The Ultimate Kuja Debate

So Kuja, guy or girl?

I've had a few people tell me that they've played the Japanese version of FF9, and that the pronoun used for Kuja is actually feminine. Plus, there's the appearance of Kuja; very feminine looking, has curvacious(sp?) hips, and wears make up.

In the American and European versions of FF9, Kuja is described as being male.

My personal opinion? I think Kuja is totally a girl. Possible reason as to why Square made Kuja a woman in Japanese and a man in N.A./Europe is that FF8 didn't really do that well in terms of sales here, and the main enemy for most of the story is female. Square might have linked a female villain to the poor sales, though frankly I think it has more to do with the battle system. Of course, the battle system in 9 sucked too because of Trance. That's reall the only reason I can come up with as to why Square did this. If anyone has any other theories, that would be awesome.

Was, is, and always will be MALE

And anyone claiming the opposite shall feel the force of Ultima, muahahahahaaaaa!!!

[Ultima]

I think Kuja is a guy but the clothes he wears makes him look like a girl.

[Sevion]

WELL the first time i played Final Fantasy IX i laughed at Kuja he is tottaly metro and he does look like a girl but i knew he was a guy you can just tell

Okay, most of you guys seem to think that he's a guy. But why do you think he's a guy? I mean come on! He's got hair down to his waist, he wears make up, he has vuluptuous hips, he has clevage(I swear I saw clevage in one of the cinematics, I just don't remember which one), his face looks feminine. Faced with the evidence that in the Japanese version of the game they used feminine pronouns when talking about Kuja, it seems kinda weak to me that you all would just be willing to agree that he's a man because they use masculine pronouns in the English versions. Don't forget that the Japanese version of Square games come out first.

Don't take offense to anything I say here, I'm just trying to stir up a debate.

[LocoColt04]

I have voluptuous hips and an hourglass figure and really long hair. If I run around the house in my underwear, does that make me a girl? No. It makes me a crazy guy running around the house in his underwear, that's what it makes me.

Kuja is male. There shouldn't really even be a debate about it.

Look at any Final Fantasy website that has a profile of Kuja. They all say he's male. What's even more fun is this editorial regarding Kuja's gender and sexuality. (You should read it; it's pretty good. Funny, at the very least.) And there's also the following quote regarding Kuja:

Kuja is both the most attractive and detestable fictitious male ever created. His almost unbearable extreme beauty and charisma only match his boundless cruelty. The clothes he wears and his often amused or vain gestures betray his self-centered superficial nature, though he is much less shallow and heartless than he seems. Yet at the same time, his lonely megalomania, his desire to be more than he is, to transcend his nature, his refusal and contempt for mortality, the ultimately tragic irony about him, make him a fascinating and tragic character. He certainly wins some empathy, for as Zidane accurately says, maybe anyone in his position would act no better.

And, if you look a little more closely at his face, you'd see the masculine shape.

So what if he likes to wear feminine clothing? Maybe that's just his thing.

Okay, I read the editorial. It was funny, I'll give it that.

I think perhaps you guys are misinterpreting what I'm saying. I know that Kuja is a guy in the English versions. What I'm trying to argue here is that he was originally intended to be female. Before I had heard of the possibility of him ever being female it never even occured to me that he might possibly have originally been female. However, I know two or three different people who say that they have played the Japanese version of the game, and that the pronouns used for Kuja were all feminine pronouns. If it has been one person, I would be less inclined to believe. And seeing as how I don't know much Japanese and I don't have a Japanese PS, I can't really do any research for myself.

Yes, Kuja is male in the English versions, but was he intended to be male? That's the question I'm throwing up for debate here.

[Sevion]

well i guess mabey kuja was influenced by the feminine ideas but even the game refers to him being a guy i think they intended to make him male here to as for the japaneise version it mabey was supposed to be a girl. But i feel sorry for those people who cos play as him *uugh bad images in my mind*

[LocoColt04]

Originally Posted by Bronwyn

I think perhaps you guys are misinterpreting what I'm saying. I know that Kuja is a guy in the English versions. What I'm trying to argue here is that he was originally intended to be female.

No, I understood you perfectly all along.

Consider the Japanese culture for a moment. Look at a lot of the J-pop and J-rock bands. Don't the men seem excessively feminine? I think Square was hopping on the trendwagon, as 2000 was when the whole metrosexual thing became a pretty big deal over there. Note FFIX's release date.

I'm not denying anything you're saying, I'm just saying that Kuja's male. I'm pretty certain he's male in the Japanese versions as well, and that the feminine pronouns were used to emphasize his femininity.

...of course, I could be wrong, and he really could have been a she in the Japanese version. My speculation is only as good as your speculation.

We should keep researching this, though. The official FFIX website doesn't have the bosses on it, and that makes me sad. That was the first place I looked.

Kuja was meant to be a male the whole time. Look at Final Fantasy X, Seymour is very feminine too. It is just a way for Square to connect with the Japanese people. If pop culture was all about Barney, I'm sure the next game would pit you against a giant annoying dinosaur.

[BrownMagic]

Maybe Kuja is a homosexual, often when I was fighting him I referred to him as one. Zidane calls him a brother so I guess that would definitely make him male huh, although it could be very hard to tell, maybe it's just a genome confused gender thing.

In a certain CG, while you are visiting Pandemonium (I THINK, don't quote me on it) and you have this upward shot of Kuja hanging above your head. You guys remember that? Well, if you look closely it does seem that he has a red, feathered bra on. He's curved to the extent that it puts most GIRLS to shame and just this gentle, feminine aura around him. Though, we all know, he isn't really GENTLE. He even sashays(sp?) his hips when he walks.
I've heard rumors that he was intended to be a female character over in the Japanese version. Which, could be true, because dealing with translations between American and Japanese entertainment; some characters switch genders.

He could easily be a very very very androgynous man.

Look at Final Fantasy X, Seymour is very feminine too.

Seymour, though being quite feminine, nearly wasn't as girly as Kuja was. lol.

Well, I suppose the homosexual thing could have been what they were going for. I don't think they intended him to be a woman, but perhaps Japan is more accepting of gay people.Perhaps Elton John is very popular there. Even if Seymour isn't as feminine, I think he is the worst "villian" ever.

i think he's just a gay man