Supporting Characters who outshine the Main Character.

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I have some games where I'm more interested in the side character than the main character. Such as;

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Citan (Xenogears)

Citan would really be a way better main character for my tastes, Fei is so uninteresting and generic. Other than that, having Citan as a main character would make me happier, but the series would be so much different it's not realistic.


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Auron (Final Fantasy X)

Seriously, how can you say no to a "tough" guy who absolutely loves to have booze on him at all times? He makes Tidus look like a complete wimp.


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Allen Ridgeley (Xenosaga I & II)

I definitely love Allen as a character much more than Shion. I feel like Shion needs more time, though, since the whole story arc was just the prologue. I just feel like Shion is a little boring. He is a warm-hearted kind guy that cares too much. And he deserves something better than being abused by his so called 'love interest'.
 
Honestly...almost every JRPG.
If it isn't a silent protagonist it's usually some cookie cutter teenage shounen protagonist.


Like FFX which you posted is a perfect example. You've got a cast of fun and unique characters but the main focus is put on Meg Ryan for some reason. Then they doubled down in XII by having a great cast of supporting characters but putting Michael Jackson in a stupid costume at the center.
 
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ParaSeoul said:
Someone needs to give Lance Riddick his own game already
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He was just a couple of step above in writing compared to other other characters in the game.

I prey that they didn't make him an idiot in the sequel just to let aloy win, he is FAR smarter than her (or everyone else really)
 
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Sephiroth is the biggest one I can think of, though he's more antagonist that outshines the entire main cast.

Supporting characters... as others said, most JRPGs. Would also say MGS2, Snake outshined Raiden to such a degree he got mutilated and turned into a cyber ninja in sequels.
 
Witcher 3 I think. I mean Geralt has his moments, but he has a great cast of characters around him at all times: Vesemir, the red baron, Yennifer, Regis, Vernon Roche, Gaunter O Dimm, Dijkstra, the witches from the Lodge, and a BIG etc.
 
Fbh said:
Honestly...almost every JRPG.
If it isn't a silent protagonist it's usually some cookie cutter teenage shounen protagonist.


Like FFX which you posted is a perfect example. You've got a cast of fun and unique characters but the main focus is put on Meg Ryan for some reason. Then they doubled down in XII by having a great cast of supporting characters but putting Michael Jackson in a stupid costume at the center.
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I was going to say pretty much the same thing. JRPG protagonists are almost always some of the least interesting characters in the game.

Either they're the annoyingly naive "strong sense of justice" kiddies or they're the emo edgelord douchebags. In both cases totally bland and boring, and the least qualified to lead a team of warriors on a quest.
 
marcincz said:
Morgana from Persona 5 obviously.
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You must be tired after making that statement today. Let's go to sleep!

Final Fantasy XII is easy mode for this question. Also any NPC or a 3D modeled rock is a better character in FFXIII than Lightning.
 
Pejo said:
You must be tired after making that statement today. Let's go to sleep!

Final Fantasy XII is easy mode for this question. Also any NPC or a 3D modeled rock is a better character in FFXIII than Lightning.
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Lightning has a bland, cardboard-like personality but that's still enough to put her in the top 50% of FF XIII party members (along with Fang and Sazh).
 
German Hops said:
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Allen Ridgeley (Xenosaga I & II)

I definitely love Allen as a character much more than Shion. I feel like Shion needs more time, though, since the whole story arc was just the prologue. I just feel like Shion is a little boring. He is a warm-hearted kind guy that cares too much. And he deserves something better than being abused by his so called 'love interest'.
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I actually like Shion in 1. I didn't like her in 2, and I hated her in 3. The evolution of her character was quite jarring. Went from an adorable skatterbrained scientist to an emotional teenager.

Jin Uzuki was the real hero of the series.

Agree on Citain.
 
I know this will sound weird but i think the colonel from mgs and mgs2 (ish) is more memorable than snake or raiden.. snake and raiden basically just repeat everything they're told with incredulous tones, the colonel is the one who actually furthers the plot in many ways.. could say the same for Zero, Ocelot, heck even Kaz Miller
 
Obviously Vaas, he wasn't the main villain! But he outshone everyone else in Far Cry 3 (and everyone else in the series, since part 3).

.
 
Duchess said:
Balthier (FF12) said it all at the end:

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(seriously, Vaan was just so generic, annoying, and forgettable)
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Balthier was supposed to be the main character of the game. However Kitase (who I dislike game development-wise) insisted that Matsuno and Ito add Vaan and Penelo because he thought that an "old" character like Balthier wouldn't resonate with Japanese gamers. This is why those two useless characters were added; i mean think about it, those two not being in the game doesn't really change all that much for the story, it always felt like they were just along for the ride despite pretending to be the leads.
 
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