- Sadu FFXIV Guide – The Azim Feminist - February 6, 2023
- Deidar FFXIV Guide - February 1, 2023
- Alisaie FFXIV Guide – More than Alphinaud’s Sister - January 30, 2023
The Viera are a race in the Final Fantasy world. They have the strongest prominence in Final Fantasy XIV, a game that allows you to play as a Viera. According to FFXIV Census, the Viera race is the second least popular amongst all players but in the top three most popular races amongst active players.
The reasons that the active number of Viera players is so much higher than the inactive players are easy to see. First of all, the Viera female wasn’t available until 2019. This is nine years after the initial release date for FF14. Then, it wasn’t until 2021 that the male Viera was a playable race, so those who play only male characters didn’t play Viera for over ten years.
The fact that the Viera is in the top three already, and close to taking spot two for good, is amazing. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Who is in the number one spot by quite a long shot? That would be my favorite race – the Miqo’te. Though I don’t have a Viera character, I appreciate their beauty and the people that choose to live life as the coveted bunny person.
What Is A Viera?
- Female Viera Release: Shadowbringers
- Male Viera Release: Endwalker
The Viera are a playable race in Final Fantasy XIV. They are known as the “people of the woods.” The first Viera is seen in the “A Requiem for Heroes” quest in the post-Stormblood patch. This is seen as a teaser for the upcoming Shadowbringers official release of the Viera as a playable character.
Since the release of the male Viera in Endwalker, the popularity of the race has skyrocketed. Seen as peaceful warriors that live deep in the forests, Viera have strict codes within their villages. But once they branch out and live in public domains, they accept the new lives and respect the laws within them.
In Final Fantasy XIV, Viera culture isn’t as prominent as it is in other games. The Viera is typically seen as just another race for the player to play. Since it has only been around for a couple of years, the depth of the Vieran culture in the game isn’t explored to a great extent.
Viera In Other Final Fantasy Games
Viera aren’t a FFXIV exclusive. They are also found in two other Final Fantasy series. I will do my best to avoid spoilers and simply explain the primary role of the race in each game/series.
Final Fantasy XII Series
If you played XII and also play FFXIV, you may notice the female starter outfit in XIV is Fran’s outfit from II. The Viera play an important part in Final Fantasy XII. Originally living in Viera-only communities, some Viera in this fame decide to venture out and live amongst the humans after their homelands are lost.
Final Fantasy Tactics Series
Viera are also seen in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. They specialize in dexterous jobs such as Archer and Assassin, yet they are the only race that can use Summoner and Elementalist in the game.
Creating A Viera In FFXIV
In Final Fantasy IV, you can choose to be a Viera in character creation. Otherwise, you can use a Fantasia potion to change your race. If you pre-ordered Endwalker, you received a Fantasia along with the expansion. Check your inventory, retainers, and mailbox if you pre-ordered EW but haven’t received the Fantasia.
Whenever you get to the character creation screen, you can create your Viera. Creating one is just like creating any other race now. You can change each facial feature, hair, face paint, height, and more. The most unique commodity in character creation for the Viera is the ability to change Viera’s ears.
Related: Final Fantasy Abilities Guide
Male Vs Female Viera
The FFXIV team did a fantastic job of making the fact that there are no male Viera early on make sense. In this world, only 20% of all Viera are born male. However, one cannot tell the difference between a male and female until they are around 13-years-old. This explains why male Viera have more feminine qualities than other male races. Once they do go through puberty and their outward gender is distinguishable, they don’t age physically, giving them a forever youthful appearance.
Want a fun fact? On average, male Viera are shorter than female Viera. They are the only race where this is the case! Female Vieras tend to run the Viera villages as well. The men defend the forest along with the women, but it is the female Viera that protects the children and their homes. The female Viera also have a special job that involves removing fallen trees and planting new ones.
In general, the male and female Viera don’t even live together for the majority of their lives. The male Viera usually live in solitude and only come out to mate every few years. They do work while away, ensuring that nothing from the outside world disturbs the natural order of the world inside the forest. This is known as wood-warding.
Rava Clan Vs Veena Clan
As with the other classes, the Viera have two clans to choose from. In the end, the clan does not affect Final Fantasy gameplay, but there are a couple of differences between them that are minor. Canonically, as seen in Final Fantasy XII, the Veena clan have light fur and the Rava have dark fur.
In Final Fantasy XIV, the Rava are from the Golmore Jungle, which is why they have dark fur. The Veena are originally found in the snow area of Skatay Range which is why they have light fur.
Their hair and fur give them the ability to blend in well with their surroundings. In FFXIV, there are also minor stat differences that may affect your decision.
Rava Description And Stats
These stats insinuate that the Rava are naturally more dextrous than the Veena, and almost any other race.
- Strength – 20
- Vitality – 18
- Dexterity – 23
- Intelligence – 21
- Mind –Â 21
Veena Description And Stats
The Veena are an intelligent clan without a strong weakness.
- Strength – 19
- Vitality – 19
- Dexterity – 20
- Intelligence – 23
- Mind –Â 22
Notable Viera In FFXIV
There are a handful of Viera that most people remember in the FFXIV storyline. It is notable that most of the important Viera in the story go by their forest names. Some Viera change their names when they move to the city or amongst the other races.
Their new names are often similar to Hyur names or simply the names of objects. It is also useful to know that the last names of Viera indicate where they are from.
Fran Eruyt
Fran Eruyt is an NPC in Stormblood. She is based on Fran from Final Fantasy XII. This Fran has white hair, red eyes, and lives in Dalmasca, but according to her name, she is from Eruyt.
Fran is an Archer and general of Lente’s Tears. She protected the royal family along with the citizens of Rabanastre. Fran plays a crucial role in the events surrounding The Royal City of Rabanastre, and is involved with the Warrior of Light throughout Stormblood and Shadowbringers.
Lyna
Lyna is a Viera that first appears in Shadowbringers, but is present throughout Endwalker as well. She has light blue, almost white, hair and pink eyes. Although her last name isn’t revealed, it is believed that she reigns from the Rak’tika Greatwood. After meeting the Exarch, she works with him as Guard Captain.
Lyna is one of the primary NPCs in the Chrystarium and appears a few times in Endwalker. She is available as a Trust member as a Dancer.
Sophie
Sophie is seen in Shadowbringers as Radovan’s partner, on the run from the Garlean Empire. Her role in Shadowbringers is pertinent though it is difficult to explain it without giving too much away.
Sophie is blonde with pink eyes, playing the role of Conjurer, and is generally chill. She loves to gamble and blend in with the locals of whatever region she is visiting.
Lilja Sjasaris
Lilja Sjasaris plays a small role in Shadowbringers, though it is quite memorable. She is an intelligent Engineer with dark skin and blonde hair with a tentative alignment. She is young and spirited, making a living with Garlond Ironworks.
The Viera Stereotype
Over the years on Final Fantasy XIV, a stereotype has been formed for each race. It’s important to not let this stereotype affect what you decide to be, but it’s nice to be aware of it in case you receive any unwarranted, and surprising, private messages.
Here’s the spiel. Female Viera players generally prefer the most provocative outfit available. For this reason, Vieras are often approached in an NSFW way, unlike Lalafell, who are seen as children by other players. That said, the Viera are one of the more intimidating races, especially the females, who are often categorized as “rude” or “mean” likely for shutting down those who wish to participate in NSFW acts.
When male Viera were released last year, players didn’t know what to do. What role would they play in the game? There is an unsavory stereotype for male Viera players relating to orientation. Let me be the first to tell you that this is bull. All racial stereotypes are as ridiculous in-game as they are in the real world. Some people like rabbits while others want to play the newest race. So, choose the race that speaks to you and block the haters.
The Viera Club Scene
Now, this isn’t an in-game feature, but something that many Viera are glad to learn. One of my favorite things to do in Final Fantasy XIV is visit different clubs and venues. Each venue has its own aesthetic, rule list, and activities. Some are SFW while others are not. However, even the NSFW venues have to be publicly SFW or else risk getting banned. This is due to the fairly new code of conduct.
Though it varies depending on the venue, most of the time, you can hire courtesans, order drinks, dance to a live Bard band, and enter giveaways. There are two types of giveaways. The free kind, done through a random roll or via Discord. Then there’s the raffle, where you buy a ticket and someone wins something valuable at the end of the night.
The reason I mention this to Viera specifically is because most venues are a safe space, an open and accepting place to hang out. Viera are extremely common in clubs and are hired as dancers more often than other races, in my experience. Dancers get paid anywhere from 20,000gil to 150,000gil an hour.
Now, when I say “dancer” I don’t mean the class. I mean, you get paid to afk dance in order to entertain and to keep the club vibing. I could go on and on about the club scene in Final Fantasy, but the best way to find out about clubs and their schedules on your server is to check out Discord servers dedicated to finding venues.
FAQs
Question: Is There A Place Called Viera?
Answer: Yes. If you’re looking for Viera glam and such, you may be confused when you see Viera, Florida pop up. Viera is a community in Florida that has its own website to derive information from straight from the source.
Question: Can Viera Wear Hats?
Answer: The inability to wear hats properly has always been controversial for Viera. As of the latest patch, Viera can wear most hats. Helmets are still an issue but the developers swear that they are fixing the situation.
Question: How Do I Unlock The New Viera Hairstyles?
Answer: The new hairstyles for Viera in Endwalker refer to hairstyles that are newly compatible with Viera. So you can unlock them in the standard way, be it via the marketboard or traditional way.
Question: Are Viera In Non-FF Games?
Answer: Yes. Viera are a playable race in some 5e and 3.5e sessions in Dungeons & Dragons. As for other video games, the Viera is exclusive to Final Fantasy.
The Bottom Viera Line
All you really need to know about Viera is that they are a fun and attractive bunny race that you can now play as a male or female. This opens up a lot of doors for representation.
Anyone can play Viera any way that they want and, hopefully, feel comfortable. Viera is an intelligent and grounded race in this world, and that should be what they are known for.
So put on your bunny ears and bask in their greatness.
If you found this Viera FFXIV guide useful, check out some of our related guides: