Some Final Fantasy characters are born leaders, literally and metaphorically, and others have to grow into their roles. This applies to more than protagonists, too. For example, Cid from Final Fantasy 7 is a bit of a curmudgeon and treats all of his workers badly initially, but once they get the Highwind up and running, he starts to ease up, and they trust him more in return.
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While Cid is a good character, highlighting how Final Fantasy characters can grow, other main and side heroes are just not meant for the job. From personalities to skills, these characters, while good in their own way, just aren’t cut out to be leaders of any party, group, or organization.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Bartz Klauser
Just A Boy And His Boco
Bartz is technically the protagonist of Final Fantasy 5, but so are his other three companions: Lenna, Galuf, and Faris. They all equally make decisions together, and the party doesn’t need just one warrior to light the way. If anything, Galuf is the leader since he is the oldest and wisest.
As a character, Bartz was more of a goof-off who was looking for adventures with his best Chocobo buddy Boco, before the events of the game properly started. Bartz is a stand-up guy for sure and will always do what is right, but leadership skills are something he lacks, which could change if the game were ever remade and expanded upon.
Gau
Raised By Monsters
Gau is one of the party members of Final Fantasy 6, which easily has the biggest roster in the mainline games. During Sabin’s side adventure, split from everyone else, he will encounter the wildling known as Gau in the Veldt, a region that constantly changes its monster lineup as the game goes on.
Gau is a young child who was abandoned, and so he does not understand normal human speech or customs. This leads to some fun fish-out-of-water moments in the campaign. Since he is a child, isn’t part of the core story group, and talks in gibberish, it’s easy to understand why Gau would not be a good leader at present in the game. Perhaps as an adult, he could become a great leader of monsters.
Yuffie Kisaragi
The Hyperactive Ninja Of Wutai
Yuffie was an optional party member in Final Fantasy 7, who has since become part of the normal roster of the remake games. In fact, she even had her own spin-off DLC for Final Fantasy 7 Remake. No matter the version, Yuffie is always depicted as a younger teen full of spunk.
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She’s a skilled ninja in battle, as demonstrated better in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and she hungers to collect Materia for her homeland, Wutai. She’s not a master ninja and constantly learns lessons in the original game. One day, she is to succeed her father as the leader of Wutai, which she could grow into, but her free spirit and klutziness don’t make it seem likely.
Vivi Ornitier
A Little Too Shy
Vivi is an early party member obtained in Final Fantasy 9, and is also the second playable character that truly opens up the kingdom of Alexandria. Vivi is a short, young Black Mage of an undetermined age, who is kind and a dependable friend. His issues are his confidence, as Vivi does not believe in himself and constantly questions his existence throughout the game.
His existential crisis is a big part of the opening chapters of Final Fantasy 9, and even as he grows, Vivi does not create a commanding presence that anyone would want to follow beyond his friends. Vivi shows no ambitions to become a leader anyway, and for innocent characters like him, it’s all for the better.
Kimahri Ronso
The Strong Silent Type
Kimahri is a party member in Final Fantasy 10. He is the only animal-like humanoid of the group, resembling a panther that walks on its hind legs and also has thorns. His species are known as Ronso, or at least his tribe is, and they are proud warriors who rarely associate with humans. They live far away from society, but do like the sport Blitzball like everyone else in Final Fantasy 10.
Kimahri is a creature of few words, but he is a loyal companion to Yuna. His entire script in the game could probably be transcribed on someone’s hand, which is hyperbole, but also not far off base. As a smaller Ronso, Kimahri has little chance of ever becoming a leader for his tribe, even if he did prove his strength honorably late in the game.
Balthier
More Of A Rogue
Balthier is one of the six playable characters in Final Fantasy 12, who is easily the coolest character in the game. The team at Square Enix could have modeled his roguish nature after Han Solo from the Star Wars movies. They even gave him a Chewbacca equivalent via his girl Friday, Fran, although she can talk normally.
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Balthier constantly breaks the fourth wall by proclaiming this is his story and he is the star. That said, he does it playfully and doesn’t outright show leadership skills. It’s all about being boastful for him, which is charming if not a little arrogant at times. If he wanted, Balthier could probably lead platoons with his charisma alone, but he lacks the desire to truly do it, which is why he left his old life behind to become a sky pirate instead, free from any real responsibility.
Sazh Katzroy
Big Daddy
Sazh is a party member in Final Fantasy 13, and the only one to have a child: Dajh. While he initially joins the resistance to help Lightning out, he eventually regrets his decision after getting cursed and earning the Empire’s ire. Afterward, all he wants to do is get back to Dajh and raise him right.
Sazh isn’t a coward, though, who stays away from conflict during the campaign, as he will back up his teammates. The more he fights, the stronger his will to keep going becomes, even though he just wants to go home and try to be the best father in Final Fantasy history. The only leadership he dreams about is leading Dajh to bed.
Prompto Argentum
Smile And Say Cheese
Prompto is one of the four core boys of Final Fantasy 15, and in the main game, he is only a support character. Noctis, the game’s protagonist, is the only playable character. With post-game DLC, Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis all got their own playable campaigns, albeit short two-hour affairs.
Regardless of DLC, Prompto is the heart of the group who tries to keep everyone’s spirits up with jokes and is also in charge of taking photos during the road trip. Like Bartz, he’s a bit of a goof who doesn’t take things quite seriously through most of the game until a dark turn during the later third, which also goes directly into his DLC. Prompto isn’t a leader: he’s a follower. He would gladly die for Noctis or the rest of his friends any day of the fantasy week, and that’s noble in its own right.
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