Most Complex Characters

Guernsey

Guernsey

Final Fantasy Nut
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Gil
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final Fantasy is known for the awesome and unique characters compared to most RPGs in general while there maybe characters who don't need much character development, there are characters who get you into their mystery. These characters are complex and coimpelling that they tend to have the most intriguing stories in any game. While some of them do not have stories that spread across spinoffs, I like the the games handled them they tell you their past and background all in the same game while leaving some stuff out for you to guess what they are doing. Who are the most complex chacters in any FF game?

Cecil Harvey - He starts as a Dark Knight for the Empire but later is given the boot and sent to a village to send a "gift" to its ruler only to find that it is a bomb. Over the course of the game, he realizes how he has hurt many people in the past and seeks to redeem himself which he does and free his older borther from mind control.

Terra Bradford - A young woman who turnsd out to be a Half Esper who knows the lost art of magic was taken at a young age as an unwilling soldier for the Empire. She was free form their control by Locke, joins a resistance cell and embarkls on a journey of self discovery.

Vincent Valentine - He was once a Turk who fell in love a scientist named Lucrecia but was later used as an experiment by cruel man named Hojo. He was once a man but after being cruelly experimented on, he bacame a monster and is now the shell of a man he once was.

Squall Leonhart - A mercenary of SeeD, he starts as an immature brooding invidual into a strong confident leader.

Auron - At life he was a monk and a guardian to the summoner Braska and at one time, he helped to find a permanent to defeat Sin but they gailed and he became a fayth. Now he helps the Guardians of the new generation to defeat Sin and its reign of terror once and for all time.

these are complex characters to me but if have other opinions, ypu can post them.
 
Amarant Coral - starts off as a villain seemingly out to kill zidane, then later seems he is an honest fighter, resolving a hostage situation and facing zidane one on one..when he is allowed to live, decides to follow the team until he eventually plain gives up on life but is roused into joining the side of good by zidane and helps save the world!! no clue about his past
 
Interesting thread mate. :)

Here are my character picks:

Cloud FF VII- After I played the game years ago on the PS1, I still had trouble understanding the depth behind his false, and final Persona. Back when FF VII originally came out, the internet was still pretty much in the medieval ages, so we didn't have access to as much research material as we do today. I only got around to understanding Cloud many years later with the help of the many FF VII spin-offs and the Advent Children movie.

Kefka FF VI - I absolutely hate him. He's like the bad weed you want so desperately to take out as early as you can. But Damn, you end up fighting him as a God. He reminds me of a more Psychotic version of Azula and the Joker combined. The original game itself spared very few lines to explain his back story which is why I feel like there is an even deeper sense of mystery to him.

Shadow FF VI - obviously my favorite FF character in the whole franchise. Part of the reason for my interest in this character - is exactly because of his mystery and depth.
First off, the name "Shadow" was the name of their team, a title he took on alone after he left Thamasa.
Then there's his relationship to
Relm,
something you wouldn't find out unless you piece everything together. And the neat thing about it is - you have to discover the clues to his past through his secret dreams, sort of a mini side quest in itself.


Garland FF I - One of the Characters I respect the most. The entire conflict of the first game was built around his actions. And the fact that it involved time travel didn't make his situation straightforward. I was happy to see how well written his character was in Dissidia. As a leader, I'm impressed at how he handled the other villains, and their egos. Dissidia also shed more light into his relationship with another important character. Garland was definitely not big musclebound dumb dumb, he's an awesome mix of the noble Samurai with a very small hint of regal villainy.


 
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Golbez (IV) - I'd like to know how he was affected in the aftermath of Zemus' control over him. You know he was a good guy in his youth and played a good guy role in "Aftermath". I wonder how much of his cruel manipulator personality was really his and how much was Zemus'. How much did Zemus' reign over his head affected Golbez's personality afterwards. Dissidia only makes me even more curious (even though it's not canon).

Kefka (VI) - I read his history in the FFVI forum on this site, but I still wish Square-Enix made an OVA or something that gave illustrated his descent into madness from Kefka's own point of view. One minute the guy's all jokes and laughter, and the next minute he's temperamental...killing people off and whatnot.

Cloud (VII) - The whole plot twist about his entire persona was a slap in the face. You kind of wondered who was this guy you were controlling for half the game! He still had Jenova cells in his system (being all suped up and all) so you ask if he's legitimately Cloud from Nibelheim or this unknown SOLDIER named Zack. Maybe the Zack persona rubbed off on him? People are influenced by others, so the audience is still wondering who Cloud really is even after the game is over. I currently think he's the original Cloud (passionate and loyal) mixed with Zack (headstrong and confident) and maybe a little bit of Barret (spirit and dialogue). Then Advent Children turned him emo, but maybe he's back to "normal" Cloud after that.

Zidane (IX) - I still don't know what he is exactly. I think I need to replay the game.

Auron (X) - Guy with a big sword and a mysterious past. On paper that sounds like Cloud, but he's a pretty awesome character who appears aloof at times even though he's connected to every character (dead and alive). I want to see an elaboration on his relationship with Jecht and Braska. Actually, I think it'd be cool to learn more of his first pilgrimage and him straying from his youthful ideologies because of his friends' deaths.


That's all I can think up for now. After X, character complexity kind of dropped off lol.
 
Yuna :
That she was willing to sacrifice herself for the people of spria to even have one year of peace is pretty heavy.
 
Locke (VI) (Contains spoilers)

First off he was just a normal treasure hunter, but gets very down after getting his love Rachel involved in a terrible accident during one of his adventures, causing her to lose some memory; just her memory of Locke only. Her parents take Locke responsible for what happened, and Rachel herself starts to hate him because he makes her parents unhappy, without knowing who Locke is.

Rachel then passes away after a while, but Locke finds out that she had regained her memory just before her death and remembered how much she loved Locke. So Locke asks a 'mental' doctor to keep her looking constantly like she did just after her death, and goes in search of Phoenix, the legendary magicite that has the power of resurrection, hoping that he can bring Rachel back.

Then he finds Terra etc etc, world gets destroyed etc etc (all the playable stuff)

When he finally obtains Phoenix, he finds out that it has a crack, and it breaks when he uses it on Rachel. But the last bit of power the magicite gave Rsachel a little bit of time for her to say goodbye to Locke, and tell him about how much she loved him.

So Locke finally moves on from Rachel, and vows to defeat Kefka and to protect his new love, Celes. The part in the ending where he rescues her was a great scene.


So yeah, that's why Locke is my choice for this thread.
 
I've always thought Squall was a rather complex character. He starts off the game as your average apathetically po-faced, reverie teenager (and tiny bit annoying) but flourishes into a caring, kind-hearted, human-being. It's the classic 'from boy to man' transformation. Also, his transformation was very incremental - it wasn't something that was just abrubtly thrust on the player. You really get to see tiny changes in his behaviour over the entire course of the game and his vexing fobiles disappear as he becomes stronger-minded, and more adult, as Rinoa breaks down the emotional wall he's put up against the rest of the world.
 
Cloud Strife: He's a complicated man, you must admit. :mokken: He almost makes it too hard for a person to identify how he truly acts and what his true emotions are. But luckily for me, I can understand Cloud because I paid attention.:mokken: He's a cold ass to most people, telling them to blow off, taking a kids school funds, not caring for the planet or the people, and then after meeting his friends, he gradually turns into a pretty decent man. After meeting his friends, he starts to care about people a little more, he starts to care for the planet and what happens to it.

If you look at the Cloud before he gets arrested by ShinRa you wouldn't think someone as cold as that could fall in love, but he did.

So he's this cold enigma yet he has a kindness to him. He's very complex if you ask me. Heck, Nomura even said he's still got a lot of complexities in his heart that his living friends don't understand.
 
Cecil (IV): As a dark knight, he questioned his actions and even his own king, realized he was on the wrong path, changed his life and became a palidan. I always like when characters make major changes through the story.

Terra(VI): I say this too much but I think she is the best developed character in the series. She had an interesting background, and like Cecil, she is another character that changed through the game.
And I always found it interesting that she found love through taking care of children and not in the cliched romantic way.
And watching her stand up to Kefka at the end was <3

Vivi(IX): His story was very emotional for me. He questioned his existance and had to come to terms with his short life span. I always liked his development from the begining to the end of the game.
And I cry during his goodbye speech at the end of the game :'( I think his death at the end really made IX amazing.
 
I consider Squall Leonhart as a complex character…he is timid, brooding, cold, and aloof person…most of the time he exclude himself to the people around him….but even so he has clear mind and sense of responsibility lead others
 
Ramza of FF TACTICS..because he resisted the temptation of going along with his uncle and the other nobels and did the right thing.When he could very easily have gone the other way.
 
Auron guy was a complete mystery till later in the game had no clue what his goals were no clue whether he would turn on you later in the game or not i soo did not expect him to actually be dead(didnt expect jecht to be sin either but thats off topic) either way you didnt learn anything about him really until late in the game and he pretty much disappears soon after that just when your starting to get him abit
 
Cloud Strife - With a surname like that, it's to be expected this guy's lot in a life is to get constantly screwed over. And he does. Yet his personality is actually interesting in that he is remarkably stoic, but differently from the "badass" character archetypes of American action flicks, he is neither hold down by them nor is he totally over them in just a few hours. He is very common and does what he feels like, has courage to move on, even when he knows it's best for him to leave his goal behind.

Vivi - He is an introspective, deep-thinking child by nature who is suddenly hit with many revelations he wasn't prepared to cope with, such as not being human, having a very short lifespan, being seen as a thing by others (like a slave or a tool) and being shuned by others on account of his race. And he grows to cope with them and to be wise and strong, and makes the player a proud and grateful witness. Best character in the series.
 
Discordius said:
Vivi - He is an introspective, deep-thinking child by nature who is suddenly hit with many revelations he wasn't prepared to cope with, such as not being human, having a very short lifespan, being seen as a thing by others (like a slave or a tool) and being shuned by others on account of his race. And he grows to cope with them and to be wise and strong, and makes the player a proud and grateful witness. Best character in the series.
Click to expand...

100% agreed
 
1.) Vincent (FF7). He has many sides to him. He used to be a Turk, he became a subject of Prof. Hojo, he's inter-related to the plot almost as much as Cloud. Im suprised he's an optional character, honestly.

2.) Cecil (FF4). He goes from a dark knight loyal to an evil king to being a hero. Enough said.

3.) Vivi (FF9). He faces many obstacles, in which he goes from little mage boy to badass spell-slinger. Very emotional portrait.

4.) Cloud (FF7). Finding out that your past memories were twisted by an insane scientist hellbent on shit-canning the world? Yeah, Cloud definitely raises the bar on complexity.
 
there is soo many...Vivi,Cid,tifa,yuna,vincent,Auron

for me

2. Squall - Pretty much thinks he can take care of himself and then suddenly finds himself being a leader of the Garden. Thru the game you grow with him.

1. Cloud - Doesnt know who he is himself at times. Meaning you go on a journey to find his past,present and future. He starts off cold but by the end he cares for the people he is with and the planet. obviiously regressing a bit at the start of the film and then finds it again.
 
I'm surprised this first one wasn't said yet...

1) Kain - Cecil's best friend, has feelings for Rosa, yet, he gets stuck under Golbez's control. Poor guy just can't catch a break. Big question...why was Kain the one that was being controlled. And even bigger question...how long was he being controlled for. You were supposed to kill all the summoners in the Village of Mist. However, you keep Rydia alive. Then Kain disappears. Next thing you know, you are being attacked in the middle of the night by Baron soldiers. Could Kain have been under Golbez's control from the very beginning of the game?

2) Shadow - C'mon he's the ultimate man of mystery. We learn little bits about his past over time. He'd slit his mama's throat for a nickel! However, since he was mentioned already, I'm not going to reiterate.

3) Cait Sith - Yeah, I know Vincent is pretty mysterious. However, don't forget, Cait Sith just randomly joins the party against your will. At this point, you know nothing about him. But then he turns on you, only to help you again. And then you finally find out who is behind Cait Sith.
 
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