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Supporting characters that completely stole the main protagonist's thunder?

Curt Baboon

Curt Baboon

Avenger
Mar 13, 2018
3,569
I'm currently playing Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age for the first time and it's honestly like the reverse MGS2, where at the start they make you think you're going to be stuck playing as this kinda bland and somewhat uncomfortably dressed teen-aged Aladdin rip-off for the whole game:

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...Only for this badass motherfucker to come in not even 2 hours into the story with a flying bike, a cool rabbit-woman friend and an English accent to straight up hijack his whole game.

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The second I found out you could make Balthier the party leader and main playable character for the whole game it was all over for poor Vaan. This guy's better dressed by a mile (and is arguably the only character in the game so far whose outfit looks good), the man is a badass Sky Pirate (which is something Vaan only aspires to become someday), his dialogue is consistently awesome and he just has a better story overall than the main character. Granted, I'm not far into the game but I don't see any scenario where Vaan ends up edging out a win here.

I mean, the developers had to know what was up considering his second line in the entire game is literally this:

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What are some other instances of a character just coming in and completely wrecking the protagonist's moment in the spotlight?
 
chandoog

chandoog

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,071
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The most quotable and memorable character from RE1 isn't either of the playable ones.
 
DrForester

DrForester

Mod of the Year 2006
Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,684
Wasn't Vann a late addition to FFXII because someone thought they needed a younger face for the lead? Even though he ended up not being the lead once the entire party was assembled.
 
MC_Leon6494

MC_Leon6494

Member
Sep 7, 2018
501
Speevy said:
Does Abby count?
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Abby should definitely count. And it's right.

As for the Vaan thing, iirc higher ups at square wanted a more "relatable" main character compared to who the game was revolving around (Basch) and so Vaan / Penelo get kinda strung into the plot in a kinda haphazard way. They aren't bad characters, but just kinda blend and along for the ride.
 
Nairume

Nairume

SaGa Sage
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,930
DrForester said:
Wasn't Vann a late addition to FFXII because someone thought they needed a younger face for the lead? Even though he ended up not being the lead once the entire party was assembled.
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No. Vaan was always planned as being a part of the narrative. Focus testing done before the game was even in full development got him shifted from just a party member in a game focused on Basch to being the viewpoint character in a game focused on Ashe.
 
Wilf Netherton

Wilf Netherton

Banned
Jun 20, 2019
2,638
I suppose Vivi kinda qualifies here? A lot more people refer to him than Zidane in FFIX discussions. Not that I dislike Zidane at all.
 
Okabe

Okabe

Is Sometimes A Good Bean
Member
Aug 24, 2018
19,922
VergilDMC5.png


Capcom knows Vergil is a money printing monster.
 
Rosebud

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,558
Miles and Franziska in Ace Attorney (the spin-off with them is also better).

Anyone that talks in Persona 5.
 
mikhailguy

mikhailguy

Banned
Jun 20, 2019
1,967
latest


elma. xcx. she really should have been the main character



edit: Frog

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Deleted member 33533

Banned
Nov 17, 2017
12,864
Oh OP... I see you don't know who the main protagonist of FF12 is.

Hint: It's neither Vaan or the guy who keeps saying he's the main character.
 
Alpheus

Alpheus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,648
Zero from the MMX games granted that's more to do with his bromance with X but....he's in the same tier as vergil for me
 
trashbandit

trashbandit

Member
Dec 19, 2019
3,910
Is Vaan even the actual main character of XII? He's definitely positioned as the Luke to Balthier's Han, but what if Luke was literally just a nobody with any discernible traits.

Just about every other character in the new Wolfenstein games are more interesting than BJ(BJ's alright, but the supporting cast is what really sells that story).
 
Nairume

Nairume

SaGa Sage
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,930
trashbandit said:
Is Vaan even the actual main character of XII? He's definitely positioned as the Luke to Balthier's Han, but what if Luke was literally just a nobody with any discernible traits.

Just about every other character in the new Wolfenstein games are more interesting than BJ(BJ's alright, but the supporting cast is what really sells that story).
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Vaan is R2D2

Extremely important but nobody actually notices.
 
Grapezard

Grapezard

Member
Nov 16, 2017
7,783
Link in Age of Calamity is a mute head nodder in a cast of actual characters.
Eleven in DQ11 is a mute neutral emoji in a cast of actual characters.
 
Res-bot

Res-bot

Member
Nov 11, 2017
618
MGS2
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In this cutscene Snake is even sneakily partially obscuring Raiden from the camera..
 
Dice

Dice

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,304
Canada
Zeke Lightning (Xenoblade 2)

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Poltergust said:
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Poor Apollo did not get a game focused on him until Spirit of Justice.
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I really wish they kept the Papa Phoenix dynamic longer. It was a good arc!

MC_Leon6494 said:
Steiner erasure!!! Rusty deserves better.

Vivi is straight top tier, goddamn so good love that little dude.
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To me it helps that they're friends.

I'm so blue I never bought the figure set of them two, but I have trouble justifying the price on what's ostensibly toys...

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TEAM!
 
Shade Vortex

Shade Vortex

Member
Oct 28, 2017
243
USA, WA.
Groose_Concept_Art.png

Yeah, I think this is an apt answer, considering how... self-insert and bland Link tends to be. And I don't even like Groose as much as other people who played SS- but by the end of the game he grew on me, despite having a very negative opinion on him early on.
 

Deleted member 34949

Account closed at user request
Banned
Nov 30, 2017
19,101
With the way Morrigan so thoroughly stole the show and became the defacto ambassador of Darkstalkers, it's easy to forget Demitri was once the protagonist of the series.
 
YukiroCTX

YukiroCTX

Prophet of Regret
Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,995
Dice said:
Zeke Lightning (Xenoblade 2)
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Was going to say this. Rex is awful, Nia and Zeke overshadow him.

Might be controversial but I also think this about Breath of the Wild, Link is almost this blank slate character while the Champions both past and present presence takes up the whole space.

Ghost trick - Missile. Unstoppable Loyalty.
 

Kiria

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
1,624
YukiCT said:
Was going to say this. Rex is awful, Nia and Zeke overshadow him.

Might be controversial but I also think this about Breath of the Wild, Link is almost this blank slate character while the Champions both past and present presence takes up the whole space.

Ghost trick - Missile. Unstoppable Loyalty.
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Rex isnt even the MC.. imo he's written like a secondary character

Mythra/Hikari is the real MC
 
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