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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we'll be discussing some of the toughest main characters
00:14from the Final Fantasy franchise.
00:17Warning, there will be plenty of spoilers ahead.
00:25Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring
00:30the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:33Bartz Klauser – Final Fantasy V Older characters from the Final Fantasy franchise,
00:42such as Furion from the second entry and our first pick, Bartz Klauser, can sometimes be
00:47left out of conversations like this one.
00:49This is a shame because Klauser's main protagonist arc within Final Fantasy V has aged fairly
00:54well.
00:55The game was initially only released in Japan, but word eventually spread about Bartz's
00:59ability to adapt to basically any combat situation.
01:03Klauser is adept with a wide variety of weapons, while his status as a warrior of light has
01:07enabled him with covert battle dexterity as well as the ability to utilize magic to get
01:12the job done.
01:18Tidus – Final Fantasy X Have you ever heard the old saying, the best
01:24defense is a good offense?
01:26Tidus from Final Fantasy X seems to have taken this phrase to heart, at least if his strength
01:31as the main protagonist is anything to go by.
01:34There's really no other way to say this.
01:36Tidus is kind of a jock.
01:38He's already an athletic blitzball player when we meet him, boasting a physique that's
01:43capably impressive.
01:44Tidus leans heavily into this traditional warrior dynamic, striking head-on and worrying
01:49about his defensive capabilities later.
01:51This stands in stark contrast to another Final Fantasy X character, such as Yuna, who prospers
01:56more as a magic user.
02:04Cecil Harvey – Final Fantasy IV Viewers of a certain age will probably point
02:17to this Final Fantasy game as the one that changed everything for the North American
02:21market.
02:22It was released as Final Fantasy II at that point, despite the story of Cecil Harvey and
02:26company debuting in Japan as Final Fantasy IV.
02:29North American players received their first heavy dose of storyline and character building
02:34in this game, particularly when Cecil graduates from his Dark Knight persona into a heroic
02:39paladin.
02:40The protagonist's attack rate is already fairly high from the jump, but this transition
02:44into the light enables for increased defense, as well as the introduction of some white
02:49magic.
02:55Cloud Strife – Final Fantasy VII It's not just Cloud Strife's massive buster
03:04sword that makes him a capable Final Fantasy protagonist.
03:07There's also some canonical storytelling aspects that make Strife's story in the
03:11military reflect his offensive abilities.
03:14Sure, Cloud never made it into the soldier ranks, but his work in Shinra's infantry
03:18proved his mettle.
03:19Meanwhile, Mako poisoning and Jenova cells from Sephiroth all react within Cloud's
03:24physical makeup, which is already strong to begin with.
03:27What can we say?
03:28They call Final Fantasy VII a classic for a reason, and Cloud Strife absolutely remains
03:33one of the franchise's most iconic characters.
03:42Squall Leonhart – Final Fantasy VIII You either love it or hate it.
03:53The Junction System This method of ability development was unique
03:57to Final Fantasy VIII, and helped boost Squall Leonhart to a spot on our list.
04:01Not that Squall needed much help, since he's also one of the most immediately recognizable
04:05male protagonists from the Final Fantasy series.
04:08His attack abilities balance magic and physical attacks well, while Squall's gunblade is
04:13perhaps only second to Cloud's Buster Sword when it comes to that all-important coolness
04:17factor.
04:18Basically, what we're saying is that there's little even the toughest bad guy can do against
04:22a leveled-up, fully-junctioned Squall with a limit break on deck.
04:33Zidane Tribal – Final Fantasy IX Don't let Zidane Tribal's cute, diminutive
04:42looks fool you.
04:44This lead protagonist of Final Fantasy IX is tough as nails.
04:47This goes double when Zidane enters his trance mode, which is essentially this game's version
04:52of limit break.
04:53Beyond this, the plot of Final Fantasy IX reveals that Zidane was actually created to
04:57become a life-destroying, end-time being.
05:00A genome angel of death with seemingly unlimited power.
05:04These themes of purpose and destiny run through much of the game's narrative, but Zidane's
05:08backstory clearly underlines just how strong, and potentially dangerous, he can be.
05:20Terra Branford – Final Fantasy VI She's built from both worlds, a human and
05:33an esper with power even she doesn't fully understand.
05:36Terra Branford remains one of the most well-liked and easily identifiable characters from the
05:40Final Fantasy universe.
05:42This isn't only due to her iconic musical theme, either, but of her impressive strength
05:46and capabilities in battle.
05:49Magic and physical attacks come easy to Terra, since we first see her in a military capacity
05:53as a super-soldier, albeit one with her mental faculties and independence suppressed.
05:59Plus, the end-game boss fight is basically Kefka Palazzo as a living god-like being,
06:04and this scenario demands an equally capable protagonist to take up the fight.
06:13Noctis Lucius Callum – Final Fantasy XV The Final Fantasy franchise has certainly
06:23come a long way since the Warrior of Light sprites from the original game.
06:27Its protagonists have also progressed in terms of innate strength, since a character such
06:31as Noctis Lucius Callum from Final Fantasy XV already starts things off in a capable
06:36position.
06:37His regal heritage as a crown prince essentially ensures he has time and training at his disposal.
06:43Elsewhere, his magic use, teleportation abilities, and skill with a blade make his hero's journey
06:48just a little bit easier, at least compared to some other Final Fantasy characters.
06:59Lightning – Final Fantasy XIII The spirit of Squall Leonhart's gunblade
07:07lives on within Lightning's Blazefire Saber from Final Fantasy XIII.
07:11We don't need no stinking physics lesson to know that this weapon is cool as hell,
07:15while Lightning herself certainly knows how to utilize it in a battle situation.
07:20Lightning is also swift and efficient in combat, a skilled and cunning warrior with the ability
07:25to shift attack styles on a dime.
07:27Sure her HP tends to be lower than other party members, but when Lightning has the devastating
07:32Army of One signature move in her back pocket, who's going to be counting?
07:42Clive Rossfield – Final Fantasy XVI It's a question many fans of Final Fantasy
07:53ask themselves, and each other, when comparing the franchise's recent protagonists.
07:58If Lightning is in god mode, then who can top her?
08:02Some say it's Clive Rossfield from Final Fantasy XVI, although we'd immediately love
08:07to play devil's advocate.
08:09Sure Clive may expire from his full power sacrifice at the game's finale, or does he?
08:14But his in-game domination of Ifrit lends Rossfield some immensely strong pyrokinetic
08:19powers.
08:20Elsewhere, Clive is just a beast of a human specimen, boasting physical strength that's
08:25equal to his exceptional swordsmanship.
08:35Are there any side Final Fantasy characters you feel are underrated?
08:39Let us know in the comments.