Ramza Beoulve

Ramza Beoulve, also known as Ramza Lugria, is the main protagonist from Final Fantasy Tactics. He is a member of House Beoulve, which is well respected due to the actions of his father, Barbaneth Beoulve, a Knight Gallant of the Fifty Years' War. Ramza has one sister, Alma, whom he loves dearly and is close to. Ramza also has two half-brothers, General Zalbaag of the Order of the Northern Sky, and Dycedarg, who serves directly under Duke Larg.

Personality
Ramza's personality changes somewhat throughout the story. In the beginning, his motivation to fight, and protect others is mainly to uphold his family name. His character profile at the beginning of the game even states that "he turned out worst of the four siblings and is aware of it," but after Tietra's death by the hand of Argath and his older brother Zalbaag, he decides to leave House Beoulve, becoming a mercenary with Goffard Gaffgarion. A year after Tietra's death, Ramza is shown as a selfless hero whose only wish is to protect people from injustice, even claiming "he had no wish of changing the world for just a select few while others suffer." As the story progresses, Ramza learns a name means nothing if injustice must be used to uphold it, a belief Ramza maintains even when the Church of Glabados brands him a heretic. In the second battle against Barich in Necrohol of Mullonde, Ramza proclaims a man without pride can never be free, showing how much he has grown throughout the story, becoming a hero who fights more for others than for himself.

Although Ramza's heroic actions will never be known to the public in Ivalice, the point of his character is to show the true reasons behind virtue; people who do "good" by manipulation of others are not really virtuous, and Final Fantasy Tactics tries to express this through its characters. The true "good," expressed through justice, is shown by Ramza; false "good," expressed through manipulation with good intentions, is expressed by Delita Heiral. Likewise, true heroic actions are rarely recognized or commended, but are necessary regardless of the lack of rewards.

Fighting the Corpse Brigade
Ramza desires to be a great hero and uphold the honorable name of his family, the House Beoulve. Ramza is enrolled at the Academy in the Magick City of Gariland, along with his best friend. Delita Heiral, who is a commoner and enrolled into the Academy at Barbaneth's request. While still a squire, Ramza becomes caught up in a struggle with the Corpse Brigade, a group of former knights who were abandoned at the conclusion of the Fifty Years' War. Ramza saves Argath Thadalfus, a servant of Marquis Elmdore from a Brigade attack. At Argath's request, Ramza defies his brother's orders in an attempt to rescue Elmdore from the Brigade. Ramza, Delita and Argath go to Merchant City of Dorter to search for information and find out the Marquis is in the Sand Rat Sietch of Zeklaus Desert. The three apprentices go to the desert to rescue the Marquis. This succeeds, and while Dycedarg is furious at Ramza for disobeying his orders, Duke Larg commends him. Ramza is assigned to attack a band of Corpse Brigade members led by Milleuda Folles in one of the Corpse Brigade's hideouts. During the battle, Ramza comes to realize the reasons behind their actions. This, as well as the response of the Knights of the Order of the Northern Sky, leads both Ramza and Delita to doubt the morality of their country's actions. Ramza spares Milleuda's life against Argath's desire of killing her, creating a rift between him and Argath.

Tragedy at Ziekden Fortress
Ramza and Delita return to Eagrose Castle only to learn Delita's sister, Tietra, has been kidnapped by the Corpse Brigade. A frontal assault on the Brigade positions is planned, but Delita wants to sneak around behind them and rescue Tietra. Argath's contempt for people of lower classes leads to a quarrel between him and Delita, which Ramza breaks up by kicking Argath out of his squad. Ramza and Delita launch their attempt to rescue Tietra, but kill Milleuda in the process, thereby invoking the rage of her brother, Wiegraf Folles, the leader of the Corpse Brigade. Wiegraf wants to avenge his sister, but is ultimately defeated by Ramza and Delita, giving him no other choice but to escape. This culminates in a struggle at Ziekden Fortress, in which Delita's sister is killed by the very people who were supposed to rescue her. Ramza realizes the treatment of commoners by the Northern Sky and the Beoulves is unacceptable, and joins Delita in his retaliatory attack on Argath, who was leading the Northern Sky force attacking Ziekden Fortress and was Tietra's killer. After the battle, the fort explodes, and Ramza flees, deserting the Order and his family, thinking Delita died in the explosion along with Tietra.

The Kidnapping of Ovelia
Ramza changes his appearance and Ramza adopts his mother's last name, Lugria, (Ruglia, in original American release), to avoid association with the Beoulves, and joins a group of mercenaries led by the Fell Knight Goffard Gaffgarion. The group is hired by Agrias Oaks to guard Princess Ovelia Atkascha who is kidnapped by Delita, sent by the Knights Templar to keep Ovelia away from both Larg and Goltanna. Ramza, Agrias, and Gaffgarion chase after Delita and catch him at Zeirchele Falls where Gaffgarion betrays Ramza and Agrias, as he had been hired by Dycedarg to get rid of Ovelia. Gaffgarion offers Ramza to join him in his mission, but he refuses and fights against Gaffgarion for the sake of the princess. Ramza and the Holy Knights successfully rescue Ovelia and Delita leaves Ovelia in Ramza's care for the time being.

The Lucavi Plot
By the suggestion of Agrias, Ramza decides to go visit Cardinal Alphonse Delacroix in Lionel. On the way, they rescue Mustadio Bunansa, who was being hunted by a group of mercenaries of the Baert Trading Company who want the auracite he has in his possession. Mustadio joins Ramza's party, without telling him or Ovelia about the auracite. They reach Lionel Castle, and Delacroix tells them more about the auracite, also known as the Holy Stones, and the Zodiac Braves. Leaving Ovelia and Agrias at Lionel, Ramza accompanies Mustadio to his home in Clockwork City of Goug where they discover Baert Trading Company is working for the Cardinal himself. Realizing Agrias and Ovelia are in danger, they make their way back toward Lionel by an alternate route. They successfully rescue Agrias after she escapes, but they are tricked into thinking Ovelia is to be executed, only to find it a trap set by Gaffgarion. Ramza learns the truth about the Holy Stones: they are connected to the Lucavi demons, one of which, Cúchulainn, possesses Delacroix.

Ramza defeats Cúchulainn, and later ventures to the Royal City of Lesalia to warn Zalbaag to stop the war. On the way to Lesalia, Ramza rescues Orran Durai, the stepson of Cidolfus Orlandeau. At Lesalia, Ramza is confronted by Zalmour Lucianada, a Heresy Examiner for the Church of Glabados, and branded a heretic. With the help of his sister Alma, Ramza thwarts Zalmour's attempt to detain him.

Alma's Capture
Ramza and Alma travel back to the Orbonne Monastery, as Alma remembers the Virgo Stone is there. This results in a complete disaster: not only do the Knights Templar reach the stone first, but they capture Alma. Wiegraf, now a Knight Templar, becomes possessed by the Lucavi demon Belias. Desperate not to let Alma suffer the same fate as Tietra, Ramza sets out for Riovanes Castle after learning she is being held there. En route, he helps Rapha Galthena, a Skyseer in the service of Grand Duke Gerrith Barrington of Riovanes, escape from his service. Ramza launches his attack on Riovanes Castle and although he manages to destroy Belias and drive away a now possessed Marquis Elmdore, his efforts to save Alma prove unsuccessful, as the girl ends up in the hands of Folmarv Tengille, who is really Hashmal, the second-in-command of the Lucavi.

Further Trouble
In the game's final chapter Ramza changes his appearance once more, and attempts to warn Cidolfus Orlandeau of what the Lucavi are up to. In the process, he gains a new enemy, Folmarv's daughter Meliadoul Tengille, and helps Delita rid of Zalmour once and for all. He reaches the Fort Besselat right after mosfungus poison has been dispersed amongst the Order of the Northern Sky. Fortunately, he is able to open the Besselat sluice, which prevents a large-scale battle. He is subsequently able to recruit Orlandeau to his cause, and sets out for Limberry Castle, the stronghold of Marquis Elmdore, in the belief Alma is there. This proves false, and Ramza only finds a battle with Zalera, the Lucavi that possessed Elmdore. Meliadoul defects to his cause, helping him to defeat Zalera, and she reveals Dycedarg has also received a Holy Stone. Ramza races home just in time to discover Zalbaag and Dycedarg fighting, as Zalbaag has learned Dycedarg killed their father. At first, Zalbaag is able to defeat Dycedarg, but when Dycedarg transforms into Adrammelech, he overwhelms Zalbaag and attacks Ramza. Adrammelech poses a serious threat, but Ramza emerges victorious.

The Battle with Ultima
Ramza journeys to the St. Mullonde Temple, where he runs into Folmarv. Folmarv escapes by forcing Ramza to fight an undead Zalbaag, but Ramza is able to learn from the dying High Confessor Marcel Funebris that Folmarv is taking Alma to the Orbonne Monastery that has is a portal to the Necrohol of Mullonde, where he plans to resurrect Ultima using Alma's body as a vessel. Ramza battles his way past Folmarv's minions, intercepting him at the Airship Graveyard just before he can perform the ceremony. Folmarv transforms into Hashmal, but Ramza defeats him in battle. Hashmal sacrifices himself in order to revive Ultima, and his attempt is successful. Even though Ultima is resurrected, Alma is able to resist it, and she reappears in her original body. It is revealed in the last battle Ramza is a descendant of the man who defeated the High Seraph in the past and sealed the Lucavi. Ramza defeats two forms of the High Seraph, and the airship explodes, leaving the fate of Ramza and his friends in question.

Orran shows his appreciation for Ramza's memory by passing down the written history of the War of the Lions to various descendants that would later be called the Durai Papers. Although Alma was buried, the church refused to hold a ceremony for Ramza as he was branded a heretic. The official records in history fail to even mention Ramza's name; his identity and the truth behind the War of the Lions are only discovered hundreds of years later when Arazlam Durai finds Orran's writings, which the church had tried to keep from the people.

Ramza's Special Squire Job Class
Ramza's basic job class is a Squire. Unlike other Squires, Ramza has the ability to equip most of the weapons, and armor used by Knights. This enables Ramza to have the HP of a Knight, but the mobility and class abilities of a Squire, as Mettle instead of Fundaments. Ramza's Squire job class cannot use equipment and weapons of a Knight in Chapter 1; the player must wait until the Chapter 2 to have that option.

Ramza has additional moves not possessed by other Squires under the Mettle command, such as the abilities Chant, Shout, Steel, and Ultima. Ultima must be learned Blue Mage style, and to make things more complicated, he cannot learn Ultima before the start of Chapter 4 because his special Squire job class actually gains new abilities as he progresses further through the game.

Three different sprites are used for Ramza throughout the game; when his sprite changes, he has gained access to new squire abilities. Acquiring Ultima is usually accomplished during the two battles immediately preceding Zalera, in which Ramza must face two Ultima Demons disguised as humans: Celia and Lettie. It can also be learned from the Ultima Demon present while fighting Zalbaag. Ramza is also effective as a Monk due to his high Brave level.

Trivia

 * Ramza's character has many things in common with Basch fon Ronsenburg from Final Fantasy XII, as both are branded traitors throughout all of Ivalice, yet they still do what they think is right.
 * Additionally, Marche Radiuju, the main hero from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, has a strong physical resemblance to Ramza.
 * Ramza only draws his sword once in a cut scene when Wiegraf Folles begins his change to his demonic form, Belias, outside of Orbonne Monastery. Otherwise Ramza tries to use negotiation, even on people bent on attacking him.
 * Ramza's voice actor, Phil LaMarr, also voiced Reddas, another character from the Ivalice Alliance.

Ramza Beoulve Ramza Beoulve