Quote Originally Posted by Bahamut2000X View Post
But they do explain his insanity. A NPC in Vector mentions that Kefka was the first person to undergo Cid's experimental Magitek Knight creation process, which worked and made Kefka powerful and infused magic into his body, but after the process it made his mind snap. Later Celes went through a completely successful operation without the mind snapping part.
I wouldn't really label a failed experiment that drives a person literally insane, causing them to become drastically misanthropic and nihilistic as a "success". More of an extraordinary failure. But that is neither here nor there.

Kefka was the first volunteer for the Magitek experiments, it failed as said and he was driven insane. He is technically a general, a position that he no doubt earned by being active in the experiments and the Emperor's plans. Generals aren't strictly fighters, mind you, and Kefka was more of an intelligence officer than a forward combatant. More strategist, if you will.

I would also say that he understands combat a hell of a lot more than General Leo does. Leo's judgement was clouded by a sense of honor, one that prevented him from running away when that solution would have been best. Kefka, on the other hand, realized that sometimes it is better to run and live to fight another day than to die at the hands of your enemies. His only real flaw, and the reason he died, was he developed a massive ego because he honestly believed he was an all-powerful being, or maybe even a God.