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[jWILL253]

I saw the best cast thread and wanted to spin it off without derailing, so here goes.

For me, it's Vivi Ornitier from Final Fantasy IX.

Within the game's lore, black mages are generally treated like soulless husks, incapable of thought, feelings, or decision. Basically, they are regarded as tools, or even playdolls, depending on who's telling. Vivi is very different. He's a highly sentient black mage, one with a shy, child-like personality.

What makes him so amazing to me is his progression as a character; he's shown more growth throughout a given story than any character in any video game I've ever played.

Spoiler

His coming to terms with his own existence, how he came to be, death ("stopping"), finding a will to live and keep fighting on, and realizing he isn't alone...

these are the things that make him such a great character in my eyes.

Also, if you happen to piss him off...

You'll be like:

 

[Esura]

Lightning from FFXIII series and Neptune from Hyperdimension Neptunia series.

Lightning because she is a strong woman who is just completely badass. Neptune because she is adorable as hell and because she is a ditz. Not only that but she is goofy and can be immature occasionally but when times get tough and shit gets real Neptune comes through for her friends in the end. My ditzy, lovable protagonist.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

 

[Neff]

 

[granabanana]

REYN TIME BABY!!!!!!

 

[Silky]

Jotaro Kujo

Yes he was in his own JRPG.

Otherwise? Ashley Riot. Soldier-turned-hivemind with the coolest hair ever.

 

[Byronic Hero]

The best FF character to come out of the franchise since Zack.

 

[Markadias]

Best character in a JRPG for me is Kefka.
Best controllable character has to Vincent Valentine... So badass.

 

[PshycoNinja]

I agree with this. I loved Zack.

Also:

 

[Ferrio]

Chris from Suikoden 3 and Celes from FFVI are runners up.

 

[Beck]

I like Yuri Lowell myself.

 

[jWILL253]

 

[mysteriousmage09]

Auron

 

[CSX]

Reminds me of an old thread

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464642

 

[Noogy]

Adol Christin. Pure class.

 

[Ninja Dom]

If we're not counting anybody from the Mother/Earthbound games then the best character is...

...Edge, The Ninja Prince of Eblan from Final Fantasy IV.

Yeah, I haven't played too many JRPG's.

 

[Paertan]

Chris Lightfellow from Suikoden 3 gets my vote. Such a great character

Though I also really like Vivi from FFIX

 

[C.T.]

Stocke - Radiant Historia

Ryudo and Syke - Grandia 2

Rei - Breath of Fire 3

 

[AOC83]

 

[ctothej]

Not of all time, but:

 

[bigbaldwolf86]

Kain Highwind - Legend

Also the badass that is Auron

 

[Dreamer RD]

For me, it's Vivi Ornitier from Final Fantasy IX.

Great choice. FF9 is a god tier game.

Lightning from FFXIII series

My eyes are bleeding.

 

[SteeloDMZ]

See avatar.

I'm also a big fan of Joshua from The World Ends With You.

Frog from Chrono Trigger is badass too.

 

[FYC]

Tales of the Abyss - Mieu, of course. Who else?

 

[Ikon]

Frog from Chrono Trigger. Or possibly Magus...

 

[K.Sabot]

Junpei

better than Yosuke

cool hat

has a pretty good character arc

better than Yosuke.

 

[Vaco6121]

Junpei Iori

 

[Phire Phox]

Meredy from tales of eternia

 

[BrosephJ]

I don't know about "best" but certainly one of my favs!

Stocke from Radiant Historia

 

[DJIzana]

 

[Mengetsu]

 

[J4g3r]

I like Yuri Lowell myself.

Tales of Vesperia has some fantastic characters.

Props to you, sir!

Raven is amazing too

 

[Chemo]

Kanji Tatsumi, far and away.

 

[Toxi]

I'd probably go with Caim from Drakengard, if only because he bucks the standard when it comes to JRPG heroes. Drakengard may have been a shitty game, but it's one of the few role-playing games out there that actually portrays its protagonist as an unstable mass-murdering psychopath while he's cutting through swathes of enemy soldiers. That's gotta count for something.

Your hero.

 

[Tenki]

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Scias from Breath of Fire 4. A man of few words, but a complete and total badass. He seemed mildly retarded (or had some kind of speech impediment) in the US version, but I heard he was supposed to be drunk all the time in the Japanese version. Either way he is a great character.

 

[Star Falcon]

 

[Dennis]

Well, that is obviously Sephiroth.

 

[ShikaTheReaper]

I don't know about "best" but certainly one of my favs!

Stocke from Radiant Historia

My favorite main character this gen.

As for an enemy. This guy was pretty awesome to me. Janus Cascade was pretty determined to be an asshole in WA3. Personal fav enemy.

 

[Bleep]

I always find it interesting when people say that blank slate characters are their favourite. These characters are specifically made to be a conduit for the player to connect to the world, they don't develop any characteristics of their own. It is all defined by the player, you are your own favourite character.

I haven't played Persona 4 Arena though, so maybe he actually has his own characteristics in that game.

 

[Arthea]

Cloud and all FF7 cast, Auron and FFX cast in general, Cecil, Celes, Shadow, Viki, Silverberg family (ya, all of it), Chris, Geddoe and all his gang, Lorelai, Killey, Georg, hundreds of other Suikoden characters, well almost all in fact, Kaim, Seth, Tear, Jade, with most of ToA cast.
You asked for one? Can't decide... but if I absolutely had to choose one, I would choose Viki, I think.

 

[Lollipop Dave]

Yuri Lowell

He's definitely the best Tales Character anyway..

or

Grimoire Weis, but I'm sure if you would class that game as JRPG

 

[QisTopTier]

Adol Christin. Pure class.

Correct answer

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

I don't know about "best" but certainly one of my favs!

Stocke from Radiant Historia

Definitely the best.

 

[nacimento]

Frog, Magus, the bad guy from TWEWY and Montblanc, kupo!

 

[AkimbO_Arcana]

This took way too long, GAF.

 

[Dennis]

Not seriously, Sephiroth is laughing contemptuously at your puny choices.

 

[Åesop]

Kefka Palazzo

 

[Splatt]

Balthier - FF XII

 

[Arthea]

Serious question here.
Do you people really like Reyn, or it's just funny meme?