Final Fantasy XII/Characters

Go here for the full summary. Also here. -

Vaan
""One of these days I’ll fly an airship of my own. I’ll be a sky pirate, free to go where I will.""

"Voiced by Kouhei Takeda (Japanese) and Bobby Edner (English)"

An energetic street urchin living in Rabanastre who talks big about rebelling against the occupying Empire and becoming a Sky Pirate. He is an orphan, his parents having died from the plague when he was young, and lives with Penelo at Migelo's house.

When he sneaks into the royal palace and steals an incredibly rare (and significant) piece of magicite, he becomes entangled in the events of the game.

He is a Point Of View Character in Final Fantasy XII, but becomes the main protagonist in Revenant Wings. He later makes appearances in Final Fantasy Tactics a 2 as a Hidden Character and Dissidia 012 Duodecim as one of the main cast.

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 * The Ace: Heavily implied in Final Fantasy XII, and made more explicit in Final Fantasy Tactics a 2. In the former, it's not readily apparent since he's only of nominal importance to the plot, but side quests and NPC conversations paint him as nothing if not hypercompetent, and he has the the stats of a god.
 * Battle Couple: In Tactics A2, with Penelo of course. Doubles as a Sword and Sorcerer pair for bonus points.
 * Big Brother Mentor: To the orphans in the Rabanastran Lowtown.
 * Bishonen
 * Chronic Hero Syndrome: Even in the sequels where he is a Sky Pirate, Vaan can never stop doing whats right. Though he still has Sticky Fingers.
 * Dark-Skinned Blond
 * Deadpan Snarker: In Tactics A2 and Revenant Wings.
 * Dead Big Brother
 * Expy: It's subtle, but especially in the simpler graphics of Tactics A2 and Revenant Wings you can see that he bears a significant resemblance to Ramza and Marche. (It's mostly in the hair.)
 * He's also a more obvious one of Aladdin (the Disney version, at any rate). Street rat, tiny open vest, forbidden treasure, tec.
 * The Face: In Final Fantasy XII and Revenant Wings. In the former, he does almost all the talking to the nigh hundreds of NPCs and in the dozens of side quests.
 * Foil: To Ashe, paralelling her in backstory and Character Development, but with very different goals and temperment.
 * Friend to All Children
 * The Hero: In Revenant Wings.
 * Hot Blooded: His blood isn't as hot as some, but it's still there.
 * Infinity+1 Sword: Anastasia in Revenant Wings.
 * Idiot Hero: Subverted in the original game, though he's impulsive and a bit naive, Vaan is clever, resourceful, and has a fair amount of scenes where he shows a more inquisitive and insightful side. The manga however makes this his defining trait, cranking up his Hot Bloodedness and making him rather arrogant and cocky, but lacking the skill and intelligence to back them up.
 * Impossible Thief: Revenant Wings shows where all the that Level Grinding from XII went, as Vaan can casually steal concepts and attributes from an enemy, up to and including their sense of time, and make use of it himself. He steps it up by Final Fantasy Tactics a 2, where he's essentially become the Carmen Sandiego of Ivalice.
 * Jack of All Stats
 * Lightning Bruiser: He's got all around amazing stats in XII, having emphasis on strength (best score with Basch), magick (second best score), vitality (best score) and speed (second best). Stats-wise, he's easily the best character of your party.
 * Jumped At the Call: Revenant Wings.
 * Kleptomaniac Hero
 * The Lancer
 * Loveable Rogue
 * Limit Break
 * Red Spiral
 * White Whorl
 * Pyroclasm
 * The Messiah: He goes out of his way to help a lot of people during the side quests as well as lets the refugee Aegyl live on his airship.
 * Overshadowed By Awesome: Vaan isn't really a bad character, he just happens to be in a game where, as far as Western audiences are concerned, he and Penelo are not as interesting or developed as the other cast members.
 * Overrated and Underleveled: While he and Penelo are far from slackers in Tactics A2, their default classes don't have very good stat growths. However, the trope is otherwise subverted in that the class abilities are more than decent. Vaan's Life of Crime ability has potential to deal 999 damage every time with 100% accuracy provided you have stolen enough. They're best moved to other jobs after learning their unique abilities and aren't bad as guests, either.
 * Primal Stance: Seems to favor these sorts of stances with his fighting style.
 * Persona Non Grata: Comes close to being banned from Bhujerba due to the whole pretending-to-be-Basch-very-loudly ordeal. Thereafter, the city guides are eternally pissed at him and caution him to stay away from ledges and cliffs.
 * The Rival: Is seen as such by Luso in Final Fantasy Tactics a 2.
 * Sky Pirate: In the sequels.
 * Street Urchin
 * Supporting Protagonist / The Ishmael: He serves as a Foil to Ashe, both of them wanting to see Dalmasca restored and to claim vengeance for the death of their loved ones. However Vaan's actions only drive the story up to when Ashe joins the party, after that the game follows her entirely and Vaan just advises her like the other characters and acts as party leader in non-combat areas.
 * The Sneaky Guy
 * Tagalong Kid: Somewhat, he is only a two years younger than Ashe and is more of The Lancer towards her, but does not have a true connection to the main plot.
 * Team Dad to the war orphans in Lowtown.
 * Turn the Other Cheek: Vaan's willingness to forsake revenge is what stops Ashe from giving into Gabranth's Hannibal Lecture and Jumping Off the Slippery Slope.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Takes one in Revenant Wings. Takes a HUGE one in Tactics A2, where he is regarded as the greatest Sky Pirate who ever lived and even a Criminal Syndicate has a flee-on-sight order when confronting him.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene
 * Weapon of Choice: Swords are his starting weapon and preferred weapons in sequels and in artwork. They (along with sabers and blades anyway) are the only weapons available to the Sky Pirate class in Tactics A2.

Penelo
""I'll be going too, of course. Every good sky pirate needs a partner, right?""

"Voiced by Yuna Mikuni (Japanese) and Cat Taber (English)"

Vaan's childhood friend and Love Interest. When Vaan's parents died, Penelo's family adopted him and his brother. However, after the war between Dalmasca and Archadia began, her parents and older brothers were killed in a raid and left her an orphan. She now lives at Migelo's house with Vaan, and works odd jobs in Lowtown to get by. Penelo remains a perky and responsible girl who keeps Vaan's immaturity in check.

She reappears as the main heroine of Revenant Wings and alongside Vaan in Final Fantasy Tactics a 2. She also makes a cameo appearance in the character tutorials of Dissidia Final Fantasy, where she interjects her own amusing opinions on the Dissidia cast.

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 * Battle Couple: In Tactics A2, with Vaan of course. Doubles as a Sword and Sorcerer pair for bonus points.
 * The Chick
 * Dance Battler Uses dances to activate her Quickenings and is a Dancer in Revenant Wings and Tactics A2
 * The Drag Along
 * Flat Character: She had little characterization in the main game other then being Vaan's Love Interest and her Odd Friendship with Larsa. This is fixed in subsequent games, where she serves as a Foil to Vaan.
 * Alot of this is due to Executive Meddling, one of the two writers of the game, Daisuke Watanabe, has said that Penelo is his favorite character mainly due to alot of content he wrote around her that ended up on the cutting room floor in development.
 * Girl Next Door
 * Girlish Pigtails
 * Hair of Gold
 * I Have Brothers: Apparently how she learned to fight according to the Ultimania.
 * Lethal Chef: Improves to Team Chef over the course of Revenant Wings
 * Like Brother and Sister: With Vaan until she is upgraded to Victorious Childhood Friend after their Relationship Upgrade in Revenant Wings
 * Little Miss Badass: As Vaan's partner in Revenant Wings and Tactics A2.
 * Little Miss Snarker: Gets a few good snarks on Vaan and Basch especially. This trait is particularly evident in her Dissidia cameo.
 * Limit Break
 * Intercession
 * Evanescence
 * Resplendence
 * Magic Dance: All her Quickening's and non White Magic skills in Revenant Wings and Tactics A2
 * Nightmare Fetishist: In both Dissidia games she says she thinks that the Cloud of Darkness' snake creatures are "cute."
 * Odd Friendship: With Larsa
 * Overrated and Underleveled: Zigzagged where in A2, where her and Vaan's default classes don't have very good stat gains even though they are rather helpful as guest characters and can be good in other classes, too. Her Dancer class is good as a secondary skillset. 0-cost debuffs are quite good, and the Sword Dance attack is very useful if she is a Spellblade or Assassin.
 * Replacement Goldfish: When Penelo grew close with Velis in Revenant Wings she remarked how much he reminded her of her deceased elder brothers.
 * Satellite Character: In XII, but improves in later games.
 * She Fu: When equiped with certain weapons such as Poles or Unarmed, Penelo will show how acrobatic she really is.
 * Sky Pirate: Along with Vaan by the end of the game and sequels.
 * Stripperiffic: Modest enough in the first game (especially compared to Ashe and Fran), but Revenant Wings and Tactics A2... not so much. (though she's still wearing more than Ashe or Fran).
 * Squishy Wizard: A cross between this an Fragile Speedster but otherwise has the lowest physical stats in the party.
 * Tagalong Kid: Even more so than Vaan, who's the POV.
 * Team Mom: To the war orphans in Lowtown.
 * Weapon of Choice: Knives to start but all sequels and artwork give her a Simple Staff more becoming of her Squishy Wizard status.
 * White Mage: In Revenant Wings
 * Women Are Wiser: She plays this role for Vaan, being more level headed and cautious to Vaan's sometimes reckless impulses.

Balthier ( )
""Princess! No need to worry. I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies.""

"Voiced by Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese) and Gideon Emery (English)"

An infamous and aristocratic Sky Pirate. Well-mannered, intelligent and witty, Balthier proclaims himself to be "the leading man". His personal airship is the Strahl, which he flies with his partner-in-crime Fran. They are drawn into the conflict when they break into the royal palace to steal a rare piece of magicite, only for Vaan to accidentally beat them to it.

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- "Fires of War: "I never miss."
 * The Ace
 * Badass
 * Badass Boast: His Quickening phrases

Tides of Fate: "Let me show you how its done".

Element of Treachery: "There's a proper way to do everything.""

"Penelo: Here, Balthier...your handkerchief. I thought you might want it back.
 * Big Brother Mentor: To Vaan. Originally this role was to be Basch's with Vaan being his Squire rather then learning to become a pirate from Balthier.
 * Casual Danger Dialogue: It's remarkably difficult to get Balthier to lose his cool, even when he's at a considerable disadvantage. Held at swordpoint, he comments dryly that "At least your sword is to the point," and one of his lines when defeated in combat is to snark calmly, "Is that your best?"
 * Catch Phrase: "I play the leading man, who else?"
 * The Dandy
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait: It's rare to find a female player who disagrees. Or male, as the trope below proves.
 * Even the Guys Want Him
 * Expy: Of Han Solo, but more polite.
 * :  in Revenant Wings.
 * Gentleman Thief
 * Genre Savvy: Very.
 * Handsome Lech: Has shades in the original game, while his manga adaptation seems to be taking cues from Zidane, flirting with Ashe before he even knows her name, and later telling Basch one should only show off for ladies, and using his bravado and strength to save Vaan is a waste.
 * Heroic Sacrifice: He makes a point of mentioning that he may be required to invoke this trope eventually, as the sort of thing that a "leading man" might be expected to do. He goes through with it during the ending when he.
 * Improbable Piloting Skills: At the helm of the Strahl during the . 'Nuff said.
 * Informed Attribute: Promotional materials refer to him as a silver-tongued womanizer, but as noted under Handsome Lech he really doesn't show it at all during the game.
 * Lampshade Hanging: As the page quote demonstrates, Balthier is perfectly content to perform a Heroic Sacrifice because he believes that he's The Hero, and thus cannot die.
 * Large Ham:
 * Lightning Bruiser: Great physical stats and speed but his skills with magick are among the lowest in the game.
 * Limit Break
 * Fires of War
 * Tides of Fate
 * Element of Treachery
 * Loveable Rogue
 * Made of Iron
 * Mythology Gag: Named after Mid Previa and Mustadio Bunansa.
 * Not in This For Your Revolution: In keeping with his Han Solo traits, he and Fran only stick around on the promise of payment from Ashe, being that she's a princess pursuing ancient relics of royal heritage. Balthier has no interest in the rebellion or Archadia,.
 * Only in It For The Money: See above.
 * Outlaw Couple
 * Poor Communication Kills: In Revenant Wings, where it leads to a boss battle with him and Fran and eventually him getting slugged in the face.
 * Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner
 * Sky Pirate
 * The Charmer: Of a more subtle flavor. It doesn't help that he has a beautifully smooth voice, but is noticeable when he and party rescue Penelo.

Balthier: I shall wear it close to my heart."

"Ashe: What's wrong with her?
 * The Smart Guy
 * The Stoic: Subverted, averted and played straight. He's neither unfriendly or quiet, but he is unflappable, rather secretive, and can be hilariously indifferent to nasty surprises, such as being thrown in a dungeon (where he implies he's seen it all before), finding out 'Amalia' is actually Princess Ashe ("Huh. Can't believe that was the princess."), or witnessing his partner flying into a Mist-induced frenzy.

Balthier: I always knew Fran didn't like being tied up. I just never knew how much."


 * Waistcoat of Style
 * Weapon of Choice: Guns. Ironically the special animation he has with guns makes his firing speed considerably slower then other characters and he's better suited to a sword that compliments his high strength stat.
 * Fridge Brilliance: What was he before becoming a Sky Pirate?

Fran
""I have discarded Wood and village. I won my freedom. Yet my past had been cut away forever. No longer can my ears hear the Green Word. This… solitude, you want, Mjrn?""

"Voiced by Rika Fukami (Japanese) and Nicole Fantl (English)"

Balthier's steadfast companion and a master of weapons, magic and mechanics. Fran is one of the Viera, a One-Gender Race tribe of bunny-women who live in the Golmore Jungle and command powerful magical abilities, such as the ability to "hear" the god-like spirit of the Wood. Fran disagreed with the Viera's philosophy of isolation and left her home village, sacrificing many of her natural abilities to live a life of freedom.

- "Vossler: We've secured an Atomos, come!
 * Action Girl
 * Adaptational Badass: She's on a far higher tier in the manga, having super-speed and a Blizzard-enchanted claw attack that deals a One-Hit Kill to Firemane and freezes Ghis's sword. In the game, she finds an exit from the Nalbina Dungeons but the magick bindings are too strong to break. The manga, she's perfectly able to break them, it's the Imperials outside that stops them from leaving.
 * Badass Driver
 * The Big Girl: Class 2, She shares this role with Basch
 * Combat Stilettos
 * Cool Big Sis: To Penelo.
 * Cute Monster Girl
 * Deadpan Snarker: Gets a few good lines here and there.

Balthier: An Atomos? All skiff, no ship...hardly fit for a leading man.

Vaan: So I can fly it?

Fran: Are you mad?"

"Fran: Then it's settled. We should leave before the Marquis notices she's missing, like proper kidnappers."
 * Fetish Fuel Station Attendant
 * :  in Revenant Wings.
 * Informed Ability: Despite the fact that the Viera are supposed to be very magically adept, Fran's magical stats are mediocre at best, lagging behind Penelo, Vaan and Ashe. Also, despite the fact that she is supposed to be a skilled archer, her firing animation with the bow is actually slightly longer than normal, reducing her DPS and effectiveness with it compared to any other character.
 * Averted hard in the manga as described under Adaptational Badass.
 * Leotard of Power
 * Limit Break
 * Feral Strike
 * Whip Kick
 * Shatterheart
 * Master of None: Like Vaan she is an all around styled character, but with all her stats being all around low. In fact, stats-wise, she probably is the worst character of your party, being overshadowed by pretty much everyone else.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Along with the rest of her race.
 * Stripperiffic
 * Multi Melee Master: Noted to be a master of weapons. Not that you can tell from her stats.
 * Older Than They Look: She appears to be a young woman, but she's old enough that she left home fifty years prior to the story. Vieras do age far slower than humans though, so she's probably young by Viera standards anyway.
 * No Sense of Humor: Pleasantly averted. Despite being The Stoic, The Fair Folk and a Really 700 Years Old all rolled into one, can be quite humorous, in a sly, blunt way.

"Balthier: (notices Vaan staring at Fran) Not many Viera where you come from, thief?
 * Our Elves Are Different
 * Outlaw Couple
 * Petting Zoo People
 * Playboy Bunny
 * She's Got Legs
 * Sky Pirate
 * Statuesque Stunner: Although not as tall as she appears at first glance because of her ears and stilettos. In reality, she's about the same height as Balthier.
 * Sugar and Ice Personality: But more amiable than usual. She's just very quiet.
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
 * The Reliable One: For a fanservice character who's on the more minor side of the main cast, she's one of the most useful throughout the course of the game, average fighting stats notwithstanding. She saves members of the main cast not once, not twice, but three times,, indirectly rescues Basch, and is often the one the party turns to for advice, such as directing , translating texts, or just beating up a bunch of guards that have captured everyone. Even though she has to be rescued twice, she's still far more dependable than some of the others who get more screentime.
 * The Stoic: Generally quiet, dignified and level-headed. However, there are a few moments in the game where her cool cracks a little, leading to...
 * Not So Stoic
 * Token Non-Human
 * Unusual Ears
 * Verbal Tic?: She has a slight but noticeable(and consistent) lisp due to her overbite. Superlative Dubbing turns this into a sexy voice - she feels inherently different from the Hume party members, yet always friendly and understanding.
 * Weapon of Choice: A bow and arrow, but unlike other characters her promotional artwork shows her wielding many different weapons such as swords and guns. She also has a unique bow-firing animation making her fire a bit slower than other characters, even though the bow is her iconic weapon of choice.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl
 * You Are a Credit To Your Race: Averted. Balthier mentions it, but is clearly joking. This doesn't spare him from a well-placed comeback, however.

Vaan: It's Vaan. (looks to Fran) Sorry.

Balthier: Well, Fran is special, in that she'd deign to partner with a Hume.

Fran: Oh? Like a sky pirate who chooses to steal through the sewers?"

Basch fon Ronsenburg (of Dalmasca)
""If I could protect but one person from war's horror... then I would bear any shame. I would bear it proudly.""

"Voiced by Rikiya Koyama (Japanese) and Keith Ferguson (English)"

The former captain of the "Order of Knights of Dalmasca", Basch is framed for the assassination of Dalmasca's king and imprisoned as a traitor. Vaan and company find his cell during their escape from the Nalbina Dungeons, and reluctantly allow him to join to aid their escape.

Having failed the royal family of Dalmasca once, Basch is determined to protect and serve Ashe in her quest to reclaim the throne. His sense of honour and loyalty to Dalmasca is second to none.

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 * Badass
 * Beard of Sorrow
 * The Big Guy: Class 5, he's also a secondary Lancer to Ashe.
 * Boring but Practical: His attack animations are all pretty basic stuff with little to no acrobatics, but comes out very quickly and would actually really hurt if done in real life.
 * Clear My Name:
 * The Captain: Before the main events of the game. In the Japanese version though his rank was General.
 * Determinator: Which is how he keeps sane despite being a...
 * Failure Knight
 * Easily Forgiven: To be fair  And to the rest of the populace,.
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars
 * Knight in Shining Armor
 * Limit Break
 * Fulminating Darkness
 * Ruin Impendent
 * Flame Purge
 * Mighty Glacier: Strongest of the party (with Vaan) and with the most health but has low speed and, like Balthier, pitiful magick skills. In fact, despite his high health, he has by far the lowest Vitality score. Well, one could guess that spending 2 years in prison malnutritioned isn't that good for your body.
 * Rummage Sale Reject: Is that a potholder?
 * The Quiet One: He goes a good dozen cutscenes in a row without a peep.
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran
 * Supporting Leader: In story, to Ashe; in gameplay and presentation, to Vaan. Was originally meant to be The Hero, though.
 * Weapon of Choice: Great Swords in all sequels and normal swords in XII.
 * What Could Have Been: During preproduction Basch was originally considered to be used as the main character.
 * What Could Have Been: During preproduction Basch was originally considered to be used as the main character.

Ashe (Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca)
""I am simply myself. No more and no less. And I want only to be free.""

"Voiced by Mie Sonozaki (Japanese) and Kari Wahlgren (English)"

The crown princess of Dalmasca and the last true heir to the Dynast King. Ashe lost her father and husband only a week after her wedding when Archadia invaded Nabradia, and was soon announced to have committed suicide out of grief. In reality, she fled underground to lead the insurgency resistance against Archadia's occupation of Dalmasca.

She is determined to restore Dalmasca whatever the cost, driven by her hatred of Archadia and her own feelings of responsibility as the crown princess.

- ""I must endure." / "I must believe." / "I must be strong.""
 * Action Girl
 * Anti-Hero: Somewhat, during the story's early stages - while she cared for Dalmasca, she wasn't exactly the most level-headed member of the group before her Character Development.
 * Badass
 * Badass in Distress
 * Badass Princess
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * BFS: Two of them, the Sword of Kings and the Treaty Blade. Both also function as Swords of Plot Advancement.
 * Break the Cutie: She's a widow while still in her teens. Unlike most political marriages, both Ashe and Rasler actually loved each other.
 * Character Development: Learns to do what is best for Dalmasca and its people as opposed to blindly chasing revenge against the Empire, which would probably get her kingdom destroyed and herself killed. Also becomes more heroic and sociable as time goes on, when you first meet her she's a bit of a bitch and doesn't really trust the other party members.
 * Chickification: In the manga. Her introduction in the game establishes her as a Badass Lady of War, cutting down an imperial troop and proving a powerful fourth ally for the waterway. In the manga she's actively fleeing from her attackers, and is nearly helpless in subsequent battles.
 * Dead Little Husband
 * Determinator: To the point its a detriment actually--even when she gets a legitimate chance to regain her standing and rule Dalmasca, she refuses because she wants to see the Empire destroyed above all else. That, and just listen to her Quickening quotes:


 * Determined Widow
 * Dramatic Wind: Especially when performing her Quickenings and casting magic. More noticeable when fighting outside, but even inside her clothing tends to flutter, just less so.
 * Fairytale Wedding Dress
 * The Fettered
 * Gray Eyes: In-game and in the spinoffs, but her official render seen to the right has her with Blue Eyes.
 * Hot Chick With a Sword: Though you can change her equipment as you like, she starts out with a sword and acquires two Swords of Plot Advancement during the game.
 * The Hero: In practice it's Ashe's desires and motivations that guide the party in their quest, while the other five party members tag along with her for various reasons and offer her support and advice. As covered under Basch's entry he was going to be the main protagonist, but unless the story was drastically re-written after that changed, he would still have just been The Lancer to Ashe.
 * Lady of War
 * Limit Break
 * Northswain's Glow
 * Heaven's Wrath
 * Maelstrom's Bolt
 * Magic Knight/Glass Cannon: Has high magick and strength stats but her HP is low.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Blatantly in the game's manga adaptation. So far she's been the subject of a Panty Shot, a bathing scene, a shot of her half-naked rear, and a full-frontal scene of her nude with Barbie Doll Anatomy.
 * Pimped-Out Dress: Her wedding dress and her funeral dress. But surprisingly not any fancy Queen or Princess dresses are shown.
 * Perfectly Arranged Marriage: So of course it doesn't end well.
 * Politically Active Princess: Zig-zagged. At first, she tries to take Rabanastre by force. Later, she attempts to reclaim her kingdom by bargaining with The Empire and other factions for most of the game. Although she's a Badass Princess and would rather fight against the Archadians, she slowly understands that the easiest way to avoid bloodshed is to take the diplomatic route.
 * Rebellious Princess
 * Revenge Before Reason: She treads this path for a very long time until she takes Vaan's example to fight for what's right rather than for vengeance.
 * Royals Who Actually Do Something
 * Stripperiffic: You'd expect something more practical on royalty, wouldn't you?
 * Rummage Sale Reject: And it's just a weird combination of clothes and armor, at that.
 * She's been in hiding for two years, what did you expect?
 * Spare to The Throne: If you pay attention to the NPC conversations you will find out that Ashe was the youngest of nine siblings with eight older brothers who have all died from war or sickness.
 * Weapon of Choice: Swords of various different styles, even when she uses bombs in the sequel she still has a sword in her artwork. She also likes her shield. Even her unarmed animation has her putting up her left hand like she's got one on there.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: Of the platinum blond variety.
 * Who Wears Short Shorts/Magic Skirt: Ashe's wardrobe has lent itself to confusion and theorizing as to which one of these it is. Since camera and pose manipulation reveal material of the same color in what would ordinarily be a Panty Shot, some fans have even gone as far as to try to make sense of it with complicated, annotated design sketches (full version here).
 * Zettai Ryouiki

Vossler York Azelas
""Look on what my haste has wrought.""

"Voiced by Masaki Terasoma (Japanese) and Nolan North (English)"

A former captain of the Dalmasca militia. Vossler is one of the top soldiers in the Resistance, and takes on the duty of protecting Ashe after she is forced underground. He has a deep respect for Basch, and works tirelessly to restore Dalmasca.

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 * The Captain
 * : You can really feel the emotional intensity when
 * Dalmasca Justifies The Means
 * Foil: To Basch, given their friendship despite coming from different stations in life.
 * Guest Star Party Member
 * Knight in Sour Armor
 * La Résistance
 * My Country Right or Wrong: He puts the wellbeing of Dalmasca first and foremost.
 * The Sixth Ranger: The 1st met in the story.
 * Weapon of Choice: A BFS called Nightmare.
 * My Country Right or Wrong: He puts the wellbeing of Dalmasca first and foremost.
 * The Sixth Ranger: The 1st met in the story.
 * Weapon of Choice: A BFS called Nightmare.
 * Weapon of Choice: A BFS called Nightmare.
 * Weapon of Choice: A BFS called Nightmare.
 * Weapon of Choice: A BFS called Nightmare.

Marquis Halim Ondore IV
""I once knew a girl whose only wish was to be carried in her uncle’s arms. Her Majesty is a woman grown now.""

"Voiced by Akio Nojima (Japanese) and Tom Kane (English)"

The leader of Bhujerba, a city floating in the sky with rich magicite mines. Though Bhujerba claims to be neutral, it is an open secret that Ondore is aligned with Archadia to prevent them from simply conquering his city. However, he is also secretly funding resistance movements against Archadia and seeks to reclaim Bhujerba's independance. He is the narrator of the game.

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 * The Chessmaster
 * Cool Old Guy
 * La Résistance: Not a member, but a close ally.
 * Minor Major Character: Only several actual appearances but, as both the Narrator and the ally of La Résistance, he's pretty important as far as characters go.
 * Narrator: Major events are shown as part of the Marquis' historical accounts.
 * Parental Substitute: Of sorts, to Ashe.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Royals Who Actually Do Something
 * Staff of Authority

Al-Cid Margrace
""I would lay down my life at a single word to be sure… but I harbor no maundering delusions of valiant grandeur"."

"Voiced by Norio Wakamoto (Japanese) and David Rasner (English)"

A member of the ruling family of Rozzaria, a nation rival to Archadia. He works alongside Larsa to avert the war brewing between the two empires, as the cost of such a war would devastate both sides.

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 * Ascended Extra: He had a smaller role in the game before Norio Wakamoto was cast.
 * Badass Spaniard (despite Spain not existing in Ivalice)
 * Carpet of Virility: Good Lord...
 * The Casanova: His special abilities in Tactics A2 let him help and power up the girls on the team.
 * The Charmer
 * Chick Magnet: And, from the looks of it, none of the other girls mind.
 * Cool Shades
 * Glasses Pull
 * The Gunslinger: In Tactics A2
 * Royals Who Actually Do Something: Pun not intended - he does get involved with the events and does what he can to try and prevent another outbreak of war. And he's not even the true/direct heir to Rozarrio, but implied to be one of many - that's got to count somehow.
 * Sharp Dressed Man
 * Sexy Secretary: He's always accompanied by a one who's main job seems to be holding his sunglasses.
 * Tuxedo and Martini: Tactics A2 reveals that he is this sort of Spy for Rozzaria with the unique Agent job.
 * Overrated and Underleveled: In Tactics A2, he cannot change classes. He is the only unit who cannot change classes. Even Vaan and Penelo, who also join with unique classes, are able to class change. This means he can't use any than other than guns, can't ever learn a secondary skillset other than Item, and can never learn any Support or Reaction abilities.
 * The Spymaster
 * The Wise Prince: Yes! Because some of his... well, activities aside, he's a very clever man and a competent politician. When he first meets Ashe he bring up important matters for her to consider, and when the party's shown determined to seek out the Deifacted Nethicite, he makes important points such as actually needing to find what they're looking for. Plus see his above quote.

Reddas ( )


""The illusions of the past. You think to have cast them off, only to find them years later, unwearying, unrelenting. The past can bind a man as surely as irons.""

"Voiced by Takayuki Sugo (Japanese) and Phil La Marr (English)"

The head of the pirate city of Balfonheim, who turned it from a den of corruption into an outlaw but ultimately moral city. Reddas has the honor of being the final Guest Star Party Member in the game.

.

-
 * The Atoner
 * Badass
 * Badass Boast:
 * Badass Beard
 * Bald Black Leader Guy
 * Bald of Awesome: Being prematurely grey and having no hair on his head does not stop him from kicking ass.
 * Guest Star Party Member
 * Heroic BSOD:
 * My Greatest Failure:
 * The Paladin: In the International version he also casts Holy and Arise.
 * Pirate and Sky Pirate: He is called a pirate of both the sea and sky.
 * Real Men Wear Pink
 * : As part of a.
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran
 * The Sixth Ranger: The 3rd and final one to be met in-story.
 * Weapon of Choice: Dual-Wielding Cool Swords, the Chirijiraden and the Ninja Knife.
 * Younger Than They Look: Would you belive that he's only thirty-three?
 * Younger Than They Look: Would you belive that he's only thirty-three?

Reks
""No, sir. I want to fight. For my homeland and for my parents.""

"Voiced by Hideki Tasaka (Japanese) and Yuri Lowenthal (English)"

Vaan's older brother. He was a member of the "Order of Knights of Dalmasca" under Basch. When he rushed to prevent the assassination of King Raminas, he found his comrades slaughtered and the king dead, supposedly at the hands of Basch. He was stabbed, and lived long enough to testify his version of events before dying.

-
 * Big Brother Instinct
 * Bishonen: Just like Vaan.
 * Chainmail Bikini: Its no wonder he died, he's wearing a military issue sports bra and thigh highs with short shorts.
 * Dead Older Brother: to Vaan.
 * Flower Motifs: The Galbana Lily was his favorite flower, Vaan even names his airship after this flower in the sequel.
 * Guest Star Decoy Protagonist
 * Impaled With Extreme Prejudice
 * Nice Guy: Very much so, according to the people who knew him.
 * Promotion to Parent: After his and Vaan's parents died, five years before the main events of the game.
 * Sacrificial Lamb
 * Tragic Keepsake: His pendant which Vaan is seen wearing for the entirety of the game.
 * Unwitting Pawn: He is fatally stabbed by Gabranth in order to frame his twin brother for regicide and tortured to give his testimony against Basch because he to was accused of taking part in the murder.
 * Weapon of Choice: A standard issue sword and shield.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy
 * White Void Room: Vaan remembers his brother dying in one as he sat unresponsive in a catatonic state.

Vayne Carudas Solidor
""Ivalice will know a new Dynast King, and Man will keep his own history! The tyranny of the gods is ended!""

"Voiced by Nobuo Tobita (Japanese) and Elijah Alexander (English)"

The son of the current Emperor of the Archadian Empire, and recently appointed Consul to Dalmasca. His affable nature cloaks his intelligence and utter ruthlessness, and his schemes permeate every part of the plot.

Vayne is a complex character with a multitude of goals:.

- "Vayne: "Observe well, Larsa. Watch and mark you the suffering of one who must rule, yet lacks the power.""
 * Affably Evil: Arguably the most affable villain in the series. When Migelo refuses to drop the "lord consul" title from his name, Vayne invites him to dinner at the palace and tells him he'll get the guy drunk until he gets it right.
 * Aloof Big Brother: To Larsa.
 * Anti-Villain (Type III): While getting to rule the world is a nice plus, Vayne's goal is to.
 * Downplayed in the manga, while Vayne's ulterior motives haven't been shown yet, as it was in the original game, in the manga he's much more manipulative and cruel, getting a new Kick the Dog moment with Vaan as described below and having his speech to the people of Dalmasca omitted.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking
 * Bare-Fisted Monk
 * Big Bad
 * Big Brother Instinct: He does a lot to keep Larsa safe and innocent.
 * Depending on how you view the cutscenes that show the power struggles going on in the Empire, Vayne is aware that his brother would ultimately make a better ruler for the people, but the times are troubled and for the moment Vayne is the better ruler on account that he can handle the war and politics that Larsa is too young to deal with yet.


 * Cain and Abel: Averted with him and Larsa regardless of how different they are they love each other dearly, However in the back story Vayne murdered both of his older brothers.
 * Apparently, his father commanded him to, and it is implied that Vayne had to be forced to carry out those orders. This likely fostered ill will towards his father,
 * The Chessmaster: Though you don't see him on-screen as often as previous villains, it is made clear Vayne isn't just sitting around doing nothing and is working on securing more power for himself.
 * The manga takes it further by revealing the reason Archadia attacked Nabradia and later Dalmasca was due to an insurgent faction in Nabradia seeking an alliance with Rozarria over Dalmasca, and the Archadians feared a civil war in Nabradia leading to a power shift. It is implied Vayne has some hand in the insurgent's rise to power, effectively making him single-handledly responsible for causing a world war.
 * Cultured Badass
 * The Evil Prince: While he has no actual title Prince despite being the Emperor's son, it's implied he killed his two older brothers to get closer to his father's favor.
 * While it may have gained him favor with the Emperor, it was the Emperor himself who ordered (and possibly forced) Vayne to kill his brothers.
 * Evil Virtues
 * Expy Some traits of his match that of Emperor Mateus, including his being the reigning Emperor, his allying himself with a rogue being, and even down to his final defeat on a flying fortress.
 * Flying Weapon: His Sephira swords.
 * Intergenerational Friendship: With Cid
 * Ivalice Justifies The Means: His ultimate goal is a peaceful Ivalice united under Arcadia and him as the Dynast-King. However, "peace" only factors into things once he achieves the "united" part.
 * Ki Attacks: His attacks Mach Wave and Pummel.
 * Kick the Dog: While actually referring to the subjects as dogs, no less..
 * In the manga, during the attack by the resistance at the start of the game, Vaan spies on Vayne and Gabranth watching the carnage, and is discovered and hauled before Vayne. Vayne knows full well Vaan is enraged and mocks him, calling him a powerless dog too weak and cowardly to do anything but kneel at his feet. When Vaan brings up Reks's death, knowing Vayne was at that meeting, Vayne says that since Vaan is a dog, he should be grateful he didn't have to pay for a funeral. Vaan pushes himself to his feet, and when Vayne just mocks him some more for not knowing his place, Vaan finally musters the courage to attack him, only to be blocked by Gabranth. Vayne tells Gabranth to have Vaan executed as he's taken away, and just to drive a knife into Gabranth's heart too, taunts him about his brother and his homeland a bit before he leaves.
 * Kung Fu Wizard
 * Large Ham:
 * Necessarily Evil: Even in his quest to become the new Dynast-King that will unite all of Ivalice,, he is very much aware of the atrocities he commits, and the tragedies his and Cid's plotting have wrought. His remark "my hands are stained with blood, I see little reason to stay them now" alone shows he's aware of what he has done and will have to do in the future to see his goals to fruition.
 * The Unfettered: A more rule-abiding version, he nonetheless states--in a conversation with Emperor Gramis--that he's willing to do whatever he must, even if it means raising his sword and taking life en masse. Especially if he can prevent Larsa from having to do so instead.
 * Power Floats:
 * Storm of Blades: His swords fly around and attack you without him even touching them except during special attacks.
 * Ubermensch
 * Unstoppable Rage
 * Sanity Slippage: Toward the end.
 * Villainous Breakdown:.
 * Villainous BSOD:
 * Villainous Friendship: With Dr. Cid.
 * Villain With Good Publicity: He manages to turn public opinion of him around 180° with one speech. To the kingdom he's just overthrown and put under military occupation. Amazing.
 * Wave Motion Sword: His Gigflare Sword attack.
 * Xanatos Speed Chess: Plays a mean game of it to set himself up on the throne.
 * Villainous BSOD:
 * Villainous Friendship: With Dr. Cid.
 * Villain With Good Publicity: He manages to turn public opinion of him around 180° with one speech. To the kingdom he's just overthrown and put under military occupation. Amazing.
 * Wave Motion Sword: His Gigflare Sword attack.
 * Xanatos Speed Chess: Plays a mean game of it to set himself up on the throne.

Larsa Ferrinas Solidor
""The men of my family, we are taught to place the needs of others before those of our own. I will see that you are kept from harm. It is my duty to House Solidor.""

"Voiced by Yuka Imai (Japanese) and Johnny Mc Keown (English)"

Vayne's younger brother, and competition for the throne of Archadia. Unlike Vayne, Larsa ultimately desires peace and works with the protagonists to unravel the web of secrets that his brother has spun.

As a child of twelve, Larsa is too young to fully understand the harsh realities of the world. Several factions plot from the shadows to either take advantage of his naiveity or to protect his innocence and idealism.

-
 * A Child Shall Lead Them
 * Adorably Precocious Child
 * Badass Adorable
 * Break the Cutie: By the end of the game, everyone this kid loves and cares for is dead. You see him break multiple times as a result.
 * Cain and Abel: Mostly subverted, Larsa and Vayne clearly love each other dearly but ultimately Larsa challenges his brother's authority when he feels he can no longer stay idle to his plans.
 * Combat Medic: You'll probably appreciate Larsa most for his healing skills, but he's a decent fighter too.
 * Crutch Character: It isn't a bad idea to save the optional sidequests and bosses for Larsa's second time joining the party. Besides the fact that Guest Party members are always a good thing for the fourth swordarm, Larsa's infinite supply of Hi-Potions make a lot of the optional parts of the game much easier. Without going into too much detail on how his Gambits work--the kid throws out healing items constantly, which take effect much faster than healing spells and will probably heal more than they do.
 * In the No Export for You International version, guest party members work differently as you can control them. This means that Larsa no longer has infinite high potions, but this is compensated by him getting very useful white magic- more powerful than you likely have at his parts of the game.
 * Dude Looks Like a Lady: People to this day still think he's a she. It's the pretty red shoes.
 * It doesn't help that he's initially known as "Lamont," not the most gender-specific name, and he isn't explicitly referred to as a male by anyone until some time after he joins you.
 * Guest Star Party Member
 * Heroic BSOD: Has a brief one when Al-Cid reveals that.
 * Hyperspace Arsenal: The kid is famous for having an infinite supply of Potions, and he uses them liberally. Subverted in the International Zodiac Job System re-release, where Guest party members use items from your inventory instead.
 * Imperials Who Actually Do Something
 * Intergenerational Friendship: With Al-Cid
 * Item Caddy: Larsa has potions up the wazoo and you will appreciate them.
 * Magic Knight: In the International Zodiac Job System, he masters some Black magic spells, and knows the Shades of black technique, which allows him to cast for free random black spells.
 * Odd Friendship: With Penelo
 * The Red Mage: In the International Zodiac Job System, Larsa becomes one (though different from the Zodiac Job's version of the game). He loses his infinite supply of Hi-Potion, but is granted many powerful white spells before anyone else, and even some black spells (plus the Shades of black technique), making him a jack of all trades. Combined with his quite high Magic power, high MP pool, his ability to wield a sword and his very high evasion, he is a force to be reckoned with, though he still lacks in the HP department.
 * The Sixth Ranger: The 2nd introduced in the story (after Vossler and before Reddas).
 * Weapon of Choice: Dual wields a Royal Rapier called Joyeuse and a Swordbreaker.
 * The White Prince: While he is certainly skilled in politics especially for a 12 year old boy, he is still incredibly naive.
 * Wise Beyond Their Years: He's only twelve, but is very intelligent and well-spoken, and manages to play a few rounds of Xanatos Speed Chess against his older brother.
 * Youngest Child Wins: Towards Vayne.

Dr. Cid (Cidolfus Demen Bunansa)
""The Reins of History, back in the hands of Man.""

"Voiced by Chikao Ohtsuka (Japanese) and John Rafter Lee (English)"

The head researcher of Archadia's Draklor Laboratories. He is the creator of manufacted nethicite, the substance that powers Archadia's war machines, and of various other technical marvels such as airships that can traverse Jagd. He is allied with Vayne and is completely obsessed with the potential of nethicite.

-
 * A God Am I: Shows shades of this at the top of the Pharos.
 * Badass Bookworm
 * Catch Phrase: His quote above, which pretty much explains his entire character in ten words. Chances are you'll be sick of hearing him say it by the end of the game.
 * Dual Boss: With.
 * Evil Genius:.
 * For Science!
 * Gadgeteer Genius
 * The Gunslinger
 * BFG
 * Guns Akimbo
 * Gatling Good
 * Frickin' Laser Beams
 * Intergenerational Friendship: With Vayne.
 * Large Ham:
 * Mad Scientist: Fills the criteria but actually a subverion, Cid is perfectly sane and knows exactly what he's doing. This is lampshaded by Balthier, who notes "he wasn't mad at all," and indeed Cid isn't -- he's just busy talking to someone other people can't see, likes being overly theatrical, and is obssessed with a particularly fascinating and important field of study.
 * Motor Mouth: "Youwillseenopityfromme!"
 * No Indoor Voice
 * Summon Magic: The Esper Famfrit.
 * Talkative Loon: Everywhere he goes, he's incessantly conversing with thin air about his work and plans.
 * Villainous Friendship: With Vayne and Venat.
 * Villainous Friendship: With Vayne and Venat.

Venat
""They are fulfilled beyond your knowing. The Cryst is sundered, Age of Stones, complete. From the Undying ones the world is freed. You shall not tread this path alone. Together we go, come..."

-
 * Affably Evil: Is very polite and well mannered towards others.
 * Ambiguous Gender: Is specifically voiced by a woman, yet the body is ... confusing, to say the least. The voice is also digitally modulated to mimic certain masculine vocal inflections too. Since the Occuria leader Gerun is in the same circumstance, it's tough to say whether the Occuria even have genders at all, or if 'female' is the standard definition for them (as opposed to male). Or they just all have female voices regardless of gender. Either way, it's never specified what gender Venat is, but for simplicity's sake, she's referred to as female in this section from here on out.
 * Anti-Villain: Type III.
 * Blue and Orange Morality: Like the rest of the Occuria, Venat's motivations are as unknowable as her actions.
 * Early Bird Cameo: That ink splot on the cover, alongside the Judge? It's her.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.
 * Early Bird Cameo: That ink splot on the cover, alongside the Judge? It's her.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.
 * : The motivation for the actions she takes.

The Judges of Archadia
Keepers of the law in Archadia who are also the Empire's highest ranking military officers.

Applying to the Judge's as a whole

 * Bonus Boss: In the No Export for You version you fight all of them as a team.
 * Four Star Badass
 * Antagonistic Old Folks: With the exception of Gabranth.
 * Dual-Wielding
 * Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Balthier sums them as "more executioners than judges."
 * Standard Evil Organization Squad
 * Tin Tyrant

Judge Gabranth ( )
""Silence! All was stripped from me. Only hatred for the brother who fled our homeland remains mine!""

"Voiced by Akio Ohtsuka (Japanese) and Michael Rodgers (English)"

An Archadian Judge and the Emperor's right-hand man. The Emperor tasks him with protecting Larsa from the ugly side of politics and war. However, he becomes ensnared in Vayne's machinations and finds his loyalties to the Empire and Larsa tested.

.

He appears in Dissidia Final Fantasy as a Hidden Character.

- "Vayne:
 * Animal Motifs: A stray dog
 * Badass Boast: "Even a stray has pride!"
 * Bifurcated Weapon: In the form of a dual-bladed Double Weapon that can split into its component swords.
 * Black Knight
 * Blond Guys Are Evil
 * Break the Haughty: Actually he's already broke;, the events of the game simply serve to break him even more.
 * Darth Vader Clone
 * Darth Vader Clone

Gabranth:"


 * Determinator: Of the villainous kind, his hatred of is all that keeps him going when he's lost everything else.
 * The Dragon: He's Vayne's right-hand man.
 * Co-Dragons: With Zargabaath.
 * Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:
 * Evil Counterpart: To Basch. He was also is an antithesis for Vaan and Ashe who at the games emotional apex chose to Turn the Other Cheek on the man who destroyed their entire lives while he spent his life mulling in his hatred for Basch.
 * : He's actually a Deconstruction of this trope, having initially had good reason to . By the events of the game however,   was serving the country who originally assimilated his homeland of Landis. This may originally have been justified to him by , but by the game's events he's gradually falling ever further, whereas  . That neither side is entirely right or wrong keeps this trope from being played straight, much like the treatment so many others tropes in the game are given.
 * Exact Words:
 * Failure Knight:.
 * Kick the Dog: The way he tries to goad Ashe into taking revenge by rubbing in the fact that he murdered her father in cold blood.
 * Knight in Sour Armour
 * Sword Beam: His signature skill Innocence.
 * Unknown Rival: His relationship with Basch has shades of this frequently making enraged comments about Basch to his face while Vaan and Ashe are the ones to react more strongly to his presence.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Suffers this after it becomes clear that Basch was able to transcend his past and hardship while Noah is still empty and bitter..
 * You Killed My Father: Ashe is not happy when Gabranth gleefully admits to killing her father and essentially ruining her life (of course, this was his intention with the confession).
 * Sword Beam: His signature skill Innocence.
 * Unknown Rival: His relationship with Basch has shades of this frequently making enraged comments about Basch to his face while Vaan and Ashe are the ones to react more strongly to his presence.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Suffers this after it becomes clear that Basch was able to transcend his past and hardship while Noah is still empty and bitter..
 * You Killed My Father: Ashe is not happy when Gabranth gleefully admits to killing her father and essentially ruining her life (of course, this was his intention with the confession).
 * Villainous Breakdown: Suffers this after it becomes clear that Basch was able to transcend his past and hardship while Noah is still empty and bitter..
 * You Killed My Father: Ashe is not happy when Gabranth gleefully admits to killing her father and essentially ruining her life (of course, this was his intention with the confession).

Judge Bergan
""Too late, and to their sorrow, do those who misplace their trust in gods learn their fate.""

"Voiced by Yosuke Akimoto (Japanese) and Gary Martin (English)"

One of the Archadian Judges who believes that power and might are the key to ruling. As such he eagerly accepts Vayne as the new emperor when he takes power. Has a short but very memorable role, demonstrating he has no problem. -
 * Ax Crazy
 * Blond Guys Are Evil
 * Blood Knight: It's largely implied, but still demonstrated in-game. The manga adaptation shows this is his normal state, with him leading the assault on the Dalmascan troop at Nabudis and clearly enjoying himself immensly.
 * The Brute: Of the Judge Magisters as a group, and of the Archadian military as a whole. Presumably.
 * Face Palm of Doom: To Drace... With a steel gauntlet. That had to be painful.
 * General Ripper/Social Darwinist: He firmly believes that a leader must be forceful, ruling with an iron fist. This drives his loyalty to Vayne.
 * Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: If several of these tropes are any indication, Bergan was, if not kind, at least a more sane man at some point before the events of the game. Even in his first appearance in-story, he's rather brusque but somewhat level-headed - in particular, he seems to take Drace dismissal of Vayne as a leader - by using Judge Zecht's disappearance - as a grave insult to the missing Judge Magister's memory. In his subsequent scenes, his  causes him to first , followed by his.
 * Meat Puppet: By.
 * Serrated Blade of Pain
 * Super Strength: Justified, since he
 * Three Scene Wonder
 * With Great Power Comes Great Insanity

Judge Drace
""Spare me your lies! I see the serpent coiled here before me!""

"Voiced by Yoko Soumi (Japanese) and Julia Fletcher (English)"

Another Archadian Judge, and a more reasonable one. Knowing Vayne is a Magnificent Bastard she doesn't trust him and prefers Larsa. . - ""You wear the mummer's motley well, Bergan.""
 * Carry a Big Stick
 * The Dark Chick
 * Deadpan Snarker: Several times.


 * Honour Before Reason:.
 * Knight in Sour Armor
 * Lady of War
 * Mama Bear: She's willing to commit treason if it means protecting Larsa.
 * Smurfette Principle: She's the only female Judge Magister.
 * Sour Supporter: Towards Vayne.
 * Two Scene Wonder
 * Smurfette Principle: She's the only female Judge Magister.
 * Sour Supporter: Towards Vayne.
 * Two Scene Wonder

Judge Ghis
""Blood alone does not an emperor make, Vayne.""

"Voiced by Ryusuke Obayashi (Japanese) and Mark Wing Davey (English)"

An Archadian Judge - probably the second-oldest after Zargabaath - who plays an important role in the early plot by capturing the party members multiple times. Unlike the other judges, he only seems to be out for himself; in short, he's a careerist and a schemer.When he gets his hands on some deifacted nethicite he. - ""Methods do not interest me. Only results.""
 * Bling Bling Bang: His weapons are gold or at least gold plated.
 * The Chessmaster: Tries, but ultimately isn't as good as the bigger and more well-informed Chessmasters.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: Seems to have shades of this in his first appearances - especially compared to Bergan - but it's really more that he prefers to not dirty his own hands if he can help it. When the party confronts him, he has no further issue with attempting to kill them, though it must be acknowledged that he doesn't appear to hold a grudge afterward. Say what you will about his ethics - or lack thereof - but don't mistake him for a simple-minded mass-murderer.
 * Faux Affably Evil: He's definitely cultured and polite, rarely if ever losing his composure even when . He's also got an enormous ego and an inflated opinion of himself which comes from being a cunning social climber.
 * Jerkass: Polite he may be, but a creep he most definately is.
 * Magic Knight: He has a an Aero spell which is very powerful at the time you fight him and appears to cast Flare during a cutscene but it is absorbed by Penelo's manufacted nethicite.
 * Oh Crap: When he realizes  after
 * Smug Snake
 * The Starscream:
 * Starter Villain
 * The Unfettered:
 * The Unfettered:
 * The Unfettered:


 * Unwitting Pawn

Judge Zargabaath
""The Empire's debts grow legion.""

"Voiced by Ryuzaburo Ohtomo (Japanese) and Simon Templeman (English)"

The final of the five Archadian Judges seen in the game, he's more the quiet type and acts as a voice of reason among them. He's an honourable sort, loyal to Archadia as a nation and ideal rather than any person. . - ""Alexander, flagship of the 12th Dalmascan Fleet of the Archadian army. I address all ships in Rabanastre’s airspace. The Bahamut'' must not be allowed to fall on the city of Rabanastre! We are preparing to ram her! Do not interfere!
 * Anti-Villain: Type IV.
 * The Dragon: He's the eldest of the Judges, and he's also commander of the Alexander, the 2nd-largest ship in Archadia aside from the Sky Fortress Bahamut.
 * Co-Dragons: With Gabranth.
 * Honor Before Reason
 * : ; his speech beforehand is a subtle, but effective, Crowning Moment of Awesome.

"Should she fall, the Paling will not hold, and all Rabanastre will be obliterated! All ships, concentrate your fire on the Alexander's remains once Bahamut is clear of the city.]]""


 * Hey It's That Voice: Kain's picked up some lessons from Raziel, and is now an honourable general.
 * Knight in Sour Armor
 * Minor Major Character: He has the smallest role of the Judge Magisters, yet plays a relatively major role in.
 * My Country Right or Wrong
 * Only Sane Man: He and Judge Drace are probably the most level-headed and reasonable of the Judges, but unlike Drace he tends to keep his thoughts to himself and refrains from antagonizing his lords.
 * Pet the Dog: He attempts to talk Vayne out of.
 * The Quiet One
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Easily the sanest Judge Magister, and arguably more reasonable than both the Senate and the ruling family.
 * Three Scene Wonder
 * What Happened to The Mouse?:

Montblanc
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/265px-FF 12 Montblanc_3925.jpg ""How fares the hunt, kupo?""

Originally appearing in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, he reprises his role in running Clan Centurio, which will offer you monster hunting sidequests. -
 * Badass Adorable
 * Breakout Character: Probably the most iconic thing to the Ivalice Alliance after Judges.
 * Edible Theme Naming Named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Blanc_
 * Hair of Gold
 * Manipulative Bastard: See Revenge trope below. As adorable as he looks, as patient and kind as he is towards Clan members, his ulterior motives essentially boil down to this. Whether the player sympathizes with him afterwards is another story.
 * Mythology Gag: The names of the prominent members of Clan Centurio; Kjrn, Ma'kenroh, Emet and Monid where Clan Nutsy's founding clan members in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Unfortunately in the English version of Tactics Advance these names are randomized so the reference is mostly Lost in Translation.
 * Ridiculously Cute Critter
 * Revenge:.
 * Showthe Forehead: The page picture.
 * Verbal Tic Since he's a moogle, he automatically uses "kupo".

Ba'Gamnan
""The whole affair has the smell of money. I may have to whet my beak a little.""

"Voiced by Koji Ishi (Japanese) and Steve Blum (English)"

A Bangaa bounty hunter with his eye set on claiming Balthier's bounty (he's the green Bangaa in the bottom center - the others are his gang). He is incredibly cruel and his methods are wildly illegal. Such methods include kidnapping and attacking innocents to draw out his prey.

-
 * Bounty Hunter
 * Cast From Hit Points: Has the Souleater skill.
 * Chainsaw Good
 * Demoted to Extra: Ba'Gamnan appears shortly into the beginning with an established desire to get Balthier, and soon after kidnaps Penelo to lure Balthier in. In the following battle, he's so tough it's actually recommended to run from him rather than fight (unless the player's been Level Grinding). Sounds like he'll be a major recurring antagonist, right? Well ... no, actually. He basically disappears from the main plot altogether, reappearing as part of a Hunt, and that's it for his appearances in Final Fantasy XII.
 * Though he becomes a recurring villain in Revenant Wings. You even get the chance to play as him for a brief portion of the game.
 * Disney Villain Death: He gets better in Revenant Wings.
 * Goldfish Poop Gang: He and his brothers in Revenant Wings.
 * Guest Star Party Member: In Revenant Wings.
 * Hopeless Boss Fight: As mentioned above, he and his flunkies appear as enemies after Penelo is rescued, but unless the party is overleveled they pretty much impossible, so it's generally better to run.
 * Lizard Folk
 * Reptiles Are Abhorrent: He and his Bangaa brethren define this trope for Final Fantasy. They seem to be the only real examples, however, since other Bangaa in the game are generally quite pleasant (Migelo comes to mind). Doesn't mean they aren't one of the nastiest examples of it played straight, however.
 * The Smurfette Principle: One of them is the only noteworthy female Bangaa of the entire story. Too bad she also suffers from being Demoted to Extra.

Feolthanos


""You must give your anima to the heavens! Only then will you fly on wings undying!""

The self proclaimed God of the aegyl. , thanks to the Auracite. With the barrier around Lemurés gone, he has started a plot to get revenge on the world. This vengeance is prompted by the Occuria, who tried to dominate the aegyl, thus causing Feolthanos to take them to Lemurés.]]

-


 * A God Am I
 * Winged Humanoid
 * Winged Humanoid
 * Winged Humanoid
 * Winged Humanoid
 * Winged Humanoid
 * Winged Humanoid
 * Winged Humanoid

The Judge of Wings ()
""Illusion is the only true reality.""

A mysterious armored figure who aims to invade Ivalice from the floating continent of Lemurés and start a war between the aegyl and humes. Sky Pirates call her the Judge of Wings due to her resemblance to the Archadian Judges. -


 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant
 * Tin Tyrant

Filo
""I'm gonna learn to fly all by myself! I wanna fly higher than anyone's ever flown before!""

Another orphan from lowtown, Filo follows faithfully in Vaan's footsteps. She still bears the emotional scars of the war, but she doesn't let them interfere with her dream of becoming a sky pirate. She actually appears in Final Fantasy XII, but doesn't do anything until the sequel, where she's part of the main party. -


 * Ascended Extra
 * Bratty Half Pint
 * Cheerful Child
 * Distressed Damsel: She gets kidnapped by B'Gamnan.
 * Jumped At the Call
 * Kid Sidekick
 * Improbable Weapon User: She fights using a Skybandit, a hovering surfboard.
 * Precocious Crush: On Llyud.
 * Sky Surfing
 * Trap Master

Kytes


""I got my hands full watching the shop... and Old Dalan had something for me to do, but I can't get away.""

An orphan living in Rabanastre's Lowtown, Kytes is one of Vaan's closest friends. Hoping to become a sky pirate himself, Kytes practices magick with single-minded determination. Like Filo, appears as an orphan in Lowtown in Final Fantasy XII proper, but doesn't have any real characterization until the sequel. -


 * Ascended Extra
 * Black Mage
 * Cheerful Child
 * Child Mage
 * Elemental Powers
 * Heartwarming Orphan
 * Jumped At the Call
 * Kid Sidekick
 * You Don't Look Like You: He looks far different in Revanant Wings then he does in XII.

Llyud


A warrior from the sky continent of Lemurés. He exhibits a curiosity not commonly found among the Aegyl, for which he is regarded as something as a curiosity himself -


 * Air Jousting
 * Blade On a Stick
 * Death From Above
 * Empathic Healer
 * Life Drain: One of his abilites.
 * My Species Doth Protest Too Much
 * Redheaded Hero
 * The Stoic: Along with the rest of his race, for unpleasant reasons.
 * Winged Humanoid

Velis



 * Hair of Gold
 * No Pronunciation Guide: Going off the Japanese text, his name is pronounced "Willis".
 * Replacement Goldfish: Of Penelo's older brothers.
 * Replacement Goldfish: Of Penelo's older brothers.