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Being the most controversial character in the game, with most people having strong opinions one way or another, I'm intrigued to find out how this will turn out. I'll start the argument for the defense, I'm guessing it will be easy to find people to argue for the prosecution.

Defense

Locke was a deep character that just wanted to shake the demons of his past away. A lot of critics point to the fact that Celes was kept alive by his existence, while he was off trying to save Rachel. But he just needed to get that done before he could move on to the present.

From a gameplay standpoint, yes, steal kind of sucks, but Locke's speed makes up for it. If you give him the genji glove and offering, he can do more damage than anyone (yes, this applies to other characters, but why put them on Sabin when you can get more balance with another character?) Locke is a good all-around character that comes in handy towards the end of the game.

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Hip-Hop QOTW:

"Yeah, where I'ma start it at, look I'ma part of that
Downtown Philly where it's realer than a heart attack
It wasn't really that ill until the start of crack
Now it's a body caught every night on the Almanac"

"Game Theory"
The Roots

I heart Locke. Sure, he's a theif, but that doesn't make a person bad. First off: he's confronted with taking care of Terra, who he doesn't know, and who is labeled as a witch who has toasted 50 soldiers. And he knows that he could be in deep, deep trouble if he gets caught with her. He also probably realizes he could turn her in for a sum. What does he do? He protects her with his life.

General Celes. He finds this woman, who he previously probably saw as a rather evil woman. He doesn't have to let her out of the cell, and he certainly doesn't have to be nice to her. But he does anyway. He saves her, and helps her to safety.

Sure, there was Rachel in his past. The fact that he DOESN'T just forget about her and move on speaks well for him. Rachel was his first love. Until the end of the whole Rachel storyline, there is no actual proof that he likes Terra or Celes as more then just a friend, someone to protect. He does seem a bit closer to Celes, yes, but his heart still belongs to Rachel. Only when she releases his heart, does he move on. And even then, he's still a gentleman.

Once again, I heart Locke.

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I had an old signature. Now I've changed it.

Quote (Elena99 @ 31 Oct. 2002, 12:46)

I heart Locke. Sure, he's a theif...

Ahem, he is a Treasure Hunter

I'm going to have to take Locke's side as well. I agree with everything Elena said.

He stuck it out for Rachel until the end.  And can one really blame him for going after someone like Celes?

Gears handled the stat-side well too.  While many find the Steal ability useless, his speed factor owns.

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"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

Locke is such a middle of the road character, that he almost stands out in the crowd of FFVI characters.  Nothing about him was ever over the top and that reflected in the way I used him in the game.

From a game view, I used fairly often, and he became a character of average strength and usefulness.  I'm consistently surprised at how many people dislike him.  There was nothing about him that seemed to merit any opinion whatsoever.  He was so middle of the road, but I guess that's why everyone disliked him.  It certainly explains the dislike people have for Zidane, but he had more energy, so he was a lot more acceptable to me.

In the end, I'll vote down on Locke because he was the worst kind of character a story can have: boring.

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Arts

Farts

Twarts

ok... here's my opinion

Locke is a righteous man. He has many morals [although stealing from people is apparently not one of them.] He refuses to let things go, which is persistence: a fine quality. He never gives up on what he believes in.
On a battle stand point, Capture and Steal were useful at times. His battle power was mediocre but not the worst.
All in all, he's your saves-the-day kind of guy.

However, he just never really piqued my interest. I agree with Narratorway. He just never got passed the "middle of the road" for me. I don't necessarily despise of Locke, but I wish he was somewhat more interesting.

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"When I turn the page
The corner bends into the perfect dog ear
As if the words knew I'd need them again
But at the time, I didn't see it."

~"This Ain't a Surfin' Movie" - Minus the Bear

I don't know what you're saying, Locke being weak. Only because almost everytime I've played through the game, I had Locke in there, and he did quite well.

He had a good personality, I guess, so yeah, I liked him.

why do so many ppl think locke sucks?
i know steal sucks but i dont think it was meant to be used alot. when he says he is a treasure hunter I think he means it cause hes not very good at being a thief. he can be good if you equip him with the right weapons,armor and relics.

and since steal is so useless then why not teach locke magic to make him useful, I did, and he turned out to be a strong character for me.

i vote innocent...

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Why do kamakazi pilots wear helmets?

Locke had a hell of an inventory: Wing Edge, Atma Weapon, Illumina. Not to mention the light armor he could wear, like the power sash.

He had a great character development as well. I think he's seen as this bad thief guy, but wants what's best. He must have had a hard past.

Innocent.

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Lou: There's a couple of guys fighting down at the aquarium, Chief.
Wiggum: Do they still sell those frozen bananas?
Lou: I think so.
Wiggum: Let's roll.

I also have no idea where the Locke sucking stuff comes from. He was a fine character for me, in battle. And I didn't think he had a weak storyline. I mean, how about comparing it to others? Not even counting the "Where the hell did they come from?" characters.

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The clouds ran away, opened up the sky
And one by one I watched every constellation die
And there I was frozen, standing in my backyard
Face to face, eye to eye, staring at the last star
I should've known, walked all the way home
To find that she wasn't here, I'm still all alone

-Atmosphere "Always Coming Back Home to You"

Must.... resist... urge.... to... spin... topic... off... onto... different.... subject.......

*twitch twitch*

Ah... Much better.

Locke was a cool charecter in my opinion.  He was a good guy, and one of the charecters whom had a developed storyline behind him.  (Edgar and Sabin did, as did Shadow.  Terra obviously, and Cyan didn't really have much of a past story line, but it does develop quite quickly durring the game.  Setzer's was... weak... and Celes was kinda vague.  How did Mog learn to talk, and what's up with Gogo?  Relms does kinda relate to Shadow's [Dunno, but supposedly, there are rumors that Shadow is Relm's father, with the whole being in the town before, and that those two are the only ones who can use that Memento thing]  And Stratago is just an old, grumpy fart.)

Locke could have turned his back on the group so many times, but he stuck it out.  He was there for Terra in the begining, and he risked his life for the Returners, as he did for Celes too.  He is a good guy in my opinion.  (I'd still rate Shadow's plot as the best.)

Honestly though, I never found much use for him as a charecter in game.  

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"And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped” -Sir Bedevere the Wise

I vote Innocent.

Sure, he didn't have the best stats and abilities, but he wasn't by any means the weakest character, and he is very likeable just as a character in the story. He is serious and laid back at the same time he always goes out of his way to help others (unless, of course, someone needs him to guard a treasure), and his back story is just classic.

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*END TRANSMISSION*

Locke is by far my favorite character in all of FF (with Kain a close second). He may not be a strong character in the beginning but the beauty of FF6 is you can turn a weak character into a powerful one with the right Espers, relics, and weapons. Locke also has some of the funniest moments in the game (i.e. the boat trip to Thamasa to find the Espers), and he is always there to protect an ally. So I have to declare him innocent

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War is for the participants a test of character; it makes bad men worse and good men better. - Joshua Chamberlain

U sir R a n00b >:-( - Cactuar

I didn't vote because I was undecided on what should be judged here.  It depends on how you look at Locke.  Character and plot wise, he's very good.  He's like the main hero who protects those who need protection, takes the lead when he needs to, and steps down if he needs to.  His role in the story is very important, making it almost impossible to imagine the game without him.  However, if you look at Locke battle-wise...he isn't as spectacular.  I won't say he bites monkey, because he doesn't exactly.  He's just pretty bad.  Physically he's a wuss, magically he's so-so, and his special attack is useless.  His speed is good, but nothing that Shadow can't compare to.  He isn't very unique as he fights, and nothing really stands out about him.

So it all depends if you care about how he acts in the story or how he fights.  If plot is more important, he's a good character, if gameplay is more important, he's trailer park trash.  It's all opinion.

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I find your lack of faith disturbing...

True to form, I voted down on Locke.

I suppose character-wise there really isn't all that much to complain about.  As a standard save-the-world hero, he doesn't do too bad.  He's brave, reckless, and has a pleasant mix of sincere compassion and showy bravado.  To top it all off, he has a way with the ladies.  I think the main complaint I had with Locke's characterization is that it just didn't fit.  In the realm of character development that is Final Fantasy VI, Locke seemed so last year.  FFVI was a huge step forward from previous installments in terms of character complexity (as well as pretty much everything else), and a stunning climax in the series.  "Secret" characters notwithstanding, it had one of the most deep and believable rosters of characters in RPG history.  Locke, with his innate courageous and virtuous nature, just seems out of place as an obsolete persona.  Sure, he had a little bit of a backstory, but it paled in comparison to others.  He was every bit the dashing hero, perhaps a bit too one-dimensional for such a complex story.

But that's just a matter of opinion, and nitpicking even then.  My real complaint with Locke is that he's very weak in combat, particularly when he's toted as one of the game's "main" characters.  He's a jack-of-all-trades utility fighter, but doesn't do anything well enough to merit use.  His speed is decent, but Shadow can match and exceed it by far.  His attacking power is alright, but Edgar, Cyan, and Sabin have him outplayed in that category.  His magic is fair, but needless to say Terra and Celes outdo him in every respect there.  He can equip the Atma Weapon, sure, but his lack of heavy armor gives him an annoying tendency to die very often as a frontline fighter (and you shouldn't waste a valuable Relic slot on a Merit Award for him).  His most powerful class-specific weapon can be found quite early, and works well in the back row, so he doesn't die immediately.  But even then, it falls in the gloomy realm of sheer mediocrity.  As a "main" character, Locke doesn't have much use in combat.  But suppose you were to cast all that aside, and level all of your characters up to 99, where the only discernable difference between them would be their appearances and the abilities they have.  Locke's vaunted Steal is of limited worth in the early parts of the game, and completely useless later on, particularly after Ragnarok's Metamorph comes into play.  Honestly, I can't imagine how one could justify wasting a turn with it, particularly when it misses rather often, even if you're wearing the Sneak Ring or one of his other Steal-boosting Relics (which are equal wastes of time and/or money).

In the end, I don't like Locke as a character, but that's just my personal opinion.  What I use as my evidence for voting down on him is his lack of use in battle.

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"I always have a quotation for everything - it saves original thinking."
~Dorothy L. Sayers

"The truly remarkable thing about television is that it allows several million people to laugh at the same joke and still feel lonely."
~T.S. Eliot

"Defeat is not defeat unless accepted as reality - in your own mind!"
~ Bruce Lee

I dunno why people keep rapping on Locke's steal command. Give him a Thief Glove and he'll both fight and steal. Plus, in the beginning of the game, stealing Tonics from Dark Winds and Leafers is darn useful. Keeps you from wasting Terra's precious MP. Ever try stealing things from bosses? You can get some pretty nifty stuff from them. Like weapons you're not supposed to get for another 30 minutes to an 1 hour of gameplay. Later on, you can even steal Ribbons and Economizers (yes I have done that!) from Brontosaurs in the dino forest. Ragnarok can only be used once per battle (twice with Gogo, more if you don't do anything the entire round). Locke can steal as long he ain't an imp or a prone figure on the ground. Besides, what's really wrong with having a jack-of-all-trades character? What you are doing is dividing up Locke into separate cells instead of looking at them together. Have a hole in your party? He's the best person to fill it in, because he can do EVERYTHING. He's not a professional, but he'll get the job done, no matter the task.

Personality-wise, I think he was the most developed character in the game (besides maybe Terra). I see him as an honorable guy trying to correct a mistake he made in the past, yet he also shows that he has his priorities straight by helping out the Returners. Helping not one but TWO high-ranking Imperial soldiers and vowing to protect them with his life shows his sincere heart, despite the fact that HE ABSOLUTELY HATES THE EMPIRE. Too, after the war is over, he still sticks by Terra instead going off galivanting, looking for the Phoenix magicite. Then, in the post-apocalypse world, he still continues in his quest.

BTW, he's not reckless. How is he reckless? If he was reckless, he would have been killed in South Figaro. He only has a "way with the ladies" because he's vowed to protect them. Not like some Squall-Rinoa relationship. Bravado? What are you talking about? I'd say he definitely has the courage to back up what he says. And how can he be obsolete? Locke, to me, is the moderating influence in the entire game (along with maybe Edgar). Terra's too unstable, Celes too reserved, Setzer too withdrawn, Sabin too reckless, etc... Sure, he problems in the past, but he uses that to push himself forward while trying to solve it, rather than having it bog him down. You only see him sappy when he's right in front of Rachel, and the memories are too hard to bear when the consequences are right in front of him.

<huff> <puff> Heh, sounds like a rant... Oh well. I voted against Locke. J/K. Locke's character is the best out of every RPG I've ever played!  

Locke was just too much of a "good guy", let's say. He was too righteous and too goody goody. I don't like these types of heroic, righteous, do-gooders. You might be saying "Well, Mookie, all main characters are this way." Then I would say to you that's why I don't like any of them. Don't like Cloud, Zidane, Locke, or Cecil. They're just too... good.
I like the rebels or dark, shadowy guys like Shadow, Kain, Lynx, and most importantly, Amarant.

so Locke gets the mookie thumbs down.

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Air force... if you ever join the militant wing, join the Air force

Army = jockos
Navy = seasick nerds
Marines = show offs
PeaceCorp = hippies

AF is the way to go

Quote (RoyalKnight @ 8 Nov. 2002, 01:55)

I dunno why people keep rapping on Locke's steal command. Give him a Thief Glove and he'll both fight and steal. Plus, in the beginning of the game, stealing Tonics from Dark Winds and Leafers is darn useful. Keeps you from wasting Terra's precious MP. Ever try stealing things from bosses? You can get some pretty nifty stuff from them. Like weapons you're not supposed to get for another 30 minutes to an 1 hour of gameplay. Later on, you can even steal Ribbons and Economizers (yes I have done that!) from Brontosaurs in the dino forest. Ragnarok can only be used once per battle (twice with Gogo, more if you don't do anything the entire round). Locke can steal as long he ain't an imp or a prone figure on the ground. Besides, what's really wrong with having a jack-of-all-trades character? What you are doing is dividing up Locke into separate cells instead of looking at them together. Have a hole in your party? He's the best person to fill it in, because he can do EVERYTHING. He's not a professional, but he'll get the job done, no matter the task. Personality-wise, I think he was the most developed character in the game (besides maybe Terra). I see him as an honorable guy trying to correct a mistake he made in the past, yet he also shows that he has his priorities straight by helping out the Returners. Helping not one but TWO high-ranking Imperial soldiers and vowing to protect them with his life shows his sincere heart, despite the fact that HE ABSOLUTELY HATES THE EMPIRE. Too, after the war is over, he still sticks by Terra instead going off galivanting, looking for the Phoenix magicite. Then, in the post-apocalypse world, he still continues in his quest. BTW, he's not reckless. How is he reckless? If he was reckless, he would have been killed in South Figaro. He only has a "way with the ladies" because he's vowed to protect them. Not like some Squall-Rinoa relationship. Bravado? What are you talking about? I'd say he definitely has the courage to back up what he says. And how can he be obsolete? Locke, to me, is the moderating influence in the entire game (along with maybe Edgar). Terra's too unstable, Celes too reserved, Setzer too withdrawn, Sabin too reckless, etc... Sure, he problems in the past, but he uses that to push himself forward while trying to solve it, rather than having it bog him down. You only see him sappy when he's right in front of Rachel, and the memories are too hard to bear when the consequences are right in front of him. <huff> <puff> Heh, sounds like a rant... Oh well. I voted against Locke. J/K. Locke's character is the best out of every RPG I've ever played! Â

Okay, first off, let's look at Locke's "Mug", which is a modified form of Steal.  First, let me say that Mug's damage is rather unspectacular.  Scratch that, it's downright useless.  I wouldn't waste a valuable Relic slot on a Thief Glove, only to achieve a bit of paltry damage on a skill that isn't really useful.  You make a good point with the Leafers and Dark Winds, but how long in the game does this period of time constitute?  Not much, I'll wager.  You say that good items can be stolen from bosses, and this is true.  However, Final Fantasy VI is a game in which even better or equally powerful items can simply be found or won, meaning that the ability to steal powerful items is limited by its lack of relative necessity.  Even if your really loved Steal, I can think of a good number of Special Abilities that far outclass its usefulness, considering that no matter how much you pump it up using Relics, it will still never work 100% of the time.

Next let's consider his ability as a jack-of-all-trades.  A utility character is nice, yes, but I'd also like to rephrase my original point: he's not quite good enough at any one thing to merit use in combat.  In other words, there are far too many good attackers, supporters, and spellcasters to make room for him in a four-person party.  Ideally, there really shouldn't be any gaping hole in your party for him to fill.

Once again, I'd like to say that disliking Locke's character is all a matter of personal opinion.  Even then, I found it rather interesting that you managed to ignore everything I didn't like about him, and instead chose to disagree with the complements I made.  By "reckless" I don't mean reckless in a foolish, immature sense, more or less I was referring to his status as a risk-taking, freewheeling adventurer.  His "way with the ladies" is just that: he does have an ability to gain the trust of women.  "Bravado" is not a bad quality in this situation.  I never implied that he was too fearful to support his comments, only that he was brave, and not afraid to say so.  And, at least in my opinion, his attempt to "resolve" his past problems, i.e. trying to find the "potion" for Rachel, was not a valiant attempt at rebuilding his life, but a vain, futile exercise of self-denial; he could not truly admit to himself that his lost love was gone forever, and there was nothing he could do about it.  And that's actually one of the few things I like about Locke, despite his confident and showy exterior, he still has flaws and delusion.  I'd also like to note that he was not the most developed character in a conventional sense.  Compared to the complex background stories of his companions, Locke's past is simplistic.  A lost love, a hatred for the Empire spawned from said loss, finding a new love, self-denial, happy ending.  Nothing truly earth-shattering, particularly when compared to Terra, Edgar, Sabin, Shadow, or Cyan.  Locke's true strength of character comes mostly from his personality and interactions with others, particularly Celes.

In the end, not liking his character is just a matter of opinion.  I will say, though, that I found him rather weak in combat.



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"I always have a quotation for everything - it saves original thinking."
~Dorothy L. Sayers

"The truly remarkable thing about television is that it allows several million people to laugh at the same joke and still feel lonely."
~T.S. Eliot

"Defeat is not defeat unless accepted as reality - in your own mind!"
~ Bruce Lee

I say guilty, but he can kick some ass if needed.

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At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)

let me just add something. you may not locke's steal/mug ability or his physical power but he may be the most useful character in the game. i say this because of 2 reasons, the phoneix magicite and ultima spell. you cannot get either without locke. without the phoneix magicite a person cannot learn life 3 and therefore, unless a person is at level 99 cannot go all the way at kefka's tower. without locke to break into narshe in the w.o.r, you cannot get the ragnorak esper/sword and learn the ultima spell which is the best spell of the game. so you may not use locke and like him but it is hard to argue that he is useless.

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War is for the participants a test of character; it makes bad men worse and good men better. - Joshua Chamberlain

U sir R a n00b >:-( - Cactuar

Quote (BGrugby @ 12 Nov. 2002, 14:12)

let me just add something. you may not locke's steal/mug ability or his physical power but he may be the most useful character in the game. i say this because of 2 reasons, the phoneix magicite and ultima spell. you cannot get either without locke. without the phoneix magicite a person cannot learn life 3 and therefore, unless a person is at level 99 cannot go all the way at kefka's tower. without locke to break into narshe in the w.o.r, you cannot get the ragnorak esper/sword and learn the ultima spell which is the best spell of the game. so you may not use locke and like him but it is hard to argue that he is useless.

That's a very good point.  I never said he was useless outside of battle, because in the World of Ruin he's your ticket for two great Espers.  Granted, it's possible to get the Paladin Shield (Ultimax4) and learn Life 2 from a different source, but it's much easier just to go through the Phoenix Cave and pick up Ragnarok in Narshe.  However, this doesn't really have much to do in terms of Locke's battle abilities.

Were there evidence to support such a claim, I would argue that the developers found Locke to be so pointless after the World of Balance that they forced you to use his story-driven abilities to get the two powerful items.  



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"I always have a quotation for everything - it saves original thinking."
~Dorothy L. Sayers

"The truly remarkable thing about television is that it allows several million people to laugh at the same joke and still feel lonely."
~T.S. Eliot

"Defeat is not defeat unless accepted as reality - in your own mind!"
~ Bruce Lee

true you can learn ultima from the paladian shield but, once again, you need Locke to unlock the door to the sick man in Narshe and get the cursed shield...unless you can win it at the collussem but i don't think you can

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War is for the participants a test of character; it makes bad men worse and good men better. - Joshua Chamberlain

U sir R a n00b >:-( - Cactuar

Quote (BGrugby @ 12 Nov. 2002, 15:12)

without the phoneix magicite a person cannot learn life 3 and therefore, unless a person is at level 99 cannot go all the way at kefka's tower. without locke to break into narshe in the w.o.r, you cannot get the ragnorak esper/sword and learn the ultima spell which is the best spell of the game. so you may not use locke and like him but it is hard to argue that he is useless.

You are very very very VERY wrong. I've gone through Kefka's Tower without Life 3 on level 40 something. Why you deem it impossible, I don't know...

I think we're all forgeting the fact that Locke likes to steal innocent soldiers' clothes and leave them in their "Birthday Suit".

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The clouds ran away, opened up the sky
And one by one I watched every constellation die
And there I was frozen, standing in my backyard
Face to face, eye to eye, staring at the last star
I should've known, walked all the way home
To find that she wasn't here, I'm still all alone

-Atmosphere "Always Coming Back Home to You"

Quote (Tidu-who @ 12 Nov. 2002, 22:35)

I think we're all forgeting the fact that Locke likes to steal innocent soldiers' clothes and leave them in their "Birthday Suit".

I just think he likes seeing the merchants nekkid. Erm...*ahem* heh...heh...

I vote innocent, simply for the fact that I have an extremely biased opinion of Locke. Really, it's not my fault. It's all those blasted drawings of him in which he's very...very good looking.  

Yes, steal does suck, but who ever really makes much use of it in -any- game, unless it's to try and get some super rare item?

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Why don't you go hang out with the village idiot so you have someone to look up to?

Ahhh you caught my mistake I meant Fanatics Tower instead of Kefka's Tower, I couldn't think of the name of it at the time so I took a guess that it was Kefka's Tower. True you can get through Kefka's Tower without Life 3 but not Fanatics Tower since the MagiMaster will wipe your entire party out with Ultima if you didn't use Life 3



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War is for the participants a test of character; it makes bad men worse and good men better. - Joshua Chamberlain

U sir R a n00b >:-( - Cactuar

Actually, when I first reached the top of Fanatic's Tower, I had heard already about what MagiMaster (was that his name?) does before he dies.

Scan & Palidor Summon, anyone?

BTW, Super Moogle, it's all good.

I voted thumbs down on Locke.

As far as the story goes, Locke was at first interesting and fun to watch.  However, the further I went, the more I found his story to be too traditional and stale to fit in with the rest of the cast.  In the WoB, he was a central character, meaning they focused on him moreso than most others.  However, his appearance in the WoR was very lacking in retrospect.  He was one of the last characters (traditionally) to collect,so he missed out on most of the action in the WoR.  He was on both extremes of the scale.  I think he was focused too much upon in the WoB, but not enough in the WoR.  I only bothered with Locke because I wanted to get the cursed shield and either type of Ragnarok.

However, I won't say I totally disliked his story.  I thought he had some nice high-points.  I liked the beginning where he saved Terra, and when he revived Rachel, I thought it was a great end to his sorrow and the culmination to all of his reasons for never giving up hope.  However, the emphasis placed on him was totally uneven for both worlds, and at times was very bothersome to have in the party, because he was so annoying.

Statistically speaking, Locke is downright horrible.  Oh sure, he can be boosted using espers and the like, but then again, who can't (besides Umaro and Gogo) ?  He's a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none.  He is outdone by Terra, Celes, Relm, and Strago in magic, and he can't compete with Cyan's or Sabin's heavy strength.  That leaves Locke's special ability to stand out.  It, itself, however, is not good enough.  Turning Steal into capture is a waste of a relic, as well as any other percentage-boosting relics for Steal, as it does not give a good enough return in the long run and wastes relic slots that could be better spent with better relics.  And as mentioned before, it's even less valuable when you have the Ragnarok Esper (especially when combined with Gogo's mimic trick).  He can wear some of the better items such as Illumina and Valiant Knight or Atma Weapon, but again, these weapons can be better utilized in the hands of either Celes or Terra.  I absolutely hated having to have him in my party for certain points in the game in the WoB.  It could be said that he is very useful during the earlier parts of the WoR, with weapons that enable him to do the same damage in the back row, but since I always got him so late, I had the better weapons that require the front row to do maximum damage.

All in all, I found Locke GUILTY of being a useless pile of CRAP with an unbalanced story.

Locke is very possibly the ideal boyfriend.  Smart, funny, compassionate, knows how to have fun, kind to children and strange women...

He did get cliched and whiny and oh-so-melodramatic in the second half of the game, but overall he's such a nice boy.  I've always admired Celes for the self-restraint she showed in not raping Locke on the spot.  And I've always cursed Terra for not seducing him when she had the chance...

Stats-wise, I've never had a problem with Locke.  He's not as strong as Terra or Edgar but he does his fair bit in battle... besides, his Hawkeye is sexy and it makes me laugh every time it does that auto-kill thing.  Really.  I collapse on the floor laughing and say "Do it again!"  If for nothing else, I would vote in Locke's favor just for his funny weapons.

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"Turd-cookies!...they're hot and soft, though..."

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heaped for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.  - Percy Bysshe Shelley

Locke, though very good, still is just like a young Setzer. Locke lost someone, and though the course of the game he learns to deal with it (with a little help from Celes, of course). Setzer is like Locke in a few years, he has learned to live with it and loves life. Locke is also a good charecter when it comes to playing the game, and not just talking about it. Steal, I think, is essencial. If you're stuck in a cave with no potions or pheonix down, and half you're charecters are dead, who are you going to turn to? (sorry, Mp 0) My point exactly. Locke leads my second team. (when you need to split into multiple teams.)