A Brief History of Final Fantasy's Leading Men

Final Fantasy has a long tradition of incredible games in its main series and for most of those games the main characters have been memorable, likeable, sometimes annoying, but generally great. Here's a brief overview of the characters that have carried some of the most amazing stories in gaming from beginning to end:

Firion (Final Fantasy II) Yes, the list starts at Final Fantasy 2, not one. While Final Fantasy truly embodied the team effort, Final Fantasy 2 brought us a central character. Firion was orphaned at a young age (a hallmark of a hero in many instances) and eventually adopted. While he wasn't as deeply explored as his successors would be, he possessed all of the qualities to make him a natural leader and thus served his purpose exceptionally.

Luneth (Final Fantasy III, DS remake) The original game simply provided you with four warriors, a classic, but thankfully reworked plot element. The result was Luneth, another capable leader that was required to seek out three others to aid him. Luneth is simply indispensable to the party. He's brave, smart, curious, and can make anyone feel better in their time of need. Long before the rise of the anti-hero; Luneth and those of his ilk were cut from a different cloth, doing good just because.

Cecil Harvey (Final Fantasy IV) Cecil Harvey was the beginning of the next generation in Final Fantasy protagonists. His story is still one of the best in the entire series as it tells his fall, redemption and eventual rise for what is good. Moving from a Dark Knight to a Paladin is one of the game's most memorable moments as is his mercy (though it bites him a few times). Cecil is a fitting hero to a game that redefined the role of the story in the RPG.

Bartz Klauser (Final Fantasy V) Who? I know, I know, FF5 isn't the most popular of Final Fantasy titles, but nonetheless Bartz deserves mention on this list for more than just the fact that he's a main character. The pivotal moment when his leadership is justified won't be revealed here, but any RPG fan owes it to themselves to witness it. Many leaders are simply thrust into the role for simply the sake of doing so, Bartz justifies his.