First one of the old-school fan art series: Sarah!

I can't overstate how meaningful Shining Force 2 was as a kid, the first time I played it I didn't know any English so I just guessed my way through, exploring and spending hours in battle and just gawking at the drawings.
This game left me with the notion that games had more than just levels, but a world to discover.

It was probably the time I also got introduced to elves. So very important game in that regard too.