Your Favorite FFXIII Char!

[Elpizo]

Hope's possibly the first 'child' character in a Final Fantasy game to act, y'know, like an actual child. Yeah he whines, he gets tired, and he has a lot of emotional rage over something that couldn't be helped. But he's also a kid whose just been dragged into something terrifying, he lost his mum and actually watched her die, and to top it off, he's been marked an l'cie. And that was done out of the sake of that muppet Serah, something that didn't involve him. He's right, it wasn't fair.

It's nice to see a child character actually act like one. Instead of being all gung ho and charging into battle with little to no fear, and getting a trifle sniffly over anything bad that happens in their life. Hope's a near perfect characterisation of a young teenager in a crap situation.

This.

Through the entire series people have complained how unrealistic the teenagers of FF were, now SE changes it into something entirely believable and well what do you know, it's still not okay!

And Wolf, it's easy to ignore a rant. You see, all you do is read it, then say to yourself: "I won't reply" and don't reply. Simple, right?

Yes, you don't have to like him for his complaining, but wanting to punch him in the face for it? When a bomb of WW 1 is discovered in your town, Wolf, and you're transported to certain death along with all the rest simply because that bomb was there, your mom is killed and you're rolled up in a terrorist network in the end and you complain, I'll come over to punch you in the face for complaining, too, deal?

[Wolf Kanno]

Go for it Elpizo but chances are I wouldn't really whine since I'm a bit of a fatalist and a nihilist. Also, if you make a post and don't want people to respond to it by stating you don't want people to respond to it then all your are doing is making people want to respond to it. Making snide remarks back afterwards helps you look like you are trying to draw attention to your self. So either debate or don't but definetly drop the attitude

As I said, its hard to cut Hope slack when I've seen this scenario done before and it was done so much better. I'm more of a guy like Snow who realizes dwelling on crap I can't change and trying to blame people for my problems (though its nearly impossible not to do this) is a moot gesture at best. You just have to sometimes accept that life is a bitch and go with the flow and just work towards making your own happy reality. Hope gave up too easily and it wasn't til Lightning instilled her idea of revenge (which I don't feel should have had to be instilled considering the circumstances) that he finally got out of his mopey mood and finally started being less annoying. Its not like he's the only who is suffering in this situation, Hope still has a family, what does Lightning and Sahz have left? I'm up to Chapter 8 (SPOILER)now, and suddenly being a l'Cie doesn't seem so bad anymore.

I don't mind characters having personal pains and overcoming dark personal tragedies but I become less sympathetic when I have to listen to it all the time. I don't appreciate it in real life and I certainly don't like paying money to listen to fictional characters do it for 10+ hours straight. I can sympathize with him but it doesn't mean I have to like him or respect him. We all have different taste and toleration levels.

[cheesesteak]

Fang or Jihl.

I really like good-looking women who are stern and know what they want.

Plus, it's a fairly weak cast, imo.

[Darkwolf090]

To be completely honest I'm going to side with Wolf here.
Sure I can understand why Hope is whiny about that stuff, but seriously all of the cast has things to whine about, yet do they? Not really, I mean sure they do atleast like once, like Snow, he whines like once or twice in this game the rest of the time he is all gun hoe and crap.

So while I understand why Hope is whining he should suck it up like everyone else in the game did, even Vanille sucks it up and her problem is much bigger then his. As would I go and punch him? No not likely, I'd just slap him and tell him to STFU!

Then again I've never been a huge fan of the Child chars in any Final Fantasy or RPG cept the childs who dont act like kids at all.

Then again I'm the guy who loves the overpowered chars storyline wise and such like Arumat from SO4 and Dias in SO2 and Magus in CT etc etc etc.

So Hope wasnt my cup of tea to begin with... HOWEVER I am willing to admit I like him alot more then alot of the other children chars of past RPGs.

[Elpizo]

(SPOILER)Lightning spends the entire first half of the game whining alongside Hope, and everybody screams how "cool and awesome" she is for punching a guy who she blames for things she didn't do **** about herself.

I wanted to see her punched in the face, for a change, because she was damn annoying at least until she grew a heart and looked after Hope. Lightning, at first, really was the hate of all the series fans for child characters incarnated. No doubt about it.

I don't see how Hope whines more than anybody else, but Snow. Sazh contemplates SUICIDE. That's "sucking it up"? Vanille runs away from her responsibilities and her part of the blame. That's "sucking it up"? Lightning vents out her frustration on all she comes across cause she can't deal with reality. That's "sucking it up"?! Only exceptions here are Fang and Snow. And of those two only Fang doesn't get annoying.

Excuse me for pointing out the flaws in "only Hope whines", argument, gentlemen.

[Wolf Kanno]

(SPOILER)Hope does whine, the others just try to run away but they do it in a way where it doesn't really involve talking. I'm more of an "action" type problem solver, not this "let me search my feelings" type that Hope is. I can appreciate the other characters "throwing themselves into something to run away from their problems than the one who spends his time mostly moping and not doing anything til Major Bitch puts her six inch heels up his ass and makes him finally try moving towards a goal. I hate people who just sit around and fall into despair.

I'm not going to argue with Lightning cause I agree she's just as bad as Hope but listening to her go on about actually doing something as opposed to listening to Hope whine about not being able to confront Snow for the first few chapters is very grating on my nerves. Sazh also lost much more than Hope and objectively looking at their circumstances, Sazh was truly screwed over more than Hope was.

If Snow hadn't interfered, both Hope and Nora would have most likely been killed by PSICOM in the Purge. The events leading to her death were outside of Snow's control and basically all three just found themselves being in the wrong place at the wrong time and subject to fate. Hope's issues with Snow is completely unfounded but I gave him slack with his logic cause that's just how it works in real life. It was the first couple hours listening and watching him fail to go into action that bothered me.

I felt his circumstances and his whole tale just took forever to get moving and the circumstances of his story really don't add up to him pouting and whining about what to do. I felt he should have been out to take Snow out as soon as he saw his mother die; not meandering around following Vanille and letting her and Lightning coddle him like he was an 8 year old. He's smurfing 14 years old, he should have a little more spunk than that.

Sazh on the other hand has been befriending and protecting the person responsible for turning his son into l'Cie, which eventually caused himself to become a l'Cie of an opposing faction and make himself an enemy to the child he's trying to protect. He gets used by Sanctum, used by Vanille, and loses his only family he has left (well for now at least) I would say Sazh reached the end of his rope more than Hope did. He didn't really whine, he yelled and then tried to take his own life but couldn't bring himself to do it. He still hung onto something despite being screwed more than anyone else. This also all happens in like One Chapter as opposed to listening to Hope and Lightning bitch about their problems for nearly 7 Chapters.

Had Vanille and Lightning not been there to keep pushing Hope, I hardly feel he would have made it as far as he has.

Vanille could die in a fire for all I care. I'm surprised the party hasn't lynched her yet (in Chapter 10 currently).

Now that I am further in the game, I can say I don't mind Hope or Lightning, he does in fact become a much more likable character as the plot goes on but I wish I didn't have to suffer through him for the first 6 Chapters of the game before he became likable. I understand he has had it rough but it doesn't mean pity should allow me to excuse him for getting on my nerves. I found him to be a grating character for the first half of the game and its only now in the second half that he's become a decent character.

If he wasn't like that I would probably like the kid, but I feel there have been far better kid characters who have overcome their ordeals far more gracefully than Hope has (Thomas from Suikoden III, Ken Amada from Persona 3, Maria Balthazar from Xenogears) so while he is certainly not the worst character, I don't see the appeal. Nor do I feel the logic of his circumstances completely circumvent and void anyone negative feelings a player could have towards him.

So yes, the rest of the cast has their "pouty" moments but they don't do it nearly as drawn out and obnoxiously like Hope did for me so I am more quick to forgive them. Besides, Lightning's monologue of realizing she's been a bitch for the first 15 hours of the game was more comically amusing than annoying. Existential angst usually is though.

[Edge7]

Just beat chapter 7. Finally starting to like Hope. Love Snow, Fang and Sazh, Vanille's improving, Lightning's meh.

And to address the Hope debate, what really annoyed me is the fact that it takes 2 hours into the game before Hope gets angry. I may be wrong, but if I saw my mom die, I would probably be either hellbent on revenge from the get-go, or I would let the people responsible go, and mope for a while. It feels as though Hope does the latter at first, and then transitions into the former. It just feels unnatural to me. Also, I feel as though the Sanctum would have been a far more appropriate scapegoat than Snow, or even Anima itself. Hope just picks the easiest target.

[Jiro]

The only character I'm not a fan of thus far is Fang, and she's had all of 30 seconds screen time.

[Jaffer]

Though I love all the characters, Hope and Sazh.

[Kenshin IV]

I'm shocked so many people are saying Hope. Shocked.

Easily the most obnoxious character in the game, and easily one of the all time worst in the franchise. Please send him off to a deserted island with Quina, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine where they can all be obnoxious together. You can get a ticket for Snow while you're at it.

To answer the question, Fang. Although I did really like Sazh a lot, and Lightning was pretty cool. Vanille was kind of annoying at first, but she completely redeemed herself by the end. They all need to change their names, though. And should get on that right quick.

[No.78]

Fang is. I had decided this before I even bought the game and I was not disappointed.

I was however expecting to use Snow more, but I think the last time I used him was at the icy-arena place when he drags Hope around on his motorbike. So yeah, Snow was a disappointment but I love Fang.

(SPOILER)And Fang-arok is awesome.

Hope was far too... How can I put this? Americany, for my tastes. Enough of the morale talks and self revelations, please!

[Elpizo]

I'm shocked so many people are saying Hope. Shocked.

What's so shocking about an opinion? I'm shocked so many people hate Hope. Just like I'm shocked many people find bitchy Lightning awesome. Some like what others hate. And for the record, I thought Irvine was the best character in VIII.

[Mo-Nercy]

I am a Lightning fanboy!!11

WooO!! >_<

[Rodney]

I'm shocked so many people are saying Hope. Shocked.

Easily the most obnoxious character in the game, and easily one of the all time worst in the franchise. Please send him off to a deserted island with Quina, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine where they can all be obnoxious together. You can get a ticket for Snow while you're at it.

I thought Hope was obnoxious UNTIL he finally admitted to himself that he'd only been looking for someone to blame for Nora's death and actually knew all along that it was just an accident. And yet, he's still my favorite in the cast, regardless.

Frankly, I'm more shocked at all those who said Snow. I find him way more obnoxious than Hope. (So I agree with you on him being obnoxious.) He's like Zell if he were a few years older.

But in what world is Quina obnoxious? He was just . . . kinda slow, that's all.

[Pete for President]

I like Sazh most. Although (strange as this may sound) I think he would be much more memorable if (SPOILER) he really shot himself. That would be a legendary plottwist, going from "yay new eidolon" to killing yourself within a minute. A bit off-topic but I think game developers should take more risks to make games more dramatic IMO. Makes stuff more memorable.

Other than that, Fang is quite badass.

Hope is the only character I don't really use in battle unless I really need to. Diggin' the boomerang though, but he's all magic-user, so meh.