Underrated Square Enix Protagonist

Square Enix have proven time and time again that they are masters at writing complex and compelling characters within their stories, but when it comes to protagonists, not all of them have been quite as universally loved as the likes of Cloud and Sora. Whether it’s because their spotlight was taken by someone else, or they simply didn’t make a good enough impression on players from the moment they showed up, there are plenty of reasons why a protagonist could be overlooked, despite the fact that most of the time, they are actually very well written and quite integral to the wider story.

In the case of Square Enix who have been developing games since 1980s, it’s more or less inevitable that some of their leading characters would get sidelined considering how many games they’ve come out with in that time, but there are also a few who really do deserve more credit for their role in the story. With that in mind, it’s time to reflect on the Square Enix protagonists who could be considered pretty underrated for one reason or another, and why exactly they should receive more attention from fans. Games that were published by Square Enix have also been taken into consideration.

7 Noctis Lucis Caelum

While He Can Sometimes Be Overshadowed By His Comrades, Noctis Is Still A Great Character Who Receives Plenty Of Development

Because Final Fantasy 15 was met with a mixed reception from both fans and critics, it meant that the leading man himself, Noctis, unfortunately didn’t get anywhere near as much love as the other protagonists in the series. Additionally, because of how charismatic and jovial his companions were, it also meant that they could sometimes overshadow Noctis’ more stoic and brooding personality, which is a real shame since he’s actually quite a compelling character who goes through a huge personal arc throughout the story.

Although he starts off as a brash and cocky prince who doesn’t really care much about traditions or royalty, after the invasion of Insomnia and the death of his father, Noctis must learn to set his priorities straight and take on the responsibility of being a king, rather than just moping around all the time. He might not be talked about anywhere near as much as protagonists like Squall or Cloud, but there’s still a lot to Noctis’ character that makes him far from a boring or bland character.

6 Jim Corbijn

Jim Is An Incredibly Badass Protagonist Who Unfortunately Was Featured In A Fairly Forgettable Game

MindJack wasn’t exactly well received upon its release, with its clunky controls and awkward hacking system causing a lot of people to write off the game entirely, despite it actually having a few very unique gameplay mechanics. However, one highlight of the game was its fantastic main protagonist, Jim Corbijn, an ex-soldier who became well-known for taking on and surviving a plethora of suicide missions. After the death of his wife though, Jim entered a dark period of his life which he only narrowly escaped with the help of his longtime friend Lyle, who also convinced him to sign up to the Direct Intervention Team to get his life back on track.

What really makes Jim so underrated is the fact that, unlike a lot of protagonists who will start off weak and slowly build themselves up, Jim’s past life as a veteran soldier means that he’s absurdly powerful and dangerous right from the get go. Not only is he a deadly hand-to-hand combatant, but he also has certification to use every single weapon in the FIA arsenal, proving just how much of a badass he really is.

5 Vincent Valentine

The Immense Popularity Of Cloud And Zack Made It Hard For Vincent To Shine In His Own Game

Although Vincent shows up as a party member in the original Final Fantasy 7, he actually takes center-stage as the protagonist in the third-person shooter spin-off game, Dirge of Cerberus. While the game provides a ton of extra development for Vincent’s character, especially in regard to his relationship with his late lover Lucrecia, a lot of fans tend to focus a lot more on both the main game and Crisis Core, and as a result, it means that the overwhelming popularity of Cloud and Zack overshadows Vincent by a pretty large margin.

This is a real shame though, as Vincent’s connection to individuals like Hojo and Sephiroth makes him a genuinely important character who goes through quite an emotional rollercoaster throughout Dirge of Cerberus. He also has an incredibly unique fighting style which, while shown off in Final Fantasy 7, is made to be a lot more flashy and stylish this time around. Therefore, while some would argue that he should be held in the same caliber as Cloud and Zack, Vincent unfortunately doesn’t receive anywhere near as much love as those two often do.

4 Lightning

Lightning Proves Throughout Final Fantasy 13 That She’s Far From A Simple Imitation Of Cloud

When Final Fantasy 13 was first released back in 2010, a lot of people simply wrote Lightning off as nothing more than a female version of Cloud since they do have a few similarities, such as both being ex-soldiers and having a cold and stoic personality. Despite this though, Lightning does prove to be a very different character as Final Fantasy 13’s story goes on. Although she starts off bitter and angry that she couldn’t protect her sister, Lightning gradually learns to take responsibility for her actions and comes to be much more supportive of the people around her who are all in the same boat as her after being branded L’Cies.

Lightning also forges some incredibly heartfelt relationships throughout the story, especially with Hope, whom she essentially takes under her wing as an apprentice, teaching him how to fight and survive as a L’Cie who’s on the run. She may have an emotional side underneath that cold exterior, but Lightning has still proven on numerous occasions that she’s more than willing to stand up for what she believes him, even if it’s against her own comrades, such as her rival Snow.

3 Rush Sykes

Rush Deserves A Lot More Credit For Just How Big Of An Impact He Has On The World Around Him

The Last Remnant was one of Square Enix’s more niche RPG titles that sadly passed by a lot of people when it was first released. However, not only does the game feature some exceptional world building with a plethora of unique areas to explore, but there’s also a large cast of lovable characters that players will get to know throughout their journey, especially Rush, who plays the role of the protagonist. After his sister is kidnapped by a mysterious group of bandits, Rush makes it his mission to rescue her, but along the way, he gets thrown into numerous other conflicts and disputes which eventually see him becoming an incredibly important figure in the wider world.

Considering that Rush is supposed to be a young and fairly naive young man, Square Enix did an incredible job at making him feel as believable as possible, with him showcasing a range of emotions throughout his adventure rather than just reacting to everything that happens. Rush is also no slouch when it comes to combat, being the only character capable of using every skill in the game, which makes him a highly valued asset of the team. It’s a shame that Rush appeared in a game that was seen as pretty forgettable by a lot of people, since he’s a very engaging and lovable protagonist who actually has a lot of depth to his character.

2 Roxas

He May Not Be Sora, But Roxas Is Still An Incredibly Well-Written Character With Plenty Of Charm

Admittedly, Roxas does only act as the protagonist for the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2, but a lot of people jumped at the chance to complain about him because of the simple fact that he wasn’t everyone’s favorite Keyblade wielder, Sora. It’s unfortunate that Roxas received such a bad rep though because, when digging into his personal story and his motivations, he’s much more than a simple placeholder until Sora enters the scene.

Once players take control of Roxas in Twilight Town, they’ll be able to participate in a few fun activities with his rag-tag group of friends, highlighting to the player just how close these people are to one another, and how much Roxas values his friends, which is an overarching central theme of Kingdom Hearts. This time dedicated to hanging out with the gang and forging bonds with each of them makes some of the future reveals incredibly emotional, and it just goes to show that although some people see Roxas’ section as a waste of time, it actually serves a very important purpose in the long run.

1 Tidus

Tidus Can Definitely Be Annoying At Times, But It’s Hard To Argue That He Didn’t Play A Huge Role In Saving The People Of Spira

On the surface, it can be easy to understand why so many people wouldn’t be too fond of Tidus. Whether it’s his constant whining, his cocky personality, or how he somehow manages to always say the wrong things at the worst of times, he’s definitely not a character who’s designed to be likable in the first few hours of Final Fantasy 10. After learning more about Tidus though, and especially his troubled relationship with his father, his child-like attitude starts to make a lot more sense, and is something he actually works on a lot throughout Final Fantasy 10’s story as he adjusts to becoming a Guardian.

On a much bigger scale though, Tidus is literally the anti-thesis to everything Yevon stands for, and as a result, it’s him who instigates the change in tradition that is seen at the very end of the game with the destruction of Sin. If not for Tidus complaining about the rules and barging into places he was never supposed to go, the cycle of rebirth would have only continued, so although he might not be as cool or badass as some other Final Fantasy protagonists, Tidus still deserves a lot more praise for his actions.