The Other Worlds Shrine

Your place for discussion about RPGs, gaming, music, movies, anime, computers, sports, and any other stuff we care to talk about... 

  • How come some fictional people get no respect?

  • Somehow, we still tolerate each other. Eventually this will be the only forum left.
Somehow, we still tolerate each other. Eventually this will be the only forum left.
 #103688  by Don
 Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:49 pm
Recently I started reading some stuff on Harry Potter, so my understand is that this is a guy who has defeated the head evil guy in the world with only a scar when he was a baby, and then repeated that feat probably a few more times, and yet he's trying to get good grades in magic school so he can join some elite unit against the said head evil guy's henchman.

This is kind of like Megaman X, who saved the world 8 or so times (probably more) but still gets treated like a scrub in Hunter headquarters (though conditions improved some by X8).

Or like Fate's Rin Tohsaka, on track to become the 2nd human being in the Fate universe to ascend in the history of mankind, and instrumental in defeating the Avenger, an immortal evil that has been at war with the humans and their guardian angels, the Heroes, since the dawn of history. But you wouldn't be able to tell that from her recount on what happened at magic college in London. Maybe they're run by the same organization as Harry Potter's magic schools where coming from a fancy family and getting good grades is far more important than having saved the world.

Or FFX's Yuna, bringer of the Eternal Calm, and then quickly faded to irrelevance. Granted the way she turned out in FFX2 isn't really worthy of respect for anyone, but still. Spira has parties for months celebrating a summoner that can put away Sin for a few years and build statues to honor them, but the one who brought the Eternal Calm doesn't seem to even warrant the same treatement.

It's one thing human beings, especially the fantasy kind, tends to forget heroes in the time of peace, but you're talking about guys who have done extraordinary things and are literally forgotten the next day. It'd be like Frodo disposing the ring, came back, and was told people still hate him because he's a short, filthy halfling on the day to honor the impossible victory.

I realize that some of it is for plot device, but please, at least remember the guy who's supposeed to done the impossible for a while before throwing it away. If even Megaman Zero can remember do that, why can't others stories that are supposed to have a strong story at least match that?

 #103724  by Torgo
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:49 am
Yeah, it's pretty much plot device. Ghostbusters II had a good take on it.

 #103725  by Kupek
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:00 am
Wait, you mean there's something worthwhile to get out of Ghostbusters II?

 #103727  by SineSwiper
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:18 am
Wait, I don't get the GB2 angle? And for the record, it was still a good movie.

 #103728  by Torgo
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:19 am
With relevance to this discussion, at least. Just a few years after saving New York, if not the world, the Ghostbusters are reduced to making appearances at kids' birthday parties.

Oh, and "Do, Ray, Egon." I still smile when I hear that one.

 #103730  by SineSwiper
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:20 am
Oh yeah, I remember now.

 #103735  by Flip
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:55 am
A lot of it is due to communication barriers of their particular time periods. The Shire essentially had no word of Bilbo and Frodo's doings. When you live in a world without TV and the inter-web, how are people supposed to know anything outside of their bubble? Travelling bards and news from merchants are distorted and mostly fanciful recounts.

 #103753  by Zeus
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:22 pm
Kupek wrote:Wait, you mean there's something worthwhile to get out of Ghostbusters II?
C'mon, man, it wasn't close to the first one in terms of quality (or anything), but it's a fun waste of time every few years.

 #103754  by Don
 Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:34 pm
No I mean it'd be like on the ceremony where they say 'you bow to no one', instead of doing that they'll be like oh we didn't like you halflings anyway, go away.

I mean sure if some village somewhere that never heard about it, fine, but a lot of these you're literally looking at the guys forgotten while people are still celebrating their heroic deeds.