Rosa (FFIV: The After Years) - This new design easily blows her old outfit out of the water. While the cape with the inverted hearts takes a little getting used to, it's a plain but effective design. It evokes both a White Mage and an air of regalia about it. However, I don't think it looks as effective in its 3D render form as it does as watercolour artwork.
Kain (FFIV) - It's a dragoon. Dragoon designs have become a staple of Final Fantasy, and for good reason. FFXIV is already full of them. Kain stands out as the quintessential dragoon design, and it rocks.
Terra (FFVI) - My reasons for liking Terra's design (blonde Terra ftw) are a little more...nebulous. I can't properly articulate why I love her design. Perhaps it's just that glorious infusion of red with the floral patterns that really makes her pop out in the Amano design.
Locke (FFVI) - Easy choice. I can tell straight away that this is some kind of rogue character, which fits in perfectly with his status as a thief.
Shadow (FFVI) - Regal ninja. Beautiful to look yet, and yet still imposing enough to believe that this is a ninja, and a stalker in darkness. There's a reason why ninjas resembling Shadow have been all over the place in FFXIV, because the design looks good.
Aerith (FFVII) - One of my all time favourite designs for a video game character ever. Elegant, beautiful and perfectly restrained without going completely over the top as with Nomura's later designs.
Laguna (FFVIII) - Ridiculous gun aside, what is there to fault about this guy's design? His sleeves are up, so he means business. The legs of his trousers are tucked into his military boots, so he means business. His belt looks a little odd, but it looks cool, functional and offers protection hopefully without crushing his abdomen, so he means business. And that confident, determined look on his face. He means business.
Vivi (FFIX) - The classic Black Mage look mixed with that omnipresent sense of adorableness with Vivi. Out of all the character designs in FFIX (that I find either beyond my tastes, weird, or generally objectionable), this stands out as my favourite.
Auron (FFX) - In the world of Spira where everyone else is a fashion disaster, here comes Auron to tell everyone that they all look ridiculous, and they cannot hope to match his majesty. He would be right to say that. The only downside to his otherwise excellent, iconic design would be the belts on his...unused left sleeve? Let's just chalk this up to a certain phase Nomura was going through...
Yuna (FFX) - Nomura, why are you such a mixed bag? You can create so many beautiful designs, only to follow up with a small catalogue of terrible ones the next day. What is it with these Noojs and these Shaluas? Fortunately, going along with the overwhelming popular opinion, FFX Yuna is among one of his magnum opuses (opi?). It invokes elegance. It evokes a priestess. It nails that Southeast Asian aesthetic well. Best of all, it doesn't have that curious mousetail that Yuna mysteriously contracts before the events of FFX-2.
Balthier (FFXII) - One glance and I think of a rogue. A cunning rogue with a sharp tongue and wit. One who might have acquired his expensive clothes using money he robbed, scammed or murdered for. While my favourite design among the FFXII protagonists, it is spoilt by a couple of things. Firstly, are those elf shoes? Secondly, those rings and beads...
All Judge Magisters (FFXII) - Every armour set is distinctive in their own way and are delightfully imposing. They look frightening. They look like they're about to bring the blade of the law down on you. They look solidly like the Empire's right hands. Some armours look more functional than others, but let's not begrudge any of them.
Lightning (FFXIII) - Remember when Lightning began with a great design? Before she decided to morph into a Gundam and before it was all about dressing up? Anyone remember those days?
Stella (FF Versus XIII) - I say Versus, because I'm specifically on about her 2008 design. The one with her standing with her back turned framed by skyscrapers under the moonlit sky. The one with her confronting Noctis on the street. THAT design. It's regrettable that Nomura has redesigned her since, as well as the question of whether or not Stella is even in FFXV anymore. If this had remained, it would have been my favourite female character design in the whole franchise.
Nael Van Darnus &
Gaius Van Baelsar (FFXIV) - As you've probably noticed, I'm generally a big fan of imperial enforcers decked out in intricate armour. I prefer Nael out of the two, because the white/silver is glorious, and we've not had a Judge Magister in white in FFXII.