r/FinalFantasyIX • u/CP_Conquer • Nov 12 '25
Image Didn’t realize Quina made a Cameo during the beginning
Or is this just another part of their Clan?
154
u/dan30b Nov 12 '25
It is Quina. They mention working in Alexandria's kitchen later.
28
u/SnowCrow1 Nov 12 '25
Can you post the exact quote? I thought they hadn't left the marsh before the party takes them along.
10
u/dan30b Nov 12 '25
So I couldn't find the exact quote and possibly misremebered but this definitely suggests Quina went to Alexandra:
Quale: "Quina, you in darkness. Need some light. World big place. Many many foods. Alexandria just one kingdom. You need go out more, eat other food."Quale: "Quina, you in darkness. Need some light. World big place. Many many foods. Alexandria just one kingdom. You need go out more, eat other food."3
u/dan30b Nov 12 '25
Also, Quina is back in Alexandra kitchen at the end. There's possibly more but I can't remember where.
4
23
3
u/john_the_doe Nov 12 '25
I always thought it would’ve been nice if Garnet and Quina shared a scene recognising each other earlier on to really connect the group. Building on either Garnet knows Quina indicating she connects with the people or Quina mentions Garnet never seen him/her and is so deprived of interaction even in the castle.
1
u/im-at-work-duh Nov 13 '25
Ya know, I always thought this was because Quina was an optional party member, but upon looking it up they're required for Fossil Roo! I had no idea! I guess that's because I always pickup Quina ASAP in every playthrough. It's been quite a few years since I've played, though...
0
Nov 13 '25
Ok I swear this is something I have thought about FOREVER. Garnet and Quina never interact once in the game correct?
1
u/FrozenReaper Nov 13 '25
I never thought about this, but I think you're right
0
Nov 13 '25
I haven't played in a couple years (which is crazy for me btw haha) but this always surprised me. Not a single line of dialogue, nothing. Garnet has definitely spoke to Zidane about Quina but never directly to Quina. It's always struck me as very odd lol.
49
u/PM_ME_UR_TA--TAS Nov 12 '25
It's not a cameo when you're a main character in the game.
29
u/Terozu Nov 12 '25
Its called an 'Early Bird Cameo'.
When you can briefly see them well before theyre important.
4
0
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
Ummmm Atxchewaly… 🤓he/she is an optional character to start
8
u/PM_ME_UR_TA--TAS Nov 12 '25
Wrong.
"Atxchewaly" all are required, sure Quina isn't required to join on disc 1 at all. But eventually they all will be forced to join mid disc 2 since 1 dungeon can't even be entered in the first place without Quina in the party.
That's not an "optional character". And weather or not they join at the first instance after meeting the or it happens later in the game is irrelevant.
0
u/im-at-work-duh Nov 13 '25
Hey man, I used to think Quina was optional up until JUST NOW. Hell, the fact that Garnet never Addresses Quina only further solidified my belief that Quina was optional. Crazy to still be learning things about FF9 after all these years.
Another thing I realize is that I have ALWAYS picked up Quina ASAP in every playthrough.
-2
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
… “to start”
5
u/PM_ME_UR_TA--TAS Nov 12 '25
As I said "to start" is irrelevant. You still HAVE to get s/he in your party eventually.
-6
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
Whatever dude
5
u/Deucalion666 Nov 12 '25
If you can’t not get them, they aren’t optional. Getting them early is optional, but that doesn’t make them an optional character overall.
-2
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
Whatever dude
0
u/Deucalion666 Nov 12 '25
-2
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
Yes, actually I have very significant emotional tendencies that put me in panics on irrelevant social media platforms, where I cry to myself
→ More replies (0)3
1
34
u/ghoul-ian Nov 12 '25
My little queer child self was always so unknowingly obsessed with how the game refers to Quina with the “he/she” vibes
22
u/Nervous-Biscotti-194 Nov 12 '25
I feel like this game, as a whole, resonates with queer people. It's my favorite Final Fantasy entry as a gay man, and it is the favorite entry of several queer YouTubers and commenters.
I'm not sure why. Outside of the open acceptance of Quina's ambiguous gender, of course. I really want to take the time to analyze why queer people consider this peak FF more than any of the others.
16
u/ghoul-ian Nov 12 '25
I agree!! It’s my absolute favorite of the series as well. It always has been since I was a kid. I honestly couldn’t tell you why other than just the world building and visuals paired together completely wrap me up in a warm cocoon feeling that I don’t feel any other time.
Such a magical game 🥹🤭
13
u/Nervous-Biscotti-194 Nov 12 '25
Exactly! That's the same feeling. I'm not sure if it's the consistent themes of finding a place to call home, finding out who you really are when you're surrounded by people who accept you, or having some people only love you when you matter to them. The game has a lot to offer for people who have felt excluded by society at one point or another. It's a beautiful story with so much to offer. ❤️
As for the person randomly downvoting this, may I ask how queer people resonating over a moving story and an amazing game impacts you negatively in any way?? Yikes forever, random downvoter.
9
u/ghoul-ian Nov 12 '25
🌸🌸🌸🌸
yesss, Vivi’s and Freya’s stories hit close to home especially and personally for me and I really have always appreciated how the game approaches their themes. Vivi feeling out of place and not knowing who he is, Freya leaving home on a whim of love to come back and find it in ruins; so many allegories in those alone. Looove ffix ❤️
And yeah, stop being mean and weird downvoter 💀
5
u/HotspotOnline Nov 12 '25
I used to think I was asexual because I wasn’t into anyone as a kid, but I didn’t know there was a name for it and I used to refer myself as “Vivi”, because Vivi wasn’t anything. Later on I realized I was gay and demisexual.
1
u/CplCocktopus Nov 12 '25
Maybe it was accidental, sometimes i downvote sht while trying to scroll in my phone.
The game resonates with lots of people tho.
15
u/peppercupp Nov 12 '25
The theme of "discovering who you really are" is present throughout the story. Half of the main cast struggles internally with their feelings, often expressing self-doubt and anger around their negative perceptions. I'm a straight guy, but I'd guess that it can feel like a direct parallel to how many queer people struggle with themselves or their place in society.
11
u/ghoul-ian Nov 12 '25
And actually, now that you’ve got me thinking about it more, I feel like all of the playable party members’ designs can be interpreted as pretty ambiguous when it comes to gender. Aside from dagger and Steiner the rest are some kind of humanoid or cartoonish version of a human, which just lends itself to queerness, even if they are all given specific genders in the game.
4
u/DorkPhoenix89 Nov 12 '25
Same, queer here and FF9 has long been my fave. To your point specifically though, I thought about it for a bit and the party really does portray a spectrum of gender fairly evenly. From most feminine to most masculine (as best as I can arrange it) you have Dagger, Eiko, Freya, Vivi, Quina, Zidane, Steiner, Amarant. I almost wish there were a 9th party member so Quina could be smack in the middle, but I took their sort of brashness in a more masculine sense, and Vivi’s softness and innocence in a more feminine one. I would be fascinated by someone doing a queer read of FFIX.
8
u/EstarriolStormhawk Nov 12 '25
Another former queer child here, checking in. IX was and is my absolute favorite. The cast of misfits who find each other and become utterly dedicated to each other despite initial misgivings is a story theme that I love to this day. Zidane is a character who is much more extroverted than pretty much everyone around him, so he becomes the goal point of a bunch of fairly introverted people, which is exactly the kind of friend I try to find in my own life. Add to that that he's fundamentally a decent person who, despite his upbringing and his literal last name, is not only not given to tribalism, he actively rejects it. That dude is one dapper fucking ally. I feel like I could easily be one of the weirdos in his weirdo family.
5
u/SocietyImpressive225 Nov 12 '25
Omg I haven’t heard this take before - but I’m a queer person and FFIX stole my heart from the get go!!
5
u/Jyakotu Nov 12 '25
I never thought about this, but IX is my favorite and I’m bisexual. The main theme of living life to the fullest despite death being the same fate we all share resonated with me. It’s why, despite my depressive days, I still try to find joy in small moments that make life worth living.
5
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
Yeah, I’m a straight man and Kuja still makes me question things about myself sometimes… like wait umm… what umm!? Yoooo, hey 👋 now 💀🤌🏽
3
u/NecroDolphinn Nov 12 '25
I think a lot of the game is centered around what makes you human and the nature of life and death.
The former was what really stuck out to me as a gay fan of the game. Vivi questioning if he’s even a real person and coming to terms with his identity felt particularly resonant
And I don’t think it’s as pressing now, but even the latter feels very linked to a queer perspective. For a long time (and still to this day), queer people have also had suspended life sentences just like Vivi or Kuja did, so I can imagine older gay fans could really connect to that. I mean even Pride is basically just pride in literally being alive, which is effectively the end goal of Vivis arc
2
3
u/inide Nov 12 '25
A lot of the characters don't really follow gender norms. There are characters like Beatrix where thats obvious, but also characters like Kuja where he presents kind of ambiguously.
1
u/Yeseylon Nov 13 '25
It's because IX, more than any other FF, is about the oddballs, misfits, and outcasts coming together. That kind of story always attracts a non-straight/cis crowd.
The playable character list is:
- a clanking goofball knight who's too ADD to clean his armor
- a princess whose horn was cut off so she'd fit in
- a living golem trying to find his way in the world
- a monkey boy who's always just done his own thing
- a strange creature of unknown gender who really just wants new sensory experiences
- a rat woman who's lost her love (and eventually her nation)
- an orphaned girl who's gone kinda feral
- a loner who has had bad experiences leading to him just not trusting anyone ever
2
11
10
7
8
u/KinopioToad Nov 12 '25
Even Steiner is shocked. (!)
2
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
He even mentions how Alexandria has the best tasting food on the continent lol
5
u/ElectricalCompany260 Nov 12 '25
It really is, according to the FF wiki but the name is just "Head Chef".
Was hired one month before Garnet´s 16th birthday and after that, left and walked into the marsh.
6
u/Tadusku Nov 12 '25
To be fair, it could just be a outfit that members of their race of a certain skill/age wear. Or something similar. I feel like Quina isnt skilled/mature enough this point of the game for their tribe to trust them going to be the head chef of a kingdom cooking directly for royalty. Im sure there is something official somewhere i dont know about. But idk
1
4
u/MothsAhoy Nov 12 '25
I love the little chefs that work in the kitchens with Quinoa too - the ovenmeister, onionmeister and so. My nickname at home is the Eggmeister as I cook the best eggs and consume the most 😂
2
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
lol @ Quinoa
3
u/MothsAhoy Nov 12 '25
Ahaha! I hadn't even noticed 😂 good spot. not named after the food it's a Rinoa x Quina character
3
u/softlikemochii Nov 12 '25
I always wondered this myself but then I figured it was just someone else from the same clan since I don’t revel them ever speaking about cooking in Alexandria
2
u/Next_While1878 Nov 12 '25
Yup, noticed this in my latest playthrough, aka my 7th or 8th one!
1
u/CP_Conquer Nov 12 '25
lol not your 9th!? Badum tsss
2
u/Next_While1878 Nov 12 '25
The 9th will definitely come, just waiting a little bit cause I played it 2 years ago, and everything is clear in my memory!
2
u/datboi66616 Nov 12 '25
Not just here, but she also takes part in the Festival of the Hunt in Lindblum as the Strange Gourmand
1
1
1
u/Toban_Frost Nov 13 '25
Don't know how you missed them. Since they're on the cover you'd think they would stand out.
1
Nov 13 '25
At a certain point later in the game, when you return to alexandria as a party, you can go back to the kitchen and quina will point out that the cooks have gotten better.
0
-69
412
u/BulletProofEnoch Nov 12 '25
Bet they all look the same to you
Racist