Celes Chere grew up in the Empire, raised by Cid, who worked in the Magitek factory. Celes was forced to become a Magitek Knight, and do "some terrible things" as Cid puts it, while serving in the Imperial army as one of their top generals. She loses her status when she opposes Kefka's plan to poison the people of Doma Castle, and ends up chained to a wall in a dungeon below South Figaro, where Locke eventually frees her.

   The love that grows between Locke and Celes becomes a part of the main theme of FF6 as the story progresses. In fact, in my opinion it was the most realistic development of a relationship I've ever seen in a Final Fantasy game. Celes at first protests the idea of being in love ("I'm a soldier, not some love-starved twit!"), and in fact neither character ever comes out and expresses their feelings in so many words. Celes's love for Locke is shown in the way she yearns for his trust. An example of this is in the scene in the Magitek factory, where Kefka tries to tell the others that she was a spy, ferreting them out, and she proves him wrong by casting a spell to get rid of Kefka, his soldiers, and herself. Her last words to Locke before she disappears urge him to trust her, and let her protect him for a change. When she comes back to the party later, it appears she can't believe Locke and the others are able to trust her now, as she runs away whenever Locke tries to talk to her.

   But at the beginning of the World of Ruin, things change. Celes wakes up to find herself alone on an island with her adoptive "granddad", Cid. He is ill, and Celes watches over him the best she can, catching fish for him to eat for days at a time. Eventually, Cid can get better, after which she leaves to find her friends, but if he doesn't get better, one of the best dramatic scenes in the FF series occurs...