Ironic that so many write off Edward as a "sucky" character, considering he actually has more depth as a character than most of the others in the game. Where others tend to be one-dimensional (Palom, Rosa) or don't change at all throughout the course of the story (Yang, Cid), Edward's character has multiple facets. By the end of the story, he has undoubtedly grown into a stronger person.

    Prince Edward is the heir to the throne of the desert kingdom, Damcyan, holder of the Crystal of Fire. But unlike the element of his throne, Edward himself is a quiet, peaceful man. His passion has nothing to do with ruling the kingdom, but instead he finds satisfaction in playing the harp and singing as a bard. This is known to the people of his kingdom - an NPC in Kaipo tells you that the Prince of Damcyan "sings beautifully as a bard", and it's possible they may think of him as unfit to be a ruler.

   Edward enters the story after he meets Tellah's daughter Anna, while travelling incognito as a simple bard. Tellah has no idea he is of noble blood, and simply denounces him as a swindler trying to seduce his innocent daughter. Since he would never consent to their marriage, Anna runs off with Edward to the kingdom of Damcyan, and Tellah follows, enlisting the aid of Cecil and Rydia to stop them.

   They arrive too late, however; just as the party is about to catch up to Edward and Anna in Damcyan Castle, Baron's Red Wings bomb it and take the Crystal of Fire. Inside the castle, Anna uses her own body to shield Edward from the hail of arrows launched at them by Baron's troops, and is mortally wounded. Later we hear that Edward's parents were also lost during this attack, making Edward the new ruler.

   Finding Anna near death, Tellah attacks Edward, leading to one of the most beloved awkward translations in video game history when he immortalizes the young prince as a "spoony bard". This is a gaming moment that will forever stay in our memories... At any rate, Tellah only ceases his attack when Anna calls for him to stop, saying that she truly loves Edward. Shortly thereafter, she passes away, leaving Edward sobbing helplessly. When Rydia tries to snap him out of it, reminding him that the world is danger and he has responsibilities, he replies "I'm just a coward. But I don't care. I'm staying here with Anna."

   One of the reasons Edward often gets cited as a useless character is because of his special "ability" - when his HP drops below a certain point, he removes himself from the battle and "hides". This can be annoying, true, but in a way, I appreciate that little quirk - he's one of the few characters in a Square game that asserts his personality in his attitude towards battle. Edward thinks of himself as a coward, and so acts the part, much to the dismay of players.

   However, this is not where Edward's story ends. As he travels with the party, one night he sees Anna's ghost, urging him to believe in himself and be strong, to fight for the fate of the world and the Crystals rather than feeling sorry for himself. "You loved me," she tells him. "Now give your love to all of your people." Edward promises that he will, though he doesn't understand how he can do that yet. But then, after having been unable to save Fabul's Crystal of Air, the party is journeying by ship to Baron when it is attacked by Leviathan. Edward is thrown overboard and lost.

   Gravely injured, he washes up in Toroia, where a doctor tends to his wounds. Cecil's party finds him again there, and Edward begs Cecil to let him rejoin the party. Due to his injuries, unfortunately, he is physically unable to fight. Regretting his inability to help as he'd promised Anna, he gives Cecil one of his two harps before he leaves for the Dark Elf's cave. Through his own harp, he hears the party's struggle to defeat the Dark Elf, and realizes they're in trouble. Disregarding the doctor's concerns for his health, Edward gets out of his sickbed and painfully makes his way over to his own harp, to play a tune that disables the Dark Elf's powers and effectively turns the tide of the battle.