the number one rule about villains, which is looking good while you act out your evil plan.

Ultimecia's long, silver mane comes all the way down to her waist and is absolutely divine. What really sells it, however, is the fact that it's tied up behind her in the shape of horns thanks to her headpiece.

Her iconic look is still so fabulous today. It's the theatrical nature of both her character and scheme that her outrageously wonderful hair accentuates, as Ultimecia's devilish locks are simply breathtaking.

6 Zack Fair

First Class Soldier, First Class Hair

Even in the early days of 3D, with the low-poly models that Final Fantasy 7 had to use, you could tell that Zack Fair was something special. One of the reasons for that was his long, slicked-back mane of black hair.

He looked like a rock star with a sword taking the place of a guitar, and the limitations of the PS1 hardware almost didn't matter. Great hair shines through no matter what, even with this low number of polys.

Zack's hair is a perfect reflection of his personality, as well. It's big, bold, and brash. Every bit of Zack's loud, endearing personality feels like it stems from his spectacular hair.

5 Shiva

The Ice Queen

Shiva has appeared in nearly every single Final Fantasy game as a summon ability. Dating all the way back to Final Fantasy 3 in 1990, Shiva is one of the most common recurring elements in the series, alongside Chocobos and a man named Cid.

Along the way, each iteration of Shiva has had some of the most outstanding hairstyles in the history of the franchise. The level of fine detail and intricacy within each version of Shiva is something to behold, honestly.

That being said, I think her hair in Final Fantasy 10 is still the best. The way it wraps around her head with the gold trim and its flowing nature is breathtaking. It almost looks and feels alive in her summon animations.

4 Sazh Katzroy

The Old Man's Still Got It

Sazh is the wisecracking best friend of Lightning in Final Fantasy 13, as the two meet during the game's phenomenal opening sequence. He's one of the game's most endearing and lovable party members, coming equipped with his own brazen sense of style and a marvelous do to go along with it.

This charming, stylish rogue has one of the coolest hairstyles in the entire franchise. It always looks amazing, never gets messed up too badly, and gives him such a unique look compared to everyone else in the game.

Not only that, Sazh has a distinct honor attached to his hair, as an adorable little critter known as Chocobo Chick lives in his hair. It's such a lovely little detail, and seeing her pop out every so often is just too cute.

3 Lightning

Lightning in a Bottle

There's always been a lot of comparisons between Lightning, the stoic protagonist of Final Fantasy 13, and Cloud Strife. To be honest, a lot of those comparisons aren't entirely unfair, but usually rely on rather basic reads of both characters.

One area where the two are similar, however, is their choices of hairstyles. Lightning's hair is simply gorgeous both in design and in motion, as Square was making use of some cutting-edge technology to create smooth, silky animation for hair and cloth simulations.

In many of the game's high-quality CG cutscenes, Lightning's hair is absolutely beautiful. The subtle, gradual shades that shift between pink and white hues look so incredible in action.

2 Cloud Strife

Cool Sword, Even Cooler Hair

If any Final Fantasy character made an impression on the franchise for multiple reasons, it's Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7. The franchise's transition from traditional high fantasy to more anime and science fiction was never clearer than with Cloud himself, who looked and felt like an anime character brought to life in 3D.

The asymmetrical shape has become iconic over the years. Even back in the day on the PS1, the design was so good that it read brilliantly with a lower poly count. It's the mark of a great design in that you can recognize and understand it with a limited number of pixels to work with.

In the years since FF7 first came out, Cloud's hair has become one of his defining features. The simple image of Cloud with the Buster Sword and his trademark spiky tuft of hair is one that has become synonymous with Final Fantasy.

1 Sephiroth

Stupid Sexy Sephiroth!

The most fascinating part of Sephiroth to me has always been the way characters in Final Fantasy 7 describe him, despite his disdain for humanity and desire to rule them. Words that often come up are alluring or beautiful, which is an odd concept considering his devastating plans for the world.

Part of that allure most certainly comes from his hair, which almost feels unnatural. The long, flowing threads of silver are just astonishing to look at, especially in later games where more detail can be accumulated. A lot of Final Fantasy characters have amazing hair, but very few of them have hair that is tied to the root of their character as elegantly as Sephiroth.

Sephiroth's hair looks beautiful, but it's also a part of his character in a very direct way. It's part of his entire being, as it builds his persona and myth in the world. Not many Final Fantasy characters can say that.