One thing of note about the franchise is that the protagonist is, 99% of the time, a silent hero with no defined personality and no canon name (there are some exceptions, but they are very rare and usually not present in a mainline game). Initially, this was used as a means of immersion, and it worked wonders for the first game, as it was the most role-playey out of the rest. As the series progressed and gained more and more narrative power, the need for a silent protagonist became less and less necessary; but was ultimately kept, most likely as tradition. Nevertheless, all of the protagonists share the same characteristic: they are usually a “hero”, with heavenly powers of some sort (usually due to genes), including healing every party member, casting lightning bolts and, most importantly, wielding powerful sacred equipment capable of dealing with great monsters and demons.
The fifth protagonist also shares these characteristics, unlike the rest, he is not a Hero, at least in the traditional sense. And yet, he might be the greatest hero of them all.
I’d like to mention that it’s hard to convey the emotional weight of this story without spoilers. Nevertheless, I'll try my best to convey my point. Without further ado, let’s learn how…
To be a hero
Always by your side...
Ten years pass…
Our protagonist, now close to adulthood, receives a note from his father, telling him about the existence of a sword capable to taking down a Great Evil. He sets out to search for it. And, to everyone’s surprise, he finds it pretty easily, in a cave that he has previously explored as a child, at its end. Alongside it, a note. It’s from his father, telling him to find the Legendary Hero and put an end to the Great Evil that’s about to come. So our protagonist lifts the sword……and he can’t unsheathe the sword.
Whatever could this mean? Wasn’t he going to save us all? Is our protagonist a fraud? This doesn’t bother him, as he is now more determined than ever to find the legendary hero (he also has another important quest which, sadly, I can’t mention because we would be delving in spoiler territory). On his journey, he makes friends with several monsters (such is his purity that he can find friendship even on the most unlikely allies), meets new people and eventually gets married, being able to choose between his childhood friend Bianca, heir to the metaphorical throne Fiora or her rude but well meaning sister Deborah (the latter available only on the DS version).
Look at that, our boy is now a family man! Even more so because, after a long and arduous journey, his chosen wife manages to give birth to two precious twins, in a scene that parallels the beginning of the game! How peculiar… Unfortunately to us all, another eventful incident leads us to their separation, once again.
Eight years pass… Our protagonist is finally reunited with his children, but they must now find their mother. Turns out, the boy can wield the legendary sword! Is he the legendary hero, the one his grandpa was seeking? Could he be the savior of humanity? But… he is just a child… Not strong enough to take on the Great Evil that’s about to come. Fortunately for him and his sister, his father is there with them, to protect them from harm. Just like his father did when he was a kid. Protecting them until they are strong enough to be the heroes the world needs.
Always think of the impact you do on the lives of others.
What am I trying to say with all of this?
My dear reader, you may have already realized it, but the point is that parents in this story are heroes to their children. Think about it.As a child, our protagonist is weak. Very weak. He can barely use real weapons, relying mostly on wooden swords and boomerangs. He can’t heal himself until he learns how to do so way later. His adventures are small sized and don’t have as much danger as the open world. However, out there in the wilderness, his father is always by his side, looking out for him. For Madason, his father is a guardian, a protector. A true hero, despite the fact that he doesn't really have godlike powers. Without the player realizing it, those little acts of protection and support create a big influence on the protagonist, which would shape his personality and his actions alter on.
The same goes for his children. Even during their separation, they are aware of his exploits and go look out for him so they can all search for their mother. Even if they inherited the godly powers, they start off weak because they are mere children. They look up to his dad, respect him, admire him and rely on him, until they are strong. Even if he’s a normal man compared to them, for his kids, he is the greatest man in the world, which retroactively feeds on the influence their grandparent had on their father.
From all of this, we can learn something really important and valuable:
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