The Final Fantasy series has stood the test to time to become one of the most reputed and stalwart franchises in gaming history. The sheer number of titles in this three-decade-long franchise is quite extensive, and that's putting it mildly. From mainline titles that have revolutionized the concept of Japanese role-playing games all the way to spin-offs and sequels that have either been excellent in every sense of the word or otherwise — regardless of what your opinion might be on these games, you can't deny the sheer impact this series as a whole has had on gaming as we know it.
This particular article will focus on a mainline Final Fantasy game that was leagues different than anything we'd ever seen before up till that point. Released in 2006 on the PS2, Final Fantasy XII was a departure from numerous tropes that the series was following up till that point. Gone was the traditional turn-based battle system, with the game opting for an altered battle system called the Active Dimension Battle System. While one might condense the complications of this system by calling it a single-player game with an MMORPG combat system, trust us when we tell you that Final Fantasy XII is so much more than that.
Of course, to make the most of this battle system, you also need to focus on developing the strongest characters in the game. This is especially true with the release of the excellent Zodiac Age remaster, which introduces several new elements to the game. Here are all the Final Fantasy XII players, ranked from the weakest to the strongest.
9 Larsa Ferrinas Solidor
Most Final Fantasy games feature guest characters that come at some point in the story and become a temporary extension of your party. Using them might be novel, but — more often than not — these characters end up being quite weak in comparison to your main party.
Final Fantasy XII features three such side characters, the first of which is Larsa Ferrinas Solidor (yeah, quite a mouthful isn't it?). Story contributions aside, Larsa's contributions are almost non-existent, given the grand scheme of things.
8 Reddas
Speaking of side characters, it's time to talk about another temporary character with a pretty heartbreaking backstory. Formerly a Judge Magister by the name of Foris Zecht, Reddas' struggle with his past is one of the reasons why Final Fantasy XII is hailed as one of the greats.
He might be the fastest member of your party when he joins, but the fact that he is — at the end of the day — a temporary character means that you never truly get the opportunity to develop Reddas to his maximum potential.
7 Vossler York Azelas
Time to discuss the last temporary party member — Vossler York Azelas. There are two reasons why he has bested both Reddas and Larsa. For starters, he joins the party at a higher level and features some excellent stats to boot.
The second reason is that you actually face this character as a boss further down the line. It's a testament to the power and confidence of this character that he willfully chooses to fight against the odds. While the challenge might vary, Vossler is definitely no pushover... that is, unless you choose to unleash Belias upon him.
6 Fran
Time to finally abandon the temporary flock and focus on the cream of the crop — namely, the main cast of Final Fantasy XII. We start off the rankings with Fran, which is pretty understandable for pretty much anyone who's played the game.
The fact of the matter is that Fran boasts incredibly bang-average stats. In fact, some people might even call it subpar and understandably so. She might be versatile in a lot of roles, but it's recommended that you don't really count on her in a pinch.
5 Penelo
Time to move on from a bang-average character to an absolutely annoying personality. Quirky characters are no exception in the Final Fantasy series, but Penelo is such a garbage character that you can't help but feel like her existence could've been done without.
While she might be a half-decent mage if you map her job roles out appropriately, the fact of the matter is that you are better off choosing other, more versatile characters instead.
4 Ashe
The entire story of Final Fantasy XII revolves around a massive war, with Dalmasca caught in the middle. So, you can be assured of the fact that Ashe — who just so happens to be the Princess of Dalmasca — would play a major role in these proceedings.
As a party member, Ashe is pretty handy to have around, to be honest. She's a great mage so giving her any one of those roles will make her a handy party member indeed. Just keep in mind that she can't take too many hits, so her secondary job should accomodate for this weakness.
3 Basch Fon Ronsenburg
It's time to talk about two of the coolest characters in the game. Firstly, we start off with Basch, a noble knight who's out for vengeance after being framed for an assassination he had no part to play in.
With his background as a knight, you can bet your sweet behind that giving Basch a tank-like role is the best way to make the most of this excellent character.
2 Balthier
To be very honest, a solid argument can be made that Basch deserves a higher place than Balthier on this list. However, there are two reasons why we've chosen this smooth-tongued sky pirate. The first thing is something that should've been obvious with the way the previous statement has been structured — Balthier is pretty darn cool man.
The other reason is that Balthier is somewhat more versatile than Basch, allowing him to make the most of a wider array of jobs. Your party will feel more personalized and diverse with Balthier spearheading things.
1 Vaan
However, when it comes to versatile party members in Final Fantasy XII, it goes without saying that Vaan pretty much takes the cake in this regard... and then some.
While it sucks that the character as a whole might not be all that appealing — which is putting it very mildly, to be honest — his overall utility as a strong party member more than makes up for this slight annoyance.