so what are some JRPGs with good characters?

Final Fantasy XII (minus Vaan).  Balthier really stole the show and General Basch was a confident, stout leader.  Both of them were wonderful.

I always liked Lufia II for it's characters as well.  The whole part where the main character runs off and gets married to someone from his party took me by complete surprise and made them seem human.  I'm anxious for the DS version, but also nervous that they'll butcher what originally made the game special.

Shadow Hearts Covenant.

Final Fantasy 6 and 7.

Resonance of Fate.

I'm sure there's more.

I'll second Shadow Hearts and FVI and FFVII. Tifa from the latter remains my favorite JRPG female of all time, with Karen from the former being a really close second.

I'll add Xenogears to that list as well as Lunar series (they're more memorable than well written, to be honest). Persona series is held by many to have really good characters, though I can only speak for 3 and 4.

If your definition of RPG is broad, I would include Odin Sphere's entire cast. Stellar writing in that game all across the board.

Yeah, Shadow Hearts Covenant has one of the best JRPG casts. I also like most of the major characters in the first two Suikoden games (and to a lesser extent, the fifth).

I'd say Wild Arms 1 & 2. They may be stereotypes to some people, but they really grabbed me - the villains as well. Too bad none of the games beyond those in the series did. I mean WA4's Jude? Don't make me laugh.

I got a few more hours in tonight and I have to say I'm starting to like the characters a lot more now.  After giving them a chance, they've all begun to grow and change due to the circumstances, and the game throws little flashbacks at you every now and then that connect the dots.  I'm even starting to feel something for Selph.. Vanilla..Vanille!

My current favorite characters are Hope and Sazh, for reasons I can't say due to possible spoilers.

Oh and did I mention that I love the battle system?  Because I do.  Wow.

^

How far are you? I just started Chapter 5 and the malaise continues. Maybe it gets better later.

The battle system is pretty great.  I've actually had a couple of game overs due to negligence on my part, but after going back, I realized what had to be done and made full use of all those paradigms.  The fact that there is no MP is still throwing me for a loop.

Hope still needs to die. 

Remember back in the day when there was ONE MAIN CHARACTER?  I rather dislike all this skipping around.  Lightning is the main character and everyone should take a back seat.  I don't want Hope to lead my party.  I don't necessarily need to see how Sazh and Vanille reunite with everyone.  Focus on Lightning and let everything else just sort of happen.  It's like the art of subtlety is lost.

I just hit Chapter 8 and it's right around there, maybe the end of Chapter 7, where my love of all the characters started to finally kick in.

man, I'm proud of you guys. You only posted about 50% pre-voice acting JRPGS!

So anyway, on Final Fantasy XIII...

Just got past chapter 7 and BOY what an emotional chapter that was!  I was pleased with how everything went and how the characters developed.  Perhaps this is the mythological "turning point" of the game?  It felt like it to me at least.

Yeah, Chapter 7 is when the game finally got my interest (and for the most part, has maintained it up to Chapter 10, where I'm at now). The battles have gotten tougher, the boss fights are often intense (and long) and the character development is pretty strong. The plot remains pretty lackluster but the characters have been making up for it.

See, told ya, chapter 7 is when everything comes together.  I so can't wait for you guys to get to chapter 11.

Chapter 7 was the first time I liked Lightning, Snow and Hope... and Chapter 8 was the first time I liked Vanille. I always liked Sazh so he didn't have anything to prove.

Yeah same here.  Sazh is probably my favorite character next to Hope (die haters ), mainly because of what they both "lost" and then have either begun to accept it or are trying really hard to change it. (I know that sounds vague but I don't wanna spoil for anyone who isn't too far yet)

Come to think of it, I'd say "loss" is the central theme of the game so far.  Think about it.

Seems that way. It certainly applies to every member of the main cast.

Some of the bosses later in the game are harder than nails. I was stuck for a while on the Chapter 9 boss... and I fought the Chapter 10 boss for twenty minutes, got him/she/it down to 2000 HP and then Lightning (my party leader) died. I almost threw my controller at the television.

I'm on chapter 12 I think and trash mobs are taking me to town. I spent about 4 hours last night cp farming in a really sweet respawn area and things are looking a little better but yeah.  Fights are really hard later in the game.

Hey, if he didn't start off as a whiny little brat with an Oedipus complex, I'd be fine.

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I finally finished the game tonight. Clocked in at just about 72 hours, nice, a few hours shy of my FFXII time (79 and change).

Without going into too much detail and spoiling anything, I'll say that the ending, like every FF ending, made me cry, and this is my favorite FF game since FFX which came out nine whole years ago.  I'm not done with the game yet, still lots and lots of missions and other side quests to go through, should be fun!

Well done, Square Enix.  Bring on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, as I am now officially a fan of "Fabula Nova Crystallis" and all it will have to offer!

I'm at 35 hours, end of Chapter 11 (the boss). At this point, I just want the game to end. I'm still enjoying the music and there's a lot of visual detail to take in but the story has stopped making sense and several of the characters have lost their luster. I'm still trying to figure out how Hope went from one annoying extreme (whiny angstfest) to another (one "we can't give up!" speech after another).

At least Chapter 11 provided a refreshing change from the obnoxious dungeon design. Chapter 10 was especially a chore to get through. Maybe this just isn't the game for me. I prefer variety in my RPGs. Still going to beat it though because I want to hear the rest of the music in context.

FFX was nine years ago?  Seriously?

That's so depressing, I could just cry.

To add further context, wasn't FFVII released in 1997? My little brother is just a year older. Jesus Christ . . . .

And FFIV came out in 1991.

Woah, I just thought about that and it is indeed kinda depressing.  I'm 26 and FFVII came out 13 years ago.. or in other words.. half of my lifetime ago!  Jeez..

Since I saw the ending credits last night, I noticed quite a few noteworthy guest appearances as minor characters.  Cam Clarke and James Arnold Taylor stuck out in the game like sore thumbs as Cocoon inhabitants, plus I saw John DiMaggio's name in there as well.  I actually turned my head at one point and thought I saw Tidus and Wakka having a conversation with Liquid Snake (no not really).  The one I did not expect was legendary Silent Hill vocalist Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Hope's mother, Nora Estheim.  Very cool.