Ranking 100 Trails - Kiseki Characters Before Daybreak

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Board 8 » Ranking 100 Trails - Kiseki Characters Before Daybreak
colliding
05/09/2024
07:34 PM
#51
Boring Young (ish) Guys
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/57a3bda4.jpg
77 . Machias

Machias Regnitz, pictured here threatening to be part of the party, is dull all over. His personality is dull, his moves are dull, his backstory is dull. If I remember right, he had a friend of the family/cousin/babysitter pass away, and lo and behold she has yet to be brought back to life/revealed to be an Ouroborous Enforcer. There's still time I guess. I'm not sure he's ever had fun in his life. Maybe when listening to an opera record alone in his room.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/acc96b84.jpg
76 . Kurt Vander

The New Class VII deserves a new Machias, and so we have Kurt. The problem is Class VII is only three people, and then it's only five people. It sucks to be in a three person class and one of them is a complete dud in personality. He's a serious lad who is self conscious about being a slim svelte Vander instead of a chunky one. Dude, it's fine, just enjoy the fact that you're handsome and really good at dual wielding. First world problems.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2b1ec1dd.jpg
75 . Detective Dudley (Do Right?)

Dudley walked so Machias could... crawl? I guess that's how that metaphor would work here. Dudley's got some cool S-Crafts. Other than that he's Crossbell's Josette: a gun-wielding party member who shows up at the end and no one wants to use. He's also kinda sorta part of the Guy Bannings mystery... between he and Sergei they really should've figured it out better than they did.

Up next: Smol girls (part 1)
while you slept, the world changed
Sceptilesolar
05/09/2024
08:00 PM
#52
I like Machias alright, in the middle of the Class 7 boys pretty much. I only object because I feel like you might have put Gaius higher, a character who spent two games being boring and had a big twist teased for CS3 only to somehow come out of it even more boring.
Just killing time until the world ends.
tcaz2
05/09/2024
08:26 PM
#53
Machias is great
azuarc
05/10/2024
12:06 AM
#54
When I played CS1, Machias and Jusis were the most annoying part of the game until like the 80% mark, and even then I wouldn't say I liked either of them. At least Jusis wasn't quite as jus-less as I initially believed.
Only the exceptions can be exceptional.
tcaz2
05/10/2024
10:05 AM
#55
Jusis is even better
Fiop
05/10/2024
10:10 AM
#56
While playing through later Cold Steel games, the class VII member I kept forgetting about was Jusis. I think Machias being boring actually made him more memorable, ironically.
"so is my word...It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11
pyresword
05/10/2024
10:24 AM
#57
I don't care much for Machias overall, but I give him extra points because for whatever reason is role in CS3 feels like the most natural extension of his character. Like when they're reintroducing you to Elliot or Laura or whatever I feel like they're just forcing an old cameo in your face out of obligation, but Machias never felt that way for some reason.

Jusis is actually great imo. One of the strongest character arcs in the first 2 Cold Steel games and continued to be enjoyable even in his later appearances.
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
colliding
05/10/2024
10:45 AM
#58
Go directly to jail if you want to romance
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/ca83f753.jpg
74 . Sully Sullenberger

Sully is unique in that, as far as I know, she's a completely optional character in Zero and a pretty important character in Azure. So she's one of the few NPC's to graduate from having no face art to having face art (Mireille is another one, but she wasn't optional in Zero). A rags to riches story in many ways. You too can become a dancer even if you're born a Pokemon Trainer.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/73bb2731.jpg
72 . Princess Alfin

Annoying princess alert! So cringe. Between egging on Elise's incestuous infatuation with her brother and engaging in problematic flirtations herself, this girl simply needs to rein it in a little. You're like 14. Chill out. Take a cold shower. Take some lessons from Community: "Alfin's a little young, so we try not to sexualize her."

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9f39312e.jpg
71 . Alisa Reinford

Pictured here as "Magical Girl Alisa," Alisa is definitely not a "smol girl," but you should go to jail if you want to romance her since she's utterly droll. It's a crime to make the canonical girl this bad. I wonder how much of this is her English VA. I feel bad for her, because I just don't think she's given enough direction. But yeah she's terrible. Also her CS3 and 4 costume is atrocious - get it together Trails. Her arc is also basically "my mom is terrible, *confronts mom,* mom remains terrible, turns into terrible mom."

Up next: Get jacked into the matrix
while you slept, the world changed
Sceptilesolar
05/10/2024
10:46 AM
#59
Alisa's English VA has this weird petulant tone that never goes away even when she's supposedly a competent businesswoman, so I agree there are some problems there.

Alfin would be way better if she didn't keep insisting that Elise was the only one for Rean, to the point that she starts kicking up a fuss about it even if you romance her in CS4.
Just killing time until the world ends.
NBIceman
05/10/2024
10:51 AM
#60
I'm only 1.67 games into the Cold Steel saga so maybe she gets worse, but I feel like Alisa gets too much flak.
Chilly McFreeze
https://i.imgur.com/UYamul2.gif
MZero
05/10/2024
10:52 AM
#61
all of these characters are better than Shirley tbh
MZero , to the extreme
https://www.twitch.tv/kabazame
MacArrowny
05/10/2024
10:56 AM
#62
It makes sense that some players hate Alisa if her English VA is much worse. I never got that impression in JP, and I enjoyed her quite a bit.

The romance/Elise romance stuff with Alfin is the worst part of her. Unfortunately it's a pretty major part.

Sully's pretty cool in the Crossbell games. It's too bad she comes back in CS/Reverie, since all her interesting characteristics are sanded away.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
NFUN
05/10/2024
11:00 AM
#63
what do you think "droll" means?
List the ominous stern whisper from the delphic cave within:
They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin
Thorn
05/10/2024
11:06 AM
#64
what happened to character 73?

did they go to jail?
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
colliding
05/10/2024
11:09 AM
#65
NFUN posted...
what do you think "droll" means?

oops. I've been misusing that word forever. bad habit.

Thorn posted... what happened to character 73?

did they go to jail?

fixed
while you slept, the world changed
SHINE_GET_64
05/10/2024
11:16 AM
#66
I care more about battle performance than their actual character so moving Machias all the way to the top.
https://imgtc.com/i/iJnhdkc.gif
https://imgtc.com/i/j45EVGx.png
Thorn
05/10/2024
11:20 AM
#67
NBIceman posted...
I'm only 1.67 games into the Cold Steel saga so maybe she gets worse, but I feel like Alisa gets too much flak.
I am 5.0 games into it and I agree. Better than Laura and Emma imhotbqh. I can understand the argument for Emma but Laura is just a fairly flat, boring character in my opinion.
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
catesdb
05/10/2024
11:37 AM
#68
you failed your inspection!!
Pronouns - she/her
FFXIV - Ultros [Primal] - https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/39263879/
tcaz2
05/10/2024
11:37 AM
#69
Alfin not top 10 joke list
MacArrowny
05/10/2024
11:59 AM
#70
Alfin was a lot more popular before CS3 came out. I feel like she's gone down in the fanbase's ranking over time.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
_stingers_
05/10/2024
12:16 PM
#71
Really Ive always considered alfin pretty annoying
Congrats Black Turtle !
NFUN
05/10/2024
12:25 PM
#72
Alfin not bottom 10 joke list
List the ominous stern whisper from the delphic cave within:
They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin
azuarc
05/10/2024
12:36 PM
#73
Bye Alisa. Get rekt.
Only the exceptions can be exceptional.
Mega_Mana
05/10/2024
01:55 PM
#74
How was Musse not in that last update?
"DiGiorno's for the oven, Totino's for the microwave... and the memories are for us." - Angela Giarratana
_stingers_
05/10/2024
02:27 PM
#75
Musse is also kinda dumb but at least she's funny
Congrats Black Turtle !
MacArrowny
05/10/2024
02:30 PM
#76
_stingers_ posted...
she's funny
doubt
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
colliding
05/10/2024
06:21 PM
#77
*click click clack* "I'm in."
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/8/89725da3.jpg
71 . Jona Sacred

Jona Sacred, pictured here about to write an angry post about Fandom, is a top tier Pom Party player and a bit of hacker. Let me say: If you're mad that Jona's included, might I recommend that you look in the mirror? Perhaps we don't actually hate Jona because he's an annoying NEET shut-in. Perhaps we hate Jona because he represents what we hate about ourselves .

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/33b5ec5d.jpg
70 . Campanella

The hacking doesn't stop there. Just when you think Campanella is some kind of magical fairy being from the dark ages, he/they're also showing up to hack the Crossbell geofront. Still one of the series's big mysteries, it's unclear if we'll ever find out Campanella's deal. My guess is that they're not "real" and are actually some kind of AI for the head honcho of Ouroborous. I also have a bad feeling in my bones that they're going to eventually reveal that Zemuria is a video game in the Xanadu universe, but that's neither here nor there.

Up next: Even more mysterious bad guys! Trails has bad villains.
while you slept, the world changed
MacArrowny
05/10/2024
07:22 PM
#78
Both of these feel a bit high, but that's okay. Campanella's the worst of Ouroboros imo. I get disappointed whenever he shows up, especially when we fight an inconclusive battle against him.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
dowolf
05/11/2024
12:21 AM
#79
...

i somehow never knew that his last name is sacred.

I feel like Kurt is a lot better in the alternate universe where him and Juna become a couple, instead of Juna being stuck in Rean's harem.
Nonsense. "Testing" is for when you're still guessing--and now, I have no need to guess. -- Agatha, Girl Genius
colliding
05/11/2024
11:24 AM
#80
Can we get some better names, please?
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c88cc439.jpg
69 . Bleublanc, aka Phantom Thief B

"Ha hah! Nice!" (said in Bleublanc's voice)

Everyone's favorite member of the Phantom Thieves summons his persona and becomes... this. He's really into beauty. He can freeze you by your shadows like Peter Pan. He likes to lead the party on wild goose chases following arcane riddles. I assume his name means "blue white" which would make his first name Red obviously. While his rivalry with Oliviert is kind of interesting, I must say his schtick gets old pretty fast. CS4: Playing as him is cool but doesn't necessarily add anything to the character .

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c0c7dc88.jpg
68 . McBurn, the Almighty Conflagration

It's a tale of two names. First, "McBurn" is the stupidest thing I've heard in a while, stupider than Bleublanc. Is he a Scottish Nobleman? Is he a discarded McDonald's menu item? Is he Scrooge McDuck's drag racing alter ego? Secondly, "the Almighty Conflagration" is trying way to hard. But then again, it's a trails thing. We live in a world with "the Golden Rakshasa" and "the Radiant Blademaster" after all. He burn stuff make go boom. He very strong. CS4: He from a different world and have scary final form . Burninate the countryside indeed.

Up next: Goth girls
while you slept, the world changed
colliding
05/12/2024
03:32 PM
#81
no new posts today due to mother's day mood disorders

Who's the best Trails mom? It's clearly not Irina.
while you slept, the world changed
AriaOfBolo
05/12/2024
03:40 PM
#82
<3
New name, new gender, same great Bolo flavor!
She is messy, but she's kind; she is lonely, most of the time
Janus5k
05/12/2024
03:41 PM
#83
It's Erika and I'm not sure who else is even in the conversation
A hero cannot be defeated simply by making him die.
MacArrowny
05/12/2024
04:01 PM
#84
Renne's mom seems nice.

Noel and Juna both have fine moms.

Empress mom is cool.

Does Queen Alicia count as a mom?

Kurt's mom is awesome.

Elise and Rean's mom is fine.

But yeah in general Trails does way more with Dads than it does with Moms. No surprise from a writing team with no women on it I guess.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
Janus5k
05/12/2024
05:05 PM
#85
Oh yeah I forgot about Kurt's mom

(Mostly because I forgot about Kurt)
A hero cannot be defeated simply by making him die.
Thorn
05/12/2024
06:04 PM
#86
MacArrowny posted...
Elise and Rean's mom is fine.
she ships elise with rean do we score that against her?
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
MacArrowny
05/12/2024
06:19 PM
#87
right

into the trash she goes
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
Mega_Mana
05/12/2024
09:54 PM
#88
colliding posted...
no new posts today due to mother's day mood disorders

Who's the best Trails mom? It's clearly not Irina.

Bloom

"DiGiorno's for the oven, Totino's for the microwave... and the memories are for us." - Angela Giarratana
NFUN
05/12/2024
09:56 PM
#89
Vanilla
List the ominous stern whisper from the delphic cave within:
They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin
Thorn
05/12/2024
09:57 PM
#90
Gaius's mom seems cool.
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
MacArrowny
05/12/2024
10:29 PM
#91
Gaius's mom is about as cool as Hope's mom from FF13.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
NBIceman
05/12/2024
11:08 PM
#92
Mega_Mana posted...
Bloom
This is the correct answer.
Chilly McFreeze
https://i.imgur.com/UYamul2.gif
colliding
05/13/2024
06:52 PM
#93
I'm not Okay (I Promise)
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d88fc0b7.jpg
67 . Beryl
Simply love this little creeper. She's not particularly helpful in any way, but I dig an out of place gloomy NPC. Not a lot to say here. Maybe I should've put Claire or Julia on the list but what can I say? I like Beryl more.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9b75e99b.jpg
66 . Renne

"Renne sucks."

To elaborate, I don't think she's all that bad a character, but I do find her kind of annoying. She's like the dictionary definition of a "hat on a hat." First she's a spy-type gothic lolita character. Then she's a mech-character. Then she's a hacker. Then she's a redeemed character and kind of just becomes a hanger-on to Estelle and Joshua (weirdly making them less interesting in a way). Then there's her tragic backstory, which still feels like a weird anomaly in a series that is usually afraid to do dark violent stuff. It would be like if there was one episode of Avatar that had r*pe and graphic torture. Also her backstory just kind of "exists" in Trails the 3rd but doesn't really impact any other scene that features Renne in any other game.

Up Next: Problematic Waifus
while you slept, the world changed
MacArrowny
05/13/2024
07:08 PM
#94
Claire missing the list is appropriate.

Renne had excellent development IMO, starting out okay in SC and getting great by Zero.

colliding posted...
Then there's her tragic backstory, which still feels like a weird anomaly in a series that is usually afraid to do dark violent stuff.
there's tons of characters with dark backstories, full of torture, death, etc.

it's only the present that's afraid to be dark and violent in Trails
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
pyresword
05/13/2024
07:14 PM
#95
Modern Trails is afraid to be dark I think (to its great detriment), but Sky and Crossbell really weren't.
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
Sceptilesolar
05/13/2024
07:48 PM
#96
Beryl is great, good ranking. I like Renne but did get a bit tired of her by Reverie (plus her EN VA changed for the worse).
Just killing time until the world ends.
Hbthebattle
05/13/2024
08:41 PM
#97
:|
:)
colliding
05/13/2024
10:12 PM
#98
pyresword posted...
Modern Trails is afraid to be dark I think (to its great detriment), but Sky and Crossbell really weren't.

I honestly don't think anything comes close to Renne's backstory in those games. Maybe Kevin's but that's also Trails 3rd. The cult itself gets mentioned in Zero but the way it's described is way tamer than what's in 3rd.
while you slept, the world changed
Thorn
05/13/2024
10:34 PM
#99
Joshua's backstory is pretty messed up, but I guess even the most blunt telling of it - probably Loewe 's - isn't particuarly graphic in its telling or anything. So is Tio's honestly both in what actually happened and then kind of the aftermath even if told in a pretty clinical manner by Tio herself.

Also pretty much all the characters with jaeger backgrounds were essentially child soldiers since they all started at a very young age - though arguably Randy is the only one who delves a bit more into the ramifications of that in a way beyond "well it's a jrpg of course they started at an unrealistic age."

Renne's backstory is for sure on another level, but I do think it's generally true that Sky and Crossbell weren't that shy in handing darker backstories out - Renne's just goes to a place very few JRPGs choose to go so explicitly.
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
MZero
05/13/2024
10:35 PM
#100
colliding posted...
"Renne sucks."

hey I made a topic with this title
MZero , to the extreme
https://www.twitch.tv/kabazame
Board 8 » Ranking 100 Trails - Kiseki Characters Before Daybreak
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