The loveable rogue is a fantasy staple, and Balthier is one of gaming's greatest incarnations of it. A globetrotting sky pirate accompanied only by his trusted companion Fran, he is a delightful mix of charm, cunning, confidence, cynicism, honor, and a strange sense of being genre savvy. He does not break the fourth wall, but that seems to be out of politeness, as he easily rolls with many of the game's twists and turns and makes risks based on his knowledge of narrative.

Gameplay-wise, he is interesting. Though he starts with a specialty in guns, his stats make him more ideal for melee combat using speedy melee weapons like daggers and ninja swords, with a decreased emphasis on magic. This makes him resemble a steampunk fighter rather than that of mainstream fantasy, but it fits his character and role well.

He may or may not be the "real" hero of the story, but he says he's the hero, and he makes a pretty convincing case for it. The sky-pirate gunslinger of Final Fantasy XII routinely upstages most of his fellow cast members, thanks to a combination of sharp looks and even sharper wit.

The game has a well-written script all around, and plenty of the exciting plot twists that tend to mark Yasumi Matsuno's games, but as far as memorable lines go, Balthier gets almost all of them. It almost seems unfair sometimes, watching him deliver the best bits of dialogue. Such are the advantages of being the leading man.