In terms of story,Final Fantasyis mostly straightforward. Each entry has a plucky party of heroes, and they team up to overcome a hellish villain dabbling in ancient powers. The characters all have nuances setting them apart from each other, and often, their morality and roles in the tale are clearly defined. Not all of them are so cut-and-dry, though.
SomeFinal Fantasycharacters are anti-heroes, characters who may use unscrupulous methods to accomplish their goals. Even if they help the mainline protagonists against a greater threat, their path to heroism is never straight. Their journeys blur the line between good and evil. As a result, they’re some of the most fascinating figures in the franchise.
To track down the wayward Prince Noctis, the evil Niflheim Empire hiresAranea Highwindas a mercenary. Her dragoon fighting style makes her more than a match for both the young royal and his road-trip buddies. Despite her skill, her personality is easygoing with a hint of mischief. She’s just doing a job. It doesn’t matter if that job involves hunting the heroes orhelping them through an ancient temple. She does whatever her sinister superiors require, but she does draw the line somewhere.
That line comes with the Empire’s experimentation on humans. Aranea despises the concept and its supporters, and that disdain leads her to leave Niflheim. From then on, she devotes herself to defending innocents from the Empire’s daemon hordes. She even aids the heroes in stopping her former bosses. It’s good to know that money can’t buy human decency.
Another Highwind,Kainis a dragon knight of the Baron kingdom. He executes his duties without question, but that philosophy becomes a problem when his orders get more and more immoral.
Like the Baron king,Kain soon falls under the spell of the malicious Golbez. He spends much of the game doing the villain’s bidding, clashing with Cecil Harvey and the other heroes at various points. His friends try to reach him, but he rebuffs them. He barks his master’s orders and leaves. Even when he supposedly breaks free, his mind becomes ensnared once again. This behavior makes it clear that he’s a puppet. Thankfully, Golez releases his strings and casts him aside, freeing him to choose his own path. From here, Kain strives for redemption by joining the party on a permanent basis. Together, they stop both Golbez and his own demonic master.
Kain’s journey doesn’t end there, though. The warrior leaves to seek further penance, and he undertakes the same mountain trial as Cecil. Only by going from Dark Knight to Paladin can he face his brother in arms. These actions show devotion and a genuine desire to improve, which are admirable first steps.
At first glance,Kujaappears to be an all-out villain. He manipulates multiple nations into war, and he tries to weaponize ancient powers to cause countless deaths. However, these actions are all part of his personal rebellion.
This poor pawn was engineered as a biological weapon by an alien warlord. Deemed a failure, he has a short lifespan, sohe lashes out at both his creator and the world. Having such a gruesome fate predetermined would make anyone angry. Kuja just wants to live. The heroic Zidane (also bred as a bio-weapon) recognizes that, and risks his own life to save his one-time enemy. The would-be conqueror later returns the favor.
The two rivals meet again in the spin-offDissidiagames. Despite being picked as Zidane’s villainous counterpart, Kuja charts his own path. He even aids the other heroes, helping them escape from collapsing realms and bloodthirsty baddies. He’s determined not to be what he was made for. One has to respect that drive on some level.
Pirates usually make for fun and ambiguous characters, andBalthierfits that bill.The sky captainintroduces himself by robbing the palace treasury. He tries to steal the loot right out from under Vaan, a street thief also attempting a heist. His only goal seems to be profit, as he looks for an angle in every situation. This behavior keeps people at a distance. Whenever someone tries to connect with him, he laughs it off with smooth one-liners.
Balthier sees himself as the dashing lead of a swashbuckler story. Of course, with that role comes the need for heroism. He appears to join the party’s quest out of obligation, but fans can tell he secretly believes in the cause. The fact that he tries to hide it makes him more endearing.
The Shinra Electric Power Company sends these slick fixers to covertly clean up messes. Comprised of Tseng, Reno, Rude, Elena, and others, theTurksenjoy that reputation,basking in their mafia mystique whenever they’re onscreen. Even they have standards, though. These agents are oddly selective about which orders they follow, especially when innocents are involved or bigger things are at stake. That picky preference makes them unpredictable.
As a result, an encounter with the Turks could go either way. One instance might see the party fighting them in an intense battle. At another point, they might walk away and make up some story about the fugitives escaping. Fans are constantly guessing. At least they’re entertained along the way.
Even more of a nuisance than the Turks isYuffie. This ninja constantly pesters the party members, challenging them to mock fights andstealing their materia. She commits this theft for the “glory of Wutai,” her homeland. Yuffie sees herself as a brave avenger, but she’s hopelessly immature. When things go sideways, she tries to weasel out by cutting hasty deals or breaking down in tears.
This behavior would ordinarily be obnoxious; however, Yuffie has a childlike appeal. She’s a bundle of energy, which proves infectious to both the party and the player. Fans can’t help but forgive her crimes. What’s more, they gladly accept her help, knowing that they’re doing her a favor by offering some much-needed guidance.
