8 Final Fantasy Characters Who Ended Up Being Surprisingly Weak

Final Fantasy is a series that needs no introduction. The franchise boasts some of the greatest JRPGs ever made that whisk players away on grand adventures where they start as fledgling adventurers before eventually becoming strong enough to save the world.

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As one would expect, it’s important to use party members who are strong and can pull their weight in battle. While some playable characters may fit the bill at first, it doesn’t take long for their weakness to be exposed to both the player and their enemies.

8

Tellah

A Once-Powerful Mage Who’s Past His Prime

Released

July 19, 1991

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Square

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Tellah is one of the most fascinating characters in Final Fantasy 4, trying to locate her granddaughter only for her to be killed by Golbez’s villainy. He swears vengeance against the villain and accompanies Cecil in his quest, showing off some impressive capabilities with his Black Magic spells.

However, it doesn’t take long for players to realize that this once-great mage is well past his prime. His MP is capped at 90, leaving players just shy of the amount required to cast Meteor, and his usefulness wanes as the story progresses. Eventually, after reaching Golbez, he draws from his life force to cast this powerful spell several times, damaging the villain greatly at the cost of his own life as he places his revenge in Cecil’s hands.

7

Gogo

Despite Being A Malleable Character, His Subpar Stats And Lack Of Equipment Make Him Less Effective In Combat

Released

October 11, 1994

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity

Developer(s)

Square Enix, Square

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Final Fantasy 6 boasts the biggest cast of playable characters ever featured in this series. Some of these are optional, with players having to go inside the Zone Eater to complete an optional dungeon and eventually rescue Gogo.

At a glance, this Mimic’s ability to equip any person’s ability makes him seem impressive, but players will figure out his limitations not long after. His stats are subpar and he can only use limited weaponry to make up for his malleable nature, making him weaker than most fans would’ve assumed.

6

Vincent Valentine

Not Being Able To Control His Monster Form Isn’t Great

Released

January 31, 1997

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Vincent’s imposing presence makes him seem like a powerful party member who can hold his weight in combat. While his ranged attacks make him suited for the back row and let players enjoy decent damage without endangering the vampire, there are some limitations to his power.

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His stats aren’t as impressive as fans would like, and his Limit Break prevents players from controlling him once he’s transformed. Even his Ultimate Weapon, the Death Penalty, requires an unreal grind for players to finally enjoy satisfactory damage numbers, which is more of an investment than fans bargained for.

5

Quistis Trepe

Supposedly A Gifted Instructor, But Her Limit Break Pales In Comparison To The Other Party Members

Released

February 11, 1999

ESRB

T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Given that Quistis is a genius who became the youngest SeeD instructor, fans expected a lot from this character. Watching her flourish a whip and pull enemies down a peg is satisfying early on, but it doesn’t take long before her limitations come to light.

Most people agree that Quistis has the worst Limit Break in the game, which makes her less effective in the late-game once players can freely cast Aura. Aside from Mighty Guard, the other abilities aren’t all that impressive and pale in comparison to every other Limit Break in the game, which is a shame.

4

Strago Magus

A Blue Mage Who Isn’t As Strong As The Other Magic Users In The Game, Even Though He’s More Experienced

Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster

Released

February 23, 2022

ESRB

Teen // Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity

When players reach Thamasa, they gain access to two magic users, with Strago positioned as someone who’s way stronger than his granddaughter. His Blue Magic abilities are pretty impressive and make it a blast to hit enemies with unique attacks.

However, as players make progress, they’ll realize Strago’s limitations. His stat growths are okay at best, which is not helped by the fact that the best magic-augmenting equipment in the game is only reserved for women.

3

Amarant Coral

Looks Intimidating But Isn’t All That Strong In Combat

Released

July 7, 2000

ESRB

T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

With his Wolverine-esque edginess, most players will love to put him in their party and watch how he slices and dices up foes. So, it’s a shame that Amarant’s stats aren’t that great, with him being labeled by many as the worst party member in the game.

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Despite his looks, his physical attacks aren’t anything to write home about, meaning that players are better off using him in a hybrid support role. This is not the vibe players expect from a dark and brooding character like Amarant, making him one of the most disappointing characters in Final Fantasy 9 by a country mile.

2

Lulu

Competent As A Black Mage, But Her Overdrive Is A Massive Disappointment

Systems

Released

December 17, 2001

ESRB

T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

This is one of the most contentious picks on the list, but Lulu’s weaknesses stem more from her lackadaisical Overdrives rather than her effectiveness in combat. Black Mages are always useful in combat, and Lulu is no exception here.

However, when her Overdrive gauge is maxed out, players must go through an unforgiving minigame where they must rotate the analog stick as many times as possible to multicast a spell. Usually, the spell chosen isn’t all that effective, and players won’t be able to reach the number of casts they desire no matter how hard they rotate the analog stuck.

1

Gau

His Rage Ability Makes Him A Wild Card Who Is Unreliable In Tough Battles

Final Fantasy VI Advance

Systems

Released

February 5, 2007

ESRB

Everyone 10+ // Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes

The idea of learning enemy abilities and turning Gau into a beast-like enemy in battle is something that should ideally interest fans. When players originally get to control this character in the Veldt, they can make him learn some Rages to use powerful abilities in combat.

However, as Final Fantasy 6 progresses, Gau’s lack of control and a litany of unimpressive Rages make him less reliable in combat. Unless players don’t mind using an unpredictable character, this wild child will disappoint them in a boss fight more often than not.

Final Fantasy

Creation Year

1987

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Publisher(s)

Square Enix