Pretty much all the females from FF IX. They're strong, developed, human and very likable.
There's Garnet, probably one of the only princess characters in any medium ever for whom it makes sense to be a princess AND she actually becomes a queen halfway through the game. She is a bit sheltered and makes some poor choices because of that. She's flawed, but sympathetic. Vulnerable, but strong-willed.
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130321045317/finalfantasy/images/thumb/e/e8/Garnet_Til_Alexandros_XVII_character.jpg/120px-Garnet_Til_Alexandros_XVII_character.jpg
Then there's Freya, probably my favorite female character of all time. She's a dragon knight, honorable and just - but she also really likes going for a cold pint in some back alley bar. She's kind and helpful, but she has attitude (and she will laugh in your face if you do something stupid). She has two arcs going on. The first is returning to her homeland after years of absence when she hears her nation is being attacked. The second is looking for the man she loved, who is rumored to be dead (hence the three years away).
Two things baffle me about this characters. One, the amount of loss she has to face, yet powers herself through it, even if she breaks down, when shit hits the fan, she puts everything aside and just goes for it. Two, her second arc is one about love, but not really in a way you would expect for a character like this. It's the woman going all, traveling the continent to find her long lost love. Even worse, when she finds him, the douche can't even remember her. Hell, it's not even as if she's a streotypically attractive female: she's an anthropomorphic rat - not some 'cat-girl' that's basically just a human with a tail and cat ears, but a full blown humanoid rat. And it's not like they try to sexualize this: she's skinny, has long nails and wears a thick all-concealing coat. Generally, these aren't the kind of characters that get to have the dramatic love arc.
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130321024835/finalfantasy/images/5/5c/Freya_Crescent_character.jpg
Then there's Eiko... But I rather talk about Beatrix. General of the Alexandrian army and all around badass. She is strong as all hell (she actually beats you three times throughout the game), but she's also clever and is willing to process new information given to her. This is also why she ends up joining your cause.
http://gaspull.geeksaresexytech.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/general-beatrix-4.jpgI could have gone for another CG pic, but then I saw this cosplay and thought: "this'll do just fine".