Board 8 > Save My Favorite Final Fantasy Characters Special Edition: Day 4 [smfffc]

(+) Yeah! (+)

oh there were rounds

whoops
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I mean yeah

it's a contest
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6. Locke Cole (Final Fantasy VI)

The Good: I like Locke's archetype as the noble thie--er, treasure hunter, and he's got a cool design (love the bandanna, especially) and theme to match. I like his solo section in the World of Balance because it focuses more on stealth than on using brute force to get through. Plus, you get to steal a dude's clothes! He's got one of the more interesting character arcs in Final Fantasy VI as he feels an obligation to protect Terra and Celes due to guilt for failing to save Rachel, although even then, you later discover he hasn't given up on her completely. The reason he's so obsessed with treasure is because he can't let go of the past, and he's determined to find something that can bring her back to life. At the same time, I like that he's able to remain upbeat despite it all and rarely lets his sorrow show on his face. I thought it was a compelling storyline, even if it did culminate in the Phoenix Cave.

The Bad: It sucks that you can't get Locke back into your party until deep into the World of Ruin. I guess it makes sense because it adds drama to Celes's quest to find him again, but still, he misses out on a lot of good content. Also, in terms of battle ability, Locke isn't super great. I give him the Genji Glove and Atma Weapon to help compensate for it, but even then, there are much better options. Plus, Steal rarely nets you anything worthwhile in FFVI. Still, Locke's always in my party if he's available, and it's not like FFVI is a particularly difficult game that you can't win with him.

The Best: I thought the climax of his sidequest in the World of Ruin was really well done (partly because "Forever Rachel" is really fitting for the scene). I like that he's able to get some definitive closure and move on ("I feel lighter than air" is a great line to Celes once it's all over). Plus, he gets a chance at redemption during the ending when he saves Celes as they're escaping from Kefka's Tower. Overall, Final Fantasy was still finding its footing in terms of consistent character development and writing at this point in the series, so Locke really stands out to me amongst the old school games. I think he's as good as they get in that window of time.
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