Top Eleven Fire Emblem Characters (8)

[mark_asphodel]

What makes a "favorite" character?  In my case, it's kind of a visceral appreciation and not purely an abstract "what-if" meta obsession.  Put simply, I often know if a character (or pairing) is truly a favorite by how I respond to artwork.  If seeing a little fan-doodle or icon provokes a reaction in me, that's a beloved character.  If I see the picture, think "meh," and skip on by, I don't really like them all that much-- not for what they are in-game, or in-media.

I'm also skewing this list toward the characters who have a substantial amount of material upon which I can base my opinions.  I love Norne to bits, but she has, what, three lines of translated dialogue?  That's not enough to hang anything on.  

So, if this entry feels like a bit of a cheat, it's not.

I don't write 'fic about him.  I don't have complex meta posts about him.  I haven't played the second of the two games he's in, cause I rather dislike the first game.

But if you mentally give a power salute to virtually everything that character says on-screen, I think that makes them a favorite character.

Therefore, at #8... Soren.

Squee.  I don't find him as, er, attractive as I did when FE9 first came out, because I'm past thirty and he's stuck in the body of a tween or something close to it.  Nope.  But I do love his character designs-- all of them.  And while I kind of found the "Ashnard's secret kid!" backstory to be a little cheap (oh, what an amazing coinkydink), I've gotten used to it... and it helps immensely that Soren never learns the truth.  That scene with Almedha was well-played.

I could detail his, er, smashing personality, or his charming attitude, or his social graces, but I think you guys know the score on all that already.  It's all good, man (okay, not the racism, but the fact that a sympathetic character is allowed to have such opinions is a nice bit of moral nuance).  Soren is one of those characters that I "relate" to, and I cringe inside when fanfiction makes him into a complete little squishmuffin or a flirt.  Come on, now.  

He's great.  I'm glad he exists.  And I absolutely squee a little when people post chunks of his dialogue for the purpose of pointing out how awesome Soren is.

Because it's true.

Comments

[kyusil]

If seeing a little fan-doodle or icon provokes a reaction in me, that's a beloved character.

This is a good way of thinking about it, without overthinking it. :)

[mark_asphodel]

I hit on that as a barometer while trying to sort out what pairings I liked because I appreciated an author's interpretation, and which ones I actually liked. If the fanart left me cold, it was probably the author's influence more than love of the characters or their relationship.