Characters of Final Fantasy VI



Square Co., Ltd.'s console role-playing game Final Fantasy VI features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the main Final Fantasy series, as well as a number of characters who are only briefly controlled by the player.

Concept and creation
Final Fantasy VI was the first game of the series to feature character designers other than Yoshitaka Amano. While Amano drew most of the character artworks, monster designer and graphic director Tetsuya Nomura created the original designs of Shadow and Setzer Gabbiani, and field graphic designer Kaori Tanaka created the original designs of Edgar Roni and Sabin Rene Figaro. Co-director Kitase wanted to create as many characters that can stand up to be main characters and that the story did not revolve around one character, so each character can have something to bring to the table.

Terra
Terra Branford is the first introduced character, a mentally-enslaved Imperial super-soldier gifted with devastating magic. She is tasked to the Magitek-armored assault on Narshe, slaughtering most of the town's militia in pursuit of a recently-unearthed frozen Esper. Upon encountering the creature, her Imperial contigent is annihilated together with Terra's armor. She wakes in Arvis' home, freed of her slave crown and suffering amnesia. Pursued into the depths of Narshe's mines by local forces, she is eventually rescued by Locke (a member of the Returners) and a horde of moogles. After experiencing events in the Figaro kingdom and after another Imperial assault on Narshe to claim the Esper, she eventually learns that she is the daughter of an Esper father and human mother, explaining her natural magical abilities. Brain-washed, extensively trained and manipulated, she had been instrumental in the Empire's subjugation of the other city-states on the southern continent, her powers even decimating fifty Imperial troops in moments. Instrumental in the Returner's strategy to ally with the Espers beyond the sealed gate, Terra succeeds in opening the barrier between worlds and unintentionally unleashes the Espers' devastating obliteration of the Empire.

During the World of Ruin, Terra is found bereft of her fighting spirit, having taken on the mantle of a mother figure for the orphans of Mobliz. Ultimately, she fails to stop the attack of a legendary demon known as Humbaba, requiring the party's intervention. Returning later on, the player finds her willing to stand up against Humbaba, joining the player in the fight and avowing to make the world safe for children. At the game's conclusion, expected to fade from existence with the remaining Espers, Terra is informed by the Magicite remnant of her father, Maduin, that so long as some human element of her remains anchored in the world, she will continue to exist.

Initially one of only two characters (the other being Celes) that have access to the 'Magic' command, Terra will gain the 'Trance' ability per plot progression, enabling her to assume her Esper form and gaining considerable bonuses to her attack and magic power.

Terra's hidden special attack is called Riot Blade.

Although Yoshitaka Amano designed Terra with blonde hair, the hair color was changed to green in the game itself. Amano has stated in an interview that Terra was his favorite character to design. Terra's name in the Japanese version was Tina Branford (ティナ・ブランフォード), an exotic name in Japan but less so in the West; when completing the North American English localization, Ted Woolsey changed it to Terra to keep the exotic feeling. This served as an inadvertent contrast between her and Celes, whose name is derived from the word celestial.

Terra is the heroine representing Final Fantasy VI in Dissidia: Final Fantasy, redesigned by Tetsuya Nomura (with both blonde hair in her default appearance and green hair in her alternate appearance), where she is voiced by Yukari Fukui in the Japanese version and by Natalie Lander in the English version.

In an article about Dissidia, IGN editor Ryan Clements called her one of the most recognizable and well-loved characters to join the army of Cosmos.

Locke
Locke Cole (ロック・コール) is a thief, though he personally prefers to identify himself as a "treasure hunter." He bears a personal vendetta against the Empire for assaulting his hometown, killing his amnesiac love interest Rachel in the course of the attack. Her last word is Locke's name. Driven by the conviction that failing Rachel led to her death, Locke seeks to protect both Terra and Celes as he fights with the Returners against the Empire; Locke is equally compelled to seek a means of restoring Rachel's life.

A versatile character, Locke has the largest selection of weapons available out of the entire permanent cast. A pair of Relics unique to him expand the utility of his 'Steal' ability - the first increasing the success rate and the second changing it to 'Capture' (GBA: 'Mug') - helping to compensate for his comparably average stat growth.

Locke's hidden special attack is called Mirager (GBA: Mirage Dive).

Celes
Celes Chere (セリス・シェール) is a former general of the Empire, genetically and artificially enhanced into a Magitek Knight following a magic infusion. First encountered in the dungeons below South Figaro, Celes is rescued by Locke before her impending execution over protesting the poisoning of Doma Castle. Later in the journey, Celes is used as a body double for the opera diva Maria to fool Setzer into providing transport in his airship to the Empire's capital of Vector. Within Vector's Magitek Research Facility, Kefka and an elite contingent of Magitek-armored troops attack the party - prompting Celes to warp herself and the antagonizers away, saving her friends. Kefka's claims of Celes operating as a double-agent create a schism with her and Locke, though their mutual trust is restored at the conclusion of the events on Crescent Island. On the Floating Continent Celes again rejects the Empire's plans, denying Gestahl's lust for power and impaling Kefka with her blade after being ordered to slay her comrades for amnesty. Regardless, Kefka succeeds in ravaging the surface of the planet.

Celes is the initial character in the World of Ruin, awakening a full year after the global devastation caused by Kefka's actions. Having been nursed back to health by Cid, the player has the chance to return the favor, either resulting in his death (which leads to a scene of attempted suicide and the discovery of Locke's bandana upon an injured seagull) or his survival (prompting reaffirmation in the belief her friends remain alive). Each outcome results in her departing Cid aboard a home-made wooden raft. Over the remaining course of the game, Locke and Celes gradually develop a relationship.

Celes is classified as a 'Rune Knight,' enabling her to absorb the next-used magical ability (by friend or foe) when equipped with a sword and using her Runic command. This renders the spell harmless and restores a small amount of magic power to Celes.

Celes' hidden special attack is called Spinning Edge.

Edgar
Edgar Roni Figaro (エドガー・ロニ・フィガロ) is the young king of Figaro. Years before the game's events, neither he nor his twin brother, Sabin, bear any desire for the crown. Edgar determines the succession with the flip of a double-sided coin to grant his brother's deeper wish for a free life, relegating himself to the burden of rule. Edgar later reveals the facts of this rigged gamble to Sabin. As Figaro's monarch, Edgar publicly maintains a strong alliance with the Gesthalian Empire, but secretly provides support and aid to the Returners, a rebel group seeking the liberation of conquered city-states. He fancies himself a ladies' man, earing a reptuation as a die-hard womanizer. While attempting to arrange a meeting between Terra and the Returners' leadership, the Empire's court mage, Kefka, makes a surprise inspection of Figaro, seeking Terra. With Kefka's subsequent torching of Figaro, the alliance between the two nations is broken. Edgar helps Terra make contact with the Returners, reuniting with Sabin along the way, and later helps the party reach the western portion of the northern continent after the Narshe assault by means of Figaro Castle's submerging capability.

During the World of Ruin, he appears disguised as a mercenary thief-for-hire named Gerad (an anagram of Edgar) in order to get back into the sunken wreck of his castle. Thereafter he returns to the player's control.

Edgar is presented as mechanically-minded; his special skill is the 'Tools' command, which allows him to use various special weapons in battle such as an automatic crossbow or a status-affecting debilitator.

Edgar's hidden special attack is the aptly-named Royal Shock.

Sabin
Sabin Rene Figaro, whose name is Macias "Mash" Rene Figaro (マシアス『マッシュ』・レネ・フィガロ) in the Japanese version, is the younger twin brother of Edgar. Disgusted by the cold arbitration of his royal succession, Sabin leaves his heritage behind after winning a rigged coin toss to determine whether he or Edgar would not inherit Figaro's throne. He initially trains under the world-famous martial arts master Duncan Harcourt together with Duncan's son, Vargas. As the years of training wear on, Vargas grows increasingly jealous of Sabin's martial prowess, apparently slaying Duncan in a wrathful fit and fleeing to the mountains, with Sabin in pursuit. It is during these events that the Returners, accompanied by Sabin's brother Edgar, encounter him. With Vargas' defeat, Sabin is prompted to join the cause against the Empire, and after a period of separation where he meets Cyan and Gau following the Imperial siege of Doma, he participates in the defense of Narshe.

After the world's devastation, Sabin is the first ally Celes is led to encounter, found supporting the crumbling wreck of a mansion in Tzen after an attack by Kefka's 'Light of Judgment.' He later finds Duncan alive and well in the World of Ruin, having survived Vargas' attack. From him, Sabin learns his final martial technique.

Built in the role of a 'Monk,' Sabin's character employs a special skill called 'Blitz' that unleashes different attacks and abilities based upon a button sequence. This was intentionally done to capitalize on the then-prominent popularity of arcade fighting games such as Street Fighter II.

Sabin's hidden special attack is called Tiger Break.

Professional wrestler Chris Sabin adopted his ring name from Sabin's character.

Cyan
Cyan Garamonde, whose name in the original version is Cayenne Garamonde (カイエン・ガラモンド), is a retainer to the king of Doma, a nation at war with the Empire. Stalwart in the defense of his home against the Empire's assault, he flies into a murderous rage after Kefka poisons Doma's water supply, which kills virtually everyone in the castle, including his wife and child. Launching a suicidal attack on the Imperial siege encampment, Cyan is assisted and rescued by Sabin. Shortly thereafter he encounters the spirits of his deceased loved ones aboard the Phantom Train, sending him into a depressed spiral that persists until the game's second half. Cyan later grows close to Gau after finding him on the Veldt, taking a protective, almost fatherly role over the abandoned child.

During the World of Ruin, Cyan sequesters himself atop Mt. Zozo, writing pseudo-love letters under the guise of a deceased Imperial soldier to Lola, a woman in Miranda. This same soldier had previously requested Cyan and company write to Lola on his behalf upon meeting him in Mobliz before the planet's destruction. Later, the player has the chance to bring Cyan to the aging ruins of Doma Castle, wherein spirits that feed upon his depression invade his soul. Cyan then faces his guilt and overcomes it, restoring his faith in himself and his ability to live life. Cyan speaks in a style resembling Shakespearean English, often using words and phrases such as "thou art" and "shalt not" and so on. Likewise, Cyan makes frequent use of the archaic copula verb "gozaru" in the Japanese version, a common feature of the faux-historic dialect used by samurai and ninja in other contemporary Japanese media.

As a reference to the 'Samurai' class in other games, Cyan's special skill is 'SwdTch' (Sword Technique; 'Bushido' in the GBA version) which charges a meter that unleashes various attacks depending on how long the charge builds.

Cyan's hidden special attack is called Back Blade, (Tsubame Gaeshi, or 'Swallow Return' in Japan) which deals instant death.

Shadow
Shadow (シャドウ) is a paid assassin and mercenary, always accompanied by his faithful dog, Interceptor. Although drawn by Yoshitaka Amano, this character's concept was designed by Tetsuya Nomura. During the first half of the game Shadow operates only on a freelance basis, at times available to the player for a fee and at times appearing in the employ of the Empire. In the World of Balance Shadow is forced into the player party in but two instances - Crescent Island and the Floating Continent. Shadow's fate is determined entirely by player action on the latter area; should the player have too little time remaining attempting to escape the Continent's destruction, Shadow is presumed to have perished during the collapse of the world. However, if the player has enough time to wait before leaping to the airship, Shadow will eventually accompany the party aboard the Blackjack and be available for permanent recruitment in the World of Ruin.

In the second half of the game, Shadow is found injured within the Cave on the Veldt and is returned to Strago's home in Thamasa to heal. Later on, he may be acquired by betting an item he seeks at the Dragon's Neck Coliseum and winning the ensuing match. Whenever Shadow is placed in the party, his backstory is revealed through dreams and nightmare sequences by using a Tent or resting at an Inn. Shadow's actual name is Clyde (クライド) and he once lived a life of crime with his partner, Baram ("Billy" in the Japanese version). The pair are infamous in the pre-war period before the game begins as bandits and train robbers, but Baram eventually suffers mortal wounds during a failed railway heist. Baram tasks Clyde to finish him off, but Clyde instead panics, fleeing his friend. An indeterminate span of time passes, seeing Clyde collapse from exhaustion upon reaching Thamasa, found by a young woman and her dog. It is heavily implied that Clyde fathers Relm with this woman, eventually departing Thamasa under the guise of Shadow (worth noting with the dog) to escape his guilt over abandoning Baram.

At the game's conclusion, Shadow remains within the crumbling ruin of Kefka's tower, quietly separating from the party and encouraging Interceptor to flee with the others. His final words are directed to Baram: "It looks like I can finally stop running... Come and find me all right?" (Japanese version: "I don't need to flee anymore. Embrace me warmly.")

Shadow is classed as a 'Ninja.' His special command, Throw, enables him to hurl virtually any weapon in the party inventory at an enemy, often for exorbitant damage. Shadow also possesses a natural counter-attack: Interceptor will on occasion block a foe's physical strike, immediately retaliating, though this reprisal cannot affect aerial opponents.

Shadow's hidden special attack is called Shadow Fang.

Gau
Gau (ガウ) is a feral child who lives among the animals on the Veldt, having survived in this harsh environment nearly his entire life. His powers of speech are poor, barely capable of communicating with others and often growing frustrated with complex sentences (in the Japanese version this frustration is further exaggerated). Initially encountered by Sabin and Cyan, Gau is tempted into the party with a slab of dried meat and returns the favor by presenting the pair with Moblitz' missing Diving Helm, enabling the trio to survive the underwater current of the Serpent's Trench and eventually reunite with the Returners.

Gau is again encountered on the Veldt in the World of Ruin. In this second part of the game his origins are more thoroughly explored - by taking him to the old man in the lone house west of the Veldt where Sabin's sub-plot first began in the World of Balance, it is learned that this man is, in fact, Gau's father, having tossed him into the wilds shortly after the death of his wife in childbirth and consequently labelling Gau a 'demon child.'

Gau's class is best described as a reinvention of the 'Hunter' from the previous game. As the party travels around the Veldt, enemy groups from every area in the game are encountered. Gau's 'Leap' command appears only while on the Veldt - selecting it enables Gau to learn how to mimic the attacks of the monster set he leaps to and returns with in a later battle. The 'Rage' command locks Gau into an attack pattern drawing directly from the selected monster in addition to granting him that monster's unique statuses and resistances, if applicable.

Gau can learn magic, and remains under manual control so long as magic attacks are selected each turn. He does not possess a hidden special attack, as he doesn't use an 'Attack' command.

Gau's youth, boundless energy, vulnerability, and generally positive personality made him the first of several "energetic young boy" characters, which set the stage for the characters of Zell, Vivi, and Hope.

Setzer
Setzer Gabbiani (セッツァー・ギャッビアーニ) is a gambler who owns the Blackjack, the only known airship in the world. He is first encountered by the party after being tricked into kidnapping Celes Chere instead of Maria, the opera diva with whom he's enraptured. Captitalizing on Setzer's love of gambling and chance, Celes coerces him into a bet using Edgar's double-faced coin, the result of which is his joining the Returners and committing his airship to their service. In the World of Ruin, Setzer is found lamenting the loss of his ship in a pub. Once reminded of his former bravery, he elects to lead his comrades to the tomb of his long-deceased friend, Daryl. In the depths of the crypt Setzer relives his memories of his and Daryl's romantic rivalry, revealing the restored hulk of her airship, the Falcon, which is turned over to player control.

Setzer's special ability, 'Slot,' rolls tumblers to launch random attacks against enemies and heal the party. A special relic for him changes the command to 'GP Toss' (Gil Toss in the GBA version) and causes damage by hurling the party's money.

Setzer's hidden special attack is called Red Card. Unlike others, it does not have a unique animation - he instead repeats his basic attack as though equipped with a card-type weapon three times in succession.

Setzer also makes a small appearance in Kingdom Hearts II, as the reigning champion of the false Twilight Town's Struggle tournament, where he fights with Roxas, the first playable character of the game. He is either victorious or defeated, depending on the player's ability, and the plot advances either way. Although originally drawn by Yoshitaka Amano for Final Fantasy VI, Setzer was redesigned by Tetsuya Nomura to fit the style of Kingdom Hearts, and is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu in the Japanese version and Crispin Freeman in the English version.

Strago
Strago Magus (ストラゴス・マゴス) is an elderly gentleman living in the village of Thamasa. He is Relm's grandfather and (together with the other inhabitants of Thamasa) a descendant of the ancient Mage Warriors who fought in the War of the Magi. He joins the Returners in thanks for saving Relm from a burning building, helping them seek the Espers on Crescent Island. He departs Thamasa with Relm, joining the party permanently, after Kefka's brutal attack on his village. Convinced of the worst for his granddaughter in the World of Ruin, Strago enthralls himself to the Cult of Kefka in a fit of depression, snapping out of his trance only when confronted by Relm. Strago later returns to Thamasa with Relm, confronted by an old friend with whom he once hunted the legendary beast, Hidon, and is compelled to seek out and destroy the monster.

Classed as a 'Blue Mage,' Strago stands apart from other characters of this type in previous and subsequent games in that he may learn monster-specific magic attacks merely by witnessing them, rather than be the target of such spells. Strago will not, however, learn attacks if he is incapacitated.

Strago's hidden special attack is called Sabre Soul. As a departure from other characters' special moves, this one attempts instant death rather than dealing direct damage.

Relm
Relm Arrowny (リルム・アローニィ) is a ten-year-old artist from the village of Thamasa, the granddaughter of Strago and the youngest character in the game. When the group arrives in Thamasa, she meets them briefly, and they later save her from a burning house. She joins the party after tailing the player in the Esper Cave, despite complaints from Strago, and saves them during a scripted battle against Ultros. In the World of Ruin, Relm is either first found unconscious in the Cave on the Veldt (in the event the player did not wait for Shadow on the Floating Continent) or tasked with a commissioned painting by the grossly-deformed Owzer. Once Relm is recruited in the second half of the game, her presence in the party will snap Strago out of his chanting march at the base of the Cult of Kefka's tower.

Scenes with Relm and Interceptor upon the party's first meeting further imply that she is Shadow's daughter, supporting flashbacks during Shadow's nightmare sequences. A relic unique to Relm, the Memento Ring, directly references her departed mother - Shadow is the only other character capable of equipping this item.

Although herself a descendent of the Mage Warriors, Relm's magical ability manifests in her 'Sketch' command, quickly rendering a magical replication of an enemy and setting it to attack her foes. Special equipment boosts the success rate of this ability, and one relic, the Fake Moustache, changes the command to 'Control,' enabling her to manipulate a monster and manually select its attacks.

Relm's hidden special attack is called Star Prism - as with Strago's move, this too attempts instant death versus direct damage.

Mog
Mog (モグ) is a moogle who lives within the caves of Narshe with the rest of his species. He is distinguished from all the other moogles encountered in that he can speak human language, which was taught to him by the Esper, Ramuh, in Mog's dreams. During the game's introductory sequences, he and many other moogles help Terra and Locke escape from Narshe. Later in the story, Mog may be saved from a villainous thief, Lone Wolf, or abandoned for acquisition of an item. Either way, Mog is again encountered in the depths of the moogle's abandoned hollow in the World of Ruin.

Mog is best classed as a 'Geomancer,' using his special skill 'Dance' to alter the environment and inflict attacks based on his surroundings. New dances are learned by having him participate in battle in different terrain types. Mog is the only character other than Edgar who can equip lances, making him an effective fighter especially when given the Dragon Boots and Dragon's Horn relics.

Mog's hidden special attack is called Moogle Rush. In it, Mog mimics Sabin's Pummel (GBA: Raging Fist) technique.

Gogo
Gogo (ゴゴ) is the first of two hidden characters in the game, encountered should the party be engulfed entirely by a creature on Triangle Island called the Zone Eater. A self-described 'master of simulacrum,' Gogo opts to mimic the party's desire to save the world, thus accompanying them.

An extremely versatile character, Gogo's commands can be entirely customized from his status screen. With the exception of Terra's Esper-transformation ability, Gogo has access to every other character-specific command, along with his own unique skill, 'Mimic,' which copies the last action used by a party member.

Like most of the main cast, Gogo has a special hidden move, X Meteo (GBA: Punishing Meteor), though this requires that the 'Attack' command be set from his status screen.

Gogo previously appeared in Final Fantasy V as a boss at the depths of the sunken Waltz Tower, guarding the final crystal shard, which granted the Mime job class.

Umaro
Umaro (ウーマロ) is a yeti and the second hidden character in the game. In the World of Balance, references to him are made by citizens of Narshe with dubious sobriety, though he can be seen peering out of a cave above the entrance to the mine shafts. He is encountered much later in the game during the World of Ruin, after the group fights him over a Magicite crystal. Should Mog be in the player party, he will convince Umaro to join the group.

Incapable of using magic, Espers or anything besides his original equipment, Umaro is nevertheless a powerful fighter and can be equipped with two unique Relics, one of which will give him an area-effect blizzard attack. Consequently, Umaro also lacks a hidden special attack due to his persistent beserk status. Curiously enough, if a Green Cherry is used on him during battle, Umaro will benefit from the same stat boosts he receives during the initial boss fight with him.

Other major characters
This section covers other characters who either play a major role in the plot, or are briefly controllable by the player (but without the full range of options given to the above fourteen characters).

Kefka
The game's main antagonist, Kefka Palazzo (ケフカ·パラッツォ) is a psychotic nihilist who served the Gestahlian Empire as Court Mage until he used the Warring Triad to devastate the world.

Ultros and Typhon
Ultros (オルトロス), whose name is Orthros in the Japanese version, is a large, talking, purple, carnivorous octopus who appears multiple times as both antagonist and comic relief. Each time he appears to fight the party, he is bent on making a meal out of them, making him the first (and, so far, only) carnivorous antagonist in Final Fantasy history. Typhon (テュポーン), whose name is Chupon in the original North American Super NES version, is a large, red, two-headed floating monster, who appears as Ultros' "friend" while fighting the party while they are going to the Floating Continent, the final stage of the World of Balance. Typhon doesn't speak often but has a volatile temper, according to Ultros. After the game shifts to the World of Ruin, the two of them end up working as a receptionist and combatant in the Colosseum. Typhon's specific purpose here seems to be discouraging the betting of "useless" items, rather than actually fighting, by snorting the betters out of the arena. Ultros, sometimes under the name Orthros, and Typhon have since appeared in other games: both are optional bosses in Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls under the names Orthros and Typhon, Ultros is a boss in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, and as a boss in Chocobo's Dungeon 2 under the name Orthros again. Orthros also makes an appearance in Final Fantasy XII as an elite mark black flan who attacks women, and Typhon appears in Final Fantasy VII as a summon. He also appears, again as a flan named Orthros in Final Fantasy Tactics A2. Ultros appears in Dissidia: Final Fantasy as a summon, again using the name Ultros.

Leo
Leo Cristophe (レオ・クリストフ) is one of the three top generals of the Empire, the others being Celes and Kefka. Unlike his compatriots, Leo refused to undergo Magitek infusion. Fiercely loyal and possessed of a strong sense of personal honor, Leo conducts himself with a measure of restraint and ability otherwise absent in the tyrannical ambitions of the Empire. His siege of Doma sought to minimize casualties on both sides of the fighting until Kefka's poisoning of the water supply, and he is the first to espouse the Emperor's later, apparent desires for an end to the war. Leo later leads the Imperial mission to seek a truce with the Espers on Crescent Island, accompanied by both the Returners and the troops loyal to him. This turns out to be a ruse meant not only to lure the Espers into a trap (seeing Kefka reduce them to Magicite to collect for the Empire) but to also eliminate Leo and other Imperial dissidents who might threaten Gestahl's plans. Although more than a match for Kefka's tricks in combat, Leo is eventually - and brutally - cut down after Kefka masquerades as Gestahl, playing on Leo's unswerving loyalty to kill him. He is thereafter buried by the Returners and surviving villagers of Thamasa.

Temporarily controllable only during Kefka's assault, Leo has a special ability called 'Shock' that deals heavy damage to all foes about him by creating a powerful energy field. He is also in possession of powerful equipment and Relics the player is unable to acquire until much later in the game.

Cid
Cid Del Norte Marquez (シド・デル・ノルテ・マルケズ) is the chief magical researcher of the Empire, and one of the many incarnations of Cid in the series. His pursuits lead to the creation of the Magitek labs and production facilities, together with the development of Magitek armor and soldiers. He is very close to Celes, turning against the Empire upon witnessing her fight against Kefka. In the World of Ruin, he washes up on the same lonely island as Celes, caring for her throughout the duration of her coma. Those others who wash up along with them eventually fall to despair and commit suicide before she awakens. Celes is turned over to the player's control at this point, and Cid's ultimate fate is left to the player's ability to care for him in the sequence that follows. Should Cid die, Celes will discover a letter and the key to Cid's raft after attempting suicide herself. In the event Cid is nursed back to health, he will provide the raft for Celes of his own accord, wishing her farewell.

Emperor Gestahl
Gestahl (ガストラ) is the aging, power-hungry dictator of the militaristic Empire. Obsessed with the legends of magical power dating from the ancient War of the Magi, Gestahl seeks the sealed world of the Espers prior to the game's beginning, affording him the capture of dozens of Espers - Terra's father and Terra herself among them. These enslaved few would form the basis for the Empire's Magitek in the years to come, the fruit of this research enabling Gestahl to crush the city-states on the southern continent and expand northward. Later in the game, his second attempt to enter the Esper world proves largely successful, though the culmination of these events lead to his death at the hands of Kefka and the destruction of the world.

Biggs and Wedge
Biggs (ビックス) (mistranslated as Vicks in the original translation) and Wedge (ウェッジ) are two temporarily playable Imperial soldiers equipped with Magitek armor. They raid the town of Narshe with Terra, who is under the control of a slave crown. They are eventually thrown into a dimensional rift by the Esper located in the mines, presumed dead since neither are seen again.

Maduin and Madeline
Maduin (マディン), an Esper, and Madeline (マドリーヌ), a human woman, are Terra's parents. They meet after Madeline accidentally stumbles into the Esper world, and Maduin nurses her back to health. Though other Espers do not trust her, Maduin defends her, and they soon conceive Terra. Eventually Gestahl invades the area, captures Maduin, kills Madeline, and takes Terra with him. Maduin is drained of his magic for twenty years before he is finally reduced to Magicite. Maduin would later be referred to by name as an Eidolon used by Eiko Carol in Final Fantasy IX and as a summon in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, romanized instead as "Madeen."

The Warring Triad
The Warring Triad (三闘神), individually known as Fiend (鬼神), Demon (魔神), Goddess (女神), are the beings directly responsible for the War of the Magi and the creation of Espers. After the seemingly endless period of near-apocalyptic destruction their conflict causes, the Triad willfully cease their battle and mutually seal away their abilities, reducing themselves to stone statues. It is the magical balance of these three that maintains harmony throughout the world, though Emperor Gestahl, obsessed with power, seeks the Triad to further his own desires. Gestahl is betrayed and slain by Kefka, who gains control of the Triad and upsets their balance - this singular act virtually annihilates the planet's surface, reducing it to a wasted, chaotic shadow. Drained of their power by Kefka in the time following his ascension, they are awakened as mindless husks that gladly attack the party as the player traverses the mangled spires of Kefka's tower.

Each being is representative of one of three primary magical elements of the Final Fantasy lore: Demon is "Fire", Fiend is "Ice" and Goddess, "Thunder".

Also of note, from Fiend Strago can learn a unique Blue Magic spell, called Force Field, which randomly nullifies elemental attacks.

Reception and legacy
In its review of the Gameboy Advance release, IGN says Final Fantasy VI's "cast of characters is huge and varied, and though several of them do draw from traditional RPG archetypes, this was the game that helped define those archetypes in the first place." In the Gamespy review of the Gameboy Advance Version, it is said that "the large cast of characters, that is one of this game's hallmarks, is most impressive because of their individuality, both from a story and from a gameplay perspective, as well as the amount of effort that was put in to exploring their personalities, motivations, and histories." Nintendo Power described the characters as some of the more memorable Final Fantasy protagonists ever, citing the ending's great character moments.

Several characters from the game have received stand-alone praise, such as Kefka who has been repeatedly named one of the franchise's greatest villains. In 2008, IGN place him sixth on their list of the "Top 25 Final Fantasy Characters" with similar sentiments, but also included several other characters from Final Fantasy VI on the list. Ultros, who placed twenty-fourth, was praised for bringing "much needed" comic relief for the title, described as being augmented by Ted Woolsey's translation for the North American localization. Celes placed fourteenth, and was stated as providing one of the greatest memorable scenes and musical pieces in the game through the impromptu opera scene. Setzer placed twelfth, described as having "that most crucial of qualities in a hero, an unshakable sense of humor", as well as introducing the Gambler job class that would appear in later titles in the series. Nintendo Power listed Shadow as one of the best ninjas on Nintendo consoles.