Final Verdict on Seifer?

Is he totally evil?
An antihero?
A tragic villain?

Tragic villain seems most appropriate as he was manipulated by Ultimecia in more ways than one to do her bidding; all because he just wanted to fulfill his lifelong dream.

i wouldn't call fulfilling a lifelong dream manipulation

Considering what Ultimecia says to Seifer:
"Find the legendary Lunatic Pandora, said to be hidden beneath the ocean. Only then shall the sorceress provide you with dreams again."

Seems to me like she did something to his mind.

yes, kind of sad isn't it

I thought squall was the anti-hero.

I'd go with tragic villain/anti-hero. He's not entirely evil, as the scene with him fishing with his buds at the end and smiling at the sight of garden returning nulls that. He's just a guy with big dreams and a bigger mouth, and unfortunately that became his downfall, his pride. Great character IMO.

Clearly he is the comic relief

He strikes me as misguided and manipulated, but also selfish and driven. As far as Squall and co are concerned, he's a villain. As far as Galbadia's concerned, he's the Sorceress' enforcer - a mysterious young foreigner who gets some amount of respect because of his status, but played a big part in the nation's troubles.

Overall, his actions and decisions are bad. He's not irredeemably 'evil', but his choices led to a lot of unnecessary deaths.

A student in Galbadia Garden in disc one says, "I heard the sorceress has the ability to brainwash others. I wonder if it's true?" I always assume that what she says is directed at Seifer.

Poor Seifer ;_;

I think that Seifer is simply a rival and a recurring villain. I felt that we, as players, were not given enough interaction with him and the other characters to designate him as a tragic villain or anything like that. I think that his role in the storyline was not consequential enough to give him the status of anything greater.