12. FuSoYa. Nothing against him; he's just there for exposition and to catalyze other events, and I don't think we're meant to feel that much about him. He makes a brief appearance, does what he needs to, then goes.

11. Yang. I found him kinda boring, and the way he exits the party for the final time just feels like an excuse to open his space to a new character and little more. Good heavy hitter while he lasts I guess.

10. Rosa. Token damsel. She has one notable scene where she coaxes Rydia into having the courage to face her fears for the greater good, but then she sinks into the background until she's needed for damsel duties again. When she rejoins the party after that, she's loyal and resolute and will follow you to the ends of the Blue Planet to make sure you can do what needs to be done... without contributing a thing to the story again other than casting Cura on Edge in a cutscene. They could've done more with her.

9. Cid. An entertaining utility character, has some good banter with Tellah, and provides an interesting foil to a certain other character in how growing old doesn't necessarily mean one's purpose is slipping away.

8. Edge. I like his gameplay versatility, and his wannabe heroic personality is pretty cool. His rivalry with Rubicante makes for an interesting look at the grey areas between good and evil, because while Rubicante is basically just a soldier following orders, Edge is a reckless warrior disobeying his because he's bent on avenging those who fell in his wake - there's no good guy there when it comes down to it. He ultimately strikes him down because his blind rage makes him strong enough to do it, but then unfortunately the game doesn't really do anything with it.

7. Tellah. One of the game's great examples of using gameplay to tell a story - when you meet Tellah, he is better than your current magic user at everything your current magic user can do. He is absolutely indispensable in his first run in the party, but interestingly, as he levels up, his stats drop because he's getting old. When he comes back later, you've been accompanied by a pair of apprentice wizards who aspire to be what he is. They're young, full of potential, and have been realising that potential by your side. When Tellah shows up again, he's got all his spells back (well okay, you fight a couple of easy bosses first) but he's too old to use them effectively because three Firagas and he's dry - his time has clearly been and gone. Fast forward a few scenes and he unleashes what's left of himself in an attempt to win the day - and fails. His illustrious life ultimately comes down to being bitter in his old age, and in his dying breaths he even realises what a mistake he made.

6. Porom. See below.
5. Palom. Their interactions are entertaining, if a bit basic in terms of the writing, and seeing Porom smack Palom in 2D is pretty entertaining, even if seeing her do it in 3D looks goofy, but let's ignore that. In my opinion, one of the main themes of FF4 is untapped potential. What better way to exemplify that than with a pair of five year-old kids who are already quite good at what they do and constantly improve before your eyes? On that note...

4. Rydia. Palom and Porom exemplify the concept of untapped potential by being young and talented. Rydia takes it a step further and literally matures into an adult.

3. Kain. It's not the easiest thing in the world to wake up one day and realise you secretly resent your best friend and adoptive brother, and I like the way Kain goes from being consumed by it to the point of getting in with a very bad crowd to ultimately getting over himself and realising he's got to do right by those he cares for. Ultimately his loyalty to Cecil takes over his jealousy over Rosa. Doesn't hurt that he's extremely useful in the party as well.

2. Cecil. I could go into detail, but it really comes down to the fact that the scene where he defeats his dark half by standing there and letting it wail on him until it dies of exhaustion is one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen. I love redemption stories, and his is one of my favourite.

1. Edward. First off, anyone know says he's useless in combat doesn't know how to play RPGs because the entire time he's in the party he's either got statuses that can keep stronger enemies locked down, or a Hide skill that can avoid attacks that are going to take out most of the party. Anyway, as to why I actually like him. He starts off with no confidence in himself, but the whole time he's in the party, he turns out to be needed in some way another. You get his first sign of actually having some stones when he casually walks up to a dangerous-looking creature and helps himself to its eggs, because he knows what he's doing. Shortly after this he's fighting on the front lines assisting in the defence of a neighbouring country, after helping open up the diplomatic relations with them due to his standing in society. Sure enough, after leaving the party and being found injured, he then overexerts himself at the risk of his own life to save others, then later on, he is part of the charge on the Giant of Babil, thanking Cecil for the courage he taught him. I've talked about the game having a theme of untapped potential, and that which Edward shows inspires me a lot. He gets even better in the sequel, but I guess that's for another post some day.