The Final Fantasy franchise has brought us some of the most popular and beloved RPGs in the long history of the genre. It’s made its missteps along the way, of course  but there’s no denying how influential these games have been.

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Fans rhapsodize about their favorite story moments, boss battles, sidequests and, of course, their favorite characters. Some Final Fantasy icons struck a real chord with players, while others weren’t well received at all. Let’s take a look at some of the most (and least) likable characters the series has brought us to date.

10 Most Likeable: Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy IX)

For some fans, the trio of original PlayStation releases (Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX) represents the pinnacle of Final Fantasy. The golden nostalgic standard. The tremendous popularity of Final Fantasy VII Remake attests to that.

The last PS1 installment, however, boasted something that its two predecessors didn’t: a protagonist with a sunny disposition and fun-loving outlook. Granted, Zidane had his moments later in the game (understandably so, given the revelations about his origins), but his attitude was a breath of fresh air after Cloud and Squall. Even the most potent of Firaga spells couldn’t penetrate their icy hearts, while you couldn’t help rooting for the funny and roguish Zidane.

9 Fans Hate: Professor Hojo (Final Fantasy VII)

Now, there are some villains you just love to hate. The likes of Ganondorf or Final Fantasy’s own Sephiroth just have so much gravitas and charisma that they steal the scene whenever they’re on camera. We love to see them put on a show.

By contrast, some villains are so slimy and hateful that we can’t wait to see the heroes take them down. Professor Hojo has absolutely zero redeeming qualities at all, feels no remorse for the atrocities he’s committed as Shinra’s lead scientist and just really needs to climb into a large trash receptacle and stay there. He surfaces throughout the Final Fantasy VII extended universe and we’re never happy to see him. Final Fantasy VII Remake did a great job of making him even worse and more unpleasant than ever.

8 Most Likeable: Selphie Tilmitt (Final Fantasy VIII)

As was the case with Zidane, we just can’t help but admire a character who manages to remain positive (as far as possible) when everything’s going to hell all around them. In today’s world, that’s an outlook we could all stand to take on board.

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Final Fantasy VIII’s Selphie is relentlessly chipper, to the extent that she grates on some players. She also struggles to keep up with some party members in terms of damage output, by virtue of her unconventional RNG-based limit break. In another parallel to Zidane, though, she isn’t a one-dimensional over-excited character: on the party’s visit to the devastated Trabia Garden, her interactions with her friends (particularly at the cemetery) are truly touching.

7 Fans Hate: Hope Estheim (Final Fantasy XIII)

Generally speaking, Final Fantasy XIII is among the most controversial titles in series history. The game that launched in 2010 simply wasn’t a Final Fantasy release as fans know them. Stunning presentation, yes, but a linear adventure with nary a town, weapon store or any of the familiar RPG gubbins to be found.

Things didn’t really open up at all until very late, which cost the game dearly (hence the subseries that followed, in which Square-Enix tried to right some of these wrongs). Controversial characters were another huge stain on the game’s record, with Hope often singled out for his angst-laden, negative attitude and predictable ‘maturation’. He’s also of very limited use later on in the game, when others outstrip his magical abilities.

6 Most Likeable: Prompto Argentum (Final Fantasy XV)

Prompto Final Fantasy 15

True enough, Prompto may be a controversial pick. After all, he’s likely to be one of those characters you either immediately click with or are immediately irritated to no end by. Nevertheless, he plays a crucial role in Noctis and the party’s journey throughout Final Fantasy XV.

Another super enthusiastic and chipper character, he serves as the comic relief (in a sense) during an adventure that’s often very bleak. Sure, he could stand to dial down his desperation to take photos at every possible opportunity, but looking back over some of those hilarious shots makes the game feel like a real road trip adventure between friends. For this, his optimism and his unique role in battles, we appreciate Prompto.

5 Fans Hate: Seifer Almasy (Final Fantasy VIII)

Seifer in Final Fantasy VIII

Back in the futuristic world of Final Fantasy VIII now, we have a character who couldn’t be more jarringly different than the happy-go-lucky Selphie. Seifer is never really significant enough to reach the level of a true villain, but he’s established right there in the game’s opening cutscene as a character to revile.

Arrogant, abrasive and cruel, Seifer battles the party on multiple occasions as Edea’s knight. He tends to be more of a warm-up act than a genuine challenge, though and doesn’t really have any redeeming qualities or particularly interesting aspects to his character.

4 Most Likeable: Terra Branford (Final Fantasy VI)

In contrast, if it’s an interesting and multi-faceted character you’re in the market for, look no further than Terra Branford. While Final Fantasy VI doesn’t exactly have a protagonist, Terra kind of takes that role by default, making for an intriguing case study to boot.

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Though beginning her adventure with no memories is super cliché, she eventually learns the truth about her human/Esper identity and battles to unify the two. The journey she takes is quite unlike the one any other core Final Fantasy character takes, and it’s incredibly gratifying for the player to be a part of it. She learns to express emotion, to feel love and to feel being loved, without it becoming cheesy. That’s difficult to pull off.

3 Fans Hate: Kimahri (Final Fantasy X)

To give Kimahri his due, it’s not exactly his fault that he’s so controversial. He’s just a little… extra  in a lot of ways.

The Sphere Grid, as fans will know, is where points are allotted to learn new abilities and characters are customized. Generally, each party member has an ‘intended’ path (Lulu wants to learn new black magic, for instance), but there’s a lot of leeway here for experimentation. The issue is, Kimahri’s role isn’t as well defined. The blue mage of the group can do a bit of everything, but this means that there’s usually another party member that can perform his role better. Couple this with his quiet, thoughtful personality and Kimahri can easily vanish into the background entirely.

2 Most Likeable: Vivi Ornitier (Final Fantasy IX)

Final Fantasy 9 Vivi

We’ve already waxed lyrical about Terra Branford and the journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance she embarks upon. Final Fantasy IX’s beloved Vivi knows all about that.

The adorable little black mage is initially very timid, afraid of (yet doubtful of) his own powers. Traumatized when he learns of the origins of Queen Brahne’s magical army, he questions whether he’ll ever find a place he feels at home. Through his interactions with his own kind at the Black Mage Village, though, he helps his fellows to accept themselves and they do the same for him. His blossoming friendships with the rest of the party are a treat to watch unfold as well.

1 Fans Hate: Vaan (Final Fantasy XII)

Everybody has their own favorite party members in any given Final Fantasy game. Maybe you picked them for their design, their battle abilities, their plot relevance, or some combination of these things.

When it comes to Final Fantasy XII, though, poor Vaan just doesn’t seem to get any appreciation, because he’s sorely lacking here. In terms of the plot, he contributes precious little, beyond his desire to be a sky pirate. This seventeen-year-old is in a very unique position in that respect: he’s the protagonist of the story, but still manages to have very little importance to the overall plot. In Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings he’s grown as a character and is all the better for it, but as far as the main game goes, he’s thoroughly forgettable.

NEXT: 5 Things We Miss From Early Final Fantasy Games (& 5 Things We Don’t)