More Heroes should be like Issac of Golden Sun

Issac never claims to be a badass. In fact, he never claims to be anything, as he's mute. But you can always tell what he's thinking because of slight little speech bubbles, or when his sprite jumps up in surprise.

But I think the best part about Issac is that he's just a normal guy. He's not a 'chosen one', he's not a 'protege', he's just some normal kid who gets roped into something by his own extreme misfortune.

Also, and granted it's not very often, you can choose what he says sometimes. I mean it's always just 'Yes' or 'No', but that creates many different scenarios. Like for example this:

Garet: Woah?! What? I didn't know that! Did you Issac?
Issac: *Nods.*
Garet: *Angryface* You did!? Why the hell didn't you tell me!? *Jumps up in anger.*
Ivan: Issac probably figured you were smart enough to figure it out on your own Garet. Don't blame him.
Garet: .......

What makes Issac a great hero is that he's humble. He helps people out like any other hero, but he doesn't go around preaching morality like 'Suicide is wrong!' or 'Courage is the magic that turns dreams into *shot*' or 'Vanilla is the best type of ice cream ever' he just does the job and gets paid for it. Sure he's out to save the world, but not because he really wants to. The truth of the matter is, he's not some self-sacrificing hero, he just fucked up, so a giant rock told him: "You. Save the world. This is your fault anyway." And because Issac is a mute, he can't outright say: "No fucking way."

ACTUALLY! He can say "No." Unfortunately, that ends the game right there. So you kinda lose. But still, the option is there if you want to end it really fast.

So I guess in short, Issac is the best type of hero cause he keeps his mouth shut, while still communicating his exhasperation when he realizes that that giant monster is walking toward him ready to eat him and his friends.

Also, Issac and Jenna are on my top 5 list for favorite couple.

More video game heroes should be like Yuri Lowell.

Sarcastic, Smart and totally BAMF

God knows what kind of epic game would happen if they combined Issac and Yuri. The very world might end from such awesomness.

dude the silent protaginist is the worst idea in history. I'd rather watch the entire series of the Melancholy of Haruri Suzaima, than have a silent protagonist. It's over used, dumb, and a cheap way out of adding lines, or voices in cut scenes.

Well Golden Sun's character is a mute, but you can tell what he's thinking all the time. And it's not like he's the only character.

You gotta try the game before you knock it. Issac rocks.

Lyle Dayek wrote:Well Golden Sun's character is a mute, but you can tell what he's thinking all the time. And it's not like he's the only character.

You gotta try the game before you knock it. Issac rocks.

I HAVE BOTH OF THEM DUMBASS. And I'm not insulting Issac, I'm insulting the silent protagenist idea in general. Look it's TWO THOUSAND AND FUCKING NINE. If you cannot think of a line for your main character to say. THEN WHY ARE YOU IN THIS FUCKING INDUSTRY.

Not directed to you Lyle

Revy wrote:

Lyle Dayek wrote:Well Golden Sun's character is a mute, but you can tell what he's thinking all the time. And it's not like he's the only character.

You gotta try the game before you knock it. Issac rocks.

I HAVE BOTH OF THEM DUMBASS. And I'm not insulting Issac, I'm insulting the silent protagenist idea in general. Look it's TWO THOUSAND AND FUCKING NINE. If you cannot think of a line for your main character to say. THEN WHY ARE YOU IN THIS FUCKING INDUSTRY.

Not directed to you Lyle

Well it's not like they don't have ideas for what their main character could say, they just don't have them say anything.

And yeah, you're right, the silent main character doesn't always work. Suikoden 5 is a good example of that. But in a game like Golden Sun it works.

No real fan of Zelda would want Link to start saying stuff. It would ruin the character of Link.

Lyle Dayek wrote:

Revy wrote:

Lyle Dayek wrote:Well Golden Sun's character is a mute, but you can tell what he's thinking all the time. And it's not like he's the only character.

You gotta try the game before you knock it. Issac rocks.

I HAVE BOTH OF THEM DUMBASS. And I'm not insulting Issac, I'm insulting the silent protagenist idea in general. Look it's TWO THOUSAND AND FUCKING NINE. If you cannot think of a line for your main character to say. THEN WHY ARE YOU IN THIS FUCKING INDUSTRY.

Not directed to you Lyle

Well it's not like they don't have ideas for what their main character could say, they just don't have them say anything.

And yeah, you're right, the silent main character doesn't always work. Suikoden 5 is a good example of that. But in a game like Golden Sun it works.

No real fan of Zelda would want Link to start saying stuff. It would ruin the character of Link.

Yes Link should stay silent, because it works, if it works like Link, them I'm fine with it however, personally it's been around for so long. The main Final Fantasy Games never had to resort to this stuff. Maybe developers should take a hint from the series (besides ripping off the battle systems) and use less silent protaganist. I'm not saying that they should be extinct. Just not as bountiful

I can agree with that. A series where the main character has always spoken, they shouldn't suddenly not be able to speak.

I think anything could work well if done right.

The open world in No More Heroes didn't work well, because it wasn't done right. But there are a bunch of other open world games that DO work well. GTA, Saint's Row, the list goes on and on.

So yeah, not every hero should be like Issac, but I think Issac is probably the most well done main character in any series. He's not a bitch, he's not a dick, he doesn't preach morality, he's not some 'chosen one', he's just a dude that screws up and has to fix his mistake, and thus save the world. Or else everyone dies. And it's ALL HIS FAULT.

How about instead of just having the "yes" "no" options.


The protagonist is actually MUTE.

Like actually is incapable of speech.

None of this "insert dialogue here" crap, that's only cool in the legend of zelda.

TLS wrote:How about instead of just having the "yes" "no" options.


The protagonist is actually MUTE.

Like actually is incapable of speech.

None of this "insert dialogue here" crap, that's only cool in the legend of zelda.

Except to say "Yes" or "No", all such a character would have to do is nod or shake thier head.

Also, silent protagonists suck purely for the same reason that they're the butt of so many jokes on Dueling Analogs. I kinda feel bad for Chrono, actually...

There are several what are considered Rare JRPGs that don't use silent protagonist, they have full voice overs most of the game and actually have some good character development, but almost no stores sell them other than games that deal only in video games because they are considered dated because most of the time they focus on the interaction of the characters and battle systems than the graphics, they are often 2-D

But Golden Sun I have to agree is okay actually. The silent thing is fine but I just with that it wasn't so overused by Atlus with their Shin Megami Tensei series and other various series. I liked Isaac for the same reason as Lyle, because he was normal everyday guy you could connect with him.

Rozencrutz wrote:There are several what are considered Rare JRPGs that don't use silent protagonist, they have full voice overs most of the game and actually have some good character development, but almost no stores sell them other than games that deal only in video games because they are considered dated because most of the time they focus on the interaction of the characters and battle systems than the graphics, they are often 2-D

But Golden Sun I have to agree is okay actually. The silent thing is fine but I just with that it wasn't so overused by Atlus with their Shin Megami Tensei series and other various series. I liked Isaac for the same reason as Lyle, because he was normal everyday guy you could connect with him.

Arn't the protagonists in the Persona games speaking characters, though? I mean, I don't think they have names, but still...

Giorno Giovanna wrote:

Rozencrutz wrote:There are several what are considered Rare JRPGs that don't use silent protagonist, they have full voice overs most of the game and actually have some good character development, but almost no stores sell them other than games that deal only in video games because they are considered dated because most of the time they focus on the interaction of the characters and battle systems than the graphics, they are often 2-D

But Golden Sun I have to agree is okay actually. The silent thing is fine but I just with that it wasn't so overused by Atlus with their Shin Megami Tensei series and other various series. I liked Isaac for the same reason as Lyle, because he was normal everyday guy you could connect with him.

Arn't the protagonists in the Persona games speaking characters, though? I mean, I don't think they have names, but still...

Havent played 1 or 2 but in 3 and 4 the protagonists' "words" are what you choose to say/do to other ppl. In otherwords hes mute outside of battle (he still has battle sounds/lines) Dunno about the persona 3 manga but the MC speaks in the P4 manga and has an official name

In 1 he says nothing and most of the other SMT games they are silent as well. But when I am refering to the games not the manga, P3 Manga he has a name Minato Arisato and he does talk some but he is an introvert so he only really speaks when someone talks to him, and I am refering to all of the SMT games not just persona.

This interesting topic
Mongo want to add to topic

The two types of heroes have their pros and cons.

Mute heroes are blank canvases or something. Players can decide on what they're thinking for themselves, and this helps a lot for immersion purposes because players can BE the people they are controlling by placing their thoughts on their character. They cannot do this as easily if the person they are controlling is voicing his/her own thoughts. (For example: In Persona 4 I will frequently scream out loud like a maniac at the stupid actions of various party members, and since the main character doesn't talk, his thoughts are literally my own. Again, IMMERSION YEEEAH)
Downside is, sometimes it just doesn't feel right. After all a person who can talk but doesn't (and has to interact with hundreds of others on an epic quest) is not at all realistic.

Talking heroes, however, are usually their own characters. This allows for more realism (People speak in real life who'd have guessed) and lets players control some awesome dudes with developed personalities. (For example: YURI LOWELL YEEEAH)
The risk, though, is that sometimes, the personalities of talking characters are...not good, to put it mildly. In an RPG (generally these are story-driven types of games), if your main character sounds and acts like a (insert any negative descriptive word here), you have entered critical danger zone. Having a silent protagonist eliminates that risk, but again, this has downsides of its own and can seem lazy.

SO THEY BOTH HAVE THEIR USES YEEEEEAH

I totz agree with Catburd. In addition, I feel I should add this.

Isaac isn't mute. He talks in Golden Sun 2. An explanation to this could be that the magical spirit of evil-non-speaking-main-character left his body as the game ended, and traveled to Felix instead.