Top 5 Under-Rated Characters in RPGs
411These are my Top 5 Under-Rated Characters in RPGs (And maybe another genre or two to boot!) Of course nobody's list will be the same though! :)
I've been playing through RPGs for decades by this point, and in doing so I've noticed some top-tier characters that slipped in under the Radar, and went mostly forgotten. And I tell you, this is a real shame! But now I've got this platform from which I can dispense facts from on high to help enlighten the masses, so why not give it a go?
I am SuperDerek, and these are the Top 5 UnderRated RPG characters!
#5 Groose - Skyward Sword
Not all heroes are great, and not all great characters are heros. Groose is a lovably dorky mischievious lunk that you encounter in Skyward Sword. While he's definitely a man who cares a lot for his looks, and may in fact be slightly conceited at the beginning of the game, his character develops quite nicely over the course of the story, culminating in some of the most heartwarming redemption arcs I can recall. Groose's over-the-top personality and subtle charm allowed him to slip under the radar for most, but there was something about this guy that just made him stand out to me as the perfect guy for the number 5 spot on this list!
#4 Akaghi
Akaghi was one of the standouts of the 108 stars in my recent play-through of Suikoden IV and Suikoden Tactics. He's an unlikely choice, which is the point of an under-rated characters video. Akaghi is a Ninja who grew up with Mizuki in a band of Ninjas that were all but wiped out. His only loyalties in the game was to Mizuki, Kate, and his employer Ramada who is actually more like a father figure to Akaghi.
It's revealed that Akaghi only fights with one Chakram, because when Ramada gave him two, Akaghi lost one. He feels so bad about it that he told Ramada that it's easier to fight with just one, because he'd rather fight disadvantaged, than disappoint Ramada. It's that flawed character that makes him feel surprisingly human, for an otherwise deadly assassin.
#3 Wakka
In my recent video talking about my time with Final Fantasy X, I spoke briefly about what makes Wakka so amazing as a character, but now I get to dive a little deeper into the man, the myth, the legend! Wakka is the first truly friendly face that Tidus encounters in Spira, and Rikku doesn't count because Tidus was basically slave labor at the time. But Wakka approached Tidus with no expectations, and offered only assistance. His love of Blitzball was the little taste of home that Tidus needed to start to feel comfortable.
I've always viewed Wakka as the quintessential older-brother archetype, showing Tidus the ropes of Spira, helping keep him out of hot water and all. He even gave Tidus his brother's sword! And while Tidus was no replacement for Chappu, he and Tidus became fast friends. He can seem childish at times, but gradually throughout the game, you come to realize what a sentimental guy Wakka is, he's the kind of guy that would walk right into the lion's den with you, if only because it was the right thing to do.
Without Wakka, Final Fantasy X would have felt more like Final Fantasy 7-and-a-half out of ten.
#2 Larry Butz
When something smells, it's usually the Butz. Larry Butz, to be exact. He's the best friend and first client of Phoenix Wright. And I can already hear you guys screaming over the Internet, "Objection!" To which I will counter your objection with my own! Larry Butz is the hardest working lazy guy I've ever seen in my life. He's an artist, an actor, a seasoned chef and author! He is the definition of a rennaisance man, but life just has a way of dumping on poor ol' Larry.
He's an emotionally sensitive guy who was the victim of no fewer than 9 breakups over the course of 3 years. He just can't catch a break, and seems to be the Butz of every joke. Which is exactly why he's under-rated.
The world needs optimists, the world needs idealists, and it needs naiviete. Sure when something stinks, maybe it is Butz, but when the chips are down, he's the kind of guy that's going to be there for Phoenix, and he's going to look good while he's at it! What more could you possibly ask for in a friend than that?
#1 Lucas Tazmilly
Finally, the crem de la crem! The most underrated character in all of RPG gaming, from one of the most underappreciated RPGs of all time...
Lucas, from Mother 3! The son of a rootin-tootin' no-nonsense cowboy Flint, and brother to Claus. His extreme kindness and love of his friends and family pit him as the pinnacle of good-guy archetypes. But it's not all rainbows and sunshine with Lucas, because paired with that kindness is a deep-seeded hatred for his enemies, and overwhelming psionic strength.
And of course, you can't deny that this kid is going places. Just look at him! All it takes is a single glance to see that this kid has a bright future ahead of him, once he's done saving the world, that is. I can't quite place it, it's something subtle that's just hard to pin down...