LogFAQs > #956186594

...today's feeling a little anticlimactic for a rule change day so rather than waiting until we're out of boots, going to take this opportunity to drop my top 10 for winning at the moment. Hope nobody takes offence if their 'main' isn't listed here. In game order:

Kefka Palazzo
First name on the list is, coincidentally, my early favourite to win it all. The perennial contender since his return from hard boot status in XX, he finished 3rd that year (boxed out in favour of everyone's favourite final), 4th in XXI (the infamous "spreadsheet snafu"), and a shock exit in 8th last year. I was feeling a Squall or Kefka win in XXII was in the cards, and with the former winning the title, it's the latter's time to shine. Kefka's problem this year is the same as last - getting support consolidated to him without other distractions lingering around in the endgame that soak up potential saves. Still a lot of runway to go but this could be his time.

Aerith Gainsborough
7th place pre-Remake and 14th last year due to a lawyering, but undoubtedly would've finished top 5 otherwise. Has the advantage of drawing strength from non-FF7 supporters in addition to regular series supporters. Considered by many to be the best part of the Remake, if last year's support is replicated to this year, with a little more luck, a run to the top 5 or beyond could be in the cards!

Sephiroth
Arguably a top victim of my only supporting Cissnei in the early years, he finished in the 30s in XX and XXI before an upsetting soft boot last year, which I feel partially responsible for (was 45 minutes late to the round, made a save when I should have held). So I'm supporting him this year as my #1, what I'm calling a "penance run" (in lieu of any 'justice' or 'redemption' runs). Maybe his surprise entry into Smash Brothers helps his cause? He's only ever had two top 10 showings (7th in XII, 3rd in XVII) so ideally he can go on a bit of a run this year, maybe all the way to the end. Or hell, maybe he gets eliminated in thirty-something place again, who knows! Will be saving him in the meantime.

Yuffie Kisaragi
Including her on this list feels bad but I can conceive of a scenario where she wins so I have to. But she really can finish anywhere between 1st place and well, 79th place as of my posting this. If you don't detect and remove this tumor in time she's going to metastasize in the endgame. But, fresh off some excellent characterization with her Remake DLC chapter, is there a possibility of I N T E R M I S S I O N BOOST fueling a deeper run for her? Can never seem to count this one out in the end and post-DLC, I am more of a fan of hers (or just a fan generally) than I ever was before. Though she's so far down the priority list that her making the finals is probably the only way I could ever throw her a save!

Selphie Tilmitt
"I believe in Harvey Dent"? More like, I believe in FFDragon. 4th and 3rd place finishes in XV and XVI, followed by the dark years (back-to-back-to-back hardboots). Is it redemption run time? Can she reassume her past glory and continue the trajectory she was on pre-hardbooting by making the finals? Or will she get eliminated far earlier because broader support doesn't coaelsce around her? I don't know who was involved in those previous runs for her and whether they're still around or would support her in the end, and there's a chance Doomtrain overlap could get in the way, but you have to like Selphie's prospects more in the long term; though Squall's win last year may ultimately hurt any Finals prospects for her, but who actually cares about back-to-back series wins? (see: XX, XXI)

Vivi Ornitier
Take that text from the Yuffie write-up about cutting out tumors before they metastasize and paste that in here. The contest's only two-time champion, the conditions are always there for him to add a 3rd to his belt. Everybody loves this little scamp; another strong top 10 showing in XX was followed by a couple of years of misfortune, with the infamous "16 seconds" in XXI and a XXII elimination while his top supporter was on a lawyering ban. A natural culmination point for FF9 supporters and Vivi fans of all stripes, you can't even stop his title aspirations by trying to invoke the disgust reaction of a repeat winner; something which he already overcame 5 years ago.

Auron
While he struggles early and midgame, which culminated in a surprise 53rd place last year, we can't forget that he finished 3rd in XXI and was only a few saves away from making the finals and likely winning that contest. You could argue that his performance in XXI was mainly driven as a "redemption run" following his XIX hard boot, but like Vivi, you can't deny that Auron is a legit fan favourite and also like Vivi, can easily become a repeat contest winner as a result. Though he could just as easily be eliminated in the middle of the game like last year, but the potential for victory is certainly there so I feel compelled to include him on the list.

Rikku
Am I putting too much stock in Y-R-P? I want to believe so just in case, might as well hedge my bets here. Can't forget that Rikku finished 5th in XX, granted that was three years ago and I don't know who was involved in that run, but that's recent enough history; if Robazoid can get some more people onboard the train, could that be the last push to go the rest of the way? Then again Rikku was also a surprising early exit last year, in 68th place, but you have to think the conditions for her success are different this year.

Yuna
The ultimate bet-hedging: who's the last standing between Rikku and Yuna? (Paine doesn't enter this equation, sorry). Yuna would certainly have the better contest story, as this is her return from the hardboot in XXI (finished 95th place). Auron was booted in 96th before making a deep run - perhaps it's her time? And if contest XVI was the "Year of FFX", then perhaps contest XXIII can truly be its sequel: "Year of FFX-2".

Ramza Beoulve
Yes, poor Ramza... he always "feels" competitive but never quite gets the saves needed to endure. Well, I still want to believe this is the year for a strong Ramza run; at last year's top 20 I called the dark horse Delita run, and while the conditions for Delita to make the finals can't immediately be replicated, I do believe there are some Ramza supporters which can fill in some gaps and help push him on a deep run. Maybe to the finals, maybe not. Time will tell!

Honourable mentions (last year's top 5 in game order):

-Tifa Lockhart: finished 4th last year but that required a tremendous amount of luck that I don't think can be replicated, and she's also not a top priority for me this year, but that doesn't necessarily spell the end for her. If some new savers fill in the gaps from mine & others' absences, maybe last year's run can be reproduced. Just not feeling it though!
-Garnet "Dagger" Til Alexandros XVII: a strong 3rd place finish last year, but another case where I can't visualize the same run, with some of her key supporters being focused on other projects this year
-Seymour Guado: I want to believe he can build off last year's success! I just can't believe that much, but hey, anything can happen...
-Delita Hyral: again, had a great run last year, but surely it's Ramza's time to shine!!!

That's it for me and predicting though, once we're out of boots I'm putting in the bare minimum, no more holding, going to try to not get invested in anything at all (especially untimely character eliminations). I'll leave the hot takes to whoever still has their finger on the pulse of the contest as it goes on. Though I'm sure I'll get pulled back in really badly once we hit the top 20, that's when things always seem to heat up, oh geez...