Faris Scherwiz

Faris Scherwiz, real name Sarisa Scherwil Tycoon, is a playable character in Final Fantasy V. She is a pirate captain who travels with a pirate ship and its crew, accompanied by a sea-dragon named Syldra. To earn the respect of the other pirates, Faris disguises as a man when leading her crew.
The party encounters Faris when they try to steal the pirate ship. Though Faris retaliates by throwing them in the brig, she inexplicably changes her mind and joins them, eventually becoming a Light Warrior alongside them. Faris reveals to the others a past and true identity from before she was taken in by the pirates as she warms to them and becomes committed to saving the world.
==History==
===Before Final Fantasy V===
Born Sarisa Scherwil Tycoon to King Alexander Highwind Tycoon, she was a year older than her sister, Lenna Charlotte Tycoon. Sarisa was raised by King Tycoon, her mother, and Jenica, a servant in the castle. Sarisa would learn spells with Jenica, and was sometimes tasked putting her younger sister to sleep. Sarisa's mother was sick while she was young, and King Tycoon would often ride the wind drake Hiryu in search of a doctor to cure her.
Sarisa was lost at sea in a storm one day when sailing with her father, when she was was around five. As she was unable to pronounce her name correctly (calling herself "Farifa"), they dubbed her "Faris". The shock of the event and her youth at the time caused Faris to forget much of her history at Tycoon. Not wishing to be the only woman in a crew of pirates, Faris dressed and acted as male. Faris was raised with Syldra, likening their bond to that of siblings, and using their companionship to pull the ship across waters, not needing the wind. Faris's relationship with Syldra allowed her to later become the pirate captain.
===Final Fantasy V===
Three adventurers, Bartz Klauser, Galuf Halm Baldesion, and Faris's long lost sister, Lenna, traveled through the pirates' hideout, to which a land entrance had been opened by earthquakes, on the way to the Wind Shrine. The three attempted to steal the pirate ship but Faris caught them. She at first wished to hold Lenna for ransom, but was curious when Lenna showcased a pendant identical to the one Faris possessed. Surprising the other pirates, Faris changed her mind and elected to accompany the three strangers, wishing to learn the identity of Lenna's father. On the way, the party stopped at Tule, where the pirates went to the pub for drinks; Faris slept in the room above, Bartz and Galuf spotting her and being confused by her beauty despite thinking she was male.
At the Wind Shrine, the crew found the wind crystal shattered, with King Tycoon declaring the four of them the new Light Warriors as they were imbued with the power of the crystals. Faris did not appear to identify King Tycoon as her father. Before continuing their quest, in Tule, Faris bade farewell to the pirates; because her quest would be long, she needed them to stay and guard the hideout's treasure. The pirates protested at first, promising they would follow her anywhere, to which she expressed gratitude.
The Light Warriors' next destination was Walse, the warriors sailing through the Torna Canal to reach it. They fended off a crustacean monster called Karlabos, but Syldra was injured; as she was sucked into the whirlpool left by Karlabos, Bartz and Galuf held Faris back from leaping in after her. Without Syldra, the pirate ship drifted into the ship graveyard. After crossing a flooded room, Bartz and Galuf tussled with Faris to get Faris to dry her clothes, at which point the group discovered she was female, but chose to accept her for who she was. When the party encountered the Siren, it hypnotized them with images of their loved ones. Lenna was entranced by the sight of King Tycoon, and Faris fell victim likewise, suggesting some recollection of King Tycoon as her father; Galuf intervened and rescued all three.
When traveling to North Mountain in search of a wind drake, a hunter named Magissa ambushed Lenna. Faris rushed to her defense, jumping over a chasm to stop Magissa from kidnapping Lenna. Later, the party spent the night in Castle Tycoon. Lenna confronted her and called her "sister", which Faris vehemently denied and tried to laugh off the notion. After reaching Walse Tower in search of the water crystal, the Light Warriors were again unable to prevent it shattering, leading to the tower sinking. Syldra appeared last minute to rescue the warriors, but the dragon's wounds were fatal, and she drifted away into the current. Faris tried to follow, but Lenna stopped her, and Faris fell to tears.
Using the warp point in the meteorite near Walse Tower, the party traveled to Karnak in search of the fire crystal, where they teamed up with Cid Previa to prevent the crystal from breaking. They were unable to stop it leading Cid to go into depression before the party found Cid's grandson, Mid Previa, to inspire Cid back into action. This triggered some of Galuf's memories, as Galuf explained he was from another world and had come to stop the crystals shattering to prevent the evil warlock Exdeath from being freed from a seal placed on him thirty years ago.
After finding a black chocobo in Crescent, the warriors visited Lix, Bartz's hometown. Overnight Faris met Bartz at the grave of his mother, Stella Klauser, as he told her of his parents, Faris wondering what having a father was like. The warriors later talked to Cid and Mid at the Library of the Ancients, who relayed rumors of King Tycoon traveling to the ruins of Gohn. Upon reaching it and finding the king, Faris identified him as "papa", and after falling to the Catapult structure below, Faris owned up to now being certain that they were sisters and King Tycoon was her father. The two later discussed the topic father at Castle Tycoon, agreeing to keep it secret from the chancellor.
With help from Cid and Mid, the warriors caught up to King Tycoon at the earth crystal in Ronka Ruins, but soon learned he was possessed. King Tycoon attacked the warriors, causing Bartz and Galuf to prepare to retaliate, only for Faris and Lenna to stop them. Krile Mayer Baldesion, Galuf's granddaughter, appeared from another meteorite and used a spell to release King Tycoon, leading to an emotional but brief reunion as the king recognized both his daughters. Exdeath, now freed from his seal, attacked them, King Tycoon sacrificing himself to protect the others. On his deathbed, King Tycoon apologized for failing to be there for Faris as a father, urged them to be there for one another, and asked Bartz to take care of both.
Galuf headed back to his world with Krile, forbidding the other Light Warriors from following as it would be a one-way trip. Nonetheless, Lenna and Faris talked it over and agreed they needed to follow Galuf, and Bartz agreed with no persuasion. Along the way, the Light Warriors met many new faces, including the wise Sage Ghido who taught them Exdeath's history, as well as Galuf's former companions the Dawn Warriors, who each sacrificed themselves to help them track down Exdeath and defeat him.
The warriors eventually tracked Exdeath to the Great Forest of Moore, where he used the power of the crystals in Galuf's world on the warriors. Krile's attempt to rescue them failed, leading Galuf to hold off Exdeath alone. Galuf fell in combat and passed on his powers and status as Light Warrior to Krile. They infiltrated Castle Exdeath and fought Gilgamesh, Exdeath's lackey, only for Exdeath to banish Gilgamesh for incompetence. Upon meeting Exdeath, they appeared to defeat him, only for the remaining crystals to shatter.
The worlds merged, and the party returned to Castle Tycoon. Faris was welcomed back as Princess Sarisa, and a grand ball was held to celebrate the heiresses' return. Faris disliked her new title and get-up, and not long into the ceremony, snuck away to chase Bartz and Krile, frustrated they would run off without her and forcing them to promise never to abandon her again. Shortly after meeting Ghido again Exdeath harnessed the power of the Void and consumed Castle Tycoon, leading Faris to assume Lenna had died.
After acquiring the first of four tablets needed to obtain the twelve legendary weapons in the Pyramid of Moore, Lenna's wind drake arrived with Lenna and met with Bartz, Krile, and Faris in the Guardian Tree. Lenna was possessed by Melusine, one of the demons of the Interdimensional Rift, meaning the warriors had to defeat her first to free Lenna; Faris comforted her as she regained consciousness. Faris later traveled to her pirates' hideout, where she appeared to see Syldra. Lenna and Bartz could not see her but Krile was able not only to see her, but to communicate with her; Krile told Faris that Syldra's spirit was here and wished to still help Faris, describing her as a "kind soul" as Syldra became a summon.
After acquiring the weapons and preparing, Faris and the other Light Warriors traveled to the Interdimensional Rift to defeat Exdeath and the other demons of the Rift. Gilgamesh helped them in their battle against the last demon, and before seemingly sacrificing himself, encouraged Faris to act more like a woman "if she still knew how". The party fought Exdeath with the strength of King Tycoon and the Dawn Warrior's spirits helping defeat him. The Void disappeared and new crystals were born in the merged world, with the power of the elements returning to the planet. Faris and Lenna ran Tycoon together as royals, though Faris absconded to spend time with her pirate crew. A year later, the Light Warriors met at the Guardian Tree and vowed to continue protecting the world and the crystals.
==Characteristics==
===Appearance===
Faris has two distinct appearances: the in-game sprite and the artwork design. The in-game Faris has long, loose purple hair with a green headband and green eyes. She wears a dark blue sleeveless jacket with gold piping and a paler blue tunic with a gold belt that has a red jewel, similar to her sister's. Over the shoulders, Faris wears a baggy green shawl hiked up on the shoulders and secured with a red stone brooch. She has brown leather bracers on the forearms and matching boots.
Faris's artwork appearance (which is used for the FMV model and in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy) has a blonde ponytail with numerous wisps around the face. Faris wears a long, sleeveless black coat (cut in the manner of a nautical "captain's coat") and a striped purple scarf over a red shirt with a kilt and/or white trousers. Faris's arms have several pieces of spiked bronze armor and she has tall, black armored boots with dragon wings at the ankles. Overall, the appearance is more ornate with jewels in the armor and belt and gold embroidery on the coat.
As the princess of Tycoon, Faris wears a high ponytail and a long golden dress.
===Personality===
Faris's crystal represents courage, the essence of fire. Faris is bold, determined, brash, and rough-spoken. She is initially ruthless, to the point of holding Princess Lenna for ransom. These traits and her leadership qualities mean she commands respect among the pirate crew, who have promised to follow her to the ends of the earth. Though Faris initially joins for selfish reasons, curious to learn more about Lenna's pendant, Faris eventually bonds with the other Light Warriors, seen when she becomes closer with her sister Lenna and also with Bartz when spending time with him alone in Lix. Faris's loyalty to the Light Warriors extends as far as her being willing to follow Galuf to his world, despite being warned it would be a one-way trip.
Though Faris has embraced her role as pirate captain, she runs from and shuns her past as the eldest daughter of King Tycoon. Faris is initially defensive of and ashamed of her gender, and the next morning after it is revealed to the others, she doubles down harder on her usual traits, which the others respect. Faris hides from Lenna that they are sisters even when Lenna suspects it, only owning up to it to her later after encountering King Tycoon in Gohn, and even then choosing to conceal her identity as Princess Sarisa. Although Faris later accepts her royal heritage and assumes the throne at Tycoon with Lenna, she still escapes the first chance she gets, believing she is not cut out for royalty.
Beneath Faris's brash and rough-spoken persona, she has a caring side that she reveals for Syldra, Lenna, and King Tycoon. Faris has a deep bond with Syldra, likening her to a sibling, and showing immense distress at her death. Faris's actual sibling, Lenna, becomes close to her later. Faris is protective of Lenna, rushing to her defense in the North Mountain when Lenna is attacked by Magissa. Lenna suspects all along that Faris is her sister, though Faris hides it at first; after owning up to it, the two form a sisterly bond talking about their past life. Despite being separated from King Tycoon much of her life, Faris expresses a love for the king too and calls him "papa", and later on protects him even when he is possessed.
===Abilities===
As a Light Warrior, Faris has access to all the jobs learned from the the crystal fragments which store powers of warriors of legend. Access to these powers allows Faris and the other Light Warriors to mix them to combinations that suit the current battle plan. Faris later acquired the twelve legendary weapons that had previously been used to defeat the warlock Enuo one thousand years ago.
Faris's main strength is her leadership skills. Faris commands great respect of her pirate crew, who rarely question her orders even if they confuse them, and who have promised to follow her wherever she needs them.
==Gameplay==
Faris is the second-most available party member after Bartz, so making her fill a role not covered by Bartz (a healer if Bartz is, or a fighter if Bartz is not) is beneficial. She has good Agility, and her stats are average or balanced compare to the other party members. As such, Faris's stats can benefit many jobs, and one way to take advantage of that is to have her fill whichever role that needs to be filled. Having her become a Red Mage or Mystic Knight can also emphasize her balanced capabilities in both Strength and Magic.
Faris has the innate element of fire, and therefore the Finisher ability, exclusive to the Gladiator job available in some versions of the game, will take this element.
===Stats===
Each playable character has slightly different base attributes. These differences will make characters perform slightly better at some jobs than others, although they are ultimately negligible, as jobs dramatically alter a character's stats and equipment and abilities are of higher importance. Faris's mixed stats mean it is not clear cut which path to take her down if a player chooses to base jobs on characters' innate stats, and as such, she should simply fill the role available.
 	Strength	Agility	Stamina	Magic
Default	27 	27 	26 	26
Highest	53 	43 	52 	59
==Musical themes==
Faris's theme is widely considered to be "Pirates Ahoy", played when the party first meets her, and can later be heard in the Pirates' Hideout.
==Other appearances==
Faris has appeared in the following games throughout the Final Fantasy series:
*Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals as a main character.
*Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII as a garb.
*Final Fantasy Dimensions II as a summon.
*Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia as a playable character.
*Theatrhythm Final Fantasy as a playable character.
*Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call as a playable character.
*Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival as a playable character.
*Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character.
*Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade as a Legend and a playable character.
*Final Fantasy Artniks as a series of cards.
*Final Fantasy All the Bravest as an optional character.
*Final Fantasy Record Keeper as a playable character.
*Final Fantasy World Wide Words as a playable character.
*Final Fantasy Brave Exvius as a summonable vision.
*War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius as a summonable vision.
*Mobius Final Fantasy as mentioned in a card description.
*World of Final Fantasy as a non-player character.
*Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a series of cards.
*Triple Triad as a series of cards.
===Other media===
In the Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls and subsequent remakes of the original Final Fantasy, Sarisa is one of the automatic names the player can choose for the Thief job.
==Behind the scenes==
Faris was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi who based her concept as a cross-dressing princess in hiding on the manga Princess Knight. Her artwork was created by Yoshitaka Amano, who described her as one of his favorite pieces of work.
Faris speaks with a pirate accent in the first official localization of Final Fantasy V for Final Fantasy Anthology. She does not speak with an accent in the game's Japanese version. Later localizations are more faithful to the original script, with Faris's pirate accent toned down and instead having her use nautical phrases to emphasize her profession.
==Gallery==
==Etymology==
 It is debatable if this was intended to be a counterpart to some other element in the game or as a metaphor of its bearer.
In the Anthology version, Faris's real name, Sarisa, is mistranslated as Salsa.
==Notes==
===Annotations===
===Citations===
de:Faris Scherwiz
it:Faris Scherwiz
pt-br:Faris Scherwiz
ru:Фарис Шервиц
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy V