The 10th Hour 09.26.08: Top 10 Final Fantasy Characters
Posted by Derek Robbins on 09.26.2008
In a game franchise defined by characterization, which ones are among the best? Did Cloud make the list? How about Sephiroth? There is only one way to find out!
Hello and welcome to the 10th hour…as always there are a couple of tangents I would like to go off on before I start this list.
-Well I never felt I would say this ever, I mean it…but I feel sorry for the New York Mets! Oh man, I can't believe my fingers actually moved to the precise sequence of keys. I mean, it's hard to recover from such a tough loss against a team that couldn't give a shit whether it wins or not. Tough, tough, tough loss. Oh well, hopefully we win tonight's game with Harden on the mound and also rip Milwaukee's heart out in the weekend series. I'd love for there to be a one-game playoff between the Mets and Brewers. That would just be…fabulous. Also congrats to the LA Dodgers who clinched today. If for whatever reason the Cubs fail (which they won't) I'm rooting for the Dodgers to win it all. Two words: "Greg Maddux". It's all I need to say.
-So I absolutely love Megaman IX. It's nice and challenging…and doesn't have the same problems that later NES-styled Megaman games have. You know, make the levels too long and add too much un-necessary stuff. If I had to be frank I think Megaman IX has got to be right up there with Megaman II as far as quality goes. That's awfully lofty praise coming from me.
-I happened to get a chance to play TNA Impact yesterday and…wow. I don't think the reviews said enough about just how bad that game is. It feels like everybody shares the same moveset and getting signature moves off is just plain…awkward. Look, I don't watch much TNA but I know Christian Cage and Samoa Joe don't fight the exact same fucking way. What a shame, and to think it's been in development for so long. Here's a tip Midway: Next time you have a shitty game like this why not try just not releasing it? It'll save us time and money.
Reader Comments
Well last week I discussed the top-10 most important franchises today. There seems to be a bit of confusion regarding this one as roughly 2/3 of the commenters seemed to believe that this was a top-10 franchises of all time list. You silly guys! One of these days I'm going to run a list in reverse and you'll just be like: "What? What? Huh?" Ah gee, but seriously, let's see what some of you had to say:
Jed seems angry!
Halo.
Seriously.
Over Zelda, Madden and Mario.
Bull. Fucking. Shit.
As far as today goes? Yep. All three are probably more important than Halo in the long-term but right now? If there was no Halo there would be no X-Box. Simple as that.
JR demands there be Sonic!
Great list, I think the only missing franchise on here was Sonic.
Remember, Sonic was to Sega what Halo is to Microsoft. When the Genesis first came out, it was viewed as a niche system. Sonic made Nintendo stand up and take notice as Sega's franchise character.
One can argue that without Sonic, there would be no video game console war.
I always give Sonic too much credit, but considering it was a list on gaming *today*…there was no chance that the blue blur would be on the list.
I love Sonic and I agree, if it wasn't for him there would have been no SNES/Genesis war. Just a one-sided beat-down with the SNES playing the role of the New York Yankees and the Genesis playing the role of the Boston Red Sox. Not pretty. If there was a Mt. Rushmore of gaming Sonic's head would most definitely be up there.
TR delivers unto us a solid, well-thought out comment. Shocking!
Amazing list, Mario #2? Yeah, I agree, #1...Halo? Yeah..no, wait a second...
Halo? Really? Well, I can agree that Halo saved Microsoft some years ago, but your list was about the most important franchises today. In my humble opinion the real and only #1 for this list is *deep breath*:
The Mii Franchise.
Sounds crazy? Think about it; in 2005 Nintendo seemed about to go the way of Sega: its last two consoles have finished in relative failure and were now releasing a console significantly weaker than the competition. Halo had given Microsoft the sure footing it needed to stay in the console war and Sony was a videogame juggernaut. Things looked dire for Nintendo and somehow it thrived. Was motion control the magic formula? Not really, the Power Glove suffered a swift dead and some people can still feel headaches of the Virtual Boy. What Nintendo did was a totally new approach to videogames, cue Wii Sports.
The Mii games went beyond taking games to people who usually don't play to people who wouldn't have ever imagined touching a control. They single handedly divided gamers (I personally never heard such ruckus of the hardcore vs casuals dilemma before 2006), and brought the industry upside down. And in this very second it is still scrambling to get its bearings once again.
Who would have thought that the shooter-happy Microsoft of 2005 would be releasing "Avatars" 3 years later? Sony's Home, anyone?
Crazy stuff, and all thanks to silly, limbless caricatures doing sports, or music, or getting fit, or riding cows...
You actually have a really good point here. Most any game that features miis will sell well, you know, because they appeal to a wide variety of people. It could be argued that the appeal of Wii sports has single handedly won Nintendo this "war". I say "war" in quotes because it's not so much of a war as it is Nintendo dropping nukes one the competition at this point. Just a bloody massacre.
I think the reason I left out the miis is simply because I'm not sure I'd consider them a franchise. We really don't have a "mii" line of games…but several games that allow you to use miis. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly enough because I do think you're right on this one. As far as the current console generation is concerned? 100% agree that the mii may very well be the most important. Total slip-up on my part.
Junior is mad, dammit!
Screw You... Nice games, but awful order.
MGS in 8th? Screw you again...
Halo sucks a lot, it has no good story, it has no marvellous graphics, it is just another funcking shooter that Xbots like to hype...
So, fuck ya.
I realize that it is just another "funcking" shooter with less than "marvellous" graphics…but that doesn't make it not important. I do not like Halo…telling me that Halo sucks would be like somebody vehemently defending Earthbound because of some off-color comment I say. You're preaching to the choir guys. This isn't about "best" franchises.
Mike brings out some constructive criticism.
Even though you set the criteria to be "most important today", you spent way too much time adulating the history of these games.
If we're talking today, you include Street Fighter? And contradict yourself saying it peaked with Street Fighter II?!
Madden is the clear number 2. Metal Gear has 4 games and is over. I don't know nething about WoW other than it's huge, so maybe that's number 2, but I am inclined to agree on your number 1 pick.
You have a good point about Street Fighter, I must say. I think the hype for Street Fighter IV might be getting to my head? I'm not sure…or maybe it's because I still think fighters today copy from the grand daddy of fighters. You're right though, as far as today is concerned Street Fighter being listed is dubious at best.
Madden could have placed anywhere on the list in my opinion, perhaps my own personal bias knocked it down to number 10? Metal Gear being over is irrelevant, especially considering they've practically confirmed a fifth Metal Gear Solid by now. Glad we see eye-to-eye on number one though.
Oh no! I've lost a reader! yeah…
i use to enjoy this column every week but i will no longer read this pile of garbage. i have lost all respect for you as a writer. How is Halo more imporant then Mario? If there was no Mario there would be no Halo. Mario is featured in ten games a year besically while there is a halo every few years. Mario has made more money. Mario is a better game. i just cant believe any reason why halo could be bigger than Mario.
Of course Mario is more important than Halo. All time. If you actually read my column "every week" you would know I wouldn't include Halo unless I had a good reason. I can see an argument for Mario over Halo TODAY simply because Mario is the face of the Nintendo Wii but I really don't see how people could get so offended by Halo being at number one. I mean, really…are you that surprised? The game probably the most main-stream launch date ever is number one? SHOCKING.
To those suggesting CoD 4…no. Too soon. And it's not like CoD 4 saved any consoles.
guest leads off the next comment with a fairly obvious question.
Ever heard of Half-Life? Street Fighter and Pokemon are no longer important in any degree. Street Fighter is an unevolving, old-school fighter, and Pokemon is and has been lame for years now. The title is The 10 most Imporant Franchises Today, and neither of those two are doing spectacular.The rest of the list is fine but those two are way off.
I agree with Street Fighter, perhaps that shouldn't make this list but Pokemon…seriously? I've been playing Pokemon religiously since it came out and I can assure you it is "still cool." Even though Nintendo can no longer legally print money with the license like it could back in the late nineties that doesn't mean that it isn't huge still. Pokemon titles are easily the most anticipated hand-held titles out there. I hope they keep making them for years to be quite honest. I can see you thinking how it could be lame, and to be frank I should too but nostalgia is my crippling weakness. I mean, I am to nostalgia what Paul Pierce is to knife stabbing incidents. Easily impacted. Really though, Pokemon is still quite important today.
To conclude the comments this week, we leave with an anonymous guest
i wish i was cool and hated everything that was popular like robbins
It's hard work man. First thing I do when I wake up is scour the GameFAQs forum, see what games they are really into, and claim that those games are pure shit. It's hard work, but I think I come out alright.
Seriously though, I think my love of Grand Theft Auto and Kingdom Hearts should squash all rumors of me hating everything popular. I mean, come on man! Who's ever heard of those games?
Top-10 Final Fantasy Characters
This week I'm breaking down the top-10 Final Fantasy characters. There are a couple of notes that would do you good to read. First of all, this is referring to the core Final Fantasy franchise only. This does not include spin-offs like Final Fantasy Tactics. There is no way I am going to get every character everyone loves onto this list…so feel free to supply your own list in the comment section. Also, a special apology to fans of Final Fantasy IV. Outside of one character, I don't think your game has that strong of a cast.
10-) Auron (FF X) If ever there was a human whose name could also double as plot device, Auron would probably be that human. Pretty much every ounce of story from Final Fantasy X centers around Auron. Without a doubt, if it wasn't for him there would have been no Final Fantasy X. Tidus never would have been pulled into Spira, the cycle of Sin would have kept going on and on, basically…everything would still be the same. It was Auron who kept the plot moving.
Despite essentially being a plot device he's actually a pretty compelling dude. He's loyal to a fault and always seems to be looking out for the best interests of whoever it is that he has his watchful eye on. When he becomes Yuna's guardian he's not only making sure that she is safe from all the…anti-guardian fiends out there but he's also protecting Tidus to make sure he can get into the final showdown with his father Jecht. He may be a bit of a mystery, but he's a good guy.
Auron is also involved in my personal favorite plot twist of the game. The revelation that Yunalesca killed him shortly after Braska summoned his final aeon was pretty cool and un-expected. Looking back upon the happenings of the game though, it's really no surprise considering they were foreshadowing this very event happening throughout the course of the game. He wouldn't enter the farplane, he was always absent whenever Yuna sent something…they made sure not to make it obvious but they also made sure not to mess with the plot. It makes him a pretty well written character in my eyes and is probably why so many people who play FF X come out feeling he was the true star of the game.
FF X and FF IX were both light-hearted games in comparison to the serious tones of FF VII and VIII. Auron, in my opinion, was a bit of a call-back to those games as it brought back the ultra-serious protagonist. He certainly deserved his place in the game as he helped make the main cast of characters even more well-rounded. It doesn't hurt that many consider his voice to be one of the few that are tolerable in English (Though I personally disagree, I think a lot of the cast – especially Tidus – do a great job). Auron helped make Final Fantasy X one of the most popular games ever on the Playstation 2 and he deserves a lot of credit for that. Even if he is a plot device who happens to be dead.
9-) Rydia (FF IV) - This is probably one of the few times in a video game you actually get to watch a character grow up right before your eyes. If you want something similar, I think the best example is in the anime Gurren Lagann. After episode 15 a bit of a time skip occurs and we miss out on what happens in the lives of specific characters. Rydia is a lot like that, as she gets trapped in Feymarch (which is the world of the eidolons)– with some assistance from the eidolon Leviathan – at the age of 7 and emerges later in the game several years older due to the increased passage of time in the Feymarch.
What makes her so interesting is that throughout the second half of the game you deal with an adult woman with the innocence of a child. It's interesting to see her interact to thing in an entirely new way because of how long it had been since she left the human world. The best example of this is when you encounter Edge and Rydia cries and cries while reminiscing the death of Tellah, someone who she had not only just met but also hadn't seen in year due to the passage of time in the Feymarch.
It seems that a lot of the party feels the same way about Rydia as I do, her innocence that is. She was asked to leave the lunar whale – which was heading towards the moon for the ultimate fight – but eventually convinced her way back on. After all, she was the only summoner and God knows you can't fight a final boss without a summoner! Seriously though, it's because her fellow team-mates, despite her adult appearance, regarded Rydia as a child. They wanted to protect her, and that' kind of interesting. Of course, she ended up convincing Cecil that she should indeed go, but…you know…whatever.
Rydia may not exactly be the most realistic character out there but she's one of the few that you get to see actually grow up and I quite enjoy that.
8-) Zell (FF VIII) - Final Fantasy VIII had a lot of problems as far as plot goes. Oh sure it starts out well enough…through a certain number of discs you may even be fooled into thinking the plot is good and that the love story between Squall and Rinoa is well developed! Alas…one of the worst plot-twists in the history of man-kind – and if you've played FF VIII you know damn well what I am talking about. I mean, what are the odds of that? THEY ALL KNEW EACH OTHER!? – quickly put a kibosh on that. Through that…mess, to put it nicely…one character shone through like a light. His name? Zell Dincht.
Throughout the entire course of Final Fantasy VIII Zell gives off the aura of being kind of a loser. He gets picked on all the time by Seifer and it appears that, aside from Squall, (which may be un-willing) he might not have any friends. That obviously changes through the course of the game, but that's besides the point. Zell's status doesn't get him down as, in a cast that is just as moody as can be, Zell is almost always the most chipper. I would even go as far as to call him comic relief since several of Zell's scenes are quite humorous.
Interestingly enough, Zell may be aware as to his status as he is shockingly loyal to anyone who will call him a friend. Basically, if you have a friend in Zell you'll have a friend for life and in that cast? Well, I'll take what I can get. Then again I suppose as long as you have a horde of hotdogs, I don't imagine he would be very hard to befriend.
Even though he is the victim of one of the worst plot twists of all time it doesn't change the fact that Zell is one of the most interesting characters in Final Fantasy history. A comic relief orphan who isn't at all down on his luck? Sign me up. He may not have the strongest personality, and many would argue that putting him on this list instead of a couple of other characters from other Final Fantasies is questionable…but I know that one of the things that kept me in Final Fantasy VIII and its certifiable mess of a plot was Mr. Dincht. So major props to the guy who kept me coming back.
7-) Zidane (FF IX) - Final Fantasy on the Playstation was a fairly "mature" title. Each of the main protagonists in the two playstation titles were both rather dark and complex in comparison to the older heroes (well, except perhaps Kain and Cecil). Imagine the surprise of everyone when Final Fantasy IX burst onto the scene and with it one of the most up-beat protagonists…well…ever?
What makes Zidane so intriguing is that he isn't wrapped up in his own problems like other lead protagonists (Squall), he seems legitimately concerned about others. One of my favorite scenes in any game ever is this one scene where Vivi is describing all of his problems to Zidane and he's listening intently, advising Vivi. In the end, the two pee together in the moonlight (it's never explicitly said, but you can tell due to sounds). This may sound like a simple scene at first but it gave off the air of brotherhood, like…Zidane and Vivi were brothers. For Zidane to care so much about a little kid he just met is pretty touching.
Proof that Zidane is truly like this is seen later in the game when he, oddly enough, acts out of character. When Zidane learns of his true identity, that he may not be human similar to Vivi, he freaks out on members of your party. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, I mean…would you think it peculiar if Squall started yelping at Irvine for no particular reason? No, not really. The thing is, when he sounded off on Vivi it gave you a weird feeling. Like you were shocked at what was unfolding. Would Zidane really say these things? He was a pretty interesting guy.
The reason the story revolves around Zidane is made increasingly obvious through the course of the game. He has a lot of great personality traits and is a very interesting guy. He's not just a "simple thief"…he's a complex character and deserves some attention. I believe an EGM reviewer said it best when he said: "I would sooner have Zidane over for dinner than any protagonist from the previous two Final Fantasies." I am with you there. He's just an all around great guy.
6-) Cid Highwind (FF VII) - Cid has been a recurring character name in every Final Fantasy since the second one so it only makes sense that at least one Cid would make this list, doesn't it? It just so happens that Cid Highwind comes from one of the most popular Final Fantasy titles, a game which many people feel is over-rated, but that doesn't change how awesome Cid Highwind is.
Cid embodies all of us in some way. We've all had a dream that we've fell short of. In Cid's case, he really wanted to be the first man to go into space. This was something that he not only wanted…but needed. He came so amazingly close to being that man…and he had the opportunity snatched up from under his feet. This is something that all of us can relate to…we've BEEN that guy before. It's one thing to see a video game character succeed, they all do that…but to see one fail? That's something different entirely. Cid eventually gets to accomplish that dream and it changes his outlook on life, in particular his outlook on the person who prevented him from launching in the first place, Shera. It shows some real character growth.
Cid's primary role in the game is to be the captain of the airship. He's put into the game simply so Cloud and company can fly around. To be quite honest, they could have removed Cid and had the story end roughly the same way. That's not to take away from Cid, but to be quite honest…he's not that important. HOWEVER, that doesn't make him any less awesome. In a genre full of super humans and "chosen ones" isn't it a nice relief to have a character that is simply a normal guy? Cid IS that normal guy. Cid is more likely to be more or you than someone like Cloud is.
Cid is pretty much your average character but in a world of above average…the average often gets over-looked. So here, Cid Highwind…I am giving you the credit you so richly deserve. You may be in a game where you have certifiable gaming legends such as Cloud and Sephiroth…but that doesn't matter to me. You'll always be my favorite.
5-) Tidus (FF X) - Say what you will about his "whiny" voice actor and character, I think Tidus was easily one of the most likable characters in Final Fantasy history. He shows real character growth throughout the game and to simply dismiss him as whiny proves that you never really gave the man a chance. At the beginning of the game, yeah, Tidus was a whiny kid who wanted to go home and vehemently disliked his father, Jecht. He's not exactly deplorable but to say the start of the game isn't kind to the lead protagonist is a bit of an understatement.
After a while though, Tidus starts to grow and become a different character. He is no longer whiney Tidus whose defining personality trait is "I'M A BLITZBALL PLAYER AND I HATE MY DAD". He grows into a guy that cares about the overall success of the party. He doesn't care so much about going home, which later would prove to be an impossibility, but in a selfless act cares more about Yuna and her journey than his own. I have to be honest, if I were stuck 1,000 years in the future with a bunch of people I had no prior connection to…I'm not positive I would ever give up on going home.
Another positive thing about Tidus is the fact that he has a videogame romance which can be described as fantastic. When I look at your typical videogame ‘love', you usually get two people who do shit together until suddenly the girl and guy kiss randomly and that's that. There is no build up, there is no tension, it's just "Oh, hey, cool...I love you." FF X is a bit different because through the whole game they build the Tidus and Yuna pairing. They do little things for each other throughout the game that really endears them to each other. Hell, their "being together" isn't even cemented after their dramatic kissing scene. It just signifies them being closer. When Yuna finally says "I love you" at the end of the game to Tidus it actually means something. Perhaps Garnett and Zidane from Final Fantasy IX are the only couple to quite match this level of relationship.
I also like that Tidus never really hates his father. Yes, yes, he SAYS he hates him a lot…but you can tell from his actions through the game that he really wants to help Jecht more than anything. The line at the end of the game where he admits to being proud to call him dad is further proof of this. One of the most satisfying moments in the ending is when a presumably dead Tidus gives Jecht a high-five. It was cool to see him finally accept his father.
Tidus could have been a number of things at the beginning of the game. He could have been a bad character, but through some nice character development Tidus wound up winning me over. If you want something similar play "The World Ends With You". The game's lead, Neku, has very similar development. Both are great lead characters.
- Believe it or not I have Tidus's poster on my wall.
4-) Kefka (FF VI) - There really aren't enough good things that can be said about Kefka. He made my list as the number three video game villain of all time so sure enough he would make another appearance on a list involving Final Fantasy characters. For those of you who are not acquainted with a guy who many consider to be the greatest villain in videogame history, allow me to introduce you briefly.
Most every video game has a villain. This is fact. There are rare exceptions when villains are not present but almost always when you pick up a game you can count on there being someone who is trying to do something evil. How often do they accomplish their goals? Most of the time they fizzle out before they can really get anything done, but what does Kefka do? Oh nothing, just destroy the world and declare himself king.
It's not like destroying the world was his first act of evil, though. Throughout the game he is painted as an absolutely remorseless individual who will do absolutely anything necessary to accomplish his goals. To help prove this point Kefka poisoned the water at the kingdom of Doma killing everyone there except for a loyal knight to the king, Cyan. This is roughly equivalent to Sephiroth burning Nibelheim to the ground. There's no way he would have made this list or the villains list if just for that act of villainy.
No, Kefka's conquering of the world sets him apart. You're not fighting some guy with world domination plans, a sorceress, a gigantic beast, or a God…you're fighting a man who actually conquered the world and gained significant power after doing so. He is initially portrayed as a weakling…but he eventually becomes so powerful that he resembles a god like figure. He is something else.
In my opinion Kefka is the best villain in Final Fantasy history. A lot of people would say Sephiroth, with his defining character trait being his blade, is the finest villain. He's not bad, certainly not as bad as I can make him out to be…but Kefka is just better and that is why he is the sole villain on my list.
3-) Celes (FF VI) - Allow me to give you a bit of a tip. Final Fantasy VI's cast is so strong that I probably could have slotted any character at this position…or even higher to be quite honest. It is a rare RPG where there isn't necessarily a lead character. Oh sure, a lot of people consider Terra to be the lead…but if you look at the contributions of every character to the party they all seem sort of equal. You may be asking yourself, "If that is the case, then why did you choose Celes?" The answer is quite simple. I did not wish to say "CAST OF FF VI IS NUMBER 3"…so I just chose one representative. I ended up going with who I like best, but if you're feeling particularly sore about it Terra or Locke or Sabin or Edgar or…anyone could have been here.
Celes is a former general of the Empire and is the second Magitek knight. That is to say that she was artificially infused with magic and is the only non-Terra character that can learn magic without an Esper to aid her. Throughout the game her loyalty is in question and at one point you can be convinced that she did change sides. But when push comes to shove she is on your side. When Kefka gives her a blade to strike down your party, Celes instead attacks Kefka. Good to know where she stands.
Perhaps the most endearing part about Celes, to me at least, is the fact that she is the prominent figure in the game's famous opera scene. It's such a memorable moment for me because…well…it's kind of beautiful. The music, the words, I don't know…it's touching! That scene alone really pushed me to favor her over the rest of the cast and considering how much I like them…that really says a lot.
Celes is not your typical "weak, useless" female game character. You know the kind I'm talking about, the sort that only lives for the guy they love? She's not like that and I quite enjoy it. She simply makes this list for being my favorite in a game with a particularly strong cast. You can put anyone else from the cast of FF VI and you'd probably have a good choice. Who do you think was the best character from that game?
2-) Balthier (FF XII) - Final Fantasy XII seemed to be a game that a lot of people either loved or hated. It featured a rather unique way to go about combat and almost felt at times like you weren't really in control. Some people felt that FF XII was more reminiscent to FF XI than any prior Final Fantasy and a lot of fans did not like that. Can you blame them though? You go into a game expecting one thing and you get something else. I liked it, but it's well established that I have shitty opinions so whatever.
One thing that could not be complained about was Balthier. He was an absolutely fantastic character stuck amidst a relatively under-whelming cast. I really liked Princess Ashelia but outside of that…it was very, very weak. Balthier was an interesting mix of "comic relief" and "badass". The earlier example of comic relief, Zell, would be hard to confuse with a badass. Why, I'd sooner call myself a badass than Zell. Balthier though…something about him just screams cool. He has witty retorts for just about every line someone spouts at him and has inquisitive insights about his surroundings. To compliment this he's an air pirate with a smokin' hot vierra sidekick. He lives life by the gun…and I don't know, it just seems pretty cool to me.
Throughout the game Balthier is framed in a light very similar to, in my opinion, to Diethard Reid of Code Geass. That is to say that Balthier is more interested to see how the events play out than to actually participate in the events themselves. He is more involved in the course of events, unlike Diethard, but the thing is the whole reason he gets into this situation with Ashelia and Vaan is to see where it all goes. He's not doing it for himself, he's doing it for the story.
I can comfortably say that Balthier is one of the elite few Final Fantasy characters to elicit a response of laughter. Usually sadness or something come from these games…I mean, I cried at the end of Final Fantasy IX for goodness sakes…but Balthier allowed me to feel something else which is just fantastic. In particular I enjoy his lines about regarding "the leading man". It feels like he's breaking the fourth wall. I like to see a serious series like Final Fantasy let its hair down once in a while.
Long story short, Balthier is the best comic relief character in Final Fantasy. There are characters in Lunar who can hold the claim as "best in RPG history"…but in the realm of Final Fantasy this pirate is king (KING OF THE PIRATES)
1-) Vivi Orunitia (FF IX) - Not only is the great mage my favorite Final Fantasy character of all time but he is also my favorite video game character ever. From start to finish FF IX was one of my favorite games of all time and this little mage really helped usher that feeling along. I know I would have enjoyed the game even if he wasn't there – I mean, the Garnett/Zidane stuff at the end was just ridiculously amazing – but his inclusion pushed this from "Great game" to one of my favorites ever. Probably would be in my top-20 of all time if you asked me right now.
What makes Vivi so great is that, despite not being human he is one of the most human characters in video game history. I would say behind Persona 3's Junpei Iori Vivi is the most realistic character out there. The emotions he feels throughout the game, the friendships he makes – ESPECIALLY the friendship with Zidane – just feels so real…if you had told me that Vivi's character was based off of a real person I would not hesitate to believe you for a second.
I think the thing that makes him the most real is his reaction to being mass-produced. There was no "quick-fix"…you'll see similar occurances in games or anime or…whatever where a "created" character realizes their origins and just gets over it, but Vivi understandably mopes and tries to come to terms with himself. A matter of fact, I would say his whole involvement in Final Fantasy IX was a personal quest to find out who he is, who is Vivi Orunitia the (manufactured) human?
When he discovers the black mage village you can't help but feel over-joyed for the little guy. He finds a place with people like him, where he can fit in…where he can discover the mysteries of life for himself. It's nice and touching and combining this with Vivi's overall likeability makes for one hell of a scene. The fact Vivi feels like an actual human and not some AI really helps you feel for him, helps you root for him…and seeing him happy made me happy.
As much as I love Vivi, I felt their decision at the end of the game regarding him was the correct one. It is revealed in Black Mage village that the life span of your average Black Mage is one year. That's it. Vivi is…a bit older than that. This is because he is assumed to be the prototype black mage. Instead of having him live a full, natural life the makers of the game essentially decide to kill him off at the age of nine. A long life for a black mage but not too long as to defy his fate. It is horrendously sad that he is not alive to witness the dramatic return of Zidane but I feel that his life was complete. He discovered everything there was to discover about himself and defined humanity in his own little way.
Well that's it for this week. As always you can e-mail me your comments at Dragonmaster_Alex_158@hotmail.com or you can simply leave me a comment down below. I really like reading what you have to say.
You can also add me to PSN. My ID is Croix22.
Since I am running out of time, it's absurdly close to my deadline, I'll leave you with some abbreviated links to articles across our great gaming section.
Tommy Coloma penned the final edition of The Negative Edge news Report. Please read it and let him know how much you appreciated him over the past two years.
I'm a Mets fan. I'm also a Jets, Islanders, and Knicks fan, so as you can probably tell, I've become numb to the pain of the constant failures of my teams on an annual basis.
As soon as I saw the title of this list, I knew Vivi was winning. No real problem with the order, though I never liked Tidus and wish that you at least had Steiner as an honorable mention. he was such a strict and by-the-rules goofball that it was hard not to love his character. Balthier is alright, I have yet to beat FFXII as it's one of my numerous games where I'll play a lot for a week or two and then take 6-8 months off before playing again.
Posted By: RavenTazECW (Registered) on September 26, 2008 at 12:32 AM
FUCK YEAH BALTHIER!!!1!
XII is probably my favorite Final Fantasy and Balthier is my favorite character from that game.
Also, personally I consider Locke to be the main character from FFXI. :3
Good list. I understand a lot of your choices (Cloud and Sephiroth are gigantic faggots quite frankly.)
Can't wait for FFXIII... Hopefully this one won't be as bad as the LAST FF game with a female lead protagonist.
Posted By: m8 (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 01:07 AM
Good list. I haven't really liked I Final Fantasy game that I didn't like the villain in so I'm kinda biased, but I think my 10 would be:
10.Kuja (FFIX)
9.Auron
8.Kefka
7.Vivi
6.Vincent (FFVII)
5.Terra (FFVI)
4.Locke (FFVI)
3.Aeris (FFVII) - No character is as crucial to a story as she is
2.Sephiroth (FFVII)
1.Balthier - Kick ass voice acting
Posted By: glen-dogg (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 01:25 AM
Aw I was kinda hoping for Squall near the top.
All my friends seemed to love Vivi when 8 came out, I never cared for him much myself.
You know now that i think about it, Zell reminds me a lot of Junpei from persona 3
Posted By: Post (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 01:40 AM
Never even played a final fantasy game, but couldn't help notice vivi looks remarkably like wizardmon from digimon.
Hmmmmm any way croagunk made the read worthwhile.
Also Dereck, you should do a top ten weapons of gaming. (would you class a pokeball as a weapon???)
Posted By: Matt P (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 02:52 AM
Cheers for having Rydia on your list, a definite plus.
Kefka on the other hand, still remains the most useless villain in the entire series. He's a glorified mid boss that did absolutely nothing but rearrange some furniture, and get ROFLstomped every time the party met him.
Hell, I'd even rank him below the villain who slept in a crystal the entire game he was in, while his mother committed most all the atrocities attributed to him. =p
Posted By: Raptor (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 08:01 AM
I can write my version of this column thusly:
Fran > all.
That's all I got to say.
Posted By: Sean McCabe (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Not a bad list at all. I'm still playing XII (wife got the PS2 in the divorce and I only just got a new one).
Even though it's cliche, I still absolutely love the Cloud character.
Posted By: M:-X (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 12:24 PM
I personally would have had Balthier and Auron at the top, with Yuna somewhere on the list, but hey.. Glad to see Rydia here, though.
Feel the Power.
Posted By: Christopher Warrior (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 12:31 PM
You're my hero because you left Cloud and Seperoth off the list.
Posted By: Jon (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 02:59 PM
No no no. Vivi looks like Orco from He-Man in the 80s.
Posted By: David (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Although I disagree with most of your list, I am glad you didnt include the bland as hell Cloud or overdone Sephiroth. My personal top 3 would have been Auron (X), Shadow (VI), and Kain (IV) but you are certainly entitled to your opinion
Posted By: Ultra Gepetto (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 03:48 PM
Balthier was easily my favorite FF character ever, he reminds me so much of James Bond. I'll also have to agree with you on Celes, she was my favorite from VI.
I played through X again (while my 360 was in repair) and I guess I forgot how amazing that game was. Before, I would have laughed at putting Tidus on this list, but now, I can see just how awesome he (and X) were.
Posted By: Chris (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 04:25 PM
Also, this list is a testemant to how awesome the FF series is. In the 2 years since I've played XII, I've come across, I've encountered about 1 really interesting character (Kaim from Lost Odyssey).
Posted By: Chris (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 04:28 PM
Great list. I personally would replace Tidus with Yuna, (I never liked Tidus), and Kefka falling just out of the top three was disappointing but understandable. He's also the only villain who belongs on this list. Celes representing for the FF6 party is a great pick, (the opera scene is a seminal gaming moment for me). I'd also swap Zell for Rikku, I've a soft spot for the little blond thief.
Vivi as #1? An inspired pick. I never realized how popular he was though.
Posted By: Toby (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 05:04 PM
No Aeris?!
wow.
Posted By: MissyNEVERWearsSocksWithShoes (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 05:36 PM
"Kefka on the other hand, still remains the most useless villain in the entire series. He's a glorified mid boss that did absolutely nothing but rearrange some furniture, and get ROFLstomped every time the party met him."
He killed entire villiages and did so with a smile and cackling laugh. Plus he DESTROYED THE ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD. He didn't ALMOST destroy it HE ACTUALLY FUCKING DID IT. You're an idiot.
Posted By: m8 (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 06:28 PM
I may hate Final Fantasy, and know almost nothing about it, but it seems like calling Kefka a "lousy villain" is about the dumbest thing you could ever say. Destroying the world pretty much solidifies you atop the totem pole of villains.
Actually, the fact that he is weak when you fight him makes him all the better in my mind. He manipulates people into doing his work, and is always looking for an easy way out of things. An enemy who uses his mind seems a lot cooler than some tough guy with a bone to pick.
Posted By: Drew Robbins (Registered) on September 26, 2008 at 07:52 PM
Kefka was powerless. If you're claiming that he was so great because he did the equivalence of pushing a big red button, then have at it. He was never a threat above and beyond what he could manipulate, and almost nothing he did was by his own power. I prefer villains that actually accomplish something rather than interior decoration.
Let's face it, when you look at other villains like Kuja or Jenova, Kefka comes off as the useless little clown that he is.
Posted By: Raptor (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 07:56 PM
Aeris is one of the most bland, generic heroines in video game history. I think the only reason people care about her is due to her death. That's just how I feel though.
Posted By: Derek Robbins (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 08:47 PM
"Kefka was powerless. If you're claiming that he was so great because he did the equivalence of pushing a big red button, then have at it. He was never a threat above and beyond what he could manipulate, and almost nothing he did was by his own power. I prefer villains that actually accomplish something rather than interior decoration.
Let's face it, when you look at other villains like Kuja or Jenova, Kefka comes off as the useless little clown that he is."
This list doesn't go by Most Powerful characters, just the Best, which Kefka was one of. The fact that he was so weak but actually SUCCEEDED makes him that much better. Sephiroth was oh so powerful but what results came out of his ambitions? Killing some flower selling bitch? Please.
Posted By: m8 (Guest) on September 26, 2008 at 11:40 PM
good list, I was hoping for Squall, but I was always a fan of generic Grouchy badasses, so I cnan understand why he's not on the list.
also thanks for actually liking Tidus, unlike so many others who only ever care for Grouchy badasses. I love a good romance and Tidus and Yuna's developed very well, I always tell my freinds its my favorite love story.
Posted By: Davis (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 12:12 AM
Cloud is the best FF character ever.
The way he is instantly recognised shows this, no other FF character has the same global appeal as Cloud.
Posted By: Triple J (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 12:16 AM
#1 Cecil Harvey
#2 Kain Highwind
#3 Cloud Strife
and so on....
Posted By: Cecil Harvey (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Once again. Here's a big red button that says "don't push or world gets ruined". Kefka pushed it. The world was ruined. What are the odds?
If we're talking about how much of the world was laid to waste, Kefka has nothing on Exdeath or even Emperor Palamecia. Kuja is of course the reigning champion in this regard. If you want to talk about people who actually succeeded in what they set out to do, look no further than Ultimecia.
As for Sephiroth, I'll agree that he was pretty much worthless, but that's the point. If you followed the FFVII plot closely, you'd realize that Sephiroth was not the person you were chasing across the continent. Meanwhile, the actual perpetrator was quite an awesome villain in her own right, and her skewering the flower girl is easily the most iconic death scene in the entire series.
Kefka's still useless though. A glorified mid boss does not an excellent villain make.
Posted By: Guest#7679 (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 01:29 AM
"Aeris is one of the most bland, generic heroines in video game history. I think the only reason people care about her is due to her death. That's just how I feel though."
That's where I disagree,though. Your opinion is a valid one, and not trying to knock you at all, but I personally feel if she was bland and generic, people wouldn't have cared when she died.
Posted By: MissyNEVERWearssocksWithShoes (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 03:38 AM
I am a huge New York mets fan and I just can't believe that the mets lost that game against the cubs with Murphy at third base with no outs in the 9nth inning... and to make it worse Aramis launches one to the statosphere (thanks to that good for nothing reliever Ayala) oh well thats what you get when you are a mets fan :( but now I'm rooting for your cubbies to win it all because they have proven that they were the best team in the NL all year and I am also rooting for Prince Albert to win the MVP... every journalist or fan that says Howard or Delgado (even though he's a met and he's from Puerto Rico like me) should win MVP clearly doesn't know anything about baseball... as far as final fantasy goes I am glad that Auron, Tidus, Zidane and Vivi made the list (though I am also a little dissappointed that neither Steinr or Wakka made it) FFIX and FFX are my favorite FF games and I am glad they got the the recognition they deserve.
Posted By: bimbi887 (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 05:39 AM
Kefkas is, essentially, the Joker. The look, the laugh, the mannerisms and the (lack of) intentions. He is weak physically, but has a great mind; he has henchmen galore, but cares not for one of them; and, yeah, he pushes the Big Red Button and likes it.
Strange that The Joker is seen as one of the most iconic and 'beloved' fictional characters of all time.
Posted By: Christopher Warrior (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 08:58 AM
'Kefka has nothing on Exdeath...Kuja is of course the reigning champion in this regard.'
I'd have to play 5 and 9 again, but I remember Exodus and Kuja making a mark (N-zone and Memoria), but not creating a full-fledged world of ruin like Kefka. Help me out here. I did like Exodus turning into a tree, though; that was pretty cool.
'If you want to talk about people who actually succeeded in what they set out to do, look no further than Ultimecia.'
She got the characters to go through the time-compression, yeah, but am I missing something? How did she accomplish her goal..... oh, wait, okay, I got you... she's the opposite of Chrono Trigger's Lavos. Ruling from the future and the characters have to stop her from the past. Sorry, it took me a bit to go through the story in my mind.
'If you followed the FFVII plot closely, you'd realize that Sephiroth was not the person you were chasing across the continent.'
Much as I love FF7, I felt they did a horrible job explaining this. It seriously took me several plays and reads of the script to get that Sephiroth was simply a kind-of go-between character and not the main villain. Granted, I should have payed a little more attention, but, much as I love it, the story is a mess.
Posted By: Christopher Warrior (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Yes to Vivi. IX is the most criminally underrated game of the series. Way to much emphasis is put on VII, IX blows it away. And in that vein I say, needs more Kuja.
Posted By: Matt Short (Registered) on September 27, 2008 at 09:14 AM
Kefka's far from useless OR weak. He's like the Joker in a lot of ways-- he'll kill you without you being present. Half for fun and half to gain more power for himself. He'll manipulate someone big and powerful (but DUMB) into attacking you when they never would have before. Kefka rocks as a villain.
Oh and to the people hating on Cloud & Sephy-- get over it. They're icons and that's just the way it is.
Kefka is the Velvet Underground of Final Fantasy
but
Cloud is the Beatles & Sephy is the Stones. Love or hate 'em you can't deny 'em.
Posted By: Killface (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 09:57 AM
I personally have a soft spot for Cloud and Sephiroth. I kind of understand why people don't like them, characters that are loved by the masses are bound to have non-conformist detractors. I just feel that as a pairing the dynamic is excellent between them both.
I, too, love Vivi - and I admit that his character development is greater than any other FF character - but would not have him as number one. Definitely top 5, though. Definitely a big fan of Zidane and I kind of like Kuja also. My problem with Kuja was that I felt he should have been the final boss and should have been slightly more challenging. In-game, though, he was certainly quite compelling but just had something missing, in my opinion.
I may get judged for this but VII was the first FF game I played. I have since played every FF game (Including Tactics but not XI) and I have yet to discover any characters that I regard higher than Cloud and Sephiroth.
Posted By: Chestofbarnes (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 10:05 AM
List needs more Rikku, Seifer.
Good call on Balthier...the lone highlight of a terrible game.
Horrible call on Vivi...I've taken more memorable dumps than him/her.
Posted By: Pwnage (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Good point, Missy =)
Posted By: Derek Robbins (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 01:09 PM
"Kefka's still useless though. A glorified mid boss does not an excellent villain make."
While I understand the whole "Big Red Button" deal (though I strongly disagree with it) calling him a "mid-boss" is still just plain wrong. I really have no idea why you insist on calling him that, because it makes absolutely no sense beyond the "He's a weak fighter." Not every great villian is level 99 at the start of the game. He's a great villian because he's so EVIL and has absolutely no remorse for the things he does.
Posted By: m8 (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Everyone from FFX > Everyone else
Posted By: Steve307 (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 01:55 PM
No Steiner makes me a sad picture of Csonka berries. I dunno if he was so great though. I just saw a lot of my personality in him.
Posted By: Tw.GO (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 04:12 PM
Final Fantasy X isn't a game. You spend more time watching cutscenes than you do playing.
Posted By: guest (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 05:07 PM
To "RavenTazECW"
Fuck the Mets, their a bunch of losers. Look at their GM, freaking he came out of NEWTOWN HS, a school for dumb people.
Posted By: MetsHater (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 05:36 PM
That's a bold move to make a list like that. I gave up on FFIX after an hour but i am going to give it a second chance. Cecil and Kain were amazing characters given when they came out. And Cloud set the standard for not wanting to be the hero for years to come. You should write an article on Xenogears, that was the greatest game ever.
Posted By: Repub Fanboi (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 05:39 PM
Balthier at no.2? What shit have you been smoking? That alone makes this list worthless.
Posted By: Big C (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 10:30 PM
I agree with the list for the most part, the one omission that stands out to me is Shadow. He had a great theme, was a certified bad-ass, yet also had one incredible story behind him.
Posted By: soulpower (Guest) on September 27, 2008 at 11:40 PM
horrible, disgusting, insulting list.
this is one of those, "i want to stand
out from the norm, so i'll pick
characters that don't deserve to be
here" statements.
no cloud, squall, sephiroth,
locke, terra, shadow, or cecil?
what the hell, man?
Posted By: thesonicvision (Guest) on September 28, 2008 at 12:22 AM
What exactly makes Sephiroth such a must have in every list? He burned a city down 5 years before the game started, then got owned by a common grunt and dumped into the lifestream. He spent the entire entire game itself sleeping in a bloody crystal.
Yes, FFVII's actual villain was great, but no one knows who she is. Somehow people never quite figured that part out, even though you fight her every time you run into "Sephiroth". =p
The fact that Sephiroth gets so much praise for sleeping the entire game away is quite humorous. But hey, the hype is what makes him better than equally useless villains like Kefka.
Posted By: Raptor (Guest) on September 28, 2008 at 01:11 AM
1) Zack Fair
Posted By: Guest#1415 (Guest) on September 28, 2008 at 01:17 AM
Zack Fair doesn't count because most of the time through FF VII you know him as Cloud, and he only really appears in Crisis Core. And as I said, no spin-offs.
Also, no, I was not "trying to be different". This is how I really feel. Allow me to break it down for you
Squall's personality: "..."
Cloud's personality: Zack Fair for 3/4 of the game, then generic
Sephiroths personality: His sword. Jenova was the real villain.
Locke: See description for Celes. Could have easily made the list. Celes was more of a "cast of FF VI" representative.
Terra: See description for Celes.
Shadow: lol. I hope you're joking.
Cecil: Generic.
This is how I feel and I am sorry if you disagree. As I said in the intro, I welcome you to make your own list. I admit any Final Fantasy list is imperfect because, well, it's so rich in character. I mostly went with side characters because as a whole they are more interesting than the leading characters. I appreciate your opinion though...even if it's the opposite of mine.
Posted By: Derek Robbins (Guest) on September 28, 2008 at 02:46 AM
To SonicVision
I'm sorry, but as much as I love characters like Cloud, Sephiroth and Squall, when comparing them to characters from a series of TWELVE games, they lose out to a lot of others, most of them listed here.
This list is entirely justified, and I agree with most of the statements made. To call this list 'horrible' or 'disgusting' or whatever nasty word you can think of is just obnoxious and stupid.
Great list, enjoyed reading it very much.
Posted By: Dave (Guest) on September 28, 2008 at 06:34 AM
"Auron is also involved in my personal favorite plot twist of the game. The revelation that Yunalesca killed him shortly after Braska summoned his final aeon was pretty cool and un-expected. Looking back upon the happenings of the game though, it's really no surprise considering they were foreshadowing this very event happening throughout the course of the game."
Wow, you didn't see that one coming a mile away? That was the most predictable twist in the game for me.
Posted By: Omni (Guest) on September 28, 2008 at 12:45 PM
And as I said in the first response to this column, I've become rather numb for my teams' failures. Mets were eliminated from playoff contention today (well, yesterday I suppose, it's 2:25am here), and after I just sat here a moment, I switched to football and forgot about baseball rather quickly. It's that time of the year again where I can love hockey because my Islanders haven't been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, and once December rolls around and my Isles are pretty much finished, I can get into the mood of college basketball.
I still don't like Tidus. Lulu was my favorite FFX character for two sizable reasons, haha. I liked Auron as well, but I always wondered what was wrong with his left arm. I figured it was some freak Blitzball accident.
Posted By: RavenTazECW (Registered) on September 29, 2008 at 02:31 AM
Nice to see our favorite character on the list bro. But your missing out on Kain! You needs some Kain, and Edgar love man! Oh and Locke, psh get rid of vivi, and don't forget Barret!! Long live Final Fantasy!
Posted By: Josh Rumsey (Guest) on September 29, 2008 at 11:19 PM
- Believe it or not I have Tidus's poster on my wall.
