Editing Strago Magus (section)

==Conception and design==
[[File:FinalFantasyVI-Strago-ConceptArt.png|thumb|upright=0.75|left|Nomura's art of Strago, Relm, and Lara. Strago differed slightly from his final design, while Lara was cut from the game entirely]]
''Final Fantasy VI'' was developed with the mindset that none of the playable cast was the protagonist, and that each of them were equally the "main character". The cast of characters were selected from submissions from across the development team, with game planner Akiyoshi Ohta choosing Relm and her related characters. Once the cast was selected, each individual would write their character's story, with [[Yoshinori Kitase]] balancing the plot as things developed.<ref name="creator"/><ref>{{cite AV media |via=[[YouTube]] |title=Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Special Interview <nowiki>|</nowiki> Part 2 of 2 |date=July 26, 2023 |accessdate=March 30, 2024 |author=[[Square Enix]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B-iw8qhZbQ |time=21:43}} [https://archive.org/details/y-2mate.is-final-fantasy-35th-anniversary-special-interview-part-2-of-2-7-b-iw-8 Alt URL]{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="legend1">{{cite book |title=The Legend of Final Fantasy VI |date=2018 |first=Pierre |last=Maugein |publisher=Third Editions |isbn=9782377840472 |pages=161–162}}</ref> Though not stated in game, Relm is not a blood relative of Strago, but the daughter of a friend he took in. Regardless, his personality is established as heavily doting on her, while acting as an "elder" figure to the rest of the group.<ref name="Twenty01Strago"/> In Japanese his name was originally Stragos, shortened in English localizations due to issues with name lengths in the original Western releases.<ref>{{cite web |website=Legends of Localization |title=Final Fantasy VI Translation Comparison (Part 10) |date=2018-08-31 |accessdate=2024-04-27 |first=Clyde |last=Mandelin |url=https://legendsoflocalization.com/final-fantasy-vi/part-10/}}</ref>

Standing 151 cm (5 ft) tall,<ref name="Twenty01Strago">{{cite book |title= Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania |volume= 1: Character |date= 31 January 2008 |editor= [[Studio BentStuff]] |publisher= [[Square Enix]] |location= Japan |language= ja |isbn= 9784757522060 |pages= 166–167}}</ref> an early draft of the character's appearance was drawn by [[Tetsuya Nomura]],<ref name=nomura>{{cite web |url=https://www.siliconera.com/rare-tetsuya-nomura-art-sketches-final-fantasy-vi-era-unearthed/ |title=Rare Tetsuya Nomura Art Sketches From Final Fantasy VI Era Unearthed |date=2013-10-28 |accessdate=2024-04-16 |website=[[Siliconera]] |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117185309/https://www.siliconera.com/rare-tetsuya-nomura-art-sketches-final-fantasy-vi-era-unearthed/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |language=Japanese |url=http://jin115.com/archives/51982008.html |website=Jin115 |date=2013-10-27 |script-title=ja:【超貴重】「FF5、FF6」等のプランナーを努めた太田顕喜氏が、当時の野村哲也氏が描いたラクガキを公開！！ |accessdate=2024-04-16 |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205234551/http://jin115.com/archives/51982008.html |url-status=live }}</ref> while [[Yoshitaka Amano]] was commissioned to design the characters from the brief outlines provided. Given full creative freedom, Amano wanted to make "real" and "alive" characters, though with consideration for their representation in-game as small computer [[sprite (graphics)|sprites]].<ref name="creation">{{cite book |title=Japan: Final Fantasy |date=August 11, 1994 |publisher=[[NTT Publishing]] |language=ja|isbn=4-87188-338-8 |chapter=Interview |pages=108–109}}</ref> Said graphics were designed by Nomura, who drew the [[chibi (style)|chibi]] artwork of the characters, and [[Kazuko Shibuya]], who designed the in-game sprites.<ref>{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Memorial Book Vol.1 |language=Japanese |isbn=9784757537699 |date=January 2012 |publisher=[[Square Enix]] |editor=[[Studio BentStuff]] |page=322}}</ref><ref name=cutscenes>{{cite AV media |via=[[YouTube]] |language=Japanese |title=Yoshitaka Amano, Kazuko Shibuya - from paper to pixel <nowiki>|</nowiki> 天野喜孝、渋谷員子 - 紙からドットへ |date=August 16, 2021 |accessdate=March 30, 2024 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZT9uca2b2E |author=Cutscenes |time=8:27 }} [https://archive.org/details/yoshitaka-amano-kazuko-shibuya-from-paper-to-pixel-fzt-9uca-2b-2-e-1080pp-1711813943 Alt URL]{{cbignore}}</ref> Strago appears as a short, elderly man with a white beard and mohawk, a cape, a red tanktop, and patterned pants that are puffed towards the lower legs.<ref name="Twenty01Strago"/>

Several other elements of Strago's character were also cut. A scene was originally intended between himself and the character [[Shadow (Final Fantasy)|Shadow]], where Strago would confirm him in one of the game's inn locations and ask to see his face to confirm his actual identity, after which they would drink together.<ref name="vjump1">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[V-Jump]] |date=June 1995 |pages=182–185 |issue=24 |language=Japanese |title=FF Colosseum}}</ref> Another concept that was also removed involved Strago rebuilding a village. Intended as a city-building mini-game "similar to ''[[SimCity]]''", it was conceived early in the planning stages of ''Final Fantasy VI'' but cut due to issues with the development schedule.<ref name=everyone>{{cite web|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/04/02/the-best-of-an-era-looking-back-on-final-fantasy-vi-after-25-years|publisher=Game Informer|access-date=21 April 2020|date=2 April 2019|first=Juba |last=Joe|title=The Best of an Era: Looking Back on Final Fantasy VI After 25 Years|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926020320/https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/04/02/the-best-of-an-era-looking-back-on-final-fantasy-vi-after-25-years|archive-date=26 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Lastly, Strago was also intended to have a wife who would have also been a playable character. Named Lara, she was defined as a [[Geomancer]]-type mage, and would have bickered with Strago about which of two of them would die first, though at the same were intended to be "a good couple that protected each other".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[V-Jump]] |date=May 1995 |pages=196–199 |issue=23 |language=Japanese |title=FF Colosseum}}</ref>