Ranking 100 Trails - Kiseki Characters Before Daybreak

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Board 8 » Ranking 100 Trails - Kiseki Characters Before Daybreak
colliding
05/14/2024
03:25 PM
#101
Blatant sex appeal
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2733fcdf.jpg
65 . Scherazard

Scherazard, pictured here moments before disaster, is Board 8's second favorite silver-haired woman known for whipping. No one's beating Franziska for that title. I know for a fact there are people who genuinely dislike the alcohol stuff in Trails. I totally respect where they're coming from. Personally I don't have a problem with it, so the ranking has more to do with her being overall more boring than you'd think. For being the sex appeal character she's weirdly lawful good. And the romance with Olivier felt really kind of out of nowhere, but I'm not sure if that's her character's fault or just bad writing.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/17ebed98.jpg
64 . Musse Egret

You can't spell regret without Egret. That's just facts. Musse, pictured here satisfying a part of the Falcom fandom I never want to meet in person, is Trouble. Musse makes FF7 Remake Jessie look prim and proper. The thirst can never be quenched. She's also like a genius or some such nonsense able to plan ten thousand moves ahead just cause. The degree to which the sex appeal is a performance to throw people off is up for debate (unless you're nasty and end up romancing her, in which case may God have mercy on your soul).

"In all 14,000,605 futures, how many do we actually NOT get embarrassed while playing this game in front of people?"

*zero sign*

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/72008b0e.jpg
63 . Instructor Sara

I admit it, Sara's hot. Like Schera, perhaps the drinking will catch up with her someday, but when you're 25 or whatever knock yourself out. She's both fun and flirty! But yeah, CS3 took it too far by having her ACTUALLY kiss Rean (even just on the cheek) as part of the main storyline. Just a smidge too desperate with that one. If players want to embrace their hot for teacher fantasy by spending all their bond points then fine, but don't make her canonically smitten with the student she met when he was 16. I could not care less about North Ambria either so her backstory in those later games wasn't all that compelling.

Up next: My two dads
while you slept, the world changed
Thorn
05/14/2024
03:31 PM
#102
too early for lloyd and randy so... anton and ricky?
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
AriaOfBolo
05/14/2024
03:31 PM
#103
I picked SC back up recently and Schera has really grown on me
#girlboss
New name, new gender, same great Bolo flavor!
She is messy, but she's kind; she is lonely, most of the time
Mobilezoid
05/14/2024
03:32 PM
#104
Damn, Sara is my favorite Trails character. Then again, I'm several games behind in the series at this point.
**R.O.B.A.Z.O.I.D** (On mobile)
MacArrowny
05/14/2024
03:35 PM
#105
colliding posted...
She's also like a genius or some such nonsense able to plan ten thousand moves ahead just cause.
Except that she's somehow incapable of coming up with the extremely obvious solution that Rean comes up with at the end of Cold Steel 4. This is one of those cases where writers are bad at writing genius-level characters.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
Thorn
05/14/2024
03:36 PM
#106
More seriously, I think it'd be... okay ... if still a little eye-roll worthy if Sara only really became a love interest in CS3 and only started developing an interest after he'd graduated and such (though CS3 is still probably a bit too close to his school days in terms of time elapsed but let's pretend it had been like a 5 year timeskip to CS3 instead.).

But IIRC she plays a bit too much into it back when Rean was her student in CS2 that it's a quick "nope" because now it really comes off bad.
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
Panthera
05/14/2024
03:38 PM
#107
CS1/2 Sara was great, but starting in CS3 she mostly felt like the dollar store knockoff of herself.
Meow!
MacArrowny
05/14/2024
03:58 PM
#108
I feel like her design gets worse in CS3/4 too. She's a downgrade in both art and characterization.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
NBIceman
05/14/2024
04:05 PM
#109
This conversation is bumming me out as someone finding Sara one of the better parts of CS2 currently.
Chilly McFreeze
https://i.imgur.com/UYamul2.gif
Mega_Mana
05/14/2024
04:15 PM
#110
NBIceman posted...
This conversation is bumming me out as someone finding Sara one of the better parts of CS2 currently.

That's just a factor of pretty much every original Class VII character taking a backseat in characterization and plot.
"DiGiorno's for the oven, Totino's for the microwave... and the memories are for us." - Angela Giarratana
colliding
05/14/2024
04:23 PM
#111
Villains I don't know what to do with
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/303b3913.jpg
62 . Xeno and Leonidas

If any characters were to be a package deal it's these two. They stand out like a sore thumb in CS2 but by the end of the CS4 I found them surprisingly endearing. The fact that there are people reading this list who are in the middle of CS2 are making me feel bad about spoilers but I did say "reader beware."

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0ae2e821.jpg
61 . Alan Richard

The main antagonist of FC, Alan Richard is still one of the series' more sympathetic villains, despite being a relatively minor charcter. Sky 3rd really adds a lot to what was already an interesting foundation.

In all honesty, these two entries probably should've come before the last three but oh well.

Up next: Calvardian Representation
while you slept, the world changed
NBIceman
05/14/2024
04:41 PM
#112
The fact that there are people reading this list who are in the middle of CS2 are making me feel bad about spoilers but I did say "reader beware."
Yeah, please don't worry about it - I've been accidentally spoiled on enough stuff in this series that I'm not super gung-ho about avoiding them these days. Otherwise I wouldn't be reading the topic, as you said.

Richard is a top 10 Trails character imhotbqh.
Chilly McFreeze
https://i.imgur.com/UYamul2.gif
Mega_Mana
05/14/2024
04:58 PM
#113
Alan Richard
Sara Valestein
Dr. Renne Hayworth
Kurt Vander
Machias Regnitz
Kenneth Lakelord
Annabelle
Cassius Bright
Xeno & Leonidas
McBurn
Beryl
Detective Dudley
Angelica Rogner
Sully Sullenberger
Aurelia K. Le Guin
Scherazard
Bleublanc
Alisa Reinford
Garcia Rossi
Dieter Crois
Ian Grimwood
Victor S. Arseid
Princess Alfin
Jona Sacred
Campanella
Cecile Neues
Elise Schwarzer
Ilya Platiere
Carl Regnitz
Michael Gideon
Major Michael Irving
Scarlet
Vulcan
Albert Russell
Luciola
Crown Prince Cedric Reise Arnor
Neithardt
Irina Reinford
Musse Egret
Mariabell Crois

"DiGiorno's for the oven, Totino's for the microwave... and the memories are for us." - Angela Giarratana
MZero
05/14/2024
10:00 PM
#114
Musse sucks and almost single-handedly made me drop CS3 and never finish the series
MZero , to the extreme
https://www.twitch.tv/kabazame
_stingers_
05/14/2024
10:10 PM
#115
Am I the only one that thinks she's funny it's like she's a parody of herself why would anyone behave like that it's just so outlandish it's amusing
Congrats Black Turtle !
th3l3fty
05/15/2024
12:47 AM
#116
Musse is downright inoffensive compared to most everything else about CS3/4 tbqh
thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience
I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris
colliding
05/15/2024
01:11 PM
#117
Kill Bill: Taito Style

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/da2c3c5e.jpg
60 . Walter, the Direwolf

Yeah, it's kind of hard to take this guy seriously due to his character design. But he's the real deal Evander Holyfield when it comes to Taito style, and I'm not talking about Bubble Bobble. He's so serious about martial arts that he killed his girlfriend's dad in a duel. What's wrong babe? He started it?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d816bf8b.jpg
59 . Kilika

Speaking of said girlfriend, Kilika starts off as a Bracer Guild desk person, which is a pretty unflattering position in the Trails universe (apologies to Michel) and ends up becoming Calvard's version of Lechter. Quite the glow up. It's cool that there's more to her character besides "Walter/Zin love triangle" nonsense.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/732c7863.jpg
58 . Zin

Speaking of Zin, remember when you bought Trails in the Sky for the PSP because Board 8 recommended it to you, and remember how you read the instruction book and saw a picture of Zin and thought "I can't wait to meet this Fei Fong Wong looking-guy - he's probably really interesting and likable based on this blurb" but then you met him and realized he's altogether pretty average in every regard? No? Just me?

Don't get me wrong, Zin's totally a cool bro but he's overshadowed by what ends up being one of the best playable parties in JRPG's. Sorry man.

Up next: The neverending battle between blue guy and red guy continues
while you slept, the world changed
AriaOfBolo
05/15/2024
02:19 PM
#118
I was about to be all "zin too low" but I can't argue with that writeup
New name, new gender, same great Bolo flavor!
She is messy, but she's kind; she is lonely, most of the time
NBIceman
05/15/2024
02:21 PM
#119
I'll say it instead - Zin too low. One of those understated JRPG characters who definitely feels overshadowed, but works really well as a quiet, grounding presence in the party that's always good to have around.
Chilly McFreeze
https://i.imgur.com/UYamul2.gif
MacArrowny
05/15/2024
02:37 PM
#120
Kilika is cool. I'd say Zin and especially Walter are too high though.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
colliding
05/15/2024
06:03 PM
#121
Like West Side Story
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/ac034ecb.jpg
57 . Wald Wales

The thing about living in a big city like Crossbell is you got to get used to crime. For example, warring gangs. On one hand you've got the red gang, who loves heavy metal and beating people up. Their leader is this guy named Wald who has a secret crush on the rival gang leader and everyone knows it but he can't say anything cause toxic masculinity. He's been known to get roided up and destroy the slums every once in a while.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/68393abb.jpg
56 . Wazy Hemisphere

On the other hand, you've got the blue gang, who are religious fundamentalists who also enjoy beating people up. His name sure is something. I guess it's cool, but maybe it's too cool? Other notable aspects of Wazy: he's a sex worker, he's a secret member of the Churchy version of Ouroborous, and he sucks just like every fist-based / unarmed Trails party member.

Up next: The nicest characters in the Trailsverse
while you slept, the world changed
Sceptilesolar
05/15/2024
06:39 PM
#122
I used Wazy a fair bit in Reverie, his base craft is really nice. Don't remember much of Azure but I can see it being less good there.
Just killing time until the world ends.
colliding
05/16/2024
08:44 PM
#123
You're so... nice.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/95d85b91.jpg
55 . Elliot

I'm having a hard time thinking of a "nicer guy" in a JRPG. Elliot is the type of guy who won't kill a spider. What is relatively unique is that he's a nice guy who also is never bullied or emasculated. He's just a sensitive dude who everyone likes. He might be a bit boring, but as a violinist I empathize. His dynamic with his dad is a good bit.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/1fbff67b.jpg
54 . Kloe, aka Princess Klaudia

Kloe's pretty good. As far as "secret princesses" go, she's one of the more believable ones. I appreciate her development from quiet girl in FC to more capable leader in SC. The school play in FC/Jenis Royal Academy chapter in FC remains a series highlight for me, and Kloe's a bit part of that! But yeah, almost too nice and I have a weird thing against fencers/rapiers being people's weapons of choice.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c6517236.jpg
53 . Elie

Take just the names, Elliot and Kloe, and smush them, you get Elie. That's kind of weird. Elie's got her moments, and she'd be a great love interest if Rixia and Noel didn't exist. There's a lot of untapped potential with both Elie and Kloe in the sense of actually using their backgrounds and connections instead of just concealing them or resisting them. Less nice than the other two, but could use a bit of edge.

Up next: Bros that'd be good to go out for drinks with
while you slept, the world changed
MacArrowny
05/16/2024
09:08 PM
#124
Man, Elie is so underused! I enjoy the concept of her character a lot, but she gets about half as much screentime as she deserves.

That's a bit high for Elliot IMO, but I've got nothing against him.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
pyresword
05/16/2024
09:14 PM
#125
In order to hold something against Elliot, I'd first have to remember something about Elliot. A tough ask.

Kloe is great imo. Love especially her scenes with Estelle in the beginning of SC, though most scenes with her are good. I also love her character design.
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
_stingers_
05/16/2024
09:18 PM
#126
Elie 53 is insane top 10 char for sure
Congrats Black Turtle !
catesdb
05/16/2024
09:28 PM
#127
wow elie too low
Pronouns - she/her
FFXIV - Ultros [Primal] - https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/39263879/
Sceptilesolar
05/16/2024
10:14 PM
#128
Really dislike Elie, worst of the Crossbell team except for maybe KeA.
Just killing time until the world ends.
pyresword
05/16/2024
10:26 PM
#129
Really like Elie, worst of the Crossbell team except for maybe Noel.
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
Thorn
05/16/2024
10:30 PM
#130
I will always defend Noel.

But Elie is by far the weakest of Crossbell's main cast.
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
MacArrowny
05/16/2024
10:31 PM
#131
Elie may be the weakest of the female cast, but Lloyd is by far the weakest overall.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
_stingers_
05/16/2024
10:32 PM
#132
Elie clears tio any day sorry
Congrats Black Turtle !
NBIceman
05/16/2024
10:58 PM
#133
_stingers_ posted...
Elie clears tio any day sorry
Agreed.

Also really like the romance with Lloyd, honestly, though I'm sure that's a hot take.
Chilly McFreeze
https://i.imgur.com/UYamul2.gif
AriaOfBolo
05/17/2024
07:13 AM
#134
Kloe :(
New name, new gender, same great Bolo flavor!
She is messy, but she's kind; she is lonely, most of the time
MZero
05/17/2024
07:53 AM
#135
_stingers_ posted...
Elie clears tio any day sorry

easy

also Wazy way too low. Way more than one spot better than Wald
MZero , to the extreme
https://www.twitch.tv/kabazame
colliding
05/17/2024
08:15 AM
#136
The Fab Four

This will get us to the top 50, and then I'm headed on vacation, so I'd appreciate it if this topic doesn't get purged.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/1c142d47.jpg
52 . Toval Radonneur

There's something to Toval that I don't quite get, because I never read any of the books. Never have, never will (except for the Black Records). I want to say his real name is Cody or something? And he had some adventures in Remiferia? Regardless, now he's a bracer whose only real aptitude lies in being able to cast arts really fast.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/e/ee685362.jpg
51 . Chief Sergei

Lloyd and co's boss at the SSS, Sergei is a great boss. What he does all day at his desk while they're off chasing cats and doing fetch quests, we'll never know. What we do know is that he will occasionally wreck shop and tank bullets like a champ. He's hard boiled for sure.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/e/eae24444.jpg
50 . Arios MacLaine

Kind of a weird mishmash of identities this one. His heel turn is rather clumsily handled I think. Like it'd be one thing if he and Grimwood really stuck to their guns about getting KEA to bring their family back from the dead, Persona 5 Royal style. But they both kind of drop it once the SSS beats them up pretty good. Anyway, when he isn't a villain, I think he's a pretty cool dude. Maybe not the best dad, but pobody's nerfect.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/cd7a5a86.jpg
49 . Mueller Vander

Cracking into the top 50 we have Kurt's brother and Olivier's boyfriend. Don't get me wrong, Mueller's pretty cool and it takes a lot to put up with Olivier's shit all the time. He borders on "OP character" and you know how I feel about those. But the comedic hijinks and Trails the 3rd give him some separation from those other characters. He's definitely way better than Kurt so I understand why the latter has such a complex.

Up next (in four or five days): Another cute platonic relationship with no romantic subtext whatsoever because that would be gross
while you slept, the world changed
MacArrowny
05/17/2024
10:29 AM
#137
Arios is pretty great. I'd rank him fairly high.

Toval always seemed a bit meh to me. He's fine, but there's nothing actually interesting about him as we see him on the screen.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
NFUN
05/17/2024
11:01 AM
#138
the most interesting thinbg about toval is what's his face thr shopkeeper in Triste occasionally making fun of him for the book
List the ominous stern whisper from the delphic cave within:
They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin
Mega_Mana
05/17/2024
12:02 PM
#139
Toval is a "Hey, all these books likely aren't just pure fiction. You may even meet these characters or things mentioned in fairy tales like witches and vampires and gnomes . So, maaaybe pay attention?" His other function is Erebonian Bracer gauge. Is Toval hiding his identity and skulking about sorta? Bracers bad. Is he palling around with high-ranking nobles flying across the country? Bracers good. Is he dead? Bracer Guilds no longer exist. I've never even heard of a Bracer. The only heroes are the Imperial military and destroying those Gehenna-loving Calvardian Republicans!
"DiGiorno's for the oven, Totino's for the microwave... and the memories are for us." - Angela Giarratana
Hbthebattle
05/17/2024
12:07 PM
#140
Toval is funny because of how much more the recruiter jokes became part of his dialogue every game. I think half of his lines in Reverie mention recruiting.
:)
MZero
05/19/2024
05:03 AM
#141
Toval rocks, one of my favorite characters to use in CS2
MZero , to the extreme
https://www.twitch.tv/kabazame
shane15
05/20/2024
03:38 PM
#142
I don't really care for Toval. If you didn't read the manga or whatever the hell it is he appears in before playing Cold Steel he's kinda just some guy that talks about some girl you have no idea about. Swin and Nadia are guilty of this as well but at least their stuff is in the games.
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/330/958/a5b.gif
th3l3fty
05/20/2024
03:52 PM
#143
...so is Toval's
thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience
I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris
Fiop
05/20/2024
03:57 PM
#144
Speaking of bracers with background info, in Sky when I first saw Grant, Karna and Anelace, I got the impression they would have been familiar to players from something else. Were they in anything that predated Sky?
"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
Thorn
05/20/2024
03:59 PM
#145
Nah. I think them getting portraits might have been an addition made since they would get them "for real" in SC so it got backported in.
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
Arti
05/20/2024
04:00 PM
#146
shane15 posted...
I don't really care for Toval. If you didn't read the manga or whatever the hell it is he appears in before playing Cold Steel he's kinda just some guy that talks about some girl you have no idea about. Swin and Nadia are guilty of this as well but at least their stuff is in the games.

you can really tell who actually read the Carnelia chapters when it debuted in Sky and who didn't
http://backloggery.com/articuno2001/sig.gif
shane15
05/20/2024
04:14 PM
#147
I'll hold my hands up to that mistake then. Although i never really enjoyed Sky all that much so kinda just rushed through them so i had a better understanding before Cold Steel 3 came out.
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/330/958/a5b.gif
pyresword
05/20/2024
04:21 PM
#148
Are we talking about reading the Carnelia chapters in Trails in the Sky or are we talking about the Ring of Judgment manga? I'm told his best characterization is in the latter but never read it myself.
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
Thorn
05/20/2024
04:22 PM
#149
I'm not sure. I thought it was the latter until Swin and Nadia were brought up as another example because that sounded more like Carnelia.
May you find your book in this place.
Formerly known as xp1337.
th3l3fty
05/20/2024
04:25 PM
#150
shane15 posted...
I'll hold my hands up to that mistake then. Although i never really enjoyed Sky all that much so kinda just rushed through them so i had a better understanding before Cold Steel 3 came out.

Carnelia is literally in five games - all of Sky and both CS1/2
thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience
I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris
Board 8 » Ranking 100 Trails - Kiseki Characters Before Daybreak
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