Final Fantasyboasts one of the best casts inJRPGhistory. Many characters are so iconic that even players who have never touched a game in the series can recognize them instantly.
However, despite their design and personality, someFinal Fantasyparty members are relatively weak compared to their fellow adventurers. I’m not talking about their narrative importance but their gameplay utility in battle.
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This article highlights the weakestFinal Fantasyparty members, who we usually avoid using in combat due to their lackluster abilities or stats that pale in direct comparison.
To be clear, this list is geared toward those playing the games casually, not players aiming for 100% completion or using speedrun strategies, as that completely changes the gameplay experience.
I’ll include only one character per mainlineFinal Fantasygame to keep the list dynamic, excluding job-based and online titles.
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy 8
It’s hard to pinpoint the weakest party member inFinal Fantasy VIIIbecause everything is tied to the Junction System, meaning the player determines which stats to boost. Ultimately, everyone can be strong, and it all comes down to each character’s Limit Break. Quistis becomes the “weakest” among the core cast using that criterion.
While characters like Squall, Zell, and Irvine have Limit Breaks that repeatedly chunk damage, making them boss executioners, Selphie and Rinoa have a significant focus on offensive and supportive magic. Quistis falls somewhere in between, serving as theparty’s Blue Magewith a versatile set of learnable skills.
And while there’s an argument to be made for Degenerator being the ultimate skill against common enemies, that’s precisely the gist of it—common enemies.
Final Fantasy VIIIis weird because it’s often better to avoid battles or not level up too quickly, so eliminating common enemies too frequently isn’t all that advised.
8Gladiolus
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy 15
It’s tricky to talk aboutFinal Fantasy XVbecause if you’re like me and played the launch version, you didn’t get to experience the swappable party members feature. And even if youplayed the individual DLCs, the characters were crafted specifically for those, removing the need for an entire party.
Still, if I had to pick one, it’d be Gladiolus. Not because he’s weak, but because among the four bad boys, he’s the least advantageous.
The main issue is that Gladio is stupidly slow, which makes it difficult to unleash his powerful attacks when his rage meter is full. He works great under AI control, as enemies tend to focus on him while we dish out damage with the others.
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However, you may still have fun playing as Gladio. His fight against Gilgamesh is quite good, makingFinal Fantasy XV’scombat feel as reactive as possible.
I always found playing as Noctis to be a mix of Warp Strikes and mashing the dodge button. Blocking at the right moment and timing attacks correctly with Gladiolus offered a refreshing change and showed the battle’s potential.
7Vincent Valentine
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy 7
Wait, what about Cait Sith? I hear you protesting.
It hurts me, too, mind you. Vincent Valentine was my favorite character inFinal Fantasy VII, and while I love his design, tragic backstory, and weapon of choice, attribute-wise, he’s pretty mediocre.
Vincent is more of a mage than a physical brute, yet his Intelligence and Spirit are the same as Cait Sith’s while boasting the lowest HP in the crew.
Vincent’s biggest problem, in my humble opinion, is his Limit Break. Against common enemies and simple bosses, he can be a menace.
But try telling my teenage self that usingVincent’s Limit Breakagainst Safer Sephiroth was a good idea. I had to sit through an auto-battle while two party members were down, and an uncontrollable Vincent was dealing miserable damage.
The bottom line is that there’s no reason to add Vincent to the party besides his slick design and monstrous appearance. There’s a case to be made if you’re farming the Death Penalty weapon, but it’s just not worth it. When it comes to the weakest party member, sadly, our former Turk takes the cake inFinal Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy 9
Amarant is a mix between a Ninja and a Monk inFinal Fantasy IX.He can throw weapons and Gil to deal a fairly good amount of damage, and has some support abilities like Chakra and Aura with attractive beneficial effects. Still, compared to other party members, he falls short in both damage and usability.
The blue-skinned human joins the party quite late, so if you want to use him, you’ll have to dedicate a few battles to develop his potential.
While he can deal decent damage, Zidane and Steiner are stronger, and you’ll likely want a magic user and support character in yourFinal Fantasy IXparty, pushing Amarant aside.
Quina takes his spot when it comes to versatility. At first, the frog-lover might seem weak, but Quina becomes extremely useful with abilities like White Wind, Mighty Guard, and Auto-Life. And if you go frog hunting, Frog Drop becomes one ofFinal Fantasy IX’s strongest abilities.
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Kimahri’s biggest issue is that he starts in the middle of the Sphere Grid, with several growth possibilities. This can confuse the casual player, even thoughFinal Fantasy Xis excellent for beginners.
Many end up following Lulu’s path, leaving him weaker than the usual physical attackers and not a strong magic user as the game’s dedicated Black Mage.
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And yeah, I know you can have him learn Holy early or optimize him down Auron’s path as a warmonger. But as I mentioned, it’s hard to figure this out on your own—especially for someone playingFinal Fantasy Xfor the first time.
The point is, it’s difficult to justify putting Kimahri in the party when every other member can do what he does, but better. Like most Blue Mages, he’s the Jack of All Trades, Master of None, and by the time he gets strong enough, the rest of the cast will be even stronger.
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy 13
Final Fantasy XIIIis a game that seemingly plays itself, which is why many consider it one of theworst battle systems in JRPGs. However, despite the automation, the Paradigm system is much more tactical than it seems on the surface, and if you’re not paying attention, a game over will be waiting for you.
All that to say, most party members are useful in their respective roles, even when the Crystarium expands and gives everyone more versatility.
The thing is, Sazh starts off as a primary buffer with his Haste magic, but soon enough, he becomes weaker than other characters. Fang is stronger, and Hope is more useful, pushing Sazh to the sidelines.
However, since most ofFinal Fantasy XIIIis linear and forces you to play with him at various points, he still has his uses. But once you reach Gran Pulse, you’ll hardly have a reason to keepthe best daddyin your fixed party.
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
You’ll notice a pattern in this list that I absolutely despise—uncontrollable playable characters. Umaro, the physical yeti powerhouse fromFinal Fantasy VI, is incredibly strong, but his potential is limited because we cannot control his commands.
Umaro can use up to four abilities, depending on the equipped item. The “advantage,” in huge quotes, is that he can still act even under certain debuffs. The biggest downside, however, is that he just mindlessly attacks enemies, unable to assist allies with items or magic if things start to go south.
Since he’s only found in the World of Ruin, we’re usually already used to other characters by then. Umaro has very specific uses in the game, especially for those tackling the Coliseum or the Cultist’s Tower. Other than that, there’s not much appeal to Umaro.
Final Fantasy II
Talking aboutFinal Fantasy IIparty members' strengths is weird because almost every character is a blank slate, and the players can develop them however they want.
While Leon could be considered the weakest fixed-party member since his stats are much lower by the time he joins than those of the starting trio, I’ll argue in favor of the guest characters.
The fourth party member inFinal Fantasy IIis usually a guest. Some are great additions and valuable in dungeons, from the incredible white mage Minwu to the robust monk Josef. And then we have Gordon, a guest member who joins the party with early-game stats.
Gordon’s attributes wouldn’t be a problem if he actually joined at the start of the game. But since he comes in later, he arrives incredibly weak and without Leon’s advantage of being a fixed party member. The best option is to let Gordon die in battle and focus on leveling Firion, Maria, and Guy instead.
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy 4
There’s nothing worse than a party member that wastes a turn. And even if Edward inFinal Fantasy IVcould be used effectively, he’s hardly helpful. Like most characters in the game, he’s temporary. But it’s best to pull a Tellah and ignore his presence while we have him.
The spoony bard has low physical and magical stats and an ability called Hide, which removes him from battle—basically a big red flag about his usefulness. He does have Bardsong and Salve, with the former potentially inflicting a negative status on enemies and the latter dividing a usable item across the whole party.
The thing is, Edward is highly unreliable. He deals minor damage, his Bardsong doesn’t always work, and Salve can be pretty good, but it has limitations.
And all that is only when Edward doesn’t flee from the battle of its own volition. The character’s presence is fleeting, and throughout his time, we only remember he’s splitting the party’s experience.
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