Cecil Harvey

Cecil Harvey (セシル・ハーヴィ) is the protagonist in the 1991 video game Final Fantasy IV. He is a Dark Knight, and spends much of the game grappling with the actions he committed while serving the kingdom of Baron. He eventually overcomes his demons, abandoning his role as a Dark Knight and becoming a Paladin. He has been recognized as a standout protagonist in the Final Fantasy series, with his transformation into a Paladin receiving commentary, particularly as a representation of abandoning violent masculinity.

Concept and creation
Cecil was created for Final Fantasy IV, the first character created for the game. He starts the game as a Dark Knight, but eventually becomes a Paladin over the course of the game. The concept of a Dark Knight changing into a Paladin was a concept implemented at the start of the game's development. When designing Final Fantasy IV, the development team tied the growth of characters to their in-battle abilities, Cecil included.

Cecil is voiced in Japanese in the Nintendo DS remake by Shizuma Hidoshima. He is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal in English in PlayStation Portable video game Dissidia Final Fantasy, and he later performed the role in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.

Appearances
Cecil Harvey first appears in 1991's Final Fantasy IV as its protagonist. The game opens with him having successfully stealing the Water Crystal from the town of Mysidia as part of the Red Wings militia, though he expresses doubt about the morality of his mission. After raising concerns with the King of Baron, he is discharged from his role before being sent to collect Eidolons in the Mist Valley with a package. He is accompanied by his friend Kain Highwind after Kain defends him. Later, he is visited by Rosa Farrell, with Cecil struggling over his moral objections and his loyalty to the king. He also struggles with his love for Rosa, which conflicts with his role as a Dark Knight. Cecil and Kain leave for Mist, at which point they battle and kill a creature called the Mist Dragon. When they arrive at the village, the package turns out to be a bomb, destroying the village. They find a girl named Rydia, and discover that her mother died due to her connection to the Mist Dragon. They offer to take her to safety, but Rydia instead summons a creature called Titan, who causes an earthquake.

Cecil awakens with Rydia, with Kain nowhere to be found. They go together, but are eventually found by Baron soldiers, who intended to kill Rydia, believing that she is too dangerous to be left alive. He protects her and they manage to escape, with Rydia introducing herself and becoming his ally. Cecil later hears that Rosa has fallen ill, searching for a cure with Rydia, where they meet an old man named Tellah. Together, they witness the Red Wings, led by a man named Golbez, who kill Tellah's daughter, Anna, before taking the Fire Crystal from the kingdom of Damcyan. leading Tellah to seek revenge. Cecil is able to snap her lover and the prince of Damcyan, Edward, out of his sadness, leading Edward to help them find the cure for Rosa. The group decides to protect the remaining Crystals, going to protect the Air Crystal of Fabul next.

Reception
Cecil has received generally positive reception. In a poll of Japanese players, he ranked ninth among male Final Fantasy characters. Engadget writer Kat Bailey discussed how Cecil defied stereotypes of Japanese role-playing game protagonists, being that he is an established warrior with a wife instead of a teenager. This aspect of his character appealed to Bailey, who noted that she likely would not have cared when she was younger, but because she's thinking of starting a family of her own, him fighting alongside his wife resonates with her.

Cecil's pursuit of redemption, alongside him becoming a Paladin, was Game Informer writer Joe Juba's favorite moment from Final Fantasy IV. He compared this to an earlier scene in the series where the player has to earn class changes for their characters, but noted that the search for atonement helped make it stand out. Game Developer writer Christian Nutt stated that Cecil was one of the first characters to have a "real character arc," which "set the stage for the kind of characters we would see from RPGs from that point forward." GamesRadar+ writer Heidi Kemps agreed with this, saying that Cecil's arc felt real and brought the series to new heights. GamesRadar+ staff felt he was a standout of protagonists, believing that "few heroes have made a journey as personal and stricken with loss" as Cecil went through. They felt that he was one of the most "unquestionably good-hearted characters in the history of Final Fantasy," while also being one of the most mature. They also discussed his relationship with the rest of the cast, feeling that it makes the story more personable.

In the book Queerness in Play, the authors discuss androgyny and masculinity in the series, noting how, in his Dark Knight armor, his strength is built around aggression and self-injury, while his armor emphasizes his "stoicism, loyalty, and emotional reservation." Meanwhile, they argued that his Paladin form emphasized protecting his allies, claiming that by abandoning the "strict, obedient, violent masculinity," he becomes a more complete character.