Terra Branford, known as in Japanese, is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy series and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VI. Yoshitaka Amano and Tetsuya Nomura designed her for the main series installment, with Kazuko Shibuya designing her in-game sprites alongside the rest of the characters. She also appears in the spin-off fighting game series Dissidia Final Fantasy and the rhythm series Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. She has made small appearances in several other games in and outside the Final Fantasy series. Terra is an 18-year-old young woman who is the daughter of a human mother and a father who is an Esper, a magical creature with the natural ability to use powerful magic. She was mentally enslaved by the evil Gestahlian Empire, who used her gifted powers to wage war on the empire's neighboring countries. Several rebels rescue her at the beginning of Final Fantasy VI, and she decides to aid their campaign and protect those whose lives were affected by the Empire. Developers, who initially planned Branford to be a young man, designed her character to start as a passive person in the first half of the game to show her growth throughout the story. Terra's character has received widespread critical acclaim, with game journalists and fans alike praising her complexity and unique backstory. She has been on many lists of gamers' favorite Final Fantasy characters and is one of the most well-known video game characters to date. Appearances Final Fantasy VI Terra is introduced at the beginning of the game as a mind-controlled pawn of the Gestahlian Empire, who seek to use her destructive magical abilities for the Emperor's own ends. Chasing rumors of a powerful mythical being known as an Esper being unearthed at the mining town of Narshe, Terra and a pair of Imperial soldiers assault the town using a trio of armored walkers. After facing the Narshe militia and battling their way to the Esper, a mysterious reaction between Terra and the creature blasts the two soldiers away, killing them, while the Empire's hold over her is broken and she is left unconscious and with her memory wiped. Terra is rescued by an anti-Imperial sympathizer named Arvis, who entrusts his friend, a wandering thief named Locke Cole, to escort her out of the city as the Narshe guards threaten to capture her for working with the Empire. An otherwise directionless Terra accompanies Locke