This Is a Balthier Appreciation Post

[rynling]

I used to ship Fran and Balthier (thanks in no small part to razimo on DeviantArt), but I’ve recently found that I appreciate the canonical ambiguity surrounding their relationship. There’s nothing to suggest that they aren’t in a romantic relationship, but I think it’s implied that they’re nothing more and nothing less than what they say they are – good friends and partners who work well together. I tend to think that well-written friendships are underrated, especially in adventure stories, and I don’t feel that an established friendship is any less compelling or dynamic than a romance.

(And I don’t mean this in a “Fang and Vanille are just friends” way, because that sort of thing is ignorant and mean.)

When it comes to Balthier and Fran specifically, though, I get the feeling the age gap might be a little too wide for anything more than a casual romance. One of the things I appreciate about Balthier’s characterization is that it’s nuanced enough to subtly clue the player in to how young he is. The Final Fantasy series is notorious for nonsensical cult-of-youth shenanigans like “Auron is impossibly old at 35” and “Gladio, who really does look 35, is actually 23,” but Balthier genuinely acts like he’s 22 and pretending to be older. He’s obviously brilliant and mature for his age, but there are small things that give him away, such as how he consistently loses his composure and snaps at people when he’s under stress. (My personal favorite instance of this is when he does a kabedon to Larsa in the Lhusu Mines, by the way.) If you compare Balthier to Fran and Basch, his immaturity is even more apparent. This doesn’t mean I dislike Balthier, because I like him a whole lot, but I don’t think Fran would enter into a romantic relationship with him until he’s more of an adult.

Also, I get strong “gay and lesbian solidarity” vibes from their relationship. I know this interpretation is a stretch, but it makes some of the more out-of-place lines of dialogue in the game, such as Balthier’s “No one knows men like Fran,” seem less weird and more like friendly banter.

Comments

[runicmagitek]

I was always "meh" about Fran and Balthier while everyone else I knew was shipping them hardcore. I much prefer exploring their dichotomy as partners-in-crime than anything else. Like maybe they hooked up at one point? Or maybe not? He's definitely a child in comparison to someone like Fran. Also what is it with JRPGs in general deeming 30s as "old?" It always bothered me that Auron in X was an old geezer and it's like... he's 35. But why. He probably should be late 40s/early 50s, but here we are.

[lassarina]

I'm a happy multishipper for this game (though my preference for Balthier is putting him with Ashe because they're a mess that can never work long term and I love me some broken edges), but I always read them as rock-solid forever friends and partners, who perhaps might bang once in a while if they felt like it, but it was always less important than pirating together, and while I hadn't defined Balthier's immaturity in my own mind, I think that was an underlying reason, and I'm glad you called it out here.