The Main Characters

[Ralz]

I know that Locke, Terra, Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, Shadow, Celes, Mog, Umaro, Gogo, Relm, Strago, Gu, and Setzer are all the Protaganists with several other people assisting them along the way. However, who are the main characters among them? Is it Locke because he devotes himself to protecting women? Is it Terra for being the instrument of war used by the Gestahlian Empire? Is is Celes for bringing the team back together again after they were seperated? Who?

[V_Translanka]

Since this is a character discussion, expect spoilers.

I've always believed Terra/Tina as the 'main character' for several reasons. Kefka's ultimate goal is the destruction of Hope itself, right? When Bannon recalls the story of Pandora's Box, he attributes Terra to that last bit of light, Hope, left in the box after the evils were unleashed. This is, of course, an allegory of what Gestahl & Kefka did when they opened (& re-opened) the gate to the Esper World.

Terra is also half Esper, and the Espers and integral in the storyline as they are really the power that Kefka strives for (& ironically the power that drove him insane)...She has one of the most personal reasons to fight as well: we see both of her parents get offed & later on she fights to protect the future of the world she finally learned to love.

Celes' role in the WoR is, yeah, basically just to bring everyone back together...she, herself, doesn't actually play as significant a role in the story as Terra.

It's not big evidence since the main character hasn't always appeared as it, but Terra also serves as the background Amano logo for FFVI in her Magitek armor...

[T.G. Oskar]

It's a fallacy to think Final Fantasy VI has just a few main characters, let alone one. In a sense, virtually everyone save Gogo and Umaro are main characters, in one way or another. Sure, there are degrees of protagonism, but the truth is certain: there isn't one story that absorbs the others, not even considering the huge protagonism of the Espers, the very incarnations of Magic. In a sense, the main character of the story can only be determined in abstract forms.

The main characters, so to say, are Magic and Hope. Magic, because it's re-awakening causes the story to unfurl. Hope, because it is the thing the heroes want to save, and restore; and what the villain seeks to end and destroy once and for all.

If anything, that would make Terra the main character, but her story only unfurls to the extent of the rest. She's the half-Esper, the union between the human side of the planet and the magical being side of the alien world. To Banon, she's the last ray of hope...until the Espers give their power. The Espers take Terra's hope (Magic), and give it to the rest of the party, so that they become also participant in the defense of hope. In the end, Terra alone does not defeat Kefka, the incarnation of Nihilism. Everyone does. In fact, Terra does not has to be in the party to finish with Kefka. Everyone needs to be there, though.

Locke, for example, sought to find the legendary treasure that would revive his fallen love, Rachel. But, in the end, when Rachel asked him to part away, he found a new hope to live on. You could say Locke's ray of hope is Celes, for she becomes, in a sense, the reason for him to live afterwards.

Celes, on the other part, is the mirror side of Terra: she's more experienced, of a higher rank, knows more of her world and of her past, but in the end, the link between both females goes beyond Magic. Both are seeking love their own way. Somehow, at times, Terra becomes more mature than Celes, who doubts of her life after the Empire.

Edgar has his hopes on defending his domain. He lives for his kingdom, and he will do everything he needs to defend it. Even risking to lose the treasures of the castle just for a shot to reclaim it. It may seem that Edgar loses the sense of main after the reclaim of Figaro, but that is not entirely true: his desire to protect his domain extends to the entire world. So, his quest to save Figaro from the Empire becomes a fight to save Figaro from Oblivion...and so does the world.

Sabin has even less reason to be a main character. He gave up his right to the throne for his own freedom. But, his quest is more of maturing. Edgar acts pretty much as his elder brother, even though they're twins. Sabin, unlike Edgar, took a longer time to mature, since by seeking his freedom he refused to grow. Joining the battle against the Empire, and against Kefka afterwards, makes him grow until he finally matures, realizing true freedom isn't found on strict ascetism.

Cyan is a broken man, and his quest is to find a reason to live. He lost his dear family, and his liege, to the machinations of the Empire. His initial desire for revenge becomes a quest to remake his life. He finds a kindred soul in the woman that lost her fiancee in Mobliz, and assumes his persona just to spare her the pain of losing a loved one. He atones after telling the truth (hence telling himself to move on), and afterwards facing his inner demons, which refine his swordsmanship and resolve to the greatest degree.

As for Strago, he's an old chap seeking one last great adventure. Gungho saw this, and sought him to end Hidon once and for all. Why, you may ask? He knew the battle to save the world would be Strago's greatest and last adventure. His age is too much, and soon he'll have to abandon the adventuring clothes. He realizes the need for his unique skills, and he offers to the party after the great debt in saving his only family.

Relm, on the contrary, is the one that will take on the steps of her grandfather. It seems that way: she begins adventuring in a very early age (making her one of the few child adventurers out there), and she sees her world in a different lens. The change of the world is an early call for maturing, her disappearance a dagger thrusted within Strago's heart. Her wake-up call seals the deal: why would Strago lose his will to live? Why would he join the cult of the person who will destroy all that he could ever care? If it were just because of Relm, he would never have requested the party to let her join. In a way, he cares for her, but in another way, he seeks her to be his successor.

And that leaves Shadow, the most mysterious of the few main characters, between the last. Shadow is a torn man: his past is a mystery, his deeds too horrible to reckon. Shadow is on a path to atone: he seeks to cleanse his past sins, to make amends with that striking past experience. Only by defeating Kefka once and for all, he will atone for his past mistakes.

Gau and Mog are rare to see as mains, and may be the lesser of the mains, but each has a reason to fight. Gau is carefree and wild, and couldn't care less for human reasons to face Kefka. But, nature HAS to counter the scars that the insane mind of Kefka, coupled with the uncontrolled power of Magic, has done. And Gau becomes the embodiment of nature, with each monster he lives with a new reason to fight. He eventually makes amends with his human nature, but in his heart, if he does not fight, that which he loves will disappear, and so the rest of his partners feel. Mog, on the other part, is even less inclined to fight, but see the contrast: many Moogles in the WoB, only one Moogle in the WoR. He seems to be the tribal elder of his village, a leader for his race, and all of a sudden his very partners disappear. He fights for the chance to remake his race whole. Reasons of nature, or racial pride, are almost as important as love, or hope.

And then there's Setzer, the person who could have had no reason to defy the Empire. But, he's a gambler at nature, and what the Empire gave him made his wild and unruly heart settle too much. His quest is to reclaim the life he once led: a life of random chance. The chances of recovering the barren land are little: no plants wish to grow, the land becomes arid and lifeless. Setzer may see in this world a chance to strike it big. For, what is the greatest gamble, but to remake the world as it once was, when there's no chance? Daryl is another reason why Setzer fights: her death cannot be in vain. As her, many others will seek to live a life of freedom, led only by chance. His final bet is on: he will fight for that small chance of returning the world to what it once was.

So, as you can see, there are reasons why each character fights, and while one may be of a lesser degree than the other, no story absorbs the others. The world does not revolve within Terra, as it did for Cloud on FFVII or Squall on FFVIII. It revolves upon the whole band, the sum of the parts in comparison to the one representing the rest.

[V_Translanka]

While I sort of agree, Terra is the only one who's personal quest is fighting for the entire world. Everyone else has very specific personal reasons where hers is more of a general fighting for the future.

Originally Posted by T.G. Oskar

She's the half-Esper, the union between the human side of the planet and the magical being side of the alien world.

Actually, the Phantom Beasts/Espers come from the same world. The Esper World was created when the rift between Espers & Humans first climaxed...They too are of the same planet, threatened by Kefka.

Originally Posted by T.G. Oskar

In the end, Terra alone does not defeat Kefka, the incarnation of Nihilism. Everyone does. In fact, Terra does not has to be in the party to finish with Kefka. Everyone needs to be there, though.

I don't think any of that speaks against her being the main character though...In one way, that's almost like saying Yuffie & Vincent don't "need" to be in the party because they're optional...they're there and they're canon, so they're supposed to be there.

But I think I understand what you were trying to say about it being a group effort...I think that at the very least, in spirit, Terra is the main character...

[Rob17]

I think if you were to center the story around the main character/s, then you'd have to consider all of them, the thing that attracts me most to the story is the fact that the story is integeral to the game instead of gameplay first, so instead of an afterthought you get a complete package.

The fact that the characters background runs so deeply through the story, some more than others, is a testiment to a well thought script.
However i agree that Terra/Tina should be centered as 'the main character', although if you are going to look at what centers the game plotwise then id suggest looking at Kefka as a either a main character on par with Terra or a major point of reference for the prologue of the game?

Because as you progress in the story more you evetually find out that the emperor crossed paths with the world of the summons, more specifically Terra's/Tina's farther, now whether you consider that the emperor sought out power to rule the world and was corrupted or that on his natural way through the ranks of the empire he learned of and thereafter sought out the power of espers, you would have to consider the magi-tech lab and the creation of super soldiers.

Kefkas reign of terror started as he was inducted into the ranks of superpowered generals, the reason being that the process which gave him power also took his sanity and split, as far as i know, his twisted mind set, but when did he start whispering into the ear of the emperor, to drive him into the quest for power, (obviously in the idea of futhering his own goals), the emperor drove more furiously to find espers.

How long has Kefka been court jester to the emperor?
Had he been planning this all along or had this all been devised as part of him becoming court mage and losing his grip on reallity?
If you were to consider that through all of this the emperor is just a pawn, dancing like a marionette at the behest of kefkas sceming, then that would center him as the main character plotwise.

Point being that to truly place one as being the main character in a story you would have to think about the beggining, important events leading away from and up to, and the end.

Like i said before though imo Terra/Tina should have right as main character becasuse she has been with the story even before we entered into it, but then so has Kefka?
Anyway its very interesting.

[V_Translanka]

I think if you bring Kefka into the mix then we need to be less vague about it and instead of "Main Character" we should be talking specifically about the "Main Protagonist" and that way we can clearly define Kefka as the "Main Antagonist", right?

[Rob17]

Exactly, in terms of characters in FF VI there are a variety of which to choose from some are more significant than others and yet still retain equal favour for differen reasons.
By wich i meen, is where it has worked almost perfectly, which ive only ever seen in decent ensamble movies and 2 or 3 other RPGS to date and is the reason that it facinates me still.

[Refieth]

Terra, for reasons previously stated. Though I do think that without the other main protagonists, she'd never have done it.

[Lowlf]

Originally Posted by T.G. Oskar

It's a fallacy to think Final Fantasy VI has just a few main characters, let alone one. In a sense, virtually everyone save Gogo and Umaro are main characters, in one way or another. Sure, there are degrees of protagonism, but the truth is certain: there isn't one story that absorbs the others, not even considering the huge protagonism of the Espers, the very incarnations of Magic. In a sense, the main character of the story can only be determined in abstract forms.

The main characters, so to say, are Magic and Hope. Magic, because it's re-awakening causes the story to unfurl. Hope, because it is the thing the heroes want to save, and restore; and what the villain seeks to end and destroy once and for all.

If anything, that would make Terra the main character, but her story only unfurls to the extent of the rest. She's the half-Esper, the union between the human side of the planet and the magical being side of the alien world. To Banon, she's the last ray of hope...until the Espers give their power. The Espers take Terra's hope (Magic), and give it to the rest of the party, so that they become also participant in the defense of hope. In the end, Terra alone does not defeat Kefka, the incarnation of Nihilism. Everyone does. In fact, Terra does not has to be in the party to finish with Kefka. Everyone needs to be there, though.

Locke, for example, sought to find the legendary treasure that would revive his fallen love, Rachel. But, in the end, when Rachel asked him to part away, he found a new hope to live on. You could say Locke's ray of hope is Celes, for she becomes, in a sense, the reason for him to live afterwards.

Celes, on the other part, is the mirror side of Terra: she's more experienced, of a higher rank, knows more of her world and of her past, but in the end, the link between both females goes beyond Magic. Both are seeking love their own way. Somehow, at times, Terra becomes more mature than Celes, who doubts of her life after the Empire.

Edgar has his hopes on defending his domain. He lives for his kingdom, and he will do everything he needs to defend it. Even risking to lose the treasures of the castle just for a shot to reclaim it. It may seem that Edgar loses the sense of main after the reclaim of Figaro, but that is not entirely true: his desire to protect his domain extends to the entire world. So, his quest to save Figaro from the Empire becomes a fight to save Figaro from Oblivion...and so does the world.

Sabin has even less reason to be a main character. He gave up his right to the throne for his own freedom. But, his quest is more of maturing. Edgar acts pretty much as his elder brother, even though they're twins. Sabin, unlike Edgar, took a longer time to mature, since by seeking his freedom he refused to grow. Joining the battle against the Empire, and against Kefka afterwards, makes him grow until he finally matures, realizing true freedom isn't found on strict ascetism.

Cyan is a broken man, and his quest is to find a reason to live. He lost his dear family, and his liege, to the machinations of the Empire. His initial desire for revenge becomes a quest to remake his life. He finds a kindred soul in the woman that lost her fiancee in Mobliz, and assumes his persona just to spare her the pain of losing a loved one. He atones after telling the truth (hence telling himself to move on), and afterwards facing his inner demons, which refine his swordsmanship and resolve to the greatest degree.

As for Strago, he's an old chap seeking one last great adventure. Gungho saw this, and sought him to end Hidon once and for all. Why, you may ask? He knew the battle to save the world would be Strago's greatest and last adventure. His age is too much, and soon he'll have to abandon the adventuring clothes. He realizes the need for his unique skills, and he offers to the party after the great debt in saving his only family.

Relm, on the contrary, is the one that will take on the steps of her grandfather. It seems that way: she begins adventuring in a very early age (making her one of the few child adventurers out there), and she sees her world in a different lens. The change of the world is an early call for maturing, her disappearance a dagger thrusted within Strago's heart. Her wake-up call seals the deal: why would Strago lose his will to live? Why would he join the cult of the person who will destroy all that he could ever care? If it were just because of Relm, he would never have requested the party to let her join. In a way, he cares for her, but in another way, he seeks her to be his successor.

And that leaves Shadow, the most mysterious of the few main characters, between the last. Shadow is a torn man: his past is a mystery, his deeds too horrible to reckon. Shadow is on a path to atone: he seeks to cleanse his past sins, to make amends with that striking past experience. Only by defeating Kefka once and for all, he will atone for his past mistakes.

Gau and Mog are rare to see as mains, and may be the lesser of the mains, but each has a reason to fight. Gau is carefree and wild, and couldn't care less for human reasons to face Kefka. But, nature HAS to counter the scars that the insane mind of Kefka, coupled with the uncontrolled power of Magic, has done. And Gau becomes the embodiment of nature, with each monster he lives with a new reason to fight. He eventually makes amends with his human nature, but in his heart, if he does not fight, that which he loves will disappear, and so the rest of his partners feel. Mog, on the other part, is even less inclined to fight, but see the contrast: many Moogles in the WoB, only one Moogle in the WoR. He seems to be the tribal elder of his village, a leader for his race, and all of a sudden his very partners disappear. He fights for the chance to remake his race whole. Reasons of nature, or racial pride, are almost as important as love, or hope.

And then there's Setzer, the person who could have had no reason to defy the Empire. But, he's a gambler at nature, and what the Empire gave him made his wild and unruly heart settle too much. His quest is to reclaim the life he once led: a life of random chance. The chances of recovering the barren land are little: no plants wish to grow, the land becomes arid and lifeless. Setzer may see in this world a chance to strike it big. For, what is the greatest gamble, but to remake the world as it once was, when there's no chance? Daryl is another reason why Setzer fights: her death cannot be in vain. As her, many others will seek to live a life of freedom, led only by chance. His final bet is on: he will fight for that small chance of returning the world to what it once was.

So, as you can see, there are reasons why each character fights, and while one may be of a lesser degree than the other, no story absorbs the others. The world does not revolve within Terra, as it did for Cloud on FFVII or Squall on FFVIII. It revolves upon the whole band, the sum of the parts in comparison to the one representing the rest.

Honestly, in my opinion, is the reason why FF6 is the greatest FF game made. Every character had their own reason to defeat Kefka. Unlike some FF games where the main character HAS to defeat the final boss and the party decides to help you do it.

[Crossblades]

I was always led to believe that Terra was the main character since the game begins with her and also ends with her. Plus, most of the story deals with her race, the Espers