Tropes Media Browse Indexes Forums Videos Ask The Tropers Trope Finder Media Finder Trope Launch Pad Tech Wishlist Reviews Tools
Cut List New Edits Edit Reasons Launches Images List Crowner Activity Un-typed Pages Recent Page Type Changes Changelog
Tips
Creating New Redirects Cross Wicking Tips for Editing Text Formatting Rules Glossary Edit Reasons Handling Spoilers Word Cruft Administrivia FAQ
Tropes HQ
About Us Contact Us Advertise DMCA Notice Privacy Policy Report Bug
Go Ad-Free Changelog
  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Highlight Links
 

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Alternative Character Interpretation / Video Games: A to F

Go To

Alternative Character Interpretation Main Video Games Subpage
A - F | G - L | M - S | T - Z
    open/close all folders 

    A 
  • Absinthia:
    • Methuselah claims he wants to test the party's purity of heart, though he makes sure to specify that he's referring to the purity of what they intend to do in the future, and not their past. Later, he admits that he was lying about the purity requirement. However, due to the fact that Freya secretly worked with Lilith but is having second thoughts, it's implied that Methuselah secretly knows about Freya's situation and is pushing her to seek redemption.
    • In a flashback, Lilith is angered when she hears of the transphobia that Freya endured. It's ambiguous if she's only acting in order to gain Freya's trust or if she's having a genuine Even Evil Has Standards moment. It's implied to be the latter, since when she spitefully reveals Freya's collusion with her, she doesn't out Freya as trans.
    • Freya has similarities with Helen from the previous game, being a blonde, heavily-armored Lady of War. Due to Lilith's bizarre combination of possessiveness and hate towards Helen, it's possible she started a relationship with Freya because of their similarities.
  • Ace Attorney:
    • One main bone of contention is whether Terry Fawles had special needs/mental issues or not. If he does, then it makes Dahlia even more evil for manipulating him, as he wouldn't have understood that being in love with a 14-year old is squicky. If he doesn't, then many fans would lose sympathy for him completely. And if he does have mental deficiencies, that puts a whole new slant on the trial process of the game, since it's never brought up once that he may not be competent enough to stand trial.
    • As for Dahlia herself, there are a few people who think that she has a Freudian Excuse. In-Universe, her sister is among those people; Iris says that they had similar circumstances, but while Iris sees Bikini as a Parental Substitute, Dahlia had no one of the sort.
    • Godot. A Bunny-Ears Lawyer with deep personal issues, or a man driven nearly insane by his own guilt who manages to hide it behind a mask of simple eccentricity?. Perhaps a Knight in Shining Armor, steadfastly protecting the family of his beloved lady from devious plots that even The Hero was blissfully ignorant of? Or how about a self-righteous, self-pitying hero-wannabe, who was fine with arranging a murder-risky situation and then blaming said murder on his accomplice (and prosecuting against said person, no less), just so that he could live out his sexist savior fantasy and/or take revenge on long-dead foes.
    • Then there's Phoenix himself. The people who most accept his change in Apollo Justice are the ones that argue that he's always bent the law in the pursuit of the truth, and that he's always been a bit of a snarky jerk on the inside. Others think that the aforementioned people are going too far in interpreting Phoenix's actions and that he'd never go as far as he did in Apollo Justice. Is he a badass lawyer who managed to win cases which seemed downright impossible through a combination of intelligence and grit? Or is he a dumbass who simply lucked his way out of everything thrown at him?
    • Matt Engarde. A guy with multiple personality disorder, or a monster who hid his true nature behind a mask?
  • Alan Wake: One existing interpretation of Alan is that the heroes of the story aren't Alan and Barry, but Tor and Odin Anderson, who wrote a couple of songs ("Children of the Elder Gods" and "The Poet and The Muse") that came true, describing Alan's quest to rescue his wife and defeat the Dark Presence. The entire game is, in this interpretation, an epic bit of Norse-inspired mythology written by the Andersons to defeat the Dark Presence.
  • ALTER EGO (2018):
    • The Facade, Ego Rex: The representation of the pressure to conform to society or self-control which may not necessarily be a bad thing? They seem to be bent on making Es "conform" which subconsciously affects Es' self-esteem. In their ending, they successfully made Es deny herself which causes her to literally disappear congratulating the player. However, in the True Ending, they concede that the player is not outright making Es to conform but reminds them that they are always there to guide her and the player. At one point in the story, Es asked the player if she should give in to her impulses. The player is given three options, either to let loose herself, conform to society's rules, or taking action on one's impulses depending on the situation. When the player selects the third choice, Es remarks that the answer is better than the Facade any other day.
    • Es: Is she a character in a video game becoming more self-aware or just another representation of the player's psyche? The game begins with Es apathetic to the nature of her own nameless world however as the game progresses she questions her self. In all endings, Es decides to read a book entitled Alter Ego with the player which is an allusion to the game itself depicting two wanderers, a little girl (Es) and a wizard (the player). The ID ending might imply Es having a Despair Event Horizon of realizing that she is just a fictional character in a game causing her world to collapse, the ALTER EGO has Es realizing her own identity while still being aware that she and the player live in two different worlds. Or Es (and to the extend the facade) could be a representative of the player themselves. The true ending suggests continued self-discovery for the player and not giving in to their own Despair Event Horizon. Es remarks in the post-completion that the player may one day stop visiting her (read: playing the game) which may allude to the situation of either losing a sense of self or giving in to impulses such as relying on escapist pursuits and vices.
  • Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri: The Faction Leaders. A rare case where this is encouraged by the game, and whether the factions are good or bad depends largely on your play style.
    • Pravin Lal of The Peacekeeping Forces: Voice of humanitarianism or far too attached to his outdated ideals?
    • Prokhor Zakharov of The University of Planet: Bringer of the light of knowledge or ruthless, amoral Mad Scientist?
    • Miriam Godwinson of The Lord's Believers: Dogmatic luddite or Only Sane Woman in a far-too-rapidly technologically advancing world?
    • Sheng-Yi Yang of The Human Hive: Ruthless, self-serving despot or a man with a reasonable vision of Utopia and a firm belief that Utopia Justifies the Means?
    • Corazon Santiago of The Spartan Federation: Defender of humanity against a hostile world or war-crazed gun-nut?
    • Deidre Skye of Gaia's Stepdaughters: Advocate of peace and balance, or eco-terrorist with a taste for Mind Rape?
    • Nwabudike Morgan of Morgan Enterprises: Believes in liberty or believes in profit?
  • Antichamber: The black block (the only thing in the game that you could tentatively call a character) is pretty creepy, so it's easy to think of it as an antagonist, a tease, an Eldritch Abomination, etc. But you could also interpret it as just...lost. It seems to be trying to find its way home. This also gives us an alternate interpretation of the player's role — instead of just being "the player", you're a hero of sorts. This poor black block can't find its way home, and you swoop in to save the day and personally escort it back to its proper place. With this in mind, the Gainax Ending can feel like a Heartwarming Moment.
  • Assassin's Creed II's Shaun Hastings: Jerkass or Survivor Guilt?
    • Another theory is "half-baked Simon Cowell knockoff." Seems to be the thing these days. Really, is there any other reason for being so rude to someone who saved his life? Even gets a bit of a lampshade in the Carnival Performers file.
    • Third interpretation: a completely normal person with Deadpan Snarker tendencies, put through trauma and under stress, which brings out the more negative aspects of his personality. Likelier than you'd believe.
    • Even more possible is pretty severe inferiority complex (Shaun is a historian and analyst, so he may be feeling a bit inadequate in the company of biology and computer specialists) masked by fake cockiness. His complex may be exacerbated by the fact that his female colleagues seem to be focused entirely on Desmond. Even though he is an Assassin, doesn't have much of actual ''assassination'' skills or general self-defense skills compared to the rest... He gets spooked on a food run, where the job description of Assassin will have you handle much worse.
    • Some have interpreted that Shaun may have secretly harboured feelings for Lucy, so he's jealous of the growing attraction between her and Desmond, hence the reason for his open hostility.

    B 
  • Baldur's Gate:
    • Minsc: kind-hearted, pure good and lovely crazy champion... or dangerous madman that could go berserk in any moment should you defy his expectations?
    • Shar-Teel: bloodthirsty and misandric psychopath, or a victim of violence who has only knew suffering and violence as tool to interact with others and defend oneself?
    • Tamoko: just a mischievous enemy to dispose off, or an unnecessary conflict since she was just blinded by her love for the Big Bad?
    • Skie: just the spoiled child of a rich noble who doesn't know anything of the world outside, or does she have the right to seek adventure and a new life of exploration and discovery?
    • Ajantis: a competent and righteous servant of justice, or a Lawful Stupid paladin who recklessly charges what he deems evil?
    • Kivan: is he right in despising Viconia for the evil nature of drows, to the point of attacking her at some point, or is his behavior just pure racism against an outcast that just wants to survive and avoid troubles?
  • Baldur's Gate II:
    • Aerie: a good hearted victim who is suffering from a terrible loss, or a source of constant whining that can't accept her new condition and carry on against worse enemies and heavier dangers?
    • Nalia: a naive idealistic girl unprepared for the treacheries of the adult world who is basically asking for troubles, a radical chic who acts as a supporter of the poor while still remaining part of the privileged, or just a still inexperienced potential source of change for the betterment of people?
    • The Shadow Thieves: just the lesser evil between two despicable forces, an evil equal to their opposing side, or truly those who have the superior moral ground in the guild war as their leader claims?
    • Yoshimo: Just a traitor who deserves nothing but death, or is it understandable that he was forced by a geass to betray the party?
    • The elves of Suldanesselar: Were they merciful with the curse they imposed on Irenicus and Bodhi, hoping they would learn the lesson they wanted to teach, or were they at least naive if not self-complacent and careless?
  • Andrew Ryan from BioShock has numerous different interpretations, not surprising given his politically charged nature. Its easy to view him as a tragic figure who tried to make a city that championed free will above all else and had to become the evil that he sought to destroy in order to keep the government from his city. He could have also just been trying to create a city where he, and he alone, was allowed to reach his full potential and enjoy unmitigated freedom. From a more objective (hehe) standpoint it seems to be a little of both. While its extremely unlikely that he founded rapture just so he could be its tyrant (after all everything in the city talks about the evils of tyrants and government), he didn't act entirely selflessly and fairly either. How much of his actions are done for the sake of ideology and how much is done for himself alone is still very much up for debate.
  • AmbisagrusSA posted this video as an April Fools' Day joke. Nevertheless, it's an interesting alternate ending to the BIT.TRIP series, with CommanderVideo being a vain, ignorant fool with many clever allegories hidden in his life.
  • Batman in the Batman: Arkham Series. Is he a deeply traumatized, overprotective father figure to his followers, or a Jerkass Control Freak who is in it only for himself, and refuses to trust or acknowledge what his allies are actually capable of? Batman: Arkham Knight rises more questions due to his Joker infection. Is the Joker hallucination fueled by his own mindset, is it the Joker's fault, or are his followers, while certainly capable, liabilities that keep getting themselves captured?
  • There are many interpretations available for each BlazBlue cast, but the biggest one for the moment would be Litchi Faye-Ling, especially after her Face–Heel Turn. Is she a genuinely kind person cornered in a completely bad situation that as much as she didn't like it, she would have to join NOL/Hazama while juggling her morality if she wants a shot at survival and the cure for the person she loves? Or is she a completely selfish woman who is obsessed at Arakune that will join ANY faction who can offer the cure for Arakune, even if it is even worse than NOL/Hazama, completely disregarding her morality?
    • There is a Tumblr site called Takamagahara Texts that takes entries from Texts From Last Night and puts them in the mouth of members of the BlazBlue cast as if they were said during cutscenes. Most of these use slightly exaggerated versions of the characters' personalities for comedic effect, but some of them have ended up being the go-to for entries on a given subject. As a result, we have Kagura Mutsuki, world's greatest frat boy, Makoto Nanaya, nymphomaniac extraordinaire and Trinity Glassfille, who's retained her canon kind-heartedness but apparently also does a lot of shrooms. *
  • Xion from the Bloody Roar series officially isn't evil; when not possessed by one of a handful of floating spirits, he's a fairly boring neutral. Given, however, that he's spent the majority of the games possessed and trying to directly harm the planet or the heroes, most people consider him inherently twisted.
  • Bomberman Land has a few.
  • Handsome Jack, the Big Bad of Borderlands 2, gets quite a bit of this. There's no question he's a villain, but there's debate on whether he's just a petty monster hiding under a thin veneer of civility or a Well-Intentioned Extremist suffering from some really bad cases of Moral Myopia and Evil Feels Good.
    • Some people interpret the events of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! to argue that Jack was initially a decent person, but was pushed into villainy by the actions of Moxxi, Roland and Lilith. But paying closer attention to his behavior throughout the game, and remembering Angel's timeline as established in the previous game, makes it clear that Jack was never a decent person. He'd imprisoned his Siren daughter to exploit her powers for his own benefit long before the events of the Pre-Sequel, and within the actual game, he spaced the scientists before he was "betrayed" by the Vault Hunters. The events of the game don't turn Jack evil; they force him to reveal the evil that was already there.
  • BoxxyQuest: The Gathering Storm:
    • Is Arianna a whiny, entitled brat who wants to destroy everything that doesn’t meet her impossible standards, or is she merely a scared girl lashing out at an unfamiliar world with a power she can’t handle? Was she acting mainly out of jealousy, a sense of betrayal, or a fear of the unknown? What about her relationship with STORM? Is she the one controlling it, or is it somehow controlling her? And what would she have been like if she hadn’t found it to begin with?
    • After her last support conversation, Tyalie is ripe for this. Just how much of her Genki Girl behavior is an act? Does it start out genuine, and then become an act as the game gets closer to ending? If it is an act, then what is she really like? And does she reach out to the player because she’s genuinely thankful for what they’ve done, or is she just trying to ensure that she won’t be forgotten?
      • She stresses the idea that all fiction is equally true, so aren’t all of these interpretations right? Whatever you believe about Tyalie, then that’s canon for the version of her living in your mind.
    • Anonymous. Is he a Jerkass who’s only helping to save the world For the Lulz, and because Catie is his Morality Chain? Or does he truly have a good heart that he hides for fear of looking uncool? Similarly, is Til’s harshness towards him justified, or is she being excessively mean?
  • In Bully fanon, the Greasers are often portrayed as nice guys — when in the game they're the misbehaving students (next to the actual bullies) like you see in every school. Gary is often portrayed as a Jerkass Woobie and Jimmy Hopkins is... the title's sake, a Jerkass bully.
    • Some signs to show that even if Jimmy is a bully, he has standards when he tries to bring order back to the school, tells the bullies to stop picking on weaker kids, and is storyline-wise never shown being mean to a girl or young kid. (In fact; harassing girls and kids, especially beating them up, is considered among the worst things you can do.)

    C 
  • The Chronology Nut offers up the theory that the "Revenge" in Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge refers to Soleiyu's revenge on his father for forcing him to take up the Belmont clan's responsibility (all the while stuck in Christopher's shadow) without any regard to Soleiyu's personal interests, escalating Dracula's hold on him from mere Demonic Possession to Willing Channeler and a Deal with the Devil.
    "Belmont's Revenge, in my opinion, refers to Soleiyu's revenge against his father, against his bloodline, and against his hated destiny. Given that it causes the resurrection of Dracula and sends his father out on another death-defying adventure to stop the world's ultimate evil, that's a pretty good teenage angst scheme. There's all sorts of metaphors for growing up and accepting your situation in the world here, if you look hard enough." (Beat) "Or maybe I'm just looking harder than the developers did."
  • Chest: Prime Minister Andre threatens to ban all restrooms if Zong refuses to kill the Demon Lord. Since such an action would likely provoke both commoners and aristocrats into retaliating against him, it's ambiguous if he was just bluffing. Then again, if the Demon Lord isn't defeated, the kingdom will be conquered anyways, so he probably figured he had nothing to lose even if he has to deal with the fallout of the restroom ban.
  • Child of Light: It's ambiguous if Nox's claim that she still admires Aurora after betraying her and revealing that she had been deceiving her since they first met is genuine, or another lie. Nox's unhinged expression as she makes this claim only muddies the waters further.
  • Most characters in Chrono Cross are prone to have many different interpretations due to most of them having strange accents and short screen time, especially the minor characters. Many fanfic authors either modify or remove the strange accent that belongs to a character.
    • Serge is a silent protagonist in the game, but in fanfics, many authors let him talk.
    • Guile speaks with Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness, but many authors make his speech more casual in fanfics.
  • Civilization: Beyond Earth: Practically every single player has a different take on each Affinity choice due to personal preference and roleplaying style. The general question is each Affinity radical, conservative or willing to Take a Third Option, but some of the more common interpretations are:
  • Clive Barker's Undying: Due to the fairly confusing ending and inconsistencies with the game's manual, there is some dispute over the motivation of Jeremiah. The Reveal involves Jeremiah stating that he has been Dead All Along and Evil All Along and that he used Patrick to kill off his siblings so that he could use the power of the Undying King for himself. However, the journal entries written by him in the manual after his "death" in World War I are written as though his "cover story" was true meaning that there are two general explanations: Jeremiah was telling the truth in The Reveal and the journal entries were misinformation- which leads to some Fridge Logic- or Jeremiah chose to lie to some degree during The Reveal and was trying to goad Patrick into killing him for an unknown reason.
    • Alternatively, some part of the old Jeremiah still survived and wrote the diary but, ultimately, the evil undead counterpart took over completely. As for goading Patrick into killing him with the Scythe, that was the point, to be final sacrifice for the Undying King to awake - the last Covenant was needed and Patrick couldn't have been a replacement.
      • That might even be too optimistic. Consider that, upon realizing the Undying King is about to break free, Jeremiah asks for help from Galloway, an old war buddy. How did the Undying King get sealed away originally again? By burying a warrior alive at the standing stones.
  • Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series: Is Kane just a megalomanical madman bent on dominating the globe by manipulating countless millions of followers to destroy his enemies, or does he honestly care about humanity and earnestly believe in his purported quest to help mankind evolve and ascend? (Kane's depiction varies considerably from game to game. The writers promised to answer the questions with the release of C&C4. They didn't. Not even one of them.)
  • Cuphead: It's hard to tell with the bosses since all you do is fight them, but not all of them seem inherently evil. After all, Cuphead and Mugman lose their souls to the Devil and aren't evil. At least some of the debtors probably aren't evil, but they are none too keen to lose their souls so all of them resolve to go down fighting.

    D 
  • Dark Souls invites this with every character, but most notably with the Primordial Serpents, Frampt and Kaathe.
    • Frampt, who's willing to use deception to allow the Age of Fire to persevere, is either a Well-Intentioned Extremist, or he simply wants he and/or his allies in Gwyn's family to maintain their power.
    • Likewise, Kaathe could be honest in his intention to give rise to mankind by ushering in the Age of Dark, or he's being just as deceitful as Frampt, and that the Age of Dark will not be good for any mortal.
    • In the Dark Lord ending, both Frampt and Kaathe pledge to serve you. Does this mean that they were always working together to play both sides?
    • Gwyndolin gets hit with this pretty hard. Is he the true villain of the game who drove away the other gods so he could rule Anor Londo himself? Is his desire to continue the Age of Fire at the expense of the player make him the ultimate enemy of mankind? Is he a fiend who uses deception to rule and manipulate others merely to benefit himself? Is he a pragmatist who is aware of how disastrous the coming darkness will be for everyone, not just the gods and realizes that some sacrifices must be made? Is his status as the last deity in Anor Londo not something he actually intended? Is his use of the illusory Gwynevere a sign of vulnerability rather than manipulation? Is he secretly Velka, the black haired witch goddes of sin?
    • Griggs is unambiguously a spy for Vinheim. Is he really the Nice Guy he appears to be?
    • Abysswalker Artorias; Did he become a monsters by succumbing to darkness or was he convinced by Kaathe that the Age of Fire needs to end, and that the Age of Darkness, of Humanity must begin? Was his covenant with the Darkwraiths an alliance of convenience with Kaathe, so that he could gain the power to easily hunt the Darkwraiths? Find out in the PC version! (Or not.)
  • Dark Souls II: Much the same as its predecessor, several characters' motivations are hard to pin down exactly.
  • Deadly Premonition:
    • Thomas MacLaine. Was he simply homosexual and enjoyed dressing up as a woman or is he actually a transsexual woman? Players are divided between the first and second option, though the game neither denies or admits either option. Quite the opposite, it gives enough evidence for both, while remaining ambiguous.
    • Strangely enough, Kaysen's dog, Willie, was talked a lot about. Then Word of God kicked in. Since Willie was clearly more than just a regular dog, it was figured he was likely a deity. But was he benevolent or evil? According to the creators, Willie is the latter. He is Kaysen's keeper, his connection to the Red World and giving him information.
    • The original Raincoat Killer, a complete monster or more a mercy killer? When Harry recollects the events, the Raincoat Killer comes across as a beast, who killed anyone who came too close and even attacked his own son. Then, when the player actually experiences the events from the Raincoat Killer's point of view, he appears more like his killing the villagers was a mere act of ending their suffering the fastest way, when he realized that he couldn't stop the purple fog anymore.
  • The Illuminati and Morgan Everett in Deus Ex. Are the Illuminati against MJ12 because MJ12 controls the U.N., so, is in the position where the Illuminati want to be? Or is it because they believe that MJ12 aren't doing what is best for the world? Is Morgan's hypocrisy a sign that he is no better than MJ12 or that he needs to be the lesser of two evils? Given the fact there are sign of both sides, the answer's a guess at best.
    • Tracer Tong: dangerously naive idealist, or the only one who wishes to bring freedom to humanity? Does he work for the Triads for protection, uses them as his tool, or does he just not care about the drug trade and human trafficking?
  • Devil May Cry:
    • Vergil is ostensibly a power-hungry villain, but some fans believe this hunger developed from being too weak to save his (and Dante's) mother from demons when they were younger. His bio in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 seems to support this view.
    • The apparent split between Dante's playful stunt-pulling and his serious side has led to certain fans postulating that he might be using either Obfuscating Stupidity or a Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass triggered by demons.
    • It's possible, however unlikely, that Dante as depicted in DMC3 and DMC4 is actually something of a Genius Ditz, spitting out cliche one-liners and corny catchphrases while at the same time dishing out obscene amounts of punishment to the damned in the most stylish fashion imaginable.
    • It's been shown that Dante's usual opponents are demons who are, at least on a base power level, far stronger than he is. However, Dante is no slouch himself, and has the advantage of appearing human. So he acts like a jerk in order to piss off the demons, goading them into making stupid mistakes (thinking he is just a human with a big mouth) and then thrashing them with his unexpected strength in their moment of weakness. Dante has been shown to be extremely efficient when he is sure of what he is up against (see the opening of DMC4, not a pun made, just wham bam blast the old man) or when he knows his opponent has his measure (like Vergil).
    • Dante's final line (complete with a Cheshire Cat Grin) in DMC3 right before he and Lady team up to kick demon ass ("Well bring it on! I love this! This is what I live for! I'm absolutely crazy about it!") makes him look like a bit of a Blood Knight when it comes to demon hunting. However, when you consider all of the crap he had to deal with in no more than the span of a day or two (never mind Dante mourning Vergil's "death" not too long before that moment), it wouldn't be out of the question to interpret this as a physically and emotionally exhausted guy forcing himself to enjoy this fight. It's not even completely incongruent with Dante's Let's Get Dangerous! moments across the board or his spiel to Trish in the first game that he's in the business with the hopes of eventually hitting the jackpot and avenging his family.
    • Dante in 2. With the game's placement at the farthest end of the timeline so that Capcom can continue to conveniently forget the black sheep of the series (at least until 5 came along many years later), something had to have happened to our favorite devil hunter between games to explain the glaring dichotomy his personality presents when juxtaposed against every other depiction of the character. Perhaps Dante finally mellowed out over the years, but some fans even go as far as to offer up theories of a more cataclysmic nature. And the with the retcon to the timeline as of DMC5 that now places 2 before the events of 4, a common explanation is that Dante is having a depressive episode as a reaction to the events of the original game (namely Vergil's death), a funk that he doesn't fully recover from until meeting Nero—his nephew—in 4. (This line of thought is also a popular justification for Dante's less colorful personality in The Animated Series.)
    • For a character who has been described as little more than "human bride of Sparda, mother of Dante and Vergil," the (maybe) late Eva isn't safe from this either, particularly where Dante's descriptions of her in the first game are concerned. Eva looks like a kindly housewife and loving (if not fiercely protective) mother with Silk Hiding Steel vibes at a first glance, but Dante's comment to Trish that she lacks Eva's fire and his recount of her Heroic Sacrifice might say otherwise. Accepting elements from the non-canonical DMC2 novel and DMC3 manga and counting two other games by the original DMC's creator as part of the DMC mythos infinitely complicates things.
    • There is a lot of interpretation in regards to V, the human part of Vergil seen in 5, and their motivations. They appeared genuinely remorseful of their past actions but did not hesitate to re-merge with the defeated Urizen to become whole again. Was it their goal the entire time to regain their power and take revenge on Dante while subtly manipulating the protagonists to help them achieve that? Or was it a simple act of self-preservation as V's body was breaking apart? Or that in the long run, Vergil's resurrection was a better outcome than having Urizen run around unchecked? Given their eventual fate, we may never know the answer.
    • Nero gets a degree of this in Devil May Cry 5. Is he challenging Urizen because the latter took his arm? Or is this a way for Nero to prove himself to Dante? Or was this out of guilt of losing Yamato and indirectly enabling the demon invasion? The fact that Urizen easily defeated Dante only a month ago suggested that Nero knows he has little chance of winning but continues to press forward. Is Nero recklessly overestimating his abilities, borderline suicidal or simply desperate and running out of time given the threat Urizen poses?
  • This Dig Dug video.
  • Dishonored 2:
    • Delilah claimed that when they were children, Jessamine broke something and blamed her for it, leading Delilah to be beaten and her mother being fired and both of them being thrown out to the streets. Was Jessamine that cruel or was Delilah lying or rewriting history in her own mind?
      • Another interpretation is that Jessamine was a child who made a simple innocent mistake and might have been horrified by the unintended consequences. It is noted that the then-Spymaster and the guard-captain were the ones to violently beat Delilah and dismissed Delilah's mother. It also might be possible that Delilah's father was looking for an excuse to kick Delilah and her mother out as he had been uncomfortable with Delilah's insistence on being acknowledged and brought to court. So the above events all happened because Delilah's father wanted them gone.
  • Doom:
  • Dragon Quest:
    • Dragon Quest:
      • In other games that feature them, both the Hero and Princess Lora are seemingly interchangeable with their Kenshin/Swordmaster versions. The Kenshin hero at least wears the armor of the original's artwork sometimes, but the Kenshin Lora has been given bright scarlet-pink hair and an elaborate gown compared to her redheaded (soft purple in some art), gold-dressed original.
      • Princess Lora has also been interpreted as Yandere for her tendency to say "But Thou Must!!" if you answer no to any of her questions. Thus, she forces you to carry her around, say you love her, and marry her.
    • Dragon Quest II: In Japan, the Prince of Sumaltria/Cannock is said to be "a slacker, a drinker, and an overall really fun guy". Overseas, he is a "studious young man immersed in his studies" and "easy-going", "doesn't like to hurry", and "[makes] side-trips".
    • On the surface, Debora of Dragon Quest V is a shallow, conceited, self-absorbed Rich Bitch, a sharp contrast with her pampered sweet little sister Flora. Nearly everything she says makes it clear that in her view, it's all about her. However, she can also be read as an extremely TSUN-TSUN Tsundere, a Defrosting Ice Queen who fights to keep any vulnerabilities safely hidden behind a veneer of all-consuming Pride. Despite being spoiled rotten, it's made clear that she's The Unfavorite compared to her dear, gentle, sweet sister, who's loved by everyone while Debora herself is regarded with dismay. And if at least part of her attitude is a front, then the next question is: how much of it is an act, and how much is simple self-confidence?
    • Dragon Quest VI: Terry. Is he a selfish asshole who only comes around after being beaten silly by the party, or is he a Hurting Hero whose desire to become the greatest swordsman is fueled by the trauma of seeing his sister kidnapped (and not for the first time, either), and only acts like a jerk in an effort to push potential friends away so he doesn't lose them too? Also, was his Deal with the Devil with Dhuran a selfish act of spite just to gain more power, or an act of desperation after the party unknowingly crushed his lifelong dream by finding the Sword of Ramia before he could?
    • Dragon Quest VIII:
      • Given Yangus is willing to toss aside his pride for Red and they wind up Walking the Earth as traders in the ending, he probably has a crush on her and is too shy to admit it.
      • Marcello. Manipulative, self serving Jerkass? Well-Intentioned Extremist? A little bit of both?
      • Just how much influence the Scepter has over its wielders isn't explicitly established, leading to some speculation on how much of the original personality remains intact.
    • Dragon Quest IX: Patty is generally depicted in one of two ways. From the her introduction up to taking her position at the bar in the Quester's Rest, she's vigorous, forceful, and blunt bordering on rude, but the rest of the time she's sultry and prone to lounging, as she appears in some official art and the game's opening movie.
    • Dragon Quest XI:
      • Was Hendrik telling the truth to Jasper about always feeling inferior to him, or was he just telling his former friend what he wanted to hear so that Jasper could die happily?
      • Is Jasper's envy directed toward Sylvando as well as Hendrik? In act two Jasper wields the Silver Orb, which was taken from Don Rodrigo's villa some years before the game's events, according to a book in the mini medal academy. When the party face him at the Fortress of Fear, the collar of his costume evokes a flower -which are used in a number of Sylv's abilities and Pep Powers- and contains the very same heart symbol that is most likely Don Rodrigo's -and by extension Sylvando's- family crest. The very same heart pattern can be seen on The Don outfit, as well as the outer gates of Puerto Valor. It can be assumed he "stole" from Sylv because to Jasper, he was the person who took Hendrik away with the training in Puerto Valor, along with any chances he had of surpassing his old friend.
  • Dragon Age: Origins:
    • Loghain Mac Tir. Was he a tyrant drunk on power and willing to do anything, including betray his principles, his country and his own family, rather than lose that power and who sat idly by, fixating on a personal obsession with Orlais and those he paranoidly insists are in cahoots with them while the darkspawn rampaged unchecked across Ferelden? Or a true patriot honouring a lifetime of work in ensuring Ferelden's culture and freedom, no matter the cost? In both game-universe and among the fans, this is a hotly debated matter.
    • Arl Eamon Guerrin. Is he the Big Good, trying to unite Ferelden before it's too late to stop the darkspawn and insisting on putting Alistair on the throne to preserve the royal bloodline and Fereldan tradition? Or an opportunist using a boy he cast aside as a political tool to both get rid of a family of upjumped commoners with no claim to the throne and set himself up in a position of great power as chief advisor to the new king?
    • Queen Anora. Is she the High Queen, willing to do all that's necessary to preserve and protect Ferelden's people? Or like her father, is she just so accustomed to her power and her position, she would do anything, including betray her father and allies, to keep her position? And is her refusal to rein in Loghain's excesses until the very end simply unwillingness to act against her own father, or to try and scare a recalcitrant and hostile nobility into line?
  • "This game stars multi-billion dollar rich fuck Scrooge McDuck on an intercontinental quest to become even richer. Now, imagine flying into someone else's country, killing them with a cane and then taking all their treasure. Well, he's Scrooge McDuck, and I guess he can do whatever the fuck he wants. And remember: No matter how much money you got, it is always worth killing people with a cane for just a little bit more." (The Angry Video Game Nerd reviews DuckTales)
  • Dust: An Elysian Tail, being filled with unintentional grey morality, has wildly interpretative characters.
    • Is General Gaius a genocidal warmongerer who only cares about his kind? Or a patriot who's Just Following Orders and risks his own life to save a friend (Dust/Cassius, the amnesiac protagonist) from brainwashing? (In particular, his dialogue conflicts a lot with the Moonbloods' portrayal of him.)
      "But Cassius is gone...as is the world we once loved. Cherish it."
  • Dynasty Warriors and the work it is based on has a crapton of this. These are mostly on the Shu side, but to make it short...
    • Is Liu Bei really a noble ruler and warrior? Or is he just a naive and ambitious warlord who is not so different from his rivals and deluded by his ideals?
    • Is Zhuge Liang really a brilliant honourable strategist who wishes to see justice brought back to the world? Or is he just in it for his own prestige and fame?
    • Liu Shan. Is he really just a moron or even outright mentally handicapped? He was dropped on his head as a baby. Or is he actually a Brilliant, but Lazy/Book Dumb leader who employs Obfuscating Stupidity to get the upper hand?
    • The Shu Kingdom in general. Is it really the sapling for a new world of virtue and benevolence free from the bonds of the old, decadent and corrupt Chinese dynasties? Or are they just a nation of deluded Knight Templars who are only interested in glory and conquest? Worth pointing out that for all their talk of benevolence, in the ending of Dynasty Warriors Next, they kill their defeated enemies, much like Wei does (Wu, the most openly expansionist and aggressive nation, is interestingly the only one that allows the other warlords to live and even views them as valued allies with a rightful place in their new kingdom). Pragmatism, or a sign of Shu's darker side?
  • Dyztopia: Post-Human RPG:
    • After the player beats Barbados's data in the Battle Lab, Detritus turns out to despise Barbados for mindlessly obeying Zetacorp regardless of the consequences. It's implied that he sees himself in Barbados as a disposable pawn to Zetacorp and doesn't like being reminded of his past loyalty to Zazz.
    • Due to Akari referring to humans as parasites as well as her nihilistic desires, it's implied that she expects and hopes for them to ruin the Earth's environment in the pursuit of wealth and resources, making her an Omnicidal Maniac. This is supported by Asterisk's disdain for humanity because of the harm they caused to the planet.
    • After Akira's party still maintains mixed publicity after Zazz and Morgalia's false flag bombing of Vulcanite, Zazz stops making any real effort to keep Akira from reaching Zetacorp. While this is part of his Xanatos Gambit to get the Zodiac Stones to the sleeping humans, the fact that he doesn't put up more of a fight implies that he may be hoping to die in battle against Akira, due to his grievances over his immortal life.
    • Virgo can either become Akira's ally or oppose them, which seems like a branching path with little justification. However, if Virgo is recruited, her bonding event reveals that she was bitter about Akira handing her over to Zetacorp, which likely ruined her trust in Akira even though the latter is now actively opposing Zetacorp. It's implied that Virgo's mentality between the two possible routes is actually mostly the same and that she was on the fence about whether or not to give Akira another chance.

    E 

    F 
  • Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly:
    • Mayu can be viewed several different ways. Is she a sweet, helpless girl who the main antagonist has taken particular interest in and who you want to keep safe at all times? Is she an irritating little wimp who you need to keep safe at all times? Or is she an obsessively crazy young woman who deliberately fell off a cliff just to guilt Mio into staying with her forever?
    • There's an in-universe example that appears to apply to Ayako:
      Sakuya: That child goes around with an air of evil and fear around her, but I know she is really very gentle and vulnerable.
  • Alma, of F.E.A.R: is she a Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds with a major Freudian Excuse, or is she an evil, crazy, ghost of an evil, crazy, girl with psychic powers who does terrible things for no reason, and was was killed off for the good of the world?
  • Due to the vague nature of Five Nights at Freddy's and the sequel, the characters are interpreted differently:
    • Mike Schmidt/Jeremy Fitzgerald is either the child murderer, an innocent guy who is desperate for money, or someone who takes the job on purpose to find out the truth behind the restaurant's past.
    • The Phone Guy is either the real villain, someone who worked with the true villain, or someone who's just trying to help out the night guards.
    • The manager is either someone who honestly wants the pizzeria to be successful or is the true villain.

Previous

Index

Next

  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Wide Load

Important Links

Ask The Tropers Trope Finder Media Finder Trope Launch Pad Tech Wishlist Reviews Go Ad Free!
Crucial Browsing
Resources
Top