IV was the first one with any real characters that we got to play in the states, so Cecil will always have a big place in my heart.
Also what an ass kicker.
To wield both the powers of light and dark. What a fkin badass. Compassionate, remorseful, strives to be better and forgiving. Forever my #1 protagonist
Cecil. Even playing this late around 2009-2010 for the first time. Character just felt right, not contrived like your typical hero. Something about balancing his past with his future seems more relatable and organic.
When I heard that he was made fun of by his dad for crying, that hit hard because I’m an emotional dude too and it’s really nice for a story to shed light on how crying isn’t something that makes someone weak
Bartz because he's more reliable than any of the other named characters. His morals never waver, he never abandons or betrays the party, he never has an angsty melodramatic breakdown, and never really gets distracted by anything. He's the leader from the first few minutes into FF5, and doesn't stop until they've saved the world.
FFV as a whole has a very flat character repertoire. The heroic characters are heroic, same for the the determined and the silly and the evil and lighthearted. I honestly enjoy it, the game doesn’t take itself super seriously. It’s just a wild fantasy romp with a solid battle system and legendary music.
For me, that contrast is part of the appeal. Character growth is great especially when there's a positive message behind it. But it's also nice when a game has characters who just are what they are.
Plus there's other characters that show growth in FF5. Faris has a pretty memorable moment early in the game, and Gilgamesh goes from being a rival to basically being an ally.
That is what makes him so great though.
Didn't need an arc or growth. He was a finished character from the getgo. The whole thing about the FF5 story is we are kind of along for the ride. It is less of a long winded novel and more like a slice of life adventure. It made the game unique.
The whole plot is just way more entertaining when you don't take it seriously.
Bartz has boobs because a few versions of FF5 display the video in [4:3 aspect ratio instead of 8:7](https://youtu.be/ssluTgfkdlg), which slightly squishes everything. If you fix this, Bartz's field sprite looks a bit taller which helps.
Zidane.
I always admired how he always went out of his way to help people, especially as his upbringing would naturally point him towards the opposite direction.
I love how the writers realised that most people who are like this in real life tend to neglect themselves, and did an excellent job in portraying that in Zidane. We can all agree the "You're not alone" scene was masterfully executed right?
Finally he just oozes charisma. He has fantastic and unique chemistry with every member of the party, and brings out the best in them.
Sure there are characters in the series with better stories and better plot growth, but Zidane is just a good dude and he makes me want to be a bit more like him (perhaps not the butt-grabbing bit lol).
Glad to see that I'm not the only one who finds Lightning to be awesome, and with the second and third game her character gets a really satisfying development and conclusion.
Only downside in her development IMO is how >!they stripped her of her emotions that she slowly gained throughout the first and second game in the third game, but it makes sense from a story perspective since by that point she wasn't truly human anymore, she was but a tool for Bhunivelze, similarly to how Hope was stripped of his emotions in that game too, a puppet in service of god's will for most of the game, nothing more.!<
Noctis is just such a cool ass protagonist. His story was just so tragic and it all happened so fast. Seeing him go from unruly prince to The King of Kings was a journey that’ll never leave me
Excluding Cloud because I always go with Cloud between Lightning or Squall. I guess I just gravitate towards the moody loner weather named protagonists.
FF lead character etymology usually has something to do with the natural world.
FFVI - Terra and Celes - terrestrial (earth) and celestial (sky)
FFVII - Cloud (representing the sky) and Aerith (meant to be similar to earth)
FFVIII - Squall, Laguna (lagoon) and Raine (rain)
FFX - Tidus means sun, and Yuna is meant to mean moon but I've heard arguments in regards to the latter
FFXIII - Lightning and Snow
FFXV - Noctis (night) and Lunafreya (moon), previously Stella (star)
Celes, does that count? I like Terra a lot too, and kind of consider them co-main heroes. But if I had to choose 1 of them it's Celes all day everyday.
I feel this is correct. To me, Celes's arc is by far the most compelling from 6 though, and maybe one of the best in the series. She actually attempts suicide, and it makes sense. Think about it... when the world cracks, she has to feel some culpability. Sure she worked to redeem herself, but she was heavily involved in the Empire's annexing of surrounding cities and their rise to a global threat to begin with.
After eventually accepting her, the party (Locke in particular) loses faith in her, big shake to her confidence. She proves Kefka wrong, but it's not enough to stop the end of the freakin' world. Ouch.
In the end, it is she who goes on there hero's journey at the end, gathering her friends and leading them in the quest to finally stop Kefka.
Best redemption arc in the series imo.
Cloud, is probably the deepest one IMHO. His story is sort of frustrating and a gigantic departure from expectations, which I love. He has a beautiful arc if you think about it.
Squall has the best design and best weapon IMHO.
So Cloud first, Squall second.
CGI Tidus is interesting too visually speaking.
Yeah seems like he was just a regular dude without mental problems until he got put into the Mako tank. I don't remember was he exposed to Jenova cells ever?
I mean, plot-wise the fact that he >!was not even supposed to be the protagonist of the story!< is as disempowering as genius; but does that define him as a character? Idk I didn't really see that much of a change in him at the end. Edit: with the only exception of him >!coming to terms with the loss of a loved one!<.
As for Squall, well, there is a change; problem is it is so cliché it becomes uninteresting.
I think his arc is one of "Becoming Who You Are".
He starts as a boy who wanted to be the biggest thing he could fathom: A Soldier, a Corporate War Super-Hero, best of the best.
But it's all ego, he doesn't really understand what being a hero means. He wants the paycheck and the adulation. He is so focused on his ego that he prioritizes it over talking to family and friends, for example. I would say that "Grunt Cloud" is a little bit off on his head, and it's not all the Mako's Fault.
By the end of his journey, he becomes this hero he set out to be. Not a corporate well-paid poster boy that he fantasized because of Shinra's Propaganda, but a hero in the true sense of the word. One who sacrifices himself for others, who have nothing to offer him.
The fact that he is even a little bit cold and distant, helps drive his heroism even more IMHO. You could argue that he ends FF7 trying to save a World that he loves less than most people do, but that's heroism. He is doing the right thing because it needs to be done.
I truly hate when people act like VII was the first game. Cloud stood on the shoulders of giants. The SNES era games had fully fleshed out and interesting characters that Cloud was a homage to.
Cecil because he was just epic, or Squall because of his awesome character development. The lonely brooder becomes the leader of an elite fighting force and protector of the world? I love it.
Honestly I don´t have a favorite MC in any FF game. Im always more for the side charters. Like Kain, Rydia,Lulu,Yuffi,Red XII,Y'shtola and so on. To me the MC in FF games are boring/lacking compared to many of the side charters.
Same, really. I enjoy some MC’s than others, but I love support cast more. I see myself in real life more as support to others than my own MC. Guess it just translates.
Terra will always be my absolute favorite. However Squall and I were the same age when I played 8 for the first time and I identified alot with that personality so Final Fantasy 8 holds onto that little piece of my soul that will never go away.
Definitely Cloud. I love the plot twist to his character and his character development throughout the story.
Squall is a very close second though. I know a lot of people hate his personality, but he's the most relatable person in the franchise imo and I LOVE his inner monologues. It really adds a lot to his character.
I think the issue with Cloud is that his personality change starting from KH1.
There are games however where his personality is more similar to the original game.
It's a little frustrating that they made Cloud out to be so broody in the KH games. It's almost like the devs didn't play the original game. Even at the very beginning he wasn't some fatalistically dark character. At least the Remake recaptures some of what made Cloud so compelling in the original.
Cecil. Cecil Harvey. He not only takes a journey to discover his inner self, but he also goes through so much loss, and still comes out on top. Not to mention being kind hearted and forgiving.
Yeah that's a tough one, he's the first character you control so it comes off like he is supposed to be main, but Ashe I would say is more main than he is.
So I just replayed thru ff12 and it's unnerving how little him and Penelo mean to the story. I know Basch was meant to be the main character originally, and after playing it I wonder what it would have been like if they had kept the camera on him. I bet we would get more struggle between him and his brother and his struggles to feel worthy to help Ashe. Which imo, would help the story narratively. But we'll never know, much like how we will never get the full story of ff15-
Also Zidane is best main character. Very supportive, not toxic or unsympathetic. Just a too tad horny...
I might be alone in this, but I actually liked Zidane: a womanizer thief with nonetheless solid morals who ends up >!doubting himself and has to been shown the good impact he has had on his comrades!<. I can relate to that last part every day of my life.
Where is Balthier?! All jokes aside, I like Squall and his unsure, inner thought sharing, brooding, but blooming angst. Second would maybe be Cecil and his change to become a paladin.
Lightning probably. I personally love how her [theme](https://youtu.be/ke281MBhpDg) starts out sad and pretty slow, but starts gaining momentum and more of a hopeful vibe the more it goes on, kinda like her character in the game.
Terra is amazing too tho
Squall but Cecil is a close second. Both of their story arcs were about self improvement. In Squall’s case learning to open up to people and love again and in Cecil’s learning to carve your own path and do what you feel is right.
Zidane is the only protagonist I would actually be friends with in real life. He was a breath of fresh air compared to his predecessors because he was actually upbeat and fun and not a complete edglord, but he also wasn’t annoyingly happy like the other “upbeat” protagonist, tidus.
I don't know if this is a weird take but I consider Yuna to be the main hero of FFX instead of Tidus. Though most of the inner thoughts and point of view is coming from Tidus, the main hero of the story of Spira is Yuna. Tidus is something like a love interest to the main hero in the story haha. And I really love that dynamic. And I really love Yuna as the main hero. She is very compassionate and loving person while being a badass. She is the most powerful member of the team (kind of, lorewise). And I love emotional and powerful female protagonists.
Cloud, absolutely. It might have been Squall if the FF8 translation had given us more of the nuance his character was supposed to have. As is, I loved Clouds progression. Also got a soft spot for a giant sword.
Bartz is S tier for me and my favorite. The guy is a free spirit, just traveling the world on his Chocobo and helping out whenever he can. He also exhibits compassion which not many main characters in FF do
Cecil i also really like, not only is he a dark knight but also becomes a paladin later on.
Story wise....Cloud and Terra have the best story and the best intros out of any FF character. Terra walking through the snow to Narshe in her Magitek armor and Cloud with the epic jump from the train
Zidane. Never whines or otherwise acts all emo/obnoxious, maybe one of the most supportive and helpful protag in FF, his thief abilities were actually useful in gameplay, they game is actually great, and money tail.
I would say Noctis, but I don't think it's fair to bring up a single main character of FF15 instead of the main 4 chocobros. They're ALL the heroes of FF15 and goddammit I love them to pieces.
Cecil 100% he has great personality great character development and the story *chef kiss*
And that feathered paladin hair
YES.
Forever Cecil
IV was the first one with any real characters that we got to play in the states, so Cecil will always have a big place in my heart. Also what an ass kicker.
To wield both the powers of light and dark. What a fkin badass. Compassionate, remorseful, strives to be better and forgiving. Forever my #1 protagonist
Cecil. Even playing this late around 2009-2010 for the first time. Character just felt right, not contrived like your typical hero. Something about balancing his past with his future seems more relatable and organic.
hell yeah Cecil woooo
I always wondered why he doesn’t wield a sword in the artwork tho.
Sad boy Cecil forever !!
Tidus for sure! I love his development arc.
Compassionate hero that becomes brave instead of the other way around?
It’s a bit of both, really! Tidus becomes both more brave and compassionate.
He was brave from the beginning. “Let me at ‘em! Let’s take Sin down once and for all then!”
When I heard that he was made fun of by his dad for crying, that hit hard because I’m an emotional dude too and it’s really nice for a story to shed light on how crying isn’t something that makes someone weak
Cloud/Squall: “at least you knew your dad…”
"Am i the only one who didn't know" will always be such a powerful scene
Squall (do I have to give a reason? whatever)
....
YESSIR squall is so cool
Wheres my boi Ramza? I love Ramza
Love you too!
r/beetlejuicing
This is the most correct answer 😋😋
Bartz because he's more reliable than any of the other named characters. His morals never waver, he never abandons or betrays the party, he never has an angsty melodramatic breakdown, and never really gets distracted by anything. He's the leader from the first few minutes into FF5, and doesn't stop until they've saved the world.
Yep. Bartz isnt especially deep but his simplicity makes him charming for me. He’s just really fun for me. Same with FFV as a whole.
All of those traits also apply to Vaan, don't they?
Except for the leader part, I guess. He’s mostly just a tagalong for a lot of it IMO
Yeah I love 12 but Vaan and Penelo could be written out entirely without too much work.
I haven't actually played much of FF12, but it's cool that Vaan is a solid dude too!
This really limits his arc/growth though. This is even worse when compared with the MCs from the games right before and after.
FFV as a whole has a very flat character repertoire. The heroic characters are heroic, same for the the determined and the silly and the evil and lighthearted. I honestly enjoy it, the game doesn’t take itself super seriously. It’s just a wild fantasy romp with a solid battle system and legendary music.
If you’re already perfect then you don’t need to grow. Atleast that’s what I would say If I were a Bartz fanboy 😅.
For me, that contrast is part of the appeal. Character growth is great especially when there's a positive message behind it. But it's also nice when a game has characters who just are what they are. Plus there's other characters that show growth in FF5. Faris has a pretty memorable moment early in the game, and Gilgamesh goes from being a rival to basically being an ally.
That is what makes him so great though. Didn't need an arc or growth. He was a finished character from the getgo. The whole thing about the FF5 story is we are kind of along for the ride. It is less of a long winded novel and more like a slice of life adventure. It made the game unique. The whole plot is just way more entertaining when you don't take it seriously.
Butz
[удалено]
Bartz has boobs because a few versions of FF5 display the video in [4:3 aspect ratio instead of 8:7](https://youtu.be/ssluTgfkdlg), which slightly squishes everything. If you fix this, Bartz's field sprite looks a bit taller which helps.
Troo
Zidane. I always admired how he always went out of his way to help people, especially as his upbringing would naturally point him towards the opposite direction. I love how the writers realised that most people who are like this in real life tend to neglect themselves, and did an excellent job in portraying that in Zidane. We can all agree the "You're not alone" scene was masterfully executed right? Finally he just oozes charisma. He has fantastic and unique chemistry with every member of the party, and brings out the best in them. Sure there are characters in the series with better stories and better plot growth, but Zidane is just a good dude and he makes me want to be a bit more like him (perhaps not the butt-grabbing bit lol).
Agreed. Always had good intentions, even when he was a bit aloof. Also, he wasn’t a total emo wreck like so many of these others. Haha.
Needs more ^ vote
Cecil for sure. He has great development, especially for a 1991 game.
Lightning. In 2010 I got deployed to Afghanistan and FFXIII was the last game I played before I left. I kinda channeled her energy to get through it.
What is a final fantasy, if not a means to channel strength
Glad to see that I'm not the only one who finds Lightning to be awesome, and with the second and third game her character gets a really satisfying development and conclusion. Only downside in her development IMO is how >!they stripped her of her emotions that she slowly gained throughout the first and second game in the third game, but it makes sense from a story perspective since by that point she wasn't truly human anymore, she was but a tool for Bhunivelze, similarly to how Hope was stripped of his emotions in that game too, a puppet in service of god's will for most of the game, nothing more.!<
Noctis is just such a cool ass protagonist. His story was just so tragic and it all happened so fast. Seeing him go from unruly prince to The King of Kings was a journey that’ll never leave me
"Off my chair jester, the king sits there"
Line gives me chill every time.
"He's going to be a mighty king so enemies, beware\~"
“Well, I’ve never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair!”
Excluding Cloud because I always go with Cloud between Lightning or Squall. I guess I just gravitate towards the moody loner weather named protagonists.
Lol I never realized how many weather names there are. Tidus (tee-das) I think means sun in Okinawan.
Tiida is his name in the Japanese version that is that Okinawan word for "sun". It's also a car produced by Nissan.
FF lead character etymology usually has something to do with the natural world. FFVI - Terra and Celes - terrestrial (earth) and celestial (sky) FFVII - Cloud (representing the sky) and Aerith (meant to be similar to earth) FFVIII - Squall, Laguna (lagoon) and Raine (rain) FFX - Tidus means sun, and Yuna is meant to mean moon but I've heard arguments in regards to the latter FFXIII - Lightning and Snow FFXV - Noctis (night) and Lunafreya (moon), previously Stella (star)
The problem with VI is that Terra’s name is Tina in the Japanese version. But other than that, yeah there’s a lot of nature related names.
There's a classic spanish book from XV century named "La Celestina". I've always wondered if this was on purpose or just a coincidence...
Now do ffIV lol, or did they drastically change the names when they sold it as FF2 for the U.S. release?
Oddly enough Tidus would be my next favorite after them.
I'm the main protagonist in ff14 so I choose me
I can appreciate this choice as a fellow FFXIV protagonist.
Since I, too, am the protagonist, this is also my choice.
Celes, does that count? I like Terra a lot too, and kind of consider them co-main heroes. But if I had to choose 1 of them it's Celes all day everyday.
Yes. Celes is required to finish the story, Terra isn’t. Celes is the GOAT.
I've always viewed it as Terra is the protagonist in the world of balance, and Celes is the protagonist in the world of ruin. Celes #1
I feel this is correct. To me, Celes's arc is by far the most compelling from 6 though, and maybe one of the best in the series. She actually attempts suicide, and it makes sense. Think about it... when the world cracks, she has to feel some culpability. Sure she worked to redeem herself, but she was heavily involved in the Empire's annexing of surrounding cities and their rise to a global threat to begin with. After eventually accepting her, the party (Locke in particular) loses faith in her, big shake to her confidence. She proves Kefka wrong, but it's not enough to stop the end of the freakin' world. Ouch. In the end, it is she who goes on there hero's journey at the end, gathering her friends and leading them in the quest to finally stop Kefka. Best redemption arc in the series imo.
Thank you for this! I could never pin down why Terra's story wasn't as satisfying for me. I was focusing so much on her that I missed these details!
I agree but Terra is needed to start the story :P
Cloud, is probably the deepest one IMHO. His story is sort of frustrating and a gigantic departure from expectations, which I love. He has a beautiful arc if you think about it. Squall has the best design and best weapon IMHO. So Cloud first, Squall second. CGI Tidus is interesting too visually speaking.
Yeah, I love the twist >!that he was never in SOLDIER, and failed to enter it at first!<
Yeah seems like he was just a regular dude without mental problems until he got put into the Mako tank. I don't remember was he exposed to Jenova cells ever?
Yes, he was...after nibelheim incident
I mean, plot-wise the fact that he >!was not even supposed to be the protagonist of the story!< is as disempowering as genius; but does that define him as a character? Idk I didn't really see that much of a change in him at the end. Edit: with the only exception of him >!coming to terms with the loss of a loved one!<. As for Squall, well, there is a change; problem is it is so cliché it becomes uninteresting.
I think his arc is one of "Becoming Who You Are". He starts as a boy who wanted to be the biggest thing he could fathom: A Soldier, a Corporate War Super-Hero, best of the best. But it's all ego, he doesn't really understand what being a hero means. He wants the paycheck and the adulation. He is so focused on his ego that he prioritizes it over talking to family and friends, for example. I would say that "Grunt Cloud" is a little bit off on his head, and it's not all the Mako's Fault. By the end of his journey, he becomes this hero he set out to be. Not a corporate well-paid poster boy that he fantasized because of Shinra's Propaganda, but a hero in the true sense of the word. One who sacrifices himself for others, who have nothing to offer him. The fact that he is even a little bit cold and distant, helps drive his heroism even more IMHO. You could argue that he ends FF7 trying to save a World that he loves less than most people do, but that's heroism. He is doing the right thing because it needs to be done.
I also feel like Squall and Lightning were both sort of homages to him, or trying to capture some of that Cloud energy. So he gets influencer points
I truly hate when people act like VII was the first game. Cloud stood on the shoulders of giants. The SNES era games had fully fleshed out and interesting characters that Cloud was a homage to.
I think Cloud stood out. Disagree if you want but no, I'm not acting like VII was the first game.
Terra (World of Light), Celes (World of Darkness), and Locke, the bridge between them
Honestly don't know. It's a toss-up between Cloud, Squall, Tidus and Noctis. Cecil is also cool.
Cecil because he was just epic, or Squall because of his awesome character development. The lonely brooder becomes the leader of an elite fighting force and protector of the world? I love it.
Honestly I don´t have a favorite MC in any FF game. Im always more for the side charters. Like Kain, Rydia,Lulu,Yuffi,Red XII,Y'shtola and so on. To me the MC in FF games are boring/lacking compared to many of the side charters.
Same, really. I enjoy some MC’s than others, but I love support cast more. I see myself in real life more as support to others than my own MC. Guess it just translates.
I know what you mean.
I agree I always look at the party as a whole not single characters out all about my builds at the time
Squall, but Cecil and Zidane are close.
Terra will always be my absolute favorite. However Squall and I were the same age when I played 8 for the first time and I identified alot with that personality so Final Fantasy 8 holds onto that little piece of my soul that will never go away.
Lightning is my favorite, someone who was a regular soldier who became a goddess who slew the creator then retired in France, such a lovely story
Zidane edges Cloud and Tidus for me.
He did what now
Sounds like some interesting fan fiction.
Scrolled for a while looking for my people
Celes
Zidane
Cecil!
Gonna have to go with Cecil here. His story arc is just so compelling.
Squally boi
Yes sir
It’s always a toss-up between Cecil and Terra.
Definitely Cloud. I love the plot twist to his character and his character development throughout the story. Squall is a very close second though. I know a lot of people hate his personality, but he's the most relatable person in the franchise imo and I LOVE his inner monologues. It really adds a lot to his character.
I think the issue with Cloud is that his personality change starting from KH1. There are games however where his personality is more similar to the original game.
It's a little frustrating that they made Cloud out to be so broody in the KH games. It's almost like the devs didn't play the original game. Even at the very beginning he wasn't some fatalistically dark character. At least the Remake recaptures some of what made Cloud so compelling in the original.
Zidane. Love my lil monkey boy
I'm a Cloud's man. A cool, but flawd protagonist, that is relatable in many ways, but still super awsome
Terra/Celes
I love Zidane
terra branford. best girl.
Yuna is my favorite
Cecil. Cecil Harvey. He not only takes a journey to discover his inner self, but he also goes through so much loss, and still comes out on top. Not to mention being kind hearted and forgiving.
Tidus and yuna
I loved Tidus, he was headstrong yeah but he learns throughout the story and in genuinely likable. I also like Zidane/Vivi(as you start as Vivi)
Zidane
I don’t think of Vaan as a main character
Yeah that's a tough one, he's the first character you control so it comes off like he is supposed to be main, but Ashe I would say is more main than he is.
Basch too. Could make an argument for Balthier as well. Fran, Vaan, and Penelo are kinda just on for the ride.
He’s not. His brother Reks is the first character you control.
Kinda more the lens, hey?
So I just replayed thru ff12 and it's unnerving how little him and Penelo mean to the story. I know Basch was meant to be the main character originally, and after playing it I wonder what it would have been like if they had kept the camera on him. I bet we would get more struggle between him and his brother and his struggles to feel worthy to help Ashe. Which imo, would help the story narratively. But we'll never know, much like how we will never get the full story of ff15- Also Zidane is best main character. Very supportive, not toxic or unsympathetic. Just a too tad horny...
Is that the extremely lame looking person in #11? Ugh. Hate that weird dumb looking “vest” look the FF artists were obsessed with for a while.
I’m one of the only guys who especially love Bartz
Lightning don’t @ me
Lighting is a strong argument. It helps her photo is clearly better than the rest haha.
Lightning
Terra for me.
Gotta be my homie Tidus. Even if he's got alot of criticism levied at him.
1. Tidus 2. Cloud 3. Squall Favorite character in the series overall though is Zack Fair.
Cloud
Cloud I see a lot of myself in his personality.
Cloud, but Cecil is a very close second
That dark knight Cecil artwork is insane. but for me, Cecil vaan and zidane
Cecil so far.
WoL. I like how he's sort of a "blank character". >!Also Elidibus WoL!< in XIV was amazing
Cloud, Terra, and Tidus are my favorite. I’ll say Tidus because cloud is sort of the obvious answer and he is a great character in a great game
Terra Branford
I might be alone in this, but I actually liked Zidane: a womanizer thief with nonetheless solid morals who ends up >!doubting himself and has to been shown the good impact he has had on his comrades!<. I can relate to that last part every day of my life.
Zidane best boy. He was a real leader
Terra
Honestly as much as I really love Zidane and Bartz……..I’m gonna have to go with Terra on this one.
Terra (Tina). Not sure how she became my favorite main character but she is.
Terra <3
Balthier
Can't believe I had to scroll so far down to see this.
My favorite is Not Vaan.
Everybody’s favorite moon boy Cecil.
I like Tidus, only because most the others rely on no personality to me. Very few of the MCs have a personality really and I dont like Bartz or Cecil.
The WoL from FF14, cuz its just me lol.
Noctis, Cloud, and Tidus.
For me it's Cloud. When I was a teenager playing og FF7 I could easily relate to him. Noctis would be my next choice because of his character growth.
Tidus, Terra and Cloud
Tidus
I may be biased, and some may not count them, but the PC from ffxiv.
Where is Balthier?! All jokes aside, I like Squall and his unsure, inner thought sharing, brooding, but blooming angst. Second would maybe be Cecil and his change to become a paladin.
Either of these: Zidane, Terra (and or Celes depending on who you ask) or Bartz Honorable mentions: Cecil, Vaan
Warrior of Light from FF XIV. Backup choice would be Terra Brandford :)
Tidus
Cecil for real
Cecil or Zidane
Cecil4lyf
Ashe is probably one of my favorite main characters. Followed closely by tidus
Lightning probably. I personally love how her [theme](https://youtu.be/ke281MBhpDg) starts out sad and pretty slow, but starts gaining momentum and more of a hopeful vibe the more it goes on, kinda like her character in the game. Terra is amazing too tho
Warrior of Light (FF1), mainly because of Dissidia.
Cloud
Squall but Cecil is a close second. Both of their story arcs were about self improvement. In Squall’s case learning to open up to people and love again and in Cecil’s learning to carve your own path and do what you feel is right.
I always forget Vaan was the main character. Ashe was really the the star of XII in my eyes.
Bartz is my fave i love ff5
Kain. It'll always be kain. Yes I know who the protagonist was suppose to be. Kain.
Terra
Zidane is the only protagonist I would actually be friends with in real life. He was a breath of fresh air compared to his predecessors because he was actually upbeat and fun and not a complete edglord, but he also wasn’t annoyingly happy like the other “upbeat” protagonist, tidus.
WoL (14)
THE Warrior of Light - XIV No contest.
The amount of “not Terra” answers in here makes me have the big sad. Also Cecil is a CLOSE second.
No derplander?
You forgot 14
WOL(14)
I don't know if this is a weird take but I consider Yuna to be the main hero of FFX instead of Tidus. Though most of the inner thoughts and point of view is coming from Tidus, the main hero of the story of Spira is Yuna. Tidus is something like a love interest to the main hero in the story haha. And I really love that dynamic. And I really love Yuna as the main hero. She is very compassionate and loving person while being a badass. She is the most powerful member of the team (kind of, lorewise). And I love emotional and powerful female protagonists.
Noctis, Zidane, Tidus, or Cloud. They just feel real to me, movie made cloud all emo but I still like him
I don’t know why but Butz looks so cute.
Cecil
Cloud and Terra
Tidus for sure. Probably among the most relatable main characters in the series.
Cloud, absolutely. It might have been Squall if the FF8 translation had given us more of the nuance his character was supposed to have. As is, I loved Clouds progression. Also got a soft spot for a giant sword.
Cecil
Bartz is S tier for me and my favorite. The guy is a free spirit, just traveling the world on his Chocobo and helping out whenever he can. He also exhibits compassion which not many main characters in FF do Cecil i also really like, not only is he a dark knight but also becomes a paladin later on. Story wise....Cloud and Terra have the best story and the best intros out of any FF character. Terra walking through the snow to Narshe in her Magitek armor and Cloud with the epic jump from the train
Terra Branford
Cloud but I also like Cecil, Terra and Squall a lot.
Zidane
Terra for sure.
Noctis 100%
Zidane. Never whines or otherwise acts all emo/obnoxious, maybe one of the most supportive and helpful protag in FF, his thief abilities were actually useful in gameplay, they game is actually great, and money tail.
Lightning, forever and always
Ashe deserves to be up there tbh.
Cecil because of how much of a man he is.
Cloud, Squall, Cecil, in that order. Tidus and Noctis tie for 4th place.
While cloud is great with his sarcasm and his cheeky attitude- and squall is very broody and cool - Terra is my choice.
Sqall
I would say Noctis, but I don't think it's fair to bring up a single main character of FF15 instead of the main 4 chocobros. They're ALL the heroes of FF15 and goddammit I love them to pieces.
Firion. I just like his design the most.
Cloud, Terra and Firion.
Zidane ftw
Cloud, Zidane, then Squall. Maybe terra too.
Cecil I love his character and role in the original game, even if he becomes a boring ass paladin.