13. Cloud Strife

First appeared in: Final Fantasy VII (1997)

With his spiky blonde hair and enormous Buster Sword, Cloud Strife is the epitome of JRPG design. When we're first introduced, we see an energetic youth raised in a sleepy mountain village, who now acts as a mercenary sword-for-hire. But as his amnesia-stricken brain gradually reveals a more turbulent past, he evolves into one of the most layered (and beloved) of Squaresoft's Final Fantasy characters.

Final Fantasy VII launches Cloud on a revenge mission to stop antagonist Sephiroth from destroying the world, while subsequent games and expanded material have delved futher into Cloud's troubled story - including the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and even, to an extent, the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Cloud's appeal as a confused genetic experiment, overcoming his past to find love, lose it and still rise up as a beloved leader is a heart-rending journey. He is, and always will be, the definitive FF poster child - an enduring axiom of character desgn.