I think I might have a
problem -- one that only seems to become more prevalent as time passes. It’s probably because I play a lot of video
games, but I don’t think my “affliction” is linked to just one medium. Movies, TV, books, what have you -- time and
time again, I find myself wishing things were different. That things were more to my tastes.
All too often, I find
myself thinking that the main character is kind of boring -- and wishing that
one of his friends was the story’s focus.
Take Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 for
instance. Now, I will confess with great
honesty (and pride) that I absolutely HATE FF13
and everything related to it…which should be obvious by now if you’ve spent
more than eight seconds on this blog.
Plenty of people seem to like it and can argue towards its high points,
and that’s fine. But I personally can’t
stand it; I’ve written an inordinate number of blog posts either focused on
what went wrong, or managed to work an example of what FF13 did wrong into a discussion (though sometimes it’s more to
make a joke…sometimes). It’s way too
early to decide whether or not LR
will be any good, but even if it is -- even if it’s the fabled Final Fantasy that will restore Final Fantasy’s credibility -- I’m not
sure if I want to get into the game.
Ever.
I know I’ve said this
before, but I’ll go ahead and say it again: I think I’d like FF13 and its little brothers a lot more
if not for Lightning. Others think that
she’s strong and cool and tough, and I respect their opinions (inasmuch as I
can smile and nod politely and not think of certain jingles); I think that
she’s petulant and wooden and outright boring.
Looking back, I wish that anyone else in the cast was the star. Snow was your typical hot-blooded idiot, but
he was at least (trying to be) driven and charismatic and optimistic. Why couldn’t he be the leader? Or why not Sazh? Surely someone with the unique perspective of
a father could add a lot to the game; would making the leading man black be
THAT much of a problem? Why not make
Hope the star, and give a chance to improve upon his character by cemented
development? Why not Vanille, not only
because she’s the narrator but because she has a deep connection to the
past? Why not Fang, who has Vanille’s
critical knowledge (minus the kookiness) mixed with Lightning’s toughness
(minus…well, everything else)? That’s
not to say that any of the characters are fantastic, or that the game would
automatically be better if it followed one of them; it’s just one of many possibilities.
That’s the key word: possibilities. Stories and characters are a means to explore
possibilities -- what would happen if a world had Element X and Qualifier Y, or
what Hero Z would say/do in the face of Adversity Q. It’s a chance -- a procedure, even -- to
scoop up the building blocks of a character (or world, or plot, or any other
story convention), mix them, shake them up, and serve on the rocks in the hopes
of creating something that won’t lead to a night of puking and remorse.
But more often than
not, I find myself suspecting that the procedure sometimes goes undone when it
comes to a protagonist -- you know, the
most important element in a story -- in exchange for familiarity and
functionality. In the context of a video
game, that’s likely a big factor both story-wise and gameplay-wise. In the interest of not picking on FF13 any
longer, I’ll use Tales of the Abyss as
an example.
I’ve gone on about the game in depth, but Abyss really does
serve as a fantastic example of a main character’s effect. Its leading man is Luke fon Fabre, a
midriff-bearing noble who lost his memory seven years ago; in the years since,
he’s been confined to his manor, receiving teaching to re-learn everything (and
I MEAN everything) he forgot, and his primary hobbies being lounging about and
training in swordplay. Inevitably, he’s
transported out of his comfortable lifestyle into the wilderness of an enemy
territory, and thus his journey -- and typical progression into a world-saving
expedition -- begins. Luke’s amnesia and
sheltered nature means he doesn’t know anything about the world; it’s a chance
to have the world’s mechanics explained to him, but more importantly to the
player. And at the start of the game, he
only has one special move (and a poor one at that); a nice little touch is that
he only gains access to his super move after he starts reading and practicing
to control his hidden power -- and well after that, the moves he learns start
to take on magical properties.
Now, as I understand it,
Luke has gotten a lot of flak over the years.
He’s whiny, he’s emo, he’s a wannabe martyr…all legitimate
complaints. I’m pretty tolerant of
things like that when it comes to JRPGs, but Luke skirts the line between being
a thoughtful, contemplative character and just being an annoying brat who loves
showing off his midriff. It’s an
uncomfortable position, and it’s likely that I’m being too favorable as it
is. But you know who isn’t in an
uncomfortable position? You know who I
like seeing in action, and preferring over the lead? Luke’s best friend Guy, a servant who’s
infamous for his fear of women, but more importantly for being level-headed,
smart, a charmer, a tech junkie, a skilled (and cool) swordsman, and most of
all a nice guy. (Incidentally, I feel like
his character development involves him becoming unafraid to call his master an
idiot -- likely a mirror of more than a few players’ wishes.)
The same goes for
princess Natalia; I didn’t put much stock in her in my first playthrough of the
game, but I’ve recently found her to be more engaging than ever, and certainly
more than Luke. Her defining
characteristic is that she’s a princess, and while that role would usually make
her the designated kidnapping victim/love interest, in Abyss she carries political clout and a self-determined sense of
duty -- one that rightfully earns love and respect, makes her a pivotal part of
the game, expands the scope of your worldly activities, and offsets the fact
that she’s kind of a haughty idiot. And
Jade? Well…Jade is Jade. That is to say, he’s undeniably awesome.
Don’t get me wrong. Even with all the annoyances, silliness, and
plot-related idiocy, I still like Tales
of the Abyss. But I can’t help but
feel like it’d be better (and better-received) if Guy or Natalia or Jade had
the leading role instead of Luke. The
main character is the lynchpin of countless stories; shouldn’t he/she be the
most interesting of the lot? I know
there’s a difference between thinking a main character is cool and thinking
that the main character’s buddies are cooler -- and subsequently, thinking that
the main character is worse by comparison -- but it happens with such
frightening regularity that I’m starting to wonder if there’s an underlying
issue. Are main characters, in spite of
good intentions and a wealth of solid ideas, inherently less appealing than the
other cast members? Is there some sort
of curse that plagues them?
Well, yes and no, I
suppose. Not every main character in a
game is boring; speaking in terms of the Tales
series, Vesperia’s Yuri Lowell is
compelling and interesting; even though I prefer the “old man” Raven, I still
think Yuri’s innately cool. Same goes for Graces
f; the game and its ideas -- and its plot, and its resolution -- wouldn’t
work if anyone besides Asbel was the main character. God of
War wouldn’t work without Kratos, unsavory as he may be. Assassin’s
Creed II wouldn’t work without Ezio.
Bayonetta wouldn’t work
without…well, Bayonetta. Mass Effect wouldn’t work without
Shepard -- a special case, in that your input ensures (in theory, at least)
that your interest/investment never wanes.
But for every example I
think of to support main characters, I can think of three times more to decry
them. Think about it: what if Dom was
the star of Gears of War, not
Marcus? It wouldn’t automatically make
the franchise a masterpiece, but it would offer an interesting new
perspective. Between the two, Dom is the
nicer, more emotional, and more empathetic soldier. If Marcus as the lead is largely responsible
for the series’ gruff, callous machismo, would Dom as the lead inject some
humanity and spirit? Alternatively, what if Cole was the star? There was a glimpse of what could have been
in Gears 3; what if we had a full
opportunity to examine his inner workings?
Barring that, what if we had his fiery spirit searing its way out of
every pore of the game? Wouldn’t that be
an absolutely perfect mirror of the players, many of whom are campaigning to
create their own highlight reels out of their adventure? I suppose it’s a bit late to wonder now, but
with Gears of War Judgment roadie-running
ever closer to us, one can’t help but wonder what comes next.
I’m reminded of a Zero Punctuation video (as I usually am) from a while back that had a tangent dealing with the same issues. What would Mario games be like if Luigi had a
more prominent role? In recent years,
Luigi’s evolved into a sort of fast-talking coward, and a plumber who has his
fair share of negative emotions. Why not give Luigi a chance to shine? Why is it so easy and rewarding to envision
alternate possibilities? What if you
played as Zeke instead of Cole? What if
you played as The Arbiter instead of Master Chief? What if you played as Auron instead of Tidus? More importantly, why can’t I help but
envision alternate possibilities?
OH GOD NO! NOT THOSE POSSIBILITIES!
Ahem. I’m not so bold as to proclaim that all the
main characters I’ve named (and more) are automatically lame. But I want to try to understand why I
constantly feel this way -- why I’m constantly more invested in the stories behind
the second, or third, or fourth or fifth banana than in the first. I can come up with a few reasons. Maybe it’s because I’m a little brother; as
Yahtzee suggested, there’s a sense of camaraderie and appeal. Maybe it’s because I’m usually playing the 2P
role; in the case of Abyss, I used
Guy while my brother used Luke, so it’s only natural I’d connect with the
former. Maybe it’s because I put so much
stock into ALL characters, and see what they contribute to the game -- like a
jigsaw puzzle, or a band. Maybe it’s all
in my head. Maybe I’m the one who’s
cursed.
Or maybe it’s
them. Maybe the main character is bland,
and too closely-knit to certain stereotypes.
Maybe their need to be comparatively normal and safe and
functionally-sound limits their potential and impact. Maybe they’re annoying, or mopey, or
needlessly angry, or stupid, or just plain boring. Who’s to say, really? And rightly so; one man’s hero is another
man’s hemorrhoid.
I once heard the
argument that JRPGs are supposed to cater to the tastes of Japanese players --
that is, the angst, melodrama, and histrionics are supposed to be “releases” of
sorts for their players. He suggested
that the Japanese social climate is one full of repression, and seeing
something like, say, Tidus screeching about his father is supposed to be a
stress reliever. Vicarious living, of
sorts. Not being a native of Japan or
too well-versed in the culture, I can’t say for sure if what he said was true,
or just a theory of his. But…jeez,
wouldn’t that just make a crap-ton of sense?
I mean, there’s creating a character by way of creative vision, and then
there’s just pandering to tastes and expectations. That’s not exactly ideal, in my eyes.
But in the eyes of others,
maybe that is ideal. Maybe some protagonists
-- some, not all -- are crafted to be appealing and normal and natural to the
audience. Or more appropriately, maybe
they’re supposed to be “welcoming.” The
audience surrogate is a well-worn idea in fiction, so it’s only natural to have
those running around en masse to help make those sprawling, complex worlds a
little more digestible. That I don’t
have a problem with (well, not as much).
I think the problems start to come in when the protagonist is ONLY there
to cater to the tastes of the audience. I’ve mentioned in the past that the three things I -- and others, no doubt -- like
to see in a character are A) being interesting in some capacity, B) having a
genuine effect on the plot, and C) developing so they’re not the same at
story’s end. Point B is easy enough to
handle for a protagonist, but I’m willing to bet there are plenty of times and ways for A and C to go wrong, along
with any number of minor elements.
Now, this is probably
more of an issue with video games (though there are exceptions) than anything
else, but it seems to me like the more a lead character is geared toward being
identifiable to/with the player, the worse off we get. It’s a delicate balance, to be sure; how do
you reconcile role-playing with the role that needs to be played? Where do you draw the line between pandering
to an audience and alienating them?
Going back to Luke, I can’t help but wonder if the problems people have
with him stem from him misaligning with the player’s wishes and will. Luke is wealthy and cushioned, and starts off
as a whiny, immature, obnoxious brat; even if he appeals to Japanese audiences,
in the eyes of westerners he’s a stark departure from what’s acceptable. And then what do you do? You’ve got a bad lead character (on the
surface) that immediately drags the game down with him.
A lot of people will
point to certain characters in a bid to name “blank slates”. And that’s a viable complaint with some
protagonists -- a certain Spartan super soldier well among them. In cases like that, it’s the same problem as
Luke, albeit on a different axis; rather than a protagonist who offends with
every action, there are protagonists who offend with their inaction. It’s hard to
imagine a character as anything but boring when they refuse to react to
anything. Meanwhile, you’ve got
characters surrounding him/her who not only bring new ideas to the table, but
act and react in plenty of exciting ways.
How are we supposed to care about these protagonists if they don’t do anything
to deserve it?
I guess the
“compensation” is supposed to come from what they do, not…well, what they do. Hear me out on this: we’ve all heard the
phrase “actions speak louder than words” at one point or another, and that’s
certainly something to be valued.
Valued, but not prioritized -- again, what I want to see from a
protagonist is more than a show of spectacle or theatrics. And I sure as hell want to see more than just
the all-too-common slide from whatever title they held before into the role of
Jesus Christ. Taking on the job of being
a messiah isn’t automatically a problem, but it’s something you have to be wary
of. It’s been done many, many, many
times before, and requires its own stylistic imprint from its creator. More importantly, there has to be something
more than just going from protagonist to savior (if at all). If there isn’t, then the end result is less
than perfect. If the intent is to make a
character that’s identifiable with the audience, and said character is lacking
in even basic qualities, yet they’re supposed to be counterbalanced by things
like being either an unstoppable one man army and/or a saint who makes the pope
look like a street thug, don’t you think that comes off as a little
disingenuous?
Maybe it’s just because
I don’t buy into this whole “look how badass you are!” mentality of video
games. I know I’m not a badass, or a
saint, or a messiah, or a one man army, or any of that. And I don’t want the character I’m playing as
to blindly hammer that idea into my head.
The games I like the most aren’t MY story; it’s theirs. And I want the characters -- the lead,
especially -- to act accordingly. I want
them to stop trying to make me feel good and do what’s right for them, the
cast, and the story at large. I’ll
gladly play the role of an advisor or observer, but in exchange a protagonist
should pull their own weight. Be a
man/woman in their own right. That’s not
too much to ask, right?
Now, let’s be real
here. I’m not asking for every
protagonist in every story to have their kookiness increased by eighty percent
-- that’s only going to do more harm than good.
But what we can agree on is that the main character -- by virtue of, you
know, being the main character -- is
THE most important part of the story.
He/she needs to be more than just a means for vicarious living, or ticking
off boxes in the plot checklist. I need
them to be something better. Something
substantial. Something more. And the stories that do are ones that, I’d
argue, are the ones destined to be remembered most fondly.
But then again, I could
just be talking out of my ass.
And that’s where you all
come in. Let me know what you think in
the comments. What do you think of
protagonists? In general, are they good
or bad? Ever find yourself wishing that
one of the other cast members had the leading role? Why?
Why not? Do you think there’s
some problem that side characters don’t have?
I want to hear it, whatever you have to say, whatever you may feel.
As for me…well, that’s
enough ranting for now. I think I need
to go see a gypsy or an exorcist or something.
OH SHI-