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Who are the "least special" Final Fantasy Protagonists?

AnansiThePersona

AnansiThePersona

Started a revolution but the mic was unplugged
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Oct 27, 2017
15,682
Throughout FF history, you have had protagonists who have been chosen by fate, magic crystals, alien worlds, and royal bloodlines. They are usually joined by an assortment of regular people and others who have been "chosen" in different ways.

I've been playing Final Fantasy VIIR and came to the realization that Cloud is one of the least special FF protagonists. He was just a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He ended up being Hojo's experiment and the rest is history. He has nothing on Vaan, obviously, but he has so little impact on the plot that, like others, just consider Ashe as the protagonist. But even she is special in the context of their world (a princess).


Who would you put as the "least special" FF protagonists?
 
Gio

Gio

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
837
Manila
Probably the first 3? The MC from I, Firion, and Luneth are nobodies in their respective games.
 
Poppy

Poppy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,291
richmond, va
i didn't even remember vaan so vaan

though i also came in to say butz because he really is just a dude who gets involved in something far greater than him through the power of the crystals
Gio said:
Probably the first 3? The MC from I, Firion, and Luneth are nobodies.
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no effin way is the warrior of light a nobody
 
Cordy

Cordy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,530
I actually often forget that Vaan was the protagonist of that game. Him for sure.
 

B.K.

Member
Oct 31, 2017
17,091
The adventurer from Final Fantasy XI. They get caught up in big world spanning conflicts, but they're a nobody. They just happen to be in the right place at the right time to get dragged into everything.
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

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Oct 25, 2017
94,148
here
tidus was just a memory of a dream of a whim of a phantom of a promise of a jerk who was trapped in some limbo future-past hellscape

also he kicks a blitzball and his head blows off

dltqghxpoevioybnxamk.gif
 
Lulu

Lulu

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,902
HenryEen said:
Unless my memories failing me, Tidus is just normal sport athlete, right ? Well I guess he do have special circumstances...



Literally a prince that have power unique to his bloodlines....
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No way. tidus is a dream of the Fayth brought about to defeat sin
 
OP
OP
AnansiThePersona

AnansiThePersona

Started a revolution but the mic was unplugged
Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,682
HenryEen said:
Unless my memories failing me, Tidus is just normal sport athlete, right ? Well I guess he do have special circumstances...



Literally a prince that have power unique to his bloodlines....
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See Tidus is sort of one the lower end of "special protagonists" to me. He wasn't "chosen" or "promised" to do anything. His journey is a result of fantastic coincidences. Like he's a Zanarkand dream person but so were the millions of other people who lived there lol
 
chandoog

chandoog

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,100
Vaan, he stops being relevant to the central plot after a bit in the game entirely.
 
Poltergust

Poltergust

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
11,884
Orlando, FL
It's probably Vaan. He's just a street urchin and has nothing special going on about him whatsoever. The closest thing is that he's the brother of a soldier under Basch's command, but that's very tangential to the plot of the game.

So I find it hilarious that a nobody like him can cast fiery meteors of destruction lol. Same with Penelo. I guess this is something basically anyone can do in the world of Ivalice if they trained enough?
 
KushalaDaora

KushalaDaora

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,838
QisTopTier said:
He's a ghost or someshit
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Ishida said:
He's the physical manifestation of a dream from that world's deities. I'd say that's very special!
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Lulu said:
No way. tidus is a dream of the Fayth brought about to defeat sin
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Yeah I edited my comment. OP mentions Cloud pre-Hojo, so I thought Tidus being dream or some shit doesn't count as special lol (both are just normal people under normal circumstances).
 
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AnansiThePersona

AnansiThePersona

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Oct 27, 2017
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Lulu said:
No way. tidus is a dream of the Fayth brought about to defeat sin
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Wait the Fayth summoned Tidus to defeat SIn? I thought it was because Zanarkand got bodied super hard and they felt guilty so they summoned them all back for however many years to make up for that
 

Deleted member 4869

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,753
Mediking said:
Yup. Noctis is great
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I usually don't like "chosen by fate" protagonists, but Noctis is an exception due to the subversive aspect of it.

Yes, he was chosen to save the world, but he's also a sacrificial lamb for an asshole god. And the game plays it straight instead of pulling the usual "power of friendship" bullshit that many other games do. I honestly believed that in the end he would be saved by power of friendship. But no, he dies. He HAS to die. Loved that ending.
 
Poltergust

Poltergust

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Oct 25, 2017
11,884
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AnansiThePersona said:
See Tidus is sort of one the lower end of "special protagonists" to me. He wasn't "chosen" or "promised" to do anything. His journey is a result of fantastic coincidences. Like he's a Zanarkand dream person but so were the millions of other people who lived there lol
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The only reason he was even able to start his journey in the first place is because his father is Sin and he intentionally sent him to Spira instead of just killing him like the he did with the rest of Dream Zanarkand.

So yeah, he's special.
 
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AnansiThePersona

AnansiThePersona

Started a revolution but the mic was unplugged
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Oct 27, 2017
15,682
Poltergust said:
The only reason he was even able to start his journey in the first place is because his father is Sin and he intentionally sent him to Spira instead of just killing him like the he did with the rest of Dream Zanarkand.

So yeah, he's special.
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Ahhh I forgot Jecht did that on purpose
 
JoDa

JoDa

Member
Jan 12, 2018
558
Vaan is the obvious answer, following your example of cloud I'd say squall is also a good example he just an orphan who happen to bond with ellone back when he was little, there are some theories of he being related to laguna but I don't think those have any concrete basis.

I could also argue about lighting too, she was just a soldier that wanted to help her sister and shit goes terribly wrong after that (she becomes basically Jesus in LR but let's ignore that)
 
Zetta

Zetta

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,680
If we're considering Vaan the protagonist then its Vaan. I wish we could have had the game with Basch as the lead.
 

Deleted member 14377

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Vaan is representative of the common people of his land. He's arguably one of the most special Final Fantasy protagonists, he get's to hang and do all this cool shit and rebel against the system.

Squall is the least special.

Tidus is the worst.
 
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