Characters With Terrible Priorities

[cojo965]

Keep in mind I'm not talking about, say, a villain's priorities, I'm talking about say Batman and the cure in Arkham City where he finds sorting out Hugo Strange more important that curing himself. Now with that clarified my example is Dennis Leary's character from The Amazing Spider-man. So let me get this straight, there is a giant humanoid lizard releasing a bioweapon on New York but your main goal is getting the one guy who might be able to stop it off the street? How did this guy become chief of the NYPD? I mean I know that the movie had really bad writing but someone needs to wonder about this stuff and it may as well be me. The only reason he drops the chase is because he found out that Spidey was his daughter's boyfriend. "Oh no, if I shoot him, Gwen will hate me." Uh, no, fucking everyone would hate you, want to know why? The one guy who could stop the Lizard is laying in the street dead, WHILE FUCKING EVERYONE ELSE IS A LIZARD PERSON, NICE ONE YOU MISERABLE TWAT!

...

I think I should drop this now.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I have to bring up Lelouch in the last episode(s) of Code Geass. Like what the flying fuck...

Spoiler

He literally wanders off from the final decisive battle, he turns and flies several miles out to sea to check on/save his little sister instead of y'know winning the war he's been fighting for god knows how many episodes?

His army was sieging the final capital building and their one tactical genius of a leader fucks off, leaving them without a response to the counterattack that hits them. They instantly fall apart without Zero there to lead them. Understandably so, because Zero singlehandedly raised and trained this army + military resources out of thin air without even using his Geass on them and they just accept everything he tells them to do without question.

Quite sure there's a scene that was just various people screaming "what are our orders?!" into their comms.

Sister complexes lose wars.

Ah well, at least he gets his act together in R2...

 

[solemnwar]

I'm going to say Loghain from Dragon Age: Origins
Technically a villain, but you can also look at him as a tragic hero.
Anyways.

He helped kick Orlais out of Ferelden so it got its independence back. So he doesn't like Orlesians, I get it. But... JFC he's so against having anything to do with Orlais that he's willing to commit regicide (abandoning King Cailan to the darkspawn) while simultaneously dooming the one organisation (the Grey Wardens) that can stop the darkspawn.

PRIORITIES MAN.

And then when you read the novels it becomes EVEN MORE BAFFLING because Cailan's mother was the woman Loghain was in love with, so you'd think he'd want to protect the child of his former lover, BUT NOPE DEAD HE GOES BECAUSE GOD FORBID CAILAN WANTS HELP DEFEATING EVIL MONSTROCITIES. Christ he isn't even getting help from Orlesians per say, but GREY WARDENS from Orlais. AAAAGH.

LOOOGGHHHAAAIIIINNNNNN WHHHHYYYYYY?!

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I'm going to say Loghain from Dragon Age: Origins
Technically a villain, but you can also look at him as a tragic hero.
Anyways.

He helped kick Orlais out of Ferelden so it got its independence back. So he doesn't like Orlesians, I get it. But... JFC he's so against having anything to do with Orlais that he's willing to commit regicide (abandoning King Cailan to the darkspawn) while simultaneously dooming the one organisation (the Grey Wardens) that can stop the darkspawn.

PRIORITIES MAN.

And then when you read the novels it becomes EVEN MORE BAFFLING because Cailan's mother was the woman Loghain was in love with, so you'd think he'd want to protect the child of his former lover, BUT NOPE DEAD HE GOES BECAUSE GOD FORBID CAILAN WANTS HELP DEFEATING EVIL MONSTROCITIES. Christ he isn't even getting help from Orlesians per say, but GREY WARDENS from Orlais. AAAAGH.

LOOOGGHHHAAAIIIINNNNNN WHHHHYYYYYY?!

Simple, he didn't believe it really was a Blight.

Hell, common knowledge (for the surface folks at least) stated that all the darkspawn had been killed in the Forth Blight.

He was given the choice of doing two things:

1: Believing a foreign order of warriors that a god-made horde of monsters is going to invade lead by a defiled Old God and that he should let in troops form a country that had within his lifetime invaded and occupied his homeland or...

2: This a just a plot to get soldiers into Ferelden by a country where complicated and underhanded dealings are a national pastime for the wealthy and nobleborn.

In hindsight it was a stupid manoeuvre but you can't blame the man.

 

[solemnwar]

I'm going to say Loghain from Dragon Age: Origins
Technically a villain, but you can also look at him as a tragic hero.
Anyways.

He helped kick Orlais out of Ferelden so it got its independence back. So he doesn't like Orlesians, I get it. But... JFC he's so against having anything to do with Orlais that he's willing to commit regicide (abandoning King Cailan to the darkspawn) while simultaneously dooming the one organisation (the Grey Wardens) that can stop the darkspawn.

PRIORITIES MAN.

And then when you read the novels it becomes EVEN MORE BAFFLING because Cailan's mother was the woman Loghain was in love with, so you'd think he'd want to protect the child of his former lover, BUT NOPE DEAD HE GOES BECAUSE GOD FORBID CAILAN WANTS HELP DEFEATING EVIL MONSTROCITIES. Christ he isn't even getting help from Orlesians per say, but GREY WARDENS from Orlais. AAAAGH.

LOOOGGHHHAAAIIIINNNNNN WHHHHYYYYYY?!

Simple, he didn't believe it really was a Blight.

Hell, common knowledge (for the surface folks at least) stated that all the darkspawn had been killed in the Forth Blight.

He was given the choice of doing two things:

1: Believing a foreign order of warriors that a god-made horde of monsters is going to invade lead by a defiled Old God and that he should let in troops form a country that had within his lifetime invaded and occupied his homeland or...

2: This a just a plot to get soldiers into Ferelden by a country where complicated and underhanded dealings are a national pastime for the wealthy and nobleborn.

In hindsight it was a stupid manoeuvre but you can't blame the man.

Yes I can because Duncan TOLD them it was a blight, but they were like "well he's prolly just guessing it's not like Grey Wardens exist specifically to kill the darkspawn or anything. Not like Darkspawn don't come out in massive hordes on the surface except when there's a blight or anything." Plus, Grey Wardens owe allegiance to NO ONE. They are Orlesian Grey Wardens by virtue of having a base in Orlais. That's it. And they were only "foreign" because a previous king had banished them out of Ferelden. Grey Wardens are supposed to stay the fuck out of politics.

Not a terribly good reason to commit regicide regardless. He's supposed to be a VERY good tactician, how could he have POSSIBLY believed that WEAKENING THE POLITICAL STABILITY OF THE COUNTRY by killing the king, who had NO HEIR btw, could help against a theoretical invasion by Orlais? Times of political instability are the BEST times to invade FFS because no one in the country has their shit together and there's buttloads of infighting.

Every single time I play the game "LOGHHHAAIIIIIINNNNN WHHHYYYYYYY?!???!?!?!"

 

[Henrik Knudsen]

The Grey Wardens was kicked out of Ferelden for planning to overthrow the king some 300 years back and was only allowed back in by Cailans father. Small insignificant order in Ferelden, that dabbles more in real politics from Weisshaupt fortress where they have their true powerbase.

Yeah completely trustworthy.

 

[Warachia]

Yes I can because Duncan TOLD them it was a blight, but they were like "well he's prolly just guessing it's not like Grey Wardens exist specifically to kill the darkspawn or anything. Not like Darkspawn don't come out in massive hordes on the surface except when there's a blight or anything." Plus, Grey Wardens owe allegiance to NO ONE. They are Orlesian Grey Wardens by virtue of having a base in Orlais. That's it. And they were only "foreign" because a previous king had banished them out of Ferelden.

Not a terribly good reason to commit regicide regardless. He's supposed to be a VERY good tactician, how could he have POSSIBLY believed that WEAKENING THE POLITICAL STABILITY OF THE COUNTRY by killing the king, who had NO HEIR btw, could help against a theoretical invasion by Orlais? Times of political instability are the BEST times to invade FFS because no one in the country has their shit together and there's buttloads of infighting.

Every single time I play the game "LOGHHHAAIIIIIINNNNN WHHHYYYYYYY?!???!?!?!"

Duncan told him it was a blight, and that was all the information they had to support it, if you talk to them they say that all of the reports of the darkspawn (their numbers, attacks, etc.) indicate that this isn't a blight at all, the darkspawn in that first battle were nowhere near the size of any blight and if you talk to him he expects the darkspawn to be completely crushed if they defeat them then and there, not to mention he doesn't trust Duncan at all, you can tell somebody that you've got no allegiance to anyone but you'd have to be crazy to expect him to immediately believe you, not to mention he was insisting the Orlesian knights come in, that's pretty suspicious, an Orlesian who holds no allegiance to your king wants the Orlesian knights (who previously occupied your country) to come in and help you against a threat that all of your reports say isn't really a threat at all, and he promises that they'll all just go home afterwards.
CLEARLY he's telling the truth and has no agenda.

I'll grant you that it's not a very good reason to commit regicide though, which is why if you talk to him you see he has plenty of other reasons, and for the most part he had his shit together, he'd almost completely crushed the infighting (there was one man left), and he'd arguably STRENGTHENED the political stability of the country because the majority of the people in power disagreed with the king and were happier with Loghain, even after you expose all of the terrible things he's done a lot of them still stick with them because they believe he's the man that will carry them through this.

 

[Wyvern65]

Simple, he didn't believe it really was a Blight.

Hell, common knowledge (for the surface folks at least) stated that all the darkspawn had been killed in the Forth Blight.

He was given the choice of doing two things:

1: Believing a foreign order of warriors that a god-made horde of monsters is going to invade lead by a defiled Old God and that he should let in troops form a country that had within his lifetime invaded and occupied his homeland or...

2: This a just a plot to get soldiers into Ferelden by a country where complicated and underhanded dealings are a national pastime for the wealthy and nobleborn.

In hindsight it was a stupid manoeuvre but you can't blame the man.

3. He could have, you know, looked. I seem to recall a huge horde at Ostagar. One which might have made him reconsider that the darkspawn were some kind of myth.

4. He could have shown some balls and killed Cailin outright.

Honestly, I'd have had a hell of more respect for him if he'd just assassinated Cailin and Duncan. People seem to ignore or write off all the /other/ soldiers who died during that battle as if they were somehow acceptable losses because Loghain is such a 'tragic hero'.

 

[Raine_sage]

The Grey Wardens was kicked out of Ferelden for planning to overthrow the king some 300 years back and was only allowed back in by Cailans father. Small insignificant order in Ferelden, that dabbles more in real politics from Weisshaupt fortress where they have their true powerbase.

Yeah completely trustworthy.

Trustworthy or not when they're the only thing standing between you and a horde of poisonous orcs, you'd think you could set aside your political squables until after said orcs are all dead or back underground. Like I realize Logain didn't actually believe it was a blight, but the last battle of Ostagar (where he gets the king killed incidentally) should have at least set off some alarm bells there. Massive numbers of darkspawn? Check. Darkspawn using organized tactics to breach key strategic locations? Check. Waves of Darkspawn spilling past the checkpoint after the battle and spreading across the land like some kind of... oh I don't know, blight? All of the checks.

I get that he didn't want to get help from Orlais but you'd think he'd at least not completely undermine the heroes who are the last grey wardens left native to his home country. You could argue that "they knew too much" but he didn't know that when he made them outlaws. And even if he had I think it was pretty much Morigan's word against his and who're you gonna believe? The crazy amoral apostate or the respected soldier?

 

[Henrik Knudsen]

As others said, he didn't believe it was a blight. No one did. Not even Cailan who was so infatuated with the Grey Wardens.

The small incursion could very well be used as a ploy to maneuver in foreign forces, getting them past chokepoints for free.

As some mother of some sexy beautiful witch said "perhaps he thinks he can outmaneuver the darkspawn". If you read the novels (I really don't like expanded universes, everything should be explained to the player in-game) you would know he is a tactical genius. Pretty much winning the war for Fereldens freedom.

Which seems far more plausible considering the recent 100 years of Ferelden history.

 

[MechTheDane]

Skyrim:

The Blades want you to kill Paarthurnax.

I don't need to break this down. You should be familiar with how stupid a request and ultimatum this would be.

 

[Drakoorr]

Dean Winchester from Supernatural, especially in season 6.

"Right, so there's a civil war in Heaven and the two sides are the ones who want to start the apocalypse (again) and the ones led by my angelic bff. Since he's horribly outnumbered, he's turned to the King of Hell for support, and even though I myself have accepted help from him in the past, this is the absolute worst thing ever. Clearly, I should try to stop him, never mind that by all rights I should want him to succeed no matter the cost. Also, I think it's a really great idea to go full on Knight Templar, because the fact that everything in this world is grey at best, and almost everyone important has helped me at least once doesn't count for s**t."

 

[Vegosiux]

Three words: The Dulcinea Effect.

"No matter what she's accused of doing or how mysterious her origins are, the hero will always be ready to fight to the death for any girl he met three seconds ago."

If that's not a terrible priority system, I have no idea what is. As for more specific examples, hmm...I'll actually say that "a terrible set of priorities" doesn't irk me nearly as the cases where the hero is put before a rather difficult choice (like, save the mayor's son or prevent a bombing), and then through "sheer willpower" manages to manage both, because he tried hard enough, or something. When the story spins the way that it doesn't matter what your priorities are.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

3. He could have, you know, looked. I seem to recall a huge horde at Ostagar. One which might have made him reconsider that the darkspawn were some kind of myth.

4. He could have shown some balls and killed Cailin outright.

Honestly, I'd have had a hell of more respect for him if he'd just assassinated Cailin and Duncan. People seem to ignore or write off all the /other/ soldiers who died during that battle as if they were somehow acceptable losses because Loghain is such a 'tragic hero'.

You know, I'm not even sure Loghain even saw the horde during the battle for Ostagar positioned as he was with the flanking units that were awaiting the signal. And even before the battle he stated that this wasn't a Blight as 'there are no sign of any dragons in the wilds.'

As for sending out assassins that isn't Loghain's style. He tried to remain an 'honourable' man to the end by

Spoiler

accepting your challenge to a duel at the landsmeet and allowing himself to be executed if you win.

After seeing the pre-battle conversation it states that many of the soldiers that were with the king were Grey Wardens and he repeatedly tried to get Cailin out of there, eventually giving up and letting Cailan go play hero.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Kio from Gundam AGE.

Sure his end goal was to stop the war between the Vagan and the Earth Federation altogether but his means of doing it suck ass!

This is how Kio does it-
1 Spot an Vagan mobile suit.
2 Go on full defence despite his mobile suit has full offence (especially when he's plioting the Gundam FX) and take the beating from the enemy.
3 Start preaching out why they should stop fighting and keep nagging about it when the enemy won't listen.

The right way of trying to end the conflict without killing anyone is Kira way from Gundam Seed. Spot an emeny, disarm the enemy mobile suit and then try to reason when the enemy pliot! That way they can't hurt you and they are forced to listen to the preaching!!

 

[Sewa_Yunga]

Skyrim:

The Blades want you to kill Paarthurnax.

I don't need to break this down. You should be familiar with how stupid a request and ultimatum this would be.

Yeah... I love the mod that lets you yell them down and tell them to suck it up.

OT: The Dragonborn from Skyrim. Alduin the World Eater has come back and you're the only one who can stop him! But first, can you find 20 Jazbay grapes for that gal that grows Nirnroot in her backyard? She'll be sure to give you honest pay for honest work.

 

[Calibanbutcher]

Link in anything he's ever been in.
Oh, Ganon(dorf) has captured the princess again and the world is coming to an end? The capital is populated solely by the undead, your friends are frozen or dead, the volcano is erupting, the moon is crashing down on earth and everything as we know it will forever cease to exist if you don't stop the evil powers du jour?
Perfect time to go fishing and tickle some chickens...

 

[Wyvern65]

As for sending out assassins that isn't Loghain's style. He tried to remain an 'honourable' man to the end by

One word: Zevran.

Anywhoo, continuing this argument would be getting more off-topic than is perhaps respectful to the OP. I'll just say personally I find Loghain to be the precise kind of character that the thread was created to discuss and I don't agree with folks who justify his actions. You are, of course, entitled to your own view of him. Cheers for the response.

 

[Battleaxx90]

Skyrim:

The Blades want you to kill Paarthurnax.

I don't need to break this down. You should be familiar with how stupid a request and ultimatum this would be.

Do you think you could, for the sake of those unfortunate people who haven't played Skyrim yet, myself included?