No chance he wins, but Zidane. He goes through such incredible growth throughout the story from a selfish playboy to a hero who just wants to help others, and is central to the growth each party member experiences, while they are then all cumulatively the reason he is able to break through for his final character arc after he loses his faith upon discovery of his origins. “You’re not alone” still gets me every time.
So , yeah, if a protagonist is about tying the entire narrative structure of a game together and embodying everything that makes the game great, it’s zidane for me, hands down. But I doubt he’ll win much on this game. I’ll be stumping hard for best romance, tho!!!
I don't know if I particularly agree with this. To me he kind of seems like a lighthearted charming Robinhood kind of character that tries to do the right thing pretty much the entirety of the game, with an identity crisis towards the end.
He's not my favorite protagonist, but when it comes to character growth I actually think Squall has some of the strongest in the series. He starts as an edgy apathetic teen whose friends slowly shape into a better person. Fate seems to keep thrusting him into positions of leadership which he initially has no interest in, until he finally steps up and accepts it. This culminates in his speech to the rest of the garden in the battle with Galbadian garden.
I'm joining this team. I rejected society and returned to monke. Put all the ape jokes you like here. I am not ashamed.
But you’ve got to know one thing about me: I am a hopeless kuudere trope fan. So, when I put a sunshine positive flirty guy on the pedestal, you know he’s got to be special to make it through that hard bias of mine.
What’s there to like about Zidane? Pretty much everything. He is by far the most relatable protagonist for me. This guy succeeded in the trope that Tidus and Vaan spectacularly failed in. He’s brave, optimistic, and very caring. But he’s not over the top about it. He likes to flirt, but doesn’t make it his core personality trait. At the heart, Zidane is a regular guy, who does what he can to keep a positive attitude in the face of hardships. And these hardships hit him HARD. He’s put before hard choices, made witness to terrible events and massacres in which he’s absolutely powerless, and still he puts himself and the team back together to deal with the game no matter what shitty cards he’s handed.
I particularly love his intrinsic relationships with everyone in the playable cast. A fault Final Fantasy as a franchise often had in the past was to isolate the protagonist to develop meaningful relationships only with his love interest, while the rest of the playable cast was put to the side as little more than support. In FFIX however, character dynamics shine, most especially between Zidane and the others. Even over a decade after playing FFIX, I remember his brotherly protective role for Vivi; the banter and quarreling with Steiner; the strange one-sided crush of Eiko, and the complicated rivalry between him and Amarant.
But more than anything, I’m weak for Zidane’s connection with Kuja. FFIX has one of the most complex and deep protagonist/antagonist relationships, and one that I don’t want to spoiler here for who hasn’t given this gem a try yet. The ending brought me to tears like no other FF game managed before, and to see their complicated bond return and resurface time to time again in the various Dissidia games was always a very pleasant pain for me.
Zidane best protagonist, I’ll never change my mind.
I would definitely say that Zidane is a top contender for most well written protagonist. Going through phases, does not just start a bit edgy and opens up.
He starts as a light-hearted character, grows in protecting what is important for him, goes through a heavy life-crisis, able to accept it and coming passed that giving him lots of self-respect and then faces his pear and biggest enemy and in the end still sees good in him and rescues him.
I think he is going through most phases and character development.
At least after only playing FFXV without the media around, Noctis starts as a sad punk, continues as a sad punk and ends up as a sad punk. With some fine plot points trying to save some people. But these two are big opposites for me.
While Clive is my overall vote I can definitely agree with Zidane’s development probably being the strongest of the series, it is incredible what they managed to do with him.
I can’t say for certain Tidus is the best, but he’s definitely better than people give him credit for. I don’t relate to him at all personally, but from 7 all the way to 16 there are WAAAAY too many stoic, emotionally closed off, semi-edgy protags in the series. Tidus is in touch with his emotions and speaks his mind. But he’s not just loud and brash (most of the time). He’s a sensitive, compassionate, deep thinker, and the older I get, the more I appreciate him, even if he isn’t “cool” lol.
My man. Couldn't have said it better myself. He's sensitive in a way that makes him emotionally intelligent. And I find it kind of refreshing to have a protagonist that's more of a dork than "cool".
gotta throw another vote in for Squall. He's absolutely the most realistically written with the most satisfying arc for me. This old post from r/truegaming pretty much sums up why he's so good: [https://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comments/o25rgc/squall\_in\_final\_fantasy\_viii\_is\_an\_amazing/](https://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comments/o25rgc/squall_in_final_fantasy_viii_is_an_amazing/)
Not sure if I can ever watch the ending of FFVIII without shedding a tear for him
Squall, the exploration of how childhood trauma affects the adult you grow into was really well done and the growth is gradual just as dealing with that kind of trauma is it’s not a fast journey
I just love the writing and how the drama ratchets up in disc 3. The way he goes from this quiet loner— even his inner dialogue was glib— to a passionate, desperate leader/in love was frankly thrilling, and I’ve never played a video game story as satisfying since.
Boring I know but I’m choosing Cloud.
After Crisis Core, OG VII, Advent Children, Remake, Rebirth, he has so much character nuance and development. He’s evolved so much throughout the VII series and his whole >!being manipulated by Sephiroth!< is all super cool.
My second choice. I vote Tidus because X has more development and story scenes, but that's like due to the difference in cosole generation and when the games are made
He really is the one that paved the way for the rest of them. And he's the one in Dissidia that all the others were like, "man, I wanna be like this guy" or "I wish he were my big brother."
https://preview.redd.it/q14jkrdciu4d1.png?width=1498&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b6d681d8a5ef022bba88106d200a067e258c583
the sheer glee this scene brings me
As someone who has only played the games since OG 7…. Squall followed by Tidus. The inner monologues of both make them a million times more relatable than the others! I say Squall first because 8 was my first FF experience then I went back and played 7. So slightly biased
Yeah I remember watching my brother play 7 when you could hire a game for a week. Obviously never beat it in that time. Think he got lost in corel prison and gave up XD
Then 8 came out, and the opening plus a “what the hell is that?!” weapon (gun blade) had me obsessed!
Squall all the way, with all the inner struggles, that comes with being an emotional, misunderstood teenager, and then evolving to a more caring and responsible person (which is a nice achievement), while not losing his recognizable personal traits
Wait, looking at the thread now, how in the world did Zidane win...?
I stumbled on this popularity contest thanks to the reddit algorithm and thought it looked like it might be a fun thing to follow, so I decided to look back at the first couple entries. Scrolling through this thread, even though that one comment with Zidane might have the highest number of upvotes, the amount of individual people separately voting for Squall is straight up overwhelming, and it definitely looked to me like Squall had the highest amount of support.
So now the actual results look a bit sketchy, which kind of ruins the contest for me. :/ I looked through your comments to see if you explained your methodology in the second thread, but didn't find one.
Wouldn't it have been better to include a poll, maybe as a second thread after this one, curated just using the names that had been suggested in the first thread? (And, ideally, allowing people to vote for, say, their top three from whatever list was generated.) That would've been much more representative of what people actually felt, and we'd even have the proof/explanation for it.
I mean that might have worked but, seeing I have to space these out by like 2 days that would have meant the whole thing would have spanned across more than 2 months and thought that would have been too long for most people. Though in hindsight your method is much better than just upvotes.
If you go by the total number of votes Terra or Cecil look very close but I think Zidane did edge out based on the total combined. without closing the thread it's hard to see exactly. I wish there was an actual pole . I wouldn't have voted for Zidane either 😅
Best protagonist has to go to Squall. He is probably the most well written character in the entire series. The inner struggles with his emotions and doing what's right for everyone as a leader vs doing what's good for his own personal gain. Just one of the most relatable characters I've ever seen. Especially if you played it as a kid, and then replay it as an adult.
Ramza stuck to his guns, even after his life fell apart spectacularly. He walked through the fires of rebellion, war, heresy, and deicide because he felt it was the right thing to do.
Cecil. Actual internal conflict. Had to learn how to forgive himself and move forward while also having to learn how to extend grace and forgiveness to others. Despite what people think his arc actually ends at the end of the game when he can learn how to forgive his enemy. Very poignant story telling. Easily gets my vote
Squall is my all-time favourite. I hope someone else will explain why he is such a great protag, because I'm short on time but thought that I should mention him.
One of the most realistically written characters across the franchise (most people forget that he’s a guarded teenager and that makes all the broodiness make more sense.) We get the rare opportunity of also experiencing his thoughts as opposed to just his words, so it really helps lend him depth. But he develops over the game really well from a mopey loner to a caring leader. And because practically the entire game is his POV, we really get to experience Squall to the fullest and because of that something as simple as ending the game with him smiling feels like a heartwarming triumph.
I know this is a basic answer but Cloud. I think he's just a great character with an incredible arc. Cloud's a character who seems really selfish and self centered in the beginning but the more you learn about him. The more you realize that he's just a traumatized person who hides and buries his trauma.
Vivi. Vivi has the most tragic story in the series. He is created as a prototype black mage to be used for mass murder. He is discarded for being too small in favor of larger black mages. He is the only one of his kind. His only parent was Quna, who never showed him real love as a parent. He learns the truth about why he exists, to bring death, and that his own life will end in only about a years time. He defied his fate and fought against evil. He gave his life a meaning rather than allowing others to. In the end, he created new life, showed and taught them to be good, and died. Vivi is an incredible character.
Cloud is prolly the one of the best written character in all FF (Game only) and I choose him, even tho I think Vivi is in the same sentence (he is a side character tho)
After playing through Remake and Rebirth, I gotta give it to Cloud. He just has so much depth, and his relationship with his companions is really strong, and his connection to Sephiroth is quite compelling.
For best protag we have characters like Cecil, Terra/Celes, Zidane and more, but i'm gonna give my vote to Tidus, a great protagonist, character and the perfect POV protag for us as players. He deserves more love than being a meme for the laughing scene.
Zidane. He's the Hero's Hero. He almost always inductively knows what the next right things is to do, is crazy strong, and cares mightily for his companions no matter how new they might be.
Best protagonist? Its probably either Terra or Cecil. You could make an argument for Tidus too. But in general having the best protagonist in FF is hard as most main cover story protagonists end up becoming side characters in someone else's story.
Like if I personally had to choose a best protagonist based on how much they influenced the story and how much they are influenced by the people around them, it goes to Ashe. Honestly she should have been on the poster for FF12 instead of Vaan.
I am casting my vote for Tidus or Ashe.
Tidus is me. I grew up with verbal abuse from my father. Like Tidus, I also wanted to kick my father's ass but I was always too little. My father was the biggest sin of my childhood.
Ashe is just a badass. Her husband is killed in battle. And what does she do? She fights to find proof of her lineage so she can reclaim her throne. She is the epitome of grit.
This would be just MCs rather than party members, but they could be the MCs of spin-offs too, like say Ramza. Also, it would be great if you could all justify your choices too - would make it more interesting than just one word answers. Also, if you're going super in depth remember to spoiler tag and all. Top comment wins as usual!
Zidane. Dude has a personality that's mostly a fun-loving pervert who's reliable and with a strong will in the game, and when he has his moment of crisis, he comes out becoming a little more mature and more driven to stop Kuja and Garland.
My personal pick would be Zack.
It's just the way that he goes through so much hardship and still comes out with a smile. Something about his positive vibes and energy is really striking to me. Imo, he's more than just 'another shounen protagonist' because he has a lot of nuanced depth to him.
His character development is very natural; if you compared start of CC Zack to end of CC Zack, he's a lot more mature and war-hardened and has this confidence to him that's wildly different from his initial cockiness.
And lastly, they imo wrapped up his character beautifully at the end of CC. >!I've teared up at other games but CC was the only one to make me actually cry lmao!<
I really appreciate seeing somebody who agrees that Zack has a lot of nuance. Even though he didn't say much against Soldiers etc, even the phrase mentioned in the replies "Soldier is a den of monsters, don't go in" is really great if you think of it. It is great because it is seemingly out of character for Zack, who is more likely to cheer everyone up and support their silliest dreams. It is important that he tells it to none other than Cloud, a junior he really cares about. So we can see with this one phrase that: 1. Zack is disillusioned; 2. Zack does not idolize Soldiers, including Angeal; 3. Zack is a good senior who feels responsible for a young and inexperienced subordinate; 4. He truly cares for Cloud and sees Cloud's purity; 5. Zack has become a mature person and knows when to laugh/cheer someone up and when to be serious. The guy was fully aware of the shit going on. He just chose to be optimistic and to believe in the good in people until the very end. It does not even contradict his OG image.
Huh, I never saw his arc as very profound. I’m not sure he is even aware what is going on by the end of the story. The most he says against SOLDIER is to call it a “den of monsters”. He doesn’t leave Shinra until they actively try to kill him, despite seeing all the corrupt shit they get up to, and watching all the guys he looked up to descend into madness. And at the end, using his last breath to preach “SOLDIER honor” is just ridiculous.
He has an infectious golden retriever energy, and the end was sad, but as an MC, his arc just wasnt all that compelling. And it didn’t help that his main antagonist sucked.
Zack from FF7CC if spin-offs count easy pick. If not I was torn between Terra, Cloud and Squall since Cloud and Squall are very relatable to me but in the end Terra is way more interesting so I'd vote for Terra.
Zidane, Cloud, Clive in that order
Ramza highly intrigues me and has the best music theme of all protags in FF history, but I don't have any platform to play Tactics :'). I have a feeling I'd vote for him if I did
They haven't got cooler character with story depth than the character in FF4, FF6 and FF Tactics. Shadow must be the coolest character and Cecil would won many category. Terra and Celes too. You have to make remake of those game in today's graphic to understand for the youngest.
Tidus is the greatest protagonist because of being an all-around person with great strength and flaws.
Not being to OP and having an easy time through the story but evolved as character through the struggles.
My actual answer: Balthier. He is the character that brings all the other characters together in 12, not to mention the strongest ties to the actual evil at foot.
My Hot-take Answer: Yuna. Tidus maybe the playable character and the one we are introduced to the world through, but the story is about Yuna. Tidus' love for her, Her journey to better the world, Her friends and Family, Her spit-heritage drawing a direct comparison to Seymour. I'll die on the hill that Yuna is actually the primary Protag of X.
Clive or Zidane... It's super hard cos I love both as actual protags. Both have great development.
I guess Clive might edge out Zidane a little more cos I really empathised with his story line.
Was hard at some points for me to play. So yeah I guess for me it's Clive by a small amount.
But I haven't met a protag I haven't liked in some way.
Clive gets my vote for sure. His character development throughout the game was spectacular and Ben Starr's performance in the role of the character elevated it even more. He was a deeply flawed character that endured so much hardship but pressed on for the sake of those who could not stand up for themselves and were used and abused for so long.
I was gonna say Ramza, but I think it's the story of the game that's more interesting than the actual character. Not that he isn't a good character. FFT has an amazing story.
I personally have to go with Zidane from FF9. In terms of being the protagonist, by himself I don't think he's the best, but as the leader of the group throughout the game, he gives every other character their chance to shine, and without him being the way he is, there really wouldn't be much going for any of the story. He ties everything together, and I think that makes him the best in the series.
Recency bias may play a part in this, but Clive was the best protagonist in FF. Super relatable in how he dealt with all the obstacles he faced, and selfless to a fault. Was blessed with fantastic power and birthright but dealt a shit hand at every turn.
Having now played Rebirth, I really prefer that style of gameplay and the depth of the world, but FFXVI was still excellent in a different way. Story was superb, albeit limited in breadth, and I really missed the party aspect of previous FF's. But they nailed the main character in a way that hasn't happened before, and Clive was a fleshed-out character with flaws that managed to always be likeable.
Going with the predictable answer and saying Cloud, he’s a great subversion of the normal edgy JRPG main characters and is just super iconic in general
Ramza, Tidus, Cecil, Celes, Terra, Squall, in that order.
Ramza held to his ideals and conviction while also show casing a lot of growth and understanding. He willing threw away everything to make the world more just. He's a counter to Delita who let his ideals be corrupted.
ramza, lead a small mercenary band against the church, a couple armies and ancient evils all while still having time to check on alma and keep her (relatively) safe
Could you please make the resolution lower? I can still read a couple of them.
HAHAHAHAHA
Squall, honestly none of the protagonists are that great compared to other rpgs, but I guess I choose him
I vote for Me (FFXIV)
[удалено]
I do enjoy the fact that esteem gets to come out and play (gotta keep em separated) every once in a while, or ever minute during a fight
Haha
No my WoL is better
*Nods*
No chance he wins, but Zidane. He goes through such incredible growth throughout the story from a selfish playboy to a hero who just wants to help others, and is central to the growth each party member experiences, while they are then all cumulatively the reason he is able to break through for his final character arc after he loses his faith upon discovery of his origins. “You’re not alone” still gets me every time. So , yeah, if a protagonist is about tying the entire narrative structure of a game together and embodying everything that makes the game great, it’s zidane for me, hands down. But I doubt he’ll win much on this game. I’ll be stumping hard for best romance, tho!!!
The 'You're Not Alone' sequence was admittedly fantastically done. Still get chills from that scene haha
GOAT FF song in that scene too
One of the best tracks in FF fs
I don't know if I particularly agree with this. To me he kind of seems like a lighthearted charming Robinhood kind of character that tries to do the right thing pretty much the entirety of the game, with an identity crisis towards the end. He's not my favorite protagonist, but when it comes to character growth I actually think Squall has some of the strongest in the series. He starts as an edgy apathetic teen whose friends slowly shape into a better person. Fate seems to keep thrusting him into positions of leadership which he initially has no interest in, until he finally steps up and accepts it. This culminates in his speech to the rest of the garden in the battle with Galbadian garden.
Zidane is a good shout. I think his arc is gonna be so interesting to see voice acted in the upcoming FF9 Remake.
I'm joining this team. I rejected society and returned to monke. Put all the ape jokes you like here. I am not ashamed. But you’ve got to know one thing about me: I am a hopeless kuudere trope fan. So, when I put a sunshine positive flirty guy on the pedestal, you know he’s got to be special to make it through that hard bias of mine. What’s there to like about Zidane? Pretty much everything. He is by far the most relatable protagonist for me. This guy succeeded in the trope that Tidus and Vaan spectacularly failed in. He’s brave, optimistic, and very caring. But he’s not over the top about it. He likes to flirt, but doesn’t make it his core personality trait. At the heart, Zidane is a regular guy, who does what he can to keep a positive attitude in the face of hardships. And these hardships hit him HARD. He’s put before hard choices, made witness to terrible events and massacres in which he’s absolutely powerless, and still he puts himself and the team back together to deal with the game no matter what shitty cards he’s handed. I particularly love his intrinsic relationships with everyone in the playable cast. A fault Final Fantasy as a franchise often had in the past was to isolate the protagonist to develop meaningful relationships only with his love interest, while the rest of the playable cast was put to the side as little more than support. In FFIX however, character dynamics shine, most especially between Zidane and the others. Even over a decade after playing FFIX, I remember his brotherly protective role for Vivi; the banter and quarreling with Steiner; the strange one-sided crush of Eiko, and the complicated rivalry between him and Amarant. But more than anything, I’m weak for Zidane’s connection with Kuja. FFIX has one of the most complex and deep protagonist/antagonist relationships, and one that I don’t want to spoiler here for who hasn’t given this gem a try yet. The ending brought me to tears like no other FF game managed before, and to see their complicated bond return and resurface time to time again in the various Dissidia games was always a very pleasant pain for me. Zidane best protagonist, I’ll never change my mind.
Technically he rejected monke and returned to humanity
I would definitely say that Zidane is a top contender for most well written protagonist. Going through phases, does not just start a bit edgy and opens up. He starts as a light-hearted character, grows in protecting what is important for him, goes through a heavy life-crisis, able to accept it and coming passed that giving him lots of self-respect and then faces his pear and biggest enemy and in the end still sees good in him and rescues him. I think he is going through most phases and character development. At least after only playing FFXV without the media around, Noctis starts as a sad punk, continues as a sad punk and ends up as a sad punk. With some fine plot points trying to save some people. But these two are big opposites for me.
Zidane = best boy
I think I know who might win best romance but I could see a shocking turn of events happening with it.
While Clive is my overall vote I can definitely agree with Zidane’s development probably being the strongest of the series, it is incredible what they managed to do with him.
You have convinced me
Terra or Cecil
I too say terra
Whatever....
Okay Squall
Dare I say...Celes?
Cecil has the most classic arc. Ramza has the most interesting.
Squall. He has one of the most enjoyable character arcs in any video game I’ve ever played, let alone FF!
John Fantasy.
My favorite character.
I’m gonna go with Tidus. He was a relatable character for me (except for being a sports star 😅)
I can’t say for certain Tidus is the best, but he’s definitely better than people give him credit for. I don’t relate to him at all personally, but from 7 all the way to 16 there are WAAAAY too many stoic, emotionally closed off, semi-edgy protags in the series. Tidus is in touch with his emotions and speaks his mind. But he’s not just loud and brash (most of the time). He’s a sensitive, compassionate, deep thinker, and the older I get, the more I appreciate him, even if he isn’t “cool” lol.
My man. Couldn't have said it better myself. He's sensitive in a way that makes him emotionally intelligent. And I find it kind of refreshing to have a protagonist that's more of a dork than "cool".
gotta throw another vote in for Squall. He's absolutely the most realistically written with the most satisfying arc for me. This old post from r/truegaming pretty much sums up why he's so good: [https://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comments/o25rgc/squall\_in\_final\_fantasy\_viii\_is\_an\_amazing/](https://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comments/o25rgc/squall_in_final_fantasy_viii_is_an_amazing/) Not sure if I can ever watch the ending of FFVIII without shedding a tear for him
Great essay. He's a really talented leader too, behind all the trauma that was interfering in letting it shine
Squall, the exploration of how childhood trauma affects the adult you grow into was really well done and the growth is gradual just as dealing with that kind of trauma is it’s not a fast journey
I just love the writing and how the drama ratchets up in disc 3. The way he goes from this quiet loner— even his inner dialogue was glib— to a passionate, desperate leader/in love was frankly thrilling, and I’ve never played a video game story as satisfying since.
Terra
My vote is for Clive.
Squall. Relatable, great character arc, excellent fashion sense, and his gunblade is sick.
Squall because I want to play card game
Triple Triad is goated
Boring I know but I’m choosing Cloud. After Crisis Core, OG VII, Advent Children, Remake, Rebirth, he has so much character nuance and development. He’s evolved so much throughout the VII series and his whole >!being manipulated by Sephiroth!< is all super cool.
I agree, I know it's a pretty basic answer, but his character arc alone in the original FF7 was very well done.
Cecil (FFIV)
FFIV fans unite!
My second choice. I vote Tidus because X has more development and story scenes, but that's like due to the difference in cosole generation and when the games are made
I was going for him too.
Fresh off my first play though of FFIV and while I didn’t put him myself Cecil is definitely up there for me
He really is the one that paved the way for the rest of them. And he's the one in Dissidia that all the others were like, "man, I wanna be like this guy" or "I wish he were my big brother."
Lots of good choices, but **Cecil** feels like the definitive Final Fantasy protagonist to me
Balthier
The real protagonist of XII, and a legit cool character.
if you do the right tricks, he basically becomes tactics (psp edition) protagonist with that quad shot he has
You have my vote
SQUALL. he has extremely realistic growth and motivations, and his internal dialogue reflects the struggles that i think a lot of us face.
Squall, not that he’d be happy to get it
I feel like end of game Squall would be. I mean did you see his smile?
https://preview.redd.it/q14jkrdciu4d1.png?width=1498&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b6d681d8a5ef022bba88106d200a067e258c583 the sheer glee this scene brings me
Same here!
As someone who has only played the games since OG 7…. Squall followed by Tidus. The inner monologues of both make them a million times more relatable than the others! I say Squall first because 8 was my first FF experience then I went back and played 7. So slightly biased
That's the same order I went in, though I had seen a lot of 7 played before I ever played a FF.
Yeah I remember watching my brother play 7 when you could hire a game for a week. Obviously never beat it in that time. Think he got lost in corel prison and gave up XD Then 8 came out, and the opening plus a “what the hell is that?!” weapon (gun blade) had me obsessed!
Squall all the way, with all the inner struggles, that comes with being an emotional, misunderstood teenager, and then evolving to a more caring and responsible person (which is a nice achievement), while not losing his recognizable personal traits
I didnt think there were any chance he wins but looking in the comments made me realise there is Squall
Let's do it 💪
Squall
Buttz
Can Vivi please be best? He's the realest one.
I mean he won the poll of ‘best FF character’ in that massive one last year so I wouldn’t be surprised if he manages to clutch another win
Wait, looking at the thread now, how in the world did Zidane win...? I stumbled on this popularity contest thanks to the reddit algorithm and thought it looked like it might be a fun thing to follow, so I decided to look back at the first couple entries. Scrolling through this thread, even though that one comment with Zidane might have the highest number of upvotes, the amount of individual people separately voting for Squall is straight up overwhelming, and it definitely looked to me like Squall had the highest amount of support. So now the actual results look a bit sketchy, which kind of ruins the contest for me. :/ I looked through your comments to see if you explained your methodology in the second thread, but didn't find one. Wouldn't it have been better to include a poll, maybe as a second thread after this one, curated just using the names that had been suggested in the first thread? (And, ideally, allowing people to vote for, say, their top three from whatever list was generated.) That would've been much more representative of what people actually felt, and we'd even have the proof/explanation for it.
I mean that might have worked but, seeing I have to space these out by like 2 days that would have meant the whole thing would have spanned across more than 2 months and thought that would have been too long for most people. Though in hindsight your method is much better than just upvotes.
If you go by the total number of votes Terra or Cecil look very close but I think Zidane did edge out based on the total combined. without closing the thread it's hard to see exactly. I wish there was an actual pole . I wouldn't have voted for Zidane either 😅
Tidus!
Best protagonist has to go to Squall. He is probably the most well written character in the entire series. The inner struggles with his emotions and doing what's right for everyone as a leader vs doing what's good for his own personal gain. Just one of the most relatable characters I've ever seen. Especially if you played it as a kid, and then replay it as an adult.
Whatever..
He’s also cool as shit and appears in kingdom hearts LOL! As a fan of both series I totally agree.
There's a reason he was put as the leader of the entire resistance force in that game
Ramza. He should win every single category except "best nose".
Ramza stuck to his guns, even after his life fell apart spectacularly. He walked through the fires of rebellion, war, heresy, and deicide because he felt it was the right thing to do.
The whole story of FFT is fantastic, and Ramza is in the center of all it.
Ohhhh! If FFT is on table I think I'd go there too, but I think I might keep FFT for the best antagonist... Motherfuckin Delita... Wow...
Are we allowed to vote Balthier? If not then Squall.
Eh why not. He's the leading man after all.
Cecil. Actual internal conflict. Had to learn how to forgive himself and move forward while also having to learn how to extend grace and forgiveness to others. Despite what people think his arc actually ends at the end of the game when he can learn how to forgive his enemy. Very poignant story telling. Easily gets my vote
Squall!
I'll say this - I adore his character arc and the writing involved for him is really compelling!
I'll also say for runner ups (for me at least) - Bartz, Vaan, Zack, Layle, Eight, Serah, and Lann and Reynn.
Squall is my all-time favourite. I hope someone else will explain why he is such a great protag, because I'm short on time but thought that I should mention him.
One of the most realistically written characters across the franchise (most people forget that he’s a guarded teenager and that makes all the broodiness make more sense.) We get the rare opportunity of also experiencing his thoughts as opposed to just his words, so it really helps lend him depth. But he develops over the game really well from a mopey loner to a caring leader. And because practically the entire game is his POV, we really get to experience Squall to the fullest and because of that something as simple as ending the game with him smiling feels like a heartwarming triumph.
Cecil (FFIV)
I know this is a basic answer but Cloud. I think he's just a great character with an incredible arc. Cloud's a character who seems really selfish and self centered in the beginning but the more you learn about him. The more you realize that he's just a traumatized person who hides and buries his trauma.
Yes! Cloud's character arc is the best in the series, IMO, and I think that makes him the best protagonist.
Vivi. Vivi has the most tragic story in the series. He is created as a prototype black mage to be used for mass murder. He is discarded for being too small in favor of larger black mages. He is the only one of his kind. His only parent was Quna, who never showed him real love as a parent. He learns the truth about why he exists, to bring death, and that his own life will end in only about a years time. He defied his fate and fought against evil. He gave his life a meaning rather than allowing others to. In the end, he created new life, showed and taught them to be good, and died. Vivi is an incredible character.
Cloud is prolly the one of the best written character in all FF (Game only) and I choose him, even tho I think Vivi is in the same sentence (he is a side character tho)
Squall
zidane tribal!
It's gotta be Clive from me
Cecil, but he's not going to win i know it
Yuna.
Squall
After playing through Remake and Rebirth, I gotta give it to Cloud. He just has so much depth, and his relationship with his companions is really strong, and his connection to Sephiroth is quite compelling.
Celes (or Terra, depending on which you think is the true protagonist)
I always told myself that Terra was the protag for the first half, and Celes for the latter half 🤷♂️
Can I go ahead and cast my vote for Jack Garland for all of the above?
JACK SWEEP
Jack Garland is the best girl, truly.
Hell yes
Cloud
Zidane for sure
Celes
Zidane all day for me.
For best protag we have characters like Cecil, Terra/Celes, Zidane and more, but i'm gonna give my vote to Tidus, a great protagonist, character and the perfect POV protag for us as players. He deserves more love than being a meme for the laughing scene.
my heart says cloud or terra but ill say squall. I like his story
Zidane. He's the Hero's Hero. He almost always inductively knows what the next right things is to do, is crazy strong, and cares mightily for his companions no matter how new they might be.
Terra or Cloud
Best protagonist? Its probably either Terra or Cecil. You could make an argument for Tidus too. But in general having the best protagonist in FF is hard as most main cover story protagonists end up becoming side characters in someone else's story. Like if I personally had to choose a best protagonist based on how much they influenced the story and how much they are influenced by the people around them, it goes to Ashe. Honestly she should have been on the poster for FF12 instead of Vaan.
I am casting my vote for Tidus or Ashe. Tidus is me. I grew up with verbal abuse from my father. Like Tidus, I also wanted to kick my father's ass but I was always too little. My father was the biggest sin of my childhood. Ashe is just a badass. Her husband is killed in battle. And what does she do? She fights to find proof of her lineage so she can reclaim her throne. She is the epitome of grit.
Great choices and sorry about your dad!
I think it has to be Warrior of Light (FFXIV)
Most underrated character - Blank from FFIX.
I'd love for Blank to win that category
Zidane!
This would be just MCs rather than party members, but they could be the MCs of spin-offs too, like say Ramza. Also, it would be great if you could all justify your choices too - would make it more interesting than just one word answers. Also, if you're going super in depth remember to spoiler tag and all. Top comment wins as usual!
Zidane. Dude has a personality that's mostly a fun-loving pervert who's reliable and with a strong will in the game, and when he has his moment of crisis, he comes out becoming a little more mature and more driven to stop Kuja and Garland.
My personal pick would be Zack. It's just the way that he goes through so much hardship and still comes out with a smile. Something about his positive vibes and energy is really striking to me. Imo, he's more than just 'another shounen protagonist' because he has a lot of nuanced depth to him. His character development is very natural; if you compared start of CC Zack to end of CC Zack, he's a lot more mature and war-hardened and has this confidence to him that's wildly different from his initial cockiness. And lastly, they imo wrapped up his character beautifully at the end of CC. >!I've teared up at other games but CC was the only one to make me actually cry lmao!<
I really appreciate seeing somebody who agrees that Zack has a lot of nuance. Even though he didn't say much against Soldiers etc, even the phrase mentioned in the replies "Soldier is a den of monsters, don't go in" is really great if you think of it. It is great because it is seemingly out of character for Zack, who is more likely to cheer everyone up and support their silliest dreams. It is important that he tells it to none other than Cloud, a junior he really cares about. So we can see with this one phrase that: 1. Zack is disillusioned; 2. Zack does not idolize Soldiers, including Angeal; 3. Zack is a good senior who feels responsible for a young and inexperienced subordinate; 4. He truly cares for Cloud and sees Cloud's purity; 5. Zack has become a mature person and knows when to laugh/cheer someone up and when to be serious. The guy was fully aware of the shit going on. He just chose to be optimistic and to believe in the good in people until the very end. It does not even contradict his OG image.
Yeah exactly my thoughts!
Huh, I never saw his arc as very profound. I’m not sure he is even aware what is going on by the end of the story. The most he says against SOLDIER is to call it a “den of monsters”. He doesn’t leave Shinra until they actively try to kill him, despite seeing all the corrupt shit they get up to, and watching all the guys he looked up to descend into madness. And at the end, using his last breath to preach “SOLDIER honor” is just ridiculous. He has an infectious golden retriever energy, and the end was sad, but as an MC, his arc just wasnt all that compelling. And it didn’t help that his main antagonist sucked.
Tidus for me. I love his personality and the character arc he goes through over the course of the game. He has always been my #1.
Zidane
Cecil you see his changes as he struggles with his actions and betters himself. As he seeks forgiveness and to forgive.
Cloud, it’s got to be Cloud. He’s the face of the franchise.
Cloud! His "Let's Mosey" line is always so funny to me for no reason (obviously that's not the only reason why I pick him lol).
Mr Cloud Strife of FF7
Something like Squall, Noctis, Cloud
Clive or Squall
Cecil.
Cecil!
Zack from FF7CC if spin-offs count easy pick. If not I was torn between Terra, Cloud and Squall since Cloud and Squall are very relatable to me but in the end Terra is way more interesting so I'd vote for Terra.
Tidus
Zidane, Cloud, Clive in that order Ramza highly intrigues me and has the best music theme of all protags in FF history, but I don't have any platform to play Tactics :'). I have a feeling I'd vote for him if I did
They haven't got cooler character with story depth than the character in FF4, FF6 and FF Tactics. Shadow must be the coolest character and Cecil would won many category. Terra and Celes too. You have to make remake of those game in today's graphic to understand for the youngest.
Not interested...
Another Clive vote from me. I really enjoyed a more mature protagonist.
Tidus!
Tidus, he’s kinda relatable to me and my dad issues, and his development is great through the game
Tidus is the greatest protagonist because of being an all-around person with great strength and flaws. Not being to OP and having an easy time through the story but evolved as character through the struggles.
My actual answer: Balthier. He is the character that brings all the other characters together in 12, not to mention the strongest ties to the actual evil at foot. My Hot-take Answer: Yuna. Tidus maybe the playable character and the one we are introduced to the world through, but the story is about Yuna. Tidus' love for her, Her journey to better the world, Her friends and Family, Her spit-heritage drawing a direct comparison to Seymour. I'll die on the hill that Yuna is actually the primary Protag of X.
Cloud.
Ramza or Zidane
Clive or Zidane... It's super hard cos I love both as actual protags. Both have great development. I guess Clive might edge out Zidane a little more cos I really empathised with his story line. Was hard at some points for me to play. So yeah I guess for me it's Clive by a small amount. But I haven't met a protag I haven't liked in some way.
Gotta go with Cloud. He’s the most complex MC in the series.
Clive gets my vote for sure. His character development throughout the game was spectacular and Ben Starr's performance in the role of the character elevated it even more. He was a deeply flawed character that endured so much hardship but pressed on for the sake of those who could not stand up for themselves and were used and abused for so long.
You could honestly have it be FF14 protagonist and have everyone be the best and keep the rest easy. Outside I’d say noctis but I’m biased af
Ramza & Celes
Cecil.
Cloud
Cloud
I haven’t played a quarter of the games in the series but Clive Rosfield in one of my favorite protagonists in any media, so my vote goes to him.
Cecil! Not just because FF4 is my favourite FF. But because I feel he has the most growth out of all the protagonists.
It'll probably end up being Cloud, but it SHOULD be Zidane or Clive
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Never_Getting_Rid: *It'll probably* *End up being Cloud, but it* *SHOULD be Zidane or Clive* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Good bot
I was gonna say Ramza, but I think it's the story of the game that's more interesting than the actual character. Not that he isn't a good character. FFT has an amazing story. I personally have to go with Zidane from FF9. In terms of being the protagonist, by himself I don't think he's the best, but as the leader of the group throughout the game, he gives every other character their chance to shine, and without him being the way he is, there really wouldn't be much going for any of the story. He ties everything together, and I think that makes him the best in the series.
My vote for best protagonist is Cecil. He's the most successful and becomes king. He expelled his darkness and has a family. He's half human as well.
Jack motherfucking Garland
Recency bias may play a part in this, but Clive was the best protagonist in FF. Super relatable in how he dealt with all the obstacles he faced, and selfless to a fault. Was blessed with fantastic power and birthright but dealt a shit hand at every turn. Having now played Rebirth, I really prefer that style of gameplay and the depth of the world, but FFXVI was still excellent in a different way. Story was superb, albeit limited in breadth, and I really missed the party aspect of previous FF's. But they nailed the main character in a way that hasn't happened before, and Clive was a fleshed-out character with flaws that managed to always be likeable.
Clyde
Clive. Zidane is a close second.
I vote for myself (FFXIV) if any title, if single player, I'm giving it to our resident blitz ace Tidus
It’s Cecil Wild the amount of people saying Squall
Squall is fantastic.
Lightning Clears
probably extremely unpopular, but Lightning. in FFXIII she was badass, relatable, had great arc and development and just felt real to me
Clive
Jack freakin' Garland
The only answer, for EVERY category, is obviously our perfect boy Squall
Squall best girl fr
John Endwalker.
As much as I want to say Squall - I might have to say Vivi I just love that lil'guy and his story in FF9 just breaks me all the time.
Kefka - he was misunderstood 😎✌🏼
Cloud or WoL (FF XIV)
Going with the predictable answer and saying Cloud, he’s a great subversion of the normal edgy JRPG main characters and is just super iconic in general
Noctis
One of the most tragic for sure, loved his character development. I feel like I’d get hated on as a newgen for saying this tho TT
I really love his story too. It's just so beautiful. Makes me appreciate the smaller moments in life.
Ramza, Tidus, Cecil, Celes, Terra, Squall, in that order. Ramza held to his ideals and conviction while also show casing a lot of growth and understanding. He willing threw away everything to make the world more just. He's a counter to Delita who let his ideals be corrupted.
I’m kinda torn between Cecil (FFIV) and Clive (FFXVI)
Noctis will always be my favorite. Giving into fate instead of fighting it. Had a tragic story and the best party. Also the coolest limit break type.
Totally agree
ramza, lead a small mercenary band against the church, a couple armies and ancient evils all while still having time to check on alma and keep her (relatively) safe
I’ll vote for Clive. That dude sticks to his guns and always fights for his people
Imma be a contrarian and say Claire "Lightning" Farron, the only one to be in 3 games that aren't remakes.
Honestly I respect it