Square Enix has been promoting Final Fantasy XV with the tagline "A fantasy based on reality." While this is the most realistic-looking installment in the franchise, it is also worth noting that each main character was based on some interesting people.
Final Fantasy XV Cast Modeled After Icons
According to VentureBeat, localization director, Dan Inoue, revealed that when he was writing the four main cast, he was actually using other characters as inspiration. This helped him get a good grasp on their respective personalities and overall interactions. In line with this, he claimed that he would often look towards fictional characters when filling in character molds , as real people are more complicated with their secrets and unknown depths.
To begin with, Ignis was based on suave characters like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes as they all share the same essence of logic and sophistication. On the other hand, the fun-loving and friendly Prompto took some inspiration from the prankster Ferris Bueller from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Meanwhile, the rough and tough Gladio was based on a young John McClane from the action-packed Die Hard series.
Noctis Was Based On A Real-Life Celebrity
However, Noctis was the only exception to Inoue's rule as he was quite unsure about what he wanted the protagonist to be. At first, the localization director already made up his mind to skip the generic brooding and moody stereotype similar to Squall from Final Fantasy VIII. He decided to talk it over with the character's Japanese voice actor, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, who told Inoue that he was channeling singer Kurt Cobain.
The aforementioned celebrity was actually notorious for his beliefs about the world despite his status as a music icon. These traits carried over to Noctis who did not like his life as royalty and even wished he did not have so much responsibility, as per Bleeding Cool News. While some may view his outlook on the world as "emo," Noctis himself was actually an anti-celebrity type of character.
Incidentally, the conversations Noctis shares with his friends are also a loose reference to the works of producer Aaron Sorkin. It seems like Inoue was successful with his characters as fans have quickly taken a liking to each of them. Those who want to play Final Fantasy XV can purchase a copy for the PS4 or Xbox One.
