Final Fantasy XV, an action role-playing video game released in November 2016, is the fifteenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series, and is thematically connected to Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy, a subseries of games linked by a common mythos which includes Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0. The world and main characters were created by Tetsuya Nomura, the game's original director. Nomura also designed the main characters, with later revisions and additional characters being designed by Yusuke Naora: other character designers involved with the game included Roberto Ferrari and Yusaku Nakaaki.
The story revolves around a conflict between the nations of Lucis and Niflheim for control of the magical Crystal. The main protagonist is Noctis Lucis Caelum, the sole heir to the throne of Lucis. On his journey, he has three companions: Gladiolus Amicitia, the heir to a family of royal bodyguards; Ignis Scientia, Noctis's strategist and personal attendant; and Prompto Argentum, a friend and schoolmate from a lower-class family. A key character is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Noctis's fiancée through an arranged marriage. Other characters include Noctis's father Regis, the king of Lucis; Cor Leonis, a famous warrior of Lucis; Iris, Gladiolus's sister; the mechanic Cindy Aurum and her grandfather Cid Sophiar, who provide services for Noctis' car, the Regalia. The main antagonist Ardyn Izunia is supported by the forces of Niflheim under emperor Iedolas Aldercapt and his chief scientist Verstael Besithia, Lunafreya's brother Ravus Nox Fleuret, and the mercenary dragoon Aranea Highwind.
Originally a spin-off game titled Final Fantasy Versus XIII, the game changed multiple times during its ten-year development cycle, including the redesign or removal of characters and story elements. Additional media and merchandise based upon the world and characters of XV have been produced, with its expanded media being dubbed the "Final Fantasy XV Universe": these include the original net animation Brotherhood, the CGI feature film Kingsglaive, numerous pieces of story-based downloadable content (DLC), and a novel The Dawn of the Future based on a cancelled second series of DLC.
Reception of its characters has been mixed; while the playable cast and its interactions have been met with frequent praise, underuse of its supporting cast and handling of female characters like Cindy were frequently criticized. It also saw commentary on its portrayal of gender roles and character disability. The additional media saw mixed reaction; Brotherhood was praised for its character development, while Kingsglaive was met with frequent criticism. The DLC episodes received varied reactions, though many critics praised their expansions on the characters.