Why is Edward considered a "wimp"?

[Peter1986]

Edward is typically considered the coward in this game - and sure, there is some objective truth in that, since he is the only one with access to a personal "Hide" command.
However, let's put this into perspective:
the first time you meet him, he has just got his castle randomly bombarded and destroyed, and this killed almost everyone at the castle - and his own girlfriend also died when she got hit by an arrow.
And right after that, Cecil and company arrive and everyone is like "Crybaby! Stop whining!" (isn't that kinda mean, by the way? would people talk like that in a similar real-life scenario? hopefully not).
If you think realistically about this (because I think that interactions between characters in RPGs need to be somewhat realistic if the player is going to wanna care for them), then someone like Edward would probably be extremely traumatised by all these events, and develop a great fear for anything that tries to attack you - in fact, this might even be the whole reason for why Edward has that "Hide" command in the first place.

With this in mind, Edward's "cowardly" personality seems much more understandable and forgiving.

[Galuf]

Tbf. Rydia witnesses her whole town and mother dying. But she gets over it quickly.

the hide isnt too much justifactaion as ffv bards know hide.

I have grown on edward a bit. And realize he does get braver during the game.

But yeah. I think its cos hes outmatched by a little kid in bravery

[Fynn]

If you watch how the cutscene plays out in the DS remake (highly recommended as it actually ads some much needed weight to FFIV's otherwise silly script), you can see that both Rydia and Cecil are both still kind of lashing out because of their own conflicts and losses. Edward kind of gets a grip along with the rest of them and they kind of just seem to feel that they can do more if they calm down and just work together and stuff.

And even in the SNES version, no one calls him a coward after that.

[maybee]

I know, right ? I mean Edward has just his whole entire kingdom massacred, and his friends and family, in front of eyes, and the fandom just calls him a wuss. Edward, going forward, even though he's shaken up and just lost everybody and everything, is very brave and strong. I wouldn't call Spoony Bard a wuss, I would call him the total opposite of that.


If you watch how the cutscene plays out in the DS remake (highly recommended as it actually ads some much needed weight to FFIV's otherwise silly script), you can see that both Rydia and Cecil are both still kind of lashing out because of their own conflicts and losses. Edward kind of gets a grip along with the rest of them and they kind of just seem to feel that they can do more if they calm down and just work together and stuff.

And even in the SNES version, no one calls him a coward after that.

Agree, yeah, the DS version shows more that Rydia and Cecil are lashing out on Edward, because they're not yet recovered from their personal trauma either.

Rydia : " Coward.....you're a man, aren't you ? A grown man " ! " Stop crying " " I ..... have ".

[Sephex]

They gave him grief because Edward was straight up saying he'd just chill with a corpse and cry over it. He is supposed to be the leader of a kingdom too. It may be tough, but that action was necessary for him to move on. The DS/Steam version makes this scene make more sense and shows that Edward was at the edge of madness, honestly.

[Peter1986]

Yeah well, I checked a video of the Japanese Super Famicom version a while ago, and the interactions are pretty much the same there - Rydia calls Edward a "crybaby", then Edward is like "fine then, I'm a crybaby, I'm gonna stay here with Anna!" and Cecil points out that this is not just his own sorrow, but theirs as well, and that they need his help.

[Jowy]

Edward is a fucking gangster if you level him up enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru6NqulACao

[Kibbs Kibbard]

My thoughts where he was sheltered from the hard portion of work being King and in the castle with damsels left and right until Anna I presume, but as the story progresses he overcomes his boyish fear and such and then becomes more of a hero who stands up and fight. He's wimpy at first but I think it's due to his upbringing, not all Princes are toughened when they are young.

[Example]

From what little I've played of FF4 (DS version) he can't attack and his abilities were mostly useless.