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Japan ranks their favorite male characters from the Final Fantasy series By Erren Van Duine on December 17, 2012 at 1:19 AM

The official Final Fantasy forums recently held a vote to determine the top male characters among users.

The results are in, with the top five having been through a rollercoaster race to the finish. Early on Zack and Cloud fought head to head, but Zack’s lead widened in the second half. At one point Cloud ran the risk of being outpaced by Zidane, who eventually passed both Tidus and Squall. After a fierce battle, the top five had finally assembled.

Beyond that are the remainder of the characters counted with a total of 73 names that made the cut. Those with duplicate rankings held the same amount of votes, and are thus counted as a tied ranking.

The next poll will focus on the female characters of Final Fantasy. Read on for the results of the male character assessment.

1. Zack (FFVII)
2. Cloud (FFVII)
3. Zidane (FFIX)
4. Tidus (FFX)
5. Squall (FFVIII)
6. Bartz (FFV)
7. Kain (FFIV)
8. Sephiroth (FFVII)
9. Cecil (FFIV)
10. Vincent (FFVII)
11. Noel (FFXIII-2)
12. Reno (FFVII)
13. Edgar (FFVI)
13. Lock (FFVI)
15. Balthier (FFXII)
15. Laguna (FFVIII)
17. Auron (FFX)
17. Hope (FFXIII)
19. Noctis (FF Versus XIII)
19. Reeve (FFVII)
21. Edge (FFIV)
21. Kuja (FFIX)
23. Irvine (FFVIII)
23. Gilbart (FFIV)
25. Vaan (FFXII)
25. Onion Knight (FFIII)
25. Galuf (FFV)
25. Golbez (FFIV)
25. Zell (FFVIII)
25. Vivi (FFIX)
25. Mash (Sabin) (FFVI)
32. Warrior of Light (FF)
32. Ace (FF Type-0)
32. Kurasame (FF Type-0)
32. Sazh (FFXIII)
32. Cid (Entire Series)
32. Steiner (FFIX)
32. Firion (FFII)
32. Ming-Wu (FFII)
32. Rufus Shinra (FFVII)

Posted in Final Fantasy.
  • http://www.facebook.com/JaeWhy SasuleUchiha

    Same as mine.
    Zack is the best character ever!!!

  • http://twitter.com/AuroraXIII Aurōra Tredecim

    My dear Vaan, WHY YOU NO POPULAR?!

  • http://twitter.com/Nova_Crystallis Nova Crystallis

    I would say I have a group of favorites that I can’t necessarily put in any order. Cloud, Rufus, Balthier, Cid Highwind, Squall, Seifer… I could keep going :)

  • http://twitter.com/Nova_Crystallis Nova Crystallis

    There’s a lot of other notable absences too… like Basch :o

  • http://twitter.com/Nova_Crystallis Nova Crystallis

    The current leaders are Yuna and Aerith from what I’ve seen.

  • tenjyusei

    Awww, Balthier should be higher up there!!! Leading man should be D:

  • http://twitter.com/GunslingerXIX PCS

    Wait. Hold on. Zack was their number 1!? Zack!?! Shocking. Why is Vivi so far down on the list? Also, no Cid Highwind? Now THAT is blasphemy.

  • The_Final_Unknown

    Noctis… Really? The game hasn’t come out yet. Am I missing something?

  • http://twitter.com/AuroraXIII Aurōra Tredecim

    Yeah, I noticed that. I would have thought Basch is just as deserving as Balthier.

  • http://twitter.com/Nova_Crystallis Nova Crystallis

    You can still like a character based on looks I guess.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000207602974 Muhammad Rifqi

    Noel more popular than Noctis? Wow..

  • awaiken

    How is Noctis more popular than anyone? The game isn’t even out yet.

  • awaiken

    That’s a pretty shit reason, if that is in fact the reason.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.hunter.5667901 Jennifer Hunter

    No Snow? I actually quite liked Snow after XIII-2, I thought his character gained more depth. I thought Cloud would be number one due to the fan girls…but i’m happy he’s number 2 instead :P Not my fav

  • Himiko

    Nice to see Noel there.

    Kain should be first. :P

  • http://twitter.com/Missy_Tang Priscilla Tang

    I didn’t feel he gained any depth at all. To me, he was the same old ‘Trust your heart and do what you feel is right without thinking through at all’ Snow. All he gained was a new haircut, some new clothes and new L’Cie powers.

  • http://twitter.com/Missy_Tang Priscilla Tang

    No Ramza and Delita? Or is the Tactics characters not included? But Type-0 is up there… Blasphemy!

  • awaiken

    Japan doesn’t like him. They created Vaan to replace him as the main character.

  • Hedge

    Tidus no. 4? Really? Tidus?

    Balthier only 15th, Kuja 21st and no Basch? What has the world come to?!

    I wonder it would look if it were a western poll. My guess is that Basch, Auron, Gabranth, Cid Raines, etc, would be listed high. Also.. Kimahri Ronso. I really liked him.

  • The_Final_Unknown

    Yup, for all we know he’s going to be a wimpy cry baby.

  • The_Final_Unknown

    Noel has a game, Noctis does not…

  • The_Final_Unknown

    I know why he kept a hat on in XIII. Don’t want Sara Seing your haircut!

  • http://profiles.google.com/omar13003 Omar M’madi

    Squall 5? ok number 1 for me

  • MemoriaMan

    This list kind of sucks. No Ramza? Zack in first place? Noel and Vincent on the list? Tidus is so high up? Meh, I guess people will have their opinions….

  • juma086

    why no love for the sazh T.T

  • srtatuk

    Snow…was probably the worst character in the series. No development, and only annoying “SERAAAAAH!” every five seconds. I was depressed when I heard about his return to LR:FFXII, tbh. I thought he died in XIII-2.

  • srtatuk

    How is the game more popular than anything else? Who knows…the logic of fanboys.

  • http://twitter.com/AcolyteHalcyon Acolyte Halcyon

    I thought Cloud would be first. Not cuz he’s my favorite but I dunno…My first would be Reno though <3

  • http://twitter.com/Nova_Crystallis Nova Crystallis

    The poll was a write-in one.

  • awaiken

    Even worse than I originally thought.

  • InfernoCommander

    Zack is at the top of the list? As should be.;–;

  • Freesun4

    Hooray Tidus is 4th! Laguna and Balthier also made pretty good

  • 1Truth

    Man, Vaan is low on this list. I can’t say I’m surprised seeing as he wasn’t a traditional FF hero. Still, he beat some really popular FF characters like Vivi and Sabin. Good for him! :)

  • Romangelo Perez

    its pretty shitty that Hope even made it to that list, i though the list was based on male characters

  • Freesun4

    His role in XII pretty much backfired but he got some redemption in Revenant Wings.

  • Freesun4

    Gabranth and Cid Raines barely appeared in their own games so it would be hard. The lack of personality for Kimahri would make it hard for him.

    Lots of Western sites have already made their own FF polls and the results have been similar to include Cloud, Aerith, Tidus, Yuna, Zidane, Sephiroth, Kefka, Balthier, etc.

  • CC

    So HOPEFULLY this will give us more Zack in terms of merchandise and apperances in their side games such as Airborne Brigade and Theatrhythm.
    .

  • http://twitter.com/citizenjared Jerd

    vivi is one of the best characters. such a good little guy and just turns into somebody really amazing. lacking in the charisma and pizzaz like some of the other characters on the list, but still, great great character.

  • http://twitter.com/citizenjared Jerd

    i can’t believe Vivi is so low! by far the most genuine and brave of them all! squall was a jackass baby, cloud was an introvert, zack is a badass :D , and zidane was a hopeless womanizer (who was also badass, but less badass than Vivi.) And everybody knows that Locke was way cooler than Edgar ever was.

    oh well, opinions are just that. :D