Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy Character Basics Guide

Jecht

First appeared in: Final Fantasy X

Combat proficiency: Close-range, melee

Strengths

Perhaps one of the strongest melee characters in the game, Jecht’s play style is all about quickly reaching the opponent and chaining hard-hitting combos. He only has two bravery attacks, Jecht Rush (ground) and Jecht Stream (air). Both abilities unleash a fury of powerful attacks which can expand into different combos based on user input, and can be charged to span greater distances if your opponent is playing keepaway. Once you close the gap and master Jecht’s complex combos, it’s game over.

Weaknesses

Jecht is only effective in close quarters -- it can be challenging to fight ranged players who are skilled at pressuring you into keeping a distance. It can also be difficult to land your initial attack, and once you do so, you’ll have to maintain constant chains to lock your opponent down.

Learning curve: Difficult

Kain Highwind

First appeared in: Final Fantasy IV

Combat proficiency: Close-range, melee

Combat proficiency: Close-range, melee

Strengths

Kain has strong bravery attacks and is well suited for both ground and air combat. Abilities like Spiral Blow, Cyclone and Celestial Shooter can launch enemies into the air, while Crashing Dive can bring the fight back to the ground. Controlling your enemies by ping-ponging them around is a definite advantage.

Weaknesses

Despite Kain’s arsenal of bravery abilites, some of them have tricky attack angles and can be difficult to get used to. He also has some lackluster HP abilities, and relying on Jump isn’t always feasible when playing a cramped stage.

Learning curve: Moderate

Kefka Palazzo

First appeared in: Final Fantasy VI

Combat proficiency: Long-range, magic

Strengths

Kefka may be a clown, but his magical attacks are no joke (pun intended!). Chaining Kefka’s abilitiesare quite simple and absolutely brutal: His Waggle-Wobbly Firaga ability moves slowly, but has excellent tracking and is great for putting a lot of pressure on the enemy. Once it connects, take advantage of its long-lasting effect and chain with Scatter Spray Blizzaga, Meteor or any of his bravery attacks.

Weaknesses

Kefka’s bravery attacks may hit hard, but they also have a slow start-up speed, and he’s pretty dependent on chaining abilities off of Waggle-Wobbly Firaga. Letting your opponent get too close can cost you a decent chunk of your bravery or HP pool, especially if you’re facing a character with fast attack speeds.

Learning curve: Easy

Kuja

First appeared in: Final Fantasy IX

Combat proficiency: Various, magic

Strengths

Kuja’s biggest strength is is versatility. Unlike other characters, he can use his attacks while moving and any of his abilities can be equipped to his ground or air slots. If you prefer fighting in close quarters or from a distance, you can set his skills to suit your tastes. Ring Holy is now a nice pressure builder, and abilities like Strike Energy and Remote Flare are great for chaining combos.

Weaknesses

Though he has a nice mix of close / mid-ranged attacks, Kuja lacks long ranged abilities and has a slow start-up time on some bravery attacks. Learning to use his abilities effectively takes some practice.

Learning curve: Moderate

Laguna Loire

First appeared in: Final Fantasy VIII

Combat proficiency: Long / mid-range, projectiles

Strengths

Machine guns, bazookas, sticky grenades, shotguns -- yeah, Laguna has quite the arsenal of projectile weapons. Homing Bazooka and Missile Barrage are tracking abilities ideal for keeping opponents focused on dodging, leaving them vulnerable to his Machine Gun and Ricochet Shot. Grenades are great for controlling ground space and his Shotgun ability is useful when opponents get too close.

Weaknesses

Despite having weapons that fire upon pulling a trigger, Laguna’a start-up times are rather slow. He’s pretty vulnerable in close quarters and his combos can be difficult to chain. Ricochet Shot is neat if you can get used to manually aiming it and bouncing the shot off the stage, but learning to play Laguna effectively is a challenge.

Learning curve: Moderate

Learning curve: Moderate