About
Lockus will be the default party leader who we are introduced to at the start of the game. Similar to Final Fantasy X, XII, and XIII, he will be the default party leader (and thus the character the user controls in third person point of view) until the option is opened up for the user to switch party leaders.

As such, his design, character and personality is similar to the other default party leaders of the more recent games. He is also designed to be the most well-rounded character in terms of given attributes and levelling up potential due to this role.

Final Design

Inspiration

My visual inspirations for Lockus were other young, carefree protagonists of game and television series. I looked at a few characters with these attributes and characters that played the role of the 'jokester' in fiction. I found the majority of them were younger-looking than their peers, and almost effeminate looking; perhaps in a way to make them seem less threatening.

Designs
Initial rough sketches & ideas:

Lockus' design process was relatively straightforward: he was to have a youthful appearance, hence his young face and curly, long hair. His colour palette was chosen so that he appears generic in the world the game takes place in, whilst his outfit was chosen for functionality for a delivery boy: the walking boots for one who has to travel far/in a medieval-based world, the gloves for handling packages and materials, and plenty of extra storage space.


Backstory
The story starts with Lockus in his hometown of Coneria Town (where the game originally begins.) Lockus is an orphaned delivery boy who was raised by the village elder - as with most orphans in the series, offering a figure of wisdom and more importantly, guidance for the player. His parents were killed in a ship accident when he was younger.

Lockus grew up close to everyone in Coneria Town and always aspired to help other people - hence why he decided to become a delivery boy.

Personality
Lockus, like Vaan and Tidus before him, is a relatively upbeat character. His personality goes through a change to become more serious, like Cloud and Squall earlier in the games, when he decides to begin his quest of vengeance. This makes him a likable and accessible character at the start of the game, who becomes a character the user wants to see redeemed by the end, prompting them to continue the game in order to see and aid in his character development.

He is morally a very strong character, proving himself to be an honest and hardworking delivery boy, grateful for all his opportunities. He undergoes quite a strong psychological change at the end of Chapter 1, finding out that Chaos caused the death of his parents (who were on a ship attacked by Kraken), becoming more serious and proclaiming himself ready for revenge. However, Myrren helps him to come to understand his true feelings in the battle: Lockus did not want to defeat Kraken for purely revenge, but to stop Kraken and Chaos from hurting anyone else. All of Lockus' strength comes from his desire to help and protect. Lighthearted and a jokester, but Lockus is a true hero in the most archetypal sense at the end of it.

Abilities
Lockus will be the most well rounded of the characters, with a balance of Magic, Attack and Defensive power, making him a good default party leader for the player. As the player progresses and the game expands, the player will be able to either choose an area for the character to specialise in or keep him as a well rounded character.

Story Beginning
Lockus' story begins when he is handed the orb as part of a delivery. He believes he is simply on the job when he gets arrested and the story begins.

Explanation
Although two of the most popular games in the series (VII and VIII) began with the infamous "stoic male character," this project has Lockus as a more upbeat character. This is primarily because unlike Cloud, and to some extent, Squall, Lockus' true trauma only comes when it is revealed what truly happened to his parents. Thus, the player feels empathy towards the character as they are able to see the emotional toll that this revelation has on him, allowing them to engage more emotionally with their leading character and the story.


Next: Storme