Leaders of Eorzea
One of the things that has always struck me about the Final Fantasy games is how sexism really doesn't make too much of a presence, a rarity in the video game world. Characters have their strengths and weaknesses determined by classes, not sex. If there are any "races" they are fantasy races - and any racial stat differences are minor or negligible.
The latest evidence of this egalitarian, character driven view comes in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, the remake of their failed second MMO that has turned Square Enix into the comeback kid. (It's already won several MMORPG of the year awards and Reader's Choice game of the year awards, and will probably rack up a half dozen more by the end of the year.)
The intro to the game lies to you. Looking at it, with a young white male appearing as the star, you'd assume that was the case throughout the game. That character you see, however, isn't even an NPC in the game - he is the representative avatar of all players, known simply as "the adventurer" according to Square Enix.
You want to be a gray odd-eyed cat girl? No problem.
Players of the game have a full palette of colors available to them for each race, so that a person isn't stuck with one particular race if they want to make an avatar that resembles them in real life.
You can be black, white, tan, pink, green-gray, and any variation of hair color and eye color along with those skin tones, for any of the races. My player character is tan with salmon colored hair. Square Enix also included several ethnic hair styles for the first time, such as braids and even natural hair. (Hey! What a concept! Not everyone who plays a fantasy MMORPG wants flowing blond locks!)
Ginger by choice
It isn't until you dig a bit deeper into the game and begin to encounter the actual NPCs in power that you come to the startling realization that there are no white males in power in the three playable city states. (White elderly men run the Houses of Ishgard, but you cannot be a playable character from there. The race of the leader of the enemy Garleans is indeterminate since he's in a full body suit, although we learn that one of his subordinates is Nordic blonde pretty early on.)
No, the leaders of the three city states are two women and a black guy.
Admiral Merlwyb (that's a mouthful) is the leader of the thassalocrassy of Limsa Lominsa. She was once a pirate and destined to take over her ship from her father.
Admiral Merlwyb
She is strong, both physically and mentally. Although she has a naval title, she's the de facto leader of the island nation, and has aggressively pursued the reformation of pirates as her primary mission in leadership (with mixed results.) She grew up on the sea, and her salty language makes her the most down-to-earth of the three leaders.
Compare that to the calm and gentle Kan-e-Senna, the Elder Seedseer of Gridania. She is one of the Padjal - normal human children who were touched by the elementals of the forest at birth. They grow to teenager-hood, grow horns on their head, and effectively live forever after that. Kan-e-Senna's quiet exterior belies a solid head for military strategy, however, making her every bit the leader as the more outspoken Admiral Merlwyb. She has a younger brother and sister as well, and her sister is an important NPC for players who are learning the class of conjurer and job of white mage in the game's storyline.
Kan-E-Senna
Finally, we have
General Raubahn, who is the only "repeat" character of the three (Final Fantasy games recycle characters. Raubahn first appeared in Final Fantasy XI as an antagonist.)
General Raubahn
With his dark skin and cornrows, it's pretty clear that this Highlander Hyur (FF lore name for heavyset humans in this game) is not based on a European, despite his Grecian style battle skirt. Unlike his two female counterparts, he is not the absolute ruler of the city state of Ul'Dah. Instead, he is subordinate to a petite
Sultana whom he frequently carries around on one arm most of the time (making her the third female ruler of a city-state.) Ul'Dah also unfortunately has rampant corruption in its city council, a group known as the Syndicate (to which Raubahn belongs), but for military matters Raubahn's authority is unquestioned.
This game isn't a huge step forward for gender and racial equality video games, but it's inspiring that every player who gets to at least level 15 out of 50 will meet the military leader of their chosen nation, and it's going to be a woman or a man of color.
All images from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn are ©2013 Square Enix.