Who's Your Favorite Final Fantasy Character?
Final Fantasy has many memorable characters. Let's talk about the ones we like best.
This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is finally here, and that calls for a Final Fantasy-themed Community Question! This week we want to know the answer to, "What's Your Favorite Final Fantasy Character?" Is it Aerith? Kefka? Someone else entirely? As it turns out, the team at USgamer has some pretty strong opinions on this subject! Here's what they had to say.
Kat Bailey, Editor-in-Chief
Train, train, take us away.Take us away, far away.
To the future we will go.
Where it leads no one knows.
I guess that your hint that my favorite character is Selphie, the endlessly cheerful girl in the yellow dress whose name has since become shorthand for vanity. She is the antidote to Squall's persistent gloominess; she wields nunchucks, and her best Limit Break is so powerful that it can defeat any enemy (unless they're undead). Basically, Selphie is a delight, and one of the big reasons that I still look back fondly on Final Fantasy 8. I still hum the train song when commuting into the city to this day (one of the many simple pleasures that I find myself missing right now).
Mathew Olson, Reporter
Final Fantasy has never been my go-to RPG series for story and characters—not knocking it, I've just never really been taken in by any of them. With that in mind, I'm going to answer this purely based off of aesthetics: I like the Black Mage. Like, specifically, the little four-color NES sprite version.
I guess you could put me down for Vivi Ornitier from Final Fantasy 9 if you really want to, but looking at some of the official character art again I can't help but feel Vivi's outfit gives off a diminutive "mom said it's my turn to play Nintendo" vibe. That's at odds with the simple, mysterious look of the dark aura and glowing eyes, which is a bit of a dealbreaker.
Eric Van Allen, News Editor
I've got a few, but Final Fantasy X's Auron stands out the most to me. Yes, he's super cool with a big sword, ditches the flask for a hip jug, and wears sunglasses like, all the time. But Auron's backstory is one that's genuinely fascinating to learn about, as the story delves into Jecht's disappearance and the cycle of Sin. He's gruff but secretly cares. And have you seen that sword?
Also, as I work my way through Final Fantasy 7 Remake, I'm really digging the members of Avalanche. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie all have much greater roles thanks to the expanded story, and the little character moments are nice. It's my first time playing FF7, so I'm looking forward to seeing if any members of this cast can take the throne in my heart. Tifa's already a frontrunner.
Nadia Oxford, Staff Writer
I will forever have a soft spot for Kain Highwind, the moody dragoon who plays second fiddle to Cecil's glory in Final Fantasy 4. I like dragoons by default; they're not an extremely useful class except in very specific situations, but by god, their armor is so cool.
Kain himself has a chilly way about him, but he doesn't actively try to be distant. He's just got problems, many problems, several of which are born of the fact he's secretly in love with Cecil's girlfriend (and eventual wife), Rosa. Final Fantasy 4: The After Years isn't a good game, but there are some nice bits of character development present in its convoluted narrative. Kain goes on a personal quest to better himself, and along the way he runs into Cecil and Rosa's son, the atrociously-named Ceodore. Despite knowing Ceodore is the son of his old flame and his rival, Kain does his best to protect him and get him back to his parents. That might not sound like much, but how many books/games/movies out there have some jackass character who treats a kid like garbage because they're the progeny of an old rival? Cough cough Professor Snape.
Anyway, Kain Highwind is great, and his "twinner," Final Fantasy 14's Estinien Wyrmblood, is also great by association. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. Don't forget to purchase some orange drink for the long ride home.
Okay, now it's your turn. Share who your favorite Final Fantasy character is in the comments!