So, the review thread for The Invisible Man got me thinking about Gone Girl again, and how there are people who think Nick is about 50% to blame for what happened, which, to me is like saying the assistant is 50% to blame for getting eaten by the Mosasaurus because she wasn't a good person. This spun off into me thinking about characters that writers want want you to sympathize with or like, only for the general public to respond with "Are you insane?!" and I wanted to know what characters from fiction you think fit this bill
To name off a few of varying degrees of "What? No."
Mrs. Ganush from Drag Me to Hell. So after getting into financial trouble and being denied a third loan from the bank, Mrs. Ganush opts to condemn the woman who denied her a loan to an eternity in Hell. Seems like a bit of an overreaction, but I did find out that we were actually supposed to sympathize more with her than the main character. They try to set up the main character as screwing over this poor old woman just to get ahead at her job, but she never does anything that doesn't make a ton of sense. She mentions that the bank's already given her two loans already and even after that asks her boss if there's anything they can do. Her boss inevitably leaves it up to her but even if there was nothing to gain from her denying the loan, realistically it makes sense that she'd say no. And it's not like the loan is her only option. The main character tells her that she should ask her family for help, but Ganush's own stupid-ass pride prevents her from doing so (but not from getting on her knees in the middle of a crowded bank to beg, apparently). Prior to this, Mrs. Ganush isn't exactly shown to be the nicest old lady. She's prideful, rude, and straight up attempts to attack the main character after making a scene didn't work.
Sasuke from Naruto. I'll just leave this here
And Warren from Life is Strange. First things first, I don't really like Chloe either. She's not a great person, but at least I get it. Warren...he kinda feels like a weird-ass afterthought in this game. It's clear that he wants to set HIMSELF up as a love interest for you and he's trying really hard to do so, but that's kinda the problem. At no point does Warren seem like a legit character to pick with your options. He's just kinda there, orbiting around you at all times (including at very creepy times). If he was supposed to be the stereotypical "nerd who gets the guy/girl at the end" they leaned into it far to much with the nerd part and nothing else.
Edit: Ah fuck I forgot
EVERYONE IN RENT
To name off a few of varying degrees of "What? No."
Mrs. Ganush from Drag Me to Hell. So after getting into financial trouble and being denied a third loan from the bank, Mrs. Ganush opts to condemn the woman who denied her a loan to an eternity in Hell. Seems like a bit of an overreaction, but I did find out that we were actually supposed to sympathize more with her than the main character. They try to set up the main character as screwing over this poor old woman just to get ahead at her job, but she never does anything that doesn't make a ton of sense. She mentions that the bank's already given her two loans already and even after that asks her boss if there's anything they can do. Her boss inevitably leaves it up to her but even if there was nothing to gain from her denying the loan, realistically it makes sense that she'd say no. And it's not like the loan is her only option. The main character tells her that she should ask her family for help, but Ganush's own stupid-ass pride prevents her from doing so (but not from getting on her knees in the middle of a crowded bank to beg, apparently). Prior to this, Mrs. Ganush isn't exactly shown to be the nicest old lady. She's prideful, rude, and straight up attempts to attack the main character after making a scene didn't work.
Sasuke from Naruto. I'll just leave this here
And Warren from Life is Strange. First things first, I don't really like Chloe either. She's not a great person, but at least I get it. Warren...he kinda feels like a weird-ass afterthought in this game. It's clear that he wants to set HIMSELF up as a love interest for you and he's trying really hard to do so, but that's kinda the problem. At no point does Warren seem like a legit character to pick with your options. He's just kinda there, orbiting around you at all times (including at very creepy times). If he was supposed to be the stereotypical "nerd who gets the guy/girl at the end" they leaned into it far to much with the nerd part and nothing else.
Edit: Ah fuck I forgot
EVERYONE IN RENT
Oh wow, how could I forget this one?
Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw 3D
So after the events of the first movie, an obviously very pissed off mob of people with guns and the cops show up at the Sawyer house to go murder the cannibals. The single cop who showed up tries to talk the mob down but it's hard to talk down a mob of angry Texans with guns in the 1970s with a 2nd mob of angry cannibals with guns pointing their guns back at them. A shootout ensues, and this becomes the primary focal point for why we are supposed to sympathize with and root for Leatherface. LEATHERFACE. Apparently to the writers cannibal murderer > vigilante justice. So anyway even the main character roots for Leatherface, and this is well after he's murdered all of her friends AND her boyfriend and almost murdered her but didn't because he found out they were related. Yay?
Imma add this to the OP because I don't think anything's beating it
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