Article by Torgo | November 28, 2007 | Meta-information about the Final Fantasy series
Final Fantasy IV features a ragtag band of character archetypes that that would one day be ripped off by just about every major developer on the planet. Including their own creator's next venture?! Did these walking clichés exist before? Sure they did, but FFIV made them hip.
Cecil Harvey
LiveJournal poster-boy Cecil is all emo about life until he redeems himself and becomes something more than a sullen antihero: a boring hero. He does all the usual hero stuff-type stuff, and that's cool, but after his path to redemption is complete, his character progression grinds to an abrupt halt.
Kain Highwind
The original Final Fantasy basket case, Kain is strong-willed, noble-hearted, and willing to fight to the death for his friends. Unfortunately, since he also suffers from a load of subconscious emotional problems -- including but not limited to feelings of inadequacy, seething jealousy, and burning hatred -- he spends half the game brainwashed and trying to kill said friends.
He's also completely awesome.
He deserves special notoriety, and not just because he's a beloved game character. He happily strutted his psychoses a full six years before Cloud Strife made it cool.
Like his spiky-haired long-lost cousin, Kain appears to be incredibly susceptible to the power of persuasion, his role in the game's story as often as not driven by the mind-manipulation of the game's villain. When he's not busy fighting alongside Cecil and company, he's serving Golbez and plotting to kill Cecil and company. Why does he so readily turn against his compatriots? Cecil, Rosa, and Cid are his best friends, and he believes in the cause they fight for. His intentions are noble and he seems strong-willed, yet when the screws are put to him he's as weak-minded as your average Imperial Stormtrooper.
So what's his deal? The garbled translations of yore suggest (and later, more competent localizations confirm) that he's plagued by feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and even hatred. Inadequate because he can't to live up to his father's heritage; jealous because Rosa chose Cecil over him; and hatred because he could never attain the same rank as Cecil, always having to settle for second-best. Despite the fact that Cecil looks like a big ol' sissy under that armor. He's not controlled so easily because he is weak, but rather because Golbez and Zemus are playing on the strength of his dark desires, his subconsciousness. The game ends with him standing alone on Mt. Ordeals, ashamed to face his friends because of what he has done but resolute in overcoming the demons within him -- to surpass his father as a dragoon so that he can return to them one day.
FFIV Advance's Lunar Ruins dungeon offers even more insight into his character, culminating in a one-on-one fight against the physical manifestation of his own darkness...easily amongst the game's most difficult battles. Kain is far from the deepest character ever conceived, but the layers of depth his character offered were little short of groundbreaking for a game in 1991. And while his development is sparse by today's standards, what's there is definitely appreciable today. Plus, he just looks cool, dammit.
Rosa Farrell
Rosa is the game's professional token healer chick and Cecil's girlfriend. Somehow an even more boring person than the love of her life, she is the game's most consistently in-party support character yet manages to have less development and progression then the rest of the cast combined.
Cid Pollendina
Mechanical genius Cid built the Red Wing airships that transformed Baron into a world power. He gets pretty irritated when his inventions start being used as a tool of fascist warfare, as if heavily-armed airships that vastly outstrip the rest of the world's technology are good for much else. He dies heroically saving the gang from pursuing Red Wings. Until it turns out he's fine, that is.
Rydia of Mist
The only living summoner of Mist after Cecil and Kain blow it the hell up; she thanks them for destroying her life by joining up with them. Yeah, so Cecil's all remorseful about it and protects her, and that might have something to do with it, too. She doesn't like fire, but she doesn't seem to have a problem with losing her entire childhood in a matter of weeks. Months? Hours? Whatever. The girl's priorities are seriously screwed up.
Sage Tellah
A famous sage who apparently remembers nothing about saging. Musta been hitting the GF junctions a little too hard back in his Garden days. He seeks revenge for the death of his daughter and manages to die, quite unceremoniously, attempting to exact retribution again Golbez. Nice one, champ.
Edward Chris von Muir
He's not only the Prince of Damcyan -- Edward's also a professional weenie. His special battle command is to hide, although after he manages to cause the death of the love of his life (who is coincidentally Tellah's daughter), he vows to be kind of brave. So long as it doesn't hurt too much. Spends the majority of the game injured and bedridden, tended to by Toroian chicks. That's some harsh punishment, there.
Yang Fang Leiden
The high monk of Fabul -- kinda like a general, but with more "ACHOO!" -- Yang is steadfast, loyal...an all-around good guy. He nobly sacrifices himself, taking a shot to the face from a mega cannon to save the Dwarves. Until it turns out he's fine.
Porom and Palom
Twin apprentices of the mystic kingdom of Mysidia. They're supposed to be the game's token annoying children, but they're actually pretty likable. They save the gang from a trap in Baron Castle by turning themselves to stone, ending their young lives far too soon. Until it turns out they're fine.
Edge (Edward) Geraldine
A master ninja and the royal prince of Elban, Edge thinks he's a total badass. The sad, sad truth is that he's a complete wuss and somehow takes hits worse than the other Edward. He totally crushes on Rydia, despite the fact that, given how much time she spends in the Land of Summons, she's going to be long dead before he can drum up the courage to ask her out.
FuSoYa
A Lunarian with eyebrows that make Mr. Spock's look understated. Apparently he is the uncle of Cecil, and he reveals to the gang who the true bad guy is. He's really solemn and stuff and looks like a melted gerbil when he dies.