Thancred's Eye (possible) spoiler

[Jandor]

But the issue with Thancred is that he looks different if you compare his model from 4.4 (when he first falls into a coma) to 5.3 (when he wakes up). In that time period when Thancred's soul was on the First, his body on the Source has apparently gotten a haircut and shaving that chin scruff he had.

Coma patients are typically washed, groomed and exercised. Haircuts and beards are normally trimmed as per the families wishes, I guess in this case the closest thing would probably have been Tataru. We can probably blame manic dream pixie girls again.

[Shofie]

I don't think anything is really up with it, I think it was just something they wanted to do to make him "cooler", and then decided they weren't feelin' it and wrote it out/forgot about it.

[Cilia]

I don't think anything is really up with it, I think it was just something they wanted to do to make him "cooler", and then decided they weren't feelin' it and wrote it out/forgot about it.

I agree; particularly the bolded part.

The times Thancred was shown without his headband eyepatch between 3.1 and 4.4 can be counted on one hand. As far as I know the only time it was shown was when he and Krile were infiltrating Castrum Meridianum to trace Minfilia's aetherial trail. Considering that it's highly doubtful the devs remembered that little detail, and given no attention was ever brought to it either way I don't see why this warrants attention.

The devs forget things too. In charge of a fictional world as they may be, they're people.