When it comes toFinal Fantasy, some of the games have so many characters in them that it’s easy to find favorites while also forgetting some characters who aren’t as prominent as others. Even still, with little screen time, some characters leave a serious impact on the games they’re in, despite not being in them for as long as they should have been.
From off-handed characters that are just the side storylines to the epic tale being told or even party members that don’t get enough screen time to develop their stories, it’s easy to say that these characters made a huge impact with the limited amount of time they had.
Screen time estimates are based on both cutscenes and in-game time spent, with estimations from all their cutscenes in their respective games.
10Cidolfus Telamon
Final Fantasy 16 - Around Two Hours
Name a more iconic and impactful character in Final Fantasy 16 than Cidolfus Telamon. To be honest, you probably can, but Cid is a character with such a huge impact on Final Fantasy 16, but little screentime in the grand scheme of the game.
For a major character, his role was effectively cut short (if you know you know), creating a character that left far too much impact on the game for the amount of time he was on screen. While it was definitely more than others on the list (that’s why he’s so high up), his screen time was relatively brief overall. He averages about two hours of actual in-game screen time.
9Lunafreya
Final Fantasy 15 - Around 50 Minutes
For someone as impactful to the story as Lunafreya, it’s surprising that she had so little screen time in Final Fantasy 15. Lunafreya probably has around 50 minutes of screentime despite being integral to the plot of the game. Although her journey mirrors that of Noctis, her screen time is significantly reduced, making her seem a lot less impactful than she is.
However, when she is on screen, she steals every scene. Even in her ultimate sacrifice, the scene is grandiose. For a character with so much agency in the film and so much to contribute to the plot,it’s a shame she got so little screen timeoverall.
8Vayne Solidor
Final Fantasy 12 - Around 45 Minutes
In a little over 45 minutes, Vayne Solidor was proven to be a captivating character in Final Fantasy 12, with a lasting impression that made fans of him despite his allegiances. He’s slick, smooth, and the performance and delivery provided in FF12 truly captivate you in every scene he’s in.
Not only is he fun to watch, but he’s also a complex villain and a favorite antagonist. He truly believes he’s doing right by making himself the Dynast King, when in actuality, he uses his desire to free humanity as an excuse to become the king of it, using his power and cunning to move players to his whim, all within a short timeframe.
7Benedikta
Final Fantasy 16 - Around 35 Minutes
A tragically interesting character, Benedikta was ripped from Final Fantasy 16 far too soon. With all the hype surrounding her character prior to release, she only gets maybe a few hours at most of screen time beforeshe’s completely removed from the game.
Even though she isn’t seen past the first half of the game, she plays a powerful role in the narrative early on, making her a fan favorite where anyone will tell you she deserved much more screen time, arguably what Kupka got as far as screentime should have gone to her for stealing the show. She truly leaves you wanting a lot more.
6Beatrix
Final Fantasy 9 - Around 30 Minutes
A proud soldier whocompletely destroys you several timesin the game, Beatrix dominates Final Fantasy 9 as a favorite among a cast full of favorites. Her personality and characterization make her shine, and yet you see her three times in a boss battle before she temporarily joins you. Depending on how long your fights with her last, you’re able to see Beatrix for less than 30 minutes.
Past that, you don’t get more of Beatrix. As a boss fight, you get those glimpses of her, and the more you learn about her, the more interesting Beatrix becomes. Unfortunately, she doesn’t reach the potential she could have with more screen time, yet she still managed to steal the show alongside such an iconic cast, which is often showcased more prominently.
5Anabella Rosefield
Final Fantasy 16 - Around 25 Minutes
I never said all the most impactful scene stealers would be the good guys. In just about 25 minutes, Anabella proved to be one of the worst mothers in all of gaming. If there’s one person everyone hated who stole every scene she was in, it’s Anabella.
Anaballe quickly became the most hated woman on the internet right after the launch of Final Fantasy 16, and with good reason. Every scene proved she could be worse than she was before, and there’s nothing worse than a mother treating one of her children horribly.
4Ravus Nox Fleuret
Final Fantasy 15 - Around 25 Minutes
With about half the screentime of his sister, Ravus steals every scene he’s in based on just how much hatred he inspires within those scenes. The guy already wants to hunt his sister down, so that’s not a great start.
Almost every scene is either RAvus antagonizing the gang, or the boys having to trust a clearly untrustworthy character. This dynamic of ‘will he won’t he’ when it comes to betrayal and trust, combined with his ambition and current mission, as well as his tragic monologue at the death of his sister, makes Ravus an unforgettable antagonist in Final Fantasy 15.
3Aranea Highwind
Final Fantasy 15 - Around 12 Minutes
Although she has so little screen time, Aranea was so impactful and captivating in the Final Fantasy 15 story that fans created mods to add her to their party as a Dragoon. Many people will tell you how much they love Aranea, an ex-mercenary with a strong attitude. Commodore Highwind escorts Noctis and the gang through a dungeon in the game, and within that short time, she makes quite an impact.
While your time will vary with her throughout the dungeon, most of her one-liners and the team-up throwaway lines will happen then. She has intel that the party should be privy to, and she helps you in another quick mission later on. She ends up being more than helpful, and her design and attitude make her a fan favorite; her moments in the game also make her iconic, all within just around 12 minutes.
2Jihl Nabaat
Final Fantasy 13 - Less Than Ten Minutes
For about nine and a half minutes, Jihl was one of the most interesting and worst female antagonists in all of Final Fantasy. She was complex, and a character you’d love to hate, making her a scene stealer who really used her ten minutes to ensure you hated her more and more. Unfortunately, she wasn’t utilized as well as she could have been, given her short screen time and untimely, and quite disappointing, death.
Her story was unique; as a human without magic, she was the intelligent villain, much more enticing and easy to hate than the true villain. We could have had a Final Fantasy with both a female antagonist and protagonist, but we had to settle for the ten-minute Jihl, who stole the show instead.
1Cor Leonis
Final Fantasy 15 - Less Than Five Minutes
The handsome Marshal stole the show with very little screentime, thanks to being an intense and handsome character beautifully voiced by Matthew Mercer. Cor Leonis continues the problem Final Fantasy 15 has of introducing unique and complex characters that you want to know more about, who don’t have enough screen time in the main game to truly give fans everything they want from them.
He shows up with an explanation for Noctis, questioning his motives and pushing him along in one of the most emotionally charged scenes in the game. Letting Noctis break down, but also explaining the need for him to stand up for his people and understand that his father’s last moments were a reflection of his desire to be just that —a father. It’s a pivotal scene that had a profound impact on the game, granting Noctis the power of kings and solidifying Cor as an intriguing character.
