I began life as a Final Fantasy fan with FFIV (then released as FFII), but when FFVI (again, it was called FFIII back then in the U.S.) came out, I very eagerly rented it at my local video store. Before I even turned the game on, I flipped through the instruction booklet and happened upon a picture of Locke. It was actually the picture used in this layout, and I immediately thought "Wow, he looks cool!" (keep in mind I was ten). At the time, I had a bizarre fascination with gypsies, and I've always thought that Locke's character design resembled that style of dress. Either way, my interest was certainly piqued. Through playing the game, I fell madly in love with Locke. He was the first video game character I ever came to adore so deeply, the first character I ever wished so desperately were real (and honestly, I still wish I could find a guy who even remotely resembles Locke in personality, because I'd marry the dude in a heartbeat).

Locke is at the top of many a girl's list of favorite Final Fantasy characters. He's appealing to nearly everyone who comes to know him. But the question is why? We don't like him for his looks (all we generally see of him is a tiny little sprite, and even the Amano pictures of him don't exactly scream "hunky heart throb"; the guy looks like a pale, scrawny, lipstick-wearing gypsy). We don't like him for his dreamy voice (FFVI had no voicework). We don't even like him because he's the most useful character in the game (I personally think Terra, Celes, Relm, Edgar, and Shadow are all FAR more useful in battle). So what is it? What makes us love him so much?

I think the true beauty of Locke is that, as others across the internet have already said, he's like the Prince Charming all little girls dream of, but with the added bonus of having an interesting, unique personality to boot. Think of the stereotypical princes of Disney movies. They were appealing to little girls because they were handsome and charming (of course!). But they were also extremely bland, and as we grew older, we came to realize that charming princes were actually boring. But along comes Locke, who is charming, kind, and bursting at the seams with chivalry. I picture him as the type of guy who would take a girl's hand and kiss it while bowing dramatically. If he had the funds, he'd surely treat a date to an amazingly romantic night. But Locke goes beyond being a typical prince charming in that he is fascinating person. He's a theif. He has a sense of humor. He has a tragic past. He can even come across as greedy at times. And despite the kindness he shows toward females, he has shown a rather crude, hostile attitude toward some of the males in the game. Locke's not perfect. He's never been perfect and he never will be, and it's that same imperfection that makes him stand out in such a stark contrast to the prince charmings we grew up with.

Locke represents to us the girlish fantasies we entertained as children, harkening back the romantic daydreams and impossible ideals. He brings us back to a time when we all believed we would find storybook loves and the happily ever afters. But at the same time, he reminds us that the prince is human too, that there's more to him than a dashing smile. He appeals to us on a more mature level in that he's a little wild. A little dangerous. As women, we can appreciate this duality. And maybe, just maybe, we can start to believe in those storybook romances again.