Final Fantasy has hundred of characters introduced over its 30-year history. The amount of variety over three decades of games is astounding. You have magical children, dragons, talking cats, giant chickens and so much more. It's an amazing feat for any franchise to develop such a diverse and unique cast of fictional characters. The series is unrivalled when it comes to appealing to a huge market.

With so many options available, sometimes you have to resort to judging someone by appearance. Players don't have time to test out each individual to see if they're worth the effort. The downside to that is some of the cuter and harmless characters are actually extremely powerful. When it comes to Final Fantasy, the look of a character is an inaccurate reflection of their abilities. Even the most fluffy and sweet creature can be a powerful force in combat.

That being said, you may occasionally run into that one character who does nothing but disappoint. Maybe he/she has a cool design but is lacking in stats. Or they might be terrible at everything with no redeeming qualities. Whatever the case, these abominations are only good at wasting your time. Instead of making battles easier, they only serve to give you a headache. It's as if the developers created them with the intention of leaving players unsatisfied. Below is a collection of 30 characters who are surprising in one way or another. For better or for worse. You may want to brace yourself for this one.

30 Weak: Kimahri (Final Fantasy X)

Oh, Kimahri. Why do you look so cool, yet are useless most of the time? Kimahri is a part of the Ronso race introduced in Final Fantasy X. His main problem is that he's a user of the infamous "Blue Magic".

Essentially, he can only learn new abilities by copying enemy attacks. Afterwards, he can use these attacks with the Overdrive function. In other words, Kimahri is unpractical and will always be the weakest member of your party.

29 Strong: Eiko (Final Fantasy IX)

When you first meet Eiko, she comes across as a bratty, but cute, kid. She has a huge crush on Zidane and can be a little annoying at times. Don't let this childish demeanour fool you though.

Eiko is a powerful mage and summoner. She gets access to some useful spells like Re-Raise and is a better healer than Dagger, the other white mage. She also has four amazing summons, namely Carbuncle and Madeen. Eiko makes a good case to always be on the front line.

28 Weak: Benjamin (Final Fantasy Mystic Quest)

Let's ignore how bad Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is and instead talk about how bad the main character is. Benjamin, which is a great Final Fantasy name, is the worst main character in the franchise.

Every time a new character joins your party, they are stronger than Ben. That's right, our brave hero is the weak link. The Chosen One is the second worst character in the game. Who's the worst? You'll see soon enough.

27 Strong: Luna (Final Fantasy XV)

While the character was never fleshed out properly, Luna is much stronger than she looks. She is an Oracle who is given the task to communicate with the Six Astrals of the Final Fantasy XV universe.

This proves to be a difficult task as the Astrals are proud (and rude) creatures. It's amazing how Luna manages to deal with them on her own. She softens them up a bit so Noctis can have an easier time with his quest. That is true love.

26 Weak: Biggs And Wedge (All Versions)

This is one of those inside jokes in the Final Fantasy universe. Many games have two soldier characters named Biggs and Wedge. They're usually close friends. They are also very weak and useless in combat.

It's not their fault, though. In a world where superhumans are flying around and destroying cities, being a regular human must suck. Oh well, at least these guys have good intentions (most of the time).

25 Strong: Reynn And Lann (World Of Final Fantasy)

Reynn and Lann are two parts of a whole, so it makes sense for them to be a single entry. On their own, these two aren't too impressive. That all changes when they unlock their ability to capture and control monsters from the entire franchise.

This pair can tame anything, from chocobos to behemoths. Even powerful eidolons like Shiva and Ramuh carry out their every command. Reynn and Lann can stand up against the strongest of foes thanks to their special powers.

24 Weak: Cait Sith (Final Fantasy VII)

Cait Sith is one of those comedic relief characters that Final Fantasy games tend to have. They usually aren't strong and are there to get a few cheap laughs out of you. To add to the insanity, Cait Sith rides a giant robotic Moogle.

His stats are decent at best, but most of his damage is randomly calculated. In turn-based RPGs you want consistency. Sadly, Cait Sith proves to be more of a liability as more often than not, he will fail you.

23 Strong: Carbuncle (All Versions)

Another cute critter who packs more power than you would think. Carbuncle has the power to reflect all magic attacks. This is one of the most useful skills in the games as many foes use magic.

Carbuncle has made many appearances in Final Fantasy games and is always a useful Summon. It's also the ideal pet. You'd be lying if you said that you didn't want to have a Carbuncle by your side.

22 Weak: Trey (Final Fantasy Type-0)

Final Fantasy Type-0 lets you pick from around 13 characters. Some of them are good, but then you have Trey. He has some of the worst stats in the game and offers less utility than the others.

His main weapon is a bow, which is a little on the boring side. Especially in a world where firearms exist. The bow is cumbersome to use and relies on charging to do damage. You certainly don't want to use Trey during a solo mission.

21 Strong: Hope (Final Fantasy XIII)

Hope falls into that naive and childish archetype that JRPGs love to do. One thing these characters have in common is that they're surprisingly strong in combat. In the story, Hope is afraid of fighting at first despite being a prodigy.

Not only does he have some of the best magic stats in the game, but he also gets access to a variety of attacking and support spells. Hope is a mainstay in your party as keeps everyone healthy while debuffing enemies.

20 Weak: Cid Pollendina (Final Fantasy IV)

Cid is a solid tank and can hit pretty hard with his hammer. So why is he on the weak side? Well, the main problem is his accuracy. The hammer attacks will miss a lot. What's the point of being strong if you keep missing?

He also has no MP and gives the player no other utility than taking a few hits. To win battles you need to attack, not sit there and take blows to the face. Everyone else in the game is a better option in battle.

19 Strong: Tonberry (All Versions)

These guys are the stuff of bad dreams. Final Fantasy enjoys turning innocent looking critters into uber-beings. The Tonberry is one of the worst foes you will ever face.

These guys will walk towards the party, knife in hand. Once they get close, the Tonberry will stab one of your characters. In some versions, it deals damage. However, in others (like Final Fantasy VII), the Tonberry causes an instant KO. Good luck trying to defeat them beforehand, as they also have a lot of HP.

18 Weak: Fran (Final Fantasy XII)

The Viera in Final Fantasy XII is a mystical species that are supposedly powerful. Well, it appears that even they have their bad eggs. Fran is the weakest playable character in the game, which is probably why she left her village.

She has average stats in all categories. Fran can't specialize in any role because there's someone else who can do a better job. You don't need a jack-of-all-trades since they will be inefficient at everything. It's better to give Fran a day off instead.

17 Strong: Llednar Twem (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance)

At first glance, Llednar looks like a slightly above average swordsman. He has a cool design and could probably take on a few guys at once. The cool thing is that he's so much more. He uses some of the best sword techniques in the game without a sword!

Llednar is also blessed with Fortune Law that makes him invulnerable to most attacks. He was eventually defeated, but not without a lot of effort and luck. Llednar, despite his looks, is a fearsome antagonist.

16 Weak: Umaro (Final Fantasy VI)

This abysmal snowman is similar to Cid from Final Fantasy IV but somehow worse. Umaro has high physical attacks which should make him a great asset to any team. Except for the fact that you can't issue commands.

That's right, Umaro does whatever he wants in battle. The high attack stat is useless if you can't make the most of it. On average, he will do less damage than weaker characters because of this random element. If you're feeling lucky, use Umaro, otherwise stay far away.

15 Strong: Vivi (Final Fantasy IX)

Another surprise package from Final Fantasy IX. Vivi looks like the typical black mage class from most Final Fantasy games. In reality, he's a lot stronger than the average user of the elements.

Vivi learns some destructive spells like Flare and Meteor. His Focus ability allows him to power up his magic attacks. Use this a few times and Vivi becomes your best attacker in most situations. This little guy has so much potential.

14 Weak: Libertus Ostium (Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive)

The Kingsglaive are supposed to be powerful warriors who protect the king. So, how did Libertus make the cut? He's the weakest of the bunch who proves to be more of a hindrance than an asset.

He does know how to warp (as he should), but it makes him feel sick so he doesn't like doing it. Instead, Libertus gets hit by a giant rock and needs Nyx to save him. Probably not the first time that's happened.

13 Strong: Wakka (Final Fantasy X)

It may be surprising to hear, but this dude with a glorified volleyball as his weapon is actually strong. He has high accuracy, good strength and can even learn some health/mp draining spells.

Wakka truly shines with his Overdrive ability called Slots. The Attack Reels from his Slots ability has the potential to deal the most damage in one turn. He also has other reels that can cause special conditions and do elemental damage. Pretty awesome for such a laid-back and casual guy.

12 Weak: Edward Chris Von Muir (Final Fantasy IV)

Edward is a coward. He hides during combat and for good reason. With some of the lowest stats in the game, even if Edward did try, it would be pointless. The only silver lining is that he gets a massive boost in power after level 70.

For 95% of the game though, you'll be stuck with a musician who is a liability in combat. Taking him to fight would be the equivalent of taking a small pet to battle. Even certain pets, like dogs, would be more useful! Edward should stick to playing music in the background.

11 Strong: Deuce (Final Fantasy Type-0)

Deuce (on the right) is a musician who is actually useful in a fight. She fights using a flute, so you may write her off as a gimmick. If you avoided using her then you've made a huge mistake.

Deuce is a powerful sorceress who uses her flute for both close and long range attacks. She even acts as an excellent support unit if you choose to play her as such. Who knew that a flute could be such a versatile weapon? Her melodies bring all who oppose her to their knees.