Which FF protagonist is the best?

[Fynn]

Hey, I know it's just like me and two other people that think Toriyama should never touch a work of fiction again because he has zero understanding of what basic human emotion works like, but I will stand by that statement. If you can enjoy TIdus and the trainwreck that is X - good for you. That's one more pleasure in life that you have that I will never get.

[Pike]

If it makes you feel any better about Squall being left out, rest assured that this poll was largely made as a joke I told Mister Adequate to see how EoFF would respond if he showed up and said Tidus and Lightning were the best FF characters and he did on a whim xD

tbh Balthier should be on the poll, main character or not, he was like the one redeeming feature of FFXII, aka the game that entirely put me off of the series

[Forsaken Lover]

It was either Cloud or Ashe but Ashe isn't on the poll so....

[Fynn]

If it makes you feel any better about Squall being left out, rest assured that this poll was largely made as a joke I told Mister Adequate to see how EoFF would respond if he showed up and said Tidus and Lightning were the best FF characters and he did on a whim xD

tbh Balthier should be on the poll, main character or not, he was like the one redeeming feature of FFXII, aka the game that entirely put me off of the series

I smurfing KNEW IT

I find it amusing how we are polar opposites in that regard, as I don't care for X and XII is my favorite numbered title, and yet we both adore Tactics Advance I still think you're great and I really enjoy your tumblr, proving we can all coexist regardless of differing gaming opinions. Truly, we are an inspiration to the Internet.

[Pike]

If it makes you feel any better about Squall being left out, rest assured that this poll was largely made as a joke I told Mister Adequate to see how EoFF would respond if he showed up and said Tidus and Lightning were the best FF characters and he did on a whim xD

tbh Balthier should be on the poll, main character or not, he was like the one redeeming feature of FFXII, aka the game that entirely put me off of the series

I smurfing KNEW IT

I find it amusing how we are polar opposites in that regard, as I don't care for X and XII is my favorite numbered title, and yet we both adore Tactics Advance I still think you're great and I really enjoy your tumblr, proving we can all coexist regardless of differing gaming opinions. Truly, we are an inspiration to the Internet.

(his favorites really are Tidus and Lightning though, like even if it was a serious poll)

I'm afraid I've quit Tumblr which is why I haven't been on it in months sorry! It was sucking up all my time.

[Fynn]

Oh God, it does vanquosh your time, yes

[maybee]

I find Squall to be the most realistic portrayal of human emotion in the series and the most relatable to me personally and hE'S NOT ON THE FRICKIN' POLL DESPITE FRIGGIN' SERAH BEING THERE EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A SEQUEL AND NOT A MAIN GAME

Yes, I'm still salty about that

Bless this. Squall just feels so real and it's awesome to hear this deeper thoughts throughout the game. What he's thinking, what he's truly feeling and why.

When it comes to Tidus, I do feel like he's extremely selfish and self-centered though I do blame Auron for that for planting the idea in his goofy head that everything and what's going on is his story when really it's actually more of Yuna's story.

I don't hate Tidus that role goes towards Lighting, though I do agree that he's selfish and he can be too annoying and obnoxious and times and very self-centered. Example Yuna's camera sphere about her saying her goodbyes to everybody, Tidus just chucks it away because he has heard it and now believes that it's useless, but what about everybody else ? I think they would of loved it hear it as well, even though Yuna is no longer giving up her own life and everything, people might of want to spend time and hear and listen to Yuna's goodbyes and thoughts, because they almost lost her and they could've easily lost her. Though Tidus just chucks away the sphere to the wind because he's heard it.

Tidus has the habit of just thinking of Tidus and believing that the whole adventure is his story and it can be very annoying. The only time Tidus doesn't think of Tidus is when it comes to Yuna, though you could debate and argue it's because he loves her and he wants her to stay alive and become his gf.

Though alot of the Final Fantasy mains have flaws. It's what makes them likable, because they are anything but perfect. expect lightning because she goes around punching people, and that's not okay. I love Squall- but I won't deny that he's a asshole towards his friends sometimes. Especially during the beginning of the game. Still, I love him, because he just feels so human and real and we feel for his pain and lost and fears. Squall does have times when he cares and supports his friends eg Irvine and Rinoa during the parade, and it just feels so great, because he's trusting, breaking down his walls and trusting people instead of locking himself up in his dorm room and pushing people away. Squall's development from secretly scared teenaged loner from friend and leader to everybody is just heartwarming. I love Squall.

I don't understand why anybody could like or love Lightning however. Punching/ hitting people is never okay, unless that person is being violent towards you or unwanted sexual contact. Yet, she goes around punching people, just because that other person is being stupid ? It's not female inpowerment, it's gross.

[Forsaken Lover]

Tidus throws away the sphere because it's no longer necessary. Yuna is NOT going to die is the message he sends by throwing her Will. Notice that Yuna is not in the lest bit upset by what he does, in spite of your implications that it's somehow selfish or wrong to destroy it.

In fact, Tidus asked her if it was okay if he destroyed it. He held onto it until he had her approval.

[Fynn]

I actually kinda like Lightning. I mean, the only person she really punches repeatedly is Snow, and let's face the facts here - no matter how nice you are IRL, you WOULD punch Snow

[maybee]

Tidus throws away the sphere because it's no longer necessary. Yuna is NOT going to die is the message he sends by throwing her Will. Notice that Yuna is not in the lest bit upset by what he does, in spite of your implications that it's somehow selfish or wrong to destroy it.

In fact, Tidus asked her if it was okay if he destroyed it. He held onto it until he had her approval.

Did he ? I don't remember that part. I need to re-play FF X. I plan to get the FF X HD version soon.

I still feel like he's a little obnoxious by shouting that it is his story everywhere though.

I actually kinda like Lightning. I mean, the only person she really punches repeatedly is Snow, and let's face the facts here - no matter how nice you are IRL, you WOULD punch Snow

Doesn't she punch or hit Sazh and Fang as well though ? And to be honest here, no ? I hate Snow too and find him annoying but I wouldn't physically harm him like that. It's just not okay. as stupid and annoying as Snow may be, it's just not okay to physically harm a person, unless it's self-defense. It's also annoying how the game plays it out like it's female power ? It's not strong for a woman to do that, in fact it's the opposite. yes i just called your waifu weak SE bite me

[Fynn]

To be fair, she is distressed that her sister is effectively dead and she sees Snow as partially responsible. And she can't really deal with her anger, which is admittedly presented as a flaw that she gets over by the end of the game, rather than this being shown as something defining her as strong. Besides, have you seen Snow? I doubt those punches would phase him, causing maybe some minimal loss in gray cells, which he isn't using much anyway

[Rocket Edge]

Squall, followed by Tidus & Vaan!

[maybee]

To be fair, she is distressed that her sister is effectively dead and she sees Snow as partially responsible. And she can't really deal with her anger, which is admittedly presented as a flaw that she gets over by the end of the game, rather than this being shown as something defining her as strong. Besides, have you seen Snow? I doubt those punches would phase him, causing maybe some minimal loss in gray cells, which he isn't using much anyway

And ?

When Locke finds out that Rachel is dead he doesn't go around punching the whole town and her dad.
When Tifa believes that Cloud might be dead she doesn't go around punching the whole Avalanche crew.
When Rinoa is dying in space and might already be actually dead- Squall doesn't punch Ellone or his SeeD friends or the people whom planned and suggest that would be best for Rinoa to heal in space.
When Garnet is assumed dead by Kuja's magical sleeping spell- Zidane doesn't go off punching Beatrix and Queen Brahne.
When Tidus finds out that Yuna is basically on a suicidal mission- he doesn't go around punching Wakka, Lulu, Auron, Rikku etc.

Being upset or in fear that a loved one might be dead doesn't excuse physical harm like that. Even if she does have anger/ temper issues, it doesn't excuse behavior like that. Just like, even though I love Squall and everything, him having trust issues and fear of people leaving him doesn't excuse him being a ass towards his friends and treating Quistis so rudely like he does and the beginning of the game.

[Wolf Kanno]

Tidus and Lightning are awful main characters with Tidus being whiny concerning his father and Lightning having severely disproportionate anger management issues. Neither issue made them appealing to me.

Squall has his flaws but his hero journey is one of the most well paced and well thought out. It has more subtlety than Tidus' story and his epiphany makes more sense than Lightnings which was sudden and unexpected. Granted, Tidus story is better handled than Yuna's story which lacked much feeling due to her acting like an air-head Miyaka for 90% of the plot and Lightning's issues are more relevant than Vanille and Fang's story but even then I would argue Auron and Sahz were more deserving of the main character status than either representative because their stories had more bite to them and would have led to better plots overall if they had been the focus.

I feel Squall deserves this one. The game's entire plot revolves around him and his journey to become a better person whereas Tidus and Lightning have to share the spotlight with better and more interesting side characters I came to care about more than them.

[Madame Adequate]

Wow are people serious about Squall? I... honestly think he's the worst main character the series has ever had. And if y'all can dismiss Tidus being "whiny" about his dad (even though we'd all handle the news that our abusive-cum-absentee dad is alive and now a massive world-shattering bioweapon a lot worse than Tidus does) and Lightning having anger issues (which... yeah okay I got nothing, she absolutely does, it's just funny because she takes her anger out primarily on Snow's face) then I can go ahead and dismiss Squall's supposedly realistic journey from developmentally arrested manchild into... I dunno, a guy who falls in love with Rinoa for reasons I can't even recall?

I mean we've all been hurt by someone we love leaving but the contrast between Tidus' complex emotional reactions and developments as he learns more about Jecht, and Squall becoming someone barely more functional than a full-blown autist, couldn't be more striking to me.

I don't mind Squall being emo, what I mind is that he's bland and boring and, ironically enough, I feel that VIII is one of the worst FFs for protagonists getting a lot of screen time when supporting characters are more interesting.

Of course it probably doesn't help that I consider VIII to be the most monumentally stupid game in the series. For the most part I don't hold that against it - I rate it somewhere in the middle overall, and I like more about the game than I don't - but the story and characters are not (for me) among its strengths.