#belkar

[inbarfink]

So although Order of the Stick is explicitly textually not an actual D&D game with actual players, it’s pretty cool how well Belkar’s character arc work not just as your usual ‘asshole character learns to care’ story but also mirrors the narrative of an asshole troll player learning to play the game seriously.

Like, while the whole Order kinda plays on standard D&D Class Stereotypes on some level, Belkar was always the one who played more into a Player Archetype than a Character Archetype. Maybe because that Player Archetype is often defined as lacking an interest in serious Roleplaying.

I mean, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to play a tabletop RPG just for dice-throwing and violence. The problem with That Kind Player is more when they attach themselves to a group that is otherwise interested in character and plot - and rather than finding some sort of compromise with the rest of the group or just looking for a new one more amicable to random violence - they keep hanging around while expressing just a total disinterest in the plot.

And caring for really nothing but scoring as many kills as possible, even if it gets in the way of the group’s general strategy...

And/or the DM trying to tell a compelling narrative...

And sometimes just being disruptive and causing conflict for the lols.

Also, Belkar has, like, objectively the worst build in the entire Order and he started out with no understanding of his Class outside the Two-Weapon Fighting. He really does act just like the One Guy who really wanted to play a double-wielding character because it’s badass, saw it’s a Free Ranger Feat and refused to read any of the other features or flavor text of the class.

So when he befriends Mr. Scruffy, it’s not just the ‘Mean Character Warms His Heart to a Cute Animal’ trope - it’s also figuratively about a player learning how to actually play and roleplay his Class and use other class features that are not directly related to just Stab the Enemies and They Fall Down.

And so much of his character arc is about the realization that he doesn’t really know himself. It is a character arc from an in-universe person but it also parallels a narrative of someone who is learning how to engage with his character for the first time and almost, like, retconning more connection between Belkar and his non-combat class features as the metaphorical Player becomes more invested in using them.

And it’s just… pretty interesting, in a stage where OOTS is really moving away from meta-D&D jokes - that the most meta-D&D part of the comic is the pretty-serious character arc of one of the main party members

And, I dunno…

[barryogg]

new rpg reaction image

[grassknotts]

Fan art I drew of Belkar Bitterleaf dying in a glue trap

[thecomicalquail]

[Image decsription: A panel from Order of the Stick. Elan asks, "Wait, can Xykon not taste ice cream? That's so sad!" Belkar replies, "Don't be dumb. What would be the point of sticking around forever, than?" Elan replies, "Yeah, I guess so." End description.]

Is anyone else going a little bit insane over this exchange or is it just me?

[canontypicalgoblins]

greetings to all 14 of the order of the stick fans

[oots-out-of-context]

[airinyourtires]

belkar, or as i like to call him,

[greatwyrmgold]

I feel like this triptych is a pretty good summation of where Belkar's character is at this point. He's trying to be less of a Chaotic Evil murder-hobbit, but it's hard to do that when he cares about stuff.

[theuberadventurer]

Officially caught up with this comic, and...

I think we need to address how Durkon said that Belkar is the fourth party member he would choose to marry.

Like, who's in the top three in that case? Who the hell is fifth?

[trainwreckgenerator]

guess who still cares a lot about a bunch of stick figures in the year 2023. hi its me i care hello

[vaarsuvius-and-blackwing]

RICH BURLEW WHEN I CATCH YOU-

[cosmicsodacan-art]

ewww gross (original strip)

[gozuforce]

This is still my favorite joke in all of Order of the Stick.

The simple but overwhelming putdown of Belkar's murder hobo shtick is so satisfying

[grassknotts]

Can't find the original post that the chart is from but here's this :3

[slurmcore]

Sooo... there's this critically acclaimed webcomic 👉👈

[canontypicalgoblins]

idk if i’ve mentioned how much i love belkar and durkon’s relationship and how so much of it is integral to belkar’s growth into a better person on here before but. i do love it a lot.