Square Enix,in one form or another, has been around for a long time. The company is responsible for creating some of gaming’s most popular franchises, and some ofthe best Square Enix protagonistsare iconic.
Writing a compelling hero isn’t easy. The days of games getting away with silent protagonists with no traits or motives are gone. Troubled, complex characters are more popular than ever, and modern heroes are just as often driven by selfish goals as heroic ones. However, selfless heroes do still exist. Square Enix is known for creating well-written heroes, a reputation earned thanks to theFinal Fantasyseries. Self-sacrifice is a theme in manyFinal Fantasygames, so for this list, we’ve tried to limit the number of Final Fantasy heroes.
Tifa is hands-down one ofthe best female Final Fantasy heroes. Like the rest of Avalanche, she’s devoted her life to saving the planet from the evil megacorporation Shinra, which is both heroic and selfless. Tifa has given up any hope of a normal life to fight for what she believes in. But that’s not what earned Tia a spot on this list.
Tifa’s greatest sacrifice comes in the form of her love for Cloud. After he falls into the Mako stream and becomes catatonic, Tifa devotes herself to caring for him, even though it’s not clear if he’ll ever wake up. Putting one’s personal goals aside to care for a sick loved one is a kind of selflessness we don’t often see in gaming. Tifa’s sacrifice is all the more poignant when one considers that a meteorite is about to crash into the Earth.
A survival horror protagonist might seem like a strange pick for a selfless hero. Fighting for survival against monsters might be heroic, but it’s not exactly selfless. What makes Aya Brea selfless, though, is how she continues to do her duty in the face of otherworldly threats.
Aya Brea is an NYPD officer, meaning she’s sworn to protect and serve. She continues to do that long after most people would probably have handed in their notice. Aya risks her life to save others from unimaginable horrors. After inheriting superhuman powers from her mutated mitochondria, Aya continues to fight for what’s right, delving back into danger in the game’s sequel.
TheKingdom Heartsgames are some ofSquare Enix’s best Action RPGs. Alongside their gameplay, what many fans love about the series is its protagonist. Sora a classic fish-out-of-water protagonist, teleported intoKingdom Hearts’Disney/Final Fantasy mashup of a world. He’s a teenage hero defined by his heroism and innocence.
He’s also incredibly selfless, and not just in the classic “fighting to save the world” way. Like Tifa, Sora’s best moments come when he’s fighting to save his loved ones. A classic example came when Sora stabbed himself with the Keyblade to save Kairi, not knowing it wouldn’t kill him.
Chrono Triggerwas released back in 1995, and its protagonist, Crono, pretty much started Square Enix’s “spiky-haired hero” phase.Chrono Triggeris an amazing game with a fabulous story, but as a mostly silent protagonist, Crono doesn’t get much characterization.
In fact, all players know about him is that he’s a classically selfless hero. He joins the fight to save the world against Lavos for no other reason than that it’s the right thing to do, and he risks his life to save his friends. Towards the end of the game, he sacrifices himself, and depending on the ending the player gets, can actually stay dead. He’d be higher on the list if his personality hadn’t been left to players' imaginations, leaving his motivations a little vague.
Dragon Quest 11was one ofthe best Square Enix games of the 2010s. As is tradition in the series, the games' protagonist is simply called Hero, and he’s a reincarnation of an ancient hero known as the Luminary. It’s his fate to save the world against the evil Mordegon and Calamos.
The game’s first half is standard for a Square Enix fantasy JRPG. Hero risks his life and fights evil because it’s his destiny. Then, in a surprising twist, Hero and his friends lose against Mordegon, who obtains Yggdrasil’s power and destroys the world. Hero gains a second chance to fix this, but must go back in time to do so. Without a second thought, he does. It’s a selfless act, taken to bring back one of his dead friends and save the world.
5Aerith (Final Fantasy 7)
A Life Of Selflessness
There’s been some debate amongFinal Fantasy 7fans about whether Aerith knew that using the Holy materia wouldlead to her tragic fate. In the original game, it seems like she thought she’d be coming back (before Sephiroth killed her). However,Advent ChildrenandFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeimply that she would have willingly sacrificed herself for the planet.
Regardless, Aerith was a selfless character. Despite all the darkness in her life, she spent the little bit of freedom she got growing flowers in an attempt to brighten up the Midgar slums. In bothRemakeandCrisis Core, she spends her free time helping her community as well as supporting her adoptive mother. Her specialization in healing magic encapsulates her selfless nature.
For a professional thief, Zidane is remarkably selfless. In fact, his motto is “You don’t need a reason to help people.” Zidane will help everyone and anyone without a second thought, nigh on adopting Vivi as a little brother.
For most ofFinal Fantasy 9,Zidane doesn’t have a personal stake in the plot. He’s along for the ride because he likes helping and has the hots for Garnet. Even after the shocking revelations about his origins, he doesn’t lose his selfless spirit, even going so far as to save the game’s villain, Kuja. Some fans have argued that it’s easy for Zidane to be selfless because he has little to lose in the first place. Whether that’s true, though, is a question of perspective.
Auron doesn’t get as much love as he should. Everything about him, from his entrance to his design and personality, screams badass. But one of the most badass things about him is how selfless he is. Auron’s is a life devoted to duty and the service of others.
Many selfless characters sacrifice themselves to save others, but Auron does the opposite. He refuses to die until his mission is complete and Spira is safe from Yu Yevon. Prolonging one’s own suffering to protect everyone else, rather than making one big final sacrifice, is a different kind of selflessness.Final Fantasy 10has one ofthe best endings in a Square Enix gamefor many reasons, and Auron’s fate is one of them.
Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core
CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION is the HD remaster version of the smash hit prequel to FINAL FANTASY VII.In addition to all graphics being remastered in HD, fully voiced dialogue and new soundtrack arrangements make for a dynamic new retelling of a beloved classic. CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION follows the story of Zack Fair, a young warrior admired by the boy destined to save the world, trusted by men renowned as heroes of legend, and loved by the girl who holds the fate of the planet in her hands. The tale of Zack’s dreams and honor—the legacy that connects him to Cloud—is revealed in full in this grand saga that has broken the limits of an HD remaster.New Features: All graphics fully remastered in HD, bringing the game to the latest console generation, Renewed 3D models, including characters and backgrounds, enriching the visual experience, Improved battle system providing a vastly smoother gameplay experience, Fully voiced dialogue in both English and Japanese, A newly arranged soundtrack from the original composer, Takeharu Ishimoto.Recommended system requirements are set to 1920x1080 resolution and 60FPS, so playing at a higher resolution and/or framerate will require a display and PC with sufficient specifications to support them.
For most ofFinal Fantasy 7: Crisis Core,Zack is a brash, ambitious young hero who’s obsessed with climbing up the Solider ranks and proving his honor. He’ll gladly help strangers in need, but he also follows evil megacorp Shinra. Over the course of the game, though, Zack’s outlook changes as he’s exposed to the real Shinra and its dark secrets.
It’s in the game’s final act, however, that Zack’s true selflessness shines through. Zack is a man in love, and all he wants is to get back to Aerith. He could leave Cloud behind to reunite with her, or he could risk it all and save his friend. Zack chooses Cloud, and sacrifices himself in one of gaming’s most heart-wrenching scenes. It’s easy to be selfless when there’s nothing to lose; it’s much harder for someone who has everything to lose.
Yuna was raised to be a martyr. As a summoner, she’s destined to go on a pilgrimage that will end in her death, so that the rest of the world will know peace for a short while. Yuna could have fought destiny, but she embraced it. She only begins to fight her fate once she learns that it’s a lie.
Even after rebelling, Yuna remains selfless. She and her friends continue to fight Yu Yevon when the rest of Spira turns against her. Beating the villain costs Yuna her connection to her beloved aeons and causes her love, Tidus, to disappear. That would be enough to jade most people, but not Yuna. Yuna rejoins the fight inFinal Fantasy 10-2because her selflessness is never-ending. It’s characters like Yuna that makeFinal Fantasy 10one ofthe best games in the series.
