Does a Protagonist have to be likable?
- Thread starter Azure-Supernova
- Start date
Recommended Videos
Well in games, it's tricky. Someone like Kratos is fun because the game is an orgy of violence, but there's many games where you're supposed to immerse yourself in the character, and if the character acts like a dick then they're can be a weird dissonance. It's something games have to deal with more than other mediums just by nature of interactivity.
Complete assholes can make great characters though, like Light from Death note.
Complete assholes can make great characters though, like Light from Death note.
No. But it helps.
Maybe a character can be "Compelling".
I found "The Rookie" enduring.
It all depends.
But a likable protagonist really does help. I don't like Master Chief.
Maybe a character can be "Compelling".
I found "The Rookie" enduring.
It all depends.
But a likable protagonist really does help. I don't like Master Chief.
Thank God, I've been waiting on a thread like this for ages.
I've given a lot of thought into this particular subject, and have concluded that a protagonist does not have to be likable in any sense for the reader to root for him/her. IN FACT, if the author is really good at what he does, he can make a complete bastard of a person that people still want to see.
It's not as if they want the character to succeed, rather they want to see the character's story succeed. Remember, a character with no redeeming values can be written as interesting, but a good author can write an evil character as a more interesting plot point than a good character.
Lately I've been seeing many authors of books, movies, and games taking the easy way out by putting in a good reason for what they do. Whether it be that the Villain Protagonist's family was killed by a gang or his town razed to the ground by even more evil bandits. While this is all fine and good, I personally would find it more interesting for the story to be about that gang's leader, or those band of bandits.
I've concluded that a story such as this would break up the flow of Villain Protagonist tales, if written properly. On the opposite end of the spectrum, how would a story where both the main protagonist and the main antagonist are completely good with differentiating opinions?
I've given a lot of thought into this particular subject, and have concluded that a protagonist does not have to be likable in any sense for the reader to root for him/her. IN FACT, if the author is really good at what he does, he can make a complete bastard of a person that people still want to see.
It's not as if they want the character to succeed, rather they want to see the character's story succeed. Remember, a character with no redeeming values can be written as interesting, but a good author can write an evil character as a more interesting plot point than a good character.
Lately I've been seeing many authors of books, movies, and games taking the easy way out by putting in a good reason for what they do. Whether it be that the Villain Protagonist's family was killed by a gang or his town razed to the ground by even more evil bandits. While this is all fine and good, I personally would find it more interesting for the story to be about that gang's leader, or those band of bandits.
I've concluded that a story such as this would break up the flow of Villain Protagonist tales, if written properly. On the opposite end of the spectrum, how would a story where both the main protagonist and the main antagonist are completely good with differentiating opinions?
The character just has to be relatable and human to be a good character. Likeable is subjective and the character does not have to even be likeable by any standards to be a good character.
A protagonist does not have to be likeable, but they have to be interesting. Your main character can be a horrible prick, but as long as he interests us we'll keep reading/watching.
read "A Clockwork Orange" or watch the movie. a pure evil asshole, and when he gets what he wants in the end of the story, we cheer despite the fact that we're disgusted by the bastard.Azure-Supernova said:
Absolutely not. I think that's the whole reason why the show "House" is successful, the guy's a selfish ass but somehow fans are still glad when things work out for him. In video games, the first Disgaea game was a great example. I hate Laharl, but for some reason I still wanted to see him become an overlord.
Yes, a protagonist has to be likable. He or she doesn't have to be a "good" person or an innocent one. But they do have to be likable and/or relatable. If a protagonist (or person the player is controlling) isn't likable than the player wont mind when they die, or their loved ones die, or they may even get him killed. I know that the whiny, annoying protagonist in FF12 has kept me from finishing the game since it's release!
Likable? Yeah, it does. "Good"? No. I don't see how anyone could possibly play a game, read a book, or anything if they hated the main character (unless they were waiting for them to die).
Some of the most successful stories come from an unlikeable protaganist. For instance Scott Pilgram. If you read the comic you learn that he is a pompus arrogant ass, and you start to hope he gets his ass kicked so that he will straighten out and get some since beat into him.
Alucard from Hellsing, that guy is EVIL in the Manga and OVA. There is also Light Yagami, Shinji kari, and Johnny The Homicidal Maniac.Azure-Supernova said:
Yes, they are all villans and everyone love em.
Are you implying that a thoroughly dislikable character who is unrelatable will make for a bad, uninteresting story? It might not make for a character which the audience can engage (at least not for the same reasons they might engage a more likable and/or relatable character, say, Goku or Harry Potter for example); but that isn't to say that the character cannot be carried by an interesting story. In time, the audience might even be able to get on the characters level and engage him/her there.zipzod said:
The great thing about games is that they're a very flexible media. You can literally throw the player into any characters' shoes and they can adapt quite easily. After all, slaughtering people in [PROTOTYPE] becomes easier for Alex (and thus the player) when he realised it can benefit him. As such, could the characters' thirst for knowledge/power/blood be used to help motivate the player?
I'm starting to feel (aside from mental) like I'm one of a small minority that thinks this could work well.