Yeah, it's a hard choice for me too. I mean, I suppose I know, but there are so many that I've got a top five list... If you will bare with me...
5. Squall Leonhart. I don't get what all the hate for Squall is about. I mean, okay, I get it. But he didn't grow on you throughout the course of the game? I hated Squall for the first couple of discs because he seemed like a prick, but the more I saw the loneliness and resignation to fate, he became really sympathetic. I didn't realize that he was growing on me until it was too late. That scene where he's walking Rinoa across the bridge really did something to me the first go around (it was less remarkable my second play-through, because I already liked Squall going in). I expand more
in our FFVIII thread.
4. Barret Wallace. Man, did I ever have low expectations for this guy. Who knew that he would be one of the best developed characters not only in VII, but in the series as a whole! He comes across as a charicature, a plot device used to thrust Cloud into the anti-Shinra struggle, and to be antagonistic, showing the shades of grey that the game would later capitalize on. But then you throw in Marlene and Barret suddenly becomes sympathetic. The conflicting goals of being a good father and putting himself at constant risk come to a head when Elmyra confronts him in Midgar. A little while later, Barret has to give up his control of the struggle over to Cloud when he concedes that the crisis for the Planet is bigger than his personal vendetta against Shinra. Because it
is a personal vendetta. All of Barret's huffing and puffing about the Planet are kind of revealed as shams the minute you learn that Barret's town, wife and arm were victims of Shinra's oppressive might, and that Barret has been using the Lifestream as an excuse to fulfill his own revenge fantasy. For a character that had been the spiritual centre of the party, it's a huge revelation (shortly afterwards, the party meets Bugenhagen and pick up where Barret leaves off). And you learn that his adoption of Marlene is as much about guilt and self-loathing than it is generosity. I just love how preachy he seems at first, only to have an enormous, complex web of motivations guiding those principles (that only
happen to be right). Very brilliant, and very FFVII. My only regret with Barret's development is that the North Corel subplot is never really resolved. The script writers really should have done more with the Corel Huge Materia if Barret is in the party. Instead, it's the same fetch quest as before, but with a few words from NPCs that don't change much. It could be argued that the lack of resolution is fitting for FFVII's imperfect world, but I would take resolution instead.
3. Locke Cole. He's not especially well developed like the last two I described. His story is pretty simple. His girlfriend got amnesia and then died, and so he feels a need to protect girls because he's consumed by the guilt of letting Rachel fall. What I like about Locke is how freaking charming the guy is. He gets along with just about everyone, including me. That's awesome. He really encompases the joy-ride that is FFVI for me.
2. Zidane Tribal. I'm sure much more will be said about this guy, but I want to say that he's probably the FF character who is the most similar to me in my life. He's also similar to Locke, which made me like him right off the bat. Whereas the FF games preceding IX had the protagonists undergo a journey to discover the-power-of-love-and-friendship, Zidane's a guy who has that in the
bag. He really showed that you don't need to have a personal psycho-melodrama to be the protagonist of a post 1980s fantasy story. The most compelling part of FFIX, the part that makes me want to play and replay, are the first couple of discs. Because Zidane got out of the way and let the story unfold. He acted like a hero from the get-go. When Disc 3 rolls around and you learn Zidane's spectacular role in the story, it's a little shocking but it sells me on it. What I love the most about the "You're not alone" segment is that Zidane got Vivi through the exact same crisis two discs ago! But it just shows how you can be so certain of things, but if you're ever forced to put those beliefs to a real test, you might need help to pull through.
and my fave?
1. Cloud Strife. Almost a complete 180 from Zidane is a character who
makes the story of FFVII a mere backdrop for his psycho-melodrama. But because of that, he's so damn well developed that I can't imagine giving this spot to anyone else. Cloud has levels and levels of complexity, and he remains enigmatic to a lot of fans. Almost fifteen years later and we're still debating as to what it meant for him to 'take on Zack.' He's the motherfucking Hamlet of video games, plain and simple.
