Hump Day Husbandos: Prompto Argentum (Final Fantasy XV)

Previously with our Hump Day Husbandos pieces, we have touched upon the already incredibly expansive universe of Final Fantasy with both Auron of Final Fantasy X, and leading man of Final Fantasy VIII himself, Squall. I’m throwing my own two cents in this particular franchise by covering one of my very own favourite husbandos of Final Fantasy, and it probably comes as no shock for who it is if you know anything labelled with “sunshine and rainbows” is exactly my type – without fail.

Who is Prompto Argentum?

Prompto is a part of the main grouping of pals within this main series’ instalment of Final Fantasy with XV. He’s the comrade who never sets off without his cherished camera, and he is consistently willing and excited in capturing everlasting memories of their road trip together. Outside of this character-defining hobby of his, he excels at using guns in battle, and is always reliable when it comes to machinery.

Considering his genki (happy-go-lucky and energetic) personality, he is the morale booster within the group, and despite already being an pure joy to watch on screen for his over-enthusiasm, highly animated demeanour and sunny disposition, Prompto becomes so much more than just an endearing, one-note character. What an added bonus to an already absolute sweetheart!

Why we love Prompto Argentum

On countless occasions, Prompto can be extremely endearing, such as continuously running his mouth to start up any kind of conversation between his buddies to keep everyone engaged and entertained, to breaking the fourth wall with his comments comparing their side-missions to a quest from an RPG.

His playfulness is not only noticeable and appreciated by his in-game friends, but he makes plenty of references for the player to take enjoyment, such as humming the franchise’s iconic Chocobo or victory tunes.

He can also be quite a dork in a number of cases – he’s easily distracted the very few times we see him drive, he gets completely side-tracked with his thought process whenever a woman talks to him, and he can be overdramatic in his reactions to whatever may displease him, such as being around creepy-crawlies – but only for a moment! He never gives up on his primary mission of continuously supporting and putting his friends first even in these instances, because no matter how much certain adversaries or terrains affect his mental state, he is always an upstanding guy!

I probably do not have to mention how appealing his character design is, other than pointing out a specific detail I take personal satisfaction from – Prompto’s default attire is themed similarly to the rest of his friends and contains many skull motifs, and such details alongside his personality and short, blonde hair never fails to remind me of another one of my favourite video games knuckleheads: Ryuji from Persona 5. Future Hump Day Husbando piece, maybe? (You write, I publish – Ed.)

But what could possibly make us love him any more other than him being his usual cheerful and kind self? Hidden depth, that’s what!

Why you’ll love Prompto Argentum

Prompto’s infectious and seemingly never ending positivity conceals his inner turmoil of feeling unworthy to be a part of Noctis’ group, as well as having suffered from an upbringing that was lonely with no friends or family support. His backstory reveals a significant amount of damage to his self-esteem and self-worth, and he carries this baggage around with him even as an adult. He vocally acknowledges his inferiority complex due to his poor social status in comparison to his friends and belief that he is a completely average and unimpressive guy.

This backstory results in Prompto being surprisingly relatable in many ways, as he has always wanted a sense of camaraderie ever since a young age when others took little to no notice of him. It is a factor he is concerned about even as an adult, and he has clearly developed monophobia (fear of being alone) that continues to trouble him no matter how far he manages to advance in life or by improving himself. It is a highly comforting and human trait of his that hits deeply.

Additionally, there’s plenty of hidden depth that comes from the additional media surrounding Final Fantasy XV. The anime, for example, shows how he found self-motivation from weight loss, and his DLC demonstrates how he manages to overcome his fears and stand up for himself without his comrades.

Prompto was purposely designed to be an everyday kind of guy who is unable to see his own self-value as he compares himself to others at every chance he gets. He has his own demons and self-doubts that he has been dealing with throughout his lifetime, and it proves to be extremely relatable; it also adds depth to a character who was already endearing as a genki type.

But he becomes so much more by the end of Noctis’ journey. He adds so much entertainment value all on his own with whatever stupidly silly or heartfelt line he comes out with. I’ll just come out with it – I stuck with Final Fantasy XV all the way through just for him.

On a final note, it has to be mentioned somewhere – his Japanese voice actor can also be heard in a number of beloved otome games I have played: namely Isora from 7’scarlet, Victor from Code: Realize, and Shin from Amnesia: Memories. The familiarity of Tetsuya Kakihara for me was the nail in the coffin of initially debating on whether or not I’d care about Prompto — because as soon as I saw his character design and took notice of his name, it was a done deal. Who could possibly blame me?

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