"Manly" Is a tough term to place. "Kills lots of people" is alot easier. IE, Sephiroth "Kills lots of people." Barret is "Manly."

Good thing he's Spanish.

Anyway, the guy from FarCry is pretty 'manly.' And Duke Nukem and Sarevok.

What?! what Japanese video game has there ever been were the main character gets laid? Only in American games like fallout2 and Baldur's gate 2 does the main character get farther than a kiss. And in games like that, you can get pretty lascivious (hey look, prostitutes!)
I never understood the Jap's obsession with the first kiss. It's like they think that its supposed to be the end of the relationship or something. FF8 pissed me off, because it's main theme was supposed to be about "love" but Rinoa's morbid obsession with guys who have the personality of a rock only come to fruition at the very end sequence, and that was ONE freakin kiss. Jesus have these game designers ever had girlfriends?

as for sephiroth... it depends on the artwork. I'm sure dreamy eyed fan-girls like to draw him all effiment, but some of the official square art suggests otherwise. His behavior in the game could go either way though.

I guage manliness by how much fun i think it would be to go bar hopping with the person.

Nope.

But to dig a little deeper in your thoughts, there are several reasons.
1 - They want to go for that "E for Everyone." title in most cases.
2 - Japanese culture very well COULD be different from ours.
3 - Final Fantasy is so popular at this point the introduction of sex or a makeout scene would be a big leap for SquareEnix.
4 - Even with #4, FFX had one scene which was one HELL of a kiss, and by the end Yuna even said to Tidus "I love you."
5 - Since when does one kiss NOT equal a huge romantic plot/sub plot? you can have a serious relationship in a game with no touchy-feely.

Although you're right; There's something about the DND-style games like Planescape and BG2 that brings out stuff like that. Morte the talking, floating skull even gets laid by a prostitute, and the first thing the Nameless One says when he gets out is "Morte, I don't even want to know how that's physically possible."

EDIT: Although now that I think about it...he's right. What ARE you talking about "Getting laid?"

Didn't they get married at the end of FF8?

Whoever thinks Sephiroth is manly is a doofus. For that matter, anyone who thinks ANY character from Final Fantasy is manly is a HUGE dufus.
Not that I dislike FF, but Square has a tendency to make stupid guy characters who would be more fit as girls. I personally think that the world of FF has only female characters; it's just only some of them have boobs.

you make some good points, but allow me to make a few counter-points
1) Baldur's Gate 2 is rated Teen for "Blood, violence, and use of alcohol" If you've ever played that game, especially if you romance Viconia, you see how racy that game gets. Viconia talks about sleeping with hundreds of men and being covered in their saliva (Although she was lying to you because she wanted to drive you away when in reality she wanted you to hang around...next time she initiates dialog with you she sleeps with you) there were plenty of allusions to sex in that game, yet none of those are reasons for the teen rating. IIRC FFX was teen rated anyway.
2)you mean in a society where this is acceptable? :p : http://www.ebaumsworld.com/japanskirts.html :p
3)I didn't ask for a actual makeout scene, I'm asking for a relationship that doesn't end at the first kiss. actually having the scene isn't necessary, but it would be refreshing to see a realistic relationship in a video game.
4)yeah, and that was a huge boundry crossed by square, I was proud of them... :)
5)yeah, but c'mon, in real relationships, how soon do you have your first kiss? usually by the first or second date. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but it seems artificial to me when they are supposed to be having this intense love develop between them, but it only manifests in the occasional glance at one another.

Hentai games, of course.

It's obvious to me that you all are forgetting the 2 most important manly characters in any video game...the #2 Manliest Video Game Character is Max Payne. The #1 Manliest Video Game Character is the main character in the greastest video game ever made, and the game that has sold more copies than any other game....EVER. That's right folks, I mean none other that the one, the only, Spartan-117, a.k.a. The Master Chief from Halo.

Crono from Chrono Trigger -- He gets the job done. He didn't set out to go on some damn epic adventure, but when he saw that the world needed saving, he took responsibility. He didn't complain, he didn't ask questions, he didn't moan on and on about his angsty bullshit. He just charged in, found the troublemaking bastards, killed them, and got the girl in the end.

Tommy Vercetti -- It takes a real man to get all the value of five minutes' worth of swear words out of "You're all jerks!"

Mario -- again, just because when duty calls, he's never found wanting. Whether Bowser's trying to steal his girlfriend, or some damn great sword is crashing into Mushroom Castle, or a crazed monkey is throwing barrels at him, he just picks himself up, says "Well hell, time to save the day again," and goes to it. And keeps a jolly grin on his face the entire time.

Plus, he's got ups like mad. With leg strength like that, he could be a one-man NBA team. Hell, he could dunk from the opposite end of the court!