Red 13, what is he?

[Ryushikaze]

I've heard similar noises before on a few cat videos, but I think in the minds of most players the general rule is that dogs would go "woof" or "howl" and cats would go "meow" or "purr". That's only regarding the general depiction of the two animal families, and what most people would recognise as being characteristic. I think that Nanaki howling in front of the moon is quite significant too, as moon howling is popularly associated with wolves.

True enough.

In terms of species, I don't think that there is any real reason to define him as either a big cat or a wolf, when they really just wanted to portray a large wild creature.

Well, I'm not going for a Species. I'm going for Genus or Above, sorting by phenotypes. Sure, I could be way off (I mean, he did evolve on an entirely alien planet), but Phenotypes are a better indicator than behavioral cues.

I disagree with this. I didn't mean to suggest that he was a Native American, as that would be crazy. I just meant to state that the markings, the feathers, the beads, the hair, the colour and name 'red' (perhaps as in Red Indian) when combined with the location of Cosmo Canyon as resembling the Grand Canyon, and also the use of the species for lighting tribal fires, do all appear to point towards a reference to Native Americans. I think that the theme of that region in general, and the appearance of Nanaki's race, is very significant.

He's definitely evocative of a Nature Worship or Native American, but his markings and trappings themselves are just generic. He's not dressed like a Native American, just a catchall tribal, to indicate it. I was disagreeing with the specific idea of what he was dressed/ marked like, not what it was supposed to indicate.

That Nanaki's race is nearly extinct (and that Cosmo Canyon is now predominantly a human settlement and attracts tourism) could be reflective of the loss of land and culture of the Native American tribes on our own planet.

Could be. Wonder if it's intentional. Nothing's been said on that front.

Cait Sith didn't ride Nanaki until the movie. Even then I think that the staff probably said that because it was a catchy thing to say, and it could be stretched to say that Nanaki is a cat. Likewise, if Cait Sith was a dog then the staff could just as easily have joked that he was 'one dog riding a bigger dog'.

Regardless of their intent, which we have no way of knowing, they've said 'Cat riding bigger cat.' I believe they've also discussed him as being like a Big Cat elsewhere. I will have to double check that, though.

 

[Roland_Deschain]

he is the coolest dog in the world!!! i want to take him home. No but seriously I think he is my favorite final fantasy character in all of the games ive played. 7,8,9,10,12, 3 and 4 on DS. second fav is Vivi