Roleplaying games feature some impressive protagonists, villains, and creatures, especially at the endgame. Among the most popular RPGs is none other than Final Fantasy, one of the longest-lasting franchises in gaming. Featuring high fantasy and sci-fi elements and powerful beings in each game, many characters possess extraordinary abilities and magical powers. Every Final Fantasy game features a wide cast to include in the party, and deciding on who to invest time and equipment on can be difficult in the early game.
Many characters are good right from the get-go, but the game can hide a character's true potential away or have their progression not amount to much by the end of the game. Many games feature world-bending foes or time-traveling heroes while still featuring some lackluster characters who don't have many redeeming qualities.
10 Strongest: Lightning From XIII Can Fight Literal Gods
Initially, Lightning is strong but doesn't stand out when compared to other characters within the series. She is undoubtedly one of the best party members in Final Fantasy XIII, but it's in her solo game that she really shines. Throughout the trilogy, Lightning is constantly getting stronger and by Lightning Returns, she is equipped with magic that allows her to go toe-to-toe with the gods that threaten humanity. She holds the fate of the world in her hands and uses her various forms to their full potential. There is nothing that holds her back and with every form she has, she doesn't sacrifice power but instead makes the most of each class.
9 Weakest: Yuffie Is Outshined By Nearly Every Other Party Member In VII
The character herself is curious, cunning, and gets herself into trouble, but Yuffie's use in combat varies from mediocre to underwhelming. Many thief characters are on the weaker side, but Yuffie really doesn't have all that much that makes her stand out. She does physical damage but the focus on her Luck stat makes her very niche.
Her usefulness is mostly in farming and having a relatively decent Limit Break that will heal the party. Her best Limit Break is All Creation, which is quite useful once she gets it, but it pales in comparison to other Limit Breaks as it only hits one time.
8 Strongest: Kefka From VI Tries To Destroy Every Magical Being
There are many strong beings in Final Fantasy VI and Kefka uses his power in the most sadistic ways possible. In the game, he wields powerful magic to influence forces that change the tide of entire wars. His goal isn't as simple as revenge or gaining power, but instead, Kefka's motivation lies within his deep-seated desire to inflict pain upon everything. The Light of Judgement ability he uses completely demolishes a town with ease, and his disregard for human life makes him dangerous to go up against. Wielding magic from both Magitek and Espers he has absorbed, he becomes a god that ruled over the world for a time.
7 Weakest: Quistis From VIII Is A Prodigy Of Being Average
Blue mages are usually fairly powerful but require a lot of effort to make them strong. For Quistis, her main form of blue magic comes out through the use of her Limit Breaks, and she can can learn different abilities and Limit Breaks over the course of the game. The issue with her power is that she has more strength at higher Crisis Levels, making it hard to get consistent damage and healing from her.
The extra work isn't worth it when every other party member has more going for them. Zell is probably the strongest of the party members as he can be exploited fairly easily, but Quistis is best reserved as a powerful opponent in the Triple Triad Tournament.
6 Strongest: Sin From X Is A Destructive God
Capable of destroying entire islands, Sin is a devastating force of destruction. The fights with Sin require some powerful defensive magic in order to survive its attacks, as the beast can quickly overwhelm the party with other creatures or different body parts attacking in tandem.
Summoners are sacrificed regularly in order to quell the monstrous force, as no one wants to be eradicated. It had never been rivaled until Tidus's influence and the discovery of Sin's true nature changed the practice. The entity itself has many forms and even once it is defeated, there's still another fight to be had at the end of the game.
5 Weakest: Kimahri From X Is The Weakest Member Of The Party
Blue mages don't get a break, since they're either very powerful or next to useless. Kimahri's abilities as a blue mage aren't very efficient as many good enemy abilities aren't available until late in the game. Even with these late-game attacks, Kimahri lacks the direct pathing that many other characters have with their skills. He starts with one single ability and his Sphere Grid is not his own, rather set in the middle to go in any direction. His ability to do so only means that whoever's Sphere Grid he follows, he is doomed to be further behind them all the way.
4 Strongest: Sephiroth From VII Is Capable Of Planetary Destruction
The SOLDIER who's never lost a fight is one of the most popular antagonists in the series. Sephiroth's desire for vengeance and overall instability make his strategy precise and bloodthirsty. As a SOLDIER, he was unrivaled during his time and no one came close to his level of power. His transforming state required three teams to try to stop him from becoming a god but ultimately failed.
Safer-Sephiroth nearly destroys the world with Meteor, and his mission was a success in the original intended ending of the game. Unbeknownst to many players, the screen fading to white represents the death of the entire planet.
3 Weakest: Sazh From XIII Just Doesn't Have The Stats To Be Useful
The pilot is one of the more interesting characters in Final Fantasy XIII, and a fan favorite as well. Sazh has a powerful attack, but lacks the stats to keep up with it. Among the cast, he just doesn't have enough power in combat. This is a shame considering he has so much development — and one of the best companions is hidden in his hair. Sazh's character arc makes him stand out from some of the lesser-developed characters, and if he had better abilities and shorter animations for his attacks, he could have easily avoided being the weakest member of the team.
2 Strongest: The Creator From IV Is The Strongest Being In The Series
The After Years is a sequel to Final Fantasy IV that takes place after a massive time skip, not unlike many anime. In the game, the strongest being, the Creator, decides to destroy everything he made. The premise of a god deciding to eradicate all life is frightening, and the Creator delivers on that existentialism. The protagonists have to literally fight god in an epic battle to save their entire existence. The Creator didn't just create the planet and moons that the main cast lives on, either, as his goal is to destroy the entire universe. It's a fitting final battle for the series, giving every protagonist a reason to band together in order to stop themselves from being erased.
1 Weakest - Cait Sith Is Regarded As The Worst Creature In The Series
Cait Sith has appeared in numerous entries of the franchise and is always underwhelming. The original three games see Cait Sith at its strongest, capable of instantly killing a party member. In other iterations, however, Cait Sith is an annoying nuisance and has brief appearances as an enemy, a doll, or a summon. In Final Fantasy VI, it's a summon that confuses all enemies and in Final Fantasy X and X-2 it can be seen as one of Lulu's dolls or Rikku's dressphere. As a party member in Final Fantasy VII, Cait Sith uses pure chance as a means of defeating all enemies — or potentially killing all allies.