10 Final Fantasy Characters Nobody EVER Used
Who wasn't invited to the party?
At the core of each Final Fantasy is a selection of characters controlled by the player, usually referred to in-game as the party.
Each of these is usually a blank canvas for the player to mould as they see fit, at least setup-wise (notable exceptions being IV, VI and IX in the main numbered series), though the presence of unique abilities, stat development and individualised weapon choices mean some have a predisposition to be used for particular roles like tank, healer, etc.
Some games have kept the party small, forcing players to use specific characters for some or all of the game, regardless of whether they are useful or not. Others have offered more flexibility, sometimes arguably too much given that perfectionists will want to level and eventually max out all of their party members equally.
Across the board, there are usually a handful of ‘useless’ characters, who whilst possibly important to the overall plot, are rarely used in fights that progress the story, given their limited effectiveness.
Here we’ll look at which characters few - if any - players would voluntarily have representing their party on the field of battle.
10. Umaro (VI)
Final
Fantasy VI boasts the largest cast of playable heroes in the series, with
fourteen options on the table. Given the limited customisation outside of Esper and Magic setups, most players will always gravitate towards the
ones with the most useful commands, such as Sabin’s Blitz button inputs or
Locke’s ability to steal items.
Two of the fourteen characters are hidden and can only be recruited late in the game through the completion of side quests. The first of these, Gogo, is a game-breaker given his/her ability to not only be given multiple commands but also mimic the action of whoever took the previous turn for zero MP cost. The second, a yeti named Umaro, is much easier to find but is terrible by comparison.
Umaro has two glaring drawbacks, the first being his inability to equip any items aside from relics (two of which can give him new attacks but the worth of these is limited) and receive any boosts to his stats as a result. The second is the fact that the only action he is capable of is attacking uncontrollably, akin to any other character inflicted with the Berserk status effect.
Despite the fact that this makes him okay for dishing out damage, the wide selection of comparable and more sophisticated options means that Umaro is forgotten as quickly as he is discovered by most players.