Ranking EVERY Final Fantasy Main Character 

The thing about Cloud's cold facade is that it's just "playing hero", him pretending to be cool (or rather, him acting the ideal imagine of himself). The real Cloud only surfaces when he recovers from the lifestream.

​@@SoysauceMLYou can also aee the real Cloud in Advent children

@@celuiquipeut6527 Cloud in advent children is too depressed and sombre compared to FF7.

@@SoysauceMLto be fair…he is dying

@@tylerperry5654 and his kid is dying too, and he's still getting over aerith

FF16 was terrific. I wish it got more love and maybe once it comes to more platforms it will.

FF16 has the best voice acting among all final fantasy games, so far.

@@WilliamAung true

​@@WilliamAung Ah I would say no. Its good but not that good. There are really well made scenes but since most of the game is boring side quests and these quests have poor voice acting. Main story missions are okay but side ones are horrible. Characters just felt robotic. Its like they were just reading the script without any emotion behind that voice lines.

At work I constantly have one Squall's quote in my head : "I've had it up to here with this leader thing" or more exactly the french version of this moment "ce rôle de chef me prend la tête"

Squall doesn’t get NEARLY enough credit as a main character…

that's because you guys are depressed and don't have any life goals or aspirations =/

@@selendile030 Totally! He has so many insecurities that's really relatable: "Am I doing enough?" or "Are my comrades okay with the order I gave?" and so many other quotes. He's one of the most human out there.

I played FF8 when I was a teenager and I really identified with Squall. It was that whole trying to appear mature, tough and 'together' while also juggling a lot of insecurities that come with growing up made him very relatable to me. Like Cloud you have to spend time with him before you start to see the person beneath what is initially presented to the player.

Lmao me too, even though I despise FFXIII and love FFXII, Lightning is way better. Although, I'm struggling to understand how Cloud ended up at the top like that, AND Cecil...

Being fair Lightning > all, for everything that happens to her and everything she does, but he does not take into account XIII-2 and LR or Dissidia 012, but with Cloud everything must be taken into account...

@@JorgeXY for what it's worth, I actually enjoyed FFXIII. Admitedlly the game has some heavy flaws but the soundtrack carries it hard and once you understand the story it's actually pretty excellent. Too bad you have to listen to podcasts and watch videos to decypher the story. IE. Great story PREMISE, poor execution.

I really enjoyed XII, but there really wasn't a true "main" character (as was sort of pointed out). Penelo would be the least of the group, followed by Fran in my opinion. Vaan is sort of the POV character (with Penelo as a support), but hardly involved in the events that dictate the story as it unfolds.

​@@JorgeXYBecause Cloud is the best and most complex protagonist of all final fantasy

meanwhile.... Vaan: I am Basch Fon Rensenberg of Dalmasca!!

Actually sounds impossible jeez

Vivi is obviously number 1

​@@theslugboiii5969 no either vanille or rikku

1. Sephiroth (technically playable) 2. Cid 3. Zelle

@@ricemonkey85 which cid? ;) All of them are good though so I guess all of them.

It could go any way for the top five honestly!

I don't see anything wrong with it. Monkey boy was annoying as hell, uninteresting and a pervert.

Nah Cecil and Cloud are so overrated, Squall and Zidane are more interesting and enjoyable to watch than both of em, but I was super glad to see Clive getting the respect he deserves.

@@billythenarwhal1579 100% agree on Clive. FFXVI’s narrative was the best FF story we’ve had in years and he was a large part of the reason why

Cloud is definitely not overrated but to each their own@@billythenarwhal1579

This is true! Zidane has a really great go get-em vibe to him, happy to do anything for the adventure while Tidus is a bit more whiny haha.

Yeah but the voice actor behind Clive loves FF8 and he would pick SQUALL at top 1 as best protagonist in FF Series.

Good choice!!

me too 🤣

It ain't much but it's honest work.

Jokes you on, he was #7 :( Dude never gets love.

@@selendile030 😔

Theres a ffx remake coming?

@@NineLives99999 supposedly it's next after FF7

I guess I really am the only one that HATED Tidus.

@@cassiedall6122nah, I hated him too. Weakest lead IMO but I feel a lot of people love X because it was a first for many in the series.

@@j.echevarria8630 it's just a rumor unlike FFIX remake which was actually leaked

Thank you!! Cecil is one of my faves so I gotta put him high!

I thought it was pronounced that way too. No offense but I am disappointed it isn't

Same!!! Always thought it was pronounced that. My head pulled a Zommari when I found out otherwise. 💀

You're right about Zidane. Not a huge amount of growth really until the end of the game when you find out his backstory, then he gets in a bit of a slump and his friends (who he helped through the game) come to help him. Really drives home the fact that he's the moving force of the party!

Zidane not deep as Cloud? He's as deeps as him, maybe even more at some extent, it's just that his predominant hilarious attitude hides it

@@barbara5399 Yeah, I wrote "maybe" because it depends on your opinion, as some people think Cloud is the most deep character of all (not me). Zidane is super deep as well. I love this kind of character that doesn't really need to grow or change as a person, but he influences the world around him and make others grow. I think its beautiful and he is easily my favorite

That's really kind of you to say! Thank you!

I think he was gentle, lol considering the more popular FF games (6 and ownwards), imo Squall is the worst protagonist among all of them, he is just so dated and ridiculous. The gunblade has some charm, but Squall is frozen in the "emo" era, the edgeboy leading a bad FF overall

@@RRRRRRRRR33 I don’t think you beat ff 8 if the emo bits bothered you. Not like it wasn’t understandable if you pay attention to the story. Strongly disagree.

Go talk to a wall!

Fun fact FF8 is the 5th best selling final fantasy game.

@@RRRRRRRRR33 You either didn't beat the game, or you didn't do your research. Squall is an incredible realistic character with childhood trauma who ended up overcoming the crippling effects of socially distancing one's self from everyone. Unlike hype horses like Cloud or Terra, Squall was actually pretty relatable, and his edgy attitude had a very clear explanation.

Clive sucks. 16 was a joke

​@@hotcoldman77No, it's not Your pfp is a total joke Yusuf Taiyoob.🤣💩🤡

​@@hotcoldman77your mom sucks 😂

@@hotcoldman77 FFXVI was better than anything after FFX.

I think Cloud benefits greatly in personality from the remake otherwise he’d be pretty meh to me despite the depth he had in the original. The remakes and CC really help to connect with his story more. Clive is a great character from start to finish and didn’t suffer from moody too cool syndrome that some of the modern FF characters have. I also think characters like Zidane would benefit ridiculously from a Remake. A good voice actor would really bring his already animated personality to life even more.

Okay but Balthier is the Leading Man.

Hard disagree. There are a lot of people with childhood traumas, many didn't turn out as much of a jackass as Squall did. You can reason that it is the cause of his behavior (coping with loss of mother figure), but not everyone with find it relatable. I don't have a great childhood myself but I still don't find Squall's behavior justified. Cloud's confession as well as total change in attitude felt far more reasonable and relatable, you can clearly see his personality change from selfish money loving merc (even if it's fake) to his softspoken gentle one. He even gives advice to Yuffie on motion sickness. P.S. Yes, English translation is flawed, 悪かった being translated to whatever isn't exactly accurate and some where even wrongly translated, but so is the case with FF7 (like I still think let's mosey does not do cloud justice.). And if anything a Sword with a revolver on it is far more eye catching than a big sword, imo.

@@SoysauceML With regard to how people cope with any kind of childhood trauma, everyone is different. Everyone has different responses and coping methods. So just because you might've handled life differently than Squall did, doesn't negate the fact that many people including myself sympathize with his social struggles.

Squall is just pathetic. The funniest part of the story is the headmaster gave up the garden to a 17 year old. Is that even realistic?

@@alimichalkan8046 Yes, because both Cid and Edea knew Squall was the one who was going to defeat Ultimecia, and so they thrust him into positions of leadership to get him ready for his ultimate fate. FF8 is actually a pretty detailed and deep game, despite the first impression of it.

Every squall fans are hating on cloud??? What's up with that?

I’m not at all surprised, but I did not have this same luck 😂

I totally agree with you. Ashe definitely is the most important character in that game

I actually think Vann is the most underrated main character after replaying recently as an adult. FF12's story thrives on subtlety and down to Earth characters and plotline, it's the most realistic FF, replacing science with magic and nukes with magicite. Vann along with Penelo is the actual heart of the party because they are the most mundane characters, a guy with a simple dream, and a girl who just wants to live day to day; Surrounded by the most important people in the world. And these important people seem to have lost their path and is trying to return to it, which they all eventually find because of Vann's grounded perspective pulling them out of the clouds and Penelo's empathy allowing them to open their hearts to the rest of the party. Ashe a princess who wants to take revenge using nukes, got reminded by her people, Vann and Penelo that she has a kingdom to protect, not destroy. Basch a soldier who was framed was forgiven by Vann whose brother died under his watch, found a second chance in life. Balthier and Fran, two "adults" who were actually people who didn't know their true place and purpose in the world, but Vann set Balthier straight by being the moral compass and Penelo's compassion resonated with Fran. These 2 kids became the party's driving force as they represent the future, the children that they as adults should be protecting and fighting for. And these 2 children are not backing down in the face of overwhelming odds, in fact they have a clear objective, to bring peace back to their home. Their simple motivations allowed the party to focus on what should have done and overcome their regrets and fears.

Thanks @GuyWithAnAmazingHat, I couldn't agree more. I really think FFXII's characters are really well written but more down to earth that most FF heroes. Penelo is probably the most underrated side character of the franchise

Lmfao what deep transformation. Clive is the same good noble boy from beginning to end. The most basic definition of a Mary sue

Thanks so much!!! Really appreciate!

No surprises here!!!

Great list!

I dunno about that. While the MMO's are largely a self insert, at the very least the 14 WoL has more personality and presence than FF 1-3 MC's

Zidane sucks

Zidane has always been underrated as an MC and I think, it's because of his chibi design. I mean, Cloud and Squall's design is just too cool compared to Zidane. But imo, Zidane is one of the most perfect main character for a jrpg. He's kind, cool, a little bit naughty, brave, loyal, and he cares a lot about his friends.

Totally agree with a less interesting version of Bartz! Great comparison!

You're right, I think Cecil transforms too early in the context of the game. Imagine if they re-did this game (like FF7 remake) it would be quite delayed in an effort to give a lot more context to the struggles Cecil is having in the beginning of the game. Great points, I honestly agree with that!

​@ErekLadd There a few notes before and after his transformation that I really enjoy. In particular, before he becomes a paladin, and as much as he's trying to be a good guy, violence seems to always be his first option. He focuses entirely on whatever battle is ahead, kind of to the blindness of all else. Then, when he believes that all his comrades are dead, and we get the theme of sorrow, we have DK Cecil at the strongest and most overpowered he will ever be (instant death attacks, a veritable tank's worth of HP, comparative to the monsters around) all to be faced with foes he can't beat through force, but by relying on his allies. He embraces that light, and his demeanor changes. His decisions seem more based on helping his allies and the world than stopping Golbez or Baron. And then at the very end, he's faced with the decision to hold Golbez' crimes against him or forgive him, and we see a glimmer of that darkness still in him, until he chooses to forgive. He may have changed class in Act 1, but he didn't finish his transformation till the very end.

@@se7enist Thanks for that comment - I'll have to keep that in mind during my next replay to see if I find that. But I definitely do have a different takeaway each time I play a Final Fantasy game!

I absolutely love FFT. So much so that I'm part of its modding community to this day. But in no world is he #1. Not even top 3.

*list of mainline games* "WhAt AbOuT tAcTiCs?¿?"

He’s definitely number one

@@Nerwrax15you really thought you did something here.

@@francoblu9498 main character? Highly disagree. However he isn’t the best character to me in Tactics. Delita is and always will be that dude. But as a main character Ramza was outstanding

I've never understood the issue with 8. Even though my two favorites are 6 & 7, I thought 8 was a great experience even though I hated its enemy leveling system as some bosses would be extremely annoying if you were over leveled lol Story wise, it was weird, a little convoluted, and squall was a bit lackluster as a Mc even with the coolest weapon in a final fantasy to that point. Overall, though, the game certainly isn't bad or even worse than a majority of the final fantasy games. Heck to me 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 13, 15 were easily inferior as the stories were rather bland, and the characters didn't really stand out much. Then there is 10, which excelled at a ton of things but was overly linear, and honestly, Tidus and Waka came off more annoying than anything else. It definitely benefited from when it was released more so than any other FF game as it looked amazing at the time. Haven't played 16 yet. As for 4 and 5, I never actually finished them.

​@@invisalats8418 is far better than 9, but the hive internet mind just bleats like sheep over it.

Yes! On my list they would be in a top 3 position.

I don't think he played that far into FF14 if he played it at all. He said FF4 was the only FF where you go to the moon. That was a big part of Endwalker to the point it was used in the trailer.

Cloud not being relatable to you is just a good thing. Cloud is awesome character because he is huge mess of PTSD and multiple other mental disorders.

I completely agree with this sentiment. Squall is very relatable. Just like us, people misunderstood his initially cold demeaner without realizing the person he actually is. Cloud is hyped up way too much. Without his convoluted backstory, he would be as remarkable as Lightning lol.

​​@@japan100100 Squall is relatable because he's boring. He doesn't have strong emotions or ambitions, he's a passenger in his own story until late disk 2. Before that, he's just a soldier cadet who doesn't have any obvious reason for being one, a rival without any obvious reason except the other guy is a bully, and friends and teachers that have no reason to like him that push him to do shit and he's annoyed by it all, wanting to be left alone. The first time he seems to want to do something is when they realize who Edea is and decide to fight her, and then after that he realizes he has feelings for Rinoa who has been throwing herself at him for a while. He's passive and depressed and takes a long time to break out of it. It's a simple, boring story. Relatability isn't exactly making his story better. You could say Squall has childhood trauma from being abandoned, and that's why he's a loner and goes through character growth to rely on his friends, but the story gives him AMNESIA which is some goddamn convolution of its own, and means he doesn't even remember his trauma. He's just sour and doesn't know why, which is so weak. I agree 7 is overrated, but Cloud's a much better character than Squall. He has dreams and motivation, he has friendships and enemies that make sense. He is an onion with layers that get revealed by storytelling, sometimes done poorly in flashback dumps, but at least he's interesting and it sets up several reveals and resolves plot points like why he keeps getting manipulated by Jenova and why the memories are inconsistent. The crafting of his character is loaded with payoffs like that, despite the convoluted plot to get there.

Being relatable automatically doesn't make it the best, cloud ain't supposed to be relatable he is like a metaphorically written character

@@Kira_liczan Who is best is subjective so your reasoning is irrelevant. When I say who I think is best only my reasoning matters, because its MY opinion.

Good suggestion! I should do a villains list soon!

Great suggestion! I am sure Caius Ballad from FFXIII-2 should be Top 3

Zack #1

@@ErekLadd Not Vincent? You sure?

Vivi

This has been disproven by interviews with the director

Heard this as well. FF12 is like one of the only games in the franchise I didn’t clock because I hated it. Gave it to my mate and he said Vaan has no impact in the story and there are other characters who have more impact to the plot, then remember reading up about how SE wanted target a younger audience as Balthier was deemed too old. If it’s not true I wonder where we all heard the same story from ?

What about Squall?

@Viviorkogaming Squall does go to space but he doesn't set foot on the moon. Now Meteor/Derplander DOES set foot on the moon.

Oh that's too kind thank you!!! I love your #1 - so happy to see Clive getting some love!!

I was wondering that too! X-2 isn't a spinoff or a MMO so it should be on here

​@@BJGvideosi mean. It kinda his a spin off

I agree. Waaaay too high up.

She should have been number 1 but they only judge her by the first game :P

As always, the real comedy is in the comment section.

The usual comedy is to continue overvaluing characters that are already so basic just for nostalgia.

Basic? Nostalgia? Who are you arguing with, because no one had mentioned other characters. Lightning is a poorly made and poorly received character and is the catalyst for the most controversial FF being panned as it rightfully is.

Is that why?

Zack would be up high for me, not sure where. Top 5 definitely though!

Definitely! Terra is more act 1 and celes is more the lead in world of ruin section. Could go either way!

I would strongly argue that Kefka is the main character of 6 the way Thanos is the main character of Infinity War.

Agreed Celes > Terra, but not by much. Its only because Celes is more relatable than a half Esper half human Super Saiyan. 😁

Cecil was third 😎 Thanks for tuning in!!!

Lmao I don't know why I remembered you putting him 4th and Terra 3rd 😭😭😭

I would have put Cecil at #1 lol Cecil is just one modern Remake away for everyone to acknowledge he's best boy

Tidus was an actual superstar lol he's also a pretty good person for a superstar (although his journey through Spira does have him at a low point for a big part of it so maybe he wasn't that nice before)

Technically Jecht was around butttttttt..... Ya know... I CAN STOP DRINKING WHENEVER I WANT! 😂

Not everyone goes crazy because DNA how someone thinks a character who got sold by his own mother as a slave is dull but thinks "DNA made me bad" the character isn't ...

The popular ones are 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10. I don’t know your situation but personally, I would just start with whatever you can get your hands on. 16 requires a PS5. But you can get the original 6 on a toaster (or cell phone). Most are available on Steam.

@@SaraphDarklaw 8 is popular depending on the country your in lol

Honestly.. just watch some trailers and go for the one that looks most appealing.

6,7,8 are the pinnacle of the series squaresoft were at their A game

Why did u missed out ff15. The gameplay is so fascinating.​@@SaraphDarklaw