Ranking Final Fantasy VI’s memorable cast

5. Strago Magus

Beastmaster, this is more of a personal pick than an objective one. Blue Mages and their magic abilities have always been my favorite in any Final Fantasy game, and that is exactly what Strago’s job is. While his Lore ability isn’t half as useful (or should I say game-breaking) as the Enemy Skill Materia in Final Fantasy VII, he does pick up a few fun and unique monster spells throughout the game. White Wind, Aero, Aqua Rake, Mighty Guard, all so much fun to find and utilize.

However, both Strago and his grandaughter Relm often take a hit in popularity since they don’t join the game until much later. By the time this cooky old man and his headstrong granddaughter stumble into the plot, we already know all about Terra, Locke, Celes, and the demons that they face within. In terms of story, Strago often feels tacked on, which stinks because he is so much fun to use in battle.

4. Relm Arrowny

A painting savant, Relm benefits from being the strongest magic user in the game. Plop Ultima on her, and the game is over. However, for those who don’t want or need to cheat their way through the game, Relm’s main usage also comes from her strong ability. Sketch starts off solid enough as a sort of weak Lore spin-off, but eventually, she becomes able to completely Control enemies! This pins down the biggest threat on the battlefield and even lets you use its deadliest skills against its teammates!

Relm’s Control skill is also, bar none, the most efficient ways to pick up Lores for Strago.

Again, Relm joins a little too late in the story to have a big impact on it, but at least she leads the way for one of the character development of the game’s most intriguing heroes.

3. Shadow

Ninja, that’s all you really need to know. Shadow is the coolest ninja in video game history. None can compare or compete with his deadly expertise. Whether he is slicing down fire monsters with his knives, battling train engines, or even coming closer than anyone to saving the world from Kefka’s wrath, there really isn’t much more this character needs to do to firmly establish himself in the upper echelon of the franchise.

However, he does take it many steps further! Taking him to Inns during the second half of the game reveals his nightmares and an unusual connection he shares with another character in the game. You’ll want to see all of those before Final Fantasy VI wraps itself up.

As for combat, he’s a physical fighter, but he gets benefits over Edgar and Cyan thanks to his speed and his Throw ability. While not overly useful with most weapons, Shadow’s ability to toss elemental swords works wonders of some bosses, and his cheap Shurikens allow for massive damage from the back row throughout the adventure.

2. Terra Bradford

Half-human, half-esper, Terra is the closest that Final Fantasy VI comes to having a “main character.” The game’s major events all surround her mysterious origins, and yeah, the game kicks off with you in control of her. While she might lose the spotlight in the second half once the game starts to take a more open-world direction, her fate intertwines with that of the Espers and fans will want to see how she makes it through alive.

She also undergoes a small character arc as she tackles the strange emotion of “love,” something she never felt during her her youth as a slave of the empire.

In terms of gameplay, Terra rocks! Her Trance ability doubles all damage output, meaning she’ll rain hellfire upon enemies and kill them faster than any other character in the game, and she also has access to the most equipment in the game. As a physical attacker, she’s awesome, and as a magic wielder, she’s even better! The only problem with Terra is that she makes a bad first impression when Edgar, Locke, and Sabin are able to easily outclass her in terms of damage output during the game’s early chapters.

Overlook that and she’ll be second to none of the closing acts… well… second to one, I should say.

1. Sabin Figaro

Renegade Prince, Sabin is my favorite character in Final Fantasy VI. He makes a huge first impression by blowing away Terra, Locke, and Edgar in terms of damage output. Then you spend a huge adventure with him as he tours the globe trying to reunite with his comrades, still managing to outclass Cyan, Gau, and even Shadow in the process. As more characters join the cause and magic starts to take over, Sabin’s Blitz abilities never lose prominence. Not once! Aura Cannon enters the game as the strongest ability, and it remains so until Phantom Rush and Ultima get picked up towards the end.

Oh yeah, Sabin also suplexes a train in what is Final Fantasy VI’s second-most iconic moment.

Most would turn him into a physical fighter given that he has huge muscles and powerful weapons, but actually, Sabin is best served as a mage. His Blitz skills are all determined by his magic stat, not his strength stat. With maximized magic, Phantom Rush will put huge dents in early boss fights, and Razor Gale will clear most random battles of their enemies. This is done for the low cost of zero MP, making Sabin one of the most efficient fighters in the game.

The only major complaint I have for Sabin is that Blitzes are too hard to input on a Nintendo DS d-pad. I flawlessly executed these every time when playing on a Super Nintendo as a kid. On a DS, ugh, my success rate is easily under 50 percent for Razor Gale and Phantom Rush. Maybe I’m just out of practice.

In terms of character development, there are deeper ones than Sabin in the game. Terra, Cyan, Locke, and Shadow all come to mind, but still, Sabin has an air of a kid stuck in a man’s massive body. He wants to smash enemies to pieces and bring the fight to their doorstep, but he also has a soft side for his brother Edgar and the sacrifice he made for the sake of Sabin’s happiness. Not the deepest of characters, but still a solid one that never takes up too much cutscene time.

His final meeting with Master Duncan shows off Final Fantasy’s 16-bit take on Dragon Ball Z style fighting. It’s kind of funny really.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/10/22/ranking-final-fantasy-vis-memorable-cast/