This is the second of my series of threads and polls, asking all of you for your personal rankings of the characters from each FF game in the numbered games. You can base them on personality, usefulness in gameplay, relevance to the story, general enjoyment of each character, or even frivolous things such as their character themes. Whatever you want to base them on. Also included is a poll on which you can vote for your absolute favorite from each game.
This is my second one. It's for FF8! And I'm only ranking the six MAIN characters, not the other three. And I ask that you all do the same.
So here are my rankings:
1. Selphie: This was actually a hard game to rank because it's probably the one game in the whole series in which I don't really love anybody, though I like most of the characters. But Selphie gets the benefit of being the game's "perky young girl" character, so she gets to be on the top. I like her spunk, I like her energy, I like how she can find a way to make light of any situation, and, hell, I even like her love of trains! And yeah, I even like that she's an archetype destroyer -- she's the first true female main character to have a male love interest after all of these male characters having female love interests! Except for a few situations, Selphie made me smile each time she came on-screen, and I generally enjoyed her. So I put her first.
2. Zell: First and second were actually neck-and-neck for me, but Selphie barely edged Zell out. But I liked Zell's own energy. I liked his funny movements and reactions (especially when he was surprised, and particularly when he realized he recognized the D-District prison). I liked his overexuberant celebrations ("OHHHHHHHH, YEEEEAAAAHHHH!"), and I liked seeing him get screwed out of hotdogs every single time. But I also liked his arc, in which he went from immature firecracker who couldn't lead to save his life to . . . well . . . less immature firecracker who could at least be trusted to lead. I even liked both times he was the leader! I basically liked his general positivity (which turned into negativity each time Seifer was around), so he's in second place.
3. Quistis: Yeah, from a story perspective, she was useless after a while, except for the time she led in the Deling City sewer. I just liked her understated calmness and maturity she showed in the face of her mostly immature friends. And I liked how a lot of it just rolled off her back, basically. Plus, there was her simple "Not anymore," given when Seifer asks her if she's still his dearest student. No anger, no resentment, just basically saying, "You suck, Seifer" in her own, calm, Quistis way. My only beef with her is that any real potential for an actual character arc for her was wasted. Not her fault, but simply the designers', but still, Quistis's potential was wasted, so she's down here in third place.
4. Rinoa: Given my resentment of her and Squall pretty much eating the remainder of the story from the end of disc two and on, I am actually very surprised I'm being so generous and putting her here. But I am. I quite enjoyed Rinoa and the two sides of her -- her tough-as-nails, no-nonsense side, as well as her softer, typical-teenage-girl side. It seems like nothing can bring her down. And then, she becomes a feared sorceress and faces an imminent sealing, and we can finally, finally see her vulnerable side. While I didn't care much the first time I watched it, my heart broke for her the second time when it finally hit me how scared and distraught she was over it. Beyond that, I liked her unique Limit involving Angelo. I don't think anyone ever used a dog in battle before, and no one has since. So yeah. Liked her enough to save her from the bottom two. Fourth place for her.
5. Irvine: Really not a whole lot to say here. I did like Irvine, but not as much as the three above. I enjoyed his ladies' man moments, and his attempts to woo Selphie. One reason he's down here, though, is because there really isn't much to him, aside from the things I mentioned. Other than his assassination screw-up, he's got ZERO storyline of his own. That said, his personality was at least a pleasant one, compared to the one below. So he's in fifth place.
6. Squall: Is it any surprise? I'll start off with his good qualities. He has a well-rounded character arc, for sure, and he's a beast in battle, which is fitting for the protagonist. But . . . I just don't like him. I'm not into the brooding, emo types of heroes (and you'll see another hero just like that on the bottom of a later poll). Turning into such a loner just over losing his "Sis," trying to brush off any attempt at anyone trying to be friends with him, not keeping up well with conversations, suddenly yelling and running out of a room in the middle of a conversation, his basic negativity . . . ugh. His love story with Rinoa was pretty much the only redeeming quality about him, but other than that, I just didn't like Squall. Still don't. At least I don't hate him anymore (and the love story is the reason why), but as of now . . . he's still the one character in this game I didn't like. So he's sixth and last.
But these are just my rankings. How about everyone else's?