Warrior of the Future, Trunks: A Case Study of Wasted Potential

We all have the experience of thinking a certain character is great when they're introduced. Maybe they have one episode where they're the highlight, but then they stick around for the rest of the show without ever doing anything important again. Maybe they're falsely hyped up to be integral to the plot of the show and then subsequently drop off the face of the earth, or end up never doing anything substantial. Maybe they do participate in the plot, but not in the way that you thought or wanted them to.

A prime example of this, for me, is Future Trunks from Dragon Ball Z.

His arrival on the scene is one of the most captivating moments in the entire series. He comes out of nowhere and decides to face down Frieza, the most powerful enemy we've seen up until that point, and not only wins, but takes him - and his father, for that matter - down effortlessly, and with style. Not only that, but this purple haired badass can go Super Saiyan, something that very recently we've only seen Goku, the hero, able to accomplish, and only through immense turmoil. Also, he had a sword. Nobody else had used a sword in the Z portion of the series up until this point. (Gohan had one as a kid, but that hardly counts).

His intrigue doesn't end with his stylish appearance. He's introduced as Vegeta's son (!) from the future (!!) and his mother is Bulma (!!!) His future is a post apocalyptic wasteland, and he and Gohan were the only survivors, fighting against not one, but two threats far greater than Frieza ever was. He's come back in time to set things right, and he's going to fight alongside the heroes we know to help fix the future that went wrong.

Except he doesn't ever really do anything again, really. From the moment he comes back in the Android arc to the moment the Cell arc is over, the only thing of note he does is A) Allow Cell to enter their timeline inadvertently and B) Fight Cell and lose, making a fool of himself in the process. He gets a cool design overhaul with Saiyan armor like his father and a ponytail, but it doesn't do him any good, and he goes back to his original style eventually anyway.

To be fair, it's not at all Trunks' fault that he doesn't get to shine during the Android and Cell story arcs, and unlike the other Z Fighters (I'm looking at you, Vegeta and Goku) he is trying his hardest at all times and never wants to prolong fights for any superficial reasons. He has the drive to finish the fight, without any of the Saiyan love for battle that so often bites them in the end. This is a pretty consistent trait of his from his introduction up through his latest appearance in Dragon Ball Super, which is part of what makes him stand out so much from the other characters in the series. I'm rambling a bit: the reason he doesn't get to shine is because his signature weapon - his sword - breaks early on in the story, leaving him without any real style of his own, and his one real moment in the spotlight has him using a form of Super Saiyan that is largely useless. This was to show Trunks' respect for his father and his pride, as well as Vegeta's knack for what's useful in a fight; Vegeta realized the form was useless right away, showing us that as powerful as Trunks may be, he is still naive and inexperienced. You can't blame him. Unlike Goku and Vegeta, he hasn't had any formal training, and also unlike those two, he is only a seventeen year old kid.

I'm sure that, if pushed to the same extent that Gohan was during his fight with Cell, he could have easily taken his place as the first Saiyan to reach Super Saiyan 2. But, that isn't how things played out, and Gohan needed his moment in the sun. This mysterious warrior from the future that was able to kill Frieza so easily is shoved to the side for the rest of the series. He does get one more moment of glory in his own timeline when he kills the Androids, but for all intents and purposes he did almost nothing to help the Z Fighters actually fight the Androids beyond giving them the heads up that they exist. Dragon Ball is notorious for sidelining its characters, but you'd think someone like Trunks would fare better than he did. His present timeline counterpart - the much less appealing Kid Trunks - does far more than he ever did, even if he never received the same level of praise and popularity as his future counterpart.

I will say, even though his last act in Z was the equivalent of returning to the first area and fighting level 5 monsters when you are level 50 in an RPG, he again showed his brutal efficiency and no nonsense fighting style, making his exit from the series just as stylish as his entrance.

Now that Trunks is back in the latest arc of Super, I hope he gets his chance to be useful. He's already shown that he took out his timeline's incarnations of Dabura, who was around Perfect Cell's level of strength, and the wizard Babidi, as well as reached Super Saiyan 2 on his own. In addition, he's apparently learned to channel ki through his sword, shooting a blade beam at new villain Black. He's definitely no slouch, and he's already shaping up to be a key figure in the story.

Poor Trunks. His future can't seem to catch a break. I'm glad he's back, but there's one thing that bugs me. Why is his hair suddenly blue!?

Riding the Zelda Wave: A Link Between Worlds Retrospective

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's E3 reveal has everyone in a Zelda mood. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good time to revisit one of the more popular incarnations of Hyrule... or rather, its direct sequel.

Let me start off by saying two things: one, I am a HUGE fan of Link to the Past, to the point of absurdity (it was one of my first video games), so I came into this not expecting it to surpass the original. Two, I enjoyed it my first time around, but not as much as other 2D Zeldas, such as the Oracle duology or The Minish Cap. Overall, I found it to be a disappointment, even if I had fun with the game.

This time I played on Hero Mode, and it makes all the difference. Normal mode is simply too easy. Hero mode requires you to stay on your toes. You die. You become more engaged with the game. It's harder than LttP, but still closer to it in difficulty than Normal Mode. Hero Mode makes the game fun.

The map is completely derivative of LttP, at least the map of Hyrule, but that's also where its charm lies. It's fun to go back and visit the old locations again, and see new faces and subtle changes to certain areas. The desert being walled off and only visited later as part of Lorule's dungeons was a nice change of pace and a creative way to design a new dungeon in an old area. I also like how they didn't reuse the dungeons from LttP; even the ones you visit again, like the Tower of Hera, are totally different in their design.

Lorule is a hauntingly beautiful world and, in my personal opinion, much more enjoyable than the series' other parallel universe of Termina. I love its use of purples and blues, and it's visually distinct enough that it doesn't feel like a retread of LttP's Dark World at all. My only complaints with Lorule are that A) The name is a really stupid pun and B) Despite what I just said, it's also true that it's too similar to the Dark World to believe that it's a totally different place. Regardless, it was a very enjoyable experience and the second set of dungeons were very creative.

The portrait mechanic is something I initially didn't like, as I felt it was too much of a departure from LttP's mechanics, but this time around I really warmed up to it. Zelda is at its best when it takes a gimmick and runs with it, whether it be time travel, transformative masks, changing the seasons, ocean traversal, or whatever - and this game not only take Link to the Past's alternate world travelling gimmick, but also adds one of its own with the portrait wall crawling. It added its own unique flair to solving puzzles and felt like a fresh experience.

The rental system, on the other hand, was a nice idea in concept. I don't dislike it. The non-linearity it offers is as refreshing as the new portrait mechanic. However, it also took away the charm of finding a new weapon in a dungeon, and renting items over and over again when you die could get tedious. Despite the tedium of re-renting items upon your death, Hero Mode made the concept more fun, as in Normal Mode you are never in any real danger of losing your items and there is much more of an incentive to save up rupees to buy them.

I also very much liked the upgrades and how they were performed - finding lost Maiamais was one of my favorite things to do. It took the collectathon concept and made it feel substantial by giving you a useful reward for every ten Maiamais that you find. The Maiamais were also adorable.

Spoilers follow.

The story was more absent than it has been in recent Zeldas, but more present than it was it was the classic games, which was a nice compromise between new and old. Hyrule's cast of characters was relatively bland, but where the game really shone brightest was in the inhabitants of Lorule and the story behind their kingdom and its Triforce. Hilda and her last minute betrayal were well done - I never saw it coming the first time around, and she was effective as an empathetic villain.

The ending makes her entire scheme seem intellectually bankrupt, however, as Link and Zelda use Hyrule's Triforce to wish Lorule's back into existence. Why didn't Hilda do this from the beginning? Ravio and his existence as the "other Link" is probably my favorite plot twist in any Zelda game, if only for the fact that we technically get to see an incarnation of Link speak. Yuga was... ok, I guess. Ganon, Demise, Ghirahim, Zant and Vaati were all more interesting villains than he was. Yuga came off as kind of a clown.

Lorule's "Triforce trio" was ultimately a refreshing new take on the three characters we've grown attached to over the course of several games, and their subdued personalities were a thematically appropriate inverse for a world that had its own Triforce shattered. Ravio lacked courage, Hilda lacked wisdom, and Yuga lacked power.

Overall, it was a fantastic game, and a nice return to the "Fallen Hero" timeline of the original games. Perhaps Nintendo will visit it again in the future? One can hope.

Quick Look: Gungnir, Dept. Heaven Episode IX

What a neat little gem of a game this is.

This game is a strategy RPG through and through - Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre have their fingerprints all over this game. However, it also has a unique flair to it that only developer Sting could bring to the table - their RPGs always stand out as different from most, and this game is no exception. You don't get more experience for killing blows, for example: experience is gained from acting, whether it be using potions, attacking, etc. The game has its own twist on the grid based, turn based battle system where you can force your character to move when they're fatigued at the expense of their max HP for that battle. You can choose any member of your team to move on your turn, rather than wait for a specific unit to become ready for battle. You can also choose your "ace" at the beginning of battle, and, depending on who you choose, the units in your army will receive different bonuses. Even with the trademark Sting flair, however, this game plays much more traditionally than their usual titles, which is somewhat disappointing coming off of the one-of-a-kind Riviera, but also refreshing for fans thirsty for traditional tactics games.

Pictured here are the four supporting members that you can choose to support your "ace" unit getting ready to sortie.

The story is what you'd expect from a SRPG, and not quite what you'd expect from that art style. If you're coming off of the lighthearted Riviera, it's kind of jarring how much darker this plot is by comparison. You play as Giulio, a persecuted minority in an evil empire who is A) the son of a rebel hero B) the younger brother of a revolutionary leader and C) the successor of the Norse-inspired magical spear, Gungnir. You're set up for greatness in every way, but at the same time you also start at the very bottom of society. The first battle is you and your friends raiding a caravan for food. You're not much better than low-life bandits, although Giulio himself has a noble undertone to his actions and words that will no doubt bloom into something substantial later on in the story. The story delves into supernatural elements very early on, as soon as you're introduced to the spear Gungnir. It has a Valkyrie Profile-esque tone to it, with the afterlife and even a valkyrie warrior taking the stage at various points. It's not quite as sweeping or gripping as FFT or TO, but I would go so far as to say that it comes very close, and I would even go so far as to call it a very good story. If you like the typical SRPG storylines, play this game. Despite the supernatural twinge, it is still a relatively grounded plot and no more invested in the fantastical than FFT was with its Zodiac Stones.

Ragnus, protagonist Giulio's older brother and revolutionary leader, makes a grim inquiry.

This is also, incidentally, Episode IX in the Dept. Heaven series, which also includes:

Riviera, the Promised Land
Yggdra Union
Knights in the Knightmare

It supposedly takes place in the same universe as those games, despite sharing almost no similarities.

Overall, the bottom line is this: this game is an unsung gem of the PSP's library, and it's well worth playing if you like Japanese RPGs, strategy RPGs, or Sting/Atlus games. If you can check even one of those boxes off, this game is worth your time, even if the others don't usually appeal to you.

Playing World of Warcraft for the first time was an unforgettable experience

You may have heard, but for various reasons, the well known Private Vanilla WoW server, Nostalrius, has received a cease and desist order from Blizzard, and has been forced to shut down. In honor of what Nostalrius was trying to accomplish with its regression back to the game's original form, I'm going to recount what made the original World of Warcraft experience so special.

Making a new character and having that immense sense of promise and adventure in front of you was an amazing experience that I feel will never be topped, or at least not for a very long time, as Blizzard has moved onto other ventures and changed their design philosophy for games quite a bit since the game launched in 2004. 

Flashback. It's 2004. Blizzard's acclaimed Warcraft franchise was announced as an MMO spinoff a few years ago, and it had finally been released, to much critical acclaim. Back then, MMOs were anything but mainstream. They were the definition of niche, the definitive skill and timesink wall that separated hardcore and casual gamers. WoW took much inspiration from Everquest, arguably the progenitor of MMORPGs, although it made several changes, such as the more accessible raiding system, the removal of experience loss upon death, the addition of a ghost form that you used to find your corpse upon death, the slightly goofier tone of the world, and the addition of rest experience. Since its release, it has changed so much that it is almost not the same game anymore; however, back at release, it was very much a spiritual sequel to Everquest with several quality of life improvements. This is slightly ironic, as many of the old Vanilla/Burning Crusade mechanics are now seen as outdated and needlessly tedious, such as attunements for dungeons, but I digress.

Starting out in Dun Morogh, Teldrassil, or Tirisfal Glades put you in the middle of the vast World of Warcraft, with a seemingly infinite amount of possibilities for your future. I'd even argue that starting a few months after release gave the most impact, as when you finally reached the capital cities, you would see several high level players in glowing, extravagant gear running around, giving you a sense of what your character could one day become. The sense of progression in the lower levels was still substantial, as many people had just picked up the game and did not view the lower level dungeons or equipment as worthless, or a mere stepping stone towards the endgame. Everyone else playing the game was experiencing it along with you for the first time, and early adopters filled a mentor role that made the world feel like a real, living, breathing place. Those RPG tutorials where a much cooler, older character shows you the ropes? They were made completely organic by early WoW, as that particular "character" was a real human being who had been through the steps to greatness before you. It was an amazing feeling, being a fish in a lake, with the promise of becoming something much, much greater than what you were at the moment.

The world itself was an immense treat, as well, especially to fans of the franchise, and even more so to those who wanted a conclusion to Warcraft III and The Frozen Throne. Seeing the fallen city of Lordaeron in a manner that was relatively to scale, seeing what the Night Elves had done following the third war, seeing how the Humans had relocated to a rebuilt Stormwind only to find themselves combating a group of thugs in the Defias Brotherhood - it all felt like legitimate sequel material, completely unlike the hamfisted writing you see from Blizzard post-Wrath of the Lich King.* Being a part of the world of Warcraft was a huge portion of the game's appeal, and that initial sense of wonder garnered from exploring the world in a much grander scale and scope has yet to be matched.

I still like WoW, even if it's changed, but it's not the same as it used to be. A lot of this has to do with the nature of MMOs; they promise an endless experience that ultimately cannot be delivered upon, as the content grows old and stale after a while, and there is only so much facelifting that can be done before the game begins to feel like it is trying to recapture its glory days. Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King were equally enjoyable experiences, but I'll get to those some other time. For now, I'd like to fondly remember Vanilla WoW, and appreciate it for what it was, warts and all.

*Note: The bulk of this article was written before the recent release of the Legion expansion, which, at the very least, seems to be a return to form for Blizzard in terms of good storytelling within an MMO framework. New stories are being told while still throwing bones to fans of the world and its lore, such as what the new Lich King and the Knights of the Ebon Blade have been up to, what happened to Turalyon and Alleria, and the inclusion of several famous faces from past Warcraft games. Anyone who appreciates the world of Warcraft who has been disappointed with the direction the expansions have taken post-Wrath of the Lich King is likely to feel much more at home in the latest expansion than they have in quite some time.

Golden Sun was a fantastic series that was also a product of its time

Alright, where to even begin?

Golden Sun caught me completely by surprise when I first learned of it as a wee lad, back in 2003. I had seen glimpses of the first game here and there, both in Nintendo Power and in the infancy of the internet, but it had never really grasped me as a must have game. Later, when The Lost Age came out, I was deeply entrenched in internet communities and received more exposure to the hype surrounding the game. I began to look up screenshots and reviews and other info about the game, and quickly became more and more intrigued by its colorful design and focus on the Greek elements of Fire, Earth, Air, and Wind. Of course, during this time, I was also an amoral pre-teen, so I downloaded the ROM of the first game and began to play the opening segments on Visual Boy Advance. I was hooked. The game was pure old school RPG goodness, and I quickly realized it was developed by Camelot, the developer of the beloved Shining Force series - the trademark little Yes/No options you get during dialogue tipped me off. I got to the end of the opening - where you leave Vale - and I decided that I was going to ask my parents if I could buy the actual cart for GBA. I barely ever got games as presents back then, so this was a big deal. I ended up barreling through both the original and its sequel within two weeks or so, and I was completely blown away by how much I enjoyed them. I adored the OST, as well, and I didn't even find out it was composed by one of my favorite game musicians, Motoi Sakuraba, until after I'd beaten both games.

The elemental focus of the game is one of its greatest strengths. It individualizes each character in a similar way to superhero comics or shonen manga, where everyone has a set of "special powers" that only they or a select few are able to use. Playing on the Greek elements of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air, although taking names from Roman mythology to refer to them in Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter, each Adept was confined to a single element, and often bore physical traits of their element in their design, such as blue hair for Mercury Adepts and red hair for Mars Adepts. The fact that there were four different types of adepts meant that each "special" person was drawing from a limited pool of powers, which only added to the appeal of their abilities, as they felt unique, but still relatively grounded - they were different than others, but they were much less so than, say, your average superpowered comic or manga protagonist. I love how each type of Psyenergy is assigned a certain color, and how its adepts and djinn work within that color scheme. Color is a huge element of these games (pun intended) and the coloring style itself is very striking, especially in its artwork but also in-game. Each element also had a particular type of Djinn assigned to it, with each Djinn remaining visually distinct from one another yet retaining common elements among the same type.

The party from the original game. Their goal was to stop the elemental lighthouses from being lit.

Speaking of Djinn, they were a really cool gameplay addition. Collecting more of them allowed you to cast more powerful elemental spells, and you could even assign Djinn of any element to the different adepts in your party. The Djinn essentially functioned as a class system of sorts, and mixing and matching the different elements gave each character unique abilities and differing playstyles between combinations. Reclassing in this game took the job system of Final Fantasy and gave it a very unique spin. This allowed the limited party you had - four people and four people only - to feel very diverse despite its small size, and even when you reclassed a character, they still felt like they were unique and remained firmly in their own elemental niche.

From left to right, clockwise: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury Djinn.

The elements serve a very distinct function outside of battle, as well, causing the game to have some of the best dungeon design in an RPG. You can use earth magic to push pillars, fire magic to ignite objects, water magic to freeze puddles of water, and wind magic to read people's minds. It's really neat how every element remains useful, and you find yourself consistently using each element both in and out of battle.

The limited party was also a fantastic idea. You got one adept of each element, further exemplifying the "specialness" of the adepts in the Golden Sun world and allowing you to appreciate each character for their unique gifts. The small party size also led you to become attached to the characters in a way that many RPGs with larger party sizes do not, as well as give each character time to shine during story segments. You get them all towards the beginning of the game, so you have a lot of time to fall in love with these characters.

Isaac, the party leader of the first game, uses his earth magic.

And speaking of the characters... the switch between the first and second game was phenomenally well done. You spend the entire first game chasing down a group trying to light the four elemental lighthouses, and the game ends as your group heads off to sea, to new lands and the second set of lighthouses. It would make sense to continue where the story left off, and it does, but in a way that most wouldn't expect - you instead begin the second game as the finale to the first is occuring, taking control of the opposite party! The character of Felix, who betrays you very early on in the first game, becomes the lead protagonist, and his motives are explored in further detail. That's right - your goal is now to oppose your party from the first game, and to light the lighthouses instead. You get a new set of adepts and a new world to explore, and the story takes many twists and turns that function so well partially because of the 180 in perspective. Meeting with Isaac and co. from the first game remains one of my favorite moments in RPGs!

Promo art for The Lost Age, featuring Felix and his group of adepts. Notice the darker and more subdued color scheme, reflecting the tonal shift in the story.

But if the first two were so good, why was the third game, Dark Dawn, so poorly received?

Promo image for Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, featuring Matthew, Karis, and Tyrell.

I believe this is for two major reasons. One is that the DS entry tried to rest on its laurels, echoing plot and character development from the original duology and riding its coattails in a way that felt bland. Your characters are the children of the characters from the first two games, and constant reference is made to that fact, taking the spotlight from the protagonists and splitting it between them and their parents, causing neither party to shine as brightly as the two from before. This leads directly into the second issue, which is that Golden Sun was released on the GBA during a time when quality RPGs were scarce on the system, and when the concepts it was introducing were progressive and unique. Without the novelty of the elemental motifs and gameplay design, the game felt like a grey echo of its bright and cheery predecessors (which is ironic, as the literal color palettes used in Dark Dawn were almost too bright. But, I digress).

See here; mention of 30 years ago. Get used to seeing that.

I believe that Golden Sun was so enjoyable not only because of its mechanics, dungeon design, and simple but appealing narrative, but also because of the environment in which it was released. The reason the simple narrative was able to remain endearing was because it was carried by the novelty and newness of its design, and when the third game is a retread of that, the narrative simply can't stand as strongly on its own, especially when it's diluted by introducing eight new characters in the span of a single game, unlike the gradual introduction of the two distinct parties of the first two entries.

I still want a fourth one, though. Dark Dawn ended on a cliffhanger, and it seemed like the plot could become promising. Maybe someday...?

The Beauty of Villainy

Villains in game media are often portrayed as extremely beautiful. I'm not complaining. Most of them look really cool. But why are scions of evil or misguided intent often portrayed as such handsome, cool, composed individuals? It's the opposite of, say, a Disney villain, who is usually made to be ugly or have some sort of glaring physical flaw or generally off-kilter appearance (there are some exceptions). Japanese RPGs and games that share a similar aesthetic, on the other hand, have their big bads designed so that you're drawn to them. Quite frequently, they look more capable and inviting than even the protagonist. Let's look at some examples.

Xemnas, Kingdom Hearts 2

Sephiroth, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII

Ramirez, Skies of Arcadia

Dhaos, Tales of Phantasia

They're all unnaturally beautiful, oftentimes even more so compared to the heroes, who are already better looking than any real human being.

Why do you think this is a thing in games like this? Aren't we supposed to be rooting against these people? Why give them such a positive trait?

I brought this discussion to the table, and this is what people had to say.

Toxi: Because it's an intentional contrast to take a stereotypically positive physical trait and assign it to an awful person. It subverts audience expectations and highlights how physical appearance has nothing to actually do with someone's moral character.

It's not just seen in JRPGs, it's seen everywhere. Disney's Beauty and the Beast, for example, contrasts Beast, who is physically monstrous but develops a good heart, with Gaston, who is physically attractive but is a complete scumbag. Jadis, the White Witch of Narnia, is incredibly beautiful, and is basically pure evil.

There's an unfortunate trend of femininity in men being perceived as sinister.

For example, this is how Satan looks in The Passion of the Christ.

Often, when comparing the villain and the hero, the villain will be more stereotypically feminine while the hero will be more stereotypically masculine. Guts and Griffith, Simba and Scar, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, Thor and Loki, Sora and Riku...

John Kowalski: It's almost always that thing about how cannot expect those who have an excess of charisma to have an excess of good morals. Also villains usually have big egos and vanity goes very well with egocentrism.

Elaugaufein: A lot of these villains have passed as or been great heroes of their nation. That generally requires not horrifying children with your appearance.

Brave: I think it has nothing to do with them being villains. JRPG character design usually has this effect.

It is, in part, a matter of perceived subversion. Beauty as a blessing for (or representative of) virtue is an ancient concept, and going against that image similarly old.

PSqueak: So the contrast is huge when they turn into their horrific final forms.

JonnyDBrit: With JRPGs in particular, I'd say its a trend in imitation of wider literature, particularly anime and manga. Several of the most popular and influential series have had villainous figures who either were handsome or became handsome, perhaps even being revealed as the true villain after knocking off an uglier initial villain. And since many JRPGs had their roots in imitating (and even today can still take from, as much as they influence) popular genres and stories, its not hard to see how they picked up those sorts of trends.

Darkly Tranquil: I recall reading a forum thread not long ago (can't remember if it was here or somewhere else) where people where discussing why western games tend not to do very well in Japan, and someone commented that they had read a discussion in a Japanese forum and the comments there were to the effect that Japanese gamers regarded the characters in western games to be too ugly. Presumably this is because there are very different cultural preferences in terms of aesthetics between western and Japanese character representations; where we in the west have the generic beardy white guy, the Japanese have the long haired androgynous pretty boy. One might conclude from this that the Japanese prefer attractiveness in their characters whereas in the west we favour badass looking characters.

Vulcano's assistant: At least for FF and KH, that's part of Nomura's signature. He has made a bunch of games and influenced the whole genre.

What's the origin of it though? What are some old works that have it, like, even older than Berserk?

Griffith, The White Hawk, is a villain from the manga series Berserk. He enraptures many people with his aesthetically appealing appearance.

Toxi: "... On th' other side up rose
BELIAL, in act more graceful and humane;
A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seemd
For dignity compos'd and high exploit:
But all was false and hollow; though his Tongue
Dropt Manna, and could make the worse appear
The better reason, to perplex and dash
Maturest Counsels: for his thoughts were low;
To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds
Timorous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the eare..."

~ John Milton, Paradise Lost

SilverArrow20XX: The Lord of the Rings and the Bible. Lucifer was said to be beautiful. Sauron, a fallen angel analogue, was also said to be very beautiful before losing his body.

A depiction of Sauron, from Lord of the Rings, before losing his body.

I think it stems from the idea of charisma being frightening. An evil person who is beautiful and oozes charisma is very dangerous. He can easily get into positions of power through sweet talking and blending in with good people. He can trick good people into helping him commit evil. Eru (lotr God analogue) eventually gets fed up with Sauron's use of charisma for evil and destroys his body, reducing him to the towering super evil looking suit of armor we see in the movie flashbacks.

Other examples include popular culture's depictions of Jack the Ripper, as a charismatic man.

The key thing, I think, is that evil with charisma comes off as more "dangerous" and "intelligent." This is why evil leaders are so often depicted as attractive.

That's my theory, anyway.

SixMachine: It's been in popular culture for a while. It's why people can find Patrick Bateman pretty funny from American Psycho, even though he chops up women, eats them, kills hobos for fun, stomps on puppies, and can't get a reservation at Dorsias.

Also sadly there is a "Bonnie and Clyde"effect on some women, where they get attracted to bad boys. For example, after Charles Manson and Ted Bundy killed people, they got some groupies for some reason. So being evil and charismatic isn't too out there.

NinjamicWZ: So that I can relate to them.

PerfectFlaw: I feel like some of these bad guys would be getting a manicure while summoning a meteor to Earth.

Bonus points for stabbing a beloved main character through the chest while updating his Instagram.

Armoured Priest:

While all of the examples noted above are of male characters, it should be noted that the trope does extend to females, as well. Some noted the cruel yet beautiful White Witch of Narnia, Jadis, as an example, and the concept of evil or misguided beauty most certainly extends to video games. Beatrix from Final Fantasy IX, Jihl Nabaat from Final Fantasy XIII, Windy from Suikoden, and Legretta the Quick from Tales of the Abyss are some examples of female characters who fall into this category.

Jihl Nabaat, an antagonist from Final Fantasy XIII.

And the trope doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon!

Ardyn Izunia, an enigmatic character from the upcoming Final Fantasy XV, appears to fall into the role of a villain.

I received a lot of good insight into this particular topic. Beautiful villains are one of the more interesting tropes used in media due to the severe contrast between their external appearance and their personalities, so it was nice to get some analysis and opinions on the subject from a variety of different sources.

I will sing you a song, of Birthrights and Love

Spoilers for Birthright and Conquest!

It's been three weeks since Fates came out, and many people are just now finishing up their second path. I myself bought Birthright physically, despite favoring the European aesthetic of Nohr, simply because I had heard it is easier and a better way to introduce oneself to the game. It took me about one week to beat Birthright, whereas Conquest took me a little over a week. I played both games on Hard/Casual. My thoughts on both versions:

Birthright:

+The story is standard Fire Emblem fare, but it has the added flair of fighting against your foster family, which adds an element of drama to the narrative that other FEs don't have. Comically evil villains are nothing new to the series, but you quickly find out that not everyone in Nohr is a crazy, murderous, occultist jerk. It's really just Garon and his underlings. I ended up feeling bad for the people who chose to stay with Nohr, which basically amounted to the siblings and their retainers, many of whom were not at all bad people. It's a decent B grade plot with added zest to it from the familial aspect. Not great, but not bad, either.

+The challenges are a little less interactive and convenient than the world map from Awakening, but not by much. Grinding is still fun if you choose to utilize it, and Birthright gives you plenty of opportunity to grind both levels and supports. Birthright is all about freedom, and this design philosophy seeps into its gameplay. Pair up whoever you want with whoever you want. Go crazy breaking your units. Or don't; it's up to you. Definitive plus for this version of the game.

+From a gameplay perspective, the siblings are insane on Birthright side. Ryoma and Takumi's divine weapons are almost game breakingly good. Ryoma is quite possibly the best unit in any Fire Emblem game. Hinoka works well as a Falcon Knight or a reclasses Spear Fighter. Sakura is the only one who ends up trailing behind her siblings, and even behind other healers in Hoshido, but her family makes up for her shortcomings and then some.

+Asian aesthetic is refreshingly new for the series. I really ended up liking Samurais, Ninjas, and especially Kinshi Knights a lot. And Hoshido has an abundance of spear fighters!! Nephenee's legacy lives on!

Nephenee was the first playable spear fighter in a Fire Emblem game. She was also one of the best units in both games she appeared in. Since then, playable spear fighters have gone AWOL,  until...

They return in Fates! This time, there's a lot of them. Pictured above is Oboro, the first to join your party.

+Leo makes for a great not-so-villain. Xander and his strength are foreshadowed a lot, making him feel like a genuine threat. Loved the way Birthright treated your foster family. There was much more weight to confronting them than there was to confronting your birth family.

+++++++RANGED HEALING STAVES??? AWWWWW YISSSSS

-What's the deal with Corrin being able to turn into a dragon? Does Azura know something? What's up with Azura? The story is fairly self contained, but if you wanted answers to these questions, then you'll have to look elsewhere. The game does not touch on this subplot at all, leaving it as a breadcrumb asking you to please play the other paths. They could have at least dropped some hints.

-Takumi needs to chill out.

-Lots of hamfisted story deaths towards the end. Elise's death, and, to a lesser extent, Xander's, made a relative amount of sense, but the others felt forced. Elise's death showed how stubborn Xander is when it comes to loyalty, highlighting a positive character trait in a negative way. Very interesting to look back on that scene after playing Conquest, where he is a shining beacon of leadership.

-Kaze's Chapter 15 death is total BS. Better hope you have an A Rank!

Conquest:

+AMAZING cast of characters. Not that the Hoshidans are boring, but the Nohrian army is full of colorful, unique people. The supports on Conquest side add layers to the characters that go further than in most Fire Emblem games. For the most part, your army is still the good team, and the struggle with following King Garon and growing up in the impoverished and twisted Kingdom of Nohr lends itself to much more gripping stories for its characters to tell. This is especially apparent in the children characters.

Ignatius was my personal favorite child unit in either route, and one of the most useful from a gameplay perspective. By the end of my game, nobody could touch him.

+Siblings fall into the above category, as well. Their supports are great. Xander and Leo's supports are bound to be interesting no matter who it is they're speaking to. Camilla becomes a more layered character on this route.

+Map design is very creative. Conquest is sold as a classic Fire Emblem, but it really goes a step further than the classic games, adding in a sort of gimmick to every map. You will be forced to think harder while following King Garon. A good 70 or 80% of the maps have an objective completely unique to that map. The uniqueness doesn't end with the map design - you'll end up fighting units with much more specialized skills, such as magic counters, debuffing, and more. A very nice alternative take on the same gameplay mechanics.

+While it isn't necessarily a total 1:1 recreation of classic FE game design, old mechanics such as visiting houses and limited XP pools are back. Choose where you send your units wisely. Is that far away house worth it? There's only one way to find out... and if it isn't, decide whether the trek there was detrimental enough to be worth resetting.

-I defend Conquest's story whenever I can, because it's not nearly as ridiculous as people make it out to be, but it is a step down from Birthright's story. The confrontation with your birth siblings doesn't have the same emotional appeal that battling your foster family does, because Corrin has no history with them. Sometimes it's downright depressing to see what a bad decision Corrin made when returning to Nohr, no matter how justifiable it seemed at the time.

As to why It's not ridiculous; Corrin makes a choice based on his/her emotions and has to live it with it, despite realizing early on that it was wrong. In a last ditch effort to set things right, he and Azura come up with a contrived solution that feels more like grabbing at straws than anything else. Conquest is not a story about being the good guys. Conquest is a story of desperation, and the consequences of being unable to leave behind the kind family that raised you. It's not one made on morals, but one based on love and emotion. It's a unique take on the "dark side" story, as you and your siblings are still very much good people in a bad environment, and I like that they didn't go the good/evil route with the plot between the two games and instead went for something more nuanced.

I appreciate the different approach to telling a story, and I appreciate how it is more nuanced than simply choosing to be good or evil, but I do think it could have been told better. A for concept, C+ for execution. I do hope Intelligent Systems tries something similar again and learns how to improve.

-Siblings are a total reverse of Birthright side. Camilla starts out as a beast but becomes progressively less useful towards endgame, Leo has better stats but a worse divine weapon leading him to not be as broken as Takumi, and Xander is tankier than Ryoma from a purely defensive standpoint, but his weaker offense and inability to dodge leaves him lacking by comparison. They're still among the strongest characters in their respective route, but they don't shine as brightly as their Birthright counterparts do. Whether this is due to their design or the more challenging nature of Conquest, I don't know; regardless, they seem less useful overall. Although I will admit that Elise is much more useful than Sakura.

-The game is too hard. Hard/Casual will have enemies one shotting your team in the later chapters unless you're super careful. Limited funds and XP are not the only challenge - the maps have tougher objectives, and enemy units are stronger and have a greater arsenal of skills. I would strongly advise not to play hard, or even classic, unless you enjoy a very substantial challenge or are into min/maxing your team. This might be a plus for some, but I think they went a bit too far.

-Azura didn't have her black dress on during most of the game for some reason. She was advertised as such in most marketing material. It would have been a nice touch to differentiate her in either route.

What both games do well:

+Traversal from Hoshido -> Nohr and vice versa: I love how each game has you taking the reverse path. Some maps are shared, but even when they are, the objectives and circumstances are totally different. You get to see parts of Nohr from Birthright side that you don't from Conquest, and vice versa. The final series of maps in particular are very aesthetically pleasing on both routes. Castle Krakenburg is dark and oppressive, and Castle Shirasagi is gorgeous, especially its outdoor maps. A+ for treading the same terrain but giving a completely unique experience either way.

+Gameplay improvements from Awakening: No more same turn reinforcements. No more durability. Enemies can pair up. In my opinion, all changes made were for the better.

+Jakob throws shade as well as he throws shurikens. I love this guy. So glad he's shared between games.

+Corrin's battle animations are super cool. Both of his/her promoted forms also look very cool.

+++Music is insanely good.

What both games do poorly:

-DEEPREALMS. What is this nonsense? It's like they wanted the child system back from Awakening, couldn't figure out how to justify it through the plot, and came up with the laziest excuse ever to explain it. It doesn't feel natural at all. A ten year old would find it forced. A ten year old could come up with the concept of Deeprealms. It made sense in Awakening, with them coming from the future. Not so much here.

-Garon and his lackeys were comically evil, to the point where it was laughable how little reason was given for their behavior besides the fact that they were the bad guys.

-The plot's narrative lacks in comparison to its concept. The idea of choosing a side and fighting against the other is great. The story itself could use some work. Again, I hope IS tries this again and learns from their mistakes.

Bonus:

Sibling rankings

Each sibling plays off of a stereotype or trope, and conveniently for the narrative, has a same age counterpart in their opposing kingdom. Funny how that works out so well, isn't it? Regardless of each sibling coming from the same mold, each one ends up using that mold to create something unique; no Hoshidan sibling feels all that similar to their Nohrian counterpart outside of their most basic similarities, which I found to be a very impressive show of skill on the scriptwriter's part, regarding writing two sets of royal families into the story. Either way, let's take a look at how the game presents the siblings to you.

Stoic older brother:

Xander > Ryoma

Xander has more charisma to his character. He makes some really good speeches in his supports and in some story scenes about what it means to be a good leader and a good person. Ryoma is pretty boring by comparison. He lacks the charm that Xander has. Although, to be fair, Xander becomes much more brazen and unlikeable on Birthright side than Ryoma does on Conquest side. Still, Xander and his struggle with growing up as the future leader of a kingdom in turmoil lends itself to much more captivating narratives than Ryoma's strict bushido warrior personality, which seems to permeate everything that he says and does.

Doting older sister:

Hinoka > Camilla

Camilla is a mentally unstable, creepy mess of a human being. Her sadistic tendencies and sexual overtones added to almost everything that she says are all red flags for someone with a lot of problems, not to mention her unhealthily clingy behavior towards Corrin. Hinoka is a much more level human being, and has the added virtue of having fought her way to greatness just for you. She became the badass that she is to get you back, and treats you well without being a borderline incestual pedophile about it.

Snooty younger brother:

Takumi = Leo

I can't choose between these two. Easily the most nuanced siblings in both paths, both as allies and as enemies. They both have insecurity issues that manifest in different ways, and both of them probably have the most interesting plot related moments when made into your enemy. Takumi has lower lows than Leo, but his insecurity feels like it goes deeper than Leo's does, with his more brazen personality acting as a front to make up for it. Leo plays himself very straightly compared to Takumi. Both excellent takes on the same archetype. Best siblings.

Cute younger sister:

Sakura > Elise

Elise can be a bit bratty at times. Sakura, on the other hand, is truly the sweetest girl. Elise has more of a presence whenever she's on screen, but Sakura has more depth to her character. She struggles with not being as courageous and bold as her siblings, feels guilty for not having a history with Corrin, and is constantly trying to better herself and be nice to everyone that she meets. Elise is pretty one note by comparison. I like them both, though - it's hard to dislike either of them.

Overall, I slightly, slightly prefer Birthright to Conquest, but I ended up loving them both. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Tomorrow, Revelations is released in the west for those of us who weren't lucky enough to nab the special edition of the game, so I greatly look forward to seeing how it compares to the two main routes!