Best Final Fantasy Parties

Parties are the lifeblood of the Final Fantasy series. All these characters need a great plot to take them on an engaging journey to make it all interesting, but there are many reasons why characters in this series tend to become immediate fan-favorites.

One of those reasons is their interpersonal relationships, in addition to how well they work together when fighting monsters. Despite usually going for the regular party of three, the series often tries out other things, and the results of these experiments tend to be rather magical. Let’s look into the best parties in Final Fantasy history.

7

Final Fantasy 9: Zidane, Dagger, Steiner, & Vivi

Rivalry Turned Friendship

Final Fantasy 9

Released

July 7, 2000

ESRB

T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language

Zidane begins the game as a scoundrel, a stark contrast to Steiner and his incredible loyalty to the crown. That becomes even more of a problem when Zidane more or less kidnaps the princess, Dagger, so the two clash as soon as they meet. Vivi, a pretty alien entity when compared to the first three, surprisingly falls into Steiner’s good graces as soon as they meet, courtesy of his amazing powers.

The game does a good job of showing Steiner and Zidane getting on good terms to face the real big problems in that world, and these four share easily the most interesting dynamic in the game.

6

Final Fantasy 7: Cloud, Barret, & Tifa

An Avalanche Of Chemistry

Final Fantasy 7

Released

January 31, 1997

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes

Final Fantasy 7 hits the ground running with Cloud, Barret, and Tifa on a mission to deactivate Midgar’s Mako reactors. The game quickly goes in a different direction, but destroying the reactors responsible for killing the planet seemed like a plot worthy of the endgame — even though here it was just the start.

This party works because of how different these characters are from what the series had accustomed fans to. Cloud’s quiet demeanor bounces off perfectly against the loudmouth Barrett, and possible love interest in Tifa only helps make things more interesting. It also helps that this will remain one of the strongest party setups throughout the entire game.

5

Final Fantasy 10: Auron’s Original Crew

Time For A Prequel?

Final Fantasy 10

Systems

Released

December 17, 2001

ESRB

T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

Auron is undoubtedly the coolest and most beloved character from Final Fantasy 10. He’s like an aged Squall from FF8, and a cool father figure to Tidus, who never gets to learn much from his father.

The main cast of FF10 isn’t the most memorable in existence, but the members of the party whose footsteps the main cast are following seemed like it was way more fun. Getting a chance to have a deeper look into those characters would have given more gravitas to the story, and it would have been a lot of fun to see prime Jecht and Auron in action.

4

Final Fantasy 8: Squall, Zell, & Rinoa

Great Chemistry And Great Might

Final Fantasy 8

Released

February 11, 1999

ESRB

T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Cloud, Barrett, and Tifa worked so well together that Final Fantasy 8 went for an even more extreme version of that dynamic. Squall is even more closed-off than Cloud. Zell doesn’t have much of a potty mouth, but he’s easily the most hot-headed character in that game. Finally, Rinoa is even more of an obvious love interest for the main character.

This dynamic works because Zell, surprisingly, is a fantastic wingman, even when nobody is asking for his help, which is the entirety of the game. It also helps that this is one of the most overpowered parties one can get in the history of the Final Fantasy series.

3

Final Fantasy 12: Basch, Balthier, & Ashe

Some Of The Most Underrated Characters In The Series

Final Fantasy 12

Released

October 31, 2006

ESRB

T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes

When originally planned, Final Fantasy 12 wasn’t going to feature Vaan as its main character. That was going to be Basch. It makes sense, as his story is much more central to the plot of the game, and many feel that he’s just a much cooler character. Balthier is likely everyone’s favorite already, so his inclusion here doesn’t require much explaining. Ashe is the most central character in the story, and also one of the most interesting characters in the game.

Luckily, Final Fantasy 12 allows players to set up their party as they want. This way, they can just organize it in a way that’s both more faithful to what was originally intended — and is also way more fun.

2

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Cloud & Sephiroth

Uneasy Alliance Perfection

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Systems

9/10

Released

February 29, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence

Sephiroth is one of the few Final Fantasy villains to ever join the party, and this should happen more often, as the result was a blast. Final Fantasy devs know that a great way to show off a villain’s power is by simply having the villain obliterate the main party. But another option — probably an even better one — is to have them join the party and allow players to experience being in their shoes, even if only to see how much more powerful they are.

Rebirth does this beautifully. It does a great job of creating friction between the uneasiness of playing as someone players know will turn into a monster, and the joy they’ll get from feeling stronger than any enemy in the game.

1

Final Fantasy 15: The Gang

If There’s One Thing FF15 Did Well, This Was It

Final Fantasy 15

9/10

Released

November 9, 2016

ESRB

T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence

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When videos showing what the long-delayed Final Fantasy 15 was really going to be about, many scoffed at the almost “boy band”-like dynamic that would be at play. They were wrong, but not in the sense that this would be a game about friendship.

The relationship between Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus is the focal point of this game, and it absolutely works. There’s no denying that the game has many flaws, most of them stemming from its hectic and incredibly long development cycle. But the bond between these characters is more than enough to make the entire adventure worth it — and even quite memorable.