Relatablity: We all have it

So, I have not played any games with much narrative leaning this week. This is in part because, at the time of writing, my second semester just started, and I've been swamped. However, I had a thought while sitting in class and having one of my bi-weekly existential panic attacks.

Stories and fictional characters exist so we can live out and experience some facet of the human condition in a safe and regulated manner, hopefully finding something that connects to a viewer and makes them feel like their problems are conquerable. As I've been saying over the past few weeks, video games are no different, even better in certain areas. However, that is not what I want to talk about this week. Instead, I want to get at what makes a character identifiable and relatable, regardless of race, gender, or nationality.

The key to likable, relatable characters is a human core, something we have all dealt with. Whether it's been loss, determination, depression, etc., things are universal to all humans. Cause we've all been sad, we've all felt alienated, we've all felt dissatisfied with the world, so these are the things characters need to become relatable. I'm not saying race or gender can't be an essential or central part of a character; instead, those should inform the human aspect we can all relate to. So with that in mind, let me tell you about one of my favorite characters in gaming, Cordelia from Fire Emblem Awakening.

To set the record straight, yes, I am a man, and this woman is one of the most relatable game characters to me. Setting aside all the awesome things about her, such as the fact that she's a hard worker constantly improving herself only to make things easier for others; cause while that is part of the reason why I like her so much, it's not the main reason. That reason falls with her fault, her fatal flaw if you will. Despite being a badass in every sense of the word, she is incredibly self-conscious, thinking everything she does is inadequate. She beats herself up for not reaching the insanely high goals she's set for herself, despite being amazing already.

Something that I struggle with occasionally as well, having that sense that what I'm doing isn't good enough no matter how many people tell me the opposite. So seeing someone work with a similar issue and come to some level of peace with it is inspiring. She shows that this feeling can be overcome given the right mindset and people, which is a comforting thought to have during those panic attacks.

Cordelia is a fantastic character because she has these human and relatable flaws, something that transcends race and gender and hits at the heart of the human condition, the fear of inadequacy. So if you want characters that will be remembered for years to come, ask yourself, what is my character's problem, how do they solve it, and how can everyone take comfort in their success?

I hope you found something interesting

Peace.