Summary
Final Fantasyis a series known for letting playerscontrol numerous party members in combat, using their unique abilities to turn the tide of battle and win against enemies in a dominant fashion. Given how hard some enemies can hit in the games, it’s easy to see why players will rely on a tank more often than not to absorb damage for others and give weaker party members a fighting chance in battle.
As one would expect, some players will have their favorite tanks in theFinal Fantasyseries that they can rely on for particularly grueling battles where foes love to wallop the heroes with hard-hitting physical attacks. Without these tanks in a party, gamers may have to endure an inevitable loss, further proving just how vital tanks are throughout theFinal Fantasyseries.
Characters will be ranked based on how useful they are in combat.
Most people write off Umaro as one of the weaker party members inFinal Fantasy 6, since players can’t control him. This may be true to an extent, but this Berserker can still be kitted out with useful accessories and gear to turn him into a force to be reckoned with in battle.
This yeti can smash enemies with hard-hitting physical attacks and use the Blizzard Orb and Berserker Ring accessories to become more dynamic in battle with an enhanced moveset. He can also take a ton of punishment, letting players breathe a sigh of relief whenever he’s targeted by a particularly damaging attack.
The four Warriors of Light canchoose from one of six jobsthat become more powerful after a certain point in the story. Most players would wisely choose the Warrior job for one of their characters, who can wield the strongest equipment and down enemies with a few hits.
This Warrior can eventually become a Knight, enhancing their abilities as a tank while also gaining access to some basic White Magic spells. Players who want a tank to rely on in particularly challenging boss battles should make it a point to turn at least one of the party members into a Warrior at the start of the game.
Final Fantasy 5takes a while before players are allowed toswitch their jobs from the default Freelancer, with the gameplay opening up after the first set of jobs is unlocked. This includes the Knight, one of the most important jobs to rely on during the early stages ofFinal Fantasy 5.
Not only is a character with this job capable of wielding powerful equipment, but they also serve as an effective tank who can use both Cover and Guard to either protect a party member or nullify a physical attack entirely. Knight is a job that one party member should master before players move on to more advanced roles for their party.
A Dragoon who can take a ton of hits without being downed, Nine is one of the many classmates in Class 0 who can attract enemy attention while other party members exploit a distracted enemy.He boasts high HPand defenses to make him more suitable for this role.
While this comes at the cost of low MP and magic defense, most players won’t mind if they only want to use this character to impale enemies with lance attacks. He’s easier to control than some of the slower damage dealers in Class Zero, making him a favorite for players who slowly get accustomed toType-0’s real-time combat.
Gladiolus is a party member who will slowly grow on players as they get immersed inthe world ofFinal Fantasy 15. The fact that players can control this character in later versions of the game makes this tank more tactical to use in combat against tough foes.
If players want Noctis to avoid any unnecessary damage, then using Gladiolus to aggro enemies is a great way to give the party leader time to heal up and restore his MP. Aside from being a tank in battle, Gladio is, in many ways, the big brother of the group who strives to protect their bonds when they’re particularly strained.
Steiner takes no time at all to establish himself as one of the most endearing characters inFinal Fantasy 9. He isnot a huge fan of Zidaneand clashes with him regularly throughout the game, only to develop a begrudging respect for this knave as they both start to understand each other.
His adorable crush on Beatrix makes their team-up a hype moment that lets players control this deadly warrior of Alexandria for the first time. Steiner’s abilities as a Knight make him the hardest damage dealer in the game, and it helps that he can take a few hits to take the heat off other party members.
Barret is one of the most overpowered characters in all ofFinal Fantasy. Not only can this character use his gun arm to shoot down foes with ease, but his ranged attacks mean that players can comfortably stick him in the back row.
This boosts his defenses and makes him a great option for a tank if players want to allocate materia to help him take the role on with ease. This AVALANCHE member may seem rugged, but his love for Marlene and the Planet makes it clear that he has a soft side that makes him one of thebest party members inFinal Fantasy 7.
From the very start ofFinal Fantasy 10, Auron wastes no time in establishing himself asthe coolest character inFinal Fantasy 10. The effortless manner in which he wields a massive blade to wallop his foes makes him a must-have in the party if players want to decimate enemies with high-damage attacks.
Along with this, Auron boasts a great HP pool and defenses, letting him tank blows without too many problems. His main draw may be his monstrous physical damage, but his potential as a tank shouldn’t be ignored either.
