Rapede

Cait Sith and Quina be damned - Rapede is the man, er, dog. Wolf. Whatever.

This is the only non-human character in your party, so we can also cross off Paul’s other point about not liking his alter ego to have pointed ears and a tail.

We were sold on the missing eye, but if that doesn’t convince you of his badassitude, the pipe sure as hell ought to. And if just now you’re all like “dogs can’t carry knives, so JRPGs are stupid,” Ninja Gaiden II features knife-wielding dogs ad nauseam and people love that game. So STFU, internets.

In days of yore, you wandered the RPG world and collected adventurers for your party, despite only being able to call on three of them when you actually had to fight (and heaven help you if the one you’ve been leveling up as your healer bites it). But in Tales of Vesperia, the party set-up that only allows you four characters on the field actually makes sense.

You’ve got four characters on the “frontline” and four in the back that don’t appear in combat unless you’re attacked from behind. Think about this logically: you’re walking along, out in front, and see some huge monster charging you. Of course you’re the loser who has to fight it while the guys behind you hide behind some rocks and let you take one for the team. If you don’t want that to happen, stick the shrimpy brat and the annoying chick in front of you while you walk. Duh.