As the release of Final Fantasy IX comes extremely close, more information on the game has been revealed, this time in the form of characters.

It has been disclosed that one of the playable characters, Zidane Triball, is a member of the bandit group "Tantalus". Other members include Marcus, Shina, Brank, Ruby, the cow-like brothers Zenero and Benero, and a pig-like being named Bakoo. Not much is known at this time about "Tantalus", apart from its role in taking over the Theater Airship, the "Prima Vista".

The big news that has just been released is that there is an important ninth character. Whether he/she is playable is unknown so far, but we do know that he/she is silver-haired and cold-hearted. This could possibly be the first sign of an evil character in Final Fantasy IX.

Finally, some more character information has come out, and it is only a matter of days when solid information will be released. Be sure to visit RPGamer for the latest before Final Fantasy IX is out on the streets of Japan.