5 Final Fantasy side characters, ranked based on narrative impact

sportskeeda.com:

Final Fantasy has so many amazing characters in its rich history. Many of the protagonists, antagonists, and side characters typically contribute something to the overall games' narratives. Some characters are more important than others, though, and a roleplaying game is only as good as the story that it tells.

Some characters' tragedies help add to the power of a narrative, and other times it's the mistakes they make that make a tale more interesting. But when it comes to this franchise, which characters bring the most to their games' narratives?

When it comes to side characters in Final Fantasy, the primary criteria is simply being a character in the game. They do not have to be a character that joins the party, permanently or temporarily. As long as they are not the primary protagonist and influence the overall narrative of the story, they could have made the list.

There were so many characters that almost made it, though. Algus from Final Fantasy Tactics’ actions towards Delita and his sister almost brought him to the top 5. Various iterations of Cid, in particular Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy XII, almost made their way here as well.

Seifer Almasy, a student at Balamb Garden, he’s the mirror image of Squall Leonhart, Final Fantasy VIII’s main character in a variety of ways. He’s also a primary antagonist for much of the game. However, Seifer is not an especially evil man. He is generally rude and a bully, but his goal of being a knight was one he’d do anything to achieve.

He's believed dead after holding the President of Galbadia hostage, but winds up joining Galbadia. Seifer Almasy can be seen as responsible for Galbadia’s push towards aggression, as well as siding with the Sorceress. He helps push the world