Have you ever come across video game characters that remind you of yourself? It could be a hero, a villain, or even a random non-playable character only programmed to say one line. I think we all have as gamers at one point or another. I always find it easier to relate to characters who remind me of myself.
The types who tend to remind me of myself include the quintessential RPG hero archetype of spiky haired swordsmen who suffer from youth angst, honorable warriors willing to do anything to rescue the princess or find the girl of their dreams, and then there are religious characters who place all of their trust in a higher power. All of these types of characters remind me of myself somehow. I'll provide a list of the 4 characters I find reminding me the most of myself.
4. CLOUD STRIFE - Final Fantasy 7
Now given my Final Fantasy fanboyism, I'm sure that most of you will immediately thought that Cloud Strife reminds me more of myself than any other video game character, correct? Well, you're wrong if that's the case. Cloud does make the top 4 when it comes to characters who remind me of myself more than any other, but he's not at the top. I went through an identity crisis of my own when I was younger, similar to something Cloud goes through. He is criticized often for being emo most of the game, I used to be like that as a teen. I also have the spiky hair and the swords.
3. SQUALL LEONHEART - Final Fantasy 8
Squall from Final Fantasy 8 actually comes the closest to resembling me out of any FF character. I used to be extremely anti-social and negative. I recall reading the player's guide before playing the game and thinking to myself "Wow, this guy is just like me!" after reading Squall's bio. Everything from the hairstyle, his personality type, having a scar on his forehead, down to his desire to "meet that one girl who will turn his world upside down" was just like me. Back in 8th grade I was EXACTLY like Squall, but I grew up and saw a change in personality for the better along the way. His ranking would be higher had I not changed so much as I got older. Like Squall I do still place a powerful emphasis on past memories and my relationships though.
2. LLOYD IRVING - Tales of Symphonia
Much like Squall, Lloyd reminded me a ton of myself where I was at that stage in my life when I played the game for the first time back in 2004. Unlike Squall though, the similarities are there for both appearance and personality to this day. I have the same hairstyle Lloyd does, I wear red fairly often, I care deeply for my friends to the point where I'd do anything for them, I'm determined and stubborn enough that nothing can stop me once I've put my mind to something, I strive to set a good example to my peers while preaching a message of treating everyone kindly or fairly. Finally, if anything bad ever happened to my wife then you can guarantee I would do anything in the world to save her, as Lloyd does for Collette. The funny thing is that Steph and I refer to Lloyd and Colette as the cartoon version of us. She's like her. However, even with all of this.... Lloyd still only comes in second place.
1. ?????????
Who in all of gaming could Lloyd or Cloud possibly lose to? Who's the video game character that resembles me more than any other? Click the spoiler tag to find out. (It does contain spoilers from the game this character is from, but I'll keep those to a minimum)
So there you have my list. I would like to know what video game characters you have encountered who remind you of yourself and why. The first stipulation is that this character can NOT be someone you generated. They MUST be someone the developers of the game made, otherwise you'd simply be listing a character you made to be just like you. The second rule is for the few of you like myself who have made their own game, if a character is a tribute to yourself like Dagger Dias is for me, you cannot use them here either. It could be a full-length discussion like mine on how a playable character is a lot like you, or something as simple as "The Kilwala in Chrono Trigger who says mountains are nice reminds me of myself because I like mountains".... As long as you justify your answer with a reason why.
Have fun, and let's discuss our video game counterparts.
The types who tend to remind me of myself include the quintessential RPG hero archetype of spiky haired swordsmen who suffer from youth angst, honorable warriors willing to do anything to rescue the princess or find the girl of their dreams, and then there are religious characters who place all of their trust in a higher power. All of these types of characters remind me of myself somehow. I'll provide a list of the 4 characters I find reminding me the most of myself.
4. CLOUD STRIFE - Final Fantasy 7
Now given my Final Fantasy fanboyism, I'm sure that most of you will immediately thought that Cloud Strife reminds me more of myself than any other video game character, correct? Well, you're wrong if that's the case. Cloud does make the top 4 when it comes to characters who remind me of myself more than any other, but he's not at the top. I went through an identity crisis of my own when I was younger, similar to something Cloud goes through. He is criticized often for being emo most of the game, I used to be like that as a teen. I also have the spiky hair and the swords.
3. SQUALL LEONHEART - Final Fantasy 8
Squall from Final Fantasy 8 actually comes the closest to resembling me out of any FF character. I used to be extremely anti-social and negative. I recall reading the player's guide before playing the game and thinking to myself "Wow, this guy is just like me!" after reading Squall's bio. Everything from the hairstyle, his personality type, having a scar on his forehead, down to his desire to "meet that one girl who will turn his world upside down" was just like me. Back in 8th grade I was EXACTLY like Squall, but I grew up and saw a change in personality for the better along the way. His ranking would be higher had I not changed so much as I got older. Like Squall I do still place a powerful emphasis on past memories and my relationships though.
2. LLOYD IRVING - Tales of Symphonia
Much like Squall, Lloyd reminded me a ton of myself where I was at that stage in my life when I played the game for the first time back in 2004. Unlike Squall though, the similarities are there for both appearance and personality to this day. I have the same hairstyle Lloyd does, I wear red fairly often, I care deeply for my friends to the point where I'd do anything for them, I'm determined and stubborn enough that nothing can stop me once I've put my mind to something, I strive to set a good example to my peers while preaching a message of treating everyone kindly or fairly. Finally, if anything bad ever happened to my wife then you can guarantee I would do anything in the world to save her, as Lloyd does for Collette. The funny thing is that Steph and I refer to Lloyd and Colette as the cartoon version of us. She's like her. However, even with all of this.... Lloyd still only comes in second place.
1. ?????????
Who in all of gaming could Lloyd or Cloud possibly lose to? Who's the video game character that resembles me more than any other? Click the spoiler tag to find out. (It does contain spoilers from the game this character is from, but I'll keep those to a minimum)
1. ALISTAIR - Dragon Age: Origins
Alistair from Dragon Age: Origins. Out of all of characters I have encountered in the video games I have played for the past 25 years.... this guy is more like me than anyone else. His personality similarities with mine include making sarcastic remarks at any given moment, saying silly things to avoid answering tough questions, wanting to keep the prestige of organizations like the Grey Wardens alive long after we are gone, seeking to see justice served to those who hurt others for no reason, placing faith in a higher power, my hair resembles his somewhat when it's shorter after a cut and still growing back.... and then we have a couple of personal things that we have in common as well.
Alistair's personality can be hardened depending on how you help him cope with meeting his sister. I was hurt by how my family treated me too and coping with them as I got older when I finally confronted them on issues from my childhood or teen years definitely hardened me some. If you recruit Loghain instead of killing him, Alistair gets so angry then he leaves the party after throwing an emo tantrum. I can relate to how he acts in that scene though, he is trying to preserve the prestige of the Grey Wardens and if you recruit Loghain then you bring in the least deserving person in the world to the organization. Finally, the last thing is perhaps the most personal of all. If you talk to him enough at the party camp, it is revealed that Alistair is still a virgin by choice. Much like myself back in late 2009 when I first played, Alistair wanted to wait for a better opportunity for things like that. You get a couple of opportunities during the game to change that for him, but due to my own personal choices I still 2 years later (and 1 year into my marriage) cannot do that to Alistair without feeling awful about it.
Even my wife has told me Alistair is me in video game form down to the smallest detail. She knows me better than anyone, so it isn't just me who sees it. At one point a year and a half ago I thought of changing my username to "Alistair Ferelden" due to that. I never got around to it though and have since changed my mind about that name change.
Alistair from Dragon Age: Origins. Out of all of characters I have encountered in the video games I have played for the past 25 years.... this guy is more like me than anyone else. His personality similarities with mine include making sarcastic remarks at any given moment, saying silly things to avoid answering tough questions, wanting to keep the prestige of organizations like the Grey Wardens alive long after we are gone, seeking to see justice served to those who hurt others for no reason, placing faith in a higher power, my hair resembles his somewhat when it's shorter after a cut and still growing back.... and then we have a couple of personal things that we have in common as well.
Alistair's personality can be hardened depending on how you help him cope with meeting his sister. I was hurt by how my family treated me too and coping with them as I got older when I finally confronted them on issues from my childhood or teen years definitely hardened me some. If you recruit Loghain instead of killing him, Alistair gets so angry then he leaves the party after throwing an emo tantrum. I can relate to how he acts in that scene though, he is trying to preserve the prestige of the Grey Wardens and if you recruit Loghain then you bring in the least deserving person in the world to the organization. Finally, the last thing is perhaps the most personal of all. If you talk to him enough at the party camp, it is revealed that Alistair is still a virgin by choice. Much like myself back in late 2009 when I first played, Alistair wanted to wait for a better opportunity for things like that. You get a couple of opportunities during the game to change that for him, but due to my own personal choices I still 2 years later (and 1 year into my marriage) cannot do that to Alistair without feeling awful about it.
Even my wife has told me Alistair is me in video game form down to the smallest detail. She knows me better than anyone, so it isn't just me who sees it. At one point a year and a half ago I thought of changing my username to "Alistair Ferelden" due to that. I never got around to it though and have since changed my mind about that name change.
So there you have my list. I would like to know what video game characters you have encountered who remind you of yourself and why. The first stipulation is that this character can NOT be someone you generated. They MUST be someone the developers of the game made, otherwise you'd simply be listing a character you made to be just like you. The second rule is for the few of you like myself who have made their own game, if a character is a tribute to yourself like Dagger Dias is for me, you cannot use them here either. It could be a full-length discussion like mine on how a playable character is a lot like you, or something as simple as "The Kilwala in Chrono Trigger who says mountains are nice reminds me of myself because I like mountains".... As long as you justify your answer with a reason why.
Have fun, and let's discuss our video game counterparts.
