LogFAQs > #986531562

13. Tita
The issue with Tita is that all of her best qualities and most memorable moments are really vehicles for the purposes of developing other, more interesting characters. Mostly Agate, but also Estelle and Renne to a certain extent. I wouldnt go nearly so far as to say that she approaches being more of a plot device than a character or anything, but when I think of Tita, its pretty much always in relation to other members of the party.

Shes a big time star in one of SCs better chapters, with her relentless support of Agate during the events with Ragnard and Loewe, up to and including her jumping in front of a sword blow for him, and I like how shes progressively characterized in relation to the rest of her family in that shes somewhat more grounded than the truly obsessive inventors but can still get lost in her own world when she gets to work on a new experiment.

Unfortunately, shes also the centerpiece of the disturbing, infuriating, out-of-place side plot in 3rd where the rest of the cast inexplicably decides it wants to taint the otherwise wholesome brother-sister relationship she has with Agate by implying hes a pederast, so Yeah. Its not really her fault, but it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth. She also gets disappointingly little to do with Renne in that game despite a decent amount of effort being put forth to set up some big confrontation that never quite comes. As fun as the Orbal Gear is to use, the final game in the trilogy is not kind to Tita.

12. Anelace
This characters out-of-universe journey is fascinating to me. From an unimportant side character in FC to a playable guest in SC to a full-time party member who inexplicably gets the strongest weapon in the game and becomes a combat monster in 3rd. I mean, sure, alright!

I like Anelace, but she very much stands out as being constantly on the periphery of the plot. The fact that she even gets brought into Phantasma while Grant, Carna, and Kurt end up as enemies doesnt make a ton of sense, but whatever - I wont spend much effort poking holes in a fanservice decision for a fanservice-y game. She does occupy a nice role in the narrative, though, as a relative newbie to the Guild around Estelles age and similar to her in a lot of ways. Again, that sort of thing helps with Bracer worldbuilding in showing us glimpses of what things could be like for Estelle once shes just a little further up on the ladder and dealing with more typical Bracer things instead of, well, everything else.

And shes certainly enjoyable enough when shes around. I get a kick out of her desperate attempt to wish stuffed animals into existence in 3rd and she bounces well off of her most common pairings, but she doesnt have much depth. Even her Door is relatively dull aside from the reward. Thats fine, though! Especially in a series like this, not everyone needs to be super developed by a grand adventure. She serves her purpose well.

11. Mueller
Male Erebonian Julias only real role in the story is to play the eternal beleaguered straight man to Oliviers lunacy, but Well, he plays it to perfection. A big part of Oliviers comedy comes from the reactions he gets from the dumbfounded people around him, and because no ones had more practice in that position than Mueller, no one does it better than him. That sounds like damning with faint praise - Oh, hes just here to make another character better - but hey, the straight man is an integral component of many good comedy acts! He deserves credit for that.

He also benefits from a straightforward cool factor. Ive always loved his design and color scheme, and hes built up solidly as a swordsman to be feared as befits his station. Theres not much development beyond that, although his admission in the Star Door he shares with Julia that a part of him resents that he was forced to be Oliverts lifelong babysitter makes him feel a little more complete. I also really appreciate how, purely by saying his name, he manages to affect Olivier enough to drop his act for a moment and be sincere in 3rds ending.

Extra points, by the way, for his hilariously thin and conspicuous disguise in Azure when he needs the SSSs help finding Olivier. One of the funnier parts of that game, really.

Overall, solid but unspectacular.

10. Zin
Many of my favorite JRPG casts have that one understated character, the quiet, grounding presence in the party, that I never really think much of on reflection. Then I replay the game and am reminded of how glad I am to have them around. Zin is that character in the Sky trilogy, and not just because SCs Thunder God Kick is maybe the most fun attack in the entire franchise to date.

Straightforward and honest, rarely ever knocked off balance - Zin the Immovable, indeed. Hes a nice, chill guy, but he doesnt fall into the characterization you often see with characters like him who have dedicated their life to martial arts. Hes got a witty sense of humor and doesnt mind being relaxed and a little silly when the situation calls for it. I quite like the bits of self-doubt we see in the storyline with Walter, as well. I feel like he gets retroactively more awesome in future games despite not physically appearing, too - seeing how amazing other A-Rank Bracers are gives some context to how effective he must be in his job that we didnt really have before.

He gets a real shining moment in 3rds ending, too, where he and Richard decide to be the first ones to leave because they know no one else will want to fall on that sword. It really shows off his maturity and emotional intelligence, and that role of resolute calm that no one else in the party fills quite as well.

Zin just feels like a very complete character despite a relative lack of screen time and plot importance. The fact that he only just makes the top 10 is a testament to how fantastic this cast is as a whole. I look forward to him hopefully showing up again in Calvard!