Yes, I got the idea from this thread, but I'm curious about this now. I would be interested to see what results people can come up with, using both developer response, official lore, or just plain fan interpretations.
For instance, during Final Fantasy X's development there was a quote that said that Lulu was the most powerful Black Mage in FF history. There was another comment for Final Fantasy XIII-2 that claimed that Caius was the most powerful villain in FF history. I wouldn't be surprised if both claims were made by the same bullshitter, but you get the idea.
There was also a comment regarding the FFVII cast in Advent Children, including how that one scene where each party member helps Cloud get closer and closer to Bahamut was ordered from weakest (Barret) to strongest (Tifa....then Aerith if you want to get technical).
As a hastily made personal ranking based on different classes, I would go:
Black Magic:
Terra: naturally gifted, can double her power with her Esper form
Rydia: has White and Black magic, and able to summon the most powerful creatures in FF lore (including FFIV's Bahamut, who is regarded as the "God of all monsters")
White Magic:
Aerith: weak offensive stats, but powerful support magic. Even more powerful if you count Lifestream Aerith
Yuna: Same deal, though she's no slouch with Summoning and Black Magic too. By FFX-2.5 (much as I want to bleach my brain that it doesn't exist), she's practically a Necromancer.
Physical Strength:
Tifa: After watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Hunter X Hunter, I believe Tifa uses aura/nen to power up her attacks, rather than raw physical strength. This is how she's able to lift even the heaviest objects/monsters with ease. There's something to be said about her willpower, having been the only other person besides Cloud to survive a direct attack by Sephiroth.
Sabin: Of course we won't count him out, he's motherfucking Sabin.
Jecht: Another monstrously powerful character, as showcased in Dissidia.
Fighting Skill:
Cloud: The "Jack of All Trades", who can wield several large weapons at a time and perform incredible feats even during the most grueling circumstances. Like Tifa, his strength is enhanced by his willpower, which can fluctuate at times, affecting his battle performance. Once he's confident, though, he's virtually unbeatable.
Lightning: Much as I hate to list Toriyama's fanfic character, Lightning is able to juggle multiple jobs at a time with relative ease, turning her into a One Man Army (that's even the name of one of her moves).
Auron: A combination of raw strength, wisdom and fighting skill, Auron barely even fights with both hands and can pierce even the toughest hide with his sword.
I would mention villains, but that would just make the OP even longer, so save that for the meat of the discussion. I do have one more category though:
S-Tier:
Sora: I know I shouldn't count him, but as someone who is able to take on Cloud, Tifa, Squall and Yuffie at the same time while besting Sephiroth and an army of Heartless, Sora is unquestionably the most powerful hero Square has ever inserted in an FF spinoff.
Gilgamesh: Of course the mighty Gilgamesh is unstoppable! Just look at his collection of weapons taken from the bodies of his defeated opponents!
For instance, during Final Fantasy X's development there was a quote that said that Lulu was the most powerful Black Mage in FF history. There was another comment for Final Fantasy XIII-2 that claimed that Caius was the most powerful villain in FF history. I wouldn't be surprised if both claims were made by the same bullshitter, but you get the idea.
There was also a comment regarding the FFVII cast in Advent Children, including how that one scene where each party member helps Cloud get closer and closer to Bahamut was ordered from weakest (Barret) to strongest (Tifa....then Aerith if you want to get technical).
As a hastily made personal ranking based on different classes, I would go:
Black Magic:
Terra: naturally gifted, can double her power with her Esper form
Rydia: has White and Black magic, and able to summon the most powerful creatures in FF lore (including FFIV's Bahamut, who is regarded as the "God of all monsters")
White Magic:
Aerith: weak offensive stats, but powerful support magic. Even more powerful if you count Lifestream Aerith
Yuna: Same deal, though she's no slouch with Summoning and Black Magic too. By FFX-2.5 (much as I want to bleach my brain that it doesn't exist), she's practically a Necromancer.
Physical Strength:
Tifa: After watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Hunter X Hunter, I believe Tifa uses aura/nen to power up her attacks, rather than raw physical strength. This is how she's able to lift even the heaviest objects/monsters with ease. There's something to be said about her willpower, having been the only other person besides Cloud to survive a direct attack by Sephiroth.
Sabin: Of course we won't count him out, he's motherfucking Sabin.
Jecht: Another monstrously powerful character, as showcased in Dissidia.
Fighting Skill:
Cloud: The "Jack of All Trades", who can wield several large weapons at a time and perform incredible feats even during the most grueling circumstances. Like Tifa, his strength is enhanced by his willpower, which can fluctuate at times, affecting his battle performance. Once he's confident, though, he's virtually unbeatable.
Lightning: Much as I hate to list Toriyama's fanfic character, Lightning is able to juggle multiple jobs at a time with relative ease, turning her into a One Man Army (that's even the name of one of her moves).
Auron: A combination of raw strength, wisdom and fighting skill, Auron barely even fights with both hands and can pierce even the toughest hide with his sword.
I would mention villains, but that would just make the OP even longer, so save that for the meat of the discussion. I do have one more category though:
S-Tier:
Sora: I know I shouldn't count him, but as someone who is able to take on Cloud, Tifa, Squall and Yuffie at the same time while besting Sephiroth and an army of Heartless, Sora is unquestionably the most powerful hero Square has ever inserted in an FF spinoff.
Gilgamesh: Of course the mighty Gilgamesh is unstoppable! Just look at his collection of weapons taken from the bodies of his defeated opponents!
