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Post by Bianka on Jul 24, 2007 5:47:42 GMT
Which of the Final Fantasy heroes (heroes as in male main character or protagonist. Main character/protagonist does not include supporting main characters like Barrett or Cid. Vincent and Zack are included because of DoC and Crisis Core.) is the best overall? Consider their personality, background, and journey on several platforms. Which one had the most compelling story? By that, I refer to what they had to overcome to eventually triumph (if they did) over the antagonist of the game…or even themselves. This is not about which hero suffered the most, either. Anyone can suffer. It takes a hero to make use of their suffering: to strengthen the soul, inspire ambition, and achieve success. Which hero is most inspiring? Feel free to base your reasoning on other topics. I ask, though, that you please don’t base your judgment on which hero is most attractive. Oh, and please explain your opinion in detail. As fans of Final Fantasy, I expect that some members may have strong, well-thought-out opinions on this topic, and I (as well as others, I’m sure) would love to hear them all.
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Post by gilventure on Jul 24, 2007 9:01:29 GMT
Oh, too fun, Bianka. I like this topic. I feel Tidus is the strongest of the heroes. He is thrust into the role of protector of Yuna whether he wants it or not and then proceeds not only to accept his role but to surpass all guardians who have come before him. He remains upbeat and positive no matter how hard things get and refuses to accept the idea of anything happening to Yuna. Yet he is also the most self-sacrificing of the selection of heroes, as he trades his own life in order that Yuna's life and the strange world he'd been thrown into be saved. He chooses to save a world that was not his own by sacrificing himself. Yet he never whines, never cries (although he whines and cries about other things). He carries himself with dignity and grace, as real heroes do. Gotta say, this one goes hands down to Tidus in my book.
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Post by ladyvaltaya on Jul 24, 2007 16:35:43 GMT
Zack gets my vote for a lot of the same reasons that Gilventure picked Tidus, actually. ^_^
Anyone who has seen Last Order ought to know how extraordinary of a person and a friend Zack was. Zack was always positve, encouraging and fiercely loyal as well as determined to keep thier freedom. In the end it was because of how hard Zack fought that the troops found Cloud too insignificant to kill by comparison. Zack could have escaped quite easily on his own, but he knowingly sacrificed himself to protect Cloud.
Zack could have been dark and brooding over what had happened to them in the mansion's basement for the last four years but he made a choice to focus on the future and the promise of freedom and seeing Aerith again instead.
I don't think it was just that he protected Cloud that gets me- it was the way he went about it. I protect and care for the sick and the dying every day at work; it is emotionally draining and physically exhausting in a way that no other job is. Zack's natural compassion and bright spirit make it look easy though. At the risk of sounding like a complete cheeseball (and a ninny) I'll admit that Zack inspires me a lot at work with the way he took care of Cloud. ^_^
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Post by piedflycatcher on Jul 24, 2007 17:38:41 GMT
I chose Cloud, because I think he had the biggest journey. He went from being an abject failure, to a scientific experiment, to a headcase, to a hero. That he managed to go through all that and still come out relatively sane is amazing.
What I like about him is that in the end, he accepts that he is weak - and paradoxically, this becomes his biggest strength. I find this an admirable message because it says that we are at our best when we are truly ourselves. Only when Cloud embraces every part of himself, including the flaws that he so despises, can he become whole again.
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Post by Captain Wee on Jul 25, 2007 17:15:22 GMT
I'm with Pied on this one. Cloud was the one least likely to become a hero, and that makes it all the more amazing that he succeeded.
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Post by snarky on Jul 27, 2007 2:35:56 GMT
I have to object to the poll a little: Technically, Locke isn't the hero of FF6 so much as Terra is. Sure, Locke is the main male character, but Terra is, in a way, more of the hero. She is the first character you gain, and much of the plot revolves around her - more, in fact, that Locke.
Although... I suppose as this is best 'hero' and not 'heroine', perhaps my complaint isn't really valid. Still... I feel it is a point worth voicing.
Anyway... while I agree that Cloud was the one least likely to become a hero, I'd say Cecil from number four is the best, and here's why:
Traditionally (or, at least in a lot of the old stories), a hero is a man who embodies courage and strength and who overcomes trials and tribulations beyond those a normal person could deal with. The hero is the one who slays all the monsters and sets things right in the world, even at his own expense. He's the one who - without expecting any reward - goes and puts his life out on a limb for everyone else, simply because it's the right thing to do.
Now, as stereotypical as he may be (especially by modern standards), Cecil Harvey strikes me as the most heroic of the bunch, or, at least, the one who most closely resembles a traditional hero.
He starts out as a Dark Knight doing not so noble things (attacking a village and killing a bunch of people simply to acquire the Water Crystal for his king), but he feels bad about them, and he wishy-washes for a while between his own morality and doing his duty. Not far into the game, he makes up his mind and decides that doing the right thing is more important than his duty. The fact that he comes to that decision on his own - unlike Tidus, who is somewhat forced into it, or Cloud, who mostly gets drawn into things for a while - and then spends the game acting on it and not giving up despite repeated setbacks and failures is remarkable to me. Not once does he contemplate giving up. Well, ok - there was /one/ time, when the woman he loves gets kidnapped by the evil guys, right after his best friend Kain turns out to (seemingly) be a git siding with the evil guys and beats the crap out of Cecil, /and/ the evil side gets the crystal that Cecil & co were trying to protect, Cecil did act rather depressed and like he was going to give up... But that doesn't even last the entire scene before he's all determined and ready, again.
Even near the end, when he finds out that hey, Golbez, the guy you've all thought was the main evil guy, has actually all this time been controlled by an even eviller guy who's on the moon /and/, by the by, he's your brother, Cecil /still/ keeps going, and after he defeats said eviller guy (Zeromus), he swallows his bitterness towards Golbez for all the nasty things the man did and just accepts it.
That's not all, though. In the middle of the game, after a shipwreck, Cecil washes up on shore near Mysadia - the village that, in the opening scenes of the game, he sacked and stole the crystal from. Long story short, he takes a side trip in an effort to redeem himself, and he sheds his Dark Knighthood in favor of becoming a Paladin. He takes the time to try and make up for the bad things he's done; he shows regret and a willingness to change.
And, um... that really rambly list of things sums up my reasons why I think he's the best of the bunch. ^.^' If it makes no sense, I'm prepared to attempt to clarify.
In short, it's because he chooses the path of the hero, of trying to do what is right, from the get go, he's very determined and tries his hardest to see it through, and his journey of redemption and his efforts to try and make up for the evil that he did all make me think that he's the best hero. Yay.
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Post by Bianka on Jul 27, 2007 3:45:48 GMT
I've played the game a tad bit (it's my brother's, so...gotta play it when I can=), and I know that Locke isn't the main character. You're right. ^^ But I wanted to include him as he is the main male character. I'd initially planned on making a female version of this poll, which would include Terra, of course. Not many people have replied to this one, though. And I forgot. That, too. Hehe. ;D
As for me, I still haven't quite made up my own mind about the best overall Final Fantasy hero. I have my own favorite heroes, but if I were to consider all facets of their character, I'll admit that they don't deserve it as much as others.
...Like Zack. I didn't get into his character much before Lost Order. Now, though, I've come to appreciate his sacrifice and how much of an impact he had on Cloud. Without him, Cloud would not be the person he turned out to be. Heck, he wouldn't even be alive.
But Cloud's story is also compelling. He overcame Sephiroth, Jenova, and Shinra, yeah. But more importantly...he conquered himself. He found himself, with the aid of Tifa, and had to come to terms with the person he became. He was never successful in the field he had dreamed about. He wasn't the man he thought he was. It took him some time to accept his faults, like Pied said, but he eventually did. I, too, am amazed that he was able to conquer everything that he did and come out of it alright.
What of Vaan? I haven't finished that game, either, and I'm just curious to know how he compares with the other heroes. =)
Edit: Glad to know that you think this is fun, gilventure. =D I wanted it to be fun.
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Post by Captain Wee on Jul 27, 2007 7:21:05 GMT
Vaan was just a boy who got caught up in the whole turmoil of revolution. He is a young pickpocket who just happened to stumble onto pirates and princesses. But he is a true hero in that he overcomes his ignorance and actually makes a difference. You can see the change in the end of the game when instead of running, he's actually the one who strikes Vayne Novus down(from what I remember). He doesn't have the crippled emotional state that the others have, but he has a charming naivete about him that he tries to hide by being cynical.
Overall, I wouldn't mind being saved by him. Seems like a nice guy.
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Post by piedflycatcher on Jul 27, 2007 11:54:46 GMT
I don't see Vaan as the hero of FFXII. A lot of the time, he was just an onlooker who happened to get caught up in these major events. Ashe seemed more like the protagonist to me: the main events of the game revolve around her.
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Post by ladyvaltaya on Jul 28, 2007 13:02:15 GMT
You know, even for characters that aren't the main protagonist, it is still possible to classify all the party members from all the Final Fantasy games as heroes too. The party members of each game stand together and they fight for something that matters- even if they aren't all doing it for the same reason, they are all still facing the same hardships and dangers, so Captain Wee isn't really wrong in that observation, Pied. ^_^
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Vervous
Slum Dweller
Slum Dweller? :3
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Post by Vervous on Aug 20, 2007 23:40:18 GMT
Vaan irritates me to the point where I would have left him in Rabanastre at the beginning of the game if I had the choice. Party: "Brb, saving Ivalice" Vaan: "I wanna be a sky pirate ^__^! I like stealing things! I dont like Imperials " My vote goes to Zidane because I haven't had the chance to play 7 yet (boo!) and to me he seems like a nice, honest guy.
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Post by fearandloathing on Aug 21, 2007 0:04:34 GMT
Yeah, Tidus makes me laugh too much to be a hero, and not laugh with him - just /at/ him.
Ana Vaan....hm, 'I'm looking for answers.....In Fran's ass.' Ashe- Did you say something? Vaan - Uhhhhh.....
XII was basically Ashe- 'man, I wanna be a princess again', Basch - 'I better protect you', Vaan- 'whoa, pirates, look Penelo, pirates, hot ones with ears and thongs', Penelo - 'DON'T LEAVE ME VAAN!', Balthier - 'this bitchy princess is fairly hot, maybe I'll stick around a while', Fran - 'You dragged me all this way to chase SKIRT!' *hits Balthier with back of hand*
Man, I wish I looked more close at these polls, I've changed my mind now. I went for Vincent. But now I want Zidane.
I chose Vincent for his DoC actions, because he saves the frakkin world, man, like REALLY saves it. And he rescues all these people and just goes 'hmph -*cape swish*' when they thank him. He's so kickass, I'd do him. Even with the claw, I would soooo hit that.
But y'see, Zidane is just this amazingly compassionate guy, he is such a frakkin fantastic character and it's like what Ammarant says about him - he can be hard to get, but he's just so him. I totally love Zidane but I can't decide...and Vincent was higher on the list :S
But the toss-up is definitly between them for me, though.
ARRRRRR torments self inside
'Case Zidane's got no background, right? He's so lost in the world. But Vincent is so alone..... GAH *Brain implodes*
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Post by leafonthebreeze on Aug 21, 2007 10:34:00 GMT
You know, he's not final fantasy... But I kinda think Sora was a pretty good hero. All he wanted, throughout the whole game his main goal, was to help his friends. But he didn't mind detouring along the way to save a bunch of worlds while he was at it. And he was only 14.
SPOILERS
Then at the end of 1, doesn't he give up his heart to save Kairi? And becomes the thing he'd been fighting all this time?
I think he's a pretty major hero.
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Post by snarky on Aug 21, 2007 20:01:54 GMT
Hm... That is true, Leaf.
And in KH2, instead of getting to go home and be with those friends, he has to go do it again!
Man, that has got to be depressing; you save a bunch of worlds, and it turns out that you have to save them /again/.
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Ink
SOLDIER First Class
Jashin's going to smite your arse. Smite! SMITE, I say!
Posts: 1,681
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Post by Ink on Aug 22, 2007 13:50:26 GMT
I always found it strange that no adult in KH or KH2 commented on his age when he went to do ass-kicking dangerous things.
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