The best Final Fantasy Party members that cannot be controlled by players

Important takeaways

• Classic Final Fantasy games have sections where players team up with uncontrollable party members for unique experiences.
• Modern Final Fantasy games focus on single-character control in fast-paced combat, which can make combat feel one-dimensional.
• Playing as powerful characters like Sephiroth or getting help from characters like Aranea is a memorable experience.

Most Final Fantasy Gameplay allows players to control a variety of party members who bring their strengths and weaknesses to the table. This allows players to make fun party configurations in each game that allow them to tackle most enemy encounters without breaking a sweat. However, some of the classic games in the series throw a curveball by including sections where players team up with a party member who cannot be directly controlled.

At the same time, most modern games have i Final Fantasy the series features characters that cannot be controlled at all to allow players to focus on controlling a single character in action-packed combat that tries to attract as many new fans as possible. While this approach is understandable given how the franchise has tried to modernize itself time and time again, some people can't help but be disappointed by this lack of control, potentially making combat feel a bit more one-dimensional and shallow at times.

5 Sephiroth

Players get a taste of his power during Cloud's flashback

Final Fantasy 7s flashback after Cloud and Co's escape from Midgar is a huge turning point in the series. It establishes Cloud as something of an unreliable narrator, with Tifa questioning his retelling of the events of Nibelheim time and time again. But the best moment in this flashback sequence comes when players control a fledgling cloud that teams up with the legendary Sephiroth against an imposing monster.

Players cannot issue any commands to Sephiroth during this stage, but they don't have to. This is because Sephiroth is so powerful that a single attack is all it takes to bring down such an impressive foe. It's a huge display of this character's power, and the fact that players barely get to see Sephiroth until this moment adds to his legacy and the role he'll eventually play as the game's central antagonist.

4 Aranea Highwind

A Femme Fatale who stands in Noctis' way before eventually helping him

Dragoons are consistently some of the best characters in Final Fantasyand Aranea Highwind is a good example of the same. The boss fight against her is a cinematic spectacle for the ages where players must be careful to dodge attacks and counter her leaps to avoid being speared. But as time goes on, it is revealed that Aranea's loyalty is only to herself. Niflheim hired her as a mercenary, but she had the power to disagree with their actions and help the heroes who wanted to free the world from the tyranny of this empire.

This leads to episodes where Aranea joins the party and helps them during certain missions. She is great to team up with in battle, but players never get to control her in battle. This is a shame, especially since all other party members in the game were eventually controllable thanks to post-launch updates. Still, that doesn't take away from Aranea's epic presence, and fans were thrilled to see her help Prompto on his journey of self-discovery.

3 Cidolfus “Cid” Telamon

The leader of the resistance movement whose charismatic presence was suddenly interrupted

Cid is one of the most legendary Final Fantasy characters throughout the ages, with multiple incarnations of this character appearing in the series in one form or another. Final Fantasy 16s version of Cid is a rebel leader who leads a resistance to help bearers and prevent the world from treating them like dirt all the time. This leads to moments where he helps and accompanies Clive on his adventures, making it all the more frustrating that players never get to control him in the game.

This is understandable, given the focus on Final Fantasy 16 as a role-playing game, but it still stings that someone as charismatic as Cid is totally controlled by AI. Things take a turn for the worse when this rebel leader is killed while trying to destroy one of the mother crystals as his dynamic with Clive and the others makes for a lighthearted story that can be oppressively dark at times.

2 Umaro

A Berserker Yeti that acts as an optional party member

It cannot be denied that Umaro is far from a perfect party member i Final Fantasy 6. The crew in this game is huge, and Umaro's inclusion as a bonus party member means that most players won't be using him at a stage in the game when they're about to take on the final dungeon of the game. However, there are situations where Umaro can be a handy character to bring into battle.

With Berserker Ring and Blizzard Orb equipped on Umaro, he can use a total of four powerful attacks in battle that can be very damaging. The regular attack is a decent move, while Body Blow and Throw Ally ignore defense and deal damage based on the stats of Umaro's equipment or the person he threw at an enemy. Finally, Snowstorm is an ice elemental attack that hits all enemies for decent damage and can be useful in a pinch.

1 Lebreau

A member of NORA who heals the party

Final Fantasy 13 may be the black sheep of the series in the eyes of many, but players who give this title a chance will find a lot to love about this over-hated game. From an ambitious story to a fun combat system that's more involved than most people realize, many highlights of Final Fantasy 13 make it an experimental entry in this long-running JRPG series.

NORA is a resistance group in this series that fights back against the atrocities of the Sanctuary. Its founder, Snow Villiers, is accompanied by two other characters in an early part of the game. One of these characters is Lebreau, a valuable party member who uses his rifle to shoot down enemies and uses the Potion command to heal the party from time to time. Without her help, players who struggle with the combat system early on may find it quite a challenge to get through this part of the game.