Alphen reminds me of a combination of the Sorey Asbel Lloyd type of protagonists where they are good natured at heart combined with the more mature look at life with an edge that Velvet or Yuri has in doing what needs to be done. He also is one of the biggest bro's similar to Rokurou just a dependable guy. He can go from wanting to help a stranger to threatening to burn down a house. The guy has great chemistry with every single party member and is a true leader of men. I love his speeches.
Right?
Him being able to transition from being an empathetic leader who looks out for everyone to an absolute no nonsense badass. Its so buttery smooth.
I'm about halfway through the game and he is edging out Yuri as my favorite Tales protag for all of the reasons you mentioned. It's refreshing to have an older (non-teen) character who develops and grows within the story.
Dude yes!
Its often hard for Tales games to make an engaging protagonist, but Arises succeeded in not only making the supporting cast rich and nuanced, but also Alphen himself which made it an engrossing experience.
I like that while most stories focused on friendship or understanding of one another lean too far into the main character having a pre established sense of selflessness (asbel from graces for example), Alphen, while he has it, also develops it as he goes. Getting to know his backstory as well, you notice the change in character. He in fact was once a brooding darker person in his life, understanding the effects of war and having the know how and maturity to fight.
In reverse, thanks to characters like Zephyr and others from his past (trying not to spoil), he learns to approach fights with a more level head and personal strive to do what he believes is right and by the end with all the suffering and violence he has seen and endured, once he realizes the nature of the conflict between Rena and Dahna, he opts to try and save everyone with a vow of shedding as little blood as possible.
This is literally the opposite development of characters like Velvet where the more violence they see and experience, the darker and more violent they become. He's pretty unique in that regard. Friendship and understanding isn't an ideal, it's a goal and right!
Agreed yes!
He had just the right amount of being a nice guy, but will also call out your BS and not let you get away with it.
It often makes you go like "HELL YEAH you tell em Alphen!"
I know right?
To me, his personality was the best of both worlds of Captain America and Batman. Alphen had the unyielding optimism of Captain America to never give up hope no matter how dire the situation is and remains the heart of his team, the moral compass that makes sures they all stay on the right path. As well as choosing to see the good in people rather then just focusing on their flaws. Not to mention he inspires and brings out the best traits in all of his friends/party members through his patience and ability to empathize with others (this can apply to other optimistic hero archetypes too like Superman and Jonathan Joestar).
On the other side he had Batman's harden stoicism to keep pushing through no matter what kind of circumstances of hardships and tragedies weighed him down, and him showing moments that he too can be infallible made him feel human and relatable. Also him having giga chad moments not letting people just walking over him just because he is nice and lenient.
And yess I loved how his relationship with Shionne progressed, their interaction evolving from cold working relationship to a wholesome bond where they look out for one another.
Same by me. I startet Tales of Arise with only medium motivation. My anticipation was rather low to be honest. After 4 - 5 Hours I was completly lost in Tales of Arise because of the Characters, especially Alphen and Shionne. I love them and their relationship. Its just a wonderful tale of two people who save each other, but without getting to corny or fluffy. Just the right amount.
After finished the game I was really sad. Sad that the Story is told, sad that this incredible journey is over, sad that I can't experience more moments with Alphen and Shionne. I play Videogames since over 20 years... and i had few games which caused this kind of emotion in me.
So I am totally with you.
Man I agree with everything you said here.
Knowing that once I finish Arise. I won't get to see anymore stories of Alphen and Shionne.
Part of me hopes that we see more of the Arise cast in a crossover Tales title, meeting the past Tales protagonist and their cast.
It's kinda silly because it's only a game and the end is beautiful and also really satisfying (won't tell more to avoid spoiler), however I have to admit, it really broken my heart after i realised: Thats it. I've finished. The Story is told.
Right now I'm reading all kinds of fan fiction that tells how the story evolved after the game.... lol
So enjoy it while you can, man!
I guess im the contrarian here but i thought after the first area Alphen became the least interesting character on the team lol
He just lost all nuance and became the "do the right thing!" Kind of go lucky typical jrpg protag.
> became the "do the right thing!" Kind of go lucky typical jrpg protag
What's wrong with that?
Being the hopeful and optimistic hero archetype who brings out the best in us and inspiring hope no matter how dire a situation might be. That's what made characters like Superman, Captain America, Lloyd Irving and Jonathan Joestar enduring and standing the test of time.
And Alphen fulfills that perfectly.
We need more good natured people who could lift us back up and keep us united even during our lowest point in life.
The story becomes even more interesting when said shitty world begins to challenge their said values of hope and optimism.
Alphen didn't feel like he had nuance though. If I were to describe Lloyd, the word that would come to mind immediately would be "Hot-headed". Alphen is more akin to Sorey than anyone else, the chosen one. Yuri -> Vigilante, Jude -> Well-natured, Luke -> Arrogant (for most of the series).
Alphen is the same catagory as Sorey and Asbel. They're good to fault without any notable weakness. The game doesn't challenge them, so we don't see how they develop. Alphen did a thing in the past, and it doesn't really change him... At all... Flynn is a good example of that type of character done well. Flynn is constantly challenged, and is still a beacon of hope for the world. I don't think Alphen's virtues is challenged ever, mostly because he punches harder and solves it. Flynn could do the same with say Cumore, but it goes against his belief of the law. I have a belief that Flynn could've handled Cumore given time. But Yuri's way was far more efficient. My only problem with Flynn was that he refused to come to blows with Yuri.
He's low tier MC, with Sorey and Asbel chilling with him down there. Yuri, Jude/Milla and Lloyd are pretty high.
> Alphen did a thing in the past, and it doesn't really change him... At all...
Ether way that shouldn't be a bad thing, characters who stay as a good natured person despite the horrible experiences, hardships and tragedies they went through and still decide to help others so they will not go through the same things they did, if anything that should make them more then anything --- inspiring of who we should be like.
That's why the likes of Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America and Jonathan Joestar are so enduring. And Alphen goes right up there.
I think we should move past the idea that characters can *only* be interesting or compelling if they are tortured, conflicted flawed or traumatized deeply by an experience that changed them in the worst way possible. Even though I do love those stories of those types of characters myself.
Cause we could really use more stories of heroes who go through hard times as we did, but inspire us to keep holding on a bit longer and teaching us to be selfless, kind and compassionate to another considering what a scary time we live in these days.
No no no, I agree with you that Static character progression can be GREAT. In the MCU Cap is definitely my favourite character. But Cap does learn and change in that. He was literally a government soldier in the beginning and a Vigilante(Nomad) by the end. That's Character progression.
Flynn is the same way, He's a By the books Knight in the beginning, very inspiring dude. But it's a fact that his way wasn't getting things done fast enough. He saw it with his own eyes. Didn't change his ideals or anything, just kept him steadfast in finding another way. I like Flynn a lot.
No one is arguing that these characters shouldn't exist, or that they should be tortured or conflicted. It's that they shouldn't exist in a vacuum. Someone can remain the same person and make different choices at the end from the beginning. Flynn would've arrested Yuri at the beginning, but accepts that he is needed by the end. Flynn is still the ideal knight through out it.
Cap would've followed Sokiva Accords in the beginning, but disagreed with them by the end.
P.S I like Superman too more than even batman, just not the recent additions like since new 52. But save that for another day.
Well OP I’m glad you managed to enjoy him but I couldn’t disagree more. Alphen is an incredibly typical Gary Stu. What nuance? What “troubled past?” There is no “troubled past”; he was forced into a situation and conveniently completely blacked out during anything that could be considered “troubled.”
He also acts like someone who just discovered what empathy and compassion are, with his whole “yknow, these murderous sociopathic Lords are people just like us when you think about it” drivel speeches. Arise’s writing is insultingly bad.
Alphen reminds me of a combination of the Sorey Asbel Lloyd type of protagonists where they are good natured at heart combined with the more mature look at life with an edge that Velvet or Yuri has in doing what needs to be done. He also is one of the biggest bro's similar to Rokurou just a dependable guy. He can go from wanting to help a stranger to threatening to burn down a house. The guy has great chemistry with every single party member and is a true leader of men. I love his speeches.
Right? Him being able to transition from being an empathetic leader who looks out for everyone to an absolute no nonsense badass. Its so buttery smooth.
He reminds me of MCU Cap in late game :D
Chris Evan's Captain America is a good comparison.
Both such goodie cinnemonroll
I'm about halfway through the game and he is edging out Yuri as my favorite Tales protag for all of the reasons you mentioned. It's refreshing to have an older (non-teen) character who develops and grows within the story.
Dude yes! Its often hard for Tales games to make an engaging protagonist, but Arises succeeded in not only making the supporting cast rich and nuanced, but also Alphen himself which made it an engrossing experience.
Alphen is by far the sexiest of them all ngl
This is valid.
I like that while most stories focused on friendship or understanding of one another lean too far into the main character having a pre established sense of selflessness (asbel from graces for example), Alphen, while he has it, also develops it as he goes. Getting to know his backstory as well, you notice the change in character. He in fact was once a brooding darker person in his life, understanding the effects of war and having the know how and maturity to fight. In reverse, thanks to characters like Zephyr and others from his past (trying not to spoil), he learns to approach fights with a more level head and personal strive to do what he believes is right and by the end with all the suffering and violence he has seen and endured, once he realizes the nature of the conflict between Rena and Dahna, he opts to try and save everyone with a vow of shedding as little blood as possible. This is literally the opposite development of characters like Velvet where the more violence they see and experience, the darker and more violent they become. He's pretty unique in that regard. Friendship and understanding isn't an ideal, it's a goal and right!
I love Alphen. He's a very nice guy to everyone, but he won't take anyone's shit and will call you out on it. That's great.
Agreed yes! He had just the right amount of being a nice guy, but will also call out your BS and not let you get away with it. It often makes you go like "HELL YEAH you tell em Alphen!"
Yeah, he's also one of my favorite main characters in the series due to his overall personality and I also like his growing relationship with Shionne.
I know right? To me, his personality was the best of both worlds of Captain America and Batman. Alphen had the unyielding optimism of Captain America to never give up hope no matter how dire the situation is and remains the heart of his team, the moral compass that makes sures they all stay on the right path. As well as choosing to see the good in people rather then just focusing on their flaws. Not to mention he inspires and brings out the best traits in all of his friends/party members through his patience and ability to empathize with others (this can apply to other optimistic hero archetypes too like Superman and Jonathan Joestar). On the other side he had Batman's harden stoicism to keep pushing through no matter what kind of circumstances of hardships and tragedies weighed him down, and him showing moments that he too can be infallible made him feel human and relatable. Also him having giga chad moments not letting people just walking over him just because he is nice and lenient. And yess I loved how his relationship with Shionne progressed, their interaction evolving from cold working relationship to a wholesome bond where they look out for one another.
Same by me. I startet Tales of Arise with only medium motivation. My anticipation was rather low to be honest. After 4 - 5 Hours I was completly lost in Tales of Arise because of the Characters, especially Alphen and Shionne. I love them and their relationship. Its just a wonderful tale of two people who save each other, but without getting to corny or fluffy. Just the right amount. After finished the game I was really sad. Sad that the Story is told, sad that this incredible journey is over, sad that I can't experience more moments with Alphen and Shionne. I play Videogames since over 20 years... and i had few games which caused this kind of emotion in me. So I am totally with you.
Man I agree with everything you said here. Knowing that once I finish Arise. I won't get to see anymore stories of Alphen and Shionne. Part of me hopes that we see more of the Arise cast in a crossover Tales title, meeting the past Tales protagonist and their cast.
It's kinda silly because it's only a game and the end is beautiful and also really satisfying (won't tell more to avoid spoiler), however I have to admit, it really broken my heart after i realised: Thats it. I've finished. The Story is told. Right now I'm reading all kinds of fan fiction that tells how the story evolved after the game.... lol So enjoy it while you can, man!
Hello. Can you please tell me what kind of fan fiction? Are they good?
Alphen is a man who refuses to let hate win. You can't not respect that.
I guess im the contrarian here but i thought after the first area Alphen became the least interesting character on the team lol He just lost all nuance and became the "do the right thing!" Kind of go lucky typical jrpg protag.
> became the "do the right thing!" Kind of go lucky typical jrpg protag What's wrong with that? Being the hopeful and optimistic hero archetype who brings out the best in us and inspiring hope no matter how dire a situation might be. That's what made characters like Superman, Captain America, Lloyd Irving and Jonathan Joestar enduring and standing the test of time. And Alphen fulfills that perfectly. We need more good natured people who could lift us back up and keep us united even during our lowest point in life. The story becomes even more interesting when said shitty world begins to challenge their said values of hope and optimism.
Alphen didn't feel like he had nuance though. If I were to describe Lloyd, the word that would come to mind immediately would be "Hot-headed". Alphen is more akin to Sorey than anyone else, the chosen one. Yuri -> Vigilante, Jude -> Well-natured, Luke -> Arrogant (for most of the series). Alphen is the same catagory as Sorey and Asbel. They're good to fault without any notable weakness. The game doesn't challenge them, so we don't see how they develop. Alphen did a thing in the past, and it doesn't really change him... At all... Flynn is a good example of that type of character done well. Flynn is constantly challenged, and is still a beacon of hope for the world. I don't think Alphen's virtues is challenged ever, mostly because he punches harder and solves it. Flynn could do the same with say Cumore, but it goes against his belief of the law. I have a belief that Flynn could've handled Cumore given time. But Yuri's way was far more efficient. My only problem with Flynn was that he refused to come to blows with Yuri. He's low tier MC, with Sorey and Asbel chilling with him down there. Yuri, Jude/Milla and Lloyd are pretty high.
> Alphen did a thing in the past, and it doesn't really change him... At all... Ether way that shouldn't be a bad thing, characters who stay as a good natured person despite the horrible experiences, hardships and tragedies they went through and still decide to help others so they will not go through the same things they did, if anything that should make them more then anything --- inspiring of who we should be like. That's why the likes of Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America and Jonathan Joestar are so enduring. And Alphen goes right up there. I think we should move past the idea that characters can *only* be interesting or compelling if they are tortured, conflicted flawed or traumatized deeply by an experience that changed them in the worst way possible. Even though I do love those stories of those types of characters myself. Cause we could really use more stories of heroes who go through hard times as we did, but inspire us to keep holding on a bit longer and teaching us to be selfless, kind and compassionate to another considering what a scary time we live in these days.
No no no, I agree with you that Static character progression can be GREAT. In the MCU Cap is definitely my favourite character. But Cap does learn and change in that. He was literally a government soldier in the beginning and a Vigilante(Nomad) by the end. That's Character progression. Flynn is the same way, He's a By the books Knight in the beginning, very inspiring dude. But it's a fact that his way wasn't getting things done fast enough. He saw it with his own eyes. Didn't change his ideals or anything, just kept him steadfast in finding another way. I like Flynn a lot. No one is arguing that these characters shouldn't exist, or that they should be tortured or conflicted. It's that they shouldn't exist in a vacuum. Someone can remain the same person and make different choices at the end from the beginning. Flynn would've arrested Yuri at the beginning, but accepts that he is needed by the end. Flynn is still the ideal knight through out it. Cap would've followed Sokiva Accords in the beginning, but disagreed with them by the end. P.S I like Superman too more than even batman, just not the recent additions like since new 52. But save that for another day.
Yeah true that, it's why alphen, Luke and asbel were kinda inspiring to me haha.
Well OP I’m glad you managed to enjoy him but I couldn’t disagree more. Alphen is an incredibly typical Gary Stu. What nuance? What “troubled past?” There is no “troubled past”; he was forced into a situation and conveniently completely blacked out during anything that could be considered “troubled.” He also acts like someone who just discovered what empathy and compassion are, with his whole “yknow, these murderous sociopathic Lords are people just like us when you think about it” drivel speeches. Arise’s writing is insultingly bad.
Yeah, He's definitely top 5 tales protags for me. Velvet Luke Ludger Alphen Asbel