What are some unintentionally unlikeable game characters?

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

Definitely unintentional. I will defend Tidus till the day I die.
Dude has one of the best examples of emotional maturity development in any video game story ever.

Post automatically merged: Feb 19, 2025

I always liked Urien more, but I think it's mainly because of Gil's goofy ass color scheme.

Yeah, I feel like that scene was taken out of context. He was intentionally trying to sound phony to make Yuna laugh. The FFX voice acting wasn't super great but considering it was one of Square's first voice acted games it deserves some leeway.

 

[J.F.C]

On my way to grabbing this image, I saw a Reddit post ALSO calling her terrible, which is real as fuck
View attachment 28609
This game wants you so bad to like the most pessimistic and contrarian SMT character ever
The game makes her seem like the cool one but someone with a functioning brain realises she is literally just the nerd emoji with just a little more devil's advocacy

"We should do this"
"Erm, ACTUALLY"

Said it once, I'll say it again, if Sam from Danny Phantom were a video game character, this is who she'd be

I find Yoko to be funny more than annoying. I love making fun of her online.

 

[Tonberry]

Yeah, I feel like that scene was taken out of context. He was intentionally trying to sound phony to make Yuna laugh. The FFX voice acting wasn't super great but considering it was one of Square's first voice acted games it deserves some leeway.

I think Tidus is genuinely an example of culture clash in video game heroes. Ever since he was introduced western fans have talked about how whiny and goofy he is (which he IS, but he grows out of it during the game), but in Japanese popularity polls he's almost always in the like top 3 protagonists. He's got this japanese idol isekai'd to a fantasy world vibe which I assume didn't jive as much with as the more serious and brooding popular heroes like Cloud and Squall.

 

[PaleFolklore]

Honestly, I'll do something even better: Since its Final Fantasy we're talking about here, I'll pick one unintentonally unlikeable AND likeable chararacter, from the same franchise.

I am, of course, refering to:

This annoying piece of work (though he does mature eventually, I guess)

And the obvious pick:

"Bullshit."

(Though, if it was actually intentional all this time, then I say: Bravo, Nomura.)

 

[miguk]

Every Persona mascot who isn't Koromaru is fucking annoying as hell.
What were they thinking with Morgana and Teddie? Do the Japanese think these type of characters are endearing or something? I don't get it.View attachment 28589

Whenever you have to ask that question after seeing it repeatedly, the answer is most likely "unfortunately, yes" at least for some part of their demographics. They are all over the place in Japanese games, and they even have town mascots IRL that are basically the same thing. Beats the loli stuff, which is the actual worst thing they insert into media randomly.

80% of the xenoblade 2 cast

I considered mentioning this, but I've already gone over it before. Same goes for the new characters in Ys IX, though they are much less unlikable than XC2's cast (although both has a unquestioned classist bigot in their ranks).

 

[Kamako]

The whole cast of FFXIII.

I really liked the cast of XIII, with the exception of Vanille. Whoever gave that Voice Actor direction was wayyy off the mark.

And I'll add Navi from LoZ: OoT

 

[RanmyakuIchi's iconRanmyakuIchi]

View attachment 28622
"Bullshit."

(Though, if it was actually intentional all this time, then I say: Bravo, Nomura.)

Jack is so ridiculous that it comes full circle and makes him endearing to me again. He's my "So bad, it's good" character pick.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

I think Tidus is genuinely an example of culture clash in video game heroes. Ever since he was introduced western fans have talked about how whiny and goofy he is (which he IS, but he grows out of it during the game), but in Japanese popularity polls he's almost always in the like top 3 protagonists. He's got this japanese idol isekai'd to a fantasy world vibe which I assume didn't jive as much with as the more serious and brooding popular heroes like Cloud and Squall.

Well, yeah. The previews of FFX in the west were not positively received when it came to the look of the protagonist, Tidus. I definitively had a negative reaction to Tidus's look the first time I saw him. And he still gets memed on to this day. But in Japan, where these effeminate glam rock looks are more common amongst the pop idols he doesn't really stand out in a negative way, especially to the female audience. It took me playing Final Fantasy X to appreciate Tidus as a character, despite my negative first impression.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

I really liked the cast of XIII, with the exception of Vanille. Whoever gave that Voice Actor direction was wayyy off the mark.

Vanille is probably the worst, but Hope isn't that far off. Spends half of the game whinning and crying about everything. Snow is kind of annoying too at at times, especially early on. Lightning is just there, doesn't really inspire much for a protagonist. Kind of lame. Fang and Sazh are probably the most likeable characters.

 

[Jeanfranc]

What were they thinking with Morgana and Teddie? Do the Japanese think these type of characters are endearing or something? I don't get it.View attachment 28589

There's only one reason to keep Teddy in the party

Post automatically merged: Feb 19, 2025

I bounced off of Violetta a bit, which is a shame since I dig her design.
View attachment 28614
I just wish they would have reigned in the comic relief stuff and let her have a few more moments. Her taking the mantle at the end didn't feel fully earned.

I feel the opposite way: I kinda like her but not so much her design, she looks likes a female zoomer goth vergil

 

[marky]

Hans Capon, but only in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. In the first game he wasn't so annoying.
And here... I have already repeatedly said to the screen ‘you f**king idiot’.?

THAT Motherf***er

 

[Elwiwi]

Ky kiske i hate his zoner ass attacks

 

[Hikari.EXE]

I considered mentioning this, but I've already gone over it before. Same goes for the new characters in Ys IX, though they are much less unlikable than XC2's cast (although both has a unquestioned classist bigot in their ranks).

I was originally gonna mention Rex with a caveat that his character grew on me especially after Xenoblade 3, but this comment left be bewildered. I really don't remember any "classist" character in the party, it has been a while since I played the game but even then I surely would remember such attitude from the cast since the game has a pretty strong message about overcoming your origins and your past, it would be counter intuitive to have such character not learn their lesson in the game.

 

[Klonoa7]

I really disliked Karol in Tales of Vesperia. Talk about super annoying. ?

 

[Jeanfranc]

Not characters that are meant to be hated, despised, or disagreed with, but dislikeable character's that we're meant to be enjoyed. Proper Scrappy-Doo's and Poochie's. I'll start with some low hanging fruit

Edit: I misremebered the quote from the dev, Alex was always meant to be unlikable. I'm still going to let it stand for conversations sake.

Alex Yiik is unintentionally likable
THIS PLACE IS THE BOMB

I was originally gonna mention Rex with a caveat that his character grew on me especially after Xenoblade 3, but this comment left be bewildered. I really don't remember any "classist" character in the party, it has been a while since I played the game but even then I surely would remember such attitude from the cast since the game has a pretty strong message about overcoming your origins and your past, it would be counter intuitive to have such character not learn their lesson in the game.

Indeed, a friend of mine's opinion on Rex made a 180° after he played 3. I must agree that with THE Picture and the dlc, my appreciation for him grew a lot

I cannot believe he actually meant it, literally

 

[Klonoa7]

80% of the xenoblade 2 cast

???

The ENTIRE Nopon species should go extinct.

 

[Tonberry]

View attachment 28705

I really disliked Karol in Tales of Vesperia. Talk about super annoying. ?

I feel like the people who hate the "JRPG boy" characters the loudest are often the ones who played the games when they were kids, so they didn't realize that they were them, and they just wanted to see the cool anime adults defeat evil (Ken from Persona 3 also comes to mind). Which is fair, it's just an observation I've made. 'Shinji's Law' strikes again.

I played Vesperia as an adult (apart from a few hours at a friend's house when I was like 14), and while Karol can annoying, he also sort of made me nostalgic in a way, because he tries really fucking hard to live his life the way he wants to, but he's still a kid and it shines through sometimes.
I personally found him to be way less cringe than Raven.

 

[Klonoa7]

I feel like the people who hate the "JRPG boy" characters the loudest are often the ones who played the games when they were kids, so they didn't realize that they were them, and they just wanted to see the cool anime adults defeat evil (Ken from Persona 3 also comes to mind). Which is fair, it's just an observation I've made. 'Shinji's Law' strikes again.

I played Vesperia as an adult (apart from a few hours at a friend's house when I was like 14), and while Karol can annoying, he also sort of made me nostalgic in a way, because he tries really fucking hard to live his life the way he wants to, but he's still a kid and it shines through sometimes.
I personally found him to be way less cringe than Raven.

It's an opinion. No need to get bent so out of shape over a random stranger's opinion.

 

[Jeanfranc]

???

The ENTIRE Nopon species should go extinct.

"How Wars Profit Nopon", insane how they foreshadowed 3 like that

although both has a unquestioned classist bigot in their ranks

Huh?

 

[Tonberry]

It's an opinion. No need to get bent so out of shape over a random stranger's opinion.

What?
I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, I was just chiming in because I thought of that character too initially, but decided to post another.

 

[Hikari.EXE]

Indeed, a friend of mine's opinion on Rex made a 180° after he played 3. I must agree that with THE Picture and the dlc, my appreciation for him grew a lotView attachment 28706
I cannot believe he actually meant it, literally

I CAN SEE THE GIGA CHAD CHEST!

 

[Jeanfranc]

I feel like the people who hate the "JRPG boy" characters the loudest are often the ones who played the games when they were kids, so they didn't realize that they were them, and they just wanted to see the cool anime adults defeat evil (Ken from Persona 3 also comes to mind). Which is fair, it's just an observation I've made. 'Shinji's Law' strikes again.

I played Vesperia as an adult (apart from a few hours at a friend's house when I was like 14), and while Karol can annoying, he also sort of made me nostalgic in a way, because he tries really fucking hard to live his life the way he wants to, but he's still a kid and it shines through sometimes.
I personally found him to be way less cringe than Raven.

Bad jrpg protagonists? many such cases "haha"

Post automatically merged: Feb 19, 2025

I CAN SEE THE GIGA CHAD CHEST!

very well, you deserve the full image then

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

I hate Rean so f-ing much. Literally the reason i refuse to play Trail of games anymore.

 

[Jeanfranc]

I hate Rean so f-ing much. Literally the reason i refuse to play Trail of games anymore.

Cold Steel IV was so good it made me drop the series

 

[miguk]

I was originally gonna mention Rex with a caveat that his character grew on me especially after Xenoblade 3, but this comment left be bewildered. I really don't remember any "classist" character in the party, it has been a while since I played the game but even then I surely would remember such attitude from the cast since the game has a pretty strong message about overcoming your origins and your past, it would be counter intuitive to have such character not learn their lesson in the game.

When the party is discussing the refugees, Zeke flies off the handle ranting about how these poor people don't deserve the help they are getting from Indol because they are a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings. (The rest of the party acts as if they didn't hear that.) This is yet another moment of the game's writer being hypocritical and self-contradictory, as ① Zeke himself got help from Indol without doing anything to earn it (but he's rich, so the wealthy master race "earns" it) and ② there is no sign of the refugees being lazy or bad people at any point. In fact, as the refugees increase later, we still see nothing wrong with them. Zeke, of course, learns nothing from this, just like how the rest of the cast learns nothing from their misdeeds, as the half-a**ed writer didn't even bother to tie up major plot holes.

What I know of Rex from XC3 only makes him look worse. He didn't earn his ending after all the disrespect he showed for his 3 wives, and he and the rest of the cast don't seem to have learned from their experiences. Mythra stuck with the man who blamed her for sexual harassment and went along with slut shaming her. Nia stayed with the man who rejected her but took her in as a 3rd wive at the last minute for no explained reason. Tora still hasn't been sent to the neighborhood where you are court-ordered to great people with "according to Megan's law." Azurda's misogynistic a** still hasn't died like God literally intended him to. Only Morag shows any improvement, as she at least ditched the crypto-Nazi uniform. And yet Rex seems okay with all this.

I get that it would take a lot for the writers to undo all the mistakes they made in XC2 in a sequel, but they didn't seem to put any really effort into it.

Granted, I'm basing this all on the little info anyone has given me, as I'm not going to invest serious effort into playing XC3 when the specter of XC2's bad writing hangs over it and nobody is clarifying for me anything more about the connections to XC2 beyond that dumb, borderline Branch Davidian-esque picture.