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[Creaking]

Johnny Cage

He makes this [being white] look easy.

Trevor from GTAV. He is a great example of 'product of my environment'. He grew up in the hicks area of California or whatever the GTA equivalent is called. If GTAV is an analog to reality then Trevor is an analog to the kind of life style many people in those secluded parts of California tend to live to varying degree. Meth is absolutely huge out in those parts of California areas. He lived in an echo chamber in which everyone lived a life like his thus he had very little to convince him there was a better life. In fact you can make analogs to children living in the inner city, but I doubt many have ever thought about such.

No he didn't. He grew up on the Canadian border. He has a long conversation about it with one of his friends and even retains a slight accent.

I always kind of laugh at this new-found notion of white characters being 'generic'. Like, moving a character's skin slider would automatically make them interesting.

For example, Ezio, white but charismatic and interesting. Connor, Native American but bland as fuck. Characters are interesting based on how well they are written, not their skin colour lol.

Connor was understated, not bland. His writing could have been better, but they cut a lot out of Assassin's Creed III. I do agree, however, that Ezio got a lot more development than Connor, although it kind of stalled in Brotherhood.

 

[zeldablue]

Odd topic.

White male characters aren't lumped into one big stereotype like everyone else is...so of course their personalities are diverse enough to do anything. Other groups (women and minorities) are casted into over-generalized tropes that dehumanize them as real characters. Other groups aren't allowed to be anything because our perception of other groups are twisted into singular outdated personifications. (Blacks = primative, woman = thing to have sex with)

The media makes them feel different to prevent us from empathizing or relating to them. That's just the nature of being anything that isn't the "default." People have trouble writing them, because they get stuck on ingrained generalized perceptions of others.

But on topic, white men in gaming have been type-casted into a stereotype of revenge seeking mass murderers and heroes/saviors. Here are some characters who subvert that particular trope. (I made a thread about this a while ago.)

James: Silent Hill 2. Certainly flawed, and "realistic." His "revenge" story isn't a fit of rage, but one of self reflection and guilt. His story is tied to him being a loving husband.

Link: Link's Awakening. This is the only Zelda story where Link isn't saving anyone except for himself. And he does it in a pretty, interesting non-violent way. No reason for him to be white or male, but he's quiet enough for anyone to self insert themselves with.

Mmm, not sure about others.

 

[conman]

Sure, I just think the justification doesn't need to be in the work itself, but in writer's own knowledge. If you think that picking a male white character by white male writer on the basis of him being most knowledgable about this race/gender makes him a hack, then a historician writing historical fiction because he knows a lot about history is a hack too. And I just can't agree with this kind of thinking.

I think you misunderstood. I actually think we're more or less on the same page. My point is that writers/designers should think about their choices (either before or after they've made them) and be able to have a reasonable response if they are asked why a character is the way he is--especially in a medium like video games where players are regularly asked to identify with and participate in a character's behavior and development.

 

[Blues1990]

Would King Graham (of King's Quest fame) count, at least within the context that the Original Poster is asking for?

Charismatic, wise, gentile, & brave, he's the kind of soul that would rather solve his problems with his wits & agility, instead of solely relying on brute strength. Graham was also kind-hearted, and he would offer assistance to any person or creature in need, and the needs of his people are always put in first. He wasn't perfect, mind you, as not all the decisions & acts made as king had been good ones (such as sending off innocent girls to be sacrificed to a fire-breathing dragon), and he seems to have developed a nasty habit of confronting witches.

But he's a very honorable nobleman, if a bit flawed.

 

[ishibear]

You have a good grasp on what the OP is asking, and I agree with the others points you've raised in the thread, but the example of Resident Evil 4 is a bit off base.

The story is that the daughter of the President of the United States of America has been kidnapped. Saddler's goal was to use Ashley to spread the Las Plagas in America and bring about its downfall because he hated the arrogant US and how they were always trying to police the world. Leon being an American sent in by the American government to rescue the American presidents daughter, who then discovers a plot by a man with a vendetta against America is justified. Did Leon necessarily need to be white? No, since American isn't an ethnicity, but I'd argue that when the rest of globe, including Saddler, thinks of the average arrogant American they're most likely thinking of a white male. Leon being a white male is a good foil to Saddler's plot and hatred for America. Leon not being able to speak Spanish just kind of makes him a shitty secret agent is all.

Luis, or another native Spaniard could have been the main protag, but then we'd have to question why the American government would send a non-american to retrieve of the president's daughter, and Saddler's plot might not give a non-american the same sense of urgency to save their homeland. These plots point would probably be changed to better serve the main protagonists' motivations and the context of the rest of the story.

You're right, you're right. I forgot the most important detail -- United States President's daughter...!

Tho they could've at least taught Leon some damn Spanish instead of sending him over there dumb as hell haha

But it was certainly possible that Luis could've been an American. If he was, he probably would've made a more understandable protagonist than Leon. (1. He would know Spanish -- maybe even have been born in Spain but lived a life traveling to and fro like a lot of families that live with people either in service or his parents could've had wanderlust, 2. Works for the USA government, and 3. maybe get picked for the job because of his familiarity with the country 4 took place in)

Imagine the impact that would've had on Saddler, to see a person with origins similar to himself but fights for the country he hates most. I think that would've probably been more damaging.

 

[Deified Data]

I don't feel like race is something that has to be justified in a game, except in the rare egregious instance of a Mighty Whitey narrative - but even "white guy comes with modern sensibilities to save a primitive culture" makes sense conceptually, even if it's cringe-inducing. If I ask myself "does it make sense that this character is white" or "does it make sense that this character is black" and the answer is "yes", then boom, the choice is instantly justified.

So no, I can't think of any white male characters done right because I can't think of any white male characters done wrong to contrast them with.