Blitzball bro Wakka is somehow Japan’s second favorite Final Fantasy character according to anniversary poll

Our loveable Blitzball islander.

Michael Stoyanoff
December 18, 2022
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Image via Square Enix

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The Final Fantasy series is celebrating its 35th anniversary, and they are showcasing the day with plenty of news, announcements, and even polls. The franchise has had a metric ton of memorable and amazing characters over the years, and Square Enix wanted to know which ones are the greatest of the bunch. While characters like Cloud and Tifa are iconic, it might be shocking to see just who Japanese fans value the most. The question has been asked and the answers are in, and Wakka from Final Fantasy X has actually made it into the second place spot!

These are the results for the Top 20 Favorite Final Fantasy characters from the Japanese 35th Anniversary Poll:

1⃣Emet-Selch (FF14)
2⃣Wakka (FF10)
3⃣Cloud (FF7)
4⃣Tifa (FF7)
5⃣Zidane (FF9)
6⃣Aerith (FF7)
7⃣G'raha Tia (FF14)
8⃣Vivi (FF9)
9⃣Tidus (FF10)
🔟Haurchefant (FF14)

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— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) December 18, 2022

Don’t get us wrong, Wakka is amazing. He is loveable, dedicated, and extremely skilled with a Blitzball, but to see him beat out the juggernauts is quite a shocker. Wakka is a party member in Final Fantasy X, serving as both the carefree comedic relief but also the heart of the group. His Hawaiian accent just oozes charisma, and it’s not hard to see why he would be a fan favorite, though it is a surprise that he is actually more loved than the most well known characters in the series.

Just above Wakka sits the absolute perfection of characters in any medium ever. Emet-Selch, the villain introduced in Final Fantasy XIV‘s Shadowbringers expansion, is the pinnacle of written perfection when it comes to characterization. He is charismatic, misguided beyond words, but also extremely sympathetic and lights up the narrative anytime he enters the scene. It is no surprise that he is the most loved character in the Final Fantasy series by a landslide, as he single-handedly caused players to weep while also realizing why they need to stop him.

Final Fantasy has been an absolute virtue in the gaming industry. It’s ability to tell a story with memorable characters while building worlds that players cannot help but immerse themselves in has hardly ever been matched, and here’s hoping that we get many more memorable characters when Final Fantasy XVI launches next year.