Main characters being "special"

Rydia

Rydia

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In many FF games (and other video games), the main hero and/or heroine will often have something special about them that is crutial to the plot. Terra was half esper, Cloud had some experiments done to him and thought he was someone else, Aerith was the last survivor to her race, Rinoa was supposed to become a sorceress, Zidane was built to bring destruction, Garnet was from a race of summoners that had been destroyed, Yuna was a summoner, Tidus was a dream ect...

Do you like this aspect of the games? Or do you think it has been over done.

I personally don't mind it. Maybe it's because I have gotten older but I do need a reason why this particular ordinary character is the one to save the world as opposed to a trained soldier. Especially since the main characters tend to be about 16 or 17 years old. Don't get me wrong, when I was 13 or 14, 17 sounded badass, now it just sounds young to me. However, if you make that character unique from the rest of the world, or even most of it, then I have more of a reason to believe that this young character can in fact be the hero of that world.
 
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The main Hero/Heroine is nothing without his/her partymembers/friends.
Most likely its always the support and dedication of their friends that makes the main character really special. Like a flower they would blossom you could say lol

No one wants to be alone.
 
I think the special aspect is what usually draws us to there character and enjoy them more, its these differences which helps us to idolize them as well as be able to emphaise with them as the "special" difference is usually made symbolic in some way, shape or form with a tie to every day normal life.

Take for instance Terra, as she struggles to come to terms with being different, at some point in all our lives we have felt out of place because of our differences and the realisation that difference is actually a good thing is what makes her character so believeable.

If FF were to take away the "special" aspect, I feel it would be much harder to believe in the characters and would most definatley not be a good move if it was to happen.
 
This kind of thing is definitely preferable to heroes like Vaan, who is nothing special at all.

I wouldn't mind someone like a highly trained soldier being the main protagonist, however. Take Cecil, sure he ended up BEING FROM A RACE OF MOON PEOPLE, but through most of the game he was a high ranking military guy, who got there mostly based on his own merit.
 
WanderingAesthetic said:
This kind of thing is definitely preferable to heroes like Vaan, who is nothing special at all.
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This. I don't even know if I consider Vaan to be FFXII's protagonist at all. After the whole party is assembled, Vaan's significance is just eclipsed instantly by that of Ashe and Basch for example. Vaan has nothing that really makes him special. He is an orphan yes, but so is Penelo and a bajillion other JRPG heroes. Vaan is a pickpocket. But that isn't anything special either. I mean, why should we care about him? Only circumstance brought him to where he is later on.

I actually want main characters to have something "special". Something to make them conflict with other people, a unique figure and something to make them memorable. I don't simply want some ordinary Joe like Vaan to end up participating in a desperate struggle to save the world. Terra is perhaps an extremely good example of this done right. The consequences to Terra of being half Esper makes her an interesting character throughout the game. She fears herself and her position in the world. That is something for the player to sympathise with.
 
I actually like the aspect of having the main characters being more "Special" than other characters in games. It is just something that Final Fantasy does to catch the attention of people. Also, everytime they do it, nothing is ever the same or done twice. So, it gives things more of a fresh outlook.

As for the characters being so young, it just seems to always be that way. If they are too old the younger generation may not connect to well with them.

Without the "special" characters and how they are there would nothing 'Fantasy' about Final Fantasy, it would just be basic people.
 
Yes I do like it the way it is and how the main character is unique i'd say. It spices it up a bit after a while, I'm sure people are going to get tired of a stupid daredevil just doing it for no apparent reason. Well I guess you don't need a reason to 'save' the world and whatnot but what i'm saying you don't want just some dude :mokken: they have to stand out one way or another and I do like it that way anywho. xD
 
Bah. I really need to hurry and beat XII so i can weigh in on the "Is Vaan the Main Protagonist?" debate. :D

Anyway, I don't think the main hero is special. After all, I found all the other party members iN VII more interesting than Cloud.
 
Well when we say special, we mean that they have characteristics that may give them an advantage over other people in that world stopping the main protagonist. I mean, Tidus had a big role in stopping Sin because he was Ject's father and he had a role in stopping Ject from using that annoying limit break move.

And typically they have a characteristic that makes them different from other people in that world. Terra is an esper, Aerith is the last surviving Centra, ect... And it's usually crutial to moving the plot along.
 
I like these special characters, more some then others. Zidane's was wow when you found out what he was originally built for, its shocking as he has a happy go lucky outlook on life and that does a complete turn when you find out the truth.

Also Tidus was a bit wha???? It was hard to get at first, then it was so sad as Yuna had finally found someone whom connected on a different level with her, only to discover he wasnt real!?!? That was just plain freaking mean. THANK GOD FOR FFX2 GOOD ENDING!!!!!
 
I like that they have something special about them. I don't mind if it seems like it's been overdone at all. >.<

It makes the story more interesting. It was so emotional for me when Yuna realised that Tidus was a dream. >.<

I'd find it a tad boring if their was nothing different about the hero/heroine.
 
I think that all of the main characters being special is something that really separates the final fantasy series from other great RPGs like the Tales Of series, I don't particularly remember kratos or anyone having anything like expirimentations done to them or being developed in a lab. Characters like Cloud and Zidane are what really set the final fantasy series apart from the crowd. I wish they would keep doing this with the newer games, as soon as we got to 11 and 12 it looked like they sort of stopped doing the whole overpowered main character thing. I mean Vaan is just a thieving little street rat like aladin from what i remember lol.
 
For me, it would be kind of odd to see a normal kid saving the world. :hmmm: While they do try and portray people like Tidus as an average guy, he still has the "special" characteristic there.

The main characters being special is what adds most of the story to the game, so I wouldn't say that it bothers me.

This may be the main thing that made people dislike Vaan; You couldn't really tell who the main character was in FFXII. Maybe if he had something special about him, he would have seemed more like a main character.
 
I feel that most of the time, it's necessary. I wouldn't believe a group of "normal" 17 year olds decided to save the world and/or overthrow the current tyrannical government.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind "normal" 25+ year olds to do the same thing. Yes, I get annoyed with the super young supermen saving the planet while no one else notices the giant Meteor in the sky.
 
Actually, I do. It's my favorite part in the games. It's something new and interesting in each FF. Like Aerith's Cetra abilities or Rinoa's sorceress-ness. It pulls me into the story deeper and lets me feel close to the characters.
 
the plot construction is indeed, like implied, cliche. But it doesnt get annoying with the FF series simply because of how its done and how the story revolves around it. One thing all FF fans knows is that each story carries something similar which is either the style, the mythos or the recycled names :P, but regardless of which, all are spectacular.

How its presented affects heavily on how the aspect of the game is received, im used to it, but ive never actually thought much about it. But yeah, why not?
 
regardless of what it is the main charecters need some kind of factor that makes them SPECIAL in one way or another regardless if it be a race about to be extinct a "bio-engineered-it" as long as there is the special factor and they are young teens or just young in general it will work and they'll be loved by the fans one way or another.
 
I never really payed any attention to that. Now that I think about it that happens in a lot of RPG games (like star ocean). :gasp:
 
GBJoker said:
I wouldn't mind "normal" 25+ year olds to do the same thing. Yes, I get annoyed with the super young supermen saving the planet while no one else notices the giant Meteor in the sky.
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This. i want a main character that starts out average and through his/her own ambition/drive work his/her way up the power ladder and become a legend, not of some gimmick/mentor, but from pure hard work, intelligence, and determination.

...but it won't happen, 'cause teenagers don't like to see hard work and determination, they want bishie bisexual leads with tragic pasts and fragile self-conscience that they can fangirl/boy over:fan:

generalizations aside, it also takes away the fantasy element to some extent, and giving the main character some unique ploy is convenient for plot purposes and easy development.
 
I love the "something special" aspect. It helps you stay intrigued by the main characters and their stories. Just as you think you've figured them out and feel settled with these characters, plot twists like these (if handled correctly) can blow your mind with new interest.

They can also act as a good means for liking a main character. In some instances, after learning their "special" truths (which, in effect, help explain their behaviors), one may take a liking to them with a feel that they've explored the more depthful aspect of the character.

So I think it's great to make the main character "special". If nothing more, it sets them apart as the absolute main, which is much more preferrable than having some bland front man like Vaan, whom you're inclined to see as overshadowed by other members of the team.

Lastly, what I really like is that this "something special" doesn't typically set them apart in battle. Cloud's limit break wasn't even the strongest, as Cid's had potential to do more damage. Zidane's Dyne abilities may have topped out in some regards, but other characters had stats and abilities that caused them to rival or even best him in terms of worth. The early FFs were very distinct about having characters with particularl specialties to even out their capabilities. And even forwarding to X, you had a whole cast that all differed in areas of expertise.
 
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