Final Fantasy 16 is a truly exceptional game for a lot of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is its phenomenal protagonist, Clive Rosfield. He is a stoic, brave, and nuanced character that carries the complex, politics-ridden, and ever-mysterious plot to the very end, delivering iconic line after line and proving to be a genuinely fun character to fight as. Of course, much of the brilliance of Final Fantasy 16's Clive is the voice behind him who delivers all of those iconic lines, screams, grunts, and occasional quips: Ben Starr.

Ben Starr is becoming a bit of a household name in the world of voice acting thanks to his roles in both Final Fantasy 16 and the recent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as well as his occasional stint as Jimbo the clown from Balatro. However, while many may regard Clive as the best Final Fantasy protagonist, potentially in large part thanks to Starr, it is bizarrely his biggest gaming crush that is of interest today, especially as it is an unconventional pick that I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with.

Ben Starr's Gaming Crush Is Like A Dragon's Protagonist

Ichiban Kasuga Has Stolen Ben Starr's Heart

In a red carpet interview with GamesRadar, Ben Starr was asked whether he has a crush on any video game character. Naturally, Ben Starr, being the gaming aficionado that he is, replied that he believes he has "crushes on most video game characters" before singling out a handful of specific characters from JRPGs. One would assume that he'd pick the fan favorites like Tifa and Aerith, as they stole the hearts of many both in 1997 and today with the remakes; however, after mentioning Rinoa from FF8, he casually drops Ichiban Kasuga's name.

For those not in the know, Ichiban Kasuga is the incredible protagonist of the Like a Dragon games, which have spun off from the Yakuza franchise. He's the frizzy-haired, JRPG-loving, bumbling, and ever-affable hero that offers quite a contrast to Yakuza's Kiryu. Ichiban is one of gaming's best protagonists, so it is no surprise that Ben Starr fell head over heels for him. It also helps that Ichiban's quite good-looking, largely thanks to his goofy expressions.

Starr went on to describe Ichiban as a "tender lover" and the "perfect partner", and it isn't hard to see why. While Kiryu would likely be the pick for many who love this series - Majima would be my choice personally - especially thanks to his great singing voice, it is nice to see Ichiban getting recognition for once. He's a wonderful character and one of the reasons why it is easy to stomach the turn-based combat change and new cast of characters between Yakuza and Like a Dragon.

Ben Starr's A Huge Fan Of Video Games

From JRPGs To Everything In Between

It isn't surprising that Ben Starr picked Ichiban as one of his many video game crushes, and not just because of his dreamy eyes. Ben Starr's taste in games is legendary at this point, with him constantly shouting out a slew of great titles, especially JRPGs. In fact, he's got such good taste that he even did a humorous video for Square Enix recommending what people should play next. Like a Dragon isn't exactly an obscure series, but it is perhaps a bit of a deep cut, especially for those who haven't completely immersed themselves in the complex Yakuza lore.

It is also refreshing to see newer protagonists singled out - not just as crushes, mind - as nostalgia can often discredit them and their incredible achievements. Ben Starr has lent his exceptionally talented voice to a number of amazing protagonists that definitely deserve more credit, especially when they turn an otherwise perfunctory JRPG like FFXVI into a masterpiece. One can hope that Starr eventually does disclose his list of gaming crushes, if only so we can hear about even more great JRPGs like Final Fantasy 16 that are worth adding to our ever-expanding backlogs.

Source: GamesRadar/Twitter, Square Enix/YouTube