The cast & their commands
| Character | Command | Role / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terra | Morph | Half-Esper; Morph doubles magic damage for a time. Elite balanced caster. |
| Celes | Runic | Runic absorbs the next single spell cast (any side) and refunds MP — hard-counters magic bosses. Top all-rounder. |
| Edgar | Tools | Reliable, MP-free damage: Auto Crossbow, Drill, Chainsaw, Noiseblaster, Debilitator. Always useful. |
| Sabin | Blitz | Input-command martial arts: AuraBolt, Suplex, Fire Dance, and Bum Rush. A physical powerhouse all game. |
| Locke | Steal | Treasure hunter; with the Thief's/Brigand's Glove relic, Steal becomes Capture (steal + hit). Fast. |
| Cyan | Bushido (SwdTech) | Charge a gauge for tiered sword arts. Slow input but heavy; Quadra Slam/Slice clears groups. |
| Gau | Rage | Leap on the Veldt to learn monster Rages (auto-attack + traits). Enormous toolbox; some Rages are broken. |
| Setzer | Slot / GP Rain | Gambler. With Fixed Dice + Master's Scroll he's a top physical carry. |
| Strago | Lore (Blue Magic) | Learns enemy skills: Grand Train, Mighty Guard (party-wide buffs), Sour Mouth (status), Aqua Breath. |
| Relm | Sketch / Control | Highest natural Magic stat in the game; with gear she's the strongest caster. Control puppets enemies. |
| Shadow | Throw | Throws weapons/shurikens; his dog Interceptor auto-counters. Missable — see Secrets. |
| Mog | Dance | Terrain-based dances; carries the Moogle Charm (no random encounters) and Dragon-themed gear. |
| Gogo | Mimic | Mimics the last action for free, and can be assigned any three other commands. Ultimate flexibility. |
| Umaro | (uncontrollable) | Berserk yeti; you can't command him, but relics nudge his behavior. Raw stats, niche. |
Best characters
- Celes — the cleanest top pick: Runic shuts down magic bosses, and she's an excellent caster and fighter besides.
- Terra — Morph + maxed Magic + dualcast = the highest magic ceiling, plus solid physicals.
- Sabin — Blitz (Bum Rush) ignores defense formulas and never needs MP; carries the early/mid game single-handedly.
- Edgar — Tools give consistent, targetable, MP-free damage with zero setup. The reliability pick.
- Setzer — with Fixed Dice + Master's Scroll, a defense-ignoring physical machine.
- Relm / Strago — Relm has the best Magic stat (monstrous once geared); Strago's Mighty Guard and Grand Train are genuinely top-tier support/damage.
- Mog & Gogo — utility kings: Mog's Moogle Charm trivializes navigation, Gogo can copy your best build.
Honest truth: by the late game, any character with maxed Magic + dualcast + 1-MP spells is a god. Tiers matter most for the early/mid game, where Sabin and Edgar shine.