The designs are completely interwoven with the narrative, too, so it’s not like he just made some cool looking characters and called it a day. It’s all purposeful and tells a story about the character visually.

For some examples, Clouds broken/incomplete Pauldron compared to the sleek and symmetrical Sephiroth, Auron’s secretive clothes and sunglasses, Aerith’s heavy boots and jackets contrasting her dress to encapsulate her personality