Final Fantasy is known for many things, but perhaps none more than it's wonderfully developed characters. They are symbolic, walking the well trod paths of literary heroes, but they are also detailed, complex, and relatable. 0:21 This has easily been the most difficult list to make on this channel so far. There are just so damn many phenomenal characters from this franchise that narrowing it down actually hurt my soul. Someone could present to me, maybe down in the comments, a completely different top 10 on any given day, and I might prefer it to the one I'm about to present. 0:43 That said, my name is Drew Kreisman, I am 1/2 of the Final Fantasy Weekly Podcast, and these are my picks for the top 10 heroes in Final Fantasy History. Note I had to limit it to 1 per game and only playable heroes, NPCS, and villains get their own lists #10 Balthier of Final Fantasy 12. 1:08 There may not be a better testament to the overwhelming number of quality characters in this franchise that I found myself ranking this king of charisma all the way back in 10th. Exceptionally well written dialogue and the buttery voice of Gideon Emery bring to life this swashbuckling sky pirate. 1:26 With a mysterious partner, a nose for treasure, and a penchant for landing himself in trouble, All the Air is a personification of adventure. There have been quite a few Han Solo esque rogues in Final Fantasy over the years, but none quite as well conceived as the leading man #9 Lightning Final Fantasy 13. 1:52 Two hallmarks of a great literary character are layers of depth and an arc of growth. Arguably, no character in the series contains more multitudes or goes through as much change from the beginning of her story to the end than does the protagonist of the Final Fantasy 13 saga. 2:09 Presented at first as a strong, stoic, at times cold soldier, focused solely on her task and caring little for anything else, Lightning comes to embody a kind of altruism that could challenge even the most staunch nihilist. Also, she's an actual real life Louis Vuitton model. 2:28 What an icon #8 Noctis, Final Fantasy 15 Noctis, Lucis, Callum, Prince, then King of the Light and the very sleepy boy is the focus of his story, maybe more than any other main character in Final Fantasy. 2:48 He carries that burden, though, by evolving from an apathetic and protected child to a paragon of the very concept of kingliness. Maybe his best attribute is the one that shows if anyone truly belongs on a throne, it's him, and that's his ability to listen to Prompto on the rooftop, to Ignis while chopping vegetables, to Gladio while reeling in a catch. 3:13 Through their travels, Noctis treats his companions with respect and love as they all challenge each other to be the best versions of themselves #7 Squaw of Final Fantasy 8. It can be easy to get lost in your own thoughts, feel insecure about expressing yourself around others, and for a lot of us, Squaw resonates deeply on that level. 3:40 As much as he can come off uncaring or unkind, he did tell Christus to go talk to a wall. It is once we dig deeper that we see him as a mirror of our own desires to protect ourselves from caring too much during a sometimes dreary existence. 3:56 His love for his friends may be expressed differently, but it extends to the reaches of space, spans through past and future, and is true as the heart of a lion. Number six Ramza Final Fantasy tactics the youngest bastard brother of his house, Ramza Bay of is a rare breed in the land of Ivelisse. 4:23 After bearing witness to and even partaking in treacherous villainy on behalf of the nobles, he forsakes his name and comfortable life in order to seek justice in a world where there is precious little. He wrestles endlessly with his actions as much as his inactions, and toils to save whomever he can, whenever he can, despite being stabbed in the back more than once by those he has aided. 4:46 A hero forgotten to history, Ramza reminds us that deeds matter more than names, more than reputations, more than legacies #5 Rhydia, a Final Fantasy 4. 5:06 Few in franchise history have gone through more tragedy and triumph than Rhydia, a Final Fantasy 4. After witnessing the genocide of her people, she is forced into an adventure alongside those responsible, swallowed by Leviathan, and gets lost in the land of the summons. 5:26 I don't want to spoil what happens next for anyone who hasn't played this classic, but her return to the story is one of the most satisfying and hype inducing moments in the series. Her memorable and remarkably green character design, inspirational attitude, and embodiment of our need to grow beyond tribalism make Rhydia a truly special character #4 Celeste Final Fantasy 6. 5:56 How do we confront the evils that we ourselves have wrought? How do we develop an identity when one has been forced upon us from birth? How do we find a way to live when all hope is lost? These are the questions at the heart of the journey taken by Celestia. 6:15 She is a walking reminder that we are all more than one thing. She is a general and a Magitic knight, but also a singer and a caregiving granddaughter. She was instrumental in building up the empire, but far more instrumental in tearing it down. 6:32 She allows herself to fall in love during the darkest of times, and allows a lot of people on the other side of the 4th wall to identify with her feelings of despair. Celeste is powerful, yes, on the battlefield, but much more so as a friend #3 Cloud of Final Fantasy 7. 6:58 The only controversial thing about this pic is that Cloud Strife isn't at the top of this list. He is easily the most popular and probably the most important hero in Final Fantasy history. He is the closest thing the franchise has to a true mascot, and he is the go to pick to appear in crossover content in other media. 7:16 But don't let that undercut the fact that he is one of the most well conceived, purposefully written and relatable characters in gaming. Of course, none of us are super soldiers with spiky hair and huge swords wielding magical stones, but Cloud is great as much for his weaknesses As for his strengths. 7:36 His struggles with self identity and indecisiveness and, if you'll forgive the pun, playing the role he is supposed to, are easy to compare to our own lives and make him that much easier to root for in the end #2 Yuna of Final Fantasy 10, Trapped by destiny twice. 8:01 The story of Final Fantasy 10 is the pilgrimage of the Summoner Yuna, upon whom the hopes and dreams of the entire world lie, and her burdens only grow from there. Yet she finds a way not only to persevere and persist, but also to walk her own path and make her own choices, even when it feels like there aren't any good ones. 8:25 She seeks joy where she can find it in the face of a spiral of sadness, and she helps us understand the power of pressing on and carrying forever in our hearts the memories of our loved ones and #1 Vivi a Final Fantasy 9. 8:47 One day we will all face our mortality, and we can learn a lot from Vivi about what that means and what it means to live faced with horrible truths about the world around him and his own existence. 9:05 Nobody would have more of a right to give up and give in than this 9 year old boy. He didn't have to be a warrior of light. He shouldn't have to save the world. If life was unfair to anyone, it was unfair to Vivi. 9:22 But he didn't see it that way. He saw his life as a gift for whatever time he had, for whatever journeys he got to go on, and yes, for all the friends he made along the way. We could all be a little more like Vivi. 9:44 Thank you for watching and listening to Night of the Round, Your Noble Truths and Twin Instrumental for the music, and as always, a huge shout out to our Patreon subscribers. You can subscribe for as little as $1.00 a month and get all kinds of Final Fantasy content, including over 80 in depth podcasts over at patreon.com/FFweekly. 10:05 And if you're interested in other nerdy talk including Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, MCUDCEU and more, check out patreon.com/DC Productions. Don't forget to like and subscribe down below to our channel and to the contributors who helped make it possible.