The Lore with Vincent's EC Festive Outfit - Demonface Yukata (and what it stands for *maybe*)
You mean there's lore on this outfit...?? Why yes, quite a bit actually.
And I'm happy to say the devs put a lot of love and effort into Vincent's (sadly) final outfit. This is just what I could find and understand, so if anyone has anymore to add to it, be my guest!
First thing's first. The hair. The haaaaairrr.....
Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love his outfit too, but the fact that they went ahead and not only put his hair in a ponytail AND lengthened it just has me going feral.
I'm ever grateful for more hair to pull, though.
But enough of that. *wipes drool*
Longer hair in anime tends to convey power and non-conformity, beauty, and so on. With it also being in a ponytail, it's a pretty common choice for warriors in anime. In a way, Vincent is a warrior in his own right. But let me focus on the length for just a second. Typically when a character goes through a significant event in their life, they do something different with their hair. For example, in Crisis Core, Tseng chooses to let his hair down and grows it out when Veld 'dies'. In other cases, a character might cut their hair. But the point is, they alter their iconic looks through their hair as a form of symbolism. Keep this in mind as we go through this analysis. Mind you, this is the only time we see his hair has changed, aside from his Turk form.
It represents protection against corruption, raw power, and confronting ones inner conflicts or inner demons. This is a very accurate depiction of Vincent's philosophy, his journey, and his personality. Fighting his inner demons, embodying demons, yet finding the strength to confront his past while also fighting for those he cares about.
Thirdly, and yes you knew this had to have been coming--
Yin and Yang. Yes it exists on his outfit.
For some strange reason, his outfit pose has him covering that symbol with his (gauntlet-less) hand. Could be just placement for the sake of a majestic pose. But I'm apt to believe this is done for a different reason. You get a full view of it from the wallpaper where you can see a very distinct swirl or yin-yang design. Could he be hiding it? Either way, it is the most telling symbol with regards to his theme of dichotomy, dark verses light, etc. I don't think any of his other outfits depicted dichotomy in such a clear manner as this (in the form of yin-yang).
Something else to note is that he has a red and white ribbon on his belt. Based on what I could research, the red and white ribbon is called Kohaku, which is tied to good fortune and celebrations. As we all know, good fortune is the complete opposite of what Vincent represents. Just look at his birthday for example... Friday the 13th. And yet here he is wearing something that represents good luck.
This, I believe, is a hint at something as you'll see later.
Fourthly--
The sleeve belonging on his weapon-arm is covered in blood. Something of note is that he isn't wearing this sleeve, almost like he's separating himself from the blood-stained part of his garment. The gun itself resembles something like a dragon with its red and gold colors and overall shape. I do not know the significance of the orange ropes so someone could chime in in that part if they know. This particular gun's element is fire. A fire-breathing dragon of sorts?
Fifth--
The garment he is wearing is called a Yukata... a BATH ROBE. Now granted, it's a casual outfit compared to the kimono, but anyone else getting hints that we could see a bath house in Wutai? Just me? Alright.
....Please give us a bathhouse scene in Revelation, Square. I'm on my hands and knees!
Anyways.
One other thing to point out.
Sixth.
Notice the colors they're both wearing? Their themes?
Yuffie is wearing a moogle-themed white dress, fashioned with a lot of child-like aesthetics. Vincent, on the other hand, is wearing a black robe, Oni-themed, and more mature. Even their weapons are very night and day, where Yuffie's weapon looks like a piece of candy and Vincent's looks like a dragon's head. White innocence verses black macabre. A somber broken warrior protecting a youthful innocence to preserve happiness. Ever the austere bodyguard.
Seventh...
Someone else pointed this out to me. But his hand that should have a gauntlet no longer does. This is the only outfit where he doesn't have any gauntlet, aside from his Turk outfit. Are you sensing a pattern, yet? Check out his other outfits and compare. Notice the bandages on his hand as well. This is yet another hint at what I'm proposing at the end of this analysis.
And finally... the conclusion.
Recall what I mentioned about the hair change, the yin-yang symbol, the good-luck ribbons, the claw-less fingers... I think this is all thematically designed to not just give us a cool outfit, but to also tell us a message.
This is Vincent's final outfit for Ever Crisis. It's the end of the journey. It's a celebration of the memories and experiences we've had. A conclusion to the story. And this outfit (I personally believe) represents Vincent's conclusion... Embracing his humanity (no claws), letting go of the past (the bloody sleeve), accepting his being worthy of happiness (the red and white ribbons), coming to harmony and finding balance between both the dark and the light (the yin-yang buckle), encompassing who he is-- someone who has fought to protect others while bearing the burdens of inner darkness and being a monster (the Oni mask), commemorating this event as a significant part of his story (the long ponytail).
Whatever the reasons for the style choices, artists always do intend to present a message. Maybe I'm way off. But personally, this outfit is quite special, and might even hint at what we might witness in Revelation at the conclusion of Vincent's (and FF7's) story. It's not just a fancy gacha outfit. It's a 'thank you for coming with me on this journey'.
