Why does everyone hate Vaan?

TheRealTrxd

Blue Mage
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I've been playing XII a lot recently and I'm genuinely confused by it. What I always hear is "He's a pussy" "He's annoying" "He's whiny" and I just don't friggin get it. Especially "He's a pussy" people always say that and its like... wut? Vaan was never a pussy, he was a really brave character that was kinda the whole point, he broke into a palace and defended himself against sky pirates when they wanted to steal his stone. As for "He's whiny" I'm going to need a quote or something because I haven't heard him complain about his journey or anything so far, he just gets on with it, to me his "Let's just do this" attitude makes him pretty likeable.

I'm fine with people saying he wasn't an important character, because that's true, he and Penelo and Fran didn't have any ties to the real plot of XII... does that make them bad?

It's just seeing him bashed everywhere I go... it's really... sad :(
 
I'm fine with people saying he wasn't an important character, because that's true, he and Penelo and Fran didn't have any ties to the real plot of XII... does that make them bad?(

If Vaan was a side character, then no, it wouldn't be bad. But he is portrayed as the main character of the game. People want their main character to be involved in some way. This is the reason I didn't really like him. Why would I want to play as a character that has nothing to do with the main story of the game I am playing? I want the hero to have a purpose, not just be a tag along follower.
 
He was never originally involved in the backstory of the empire, why it was doing what it was doing and what was happening within it, but he wasn't "just a follower". He came with the party because he had every reason to fight the empire, to put a stop to the war, just as everyone from dalmasca and Rozarria did. Sure he meant nothing to the empire but the empire didn't mean nothing to him, he had a reason to be there...
 
I am by no means a Vaan hater, but he did get on my nerves at times. Always proclaiming that he will one day become a sky pirate...Ok we get it.

I dunno, it just seemed like there were many times they made him seem so dumb. I remember there were times when I was thinking "he really didn't just say that, did he?"

As far a Vaan being whiny, he was nothing compared to Hope in XIII.
 
I agree with you man. Vaan has too much hate, yet I dont see him doing anything to deserve it. Just because he doesn't play a huge role in the events (which he doesn't have any control of btw) doesn't seem like a reason to hate him. He had an attitude that I kind of respected. He didn't have to play the dark story role like the others and whats more he was a guy with a dream. And instead of just sitting around and falling victum to some unfortunate events, he actually goes out there and makes things happen. Its people like him and Ramza that gain more of my respect. Vaan a winner in my book :)
 
A lot of people have a problem with the point of view character not being the 'main' character. If Basch had been the point of view character, he still wouldn't have been the 'main' character; XII didn't really have a main protagonist, and if it did, it would have been Ashe.

Vaan gets a lot of flak for that reason.
 
A lot of people have a problem with the point of view character not being the 'main' character. If Basch had been the point of view character, he still wouldn't have been the 'main' character; XII didn't really have a main protagonist, and if it did, it would have been Ashe.

Vaan gets a lot of flak for that reason.

I think Basch and Ashe could both be considered main characters, just like Terra and Celes for VI.

Vaan as the main character is kinda pointless, since he only goes on about Reks until about shortly after you rescue Basch. And at the point, the focus pretty much goes to Basch until you rescue Ashe, at which it focuses on her.
 
Vaan's reception is interesting. The most common reason for the hate is of course, the fact that he's sort of sidelined once people like Ashe and Basch enter the playing field despite being like the figurehead-like lead character of the game. People just expect the supposed lead of the story to be the main focus of attention, so when Vaan wasn't getting it, he's easily depicted as being as being like an uninvolved afterthought. That doesn't justify the actual hate towards him in my opinion. It's perfectly acceptable to dislike him for it, but I do agree, he doesn't exactly deserve the full brunt of the hate for being so sidelined. He certainly could have been a lot more then the eventual spectator he was, though I acknowledge that at least he had interests in toppling the Empire whereas some characters in other games like Amarant and Quina, I just can't remember for the life of me just why they're there and why they're tagging along. If there had been some more focus on Vaan rather than having him see the Occurian illusion of Rasler from time to time (which was in itself a feeble illusionary attempt at displaying some importance in the character that went hardly anywhere), then fine - it would be far easier to see him as being a genuine lead character.

Whining? Well yeah, he did a bit of that when he saw Basch for the first time, but that was nothing on the scale of other characters in other games like Hope. At least Vaan did quickly settle his animosity and trust Basch rather than deciding to blast him off a building and knife what was left of him. Once he quickly accepted that Basch was not a traitor, I hardly heard a peep from him, so he only ever had one instance of whining and even then it wasn't that bad. Pussy? I've never gained that impression. I don't remember him running away. I remember him standing up to Gabranth. He may not have been the shining example of badassery, but I don't think he was ever a pussy and neither have I heard people say he was. :hmmm:
 
Everyone else pretty much said it all.
The thing about FFXII was that it revolved around the world and not the main character who seems to be Vaan. A while back, I read somewhere that Vaan was never really intended to be a "protagonist," he was used more to show how their world of Ivalice was changing through the eyes of a regular citizen. That's why I think he's seen as unimportant and unnecessary, for having no real input to the story. I for one like stories that revolve around the main character, but oh well.
The bond between brothers is strong, and assuming that Vaan and Reks were really close (since they were both orphaned and had no one else but each other), it is really understandable that Vaan would bring up Reks's death and get all angry and whine. I get how people find that annoying, but if you were in a situation like his and you were faced with the man who supposedly killed your brother, you'd want to throw a punch or two, right?
I think Vaan's personality has to do with it too, it's like real life. The way some people act and their personalities, sometimes you just hate them right away and want them to just shut up, but other people absolutely love that person. People have different tastes :P He doesn't really deserve hate, but that's just how it is.
 
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