Who is the main character of this game?

[Del Murder]

Is it Vaan or Ashe? There are some good reasons for each.

Vaan - You follow him from start to finish and he is the character who is on screen in towns.

Ashe - This story is really about her kingdom, her family line, and her legacy.

So which do you think?

Yes yes I know Balthier is the 'leading man' but if I put him in the poll it would be too easy!

[Rantz]

I kind of want to make the distinction between main character of the game (Vaan) and main character of the story (Ashe). If you want to speak in drama terms, I think this quote from Wikipedia is pretty relevant:

The terms protagonist, main character and hero are variously defined and, depending on the source, may denote different concepts. In fiction, the story of the protagonist may be told from the perspective of a different character (who may also, but not necessarily, be the narrator).

Ashe would be the protagonist, while you explore the story from Vaan's perspective.

[I Don't Need A Name]

I voted Vaan, but I can see reasons for both people to be the leading characters.
I say Vaan primarily because it's from his point of view and that it starts and ends with events relating to him

[Crop]

I'd say neither of them, or none of the main characters. They all play an almost equal part in the story. The team are the main characters.

[Vermachtnis]

I voted the Ashe, the story is more about her. But, like it's been brought up, it's experienced through Vaan. So, yeah...

Vaashe is the obvious choice.

[Del Murder]

I kind of want to make the distinction between main character of the game (Vaan) and main character of the story (Ashe). If you want to speak in drama terms, I think this quote from Wikipedia is pretty relevant:

The terms protagonist, main character and hero are variously defined and, depending on the source, may denote different concepts. In fiction, the story of the protagonist may be told from the perspective of a different character (who may also, but not necessarily, be the narrator).

Ashe would be the protagonist, while you explore the story from Vaan's perspective.
Part of my intention was to let you choose which of those two definitions is stronger in your eyes. Obviously they are both main characters in their own way.

For example, would you say the same thing about FFX? I wouldn't. Tidus is not only the character you control from the start of the game, but the story actually has a very close ties to him, and once you get to the end you see how it deeply revolves around him. I would say he is the main character of FFX without question.

For XII it is a lot different. Vaan doesn't really have any deep connection to the main story, while Ashe does.

This also will be used in an event I have planned later so I encourage people to vote even if you don't feel there was a true main character. Vote for the character you felt strongest about. For me that was Princess Ashe.

[Rantz]

Ashe for me as well, in that case. :)

[Raistlin]

Vaan pretty much becomes irrelevant at a certain point in the game, and Ashe is the main focus.

[LunarWeaver]

Vaan has a line saying he's just along for the ride. Makes me lean toward Ashe.

[Wolf Kanno]

The game only follows Vaan in the beginning to explain how the party is formed but once Ashe joins she starts to become the main focus of the story, with other cast members having their own private moments.

Vaan becomes relegated to comic relief after that and only has a few minor heroic moments leading up to the end but the climax of the drama and the real human element of the story is best presented by Lady Ashe in the Pharos.

[PeneloRatsbane]

Ashe is the main character, its just viewed from Vaan's perspective. It doesn't really matter to the story if Vaan died. Its about Ashe's importance and her choices.

Balthier would no way be the main character, his leading man stuff is just a joke, as bought up by Fran who puts him in his place "more of a supporting role". She's right his role is personal and links to the main story the way a support characters does.

[Bolivar]

Great question, I think the story is more about the party itself, a group of friends from very different backgrounds who strengthen eachother and overcome unbelievable odds.

Ashe is the main character, though :cool:

[Rad Bromance]

Ashe, though I never felt like XII had a true "main character". I felt it had more of an ensemble cast, like VI.

[Jecht Shot]

As weak as a main character as he was, I'd have to say Vaan. My criteria is usually just as simple as the permanent character who you control first/most (not including prologues), or who is the default overworld map character.

I think Ashe works better as a main character, but I still think its Vaan. Vaan was almost like an afterthought, but I still think he had enough invested in the story to be the main character.

Basch was originally intended to be the main character, and I thought he would've worked better. But somebody at SE thought they needed to have a main character more towards the age of their main demographic.

[PeneloRatsbane]

Basch was originally intended to be the main character, and I thought he would've worked better. But somebody at SE thought they needed to have a main character more towards the age of their main demographic.


I know that was a bad call, Basch would have been far better as a main character. Shame that they were afraid to take that risk

[Roogle]

I consider Ashe the main character of Final Fantasy XII. Like others have said, I would have preferred Basch to be the main player character rather than Vaan.

Vaan and Penelo had very little to do with the character stories and political stories in Final Fantasy XII. I'm surprised they were included in the story at all.

[Loony BoB]

I don't like him one bit, but I would definitely say Vaan is the 'main character' - but that's only because this is a video game, and for me the main character of a video game is the one that most things are seen from the perspective of, especially at the start.

But, as many have said, he's not a story character. To summarise: Main character of game is Vaan, main character of story is Ashe. The question in the thread title states game, so I voted Vaan.

[Roogle]

He is certainly the main character of the gameplay considering that you start with him and you control him in towns; however, I feel like this could have been anyone and the story itself would remain entirely unchanged. If you added a Select A Character option at the beginning, would anything really change aside from the introduction? Why not wander around town as Penelo? I mean, they both have nothing to do with anything, anyway.

[LunarWeaver]

Vaan is just a mascot.

[Rodney]

Gamewise: Vaan.

Story-wise: Ashe.

For the latter, I'll pick Ashe.

[Loony BoB]

He is certainly the main character of the gameplay considering that you start with him and you control him in towns; however, I feel like this could have been anyone and the story itself would remain entirely unchanged. If you added a Select A Character option at the beginning, would anything really change aside from the introduction? Why not wander around town as Penelo? I mean, they both have nothing to do with anything, anyway.

That's true enough, but that doesn't make Vaan any less the main character of the gameplay (which, for me, means 'the game', just like the storyline means 'the story').

[Crowseye]

I chose Vaan. Primarily because he was the gameplay's main character but also because...

The game's primary plot clearly revolved around Ashe. For me there were points in the game where Vaan (and Penelo) seemingly became irrelevant to the the plot. The game made it clear that they were still very much kids in a story where the conflicts were primarily between adults. However, Vaan does have a story that is told over the course of the game, albeit in a much more subtle fashion.

Given that Vaan becomes the most powerful playable character in the game, his story is effectively one of a boy with tremendous talent who lacked direction and focus until the events of the story gave him a reason to focus those talents toward meaningful goals. It's a story about how sometimes getting out of your "home" or comfort zone is necessary to get out of the rut one is in. In particular it is a message to kids in bad or unfortunate settings or circumstances: it doesn't always have to be this way, you can be better than this...don't just dream big dreams, make them happen. In that sense it is a much more "real" story than the grandiose love stories or the struggles against evil empires that have dominated the series.