Bartz Klauser

"Me and my chocobo just go wherever the trail leads us..."

- Bartz Klauser

Bartz Klauser (known as Butz Klauser in the Japanese version) is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy V. He is the son of one of the original Warriors of Dawn, Dorgann Klauser, and a woman named Stella. His mother died when he was young, and his father died three years before the game begins. On advice from his father, Bartz decided to wander the world.

Before the player names him, he is known as ?, or ??? in the Advance version.

Personality and Appearance
Bartz has a slim muscular build and is quite athletic. Being a wanderer, he can find his way through most terrains. He has white hair in Yoshitaka Amano's artworks, with a tight-fitting shirt and trousers with various beads and sashes. His sprite art depicts him with brown hair, wearing a simple blue tunic, white shirt and trousers, and sometimes a red cape. Bartz's eyes appear grayish or brown depending on the source. In sprite form, his eyes are blue. Officially, he is the tallest of the party in the game.

Bartz is described as "a simple wanderer." He starts his adventure without many ambitions other than to explore the world, stating that is what his father wanted, and so he initially rejects Lenna's invitation to join her. However, his conscience (along with Boko's intervention) makes him change his mind, and shortly thereafter he is chosen to be a Light Warrior by the Crystals. This role forces Bartz to mature and form a greater sense of responsibility to the world, much like his father had during his own travels. Despite the gravity of the situation, Bartz retains his easygoing and friendly nature, and usually remains levelheaded to the point of being facetious about how the others are always "going overboard" with drama. However, he cares a great deal about his friends and is still affected by his parents' death, even though he often has trouble putting his feelings into words. He makes a point to look after Krile when she joins the party. Bartz also has a fear of heights, which dates back to when he was playing "hide-and-go-seek" as a child and almost fell down from the roof of a two-story house.

Dissidia Final Fantasy focuses on the playful and carefree part of his personality, which gets him into trouble. In spite of this he still shows his "serious" side that reveals his real strength, fitting Golbez's statement that "One must find for one self, the true power that dwells within."