Noctis has short, spiky, black hair and blue eyes. Although, according to Nomura, his hair and eyes can change color along with his emotions and actions in battle.
Noctis is said to be a very shy person, but he initially tries to hide this by "acting cool". According to director Tetsuya Nomura, Noctis will not have the "Cloud-like" personality that people are currently expecting. Instead, he will be a type of character that has not yet been seen in the series, one which Nomura has wanted to try out for a long time. Nomura says that Noctis will have a strong and distinctive personality, and will absolutely not be a "silent, gloomy little boy". In a recent Dengeki interview, Nomura explained that Noctis is not cool, but rather an ordinary young man who acts tough because he feels that it is his duty to protect his kingdom and its citizens. As a result, he sometimes acts rashly or overestimates his own strength.
In the Tokyo Game Show footage, Noctis has a short conversation with Stella about the two of them seeing a form of "light". Stella goes on to explain the legend of Tenebrae, which states that when a person is able to see the "light", they will receive the powers of the dead from the Goddess Etro. The footage was shown to give people a brief idea of what the two characters' personalities are going to be like. In the footage, Noctis also speaks directly to the painting of the goddess, asking who she is.
In the Square Enix 1st Production Department Premier trailer, he is heard speaking for the first time. He is awoken by his driver and taken through a restricted area which has been blocked off by authorities. In the distance, a skyscraper is being occupied by mysterious airships. Throughout the trailer, he is seen fighting off an invading military force along with his companions. He suggests that they launch an immediate assault to recapture the crystal, and that he will use his strength to defeat their enemies. His allies caution him against it, saying that he is not strong enough and that, as a target, he will only endanger the civilians. At the conclusion of the trailer, Noctis asks Ignis if he has come up with a way to exact tenfold vengeance, to which Ignis replies that he is going to find a way to instead return it a hundredfold.