Your Ideal Protagonist

[Pinkscare]

Here we go, Escapists:

What is your ideal (I'd say perfect, but protagonists often have flaws, and I don't want you missing the point of this thread) protagonist, whether already created or not? What protagonist-type would you rather play? Now, notice I didn't say "hero," as I'd like us to go beyond that logic, unless heroes are your favorite protagonist.

For me, no matter the medium (games, movies, books, etc.), I prefer a protagonist that is thrown into the problem. Now, Far Cry 3 did a terrible job of this with Jason. Think of how much better it would have been if Jason slowly matured with his shooting, survival skills, melee combat, and so on. It was too unbelievable. He just became Duke Nukem out of nowhere. Therefore, I'm not talking about this certain protagonist (Jason).

I like the everyday Joe who is forced to make big and small decisions. This character has flaws out the ass. He or she can go about his or her objective as he or she feels fit. Each decision can be different, bringing the opposite reaction or choice. It makes story and character progression more realistic and enjoyable. However, I know this sounds like a choose your own adventure story. And, please understand, this doesn't mean I want to grind to build up a character. This isn't "teh suck guy to teh überpowerhero."

Whether I'm playing a FPS, RPG, or any other game genre with emphasis on a single protagonist, I want a character that struggles all the way to the end. If he "beats the boss," great. If he doesn't, great. I want a protagonist that not only pushes the story but himself as well. What if the end game is the protagonist realizing he can't do "it" anymore? (Could you imagine gamer backlash from that?) I'd be down for a protagonist like that.

All in all, it sounds like I'm talking about a game I'd like to play, but what I'm getting at is breaking free from the vanilla protagonist/hero who always beats the bad guy. I want a protagonist that is flawed; one that is just as important to grow and see to the end as either hero to the masses or hero to one, or not a hero at all. This "ending" doesn't have to be in my hands; I can take the developers artistic liberty.

That is my (un)perfect protagonist.

tl;dr - What is your favorite type of protagonist? Why?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight. In fact, he?s gotta be sure and it?s gotta be soon and he?s gotta be larger than life.

Seriously though, anybody who grows in you is fine. There's no definite formula. He, or she, can be a jerkass who discovers the meaning of friendship, or someone calm and quiet with a very mild sense of humor, or a magnificent bastard, or a silent protagonist, it doesn't matter. Cool characters who change for good or bad or you just happen to like how they pull through such and such situations are fine with me. Anyone who isn't boring is fine by me, really.

 

[Reeve]

Remember how there's no perfect pasta sauce? (Thank god for Jim) Well, there's also no perfect protagonist.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

It depends on a game really. If that's an FPS or Open-world RPG, or basically any game where protagonist's personality doesn't matter, I'm fine with any protagonist as long as he/she doesn't irritate me.
If that's some sort of linear narrative driven game... hell, there's no perfect protagonist, there are well and poorly written ones.
If that's something like Mass Effect, Dragon Age or Persona, then I love to have a protagonist who rides the line between blank state and character whose personality is defined by player's decisions. In that regard Female Protagonist from Persona 3: Portable is probably the best. She is well characterized by your teammates and at the same time the choices you have allow you to portray her as you wish. Bubbly, sarcastic, positive, calm, whatever you like.

 

[hazabaza1]

Remember how there's no perfect pasta sauce? (Thank god for Jim) Well, there's also no perfect protagonist.

Ding ding.
Lee Everett is a fantastic protagonist in The Walking Dead, and Sam Gideon makes perfect sense in Vanquish, but the perfect whatever is interchangable which seems kinda... impossible. It's all based on whatever game it is you're playing.

That being said, I do love how great a main character Lee is. Not too "good", but not bad. Starts off afraid and screaming at the zombies because he's naturally terrified but evolves into someone willing to risk his life to save those he cares about. Plus, dat voice actor. Dave Fennoy does a fucking great job with him.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I don't really know but my favourite protagonist of all time is still Lelouch from Code Geass and he's an anti-hero, so I guess one with a dark streak or one that makes questionable decisions? Yeah. That sounds good.

I still love the BroSwagtagonist in Persona 4 and he's like the nicest guy ever so that might throw things out a bit. Also Hisao in Katawa Shoujo is like the main reason why the game is a masterpiece instead a controversy filled, cheap freak show bait nightmare. He's integral to how the game feels. It's hard to explain but him going "arg this is weird" is like taking the inherent "arg this is weird" from the player so things don't feel odd.

 

[The Madman]

I like all sorts of protagonist, it often depends on the game type and story that's being told what I might prefer. For example I really do like Commander Shepard as a character since although she's a defined character from the start, a lot of why and how is left up to the player. It gives the freedom to play a character how you want and to help give them a more personal touch while still telling a character driven narrative. On the other hand there's something amazing about an rpg that allows me to make the character I want to make and then reacts based on what I choose to play. Vampire: Bloodlines did a great job of that since how people reacted to you and interacted with you could change dramatically based on not only your initial clan choice but how you play the game as well.

Then there's the well defined protagonists. The sort that the player doesn't have any input into, in which case all I ask is that they're interesting. If I'm going to be spending the next ten or so hours playing someone, they'd damned well better not bore me at least.

 

[randomrob1968]

I think heroes are essentially boring.
That is to say, in a story you know the hero is going to win, so the threat of losing is just a temporary state, more so when it's a game and you know the thing is structured around you winning.

That being said, I like a hero who has simply defined goals, I'm less and less a fan of 'gritty realism' in my games- I don't need characters to have backstories like it's an AA meeting or something. Unless the intent is to make me uncomfortable. I guess that's a thing. Whatever. I don't need a backstory for a hero. the first time I saw Lara Croft jump over a crevasse in the 1996 Tomb Raider, I knew everything I needed to know about who she was. Her actions informed me of who she was. That's how it should be. Give me a good set of moves and some simple golas, and I will FILL that character with virtue and mystery and experience. the little boy in Ico? I don't need to be told his story, it's already in my head. I think too much lipservice gets paid to fleshing out characters, when our imaginations flesh out characters and real life people 24-7.

Sorry, rant/tangent... rangent. lol

So, to my mind, it's not the hero so much, but the people who join him or her that makes the journey worth taking.
A really good example of this from the past few years would be, to my mind, NIER-

That's where I'm at-

 

[Keiichi Morisato]

Luke Fon-Fabre from Tales of the Abyss, sure he is annoying but his character development was awesome.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

The down-to-earth ones like Snake, Spider-Man, Ryudo in Grandia 2 or Darril from Front Mission 4. However, they also must have some room in their hearts for romanticism and ethics, else they are no hero at all, just a grunt doing as they're told. I always find it amusing when a protagonist is confronted with an obstacle or enemy that is truly ridiculous even by their fantasy world's standards, puts a hand to their forehead and mutters something to the effect of 'ya gotta be kiddng me... here I thought I'd seen everything'.

One archetype I like that I haven't seen very often in games is the Sherlock Holmes- an insufferable intellectual who only acts when it means a chance to show the world how much smarter they are, with the natural heroic character arc being them finding a more virtuous reason to act than that, whether a person or a cause. Strange, considering how much gaming's primary demographic would probably identify with the first part of such a character.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I still love the BroSwagtagonist in Persona 4 and he's like the nicest guy ever so that might throw things out a bit.

Nicest guy ever!? He uses his friends only to obtain more powerful Personas, once he gets the social link maxed, he doesn't hang out with them again, they served their purpose and get kicked to the curb, they are a means to an end, not friends.

That is my totally canonical interpretation anyway.

[sub][sub]Also, Minato has way more swag than Yu, Minato was packing so much swag that he literally couldn't help girls falling for him, Yu actually had to try get their affection. When it comes to swag, Yu is second banana.[/sub][/sub]

[sub][sub][sub]And no, lets not count that episode of the anime that made him act like a jackass, god that was annoying...[/sub][/sub][/sub]

OT: Probably one that has realistic reactions to what is going on around them, not Far Cry 3 where the guy who has never held a gun in his life is shooting perfectly in 10 minutes, give us some development.

Hey look! It's like you took my entire Persona 3 argument and reversed it around to Persona 4! HOW 'BOUT DAT SHIIIIIT? You can still hang out with them after. At least with "who wants to help me with my self-esteem issues?" Ayane you can.

[sub][sub]Christ what the fuck possessed me to pick her over Yumi? I must have drunk bleach or something. I even maxed it early on as well. >.>[/sub][/sub]

Also have you SEEN Yu's walking animation? So much swag you just cannot even comprehend. Minato walks around being all emo, hands in pockets slouched over style. Yu has a full swagger going.

It also leads me to believe that all the girls in Persona 3 are blind and deaf because dat lack of effort yo'

That or the old "girls like bad boys/playing hard to get" is 100% true and applies to every girl in existence. EVEN THE TEACHERS

 

[RJ 17]

He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight. In fact, he?s gotta be sure and it?s gotta be soon and he?s gotta be larger than life.

oooo-oooo-oooo-OOOO!

OT: Female sex-symbol with big breasts, an ass you can bounce quarters off of, and plenty of jiggle physics. Why? Just to piss off everyone. >

Getting serious though, I wouldn't care if the protagonist is male or female, as long as he/she has a valid answer to the question "Why should I?" for every major plot point. One of the things I can't stand is the "you're the chosen one!" motif, be it someone is a genuine, pre-established hero or some random jackass gets thrown into a situation and they have to realize "holy crap I'm frickin' Batman!" by the end of the game.

Pretty much this:

The average person isn't willing to put their life on the line for absolutely no reason, there has to be true motivation. So whoever my protagonist is going to be, they damn well better have a damn good reason for doing what they're doing and not just sticking with their day job.

 

[Strain42]

Basically...this guy

Spoiler

He's interesting, he has a good character arc, he's flawed, he's not a cocky asshole, he wouldn't be able to succeed without the help of other people.

He's a great example of a flawed character who even loses sometimes. He's not some lone hero sexy playboy where everything works out for them. He actually goes through a lot of small and fun to watch struggles.

Literally my favorite video game character of all time, and can't wait for his new game this fall.

 

[HelloAndNiceToMeetU]

Basically Haruhi Suzumiya or Master Cheif or the Dragon born.

 

[Furrama]

My favorite kind of protagonist is a main character who is interesting. Not good, not bad, not necessarily proactive, but interesting. Someone who exists to exhibit a question or show an idea through their actions or inactions. Someone who embodies something. I don't need a goodie two shoes, I don't need an angsty anti-hero, I want you to be saying something substantial with your characters and material dagnabbit!

 

[verdant monkai]

An interesting one....

There really is no right answer for this one because I think each game require a different character. Horror game characters should be scared average vulnerable people, to heighten the sense of fear and helplessness. Shooters should be strong brave and have a repertoire of great one liners. Different characters for different games.

If I was forced to pick one I like I'd say they have to have certain things.

1.) Interesting Look
2.) Great voice actor (unless there are no voices in the game).
3.) Not be constantly depressed.
4.) Not be too single minded (I LIVE FOR VENGEANCE ALONE)
5.) Strong/Powerful
6.) Calm confident, and with a sense of humour.

Resi 4 Leon S Kennedy is a good example of my favourite kind of character, he has all of these traits. Not so much Resi 6 Leon which had less time for pacing and character development, which focused more on killing Chinese people and explosions.

 

[lacktheknack]

Think New Lara Croft, if she killed only three or four people in the entire game, took a bit less abuse (seriously, she takes more damage than the Incredible Hulk) and didn't whimper quite so much.

Failing that, a completely nervous and mental trainwreck of a character forced to deal with people who aren't.

And if nothing else, I'll take a firecracker teenager in over his/her head.

Thankfully, Heather from Silent Hill 3 exists.

Alternatively alternatively alternatively, characters like Madotsuki or Sabitsuki (from the Yume Nikki series, specifically from Yume Nikki and .flow respectively), where you spend the whole game examining their psyche, tend to be great characters. Especially since fan theories are the driving force behind the characterization.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I still love the BroSwagtagonist in Persona 4 and he's like the nicest guy ever so that might throw things out a bit.

Nicest guy ever!? He uses his friends only to obtain more powerful Personas, once he gets the social link maxed, he doesn't hang out with them again, they served their purpose and get kicked to the curb, they are a means to an end, not friends.

That is my totally canonical interpretation anyway.

[sub][sub]Also, Minato has way more swag than Yu, Minato was packing so much swag that he literally couldn't help girls falling for him, Yu actually had to try get their affection. When it comes to swag, Yu is second banana.[/sub][/sub]

[sub][sub][sub]And no, lets not count that episode of the anime that made him act like a jackass, god that was annoying...[/sub][/sub][/sub]

OT: Probably one that has realistic reactions to what is going on around them, not Far Cry 3 where the guy who has never held a gun in his life is shooting perfectly in 10 minutes, give us some development.

Hey look! It's like you took my entire Persona 3 argument and reversed it around to Persona 4! HOW 'BOUT DAT SHIIIIIT? You can still hang out with them after. At least with "who wants to help me with my self-esteem issues?" Ayane you can.

[sub][sub]Christ what the fuck possessed me to pick her over Yumi? I must have drunk bleach or something. I even maxed it early on as well. >.>[/sub][/sub]

Also have you SEEN Yu's walking animation? So much swag you just cannot even comprehend. Minato walks around being all emo, hands in pockets slouched over style. Yu has a full swagger going.

It also leads me to believe that all the girls in Persona 3 are blind and deaf because dat lack of effort yo'

That or the old "girls like bad boys/playing hard to get" is 100% true and applies to every girl in existence. EVEN THE TEACHERS

Minato is so full of swag that having one of his hands hanging out would have literally everyone at his feet (moreso than they already are) Minato has teachers crushing on him, he has the daughter of Japans largest electronics company falling for him, he has a kindergartner falling for him, his sports partner, his classmates, a motherfucking robot! Someone stop this guy!

Also, even you said you walked out on Yumi when her fucking dad died, making Yu a bigger dickbag than Minato, at least when a girl (Yukari) was upset over daddy issues, Minato can hug her or stand by her, not getting an asshole option, with Yu? Jesus, what sadist programmed the game to be that cruel...

[sub]The tears of his pawns mean nothing to Yu Narukami![/sub]

[sub][sub]Also, Amane > Yumi, although going lovers with Amane is kind of...creepy, also, turning her down isn't nearly as assholish.[/sub][/sub]

Also, doesn't Minato have a backstory that gives him a reason to be a wee bit grouchy, unlike Gary Stu Yu Narukami (at least the manga gave him some backstory, making Yu actually quite pessimistic on life because he had to be constantly switch schools)

[sub][sub]Also, why was Yu so bland in Arena, I proclaim Yosukes story to be canon over Yu's (come on, that sister complex fight was too awesome to not be canon)[/sub][/sub]

[sub][sub][sub]Don't mind us folks, just nerding over Persona[/sub][/sub][/sub]

Yumi says walk away, I walk away. You're telling me to cheat on Chie with Yumi? As if! She gets over it anyway. Time to make sure Ai isn't trying to commit suicide... Again.


The game gives you about 10 seconds of footage at the start showing Yu leaving his former school so that reason why he gets a few dick moves is in Persona 4 anyway. Legit.

And yes, Yosuke's story in P4A is fucking FANTASTIC. He decides to man up and 1v1 Aigis who is like twice as strong as he is. And he WINS. Not to mention he does a bunch of cool stuff and successfully asks a girl (who he has known for like a few hours max) out without making a complete idiot of himself. When was Yosuke allowed to be cool?

I guess Yu is bland because they don't want to make him too different from his character in Persona 4. Hence all of his quotes being ripped from the game/generic win stuff.

*wins a round*

"Calm down"

"I should leave him be"

*wins match*

"And that's a win for me"

"Now let's move on"

I will say that the one match start animation where he just crushes a Persona card and simply says "Persona" in a manly ass voice is great. JYB is the best voice actor of all time

Actually, while we are having a swag-off. Can I direct your attention to Yu's Instakill? Just the start up animation for it is great on its own.

He slowly rotates his sword towards the ground then stabs it through his Persona card, sinking his blade through the floor while crashing to his knees. Then electricity surges through the floor from full screen away.

Fucking Swag.

"BEHOLD, THE TRUTH!"