30 Days of Video Games - BONUS: Why Do You Play Games Pg. 142

[Nix]

Day 18

Favorite Protagonist

 

 

Miles Edgeworth

The Ace Attorney Series

 

Look at that beautiful face, with his perfectly combed hair and that snazzy ass coat and...

 

uh...

 

So, Miles here is more of a supporting main character most of the time in the main series, buuuuuuuuut he has a couple of games to call his own so...  ha.

 

Edgeworth is a prosecutor, first and foremost.  He's pretty much the "bad guy" so to speak during the first game, being needlessly antagonistic towards Phoenix and his clients.  Edgeworth has a bit of a troubling past, which left him sort of disliking defense attorneys, and he genuinely believes that the accused is normally guilty.  When Phoenix enters the picture, Edgeworth has to come to terms that the accused isn't always guilty despite what he may have believed before.  During the 3rd case it becomes so blatantly obvious to Edgeworth that the accused isn't guilty, he goes out of his way to help Phoenix get the "Not Guilty" verdict.

 

Fast forward to Ace Attorney 2, and he comes back for the final case after reevaluating his life and what he ultimately strives for.  It becomes clear to him that he doesn't necessarily want the guilty verdict, he just wants the truth.  So he decides to teach a lesson to Phoenix; a lesson that's similar to the one Phoenix taught him.  Your client, won't always be innocent.  He makes Phoenix ask the same question Edgeworth asked himself.  Is it about the verdict, or is it about the truth?

 

Edgeworth is sort of cold guy towards other people, but he's a friend you can rely on.  During the final case in Ace Attorney 3, he gets a call learning that Phoenix has been hospitalized, and he's needed asap.  Edgeworth is in another fucking country at the moment, immediately books a flight for Los Angeles, Japan, and takes Phoenix's spot as a defense attorney until he recovers.  His commentary on why everyone suddenly treats him like shit for having a defense attorney's badge is amusing too.

 

Fast forward again.

 

To Ace Attorney 5.  Surprise, Edgeworth is Chief Prosecutor and is wearing a spiffy pair of shades that makes him look even more handsome and stuff.  During a sort of, mock retrial for the murder of Athena's mom, Edgeworth once again takes the prosecutor's position against Phoenix Wright.  Wright is pulling at strings and grasping for every straw he can find trying to prove Athena is Not Guilty.  Edgeworth is confused, because he thinks it's blatantly obvious that Athena is guilty.  Edgeworth makes comments towards Phoenix along the lines of "have you actually regressed these past 7 years?"  Sort of a, "we've been over this already, you remember?  It's about the truth, not the verdict!"  And when Phoenix finally does prove Athena is innocent... Edgeworth immediately stops.  He swallows his pride and gives up with no fanfare, because he knew Phoenix was right this time around.

 

Edgeworth is great, because he isn't infallible.  He makes mistakes... but he knows when to admit it.  When he's wrong, he knows to immediately drop it and make amends with whoever he wronged (except when he gets people's names wrong, though at this point I think he does it on purpose).  He also watches kid shows like Steel Samurai and is a huge nerd about it (he never admits it, ever, but you can tell).  He's just an interesting character with a huge sense of justice, and I love him for it.

[RustyRick]

Day 18: Favorite Video Game Protagonist?

Well, this one's a real easy one for me. As unlikely it might be to some of you, my most favorite video game protagonist of all time is...



Donkey Kong, the necktie-wearing gorilla and barrel-tossing expert extra-ordinaire!

Why him, you ask? Simple. DK is known to many as one of the very first eponymous video game villains from the arcade hit that launched Nintendo's success in the video game industry. In his very first game appearance, DK was pretty much just depicted as a angrish generic gorilla who kidnapped the attractive lady and wasn't down with some hero guy coming over to rescue her.

Over time Nintendo kind of forgot more and more about the big ape himself, while Mario went on to become a great star, although one notorious game that kind of fleshed out DK a bit more was the 94' enhanced remake of the original arcade game, in where the gorilla first donned his then-on iconic necktie, and at the end of the game he didn't seem to hold such a great grudge over the whole ordeal, and even poses along with Mario and Pauline in the photo as the end credits roll by.


Then Rare took over, and completely rebooted the Donkey Kong franchise, giving the eponymous gorilla a completely new design as pictured above which would stick with him since, and portrayed him more as a jungle-dweller and heroic protector of his clan's banana hoard food supply rather than a asshole causing mayhem from construction sites.

I really liked this depiction of DK way more in that in these games, there was initially some kind of legacy title inheritance going on from the first few games in that Cranky Kong the old cynical ape was the original construction site-mayhem causing DK, and that DK himself is his son or grandson, which could very likely mean that it's actually Donkey Kong Jr. grown up and trying to find a different path in life and career than his father.

Though the actual characterization of DK constantly switches around between either a peaceful jungle dweller who goes all out to protect his clan and his food supply and fights any opposing evil forces with his raw strength, or a very child-like simpleton who will go nuts whenever things don't go his way, gets punished for his misdeeds in the long run and shows remorse for his actions,  I always enjoy the Donkey Kong character for his imposing presence and his sheer stubbornness, which depending on the situation, is either a good or a bad thing to the player. But in the long run, DK isn't evil or malevolent in nature, he's just very impulsive and has trouble controlling his temper, but in the end he learns the error of his ways when he does get his ass kicked, and does fight for the greater good by proxy if games like Smash Bros. Brawl's subspace emissary is anything to go by, and his rivalry with Mario is mostly just kept to friendly competetion in sports. He represents the nature of humanity in that we can really get angry sometimes. (Like I can be, I'll admit that) But that we ultimately learn to deal with it to lead great rewarding lives and feel much better about ourselves.



Or maybe I just really like apes that much, meh...
 

[SuperLink]

To Ace Attorney 5.  Surprise, Edgeworth is Chief Prosecutor and is wearing a spiffy pair of shades that makes him look even more handsome and stuff.  During a sort of, mock retrial for the murder of Athena's mom, Edgeworth once again takes the prosecutor's position against Phoenix Wright.  Wright is pulling at strings and grasping for every straw he can find trying to prove Athena is Not Guilty.  Edgeworth is confused, because he thinks it's blatantly obvious that Athena is guilty.  Edgeworth makes comments towards Phoenix along the lines of "have you actually regressed these past 7 years?"  Sort of a, "we've been over this already, you remember?  It's about the truth, not the verdict!"  And when Phoenix finally does prove Athena is innocent... Edgeworth immediately stops.  He swallows his pride and gives up with no fanfare, because he knew Phoenix was right this time around.

this isn't my post for the day but I just wanted to respond to this spoiler tag

 

I actually think Edgeworth's actions in AA5 show even 

more maturity than that. He doesn't think it's blatantly obvious Athena is guilty, on the contrary he remains completely impartial besides serving up every ounce of truth and logic he can muster.

 

He knows Phoenix is rusty and that the lives of his colleagues are on the line, which is why he absolutely can't allow Phoenix to go soft or be armed with anything less than the truth just because the two are friends or fighting for the same cause. He calls Phoenix out on all his excuses, mistakes and conveniences, he keeps Phoenix 100% on his toes because he knows that when it comes to Athena's real trial, that shit might not be good enough to save her or anyone.

 

While Phoenix was disbarred and doing things from the outside, Edgeworth was working tirelessly as Prosecutor and then Chief Prosecutor not just to further himself but to establish from within a better age for the law where truth comes before and above all else. Edgeworth has a dedication to his craft that really is genius I think, far above his mentor, because he's gained the ability to completely separate himself emotionally in order to keep the entire court focused and on edge on the most important factor of the law.

 

Also, your post was great it really reminded me of how fantastic a character Edgeworth is.

[super saiyan weegee]

Day 18: Favorite Protagonist

 

Welp, no surprise who I'm gonna go with here.

Luigi

 

Yep. Man I just really like Luigi, it's hard to explain really. The character first started out as nothin' more than a carbon Mario clone with a swapped palette and was treated only as the Player 2 to Mario's Player 1, but over the years he gained his own personality and attributes. While Mario has no problem with just bounding into whatever new danger unfolds, Luigi is always nervous about, well, pretty much everything, but no matter what, he'll push through. I admire that aspect of the character, even in the face of his greatest fears, he gets the job done, never letting his worries get the best of him. He's also just the most adorable little thing, as his manner in the Luigi's Mansion games reflects (see wut i did ther). So yeah man, Luigi puts the Bro in Super Mario Bros., I guess, haha.

[buba]

Day 18 - Favorite Protagonist

 

I'll go with a recent favorite of mine, Vincent Brooks from Catherine.

 

 

Why? Well, for starters I have to say that it's rather freshing seeing a thirty year old dude in a video game that isn't a soldier or something like that. Vincent is just a regular man with regular problems like his job and love life.

From the start we are introduced to his girlfriend Katherine who wants him to settle down and marry her, but unlike her, Vincent still wants the freedom of the single life.

His life wasn't that good before, but it sure as hell didn't get better after meeting what seems to be his dream woman, Catherine and starts having an affair with her.

I'm not really going to dig deep into the story of the game, but I'm gonna say that Vincent felt legitimately natural and was someone I could relate to at some points.

Also, one of his quotes from the True Neutral ending (yeah, the game has SMT elements) really clicked with me "Why live a life without doing what you want? That's just a recipe for a life of misery..."

Overall, Catherine was a great game with a great story and great characters, especially Vincent.

 

[TheOcelot]

Favourite Protagonist

 

 

 

Ezio Auditore Da Firenze

 

 

 

 

Ezio was the main protagonist in Assassin's Creed 2, AC Brothered & AC Revelations voiced by Roger Craig Smith. He's a young care-free charismatic Italian with a proud family name. Popular with the ladies. At the start of the game you (Ezio) sneak into his girlfriend, Cristina's house (through her bedroom window) for a spot of tiffin.  It's impossible not to like him. 

 

Then Ezio's world is torn apart as his family - father and two brothers - are murdered. Ezio then becomes a raw inexperience assassin hungry for revenge. He meets many people including his Uncle Mario who - unknown to him - are part of the Assassin order. They secretly guide Ezio over the next 20 years - whilst honing his skills - to his ultimate goal of tracking down the man response for the death of his family, Rodrigo Borgia. Ezio learns to help others and when he finally gets his hands on Rodrigo and becomes a fully fledged member of the Assassins, he chooses to spare Rodrigo's life rather than kill him, which shows just how much Ezio has changed from the blind vengeance he once craved.

 

It's an emotional journey as you watch Ezio grow and mature. Robbed of his normal life, but enriched by all the good he does.

 

This IMO is to-date Roger Craig Smith's best performance as a voice actor. Roger is outstanding in how he portrays Ezio through the different stages of his life, from AC2 through to Brotherhood, and in AC Embers when Ezio dies an old man. It's just something about Ezio's voice which drew me to the character, and I think Roger absolutely nailed it.

 

Ezio is just as interesting in AC Brotherhood where he becomes the master Assassin, leads and rebuilds the Assassin's order. At the end of that game his journey with regards to passing on the piece of Eden (to Desmond in the future) is complete. It felt like his story had come to an end at the right time.

 

Then...............we unexpectedly got AC Revelations. RCS is again spot-on with how he portrays Ezio who is now a lot older and wiser. I do enjoy the cutscenes. It's truly fascinating as to how Ezio learns about Altair's life, and can take solace in that Altair has had just as much a difficult life as he's had. Ezio's story finally ends in the short film; AC Embers where Ezio dies. A very touching ending to a well written and well portrayed character.

[JayRaR]

Favorite Protagonist

 

This man...

 

 

Yuri Lowell. He's the most badass and level headed protagonist I've ever played as. Even though the story mainly follows his point of view of the events, he never really outshines the main cast despite how awesome of a character he is. He acts as a big brother to Karol, he helps guide Estelle on her motivations and aspirations in life, and acts as a genuine leader that is the glue that holds his companions together. It also helps that he is not your typical shonen idiot as Yuri is an established adult who is like I said level headed and capable of making decisions with a reason. He is not perfect though, as at the beginning of the game he is at a stagnant point of his life with no ambitions other than to get by with life and help his people. Him killing Ragou and Cumore is not truly a justified course of action, although they were rotten to the core. Flynn calls him out on this, since acting in your own interest is selfish and will lead to behaving like a "common criminal" as he says. He's just a really nice change of pace from the typical main protagonist as it seems Yuri is helping other people grow and change rather than just mainly focusing on his own development.

 

Runner up include:

 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Gotta go slightly quicker than usual!

 

Sly Cooper: Smooth, flirtatious, noble, and kickass 

[Danj86]

Day 18: Fav. Protagonist

 

Laharl

 

&

 

Lia

 

Choosing a single character is beyond impossible at this point. I've narrowed it down to 4 and 2 of them have similar things in common with each other, while the other 2 have similar things in common with each other.

 

First up is Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness protagonist, Laharl and The Witch and the Hundred Knight protagonist, Metallia. (Or Lia to certain people.)

It might be debatable that Metallia is a protagonist, as you don't play as her, but rather the Hundred Knight. But seeing as how the story revolves around her, I'd say she is the protagonist equal to, if not more important than the Hundred Knight.

 

One thing though. I own Disgaea D2, but I have yet to play it, so I don't know how Laharl acts in it.

 

So one thing about Laharl and Metallia is that I can highly relate to them both. Laharl lost someone he loved and began to isolate himself and grow angry towards everybody. While Metallia had isolation forced upon her, becoming angry toward everyone. I have that same loneliness and anger towards the world.

 

Metallia and Laharl have other things in common, like they were both being used for a greater purpose. But only one of them learned the truth. They're both strong leaders, can act childish, are arrogant and have unique laughter. (They both were also designed by Takehito Harada.)

I mentioned in an early 30 day, that I severely dislike the Main/Heroic Sacrifice trope. Yet these characters are my personal favourites, even thought they both did that very trope. But it never really bothered me for two reasons.

1. Due to the special nature of the worlds they live in, they both came back afterwards. Laharl became a prinny and had to work to earn his body back. While Metallia reverted back into her original form, (a seed.) was replanted and eventually returned to how she appeared before.
2. Rather than sacrifice themselves for the ignorant and ungrateful masses, they both did what they did to save the life of somebody they knew and cared for. Laharl did it for Flonne and Metallia did it for Visco.

It's also worth knowing that I often find some of there child like traits, adorable. Laharl stealing snacks, (Usually Etna's) crippling at the mature female form and hating to share. While Metallia gets excited over candy and new books, referred to visiting Visco as "Coming over to play." and also disliking to share.

 

Now for the other half of my favourite protagonists -

 

Kirby

 

&

 

Sonic The Hedgehog

 

Now earlier I mentioned that these characters have some things in common, and I stand by that. But what does Sonic and Kirby have in common?

Well, for a start, they both express no worries. They don't dwell on the past or worry about the future, or shun the responsibilities they hold. Heh, they can both be motivated by food as Sonics love for chili dogs has become canon and I'm sure you know about the time Kirby went on an entire adventure because a mouse stole his cake.

They both also have enemies that have large egos.

 

So while Laharl and Metallia are my favourites because I can relate to them. Sonic and Kirby are my favourites because they represent what I aspire to be. To be able to live a life with no worries and take on whatever challenge life has to offer with no hesitation. I admire them so much and I gotta admit, they're both kinda cute. (But clearly Kirby is way more than Sonic.)

 

And with that, my job is done. See you guys later, it's nap time for me!

[MamboCat]

Favourite Protagonist

 

 

 

Ezio Auditore Da Firenze

 

 

 

 

*puts a fan on* Is it just me or is it hot in here?!

 

Gotta totally agree with you on RCS's acting; at every "age" Ezio has a sliiiiightly different voice and in ACII you hardly notice the change as it's so subtle! In Revelations he sounds much gruffer, but he is much more humble and has a great sense of humour! Most of it is due to RCS's brilliant acting. He may not be a great Sonic but <3 Roger Craig Smith as Ezio. Mmmmmmmmwah!

 

Also it was sooooo funny to hear him as the Italian diplomat in Black Flag. At first I wasn't 100% sure it was him, as again the voice is sliiiightly different. But when he said "Firenze" there was no doubt in my mind!! XD

[Sami]

Posted this in the statuses and OP a few days ago, but I suppose I should have updated here too in case people missed it - 

 

Seen this come up a few times, gonna nip it in the bud right now - All but a handful of the upcoming 30 Days questions will be "Favorite/Least Favorite ___". The reason for this is because I want to have as broad of questions as possible with as much variety as possible. "Favorite" anything is also something that's very easy to be passionate about, and gives everyone the opportunity to talk about almost anything they want with some detail. The intention here is to have us all talk about the games that stood out to us throughout our lives, and the ways in which they did so. So if you're not happy with that, don't carry on expecting something else.

 

I really don't mind feedback and constructive criticism, but I did choose these questions for a reason. A lot of thought went into this list, and if you're dissatisfied with the topics, then I apologize. It's not a coincidence or mistake that many of my questions are extremely vague and open-ended. I want people to talk about a large variety of games and topics, and have purposely left answers almost completely open to interpretation because I want everyone to feel free to talk about whatever they want. 

 

Thanks, and enjoy the rest of the event. Things are going splendid so far, and I couldn't be happier with these results.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Day 18: Favorite protagonist

Hmmm, this is a tricky one, but I think I'll have to go with:

Fox McCloud

This was a tricky one as I have many a protagonist I enjoy, Mario, Sonic, Spidey, Beat, Samus, the cast of MvsC. But Star Fox 64 still remains one of my favorite game, and I always enjoyed the portrayal of Fox as a Mercenary with heart, who does the right thing, even though part of the motivation is revenge, he does his best to not let that control him in later games as well, and then there is assault, where when it appears everything is screwed, and the hive mind is taking over, and payment seems extremely unlikely he breaks through and saves the day

 

He may  fit many of the standard setups of heroic Antagonist, but he's still one of my favorites

[sploit]

This is another toughie when not being allowed to mention Sonic and Co.

I think I will go with one of my favourite classic characters (to make it more interesting I'll also choose a non-SEGA character - but he was on their consoles)...

...Cool Spot.

Purely because he is one of the (in my opinion) better mascot characters of that era. I really enjoyed playing as him. His quirky animations and Cool persona. Yeah he isn't particularly deep or anything, but he just looks cool. Back then the fact that he wore Shades and had kind of a constantly smirky expression (much like one of our other favourite heroes) was enough to cement that.

Simple design but it just works. I think he is an easily recognisable character too (as long as you have seen him before)!

[Yoko/葉子]

I was gone for a few days, so I will say that the saddest moment for me in a game so far was without a doubt the moments in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

where Leon learned he could not save Sara from a vampire bite and when Mathias betrayed Leon, his friend to get revenge against God for letting his wife Elizabetha die. "If limited life is God's decree, then I shall defy it! And within that eternity, I shall curse Him forevermore!," he said. I could relate to the future Dracula's suffering so sympathetically and closely, it was scary.

 

I also vote for how in the NES Ninja Gaiden, how

you successfully find Ryu's father was not killed, snap him out of brainwashing, he gets attacked by Jaquio, Ryu beats him and the demon he failed to stop the reccusitation of, Ryu loses him in his arms during the ending. And people say 8-bit games couldn't be emotional...

[KrazyBean]

Posted this in the statuses and OP a few days ago, but I suppose I should have updated here too in case people missed it - 

 

Seen this come up a few times, gonna nip it in the bud right now - All but a handful of the upcoming 30 Days questions will be "Favorite/Least Favorite ___". The reason for this is because I want to have as broad of questions as possible with as much variety as possible. "Favorite" anything is also something that's very easy to be passionate about, and gives everyone the opportunity to talk about almost anything they want with some detail. The intention here is to have us all talk about the games that stood out to us throughout our lives, and the ways in which they did so. So if you're not happy with that, don't carry on expecting something else.

 

I really don't mind feedback and constructive criticism, but I did choose these questions for a reason. A lot of thought went into this list, and if you're dissatisfied with the topics, then I apologize. It's not a coincidence or mistake that many of my questions are extremely vague and open-ended. I want people to talk about a large variety of games and topics, and have purposely left answers almost completely open to interpretation because I want everyone to feel free to talk about whatever they want. 

 

Thanks, and enjoy the rest of the event. Things are going splendid so far, and I couldn't be happier with these results.

 

Thanks for making this tread. Its made things a lot more interesting everyday over here

[Chaos Incarnate]

I can't help but dick ride the Mass Effect series yet again.
 

 
#bestcommandershepardpicever
 
What I love about this character is that the core essence of their backstory, appearance, and personality are in your hands. Are you an idealistic do gooder who will defeat the Reapers without sacrificing the soul of their species? Are you a Machiavellan Renegade who will do whatever it takes to solve your problems? The choice is your's, my friend! (Until Mass Effect 3 kinda made my Renegade FemShep too humanized for her own good, grr > 
 
But yes, Mass Effect's use of the PC is role playing at its sheer finest, as there's literally hundreds of variables on how to approach your use of Shepard. Me, I like pouring a bit of myself into my default BroShep, so I tend to go Paragade (a guy who is well-mannered makes choices that correspond with what I believe, usually Paragon, but doesn't take shit from anyone.)
 
And for those that like to have fun with facial customization and take strange role playing to an extreme, I leave you with the greatest fitting face, period.

 

[FourCartridge]

Day 18: Favorite Protagonist

 

My vote goes to...

 

 

Nathan Drake (Uncharted)

 

Nathan Drake is my favorite protagonist for a simple reason; in an industry of hard-boiled space marines, mascots with attitude, silent links that serve no real purpose in the story, and god-knows what other cliches, Drake actually strikes me as a person. He emotes, he talks, he even does stupid things. He's not perfect; he's a constant smart-ass Casanova. From his introduction in Drake's Fortune to exploring his depths in Drake's Deception, the games have always done something to flesh him out, and underneath all of that, was simply a boy who always wanted to live a life of adventure.

 

I'm pretty sure that deep down everyone wishes he or she was Nate for at least one moment in their life.

[Wraith]

 

There are Nintendo characters that hold more sentimental value to me, but none of them, with the exception of maybe Lucas and some of the Fire Emblem cast, are as strong as Pit is as a character. He's so chatty and full of life that putting him next to Nintendo's mostly quiet set of main characters is almost jarring. Pit is young, eager, and full of energy but also immensely strong and loyal  to his job as Palutena's finest(and only) soldier. His extreme positivity about, well, everything is pretty refreshing considering how cynical protagonists can often be these days. 

 

 

 

 

Samus Aran is another huge favorite of mine. When it comes to her, I feel like they made it really easy for the player to step into her shoes while still making her stand out on her own with a unique design and the few snippets of her character that we've seen. This is disregarding Other M of course. THAT.....that wasn't Samus.

 

Some runner ups include:

 Lucas(Mother 3), Ellie(The Last of Us), Riku, Roxas(Kingdom Hearts), Link(Zelda), Hershal Layton(Professor Layton), Elizabeth(Bioshock Infinite) aaaand Blaze(Sonic The Hedgehog).

[Winston]

Day 18: Favorite Protagonist

Crash Bandicoot

Ah yeah, this bandicoot brings back all the memories. Crash Bandicoot was pretty much the first game character I ever loved, and Crash Bandicoot 2 was the first game I ever played. He brings back so many good memories, I just really love this orange idiot. He's funny to watch, his facial expressions are hilarious, and he's just a really cool looking character. Now, in recent years his looks have changed, but I will always love the original Crash Bandicoot before the Titans games, but the Titans games don't exist. Now I just hope one day this lovable guy comes back into the spotlight...hopefully at Sony's E3 conference. But yeah, Crash Bandicoot is my favorite protagonist in any game ever, because just look at him, how can't you love this guy? 

[Rusty Spy]

Day 18: Favorite Protagonist

Hmm... Tough call. I'd say, Ratchet and Clank. What I like about them is that they accomplished big things Despite their humble origins, which also gives them a lot of charm in their personality. I like their mostly casual composure, which makes their interactions with others very entertaining, but they can also play a sorta audience surrogate, as their adventures take them to many exotic locals. But above all else, they manage to still be badass despite the big scary universe that stands in their way.

[Zavok the SpinningSilver]

DAY 18 - Favorite Protagonist

 

 

Now, this would be the part where I'd have the cop out answer of Sonic, because come on. He's Sonic. This dude is awesome. But let me challenge myself with another anthropomorphic creature. One that led me throughout one of the greatest sagas I've ever witnessed throughout time and space.

 

This man, right here. Ratchet the Lombax is a character that reminded me so much of Sonic when I first saw him, for obvious reasons. But when I first got to experience the Future series for the first time, (it was my first exposure to the franchise) he won me over as a completely different kind of guy. He's good with technology, a pretty ace pilot, a kickass fighter and a master of weaponry. He's faced quite a few foes over the course of his life, collected a few riches and saved the world many times over. It also helps that he's a pretty funny guy, with so much wit it's ridiculous.

 

He even has a pretty awesome sidekick in the form of Clank. Back to back badasses, they are.

 

 

 

 

 

But the thing that really sets him apart from other characters is his development as one. He's come quite a long way from his hot headed impulsiveness that he had since the first game, as he's matured more and more over the course of the his games.

 

By far, the biggest example that I have ever seen is the Future series, my all time favorite saga so far. Not only did he learn his true identity as a Lombax in Tools of Destruction,  not only did he relentlessly comb the galaxy and plow through anything in his way to find his best friend in Quest for Booty and A Crack in Time, not only did he confront his past full force in the latter as well...

 

He underwent a massive amount of self sacrifice to do what needed to be done. And you know what? No matter how much it weighed on his mind, especially in Into the Nexus, he never tried to take it back. He stuck with his decision, and pressed on. If that isn't heroic, I don't know what is.

 

Honourable Mentions:

 

Sonic the Hegdehog - duh. He and Ratchet are practically in the same position.

 

Vincent Brooks - a simple guy that goes through a rather relatable situation.

 

Luigi - even though I'm probably closer to Mario as the older brother of the family, but Luigi is one of the most genuine characters I've known in any piece of fiction.

[Solkia]

Zero from Mega Man X

 

 

"I'm ready to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I can't taste bubblegum."

 

Zero doesn't give a shit, get in his way and he'll fuck you up.

 

This motherfucker is smart too, he knew Sigma was a Maverick before he even revealed it.

 

He also has one of the best playstyles brought to the Mega Man series.

 

And that design

 

 

unf

[Speederino]

Day 18: Favorite Protagonist

 

 

 

What is there to say about Phoenix that hasn't already been said? He's goofy and sometimes a bit oaf-ish, but his everyman-type personality and sarcastic thoughts ensure he is always charming, relatable, and most important of all: likeable.

 

But more importantly, he's also a complete fucking genius who is always on the side of justice, never afraid to confront extremely dangerous and powerful people (well...USUALLY), and not backing down until he has the truth. Hell, for the entirety of AA4 he isn't even a lawyer, yet he's still running around in the background setting up this huge, elaborate master plan that includes temporarily changing courtroom procedures just so he can capture a single killer. I mean hot damn, that's dedication.

[T-Min]

Day 18 - Favorite Protagonist

 

MILLA MAXWELL - TALES OF XILLIA

 

Okay, to be fair, I only played the game from beginning to end on Jude's side. But I loved this girl from her first introduction. In Jude's side, we first see Milla casually walking across a lake trying to sneak into a facility. Jude follows her and practically the first thing that happens is that Milla actually threatens to drown Jude if he doesn't keep quiet. 

 

And I'm like

 

"i love you bby"

 

Milla is Maxwell, the Lord of Spirits, and has come to the realm of humanity on a mission to destroy a spyrix weapon called the Lance of Kresnik. She's incredibly focused on her mission and refuses to allow anything to stand in her way. Magic hexagonal barrier that will cause the prison anklet she's wearing to blow up? Pffft, she'll run right through it without a second thought. Dealing with unbearable leg injuries while Jude and her annoying handmaid duke it out to see who gets to take her to the doctor? "Screw this, I'm outta here." Having to wear a device that heals her legs at the expense of causing her unbearable and immeasurable agony for the rest of her life? She'll power right through it.

 

Milla is a total badass, but she's also really funny and endearing. Despite taking human form, she's not exactly human herself and thus doesn't fully understand how humans...well...are. This leads to a lot of hilarious interactions with the rest of the cast. But that doesn't make her hard to take seriously, either, and she goes through a lot of development over the course of the game. Her relationship with Jude is fantastic, too. It's not completely romantic (which is kind of unusual for the series, if anything), but you can still see how important they become to each other over the course of the game. Tales of Xillia has easily some of the best writing in the series, and Milla is a great example of that. She's just such an awesomely written character, and her voice acting is also really unique. It's unusual, but it gives her a quirk that's a big part of what makes her so memorable. Milla is probably one of my favorite characters in all of gaming. She's really a big part of why I remember Xillia so fondly - not to say it didn't have a lot of other things going for it as well.

 

OTHER PROTAGONISTS I REALLY REALLY LOVE

 

Luigi - Luigi's Mansion/Dark Moon - Well, to be fair, I love this guy in general. But it's in his own games where he really gets to shine. He just has so much personality that a lot of Mario characters lack, and is great proof that silent protagonists can still be totally lovable.

 

Roxas - Kingdom Hearts II/358/2 Days - Easily the most involving character in the series, Roxas's story is surprisingly...depressing.  But he's also just a likable guy, and has great relationships with some of the other characters.

[#AR]

Day 18: Main character loooooooooove

 

 

REN'S FAVORITE PROTAGONIST: NEKU SAKURABA (THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU)

 

I kinda mentioned why I really liked Neku when I did my favorite story post a couple days ago, but I guess now I can go a little more in depth. To get the basic point out of the way, I think Neku is one of the few characters I've actually felt a relatable connection with.  I've had a lot of the same thought processes and, at times, the same attitude. Actually, I can kinda empathize with him with the whole "wanting to be alone" thing.

 

On the surface, Neku looks like he's just an emo kid who hates everybody, but as the game goes on, that changes. After being forced to partner up with others during his time in the Reaper's Game, he learns the values of friendship and trust, and as a result, ends up happier overall. 

 

(story detail spoiler)

I mean, he goes from hating Shiki's guts to thinking of her so fondly that she becomes his entry fee for the second game.

 

Neku's got some damn good abilities. I just love the concept of using pins and stuff to get a punch of psychic powers and shit, and that makes a lot of the combat in TWEWY a lot of fun.

 

In short, since I have no idea where I'm going with all this, Neku's got some great character development, cool powers, and a story i can relate to. yeah.

[Tracker_TD]

Day 18: Favourite Protagonist 

 

Really not chuffed at the amount of Sonic answers I'm making, but come on.

 

 

 

Sonic the Hedgehog. 

Easily.

 

Sonic, be it classic or Modern, is a protagonist I grew up in admiration of - his 'attitude,' his abilities, and his strong sense of justice all left their mark on me - especially the latter. I think Sonic is a great example of what a protagonist should at least be - a kind personality, and again especially the strong sense of justice.

 

On the latter point, take Patrokolos from Soul Calibur. Now granted, I've only played SCI and SCII, but from what I've seen of Patrokolos' backstory, he's an absolute arsehole, yet still, he's the "protagonist."

 

Sonic doesn't really display any real 'arsehole' moments - OK, so he shows some 'attitude' from time to time, but regardless he's clearly a good guy. Sonic the Comic really made him a bit of a dick, and hell, I still love his characterisation in that - but even then, he was just a dick, unlike Patrokolos who's a protagonist that clearly kills an innocent man in his story. 

 

Sonic the Hedgehog is an awesome protagonist. End of. Sure, he could do with some character development outside of the storybook series, but overall I reckon he does the job of hero pretty well.