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lead=yes is the protagonist of the 1991 video game Final Fantasy IV. He is a Dark Knight, and spends much of the game grappling with the actions he committed while serving the kingdom of Baron. He eventually overcomes his demons, abandoning his role as a Dark Knight and becoming a Paladin. He has been recognized as a standout protagonist in the Final Fantasy series, with his transformation into a Paladin receiving commentary, particularly as a representation of abandoning violence.
Cecil is voiced in Japanese in the Nintendo DS remake by Shizuma Hidoshima. He is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal in English in PlayStation Portable video game Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008), with Lowenthal and Hidoshima reprising the role in several subsequent games. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
Cecil's pursuit of redemption, alongside him becoming a Paladin, was Game Informer writer Joe Juba's favorite moment from Final Fantasy IV. He compared this to an earlier scene in the series where the player has to earn class changes for their characters, but noted that the search for atonement helped make it stand out. Game Developer writer Christian Nutt stated that Cecil was one of the first characters to have a "real character arc," which "set the stage for the kind of characters we would see from RPGs from that point forward." GamesRadar+ writer Heidi Kemps agreed with this, saying that Cecil's arc felt real and brought the series to new heights. GamesRadar+ staff felt he was a standout of protagonists, believing that "few heroes have made a journey as personal and stricken with loss" as Cecil went through. They felt that he was one of the most "unquestionably good-hearted characters in the history of Final Fantasy," while also being one of the most mature. They also discussed his relationship with the rest of the cast, feeling that it makes the story more personable.
In the book Queerness in Play, the authors discuss androgyny and masculinity in the series, noting how, in his Dark Knight armor, his strength is built around aggression and self-injury, while his armor emphasizes his "stoicism, loyalty, and emotional reservation." Meanwhile, they argued that his Paladin form emphasized protecting his allies, claiming that by abandoning the "strict, obedient, violent masculinity," he becomes a more complete character.
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