Cecil from 4, Galuf from 5, Kefka from 6, Cid from 7, Quintis from 8, Eiko from 9, Magus Sisters from 10, Prishe from 11, Penelo from 12, Lightning from 13.
Best Final Fantasy Characters
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FFI: The thief/ninja.
FFIV: Cecil, Kain, Golbez, Tellah.
FFVI: Locke, Celes, Sabin, Terra, Edgar, Cyan, Gau, Shadow, Kefka... You know what, all of them, that game frickin' ROCKS.
FFVII: Sephiroth... Tifa... maybe Cloud.
FFVIII: Seifer, and only Seifer.
FFIX Vivi... maybe Steiner.
FFX: umm... Auron I guess.
All Cids... but my fav. is FFVI Cid (in case you couldn't guess).
People may tell you that there were other Final Fantasy games made after FFX... but those people are liars and any characters in those games do not exist as far as my brain is concerned.
FFIV: Cecil, Kain, Golbez, Tellah.
FFVI: Locke, Celes, Sabin, Terra, Edgar, Cyan, Gau, Shadow, Kefka... You know what, all of them, that game frickin' ROCKS.
FFVII: Sephiroth... Tifa... maybe Cloud.
FFVIII: Seifer, and only Seifer.
FFIX Vivi... maybe Steiner.
FFX: umm... Auron I guess.
All Cids... but my fav. is FFVI Cid (in case you couldn't guess).
People may tell you that there were other Final Fantasy games made after FFX... but those people are liars and any characters in those games do not exist as far as my brain is concerned.
I have three favorites that come to mind.
Celes from Final Fantasy VI is an excellent character that almost never gets brought up. Shame.
Vivi from Final Fantasy IX. Enough said.
Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII.
Celes from Final Fantasy VI is an excellent character that almost never gets brought up. Shame.
Vivi from Final Fantasy IX. Enough said.
Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII.
Favorite overall: Gilgamesh. The only being who's the exact same character in every game he's in! To quote him in V and XIII-2 respectively....
"Enough expository banter! It's time to fight like men! And women! And women who dress like men! But for me... It is morphing time!"
"About time you downloaded me and unlocked this part of the game! I thought I was going to be stuck in digital limbo forever!"
Favorite party member: Kain Highwind. I loved his conflict, how he worked to redeem himself, and the entire way he fought and carried himself. He's the reason I love spears in fantasy games, and if there's ever a Dragoon-type character in an RPG, they will be in my party, no exceptions.
"Enough expository banter! It's time to fight like men! And women! And women who dress like men! But for me... It is morphing time!"
"About time you downloaded me and unlocked this part of the game! I thought I was going to be stuck in digital limbo forever!"
Favorite party member: Kain Highwind. I loved his conflict, how he worked to redeem himself, and the entire way he fought and carried himself. He's the reason I love spears in fantasy games, and if there's ever a Dragoon-type character in an RPG, they will be in my party, no exceptions.
The Cecil/Kain/Rosa triangle from ffIV is fantastic. There hasn't been as good a cast of main characters since.
Then there's Vivi... everyone loves Vivi.
Then there's Vivi... everyone loves Vivi.
Whoo...this'll be tough.
Best Main Character: Without a doubt, Terra. I don't need to explain why, and if I do, PLAY FFVI. IT IS AWESOME!
Best Supporting Hero: Tie between Auron from FFX, for being a manly man, with an awesome attitude and that sword...and those muscles...*ahem* and Vivi Ornitier, just for being awesome. He is just a kid (personality wise), but gets so much development, and is so powerful, that it doesn't matter.
Best Villain: One song will express that nicely.
Most Underrated Character: While I'm now in doubt into whether she is underrated, or merely niche, I must throw my vote to Freya Crescent from FFIX. As said above, she is a female who manages to be a woman, without being feminine. That is so rare in games, and it is accomplished well with her. I blame her for about 25% of my being a furry.
Best Main Character: Without a doubt, Terra. I don't need to explain why, and if I do, PLAY FFVI. IT IS AWESOME!
Best Supporting Hero: Tie between Auron from FFX, for being a manly man, with an awesome attitude and that sword...and those muscles...*ahem* and Vivi Ornitier, just for being awesome. He is just a kid (personality wise), but gets so much development, and is so powerful, that it doesn't matter.
Best Villain: One song will express that nicely.
Most Underrated Character: While I'm now in doubt into whether she is underrated, or merely niche, I must throw my vote to Freya Crescent from FFIX. As said above, she is a female who manages to be a woman, without being feminine. That is so rare in games, and it is accomplished well with her. I blame her for about 25% of my being a furry.
Well, Zidane comes to mind - but since he's also the protagonist of my favourite FF game (IX), which I'll inevitably start ranting about at the drop of a "What's Your Favourite FF Game"-thread anyway, just typing his name here and leaving would be a bit of a cop-out.
So: Final Fantasy VIII. Crap game, annoying main characters, but a truly great villain:
Seifer.
A more believable villain than most, Seifer has no hidden motives to speak of except to be better than Squall (a goal he could probably achieve instantly if he'd just stop worrying about it.) You know right from the beginning who he is and why you're fighting him. There's no big reveal near the end where the more traditional villain will basically say, "...and that tragic, half-hour cutscene is why I've been kicking everybody's puppies. I know it's a good reason, but I'm still a bad person, so let's fight already!"
I also like Seifer for the sheer irony of his story. Desperate to fight his own insecurities, he embarks on a journey that could have made an epic game in its own right, never realizing that he's only destroying himself in the process - and no matter WHAT he does, no matter how far he runs, he ALWAYS ends up fighting Squall! And getting owned.
So: Final Fantasy VIII. Crap game, annoying main characters, but a truly great villain:
Seifer.
A more believable villain than most, Seifer has no hidden motives to speak of except to be better than Squall (a goal he could probably achieve instantly if he'd just stop worrying about it.) You know right from the beginning who he is and why you're fighting him. There's no big reveal near the end where the more traditional villain will basically say, "...and that tragic, half-hour cutscene is why I've been kicking everybody's puppies. I know it's a good reason, but I'm still a bad person, so let's fight already!"
I also like Seifer for the sheer irony of his story. Desperate to fight his own insecurities, he embarks on a journey that could have made an epic game in its own right, never realizing that he's only destroying himself in the process - and no matter WHAT he does, no matter how far he runs, he ALWAYS ends up fighting Squall! And getting owned.
Vivi, Balthier, Auron, Irvine, Galuf, Edge, Al-Cid...
They were my favourite playables from their respective games!
They were my favourite playables from their respective games!
I'll go down the list.
#1 Auron from FF10. Firstly I like how he plays. He's slow, tough, hits hard and ignores armored monsters. He's sphere grid gives lots of STR. Auron was easily my favorite character in FF10 for that alone. In the story he knows how things are going to play out, and so he doesn't spend time worrying about the small stuff. He always has an answer, and the answer is always simple. He's what I would call a refined and intelligent brute. Witch earns him the place as my favorite Final Fantasy character ever.
#2 Bahamut from most Final fantasy games. Even when he has no story and part in the game, he's always one of my favorite parts of it. My favorite version of Bahamut was in FF8, tho I don't like anything else about the game, I loved how Bahamut looked and attacked in that one.
#3 Kain Highwind from FF4. I didn't start out liking Kain, since he does end up betraying the hero a lot. It wasn't until I was older that I started to like him, because I got old enough to realize it was something that tortured his soul. He was a dark character, but he wasn't all emo and angst about it. An almost sad and pitiable character but still very strong and determined. What I like is that He doesn't fall into all these modern holes where he is whining bitching and moaning. To me he's got a strong mind. Not dwelling on the past, and trying to look towards the future. Because he does these things, but doesn't dwell on them, he comes in high on my list. Why is he not higher? Well his struggle is not the focus of the story, and even if it was there was not a lot he had going for him character wise other than the whole got Mind Controlled bit, witch just barely makes him a more interesting character than Cecil.
#4 Golbez from FF4. This is the villain I have the most respect for. Between him and Cecil there was actual ebb and flow to the events going on. Golbez was losing battles, but winning the war, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat at every turn. His theme was haunting and you knew shit was getting bad when you heard it. And at the end we find he's maybe not such a bad guy under his massive black armor. But he can't go back. It's like if Darth Vader lived in episode 6. What would they do with him standing around? He was literally a SYMBOL for evil. Golbez had the same problem. Tho I'm aware he did come back in After years, and was playable, and he was one of my favorites then too.
#5 Sephiroth from FF7 . I really liked How Sephiroth was depicted. He was the best. The greatest Soldier ever. The old depictions of him and in advent children His fights in advent Children are some of the best they have to offer. Fighting him in Kingdom hearts felt like a final true confrontation, because he was INCREDIBLY disappointing in FF7. The build up for him was Great, some of the best in FF history. He really felt intimidating right up until the point where you fought him and said "That's it? That's all you got? you blew up the whole universe and THAT is all the damage you could do?" Aside from that he was a very good villain, and i love to see him swinging his sword. He would have been higher on my list but he tends to lose fights very anti-climatically. And his motivation and goals are highly questionable.
#6 Kefka from FF6. Kefka is low on the list because I really like a lot of stuff that has to do with Kefka, but as a character Kefka is not stellar. He's The joker with power, lots of power. He never really becomes an interesting character outside of what he does. I love what he does, and it really paints this bleak picture that he is really turned into a god, and can do whatever he wants. That's why he gets on my list, not because I like him as a character so much as I find his actions quite good at getting his role across. He's very boring tho outside of when he's getting power, or using power. He manages to continue to be intimidating right up to the fight with him. Knowing he's still got THAT much power, really sets the stage for an epic fight.
#7 Fran from FF12. What a wonderful character this was. Shame she didn't get a bigger part in things. I really liked a lot of things she did, especially that moment when she went berserk. Fran was the only char in that game I liked at all, and I feel it was a shame she did not have a bigger role in things. Damn shame in my eyes.
#8 Tifa Lockhart from FF7. I really liked her as a female Monk. I didn't like how she held a torch for Cloud, who was barely interested in anything. I feel she was a wonderful character besides that, and some of the best moments for her are when she's seen being competent on her own. This is another case of I like the character but not her actions in context to the story.
#9 Rydia of Mist from FF4. When you meet her she's just a little girl with more potential than she realizes. As you travel with her, she becomes stronger, not just in level, but her character becomes stronger and more determined. Then she becomes much stronger when she becomes an adult. A proud and powerful woman now who has left her child hood behind. The reason she's so low on the list is, I don't generally take to magic users. I like her, but also she's not got a lot of development behind her as a character. Aside from a few things that define her, she simply does not do a lot, and has almost no role what so ever in the story.
#10 Freya Crescent. Freya is a char I kinda like, but I'm not entirely sure why. The whole waiting for her lover who forgot her is WEAK. It's piss weak IMO. It's just there to make her seem more broody? Really I wish it was scraped out then she'd be higher on my list. Other than that, she's a confident dragoon, who I liked how she leveled how she played, and all that jazz. But her main plot being about that one guy we barely ever catch a glimpse of and that's supposed to be the big draw of the char? It was lame and it dragged the character down IMO. Dragged her down to 10th place. Almost kept her off the list. But for all of how retarded her arc is, she still does a lot better than most the FF turds.
#1 Auron from FF10. Firstly I like how he plays. He's slow, tough, hits hard and ignores armored monsters. He's sphere grid gives lots of STR. Auron was easily my favorite character in FF10 for that alone. In the story he knows how things are going to play out, and so he doesn't spend time worrying about the small stuff. He always has an answer, and the answer is always simple. He's what I would call a refined and intelligent brute. Witch earns him the place as my favorite Final Fantasy character ever.
#2 Bahamut from most Final fantasy games. Even when he has no story and part in the game, he's always one of my favorite parts of it. My favorite version of Bahamut was in FF8, tho I don't like anything else about the game, I loved how Bahamut looked and attacked in that one.
#3 Kain Highwind from FF4. I didn't start out liking Kain, since he does end up betraying the hero a lot. It wasn't until I was older that I started to like him, because I got old enough to realize it was something that tortured his soul. He was a dark character, but he wasn't all emo and angst about it. An almost sad and pitiable character but still very strong and determined. What I like is that He doesn't fall into all these modern holes where he is whining bitching and moaning. To me he's got a strong mind. Not dwelling on the past, and trying to look towards the future. Because he does these things, but doesn't dwell on them, he comes in high on my list. Why is he not higher? Well his struggle is not the focus of the story, and even if it was there was not a lot he had going for him character wise other than the whole got Mind Controlled bit, witch just barely makes him a more interesting character than Cecil.
#4 Golbez from FF4. This is the villain I have the most respect for. Between him and Cecil there was actual ebb and flow to the events going on. Golbez was losing battles, but winning the war, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat at every turn. His theme was haunting and you knew shit was getting bad when you heard it. And at the end we find he's maybe not such a bad guy under his massive black armor. But he can't go back. It's like if Darth Vader lived in episode 6. What would they do with him standing around? He was literally a SYMBOL for evil. Golbez had the same problem. Tho I'm aware he did come back in After years, and was playable, and he was one of my favorites then too.
#5 Sephiroth from FF7 . I really liked How Sephiroth was depicted. He was the best. The greatest Soldier ever. The old depictions of him and in advent children His fights in advent Children are some of the best they have to offer. Fighting him in Kingdom hearts felt like a final true confrontation, because he was INCREDIBLY disappointing in FF7. The build up for him was Great, some of the best in FF history. He really felt intimidating right up until the point where you fought him and said "That's it? That's all you got? you blew up the whole universe and THAT is all the damage you could do?" Aside from that he was a very good villain, and i love to see him swinging his sword. He would have been higher on my list but he tends to lose fights very anti-climatically. And his motivation and goals are highly questionable.
#6 Kefka from FF6. Kefka is low on the list because I really like a lot of stuff that has to do with Kefka, but as a character Kefka is not stellar. He's The joker with power, lots of power. He never really becomes an interesting character outside of what he does. I love what he does, and it really paints this bleak picture that he is really turned into a god, and can do whatever he wants. That's why he gets on my list, not because I like him as a character so much as I find his actions quite good at getting his role across. He's very boring tho outside of when he's getting power, or using power. He manages to continue to be intimidating right up to the fight with him. Knowing he's still got THAT much power, really sets the stage for an epic fight.
#7 Fran from FF12. What a wonderful character this was. Shame she didn't get a bigger part in things. I really liked a lot of things she did, especially that moment when she went berserk. Fran was the only char in that game I liked at all, and I feel it was a shame she did not have a bigger role in things. Damn shame in my eyes.
#8 Tifa Lockhart from FF7. I really liked her as a female Monk. I didn't like how she held a torch for Cloud, who was barely interested in anything. I feel she was a wonderful character besides that, and some of the best moments for her are when she's seen being competent on her own. This is another case of I like the character but not her actions in context to the story.
#9 Rydia of Mist from FF4. When you meet her she's just a little girl with more potential than she realizes. As you travel with her, she becomes stronger, not just in level, but her character becomes stronger and more determined. Then she becomes much stronger when she becomes an adult. A proud and powerful woman now who has left her child hood behind. The reason she's so low on the list is, I don't generally take to magic users. I like her, but also she's not got a lot of development behind her as a character. Aside from a few things that define her, she simply does not do a lot, and has almost no role what so ever in the story.
#10 Freya Crescent. Freya is a char I kinda like, but I'm not entirely sure why. The whole waiting for her lover who forgot her is WEAK. It's piss weak IMO. It's just there to make her seem more broody? Really I wish it was scraped out then she'd be higher on my list. Other than that, she's a confident dragoon, who I liked how she leveled how she played, and all that jazz. But her main plot being about that one guy we barely ever catch a glimpse of and that's supposed to be the big draw of the char? It was lame and it dragged the character down IMO. Dragged her down to 10th place. Almost kept her off the list. But for all of how retarded her arc is, she still does a lot better than most the FF turds.
I love myself.
Also, Sephiroth - the way the character is introduced, the reverence Cloud holds for him throughout most of the game, the strength and intellect he possesses, the mental instability when he starts digging through his past, and how the game builds up to the final confrontation is just... flawless.
Kefka deserves special mention for succeeding at destroying the entire world which most villains attempt but rarely ever accomplish. Also his "Wait? Do I look like a waiter to you?" line had me in stitches.
Also, Sephiroth - the way the character is introduced, the reverence Cloud holds for him throughout most of the game, the strength and intellect he possesses, the mental instability when he starts digging through his past, and how the game builds up to the final confrontation is just... flawless.
Kefka deserves special mention for succeeding at destroying the entire world which most villains attempt but rarely ever accomplish. Also his "Wait? Do I look like a waiter to you?" line had me in stitches.
I'm pleasantly surprised at how much love Final Fantasy Tactics gets around here! Delita has to be my favorite character in terms of someone I can relate to - a man who gets so disgusted with injustice in the world that he makes it his priority to change the rules. He even admits that he's confused by his own motives sometimes.
In terms of more colorful characters (ie: characters so abnormal that they're difficult to relate to, but who are still very creative) I really like:
Balthier - obviously first and foremost because he's Han Solo mixed with Michael Fassbender. It's nice to see a character who isn't fueled by the usual Greek tragedy back story of a Final Fantasy character, and instead is happy to just be a pimp.
Vivi - the most adorable and sincere character I've ever seen in a video game, with an excellent character arc.
Red XIII - nostalgia is partly to blame for the way I view this character, but I loved having a wise, battle-hardened tiger, then figuring out he's as vulnerable as a young human male. The scene with Seto was all kinds of powerful.
Wakka - people didn't seem to like this guy, but I thought he was great. Good voice actor, overly enthusiastic and a bit of a buffoon, but ultimately trying to help. I even liked that he had racist tendencies he had to overcome - from the point of view of an islander who had his friends and family killed by Sin, who utterly believes that technology and people like the Al Bhed are causing Sin to remain, his outlook made sense. It was cool seeing him overcome it.
Jecht - you had to dig a little bit to find out who Jecht really was, and that made me appreciate him even more. I love the spheres you can find that show him going from an insecure drunk with nothing to lose to realizing the scope of the threat the world was facing. He makes the biggest sacrifice of all at the end, and when you go inside Sin and see him recreating the world from his memories and trying to hold onto his sanity while the monster around him destroys everything I felt real pity for him.
I'm not even going to get into FFVI because I'll probably just list every character. Sabin was probably my favorite.
In terms of more colorful characters (ie: characters so abnormal that they're difficult to relate to, but who are still very creative) I really like:
Balthier - obviously first and foremost because he's Han Solo mixed with Michael Fassbender. It's nice to see a character who isn't fueled by the usual Greek tragedy back story of a Final Fantasy character, and instead is happy to just be a pimp.
Vivi - the most adorable and sincere character I've ever seen in a video game, with an excellent character arc.
Red XIII - nostalgia is partly to blame for the way I view this character, but I loved having a wise, battle-hardened tiger, then figuring out he's as vulnerable as a young human male. The scene with Seto was all kinds of powerful.
Wakka - people didn't seem to like this guy, but I thought he was great. Good voice actor, overly enthusiastic and a bit of a buffoon, but ultimately trying to help. I even liked that he had racist tendencies he had to overcome - from the point of view of an islander who had his friends and family killed by Sin, who utterly believes that technology and people like the Al Bhed are causing Sin to remain, his outlook made sense. It was cool seeing him overcome it.
Jecht - you had to dig a little bit to find out who Jecht really was, and that made me appreciate him even more. I love the spheres you can find that show him going from an insecure drunk with nothing to lose to realizing the scope of the threat the world was facing. He makes the biggest sacrifice of all at the end, and when you go inside Sin and see him recreating the world from his memories and trying to hold onto his sanity while the monster around him destroys everything I felt real pity for him.
I'm not even going to get into FFVI because I'll probably just list every character. Sabin was probably my favorite.
My favourite Squeenix character would have to be the Warrior of Light from Dissidia, or WoLly as I call him. In a world where all the series' greatest villains are kicking the collective asses of the greatest heroes in the series with psychological warfare alone, he's the one guy immune to their bullshit. He has only one goal: uphold the harmony of the world, and no amount of darkness, chaos or despair will EVER stop him from achieving it.
Also, in the bonus storyline of 012, where EVERYBODY from Dissidia got their asses ripped to shreds offscreen, from the legendary heroes to the world-threatening villains, good ol' WoLly is the last one to die, and only after facing off with Feral Chaos for who knows how long.
'Cuz when you look that good, being killed by anything less than the most powerful ANYTHING in Final Fantasy history is an insult.
Also, in the bonus storyline of 012, where EVERYBODY from Dissidia got their asses ripped to shreds offscreen, from the legendary heroes to the world-threatening villains, good ol' WoLly is the last one to die, and only after facing off with Feral Chaos for who knows how long.
'Cuz when you look that good, being killed by anything less than the most powerful ANYTHING in Final Fantasy history is an insult.
Not to mention that he was funny as hell. One of the few characters ever in FF who really made me laugh out loud. A definitive favourite.wintercoat said:
My other favourites would have to be Locke, Edgar, Barret, Cloud and Balthier.
Of the women, Tifa is head and shoulders above the rest. She's like the perfect girl ever; cool, smart, can pack a punch, yet totally adores you. You don't find 'em like this in real life, lol. I also have a sweet spot for Rinoa, although I can't remember why.
And can anyone remember that pirate girl from FFV? The girl with the pink hair who everyone thought was a man at the beginning? She was pretty awesome as well.
They do have the most sleep inducing voices I've ever heard though. Especially Bash, I couldn't listen to him for more than 2 minutes without nodding off. Most of the voice acting in FF12 was pretty horrid.Daystar Clarion said:
Because they're men who look and act like men.
Not androgynous, not whiny, and don't look like they just fell out of a wardrobe.
I'm still pissed that Squeenix relegated Basch to the sidelines. Did you know he was originally the main protagonist?
I would have to say, favorite main character would be Zidane from 9, he just seems the least assholish of the ones I've played, as a kid I thought Squall was cool and FF8 will always be my sentimental favorite, but these days he just strikes me as kind of a dick,
favorite party character would have to be, Cid from 7 or Red XIII, (who on my last playthrough I named Nanaki), got a bit odd when I got to Cosmo Canyon and they questioned who Nanaki was when the locals started calling him that) the former was just hillarious and I really liked the development of the latter, though I think Steiner from 9 should get an honorable mention here, also a very well-developed character I thought
favorite villain, I'm gonna go with the old classic route and say Sephiroth, even after the over-saturation of 7 I still find the guy awesome, and I'll never forget the day I finally managed to beat him in Kingdom Hearts (though he was disappointingly easy in KH2) such a feeling of accomplishment, after about 70 attempts
favorite party character would have to be, Cid from 7 or Red XIII, (who on my last playthrough I named Nanaki), got a bit odd when I got to Cosmo Canyon and they questioned who Nanaki was when the locals started calling him that) the former was just hillarious and I really liked the development of the latter, though I think Steiner from 9 should get an honorable mention here, also a very well-developed character I thought
favorite villain, I'm gonna go with the old classic route and say Sephiroth, even after the over-saturation of 7 I still find the guy awesome, and I'll never forget the day I finally managed to beat him in Kingdom Hearts (though he was disappointingly easy in KH2) such a feeling of accomplishment, after about 70 attempts
Zidane Tribal, without a doubt. So charming, so funny, and, oddly for an FF game, a nice guy throughout. Not to say he doesn't have his dark secrets, because he does, its just that they don't make him turn into another cloud (at least, not much).
Other than that... Kefka and Celes would be my #2 and #3
Other than that... Kefka and Celes would be my #2 and #3
Too many to pick...
Cecil, Kain, Terra, Vivi, Balthier, Prishe, and of course: motherfuckin Gilgamesh.
Cecil, Kain, Terra, Vivi, Balthier, Prishe, and of course: motherfuckin Gilgamesh.