Least Favorite non-Brandon Character

[Use the Falchion]

1 hour ago, Toaster Retribution said:

Playing Three Houses at the moment, and I can´t stand Rhea. She is either annoyingly boring, or a manipulative bag of crem. I never buy that she really cares about the people she hangs out with either.

Yay Three Houses! Boo for your opinions of Rhea...granted, those are ones most people share. Rhea treats people like we do pets - positively and as things to watch over and care for, but there will always be this...distance due to the fact that she'll outlive them all. Some are like dogs or cats or larger, longer living pets where genuine affection is formed on both sides (Catherine & Jeralt), others like hamsters or gerbils (pretty much everyone else). 

My own opinion on Rhea is more favorable, but I know I'm in the minority. If it helps, I consider her who Edelgard was. Rhea and Edelgard basically have the same source trauma and are going through the same steps. The only difference really being: 

Spoiler

that Edelgard won't live nearly as long as Rhea has. 

Both have: (MASSIVE MASSIVE SPOILERS)

Spoiler

Their siblings murdered by TWSITD, both want to destroy those in charge (Nemesis vs Rhea herself), and both have MASSIVE issues with the Crest system. But it's inverted. Where Rhea recognized the benefit of the system due to it being able to fend of invaders and outsiders, Edelgard recognized the pain that the glorification of the system has brought. 

Rhea hates Relics because they're the bones of her murdered siblings, but she's pragmatic to keep them around; Edelgard hates the church because they're clearly wrong and covering up stuff, but even she admitted she'd keep the church around. 

They're also both wrong about a LOT of things. Rhea is wrong because her view is far too myopic in scope - she believes that if she brings her mother back, everything can go back to the way it was. Edelgard is wrong because she's been drip-feed information from an unreliable source (truths mixed with lies are the best sorts after all).

 

In terms of Rhea's morality, it's absolutely questionable and she needs to answer for a LOT of things, but she's far from the most morally bankrupt characters in the game. She saved Cyril, Catherine, Jeralt, has no problem with Shamir's lack of faith*, and a butt-ton of orphans, is openly against the crest system (the Church of Seiros doesn't condone how the crests are treated, and I can imagine that Rhea's reasons are FAR more personal), and in terms of Byleth: 

(AGAIN, MASSIVE, MASSIVE SPOILERS) 

Spoiler

People really get things mixed up with it comes to Byleth's mother. Rhea allowed Sitri to live her own life, and it's hinted she did the same for most of the other vessels as well. Rhea may have encouraged Jeralt and Sitri's romance, but as far as we know, she didn't manipulate it into happening. And when Byleth was still-born and Rhea could provide a way for Byleth to live, Sitri took it...even if it meant her own death. (Sitri was dying anyways.) 

In Byleth and Rhea's S-support, Rhea openly admits that she was wrong to wish for Byleth to be someone they're not. 

 

One of the biggest tragedies of the game is that Rhea and Edelgard can't see how similar they truly are. 

(Also Dimitri's view on the crest system is the most nuanced and fair in the game.)

 

*So long as Shamir stays in line. It's not the lack of faith that bothers Rhea, but blasphemy. 

 

1 hour ago, Toaster Retribution said:

Also, while I´m at it: basically every supernatural dragon/fairy character from Fire Emblem. The dragon-thingy (Lilith was her name, I think) in Fates was the worst one, but pretty much all of them are either boring or annoying, often a combination of the two. 

Ah, the dragon-loli's...Manakete's are in FE's DNA, since the very beginning, but I do feel your pain. IMO, Lilith was poorly done because they took a perfectly interesting character and made her into a mascot. Keeping her as the traditional Manakete (or at least a second one to serve alongside Corrin) would have been better. 

I think the best for these have been: 

The Sacred Stones - since Myrrh is clearly treated as a little sister and not a romantic prospect.

The Tellius Duology - since there aren't any real present. Kurthnaga's the closest we get. 

Awakening - Yes, Nowi may be the worst or near the bottom of the pile, but Tiki is at the top. She's an adult and openly addresses the massive toll living for eons takes on a person. 

Three Houses - Massive spoilers here, but I think 

Spoiler

Flayn is a good version. Alas, neither she nor Seteth transform in-game (Seteth lost his ability to do so I believe), but I'd still put them in this category. 

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by Use the Falchion