Yooooooo! It's my first contribution to "On The Gamely", son!
Just to self-promote, here's who I am: I'm Justin, BridgewatersFinest on YouTube, BlockBuster_Guy on Twitter, and I run the world-famous "Resident Movie-(Love)er" blog -- yet another blog to which Tyler, your beloved blogmaster, contributes to.
Tyler has been up my butt for months about writing for On The Gamely (and up my butt for years prior, dating back to our carefree youth... but I digress), so I finally took the opportunity presented to me to toss out a top ten list -- which both Tyler and I will tell you, are one of our favorite things to do.
I also love RPG's. More specifically, I love Final Fantasy. And as a lover of Final Fantasy, it pains me somewhat to see what Final Fantasy has become versus what it USED to be. God, that makes me sound/feel old. To me, Final Fantasy has been subject to multiple generations -- the early years, up to entry 5, where it found its legs; these past few years and entries have arguably been the post-grad years, where it struggles to keep its identity in an ever-changing world; but the era in which I choose to address are those rebellious late-teenage-to-early-twenties years, the "Attitude Era" of Final Fantasy (for all you wrestling fans out there), which encompass Final Fantasy VI (1994) through Final Fantasy IX (2000). I prefer to dub this generation, "The Greatest Generation", in which I feel you find the best games, the best stories, and the best characters the series has to offer.
It is with this timeline in mind that I present to you...
JUSTIN'S TOP TEN (PLAYABLE)
FINAL FANTASY CHARACTERS FROM “THE GREATEST GENERATION”
Let's start by first acknowledging three characters that did not quite make the list: FF8's Quistis Trepe, FF9's Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, and FF7's Nanaki. All characters that I love, but not quite enough to put them on the list. Aight, let's get started!
#10 ::: Seifer
Almsay (FF8) – Seifer is a classmate & rival of Squall Leonhart, and later
on in the game, a multi-meeting boss character. Short-tempered and
attention-seeking, Seifer’s storyline is that of “being second-best” to Squall
(in multiple ways), eventually becoming brainwashed as Edea/Ultimicia’s “knight”.
Seifer plays almost identically to Squall, wielding a similar gunblade. Where I
think Seifer sets himself apart from Squall (and every other playable in FF8)
is the passion he displays in his character and story. Like Vegeta in
“DragonBall Z”, he always considers himself the elite, willing to go anywhere
and do anything to prove it, and his interesting point of view (that being,
Squall and the others being the evil villains, and himself being the hero)
pushes him past the rest of the game’s cast.
#9 ::: Aerith
Gainsborough (FF7) – Everybody knows Aerith’s story: a flower merchant in
Midgar, later revealed to be the last surviving Ancient (Cetra) and the
supposed key to the discovery of “The Promised Land”, has a chance meeting with
Cloud and forces him to be her “bodyguard” as protection against Shinra and the
Turks. She plays as a support character, specializing in healing and buffing
rather than offense. Aerith has arguably the most memorable death in video game
history, and the mystery surrounding her character, her relationship with
Cloud, and her own personal journey of self-discovery make her a fan favorite. Ultimately,
she ends up directly playing a key role in Gaia’s fate, but in my opinion, she
lacks the in-game longevity and playability to be considered the game’s best
character.
#8 ::: Vincent
Valentine (FF7) – Vincent is the only optional character to make the list. A
former Turk member, he seeks vengeance on Professor Hojo for the genetic
experimentation that was forced upon him and the love of his life. Vincent’s
playability is hindered by a functionally-frustrating Limit Break, transforming
him into various creatures due to the Jenova cells in his body. While the
creatures can be helpful, they can also hamper the team during crucial battles.
Much of Vincent’s story is shrouded in mystery in the game itself, but is
fleshed out in subsequent games, and the story of love, loss, guilt,
agelessness and revenge is some of the best storytelling Final Fantasy has to
offer, overcoming the functional shortcomings of the character.
#7 ::: Celes
Chere (FF6) – Celes is a former Empire general, genetically infused with magic
to become a Magitek Knight, and is rescued by Locke after she is imprisoned for
protesting the water poisoning at Doma. Celes is a popular Genji Glove choice
with me, giving her the ability to dual-wield weapons in addition to her strong
magic abilities. Aside from a personal theory about whether Celes was raped
during her incarceration (hint: we believe she was), where she becomes most
interesting is in the game’s second half, the World of Ruin. She is the first
playable character after the party is separated, is constantly being pulled in
two directions between party loyalty and her past with the Empire, and her
attempt to save Cid’s life and subsequent suicide attempt make for compelling
storytelling.
#6 ::: Terra
Branford (FF6) – Terra is the daughter of a human and an Esper, enslaved by the
Empire and exploited for her inherent magical abilities. She is the first
character to be introduced in the game, and is liberated from the Empire by
rebels in Narshe. Terra’s story is
integral to the game’s first half, as she helps facilitate the Returners’
alliance with the Espers to decimate the Empire. What I love about Terra’s
story is how it transforms from a fairly-straightforward revenge mantra after
learning of her past, to the more noble quest of making the world safe for
children during the World of Ruin. Terra is constantly cited as a critical and
fan favorite.
#5 ::: Sabin
Figaro (FF6) – Sabin is a rogue warrior, the younger brother of the king of
Figaro, Edgar. Sabin wins a rigged coin toss against his brother for the right
to refuse their father’s throne, and instead seeks the man thought to be the killer
of his trainer, Duncan. While his story may not be of the same quality as some
other characters, his high abilities land him highly on the list. Sabin is
another popular Genji Glove choice for me, due to his physical attack power,
but Sabin is an all-around beast and that’s why I really like him. He is always
on my team whenever available, and boasts the versatility to be either your top
warrior or top magic user.
#4 ::: Vivi
Ornitier (FF9) – Vivi is a black mage, who meets Zidane in Alexandria upon
travelling there to take in a performance of “I Want To Be Your Canary”,
joining Zidane to save Princess Garnet from being trapped in the Evil Forest.
As he grows more comfortable with his magical abilities, he learns the dark
truth behind his origins, and the true purpose of the Black Mages. Vivi is one
of the most sympathetic characters in Final Fantasy’s storied history. His
story and character have immense depth, while bringing to the table a
child-like demeanor that has endeared him to fans for years. Vivi’s story is a wonderful
story of redemption and of rising above the pain of the past to find a higher
purpose, and Vivi’s very existence as a black mage is a wonderful compliment to
the throwback nature of the game itself.
#3 ::: Tifa
Lockhart (FF7) – Tifa is the owner of the 7th Heaven bar in the Sector
7 slums in Midgar, and is a primary member of the eco-terrorist resistance
group AVALANCHE. A childhood friend of Cloud’s from Nibelheim, they reunite
when AVALANCHE recruits Cloud to assist in the attacks on several Shinra Mako
reactors, eventually accompanying him in his desperate search for Sephiroth. Tifa
can be described as a female version of Sabin, fighting primarily with her
fists, having been trained in martial arts by Zangan in her hometown. In my
opinion, Tifa is not only the greatest female Final Fantasy character, she
ranks among the greatest female video game characters period, both in terms of
playability within the game and of storyline. She struggles with her clear and
present affections for Cloud and her duty to him as a friend, while at the same
time acting as a mother figure to Barrett’s daughter Marlene, and an emotional
and structural support for the AVALANCHE group in the wake of Sector 7’s
destruction, and the death of Aerith. She displays strength, caring, beauty and
determination, and represents everything that a Final Fantasy character should
be.
#2 ::: Shadow
(FF6) – Shadow is a mysterious assassin and mercenary-for-hire, who bounces
back and forth between his allegiances during the first half of the game.
Shadow is always accompanied by Interceptor, his attack dog. He attacks from a
distance, and does damage by any means necessary, often throwing unused
inventory weapons at enemies for big damage. Shadow has arguably the most
interesting story in FF6. You never know when or where he might show up (often
just when you’ve forgotten about him), and your skill level as a player
literally decides whether Shadow lives into the World of Ruin, or dies on the
Floating Continent. You only ever learn about him by USING him in the game, and
only then through dream sequences, learning about his past as a train robber,
his inability to grant his partner’s death wish, his fathering of Relm in
Thamasa, living with the guilt of his past and ultimately allowing himself to
die in Kefka’s tower at the game’s end. Based on story and player experience,
Shadow is the perfect character.
#1 ::: Cloud
Strife (FF7) – Cloud begins his story as a mercenary and an EX-Soldier First
Class, who joins the AVALANCHE group to counteract Shinra’s use of Mako energy.
His primary motivation, however, soon becomes his rivalry with former comrade
Sephiroth, being drawn to find him, to gain revenge for the destruction of his
hometown, and to learn more about the moments in his past that he either cannot
remember, or which differ from the accounts of Tifa and others. Despite the
possibility of FF6’s Shadow being an objectively “better” character, Cloud has
an iconic status that sits him atop this list. Ignoring for a moment that he is
arguably the best character in the game from a playability standpoint, Cloud’s
story is highly-charged and emotional. Cloud’s is a story of a man so confident
in his own abilities and history, being fractured and broken apart through a
series of lies, false memories, and personal tragedies. In the end, Cloud
survives on nothing but personal strength and the love of those closest to him,
accepting and overcoming his past and standing up to a foe who claims himself a
God. FF7 is admittedly my favorite game of all-time, so this ranking is subject
to claims of bias; however, I genuinely feel as though Cloud is the greatest
character in the history of the franchise.
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