Actually, FE4 is probably a good example. You've got all kinds of people who should be really interesting. They come from crazy circumstances and are more often than not larger-than-life on paper. But in practice, especially in the second generation, there's so little involvement that it's just like "who cares?"

I was going to make this same point, yeah.

But I think while you can have interesting plot without great characters, it's near impossible to have great characters without a plotline driving them into what they become.

At least in a gaming medium. I love the film "Russian Ark," which is as non-plot as they come.