Go take a look at the other characters in this feature. Go on, I'll wait. Done? Good! Aside from perhaps the "Classic Hero" category, Vyse, the dashing sky pirate, breaks the mould. He doesn't have a tragic past, a deep back-story, or a particularly compelling reason to begin his adventure. Instead, he's just a really likeable, fun guy. He's strong, driven, compassionate, and a permanent optimist. An outstanding leader (commanding a crew of no less than 22 pirates, plus party members), Vyse continually inspires his comrades. He unites people of different cultures, races and background to take on the mighty Valuan empire and save the world from the ancient Gigas. His bright and outgoing personality is a refreshing change of pace, especially from more serious RPG heroes of his time. And, of course, we can't forget the "Vyse Effect": all women are irresistibly attracted to him.

When you think of Star Wars, one of the overwhelming favorite characters among fans is Han Solo. He's a ruggedly dashing rogue who deals with questionable people, is at home in rough locales, does shady deeds that no one else will do, is darn good at what he does (and will let you know it), does not answer to some silly righteous higher cause that "kid heroes" bluster on and on about, and does it all with some of the best dialogue and one-liners in the story. Balthier is Final Fantasy XII's Han Solo. He is that dashing, suave, delightfully cocky, intriguingly charismatic rogue with an enticing accent that everyone thinks is so cool. Men want to be him, women want to be with him. And just like Han Solo has his beloved Millennium Falcon, Balthier has his Strahl. Of course, every lovable rogue must have a steadfastly loyal sidekick to keep them in check and where Han Solo has Chewbacca, Balthier has a Viera woman named Fran who, like him, gave up her home and family for personal freedom. Yes, that whole "living free, rules are for chumps" lifestyle is why we're attracted to rogue characters like Balthier, because they do that of which we can only dream.