I'm afraid I have to agree with Takara as well.

In respect of Kain, I think Takara is correct that it's his faults and weaknesses which make him interesting. I don't necessarily think that when Kain acts as he does as a villain he's entirely in control of his actions. I always interpreted that (rightly or wrongly) as Kain having desires that he would normally keep suppressed but which allowed Golbez to manipulate him. It was through that manipulation that Kain acts in such a bad way. I shy away from saying evil, because I think to be evil is to be conscious and informed.

I also think that it's how the party reacts to Kain which makes him interesting. It's hard to imagine that Cecil and Rosa will be able to completely trust Kain again. Yet their forgiveness, and their abiding importance to Kain, give him a reason to fight. Avenging his manipulation and winning back the trust of his friends gives him a reason to fight, and to save the world.

Perhaps that makes me a Kain apologist of sorts though!

As for Rydia, I can't help but feel you're being slightly harsh in some of your criticisms. When you refer to Rydia being scared of fire at Mt. Hobbes, you need to consider the context. As a girl of seven, she's just witnessed her village and her family slaughtered by a fire breathing Bomb. I think her aversion to fire is perfectly understandable.