Difference between revisions of "Rate the Characters of Chrono Cross"
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'''Zipp Dementia:''' Nu. Because life ends and begins with Nu! That's my belief...at least for now...Seriously, the Nu was one of the more enigmatic creatures from Chrono Trigger. | '''Zipp Dementia:''' Nu. Because life ends and begins with Nu! That's my belief...at least for now...Seriously, the Nu was one of the more enigmatic creatures from Chrono Trigger. | ||
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| − | Aaand we're done! Thanks for navigating that visual and textual assault. If you're in a Chrono Cross mood after reading, | + | Aaand we're done! Thanks for navigating that visual and textual assault. If you're in a Chrono Cross mood after reading, hit the [[Chrono Cross Demo]] page if you haven't already to see interesting things that were in development around the time the demo was shipped with Legend of Mana. Thanks to all the contributors, too! |
''From'': [[Features]] | ''From'': [[Features]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:53, 1 October 2009
- 3.25-4.00 A
- 2.50-3.24 B
- 1.75-2.49 C
- 1.00-1.74 D
Taking those and the discussion comments left by the Compendiumites, we've got our feature! The characters are ranked from lowest to highest score with accompanying images. Click the character names to go to their encyclopedia pages. Some of the images are taken from Compendium Fan Art; if you'd like to know the artist, just hover the mouse over to display the alt-text. Well, let's get started! And what better way to get started than with that most evil of evils; that ultimate character suckfest KorCHA?
KORCHA - RATED 1.17 - D
Kyronea: In combat, he's not that great. He can come in handy only at one particular time when you're trying to get the Hydra Humour, but that's it...plenty of better characters. I admire the kid's willingness to help others, but the guy gets overly pissed too easily. Furthermore, he is NOT someone who should have been a playable character. He serves a purpose as an NPC, and then after that, what's the point? While his reaction to himself is amusing, that's all there is to it. Pointless. Simply pointless.
Pyt Fumv: MY EYES!! Annoying, annoying, annoying. But what did'CHA expect from a character with barely any purpose after he helps you out once?
nightmare975: Why wouldCHA talk like this?
FUNGUY - RATED 1.17 - D
Kebrel: I found him to be a very original character, but he was never important to the plot or expanded upon as a character, and his dialogue wasn't anything special either. He wasn't that great in combat. His only redeeming factor is that he reminds me of the poem "Fungi from Yuggoth".
V Translanka: To me, his only saving grace is a quasi-cool line where he says, "I'll follow you to the depths of hell!" (or something along those lines). I don't think it's that much of a help for him though; he's really just a nothing character. I'm surprised his daughter didn't end up playable too.
ZeaLitY: At least he provided a good outlet for Richard Honeywood's vocal humor. Funguy, Fungi, get it? I hear enough of those jokes with the Mario series, so it's refreshing to see it pop up somewhere else.
JANICE - RATED 1.17 - D
rushingwind: For design, she might be kind of cutesy if it weren't for those gigantic hands, tail, and ears. If they were normal-size, it would be different. She was all right in combat, but I never used her. There were many other characters who were more useful, so there just never was room for her in my party. Other than that, I sat here five minutes and tried to think of one good thing to say about her. I still can't. She wasn't interesting at all. Just a character the staff probably thought up in five minutes and threw in there.
Radical_Dreamer:
- Design: Absurd.
- Combat: She wasn't worth the trouble to get.
- Tilt: Why even bother existing?
ZeaLitY: I wish whoever voted "B" would supply a reason. I'm genuinely interested.
MEL - RATED 1.27 - D
ZeaLitY: Okay, Mel.
- Design: What we have here is an NPC from Guldove, childhood age, with a smarmy face.
- Combat: Combat!?
- Tilt: "Hey look, I stole your Elements like Yuffie, except I'm just a brat." As if we didn't have enough with Korcha, we get a double dose of Guldove-Pissoff with Mel, who sulks / yells / cries the entire game. I find nothing interesting, profound, or captivating about this character. For goodness's sake, Kato should have told his development team to shut the hell up with their great ideas for extra characters.
Kyronea: It's like Zeality said...she's basically like Yuffie, except without all of the redeeming qualities, cuteness, and charm Yuffie possessed. In other words, she's a whiny brat who ought to shut up and leave Serge and the gang alone.
rushingwind: A little kid, and a brat at that. Not cute at all. The double-tech with Kid is nice, but that's not enough reason to keep her in the party. Ugh. Didn't like her at all. Not even a little bit. Like others have said, she screams Yuffie and she's not even as redeeming or useful.
nightmare975: I'd vote her an F if I could.
ZOAH - RATED 1.27 - D
NIGHTMARE975: STRONG, BUT I NEVER REALLY LIKED CHARACTERS THAT USED GLOVES. TECHS WEREN'T THAT SPECIAL. SERIOUSLY, WHY DID HE HAVE TO TALK LIKE THIS!?
V TRANSLANKA: HE'S A MAMMOTH LOOKIN' GUY WITH SCARS ALL OVER HIS BODY, A WEIRD LITTLE SKIRT THAT COVERS HIS UNDEROOS 3/4 OF THE WAY...OH, AND A HELMET...OOOOOOOOOO...THAT ADDS MYSTERY! HIS ORIGINAL DESIGN IS SIMILAR THOUGH MINUS THE SCARS, MINUS THE GIANT SPIKY THING OVER ONE SHOULDER, AND HIS HELMET, I THINK, LOOKED COOLER.
PYT FUMV: AHHHH HE'S NAKED! HE GETS ABSOLUTELY NO DEVELOPMENT BUT I LIKE ONE OF HIS LINES ABOUT DYING IN BATTLE OR SMTH
MAGGIEKARP:
- DESIGN: MEAT
- COMBAT: RARGARGHAG
- TILT: SHOUTING IS MY ACCENT, I COME FROM LOUDLANDIA
ZEALITY: JEEZ, HE SOUNDS LIKE HE COULD BE SO INTERESTING AS A BYRONIC BATTLE HERO ADAPTATION OR SOMETHING WITH A DARK PAST AND SERIOUS REGRET, AND HIS LOOK OPENS HIM UP FOR A COOL DE-MASKING, BUT ALAS, THAT'S ABOUT IT (A GAS SHORTAGE AND A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS)
KEBREL: A TRUE EXAMPLE OF RULES 30 AND 31
RADICAL_DREAMER: THIS THREAD IS POSSIBLY THE MOST LEGITIMATE USES OF CAPS-LOCK FOR SATIRE ON THE ENTIRE INTERNET.
MACHA - RATED 1.33 - D
maggiekarp: I thought her in-game sprite was adorable, and she reminds me a lot of my mom. Definitely an unconventional design in a world of anorexic, scantily-clad teens. Not so great in combat; didn't use her that much. I liked her as a character and a non-annoying option to choose instead of Korcha, but she would be much better off as an NPC. I liked her attitude.
ZeaLitY: She's some Guldovian's lame mom. She's drawn to be homely, laborious, and borderline blackface minstrel. None of these suggests any kind of experience or taste for battle or adventure. Notice how her techs are named after household chores? They're just as useful. Like Korcha, "Why wouldCHA talk like this?" Check out her Frozen Flame quote: "Why can't we all just be happy for once? If only we could all hold hands and live together in peace and harmony? Why can't people understand this...?" Magus would get a few laughs out of that.
V Translanka: She's pretty much just another lame character who joins up for no reason. She's also part of the CHA family, and her only saving grace is that she tells off Korcha for being a douche (AND she's the one in the series who points out that Serge doesn't say he won't help Kid, but that he's just not sure what to do).
SNEFF - RATED 1.33 - D
Kyronea: I don't recall ever using Sneff. I really like the music that plays during his little magic show, and of course it's fun to be turned into a cat, but did we really need a PC Sneff? Nyet. He's barely justifiable as an NPC.
maggiekarp: Sadly, if he had some dental work done, I'd probably find him attractive. He had mad potential; he was a major character in the funnest side-quest of the game, but...just not quite there yet.
ZeaLitY: I feel sort of bad that he got such a low rating, but that's just how it goes. He could have achieved a lot more recognition if the backstory involving the Magic Guild and his days with Guile had been fleshed out. He's sort of a lovable bum.
NEOFIO - RATED 1.46 - D
CelestialPhantasm: Cute. Nice use of color. The vines coming out of her sleeves in battle look very cool and give her a more dangerous look. Useful for Hydra Marshes when going to save Kid because her tech hits all enemies (and the gnomes are weak to it) Low HP. I don't remember her being that great later on. While Mojo may have had no solid connection to the plot, he had enough style and conviction (and a little side story) to earn him a B rank in my book. NeoFio is sort of just there. I certainly don't dislike her. She's a cute and friendly anomaly. But as far as playable characters go... I'm not sure she has what it takes.
maggiekarp: Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute, but useless.
rushingwind: A plant based character is interesting in and of it self (a little), and then you have the little side-trip to obtain the Life Sparkle. Her little speech about her perceived meaningless existence does endear me to her a little. A little bit. But she never should have been a PC.
ORCHA - RATED 1.50 - D
V Translanka: He's the epitome of one of those chefs who ends up tasting everything three times before he's satisfied. Bulky chopping muscles? He's the other one who uses kitchen utensils...it's odd because his character design shows that he HAS two big-ass butcher knives, but apparently they're as used as Ayla's wooden club was. He's got a kinda cool Tech though when he uses his dark side. No amount of evil dark multiple personality disorder is going to make a chef a cool character, and it unsurprisingly didn't work here. Kind of a boring character...he's got family which you'd think might count for something, but it really doesn't.
ZeaLitY: His design's not that bad. For a chef, this guy kicks major tail. Two meat cleavers and a turtle shell armor pot are original. Orcha might not be playable character material, but he gets some cool development through his 'dark side' and an even cooler Frozen Flame quote about how his dark side is a part of him, and not some separate entity.
MIKI - RATED 1.54 - C
rushingwind: She is pretty, and I actually like the star tattoo on her face, and the crecent moon headband...but the rest of her outfit is kinda weird. What's up with the leggings and the strange, flip-flop-like shoes? I actually found her "Dance On Air" tech quite useful in combat...but not much else. All in all, I didn't think she should have been a playable character at all. So, we have another girl pining away over an unrequited love interest. And...that's about all we know about her character. She dances and sings a little during the concert scene (which, I have to admit, I really liked the concert), then gets depressed and joins Serge. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
V Translanka: She's just another NPC that happens to join you (she joins you because she's BORED!!!). Maybe she likes Nikki, I guess...but nothing really is known about her...*shrugs*
nightmare975: She can fight!?
Kyronea: Let's face it: apart from the occasional poke at Nikki and mild -- MILD -- amount of friendship with him, she's utterly worthless as a character. She has no depth, no pizazz...she's just a flashy dancing girl.
POSHUL - RATED 1.79 - C
SimChao: If you use her throughout the game, Poshul is much more of a tank and physical powerhouse than her image implies. Not as deadly of a pure attacker as someone like Karsh, but it's notable that Poshul on average has a higher hit-point rating than Serge and can do very notable damage on the physical side when trained. A lot of people are oblivious to this, since they shelf Poshul after the early stages of the game. Poshul doesn't have much of a backstory to speak of, but she doesn't need one. If you recruit her in the very beginning before you leave for Home World, she adds a lot of color and personality to an otherwise dreary section of the game, and it's also noteworthy that she is the only character that you can recruit before being teleported to Another World. Speaking of which, I've found that having her around after being teleported to Another can be rather comforting, because it feels like even though all the chaos of the game, you always have a little piece Home World with you in Poshul and all of her comedic goodness. XD Poshul is just a tongue-in-cheek character, and some people blast her for it, not realizing that she isn't supposed to play a serious and important role in the game - there are plenty of other characters to do that if you wish (though I generally don't like the generic, angsty "badass" characters that are all carbon copies of one another). Having Poshul in my party is always a delight.
maggiekarp: Easily Yuuki's best work for the game. I dare you to find another character so cuddly, so furry, so huggably rapably adorable with half of Poshul's personality and development. Lordy, it's like Magus made love to Taban's leg eating machine and they had a beautiful stuffed animal as a baby. Almost made the game TOO easy, if you ask me. Poshul is an enigma wrapped in a rubix cube wrapped in roadkill, but for all they keep secret they develop such a beautifully rich character. So many things said, but so much more that needed to be said. Just look at the lock on its neck. Just why does such a sweet puppy have that on its neck? ... What horrible past are you hiding behind those gorgeous eyes, Poshul? ... I want to know you... ... I want to be a part of you... OH GOD IT'S EATING MY LEG IT'S EATING MY LEEEEEEG!
Kebrel: I do find her somewhat cute, but also overpoweringly pink n' white. And yes, the lisp was so annoying, but at least it was realistic unlike some of the other accents.
VAN - RATED 1.80 - C
Kyronea: He frowns a lot, but he has a solid taste in clothes and his frowning is chalked up to his poor childhood, which is easily understandable. He has a very interesting technique able to colour the field randomly, but as with many people I don't think I ever actually used him. He's probably one of the few actually interesting character studies when it comes to his alternates. In one he's a poor child desperately trying to paint for a living to survive. In the other he's a bored rich kid desperately hoping for some action of some sort. In both he has a strained relationship with his father. Fact is, Van had a huge amount of potential as a character. Unfortunately, he suffered from the same syndrome everyone else suffered: too little time in the spotlight, not enough connection with the main story. It really is too bad, too, because he's a great potential character. If only something more had been done with him...
V Translanka: Besides the giant bow in the front, I actually kind of like Van's design. Though, again, his concept art has him looking much cooler (despite the fact that the giant bow is still there) probably because he looks a touch older, which I think he should have been. A BOOMERANG! That's a unique weapon! Not many RPGs even USE boomerangs! Sweet! Only two people in the GAME use it actually. His first Tech, JumpThrow, is as basic as it's name implies. His second Tech, WetPaint, is TECHnicolor madness. And his third Tech, PiggyBoink, kinda sucks...plus, if things don't go so well, you can BREAK THE BANK! Dun dun dun! Why does Van risk losing his savings in battle like that? The whole Van and his father Gogh name pun lameness is stupid. I actually like his original name. "Vancliff / Bancliff" (which is not quite as stupid). He's kind of boring. His mom died and he and his dad are struggling. He has one of the cooler dimensional doppelganger confrontations since his problems in both worlds are kind of opposing, but similar...but not enough is ever explored to make him a worthwhile character.
DOC - RATED 2.09 - C
nightmare975: Doc had that surfer look to him. It gave him that "hang loose" attitude and worked for his techs. Who else got their final tech from an R rated book? Still, Doc suffered from the same weapon types as a couple characters (Harle to name one), but his techs had some of the most "flair" to the game, along with some great names (HangTen anyone?). Ultimately, Doc was more useful as an NPC than a PC.
V Translanka: His look is one of the few in the cast that actually kind of fit his environment, though not particularly his profession. Really, a surfer / doctor? I guess you'd need someone to fend off shark bites and heinous bails...For combat, no one was really more or less useful than anyone else in battle, so that doesn't really even factor for me. I'm not entirely sure I understand his weapon of choice (throwing blade thingies, which seemed more like the fallback weapon for a third of the cast), or his choice to fight at all, since he's a doctor, but I was glad he didn't have a stupid accent.
SKELLY - RATED 2.18 - C
V Translanka:How does a skeleton have DEF at all? I can imagine something with an EXO-skeleton having good defense, but just a skeleton? Well, magic skeleton defense aside, Skelly's YET ANOTHER character who uses GLOVES. I swear, it's like they wanted you to know that these characters really aren't any different from one another. All of his Techs are circus and clown related. His first one has him juggle balls at the enemy (FRIGHTENING!)...his second one has him blow up a balloon for strength (DREADFUL!)...and his third one has him hop on a giant beach ball and roll over the enemy (HORRIFYING!)...It goes without saying that he's sort of stupid.
maggiekarp: While I really liked this character and thought he had a cool, heart-warming back story, he really epitomized the "gotta catch 'em all" theme of the CC cast. Original, interesting, but useless.
rushingwind: Skelly's not just a skeleton, but a clown skeleton. \I have to admit, that's a character design I'd never seen before playing CC. He's pretty decent in combat, actually, when compared to other characters. He's not one I used often, but he could hold his own. The story with his Grandma is actually kind of touching, and then there's the sidequest to find all of his body parts so you can recruit him. I thought that was pretty cool.
IRENES - RATED 2.20 - C
V Translanka: I guess she looks cool for a mermaid, though it really doesn't look like she belongs on land. I mean, wouldn't that seriously chafe her tail? She has the absolute WORST of all the accents (or maybe second worst to the CHA-people). Now, musical instruments as weapons aren't a new thing. The Final Fantasy series has used Bells, Harps, and uh...other things, I'm sure, and far stupider weapons like Books, Paintbrushes, Megaphones, etc. But the fact of the matter is that they always used whole new instruments or items, not new picks. I didn't even know you used a pick when playing the harp...maybe it's a freaky mermaid thing? How well does sound even travel through water? Her Techs are mostly lame: a Water Breath attack (sounds more suited for a Water Dragon), a healing song (lame), and a song that brings on a water wave. I'm sorry to say, but old school, pre-harpoon-arm Aquaman is cooler than Irenes.
ZeaLitY: She's attractive, but she suffers in development because like V said in the original polling thread, she just sort of wags her finger at the entire Demi-human situation. She's always asking Serge for help, and doesn't seem to have a humorous bone in her body.
PIP - RATED 2.25 - C
V Translanka: He's the only character whose innate can change. If you solely use him for numerous battles, depending on which type of Elements you use, he'll TRANSFORM! Wow, that's almost cool. His Techs are all cutesy little crap-things and he also mysteriously uses gloves without having anything that looks like a real hand. His evolution, while a cute idea, is mostly fluff (HA!) that seems tacked on at the last minute. It doesn't even follow through to New Game+. He's a freakish experiment of Luccia's who wants to explore the world or some such...Hooray! *fanfare* NPC has joined Serge's party!
Radical_Dreamer: Eh. Little fluff ball. Appropriate, for a fluff character. I didn't realize he could be "upgraded" until I'd already finished the game, so I guess I missed that.
CelestialPhantasm: Cute, I guess. I like the Holy Beast form- that's the one with the ridiculous butterfly wings, right? Pip has the potential to be one of the strongest characters in the game. However, it's a long and drudgery-intensive process that's simply not worth it. Why? Because this game's not that hard and there are other formidable characters with stronger personalities. Pip is nothing. A cute (in a generic way) experiment with a funny accent. That's it. While I appreciate the diversity in Chrono Cross, some characters aren't as good as others.
nightmare975: Sure, he's a useless character, but his transformations make him stand out. *sigh* If only they had placed them on a decent character.
STEENA - RATED 2.25 - C
ZeaLitY: Her design is cool; really El Nido vibrant. She's a perfect match for Karsh. I liked the eidolons. They taught me a new word and involved some seeking to attain. Steena does have a role in the plot, but it's nothing special. Still, the design, cool combat stance, eidolons...she's seriously unique. It's worth a B.
rushingwind: I really liked her design. Flashy and unique. I loved her battle stance -- the way she waved her sword around. She was pretty decent in fights, too. She has a nice little role to play, and I was hyped when I first got her, only to be let down by the lack of development later. If you take her to Divine Dragon Falls after getting Serge's body back, but before beating Chronopolis, she makes some comments about the Seventh dragon. She's not bad enough to be a C, but not good enough for a B in my book.
Kyronea: Is it just me, or does she look like a combination of Edea and some sort of proto-Yuna?
DRAGGY - RATED 2.27 - C
Kyronea: Draggy is...a dragon; a cute, anime-ish baby dragon, but still a dragon. As for how he speaks...he has an "accent" that says he's just learning to talk, which can be annoying at times. But how can you not like that cute little face?! It's a baby dragon! What's more awesome than having that on your team?! And cool thing is, unlike Might and Magic 8 where you could get full blown dragons on your team, it doesn't break the game!
Radical_Dreamer: He is one of the few characters with a double tech, so he's got that going for him, but other than that, he's nothing special. I'll give him a bit of a boost for having a double tech, and being left-front-pawed.
nightmare975: Look at his character art. Seriously, does he have freaking pubes or something?
V Translanka: nightmare975, I believe those lines indicate shadows and if you have pubes that look like that, seek medical treatment immediately...or share your shampooing secrets, I guess...
TURNIP - RATED 2.30 - C
ZeaLitY: Turnip has this cute duck-bill thing going on. It's a unique design and he looks spirited enough to actually be relevant (unlike Neo-Fio). His combat ability is nothing radical, but he does get funny tech names and a double tech. For tilt, Kato hinged the entire ending of Cross to suggest that there's a "Kid" or equivalent out there for all of us (and perhaps by extension, we should all dream and change our own history as Chrono Triggers). Of course, this completely backfired, as pretty much everyone interpreted it as canonical and those who guessed that it really was Tokyo weren't any closer to getting the theme. But Turnip is the opposite: he's a successful thematic gesture. Taking him to the sleeping Dragoon sparks insightful dialogue and pondering. Turnip becomes something special as a dream being, and it's such an attractive concept (coupled with that design) that Ill give him an A. Masa, Mune, and Doreen were interesting too, but Toriyama made them butt-ugly alien ripoffs.
Chrono'99: There were condiment characters in Chrono Trigger (Vinegar, Soysauce, Mayonnaise, etc.), so it's actually a nice variant to have a real foodstuff character join you in Chrono Cross. Ironically, he's not exactly real...well, he's a real...dream.
dankun: Wow! Is that cool or what? His design just screams 'Frog' to me so much, that it really makes me wonder sometimes at why some people are just mind-numbingly blinded to one of the coolest throwbacks to Trigger in the first place. Turnip's more than a decent fighter and caster with fairly good stat values, making him a great balanced character to use. He's another sword user which also happens to be a green innate (Exactly like Frog...coincidence? I don't think so), which I suppose is only to be expected from a 'being' dreaming that he's a plant. And his Techs also reflect this very much so, as they all involve plant-ish related stuff. For tilt, a dream actually becoming reality! That's what he stands for in the series...it's cool and awesome.
MARCY - RATED 2.31 - C
Pyt Fumv: A little bit of backstory and frequent hatred of your party is fine. Again, nothing special, but nothing too annoying either.
Kyronea: She has this look on her face that screams spoiled brat...it really bugs me. The shield is a nice touch, but otherwise, her design is that of a spoiled rich kid who ought to be knocked down a few pegs before her spoiled habits set in for life. Her only saving grace is the fact that she's Nikki's younger sister, and thus Fargo's daughter. Other than that, she's completely pointless, and even rather idiotic all things considered. Really, who would let a kid become a dragoon, let alone a Deva? It's not as if she displays any special talents beyond an extreme amount of whining...which only brings to mind Veruca Salt, someone else I couldn't stand.
ZeaLitY: What's that thing where her nose is supposed to be?
LUCCIA - RATED 2.36 - C
V Translanka: Her design is one of my favorites, I think. Cool white suit, mad scientist monocle, weird hair thingy...People are stupid if they say she looks like Lucca. Her Techs are all kinda science-y, I guess, but mostly lame. Why would I want to inflict status ailments when other characters Techs will just kill?
maggiekarp: Design: Seriously, she looks like the lustchild of Magus and Lucca. Cool, though. Usefulness: ehh... Tilt: Nice as an NPC, but needed more to be part of the crew.
Kyronea: She's tied in to the backstory of Grobyc and Norris, and is also tied with Lucca as well, being the person who gave Kid the letter from Lucca, a very important event in Kid's development. Still, she didn't need to be a PC, and that supposedly Russian or German accent is extremely annoying.
ZeaLitY: Why did Richard Honeywood romanize her from Lutianna to Luccia, thus making us all wonder if she were some version of Lucca from an alternate dimension or something? Why!? I don't like Luccia's personality too much, and she's not that effective in combat. She needs something to do other than standing around complaining about this and that. She seems to be a collection of stunted scientist archetypes, not knowing which she wants to be (a brilliant crackpot like Back to the Future's Dr. Brown? An ethically bankrupt Kurotsuchi who'd do anything for research?).
STARKY - RATED 2.41 - C
Radical_Dreamer: Looks like an Ultraman uniform on a standard grey. A silly side character, needlessly ingrained in the plot of the game. They could have worked things out without him, and better. If there are to be aliens in the Chrono world, let that be important and meaningful, not just a joke character who can build a powerboat.
ZeaLitY: Why introduce aliens to the canon of the Chrono world in such a way? Why thrust such a soulless, emotionless bobble-head upon us?
maggiekarp: oh my god oh my god I WANT ONE OH MAN. I used him every time it didn't totally screw me over element-wise so cute SO CUTE. OH MAN HE IS SO FREAKING ADORABLE
V Translanka: He reminds me of SuperXtreme Alphacosmos Police Case EX Ultra & The Enigmatic Gigaweapon: Paradise X at the same time. But both of those endings were far better than anything Starky does in the whole of Cross. He's mostly a nothing character whom they awkwardly place into fairly big roles at certain points in the game...but he pretty much goes nowhere...He's another NPC turned party member...
RAZZLY - RATED 2.42 - C
dankun: She's a green base colored cute little fairy that actually flies around! (unlike Guile who just hovers). In combat, she's a green innate with devastating magical abilities and Tech skills. I believe she is only third in highest magical stat value out of all the characters. Her weapon type is rods, but she also happens to have a unique and special kind, which is also consistent with her whole design: The Floral Rod. She has a child-sized body due to the nature of her kind, which makes special type armors available to her giving her an incredible boost in her evasion value, if coupled with a pair of Winged Shoes (which also match with her character design!). Also, she's one of three characters that have the only Triple Tech in a Normal Game. She gets quite a bit of character development during the whole Water Dragon Isle quest of the first part of the game. She also represents one of the game's themes: choices, specifically regarding Water Dragon Isle. This is why I believe she is key to a part of the plot in Chrono Cross, and why I'm more than fairly certain that her story path is actually the one true path that Serge would ultimately choose.
V Translanka: She's got a kind of touching scene when almost all of her people are wiped out by the hi-ho dwarves. But aside from that, she should have stayed an NPC (hell, she even looks like a generic NPC).
SimChao: She's got one of the coolest character designs in Chrono Cross, IMO, Razzly's design is both quirky and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Her magic and tech skills are devastating. It's also notable that she is one of the few characters in the game that have a triple tech. To be fair, the god-awful HP and defensive stats are a bit of a hindrance for Razzly. Her magic stat is off the charts, though, so maybe her frailty is necessary for balance. Razzly has a fair bit of character development, and offers you some useful insight in certain scenes, which is nifty. She doesn't have a profound effect on the plot, but she's fun to have around.
GRECO - RATED 2.45 - C
Kyronea: He's a Hispanic wrestler...not exactly creative, but hey, at least he's Hispanic, and in video games that's a rare thing, especially for a protagonist. He can be amazingly useful in one particular instance where he gets a level six slot before anyone else, but that's it. He is overshadowed by a lot of others after that. Frankly, I'm not too fond of him. Sure, he has an interesting and somewhat touching story, but beyond that, he's just not an interesting character. He feels a lot more like a stereotype to me than human, and that takes off serious marks.
ZeaLitY: He gets tilt points for having an interesting tale of self-torment.
V Translanka: Two minor cool things about him: 1) He has one of the coolest quotes from the lame underdeveloped characters..."Everything that has form must eventually fade away" (or something along those lines). 2) Those weights in his hut, which I had fun messing around with along with the Time Shifter...I wish you could take them around with you.
LEAH - RATED 2.47 - C
Kyronea: Eegads! It's an Ayla chibi! With good looking furs! And she's cute! She's a powerhouse. I didn't utilize her the way I should have, and I regret that now. Basically, Leah is confusing. She has the possibility of having traveled through time, plus she might be Ayla's mother...she's confusing, and she had potential to be an absolutely fascinating character. Unfortunately...she's wasted, which knocks her down. Sorry, Leah.
rushingwind: I kind of squee a little when I see her. I think she's just so darn adorable. For combat...Wow. I mean, WOW. She may be cute and cuddly looking, but do not tick her off. Just like Ayla in CT, she's a beast when it comes to brute strength and power. Physically speaking, she owns. Overall, the game didn't spend enough time discussing her various possibilities, but hinted at something huge. She speaks of "land-anger" and then she was separated from her village, but there's no other village in Gaia's Navel. Then at the end of the game, she up and says she'll name her daughter "Ayla." Perhaps she is Ayla's mother, and perhaps she's not. There is a theory on this site somewhere talking about how she might just be the key to the Reptite dimension. If she is removed from time, and then Ayla is never born, the Reptites win and humanity loses, thus eventually giving rise to Dinopolis. She had a lot of possibilities that the game never dealt with. But despite its silence on her character, her potential makes her a memorable character to me. Though many may not agree with me, I give her a grade of A.
LEENA - RATED 2.48 - C
ZeaLitY: Her final tech is cool, albeit a little hard to get if you aren't paying attention at the beginning of the game. I liked the presence of atomic elements in her weapon names. Tilt: She captured my attention at the beginning, and I liked her spirit in Home World. Still, she plays second fiddle to Kid the entire time, and the Fortune Teller / rest of the world is painfully aware of it.
V Translanka: Home World Leena gets more development than the one that actually joins you.
maggiekarp: She was basically Serge's girlfriend before the whole mess started, and he leaves her for some skank he just met? What? And we're told that she won't find love after that? What? It's almost as if she was thrown in JUST to depress people. No point.
Pyt Fumv: I really expected more character development. I guess she's just an example of what Serge left behind after meeting Kid and the rest of the party. She's a piece of the life that Serge no longer has (or at least until the game's ending), and that would've portrayed a lot more and been more emotional if they hadn't made Leena a playable character. Oh well.
SPRIGG - RATED 2.50 - B
Kyronea: It's an actual Mystic/Demon, rather than all of this demi-human crap! And she can turn into other things too! She's absolutely valuable during that short little spat before you exit the dimensional vortex. After that I usually completely forget about her. She's interesting in her own way, though like with many of the characters I'd relegate her to guest PC status at most given how she disappears from the story after her small part is done.
Radical_Dreamer: I actually thought Sprigg was a man until the pronouns showed me wrong. I used her for a while; she could be as useful as her transformations. For tilt, she can let you "play as" Ozzie, Flea, and Slash.
V Translanka: Sprigg's got a lame accent, but it's actually the one I'm the most okay with. She's also got one of the best quotes in the game: "Meanin' is non-existent. No matter wot'z born, lost or changed...it'z beyond calculation. There be no one or nothin' watchin' over you...Such is life." I think that Sprigg had a TON of potential as a character and it was a shame she (as most of the cast) wasn't utilized to her fullest.
ZeaLitY: Agreed. There was that entire Magic Guild thing, and an opportunity to talk about the Mystics. Plus, the Temporal Vortex itself could have been further explained. Sprigg cries out for backstory, especially because her circumstances are so temporally-interesting.
MOJO - RATED 2.60 - B
CelestialPhantasm: Mojo has the best evade stat in the game; it's incredibly high. His other stats are decent enough to make him worthwhile in a fight. I like Mojo a lot. He's charming, vibrant, stylish, and comical. He does get a little development. But since he doesn't tie into the plot as much as other characters, I'll have to bump him down to a B.
rushingwind: I usually never recruited him, but the one time I did he was decent. I never used him beyond Viper Manor, but he was okay, I guess. His accent annoys me to no end. He gets a little story, but... *sigh* He just doesn't grab my heart. For his interesting design, and semi-usefulness in battle, I give him a C
ZeaLitY: Mojo's one of those Japanese dolls (think voodoo). It's pretty creative. He gets some combat use early on, but his final tech is mostly overlooked since players are using other characters by that point. Overall, Mojo's a pretty fun character. His Japanese name lent itself to this feeling (Lucky Dan), as does his spirit. Surprisingly, he's revealed to be a curse doll, and then completely reinvents himself as Mojoy. He also gets a smidgen of development if taken to see his "brother" in the yard in Termina in front of the old Glenn / Dario cabin. Even further, there's a line where he sarcastically says "...I hate-om you" to Poshul, but since he can't be recruited before Cape Howl, this scene can't be accessed (without GS). In a world of Acacians, Chronopolitans, Porreans, and El NidoCHA residents, Mojo's a pretty interesting guy.
Kyronea: Mojo...Lucky Dan...whatever you want to call him, he was a waste. Yes, he had his own little flair. Yes, he gets a bit of development. But so what? He's completely unnecessary in this game. Having characters like Mojo detracts from the main game itself. If we had a game that was more about the setting of Chrono Cross, that was designed to enrich the world, then sure, he'd be fine.
ZAPPA - RATED 2.64 - B
Kyronea: Blacksmiths don't get anymore obvious than this. Being Karsh's father and as a result having the problems he does with the Home World Karsh disappearing and the Another World Karsh showing up plays on the heart, and develops his character very well. What's more, I think the Scottish accent that the translators gave him fits the character perfectly. He's a great guy, and the scene watching him work with himself is funny. Plus he gives you the Smith Spirit and that's damned useful. He's not a top tier character...I think I'd still have relegated him to guest PC status...but he's certainly a good one.
ZeaLitY: Take a closer look. That dude has the metal theme down. His son Karsh sort of outdoes him in terms of kickassery, but come on..."Balls of Iron". Zappa has some good scenes, like wildly resisting the closure of his shop, expressing disbelief at seeing Karsh alive (and the dramatic irony is emotionally painful to endure), and uniting with the old Deva guard in one of the endings. I'd love to see his tenure (well, and that of the other Devas) on the Zenan mainland. I bet he was pure awesome. In Cross, his power is diluted by Karsh and Viper, who each share different traits with him and execute them more uniquely. But Zappa's still a good, memorable character.
Pyt Fumv: Seems he gets a decent amount of development. Oh, and Smith Spirit. That's one huge plus.
GROBYC - RATED 2.86 - B
ZeaLitY: Grobyc's got a neat style. He's like the blue motif of Porre on steroids, and has enough bells and whistles to give him an edge. He edges out even Serge in strength and defense, making him a primarily physical fighter. Grobyc's personality had more room for development. In fact, he was meant to get some but for whatever reason, a few lines in Chrono Cross's data don't appear in the game. They show that Luccia's brother sacrificed himself to save Grobyc, who's thankful for his loss. He could have used another perspective on humanity, but competing with 40 others late in the game precluded that. Still, he brings something fresh to the table, and those lost lines are delicious canon.
Kyronea: He also makes Robo look like a child's toy. After you lose Harle, he's your best Black element period. He also has an amazingly awesome hair laser technique. Who doesn't love hair lasers? For Tilt, he had a lot of potential for character development that either did not make it in or was wasted a bit. But I like him.
Radical_Dreamer: He's a cool robot. I liked that he stood with one foot slightly off the ground in battle. I thought it was a cool touch, but I couldn't really say why. In combat, he was a beast; I had him in my party most of the time once I got him. For tilt, the accent is obnoxious, and he seems too advanced for the time, given that over a millennium later, robots still don't look that human. (Cyborgs maybe.)
RIDDEL - RATED 2.88 - B
cupnoodles: I like how her design gives that "ojou-sama" impression, and yet doesn't fit into the 'blonde princess in white' nor in the 'goth evil princess' stereotypes, more like a merge of both. She's the most beautiful female character in the game, IMO. Also, her dress manages to be just as tight and raveling as her snake theme, all with her elements and such, calls for. The only weird thing in her design is, ironically, that snake head popping out of the hair... thingy. She was a good support character, from what I can remember. She is utterly necessary to the whole Dario/Karsh plot and also utterly necessary for the Lynx-poisons-Kid in Viper Manor's terrace event, therefore necessary to the God Save The Kid (terrible pun, I know) plot. Besides that, she plays her role as daughter of El Nido's ruler flawlessly, with a personality that, just as her design, doesn't fall into typical little princess stereotypes.
maggiekarp: Eh... I never really saw the appeal here. Half the so-called badasses want in her panties, but why? She's hot, okay, but what else? She had to be in your party at certain times, but she really didn't DO a lot besides be bait. Her charms elude me...
Kyronea: Riddel is one of those characters whom you wonder about why she didn't join your party much sooner because of how valuable she is to many different plot lines, especially the sidequest to get the Mastermune. What's more, she's a fascinating character who shows a lot more personality than many of the characters in this game.
ORLHA - RATED 3.00 - B
rushingwind: A pretty, kick-ass blonde, though they could have dialed down the slut factor a bit... In combat, she kicks serious ass. She is an excellent blue innate, and if memory serves correctly she's one of the best in the game. The Sapphire Brooch item and the story behind it is something I find extremely interesting. Also one must consider her scenes with Doc. But she could use so much more development...
SimChao: Her design is unique; when I first saw the images of all of the CC characters before I played the game, she was one of the ones that caught my eye, for some reason. Attractive, yet dangerous... reminds me a bit of a blonde, pig-tailed Tifa Lockheart.
Lee: She reminds me of Aika from Skies of Arcadia Legends.
Pyt Fumv: One of the most confusing background stories. Was it ever even resolved? But seriously, I never understood it. Was the 'sister' her alternate world counterpart or what? Anyway, I had no argument with her development, despite it being lacking (she at least got a decent amount compared to most characters). Extra points for actually joining you in a different way than most characters.
PIERRE - RATED 3.00 - B
ZeaLitY: Pierre touts himself as the true hero with the aesthetics to back it up. And it's all there...he's got the look. His arrogance can be unsettling, but it's all in good fun. Pierre kicks ass with the hero set. Overall, Pierre goes through a wonderful development arc, realizing that courage truly makes a hero. He then begins training without end by running laps in the Termina yard. In the milieu of Cross characters, this is downright inspiring. He becomes a real Radical Dreamer, and is worthy to highlight such a romantic, deep quest as this. He has earned the spot of my favorite character in the entire Chrono series.
Kyronea: The problem I have with Pierre is his singular lack of connection with the plot. Guile was originally going to be Magus and Nikki is central to many aspects, so at least those two make sense, but Pierre? Look, I can like the guy for being what he is, but he just wasn't necessary as a PC. Maybe as comic relief occasionally throughout the game, showing up in different places...say, following Serge around or something, but as it stands, no thank you, Pierre.
Radical_Dreamer: I liked using him, particularly with his proper set. I liked the way they went about that, actually. He uses the Hero Medal. The last fellow who had that...
Celestial_Phantasm: I too am a fan of Pierre. At first he's just great comic relief (his way into Viper Manor with the cats is hilarious). He's a pitiful "hero" who's all talk, a braggart with nothing to brag about. And yet somehow he comes to possess the legendary Hero's Medal... A turning point comes in the story when he is shown the replica sword (a nice use of symbolism) to inspire him; he then he stops denying the charade of his existence and the full weight of that shame comes down on his shoulders. He decides to change his fate and embrace the true path of the hero. Pierre is therefore symbolic of the Chrono Cross theme of defying fate and choosing one's own destiny. This perhaps makes him the most developed character in the game.
GUILE - RATED 3.00 - B
ZeaLitY: No one can deny that Guile has it made in the character design department. Though his Magus origins are gone, he fully inherits the intended gentlemanly style and even the charm of Magil. The purple hair, white silk, and other extravagant clothing -- worn by a dashing, refined guy with a taste for adventurous enigma -- makes Guile just plain awesome. The ponytail might be a little International Male, though. The combat department is another victory, mainly because of his Element Grid. Most characters have grids that shrink in the upper levels, but Guile's is completely reversed. If you take this guy through a New Game +, he's going to come out as an utter powerhouse. I mean, jeez, even having his first tech in the Viper Manor raid is a serious help. Still, he has no backstory (even though he may now be an amnesiac Magus thanks to CT DS), but his characterization is still decent. If he really were Magus, I'm sure I'd have to invent an "S" rating just to fit his awesome caliber.
Radical_Dreamer: I like the look of him. He doesn't scream wizard when you look at him, but that's good in this case. He was cooler in Radical Dreamers, but still a cool character in CC.
Pyt Fumv: The writers should've made it very clear from the beginning that he wasn't Magus.
V Translanka: The major negative is similar to Glenn's negative in that he's part of the biggest controversy of Chrono Cross..."OMG! MAGUS IS IN THIS GAME! BUT HE WEARS A MASK AND IS CALLED GUILE! IN THE JAPANESE VERSION HE'S CALLED ALF JUST LIKE HIS CAT IN CRONCO TRIGGER!"
VIPER - RATED 3.10 - B
ZeaLitY: He has a beautiful moment of development if taken to his own statue in Termina after the Porre invasion. In the scope of RPG clichés, having this badass old guy breaks form and brings freshness to the table. He's no pushover dramatically, either...this guy is the genuine lord of El Nido. And he's demonstrating the vitality and passion of the Dragoons (vibrancy which Porre and the rest of the world lacks) by realizing his error and pledging to fix it. In this way, he hits his own special chord within the willful theme of Chrono. He's a unique and human character.
Kyronea: General Viper is interesting in the way he follows Lynx's orders but is still a good guy at heart. He simply tries to do what is right (or at least what he sees as right) even if sometimes he goes down the wrong path. Still...not PC material. Definitely not.
Radical_Dreamer: He looks damn impressive, like someone who would be in charge and live in a big manor.
NIKKI - RATED 3.17 - B
ZeaLitY: His design capitalizes on the Japanese rock opera stuff, which makes him sort of original to an American audience! In combat, he's got a double tech. Though not the best, he's still solid as one of the three PCs of Termina. He gets major development with Fargo, Kid, the people of Marbule, the Acacias, and Serge. He's a benchmark for what a good PC should be. In the world of Chrono, he's a true radical dreamer, and takes center stage in a lion's share of the plot.
Radical_Dreamer: Well, he sure does look like a J-Rocker. I actually just now noticed the long nails. Big no-no for a string musician, but hey, it's a video game. I actually took his path my first play through, and he was pretty decent for the first part of the game. He does play a rock show during the game. That's pretty sweet.
maggiekarp: I didn't actually get him in my playthrough, but he managed to show up constantly. He was the Runaway Five of CC to me.
Pyt Fumv: I used him quite a lot actually (from Termina onwards for a significant amount of time). Nikki is pretty good in battle. I swapped him out in favor of Fargo later on, but come on, that's only to be expected. His Techs are fair, and he's decent. I don't really care that he uses a guitar; nothing else would look right for Nikki. Nice backstory. I also like how he's pretty determined in finding out his father and sister's identities.
PRINCE - RATED 1999 - "ENDORPHIN MACHINE"
ZeaLitY: Prince's design has evolved throughout his career. The image of him in purple rain, with that platinum purple jacket, fluffy shirt, curls, white guitar, and zebra fuzz guitar strap is the definitive. For combat, the computer's on the verge of a breakdown!! I'm with Prince for the early 80s, and with some of his later stuff. My favorite complete album is Dirty Mind. But one of the defining moments has to be the 12 minute version of Computer Blue. Nothing captures the strife, love, and wild passion of the kid like that. It's a symphony, and Prince's watering it down to 4 minutes for the album is one of the greatest musical crimes ever committed.
Kyronea: Purple jacket? White guitar? Perfect combination! He's like Nikki on steroids. Prince has had quite the long musical career, and while he's not entirely to my taste, he's definitely excellent as a musician and thus a nod should be given to him because of that.
nightmare975: Well, someone's raided Barry Manilow's Wardrobe. With the ability to rewind, slow down fast forward and stop time, Prince has some of the most useful attacks. Prince helps you out in that one side quest where you have to party like it's 1999, BEST SIDE QUEST EVER!
LYNX - RATED 3.22 - B
Pyt Fumv: Freaking awesome design. Lynx looks perfect for his leading antagonist role. Combat: Forever Zero. And he's as strong as Serge, with Black Innate instead of White. You spend a considerable amount of the storyline as Lynx, and thus go through some interesting events. It's pretty amusing to see most people cowering in fear of your appearance, whereas others will greet you as an ally. There's a lot of plot significance in what you do as Lynx, and as such this helps towards your understanding of his role.
Kyronea: Serge as Lynx is the most powerful Black element in the game when you have him. Of course you don't have him forever, but he's still quite useful this way. The idea of being transposed into the body of your enemy is interesting, but the execution leaves something to be desired, especially for how Lynx acts as Serge, and with turning into a Black element for some reason. That said, large amounts of plot are revealed while as Lynx, and it is absolutely fascinating.
V Translanka: When first you transform into him, it's a very cool scene. Heck, you start out fighting against yourself! Better hope you brought along a dope as your third character, equipped your worst weapons, and un-allocated Elements because elsewise, you're probably gonna bite the dust. Yeah, switching bodies is one of the biggest clichés in the history of fiction (it seems to happen every other issue in comic books), but the Chrono series was built on cliché. Since he's just Serge with a different body...
KARSH - RATED 3.25 - A
rushingwind: I love everything about how he looks, from his clothes to his portrait, and even his hair! He always has this fierce scowl on his face, but his dialogue can be enthusiastic and energetic too. In combat, he wields an axe. How cool is that?! He can kick unholy arse with his weapon, not to mention that he's also a good green element. He is quite a useful character in battle. If I don't have Glenn in my party, I usually have Karsh (and sometimes I use both). Overall, he has quite a lot of backstory compared to other characters in the game. I loved the story with Dario and Riddel, and the entire bit about his younger days with the other dragoons.
ZeaLitY: Karsh has definite flair. He's got cool purple hair, vibrant Acacia Deva clothes, some black armor courtesy of Zappa, and stylish gloves. I wanted to see more of "young Karsh", though, whose dialogue portrait was pretty cool. Karsh isn't a lightweight in combat. On top of his strength, he gets a double-tech with ZOAH. Overall, I ended up liking Karsh despite his villainous introduction. This guy is almost -- almost -- in the springtime of youth, but he's got some problems to work out first. And he does, as he gets some wonderful character development with a few flashbacks and the confrontation with Dario and Riddel. He's central to the plot regarding the Acacia Dragoons and El Nido. Furthering his growth is a scene with Home World's Zappa, in which he doesn't have the heart to tell Zappa that he's not his real son. And nothing beats his "OHHH YEAHHH!" cries of determination!
nightmare975: He kicks Poshul off a cliff; classic!
FARGO - RATED 3.31 - A
ZeaLitY: He gets neat little cigar smoke puffs. As far as combat goes, aside from stealing, he has decent physical strength and a visually impressive (but not as excitingly effective) final tech. I give him major points in Tilt; his Another World counterpart is in the springtime of youth. He goes right up to his equivalent, verbally lambastes him, hijacks his ship, then jumps down to the Marbule beach like Protesilaus in the Iliad and starts hacking away at the nightmares. This guy is possessed. Another World Fargo unloads his will upon the world of Chrono Cross, and it's for the best. You got my blood boilin'!
Radical_Dreamer: He yells at himself!
Kae: Fargo appears relatively benign upon first glance, but his looks hide a dangerous and rather impressive character beneath. I haven't used Fargo a lot since I go for the whole Serge, Kid, Glenn triad when I can, but when you lose those allies as Lynx, Fargo is definitely there to pick up the slack. From the ever-useful ability to steal (and thus obtaining various things like the plates from the dragons), he adds utility. As well, he can definitely hold his own in a battle, and is certainly better suited to take punishment than most of your allies. As for Tilt, he's a pirate. He doesn't take crap from anyone. He's got his own ship. He also kicked his own ass in Home, and smacked some sense into his shameful counterpart by hijacking the S.S. Zelbess. And all this is discovered through the linear progression of the plot, thus giving the player more exposure to Fargo as a whole. Definitely one of the best characters in Cross.
GLENN - RATED 3.4 - A
Pyt Fumv: Design: Silver hair, battle scar, bandana, shield on arm, typical sword, and lots of armour. Very soldier. Looks pretty cool. For combat, he has X-Strike. Two Einlanzers. A killing machine. Overall, he has one of the more interesting character stories; this guy always stood out from the crowd for me.
ZeaLitY: Glenn was very unique among the cast, and characterized well. You could feel his angry little immaturity early on in Termina, and then see how it was tempered as the game proceeded. He has one of the best fortune teller quotes about how he's a moon, and can reflect the light of a sun even though he cannot shine on his own. The Two Einlanzers make him an absolute powerhouse, and I always thought his little wrist-shield was a cool addition to his design. Still, why wasn't that note about him being named for the first Glenn included in the game (and not just Chrono Cross Ultimania)?
V Translanka: He's the cause of people saying, "OMG Frog is a playable character in his human form in Chrono Cross! It's TRUE!" and other such nonsense. Frog's human form was way cooler-looking than this version of Glenn.
NORRIS - RATED 3.47 - A
rushingwind: Very nice design. He almost seemed generic, but has just enough flare that he stands out. He's a good yellow element, and I used him quite often. He's a helpful character who wants to do the right thing, and even though he's deeply loyal to Porre, he doesn't let it stand in the way of the truth. He's a lot like Glenn (which has already been pointed out in this thread), but I actually like the Dragoon a little better. That doesn't mean I don't like Norris, though. I love his character, and a Chrono Cross game without Norris as a playable character would be much poorer indeed.
maggiekarp: Coooooool. Just enough belts. Very nice in combat. Likable badass. This guy should stick around.
Radical_Dreamer" He is reminding / representative of the outside world, of Porre, of Zenan, and thus, the direct "after" of Chrono Trigger.
CelestialPhantasm: As mentioned, a very fashionable soldier. One of two gun-wielding characters (the other being a little space man). Very solid character in battle. Definitely my yellow innate of choice. I was disappointed that his dual tech with Grobyc was so weak, though. Norris is cool, collected, classy and bold. Like Glenn, he doesn't let his allegiances sway him from searching for the truth and doing what's right. But Norris is just a bit more interesting than the swordsman. Maybe it's his helpfulness at an interesting point in the game, maybe it's the way he offends his superiors with his blunt honesty, maybe it's his professional, thoughtful way of doing things... I'm not entirely sure. But I like Norris a lot.
RADIUS - RATED 3.54 - A
Pyt Fumv: Looks tough for his age, thanks to the uniform. I actually used him quite a lot, mainly during the Lynx section of the game. I found him to be pretty useful, but I don't recall his Techs being anything amazing. He gets plenty of development, especially for being one of the few old characters; he's filled with guilt over Garai's death, and there seems to be a deeper meaning to his involvement with Porre. There's enough here to see the kind of unique character that only a Chrono game can produce: Radius goes through a lengthy amount of development before finally forgiving himself and assisting the party courageously. It's an excellent example of how a character in the Chrono universe can undergo a radical change.
V Translanka: I'll give him props for kicking Serge's ass regularly in training.
ZeaLitY: It seems tough to give a bald guy a sense of flair without an extravagant costume (like Belthasar's), but Yuuki pulled it off with the harsh Acacia uniform. He looks more decorated and poised for battle than his Porre equivalents. Radius is a complex character whose history intertwines with the Masamune, the Acacia Dragoons, perhaps the Fall of Guardia, and with many other people. His paths in each dimension diverge, and he finds the chance to make peace with his deed in killing Garai and forgive himself. At 62 years old, he gives a feeling of credibility and sagely power to the adventure; coupled with his character development and uniqueness among the cast, it warrants an A.
SERGE - RATED 3.62 - A
Pyt Fumv: Looks pretty cool for an island boy. And who doesn't love the bandana? Of course, how he travels through volcanoes, quicksand, and mountains in those shorts perplexes me. Serge is very powerful, and his Techs are nothing to laugh at. Plus, he's White innate, so he's perfect for combating the major villains of the game. Oh, and let's not forget he gets the Mastermune, so that's a huge advantage. Serge kicks ass in battle, despite being balanced in some ways and not 'insanely strong' in any particular area (except maybe Strength?). Serge gets plenty of development for a silent protagonist. It's nice to see what happened in his past, involving his father and such. Lynx switches bodies with Serge later in the game, which I felt was a pretty interesting twist. It was funny to see Arni villagers hiding from Serge himself, and the eventual Dark Serge battles were neat. I'm counting those because it allows us to see Serge in a different way. He's certainly a unique protagonist, and we can see determination from him very often, despite being silent.
cupnoodles: Cool outfit with nice blue and red contrast. The leather and chain-mail tunic, bandana, leather belt, boots and gloves gives him a certain young pirate air. Great character development through background story. While Crono had most of his character development happen via present actions, such as when he sacrifices himself to save his friends against Lavos, Serge's development happens through exposition of his incredibly rich background story. Also, obviously, as the protagonist he is the utter pivot of the whole plot. Besides that he uses cool swallow weapons, and most of all the Mastermune.
maggiekarp: Nowhere near as awesome as his RD counterpart. Bland even without prior RD experiences.
ZeaLitY: I have to agree there. If a new Chrono game is made, cross your fingers that Square will pull the trigger at the tradition of silent protagonists, because it sort of makes the game suffer. Serge from Radical Dreamers was an absolutely phenomenal character, and even a shred of that personality would have made Chrono Cross even better. That said, I love his design, and I think he gets more development than Crono.
HARLE - RATED 3.72 - A
Pyt Fumv: She's a beautiful French harlequin, with a sad story and tragic origin and demise. I wouldn't call her flawless, but she's definitely one of the best. You'll need her when you first get her for combat, but after that she can tend to be redundant, though she's always fun for trying to beat Miguel if you like pain. For tilt, let's face it...she's a creation of the Dragon God used as part of Belthesar's overall plan. She's one of the most important characters in the whole plot, and a definite necessity to any remake. She may also be a clone of Schala (if Schala's genetic material is what the Dragons used to create her). She's human. She's wonderful in just about every way.
V Translanka: She totally disses on Korcha (easily one of the biggest douchebags in the game) when she meets him.
ZeaLitY: She suffers from Schala syndrome a little in that she has no choice but to deign to the wishes of her overlord, the Dragon God, and gets massively depressed about it. She really didn't have a choice; if the Dragon God hadn't forced her, Belthasar would have as part of his plan. Still, I'm not the biggest fan of weak-willed characters who are inexplicably popular (I'll take Kid over Schala any day), but whatever. A.
KID - RATED 3.77 - A
ZeaLitY: The design is easily one of Yuuki's best pieces for the game. She's hip, vibrant, and dashing. In combat, she's got the precious Steal ability! And overall, she is Schala's antithesis. While this might be a bad thing when it comes to manners at the dinner table or exact proficiency in English, she wins huge points for being a self-willed, passionate individual. We all remember how Schala complied with Queen Zeal's orders and indirectly brought about the ruin of Zeal. Kid would have shanked Queen Zeal.
V Translanka: She's quite possibly one of the best thieves in all of RPGdom and one of the only females. She and Locke would rule on a pile of pilfered pillage, I do say so myself! She's one of the ONLY characters who not only gets tremendous and IMPORTANT backstory, but also CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! She's got a personality and she's not afraid to show it. She bites and snaps at Serge and any and all of his band of freaks, but she also shows that at heart, she's still part-frightened little girl with no family or friends to speak of. She's got the two scenes which I think are the most "cry-worthy": 1) the campfire scene with Serge on Water Dragon Isle, and 2) the scene with Serge at Lucca's burning house. Her only drawback is her stupid accent, but I'll allow it because she's awesome.
rushingwind: She's a beautiful woman, and her design is kickass. Yes, she's quite scantily clad, but I really couldn't imagine Kid any other way. It just wouldn't fit her character. And I love her accent! Comabtively, she can be amazingly useful compared to other characters in the game. Her Steal tech is always great to have. For tilt...Wow, where do I start? She's the clone of Schala, which makes her cool from the start. Loyal and kind, she's the kind of friend you'd want to have.
Think we're done? Not a chance! Let's review the three most popular Unused Characters from Chrono Cross, as voted on the Chrono Compendium forums! These characters were planned for inclusion but scrapped. You can find out more by clicking that link or going to the Chrono Cross Demo page.
2TIE. NINJA
Missing Piece: Like the RPGs of yesterday, there was always a ninja. This also could have been a variation of Grobyc.
blackcaped_imp: Always in need of an extra fast character.
V Translanka: Ninja is awesome. I definitely vote Ninja. I mean, it's basically the last RPG cliché that the Chrono series hasn't touched, right? Plus, there'd HAVE to be a good explanation and story behind a ninja...
ZeaLitY: The Grappler might have been easier to fit in El Nido's setting, since Grobyc is sort of a ninja.
2TIE. MECHANICAL DOLL
Missing Piece: By combining various parts you could probably control the style and settings of her attacks. It’s a shame she was turned down.
ZealKnight: The mechanical doll would offer some interesting customization.
Zipp Dementia: And of course, the mechanical doll. Just for the uniqueness of her combat style.
ZeaLitY: Perhaps this idea evolved into Pip, or was just too difficult to program into the battle system. She could have easily been one of Luccia's or Porre's mechanical creations, perhaps shipped over with Grobyc.
1. NU
ZeaLitY: The Chrono Cross Demo shows that a Nu was at one time probably considered as a playable character.
maggiekarp: Provided it's the Nu off Nuumamonjaa.
V Translanka: It'd be neat to see its attacks from Trigger. Maybe one of it's Techs could be PINK TRANSFORM! And then it'd use a random Spekkio attack...*dreams*
Zipp Dementia: Nu. Because life ends and begins with Nu! That's my belief...at least for now...Seriously, the Nu was one of the more enigmatic creatures from Chrono Trigger.
Aaand we're done! Thanks for navigating that visual and textual assault. If you're in a Chrono Cross mood after reading, hit the Chrono Cross Demo page if you haven't already to see interesting things that were in development around the time the demo was shipped with Legend of Mana. Thanks to all the contributors, too!
From: Features
