Final Teams: FFIV

So I just played (or replayed) Final Fantasy IV (or II as i remember it, but I'll call it IV to not confuse myself.) on the DS. Although I got to Zeromus and got wiped out by one move, I'd say it was a fun playthrough that brought back a lot of memories (although I don't remember the game being as difficult as they made it).

It also made me think about all the characters I've ever come across in RPGs. In most games nowadays, you can pretty much customize your characters and pick and choose which ones you want in your party. In Final Fantasy IV, characters are switched in and out depending on storyline, and your final lineup is fixed.

So what would my final lineups be?

If you plan on playing these games (or have not played but wish to play), there will be spoilers. Just a warning. 

FINAL FANTASY IV

Cecil was the character you had throughout the whole game, and considering his transformation, you can't help but feel a little attached to having him in the party. He got along with everyone he met, and he actually had a conscience on right and wrong (which I guess makes him a natural protagonist/leader). On top of that, he's a beast of a tank. Well actually, he's one of the only characters that can seem to take any damage at all. A solid choice as an off-support to cast that Protect and Shield when not casted by...

Tellah. You thought I'd say Rosa? Honestly, I can do without the whole girlfriend/damsel in distress thing (she gets deathly sick AND kidnapped? Too much hassle). Instead, I'd rather take a respected old coot who wants to take revenge in his own hands. When you first get him in the party, he is a welcomed addition with his powerful white AND black magic (and osmose early game. Nice). Now, I know in the game, he's capped at 90 MP (unless you use Soma Drops in the DS version), but the only spell that needs more than that is Meteo, and I don't see a need to cast it because it takes much longer to cast than other spells while not doing substantially more damage. And let's assume that he does get more MP in the game. That would make him a very, very strong choice as a mage for the team. Either way, casting attack spells would be secondary to the white magic for him, because that job belongs to...

Rydia. I think she's a natural choice. When you first get her as a little kid, she's weak as heck. If you didn't put her in the back row, she was a pain to try to level up, as an imp could one shot her. Thennnnn she gets eaten by Leviathan (or so they make you think). But when she appears out of nowhere as you're about to get killed by Golbez (which I'm still kinda confused about how she found us), she has an arsenal of summons to call, and advanced black magic as she learns while leveling up. Just to be able to summon Bahamut makes her a winner in my book. And if the situation called for healing, she had Asura or Sylph to heal up the party. She's also not your typical black mage in Final Fantasy games, with no pointy hat and blue robe. (Up to this point in final fantasy history, girls have been designated the "white mage"). She's also got green hair! And I think Rosa in one of the menu screen speech bubbles in DS stated "Everyone that meets Rydia adores her". Especially...

Edge. When I first played the game when I was 5, I thought he was the coolest character. With the introduction of voice acting, he was kinda annoying and appeared irresponsible to his kingdom. On top of that, he was quick-tempered and kinda hot headed. However, his coolness factor is just too much to overcome, and his anger is kinda legitimate (he just lost his parents, thrusting him into kingship post-game. Also lovestruck post-game). He's got an assortment of ninjutsu to cast (albeit, they're kinda weak), he can throw all your useless weapons for damage (or shirukens that can be bought. Or a spoon for 9999 damage) and he's the only character in the game that can steal. He also gets bonus points for having the coolest sprite in the SNES game because he's a flippin ninja! He's one of two characters in the game that can dual-wield. The other who is....

Yang. The Grandmaster of Fabul gets the last nod. When you first get him, there are several things to note. He has a lot more HP than other characters you've played as so far, he attacks with both his fists, and he can KICK THE ENTIRE ENEMY TEAM. He also stopped a death-ray cannon from firing by presumably kung-fuing it to destruction (and pretty much sacrificing his life). You can also throw in his wife to add to the cool factor. After finding him unconscious, she gives you a frying pan to hit him in the head. Imagine what kinda damage that'd do to Zeromus..

Honorable Mention

FuSoYa. Being able to cast white and black magic, he's somewhat of a Tellah clone, but unlike Tellah, he didn't have much backstory to get much attachment. Yes, he's from the moon. Yes he volunteered to stay behind to watch for Zemus, but he's somewhat of an afterthought of a character (oh yeah. He happened). On a side note he also [hilariously] looks like a mop when he gets KO'd. But because he did happened, he gets an honorable mention.

Why Not....

I left out two of the final 5. I already kinda mentioned why I didn't like Rosa. The only special thing she had was Aim, which I never really used.

But I spose the more surprising choice is Kain. In the beginning, it's debating who was cooler; him or Cecil. But as the story progresses, he leaves your team a couple times because his brain was controlled, and even gives the last crystal to Golbez. To make things worse, you find out that he was easily brainwashed because he was lovestruck. Sure he can jump for a lot of damage, but most of the time, it's like he's ditching the team, then attacking when it's convenient. And when he does get hit, he's too busy jumping to get healed correctly. Outside of jumping, he can't really do much. Then in the ending, he doesn't even attend Cecil and Rosa's wedding/coronation because he wants "to become a better dragoon", when the real reason is probably avoiding the hurt due to jealousy.

So there you have it. My choice for the final 5 in Final Fantasy IV.