The Ranger

     The Ranger is the go-to projectiles expert.  Sporting a bow or sometimes even a firearm depending on the era of the world of the game, the Ranger is all about dealing consistent physical based damage from across the battlefield, which makes this a safe play style that is great for supporting close-up fighters. 
     The Ranger's weapons of choice are all range-based, so we see a lot of bows, guns, crossbows, and even hand bombs.  Because the Ranger is usually well-versed in all ranged combat, he or she can actually choose which type of projectile to use for the situation at hand.  Bows have always been an excellent sniping tool for precise, long distance kills.  In a game where a Ranger is traveling by him or herself like Skyrim, the bow is usually the weapon of choice because of it's long range precision.  This combined with stealthiness can make for a deadly, nearly invisible opponent.  Guns are rarer, but when they are available they seem to be a consistent form of damage, while not being the best.  In Final Fantasy 12, guns have the ability to never miss, but in return fire very slowly and deal damage that isn't based off of any stats.  The damage may be static, but the consistent long range damage that is guaranteed to hit is sometimes worth it.  Crossbows fire more rapidly than regular bows, but the damage seems to be about the same.  Their lack of sniping options makes them a less suitable ranged option for smaller teams.  And finally hand bombs have followed the same route as guns, providing static damage not based on any stats, but bombs can be coated with poison, stun powder, sleep powder - you name it.  They can be a great way to cause splash damage to a group of enemies while adding harmful status effects to the damage as well.
     The Ranger wields light armor similar to a thief, but because they are usually away from the combat they can wear slightly heavier armor as they do not need to rely on agility as much as a thief would.  Equipment that increases range of sight, critical hit damage (useful for sniping), and adds additional effects to ammo are popular choices.  Fire arrows or Electric crossbow bolts are obtainable as a means of dealing elemental damage that technically isn't  magic based.  So if an enemy is weak to fire, but resistant to magic, fire arrows could be the way to go.
     The Ranger has also been known to summon familiars during battle.  Familiars are animals or animal spirits that can be summoned into battle to aid the summoner and his or her allies.  Since Rangers are in tune with nature and forests, a lot of their summons are creatures found in these areas: wolves, bears, birds, and sometimes even more exotic creatures like tigers or snakes.  With a lot of different animals to choose from, they can choose one who's fighting style benefits their own.  For example if a Ranger wanted to be a long-range sniper, he or she could summon a Dire Wolf to attack and distract enemies up close while the Ranger gets a free target. 
     The Ranger's personality seems to match that of a rugged loner.  They are used to traveling independently, so their roles in a group of fighters may seem shadowed by a mighty knight or a flashy, thief; however, the Ranger's knowledge of terrain, flora & fauna, and advanced survival skills can actually benefit a team of fighters outside of battle than any other.  These fighters are the essential long range fighter when you don't want to have to rely on conserving magic points for a spell caster, or when enemies in the area just resist magic in general.