In the review or criticism of an FF game one will invariably come across the writer's view of the main character, the love interest or another character they especially loved/hated.
The main character seems to get it the worst...people didn't like Cloud and Squall because they were too moody. People didn't like Zidane and Tidus because they were too jolly.
Characters like Rosa, Lenna and Aerith were seen as too 'damsel in distress', whereas Tifa, Lightning and Ashe were too 'tough and stoic'. Rinoa and Garnet are 'whiney'.
Then of course you get the inevitable "Selphie/Rikku/Vanille was sooo annoying omg" and so it goes on.
This whittles down the characters to a precious few in the games that are universally popular.
I find that in recent games you can 'tell' what a character is going to be like even before playing the game, just by looking at their picture. I'll use 13 as an example:
Lightning: typical tough chick. Moody and doesn't say much.
Snow: jolly, loud, upbeat guy.
Vanille: giggly, happy, cheerful chick.
Hope: awkward, angsty teenage boy.
Fang: Tough chick #2, but she's smiling so make her touch chick with possibly dry humour.
Sazh: Token cheerful black guy who always has something witty to say.
Sounds about right
Not saying that Square have never been guilty of creating character stereotypes, but they seem to be making much 'simpler' characters than they used to.
So what in your opinion makes a good character? Is it their initial deposition (quiet, loud, upbeat or stoic), their development, their relationships or even their appearance?