Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Heroes

Why be one of the world’s greatest warriors OR a famous opera singer when you can be both? Celes is given so many defining moments in Final Fantasy VI that she stands out far above the rest of her ensemble, excellent as most of them are. The iconic opera scene, where she impersonates the leading mezzo-soprano, can be used as an argument against anybody that claims that games cannot be art.

The similarly iconic scene where she throws herself off of a cliff, having lost all hope following Kefka’s destruction of the world and the presumed death of her friends, is one of the darkest depths that the series has ever plummeted into. Once cited by this author in a WhatCulture list of the series’ 150 greatest moments and scenes, it sees the screen fade to black, making players believe for a split-second that there would be no comeback against Kefka and that her suicide heralded a bleak end to the game.

Her survival and subsequent sighting of a bird bearing love interest Locke’s bandana sends the emotions into a 180-degree u-turn, instilling the realisation that Celes is the leader that is going to lead the charge against tyranny.

Her subsequent quest to reunite the scattered party, all surviving in various states of despair, is inspiring, and whilst more could’ve been done to strengthen and emphasise her relationship with Locke, she does nothing but excel as the game races towards its conclusion.