Summary
- Protagonists like Cecil, Cloud, and Zack are strong, unique, and beloved by fans for their heroism and combat prowess.
- Final Fantasy heroes face tough foes and challenges, necessitating physical and mental strength to save the world.
- Characters like Bartz and Noctis showcase diverse abilities and unique strengths, making them stand out within the franchise.
Final Fantasy is a series full of amazing protagonists that fans love. From boisterous and energetic heroes who will put it all on the line for their friends to stoic and determined individuals who prefer to let their actions do the talking, there's no shortage of amazing heroes in the series.
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Final Fantasy is known for its interesting and flashy character designs, and these protagonists prove it with their incredible outfits.
As one would expect, these heroes need to be physically and mentally strong to deal with the many challenges that come their way. After all, the foes they encounter along the way are ridiculously tough and need to be beaten down if the protagonist and his group are serious about saving the world.
8 Cecil Harvey
A Paladin With Immense Strength
Final Fantasy 4
- Released
- July 19, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Cecil served as a Dark Knight who was loyal to his father, the King of Baron. However, after being disillusioned with the path he was taking in life, he decided to hike up Mount Ordeals and transform into a Paladin who could stand up for all things good.
He uncovered the identity of the traitor who had killed and impersonated his father before heading to the moon in a bid to stop the Lunarian Zemus from laying waste to the world. Despite starting from Level 1 after becoming a Paladin, Cecil's stat growths are impressive and go a long way in ensuring that he becomes the strongest member of the party by the time he reaches a high level.
7 Cloud Strife
A Strong Party Member Who Can Slash Through Anything In His Path With Ease
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), PC, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Cloud Strife is a protagonist that players can't kick out of the party, but this isn't a bad thing in the slightest. This is because he's the strongest physical hitter in the entire game and can destroy foes with his massive blades.
With the Ultima Weapon and his final Limit Break, Omnislash, Cloud becomes a fierce and reliable party member who can take out the strongest foes without too many problems. His usefulness in battle is just one of the reasons why fans can't get enough of this character.
6 Zack Fair
Crisis Core Shows Why Zack Qualified As A SOLDIER
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- March 24, 2008
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation Portable
As strong as Cloud is, his strength still wasn't enough to help him qualify as a SOLDIER. This honor went to Zack Fair, the protagonist of Crisis Core and one of the strongest protagonists in all of Final Fantasy.
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His bonds allowed him to employ the abilities he learned from his friends to great effect, allowing him to whip out powerful attacks and magic spells in the blink of an eye. Players who ensured that Zack's materia allotment was optimized could make him strong enough to defeat a literal god, which is no mean feat.
5 Squall Leonhart
Players Who Master The Junction System Can Turn Squall Into A Beast
Final Fantasy 8
- Released
- February 11, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Final Fantasy 8 is a divisive entry courtesy of a Junction system that clearly needed more time in the oven. However, players didn't mind breaking the game by drawing numerous units of a magic spell and using the same to bolster a character's stats.
As a result, strong characters like Squall can become even more destructive in battle with the right Junctions. Watching him whip out Lion Heart and land 9999 damage with each hit is incredible to witness, and he usually takes out the majority of the game's bosses in a single attack once players get their hands on the Aura spell..
4 Tidus
If Players Grind To Kingdom Come, Then The Protagonist Can Become Absolutely Unstoppable
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- PS2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The unique nature of the Sphere Grid allows characters to venture onto different paths and potentially acquire every stat upgrade and ability on the grind. This makes for a hellacious grind, but players willing to put in the effort will be able to turn characters like Tidus into an absolute menace in battle.
Even without this effort, Tidus embodies the abilities of a warrior and Time Mage, allowing him to get some quick hits in and use powerful spells like Hastega to give his party more breathing room in the Conditional Turn-Based Battle System. This makes him an amazing protagonist that fans will love, even if his over-the-top attitude can make for a poor first impression.
3 Bartz Klauser
Mastering Enough Jobs With Make Freelance Bartz A Nightmare To Deal With For Opponents
Final Fantasy 5
- Released
- December 6, 1992
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Bartz is the protagonist of Final Fantasy 5, starting as a regular adventurer who is roped into a battle for the fate of the world. Despite not having any stakes in this battle, he rises to the occasion and becomes a worthy leader that his friends can rely on.
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The amazing job system of Final Fantasy 5 means that diligent players can help Bartz master a ridiculous number of jobs with ease. As a result, the Freelancer role will be loaded with a ton of abilities, making Bartz a force to be reckoned with after players put in the hours to help him master as many jobs as possible.
2 Noctis Lucis Caelum
His Feats Of Strength Are In A Class Of Their Own
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Noctis Lucis Caelum is the crown prince of Insomnia, who is far away from his kingdom when the Empire descends upon it. As a result, he's unable to prevent the death of his father and must acquire as much strength as possible during his adventures.
Given the action-heavy focus in Final Fantasy 15, it's one of the few games where the protagonist can comfortably solo some of the strongest foes in the game. Battles against Leviathan and Ardyn make it clear that Noctis can hold his own and doesn't need the help of his friends as he decimates his foes with ease.
1 Clive Rosfield
The Fact That He Can Transform Into Ifrit Is Enough To Help Him Stand Out As A Strong Dominant
Final Fantasy 16
- Released
- June 22, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
As strong as the other Final Fantasy protagonists may be, none of them hold a candle to Clive's power. The mere fact that he can turn into an Eikon and smash his foes to oblivion is a testament to his immense strength.
He can also solo the strongest enemies in the game, barring an assist from his loyal hound, Torgal. To top it all off, he can absorb the powers of other Eikons and enhance the suite of abilities he has access to in combat, making him stronger than ever.
- Creation Year
- 1987
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Creator
- Hironobu Sakaguchi
- Latest Release
- Final Fantasy 16
- Creator(s)
- Hironobu Sakaguchi