5 Most Pointless RPG Party Members of All Time, Ranked

As you’ve probably noticed, it’s not uncommon for most RPG gamers to gravitate toward specific party members for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the plot. Instead, these characters will either deal significant damage, have impressive defense abilities, or stand by you as companions, always supporting you through to the end. Similarly, most gamers avoid certain party members like the plague. Nobody wants them because they're slackers, annoying, useless, and the most pointless RPG party members ever. If any one of these five most pointless RPG party members of all time is in your party, switch them out immediately, because they're nothing but a headache!

5. Unown – Pokemon

There are 28 different Unown Pokemon you could catch. But don’t worry if you don’t manage to catch all of them, because there are far better ways to spend your time. Sure, having a unique, symbol-like Pokemon in your collection of Pokemon characters ranging from “A” to “Z,” plus “!” and “?,” is a pretty cool concept. Unown is definitely a unique character among all the other Pokemon characters. Still, if you want to stay ahead of the competition, you should never actually use it, whether for a regular or competitive playthrough.

“Terrible” doesn’t nearly begin to describe Unown's fighting abilities. Unowns have only one move, the ‘hidden power' ability, which is pretty lame because, with just a few exceptions, almost any other Pokemon can learn it! I mean, if you're a fan of the ancient Latin alphabet and odd-looking creatures with absolutely no fighting skills, then happy hunting, but don't rely on Unowns to carry the weight. They're frail, terrible fighters who will only let you down.

4. Strong – Fallout 4

Nobody likes a whiner or a party pooper, both of which are Strong's strongest traits. Seriously, Strong should have all of the qualities that you'd expect from a gigantic party member. He should have strong defenses, deal extensive damage, and have some slickness that allows him to avoid shots fired at him. Instead, Strong is just one large-looking creature who is almost always in the way.

He's incredibly pessimistic, despises everything you do (whether good or bad), is an easy target who catches all shots fired at him, and can't fit into small, narrow areas, so guess what, he'll have to circle back instead of standing by you at all times. Oh, and his weapon of choice, an automatic. The last one, The Pipe Rifle, is a laughable one that just makes you wish he were never on your team in the first place!

3. Cait Sith – Final Fantasy VII

If you don’t like Cait Smith, join the crowd! Cait Smith is arguably one of the worst characters in any Final Fantasy game and a prime example of a party member whose sole purpose is to bring you down. When you see the message ‘Game Over,' that’s when you know the stakes are just too high.

His limit break, in particular, is too painful to describe. First, it takes ages to figure out how the thing works, which can be extremely frustrating in a competitive RPG game. Furthermore, aside from Cait Smith's limit breaks, there isn't much else you can do with him. You'd essentially be taking a risk by putting your money on him; just don't fall in love with a cat riding a giant stuffed toy, because you'll be in for a rough ride. Our advice? Simply to never use Cait Smith. Ever!

2. The Deprived – Dark Souls

A game like Dark Souls needs the best of the best characters to win. You’ve got to prepare your arsenal, sharpen your swords, cast the worst kind of spells, and hope for the best. This gloomy, nightmarish world just doesn’t leave anything to chance given its high praise for its high levels of difficulty. So, imagine when the Deprived come in, having absolutely no armor purely to test your creativity and, no doubt, mock your skills. 

The Deprived are terrible companions without any initial special skills, gear, sorcery, or pretty much anything. And while having no usable gear seems like a clever way to force players to scavenge and craft resources, it’s certainly no way to even the playing field. Instead, it comes out as a sorry attempt to keep things interesting that falls flat on its face. But hey, if you're feeling up to the task and want to challenge yourself to a higher level of difficulty (as if there's any reason to make the game any harder than it already is), we do wish you the best of luck!

1. Solas – Dragon Age Inquisition

Solas, the outlaw elf and self-taught mage, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Sure, some may find his despicable worldview endearing because he’s so well-written and authentic, but that doesn't change the fact that Solas is a completely arrogant and disrespectful character in every way. Solas has a condescending opinion on everything, whether or not you’ve asked for it. He has a passive-aggressive personality that is easy to ignore but eventually becomes too much to bear. And because Dragon Age Inquisition does such an excellent job of bringing out his personality, it makes it that much more irritating! 

It’s hard to say whether Solas has a love-hate relationship, though he certainly enjoys putting people down. At the end of the day, it's up to you whether you like his authenticity. In fact, in some strange way, Solas has a devoted following. Nonetheless, with his condescending and dismissive attitude toward other people's views and an insatiable thirst for knowledge that causes him to despise everyone else who isn't as wise, we wouldn't blame you if all you wanted to do was punch him in the face or, better yet, replace him with one of the many more powerful mages than Solas.

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our five most pointless RPG party members of all time? Are there party members you’ve found more pointless? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.