9's Best Character?

[Locke4God]

I'd like to find out how everybody ranks the main characters of 9! And you can do that however you like. Who you found most important? Who was most fun to play with? Who was most likeable? A comination of all of those?

I'll go with

1. VIVI - To me he was just a flat out awesome character, as good as any in any game of the series. THE black mage. His struggles with mortality included, he was just fun and relatable and I thought the clear breakout character of the game. He empitomized what 9 was supposed to be all about.
2. Garnet - She's just a great female lead. Powerful but vulnerable, on par with Yuna or Terra, and several others as well.
3. Freya - Just a kind of wicked cool mysteriousness about her and a lot of power too. She's tragic and just actually was one of the only characters that felt like a traditional 2nd level characters, who joins the party for similar reasons as the others, but brings an entirely different perspective on the mission.
4. Steiner - I did love his dopeyness, and in the end he was quite useful.
5. Zidane - Well, I prefer my leads to be a little more manly. A Cecil, Balthier, Auron, Type, but aside from that Zidane was very useful and I can get the likeability aspect. I do wish that they had played more on his "harbinger of death" purpose, and had him endure of a bit of a personality crisis where maybe the rest of the team has to bring him back, but regardless he was fun and useful.
6. Quina - Caith Sith all the way. Kind of a WTF characters, but fun regardless. I did enjoy eating frogs with her. errr him. IT.
7. Eiko - Ya know, I didn't get much out of her other than that she was Garnett part B.
8. Amarant - Honestly I really wanted to love this guy, but he was introduced so late and presented very little reason for why he wanted to be a part of the team. I wished he had played a stronger role, because I do like him, but just didn't find that there was much of a reason to.

[Freya]

Ranking characters isn't that easy for me, but I know who'll be my number 1. xP
So here is my ranking:

1. FREYA
Come on, what did you expect? XD But seriously, I really liked her, mostly because I understood her perfectly. The whole story concerning Fratley was so touching - and maybe, just maybe, I'm like her when it comes to guys. I'd follow my beloved man anywhere. Maybe. I wouldn't want to test that. XD"

2. Zidane
I especially liked how positive he was thinking all the time. He didn't give up, even after finding out about his origin. I really like that. He was strong, though not saying he was. And he was always there for his friends. Besides, he was a pretty good lead character. :>

3. Vivi
Cute, mysterious and CUTE. Oh and I like Black Mages generally. But Vivi was special. Even after finding out his darkest secret (woooh, mysterious!) he was still confident and didn't give up. Oh and he was cute. CUTE!

4. Steiner
He was a bit annoying in the beginning, with all his "Oooh, princess"-blahblah, but I liked how loyal he was. Oh and the thing with Beatrix... cuuute <3

5. Garnet & Eiko
They were both quite the same for me. I didn't like them that much, they were annoying sometimes, but they were... okay.

6. Amarant
Typical "I'm stronger than you!!1111oneeleven!!" - annoying at times, but okay.

7. Quina
It (!) was annoying. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Diamond Dust]

In reverse order!

=5. Eiko & Amarant: Amarant might feel a little upset about being co-ranked in seventh with an unbearably annoying Eiko character when he didn't really bother anyone, but that's my reason for putting him here. Amarant, as already mentioned too little too late, and gave the story line very little, if anything at all and his personality was really indeterminable other than the Ipson castle slant. Eiko was the polar opposite personality that still somehow managed to offer very little.

=4. Freya & Steiner: Another co-ranking in the interest of fairness for both of these guys. Both useful characters in their own right, but neither of which I could really relate to. Although far from helpless, Freya often struck me as a little bit 'tragic' whilst Steiner was somewhat too loyal, giving him a certain lack of personality.

=3. Garnet & Zidane: Yet another co-ranking. These two were both dependable characters, and complex enough in terms of personality to be engaging. Overall, I was more than happy with Zidane as the main party member; his wit and flirtatious persistence with Garnet was something I enjoyed and additionally his combat style was effective. Garnet was always going to be the first choice when it came to white magic.

2. Vivi: Everyone's favourite black mage. Loveable, sweet and charming. There's little to complain about Vivi's character and all of his dialogue. His black magic provides for plenty of destruction and also allows Steiner to join the fun too.

1. Quina: Probably comes as a surprise to most but Quina for me is the best character in the game, quite simply for sheer comedy value and for being so misunderstood. I can't help but feel love for a character that can instantly make me burst out laughing with just one of not enough lines in the game.

"I do what I want, you have problem!!?"

[nickness89]

Freya - She is just awesome. And just like Freya from TFF says, the Fratley story is so touching. I had a lump in my throat when they were united in Cleyra, but he couldn't remember her :'( so devastating.

Vivi - I love Vivi, he is such a realistic character, and embodies something that lots of us feel at least once in our life: what is the point? and also the fear of death which some people face. Also he is the best black mage in all the main series.

Steiner - He is so funny, and is powerful physically, i think he is such a loyal character, and would do anything for Garnet.

Garnet - I love her song. She is pretty, and a good all-round fighter (except physical attacks) and although this is a good thing, i just find other characters more interesting than her.

Zidane - Just like Locke4God says, he isn't manly enough. I prefer a leader to be leader-material, to take charge in a situation, and also i usually love other party members other than the main character, except for Lightning in XIII.

Quina - Freaky Deaky, but s/he is basically limited to Blue Magic, which i don't really favour in a FF game.

Amarant - He came too little too late, and had no substance to his character. A complete bore.

Eiko- The only thing Eiko was good for was if Garnet wasn't available, which was hardly ever. She is her carbon-copy skill wise. And very,very, very annoying.

[Zidane77]

I thought all of them were pretty useful but the unneccesary one i thought was Amarant, sure u could make use of him but with the way i play i dont need him.
I could have him in my party and not use other healers but then his power is not being used either so pretty useless that.

Steiner,Freya,Zidane and Dagger is pretty solid to me, if i wanna add someone it would be Vivi instead of Freya and Eiko for Dagger. Usually don't use Quina and Amarant but they're fun to use and powerful as well, just not as important.
Eiko rocks for grinding jewels and damage magic.

[Locke4God]

So how about a ranking Zidane?

[Taco-Calamitous]

1. FREYA

Agreed. Freya is the most bad ass mouse I can think of, and there are surprisingly plenty of those, actually. She could do quad 9's with her dragon crest attack (if you killed enough dragons) and she had a pretty sweet fighting stance. Also, I liked her personality. She was strong but kind, with a bit of a sense of humor at times. Wish they would've done more with her.
2. Vivi: Cute, shy little black mage child with a heart of gold. Felt for him on several occasions throughout the game.
3. Zidane Tribal: The thief character and a dashing rogue. Of course I'm gonna like Zidane. I'm not sure if I like Vivi better than him, actually, and if Freya weren't in the game, he might be #1, but thems the breaks.
4. Steiner: What a funny dork. Poor guy, I barely used him my last playthru-decided to use Amarant this time around, for some reason-and he is really bad ass. Reminds me of Simon Belmont from the Captain N cartoon, but without the arrogance or cowardice, really. So then... what reminds me of him? ....*shrug*
5. Amarant: Know a lot of people don't care much for him, and he was kinda a douche, but he had some funny one-liners, and he could be useful in battle. His chakra ability in particular.
6. Garnet/Dagger: She was always in my party because I needed a healer, but other than that, she was kinda bland to me. At least she wasn't annoying. I also thought she handled her ascension to the throne pretty well.
7. Quina: Wtf is Quina? The bizarre comic relief. Didn't have any character development almost, but wasn't terribly annoying to me.
8. Eiko: Didn't hate her. Never used her, though. The little girl character, which have a tendency to be annoying little brats, although she only really moved in that direction slightly, on like one or two occasions.

I like the whole cast. Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[Locke4God]

A Quina # 1 pick? WOWZERS :-)

[Xanatos]

1. Zidane Tribal - Personality of true hero, strong, brave, optimistic, confident, selfless...proud at what he does, laid back character with interesting background, and potential to surpass Kuja himself.

2. Quina Quen - Most useful, and underestimated character of all time. True, her/his role in main events of Final Fantasy IX was of no importance, but man she/he kicked ass. Every opponent including Ozma, and Necron were laughable with Quina in your party, needless to say level 1. challenge is impossible without her/him.

3. Freya Crescent - Coolest dragoon knight as far as Final Fantasy goes, Kain being her only competition. Love her firm attitude, decent list of abilities with various effects as well.

4. Vivi Orunitia - Love his old school design, clumsiness, personality, background, and overall role during the game. He also proved to be useful on multiple occasions.

5. Garnet Til Alexandros XVII - It was interesting to witness her growth, from fragile, curious princess to mature, independent, and strong queen. Both great white mage, and summoner, her summons were pretty useful while grinding, Odin in particular.

6. Adelbert Steiner - Ah, the old Rusty, he was witty, made me laugh in quite a few occasions, though loyal to his cause. His abilities are impressive to say the least, combined with Freya you could deal huge amount of damage in short time.

7. Amarant Coral - He was a decent monk, excellent tank to use, man of few words, I like him.

8. Eiko Carol - Despite superior white magic, overall usefulness, and crucial role she was still annoying little brat, God I hate her.

[Zargabaath]

1. Quina Quen: I place Quina at number 1 much for the same reasons as Diamond Dust. Quina made me laugh a lot at the funny lines s/he had plus, as said, some of its dialogue is insightful.

Sidenote:
1A. Sir Fratley: I know he is not a member of the party, however, when he shows up he is a beast. Adding to his strength was his mysterious past that made him lose his memory. That was one thing I wanted to find out in Final Fantasy IX.

2. Vivi Orunitia: Loved his journey of existence. A very likable character that touched my heart because he seemed to be the underdog everyone would root. I liked being able to heal with Dark-Absrobing armor when I casted Doomsday.

3. Zidane Tribal: Didn't find him on the level of Cloud or Squall but that is a different topic. A womanizer. A prankster. A character that has the qualities needed in a hero. Womanizing is needed in a hero. How else are they to get the girl?

4. Freya Crescent: Being a Dragoon made her favorite of mine as I'm partial to Dragoons. I like her better than Steiner endgame because her Dragon Crest costs way less than Steiner's ultimate abilities and she has more MP.

5. Garnet til Alexandros XVII (Dagger): I prefer Eiko as a white mage but Garnet doesn't annoy me in the slightest plus I liked her development dealing with her mom causing war/destruction, the loss of her mom, and her growing to like Zidane.

6. Amarant Coral: The "cool" character though I've had some slight problems with his magic defense not being that good even with great equipment. Not much is given on him but his looks and aura make up for that.

7. Adelbert Steiner: His loyalty to the Queen was a bit annoying as it showed that he couldn't think for himself or think beyond his fealty. His and Beatrix's relationship was comedic especially how it started. Makes me wonder if she would've like Steiner without those special circumstances.

8. Eiko Carol: She's slightly annoying trying to get Zidane's affection but she makes up for that by being the better white mage to me. I don't despise her she is just my least favorite.

[Locke4God]

Quina getting a lot of love all of a sudden, and poor Steiner has gotten thumped by a couple of you! Interesting!

[Xithor]

1. Zidane Tribal: One of my favorite lead characters of all the series. He was mischievous, a prankster, a flirt, a generally happy glass half full guy and although he seemed to be very immature beneath that surface he had a heart of gold and was always there for his comrades (probably the most comforting Vivi many times). Plus seeing him come back from finding his true calling was a huge step for him as a character.

2. Vivi Orunitia: His search to find himself was treat to experience and found myself pulling for him in almost every situation. I may have cheered out loud when he lit the Black Waltz on fire

3. Freya Crescent: A powerful woman character and a dragoon? She was a constant presence in my party and I felt for her when the lover of her life had no recollection of her.

4. Garnet til Alexandros XVII: She might not have been the strongest white mage, and late game I had Eiko in my party, but I liked Garnet much better as a character overall. She developed from an innocent, naive young woman into a strong female, confronting and forgiving her mother, bringing out the best in Zidane, and watching them interact was a treat. My favorite moments was when she first couldn't speak and Zidane just went to visit her and she appreciated it so much.

5. Quina Quen: Quina simply was just a fun character and possibly one of the most important to me because of her ability to use blue magic. So underrated but so powerful. Great cook too lol

6. Amarant Coral: He wasn't that helpful to me as far in battle save for when he first joined my group but I liked his look, his demeanor, and that he was the polar opposite of Zidane, and learned from him what was important. Their beginnings was also interesting to learn.

7. Adelbert Steiner: I didn't really like Steiner throughout the game up until the very end. He was so narrow minded, only doing things that the Queen would approve of which made him feel like a mindless drone. Liked that he ended up with Beatrix though, wish I could've had her in my party

8. Eiko Carol: She was in my party in the later portion of the game but I just didn't like her, bossing around Vivi and trying to get between Zidane and Garnet. She was a cute character and I felt bad for her when I learned why she lived with only the moogles but she went over the top too much for me.

[Zidane77]

Steiner is definetly not one of my favorite characters (compared to the others).
But he is the most powerful one, that's for sure.

[Locke4God]

Steiner grew on me a little, although I know what you mean about him early on. His combo attack with VIVI helped. VIVI seems like he's everybody's 2nd favorite all the time, although I thought he was the best.

[Xithor]

Steiner is definetly not one of my favorite characters (compared to the others).
But he is the most powerful one, that's for sure.

How bout a ranking Zidane? I know you've said various things but not established who's the best in your eyes from 1->8.

As far as Steiner, he was in my party toward the end of the game simply because of how powerful he was(with Shock/Climmhazzard) and of course having him and Vivi combo to attack with spell swords was fantastic when you first acquired it.

[BDub2277]

It's hard for me to rank characters when I already like most of them as much as I do. But hey show some love for Steiner!! It's impossible for me not to laugh with his interactions with Beatrix.

[FF9isthebest]

It's hard for me to rank characters when I already like most of them as much as I do. But hey show some love for Steiner!! It's impossible for me not to laugh with his interactions with Beatrix.

Yea he wasn't very good with the ladys.

[Michael Swayne]

1st The best character is Freya. Her journey to find Sir Fratley is one that resonates in my heart. When she learns that Fratley has amnesia, it only makes me feel for her character even more. A person would expect her to say forget about it and that she doesn't want to fight anymore, but she goes on and helps her friends and what they are fighting for.

2nd Second place goes to Vivi. What Vivi overcomes to find out who and what he is is another great story. Vivi knows that his time on Gaia is more limited than his friends', and yet he wants to be with them and fight alongside them.

3rd I choose Eiko for third best character. She came into the story later than most characters, but her journey is one that I feel for as well. She is a determined kid who fights to protect the history of summoners, even though only Garnet and herself remain.

4th I had trouble ranking 4th Place. I think that both Zidane and Garnet are worthy of this title. Each of their personal journeys are intertwined with each other's. To learn that Zidane is from Terra, and how he overcomes his destiny to destroy Gaia by saving it. To follow Garnet and her search for truth behind the lies. Each of these stories are ones that I wouldn't mind reading about in a book.

6th Again, it is a tie for 6th Place. Amarant, Quina, and Steiner each have their own stories, own beliefs. I just wish that each of them could've had a bigger role in the game. Maybe more of a solo journey for Steiner. More lines and better lines to speak for Quina. And Amarant could've have been introduced in Disc 1 as a temporary party member to get his story going (Possibly when Dagger's party and Zidane's party separate after the Festival of the Hunt), and then when he comes in later he stays for the long haul.

[Kyster]

Vivi & Steiner
Vivi is so cute, Steiner is so annoying (in the good meaning of the word).
Anyway FF9's team is a great team I think.

[ZenMonkey59]

<---See my avatar.

Vivi is awesome. A perfect mixture of cute and badass. He's just so likable!

[FF9isthebest]

I really preferred Zidane and Garnet best, their romance was the best in FF... Everyone else just felt like kind of a support. Vivi was good tho, and Steiner was a strong guy. Overall I don't mean to be a hater but not much was going on with Freya storywise... I mean I know she has a rabid fanbase (no pun intended) but I honestly prefer traditional human dragoons but that's just me....

To be honest, some people think rats are disgusting but ya know don't wanna be a hater... Still the plague, estimated 200 million dead but yea yea rats are cute whatever...

Please use the edit button and don't double post.

[Firefly]

Oh my,..this is gonna be hard since I loved all the characters and this game.

1. Vivi : Oh Vivi,this is one of the few characters that holds a place in my heart.I admire the way he changes through this game,he goes from shy,fearful and misunderstood to a strong,fearless,hopeful,badass black mage.

Spoiler: I literally cried my eyes out at the end of the game,because I believed he 'stopped'.

One of my favorite characters out of the entire series <3

2. Zidane : I really liked Zidane's character,personaility and all.He is always so happy and cheerful,and when its time..he becomes serious.A very strong and awesome character,Zidane will always be one of my top favorites.

3. Dagger/Garnet : Dagger,a very strong woman who will do anything for the people around her.Her life is in shambles,yet she goes on..fighting(healing ) My favorite female lead of this game : )

4. Freya : I found Freya to be a very strong character.She is honorable,faithful,and all around nice person.She will do anything for her homeland and the people she loves.And she never loses faith in Sir Frately,she believes that he still lives even though there are rumors of his death

Spoiler: which she is right,he IS still alive

. Overall,an amazing character.

5. Quina : I enjoyed Quina outside of battles.She/He always made me laugh for some reason And plus,I liked catching frogs

6. Eiko : I didn't use Eiko all that much unless Dagger wasn't available.But still,she was ok : )

7. Amarant : I don't hate or dislike Amarant,I just never EVER used him

[driftrunner]

1. Freya : I really think that is the best and the bigest interesting character of FF9. Mostly because of her unique charisma and also about all the background history about her, the way you find her and where you find her so far away from her home, the same home that is being crushed by the queen of alexandria (i forget her name).

2. Eiko : she is so pretty and little she is the prettiest thing that i have seen in this game, also all the things she try to make zidane fall in love for her.

3. Vivi : he is by far the most usefull character in the 1rst CD. Also his background history is awesome, also his hometown is my favorite town in the game.

4. Steiner : Nothing much to say nice damage, nice abilities, nice HP, nice combination of elemental attacks (vivi's Blk magic), great damage burst.

[Phantom]

Zidane, because not only is he a awesome leader, but he has a tail! I mean, adorable and hot much. Plus he has a great backstory.

Vivi: He is a great mage, best spells in the game, a very decent backstory and he's cute.

[Cereal~Killer]

BEST character? This is gonna be a little hard.

When it comes to actual character, I'm gonna say either Garnet or Vivi. Both have great character and have good character develpment throughout the game.

When it comes to battle, I think it's easily Zidane. He can be a beast, especially later in the game.

[Gilgamesh~Enkidu]

Do we have to choose between the party characters, or not?

If so, then Vivi does it for me.

He was so sweet and innocent, and yet he was strong; ready to fight for his very existence.

I do have to say Amarant, because playing the game as a kid; Amarant was "cool" he "didn't take no trash" and all that.

Oh and Freya. She's mysterious and all. I love her.