10 Best RPG Characters Of All Time

This entry makes me wish this list was just Final Fantasy characters because settling on just one was a nightmare. There are the delightful goofy characters, those that subvert your expectations and charm you in ways you didn’t expect, and characters just brimming with that earnest goodness that only JRPGs have truly nailed.

While Yuna and Vivi, alongside like 25 others, were so close to taking this one, I couldn’t get past the obvious option, Final Fantasy VII’s protagonist, Cloud.

Cloud may not be as expressive as some other Final Fantasy leads, but his progression arc and character development is almost without equal. Even his hair and sword have become iconic. His hero's journey not only makes his personal progression and inner turmoil intriguing, but it’s strong enough to carry the entire narrative and everyone connected to it.

The fact that Cloud doesn’t know any more about his past than you do means you’re tied together in every new revelation, not to mention every new friendship built, and every hurdle overcome. His compelling struggle with Sephiroth, one of the more interesting villains ever created in his own right, alongside his vulnerability that comes out when he’s faced with painful realities make him all the more complex.

Cloud is one of the ultimate video game heroes and the recent Remake only proved to cement what a brilliant character he is.