#his loyalty mission is so good characterization wise

[wingsofthesun]

I find this conversation very telling.

Especially what he says in the third picture: "I have to do this."

Garrus is still grieving the loss of his team, and, even if he mostly blames himself, he also blames Sidonis for being the one to betray the Archangel squad.

But Garrus dodges the question when Shepard asks him if this is what he really wants. He doesn't say he wants to do this, he says he needs to. There's a huge difference between those two statements.

And in the final picture, he says "I'll live with the consequences."

To me, this means that, deep down, Garrus knows full well that killing Sidonis won't bring him peace. He knows that it won't stop him from grieving his squad. He knows that killing him won't bring anyone back.

Garrus doesn't want to kill Sidonis.

He only thinks he needs to kill him to avenge his squad.

[zaeedsflipflops]

Zaeed, Kasumi, Joker!

Full disclosure, I don't know why I reblogged this ask game bc I almost never remember my first impressions of anything lmao

Zaeed

First impression: lol I don't know. I think I enjoyed him.

Impression now: He is my favorite shitty elderly man full of rage and chaos and horrible morals. I just really get such a kick out of him. Maybe it's bc I immediately drew a parallel between him and my beloved Shepard so I was like "oh he is beloved too now I guess". Nasty man. Evil.

Favorite moment: I like when he's stuck under that burning pillar 🥰

Idea for a story: So many, weirdly. But none that focus on him. I just want him to pop up in other characters' stories.

Unpopular opinion: LISTEN. LISTEN. i KNOW in my heart zaeed is a stinky man who smells like old dish rags and, like, garlic for some reason. but like... his game model could get it, you know? his va is robin sachs. like. 👀

Favorite relationship: I like him and Garrus' interactions. Zaeed is like the Bad Future for Garrus. them interacting is enjoyable and brings out the worst in both of them and that's so sexy and fun

Kasumi

First impression: I don't remember specifics, but I liked her. I thought her hood was cool.

Impression now: I love her now, and I love how playful but also wise/street smart she is. It's kind of refreshing to have a character with both traits. I just wish she had more content in ME2 (and ME3, but the same goes for all ME2 squad mates).

Favorite moment: Probably during her loyalty mission when she explodes at Hock. her voice actor is really good at showing her range from playfully indifferent facade to grief and anger.

Idea for a story: I'd love to see some of her and Keiji's heists explored

Unpopular opinion: I don't know if I have one? tbh I don't think I even know the popular opinions about her

Favorite relationship: @bluhawke has opened my eyes to the idea of the Kasumi and Thane friendship and I hate that they don't really interact

Joker

First impression: idk. probably funny pilot guy who wisecracks

Impression now: I like his characterization a lot. I like that they have him in that wisecracking sidekick role to Shepard but he's very much his own person. I love that he's got so much anger inside him. I feel like I don't see a lot of angry characters who aren't just Mad all the time, but whose anger comes out less obviously

Favorite moment: I love when he and Shepard steal the Normandy and share that little look and it just gets me all pumped up for the story, and it's also like, the subtle camaraderie and loyalty 🤌

Idea for a story: Some Shoker thing. A rewrite of some ME3 stuff I don't love.

Unpopular opinion: Unpopular idk, but I think he should've been a romance option. I'm also not a huge fan of him and EDI as a couple. I don't hate it, but it doesn't sit super well with me for various reasons.

Favorite relationship: Him and Shepard, platonic or not. he's kind of the only person on the Normandy in ME1 who doesn't open up to Shepard and is just kind of in the background, but he comes thru at the end and then follows Shep to Cerberus. he never mentions how Shep died saving him and downplays it but it comes out in ME3 that it's clearly been bothering him. Like I love the loyalty plus the emotional unavailability of him and Shepard. It's interesting

[beatricebidelaire]

i’ve been playing around my jacques characterizations for a bit because like yes unquestionably loyal, almost blindingly loyal to vfd is a reasonable interpretation but once i write a character too many times i get bored and i want to tweak and explore things a bit, plus there’s also the bit where he helped his brother go on the lam and continued to work on clearing his name, something that probably don’t exactly align with vfd’s interests and they probably didn’t think worth putting efforts in.

also we see in atwq lemony was leading a rebellion of some sorts and also he regularly communicated with kit etc and even then jacques, who seemed less close to lemony than kit, who supposedly put vfd first before everything going by the blindingly loyal image, helped him go on the lam, continued to work on clearing his name, check in with olivia to find out if he’s alive.

general actions-wise and missions wise, he was probably loyal, doing what vfd needed him to, but whether he believe wholeheartedly was a different story, or else he needn’t try to keep jerome away. like i think J is a careful person and maybe he sees his loyalty to vfd a way of protecting his family, specifically his siblings. to make sure someone in the family remains in good favor with vfd. and i think it’d be interesting if the tea thing is something he made up, an excuse for him to let others finish tea when he does it, and he’s aware that doesn’t change anything, but he believed himself in the position that he could only afford small kindnesses that don’t seem to matter. he does those, fully aware that most of the time these small gestures don’t matter, but sometimes that’s all he could offer, and he thinks he’s probably a coward for not doing more, like his brother would, but also he has to keep believing in these small kindnesses still matter in some small way even if it doesn’t change anything, so he’s judging himself for only doing this but at the same time he continued to, as long as he could, because he thinks that’s all he could afford to, in his position, now.

he doesn’t believe in the grand vfd ideal even if he does believe that the goal was pure once, before things got complicated, but he still believe in some parts of it, while awfully aware of the flaw and cracks of vfd, but also believing he couldn’t really change anything and it’s too risky for him to do anything big, but he could afford small things, and he could try to protect his siblings, so that’s what he’s going to continue to do, even he thinks his siblings won’t agree and might think he should do more

anyway just some thought processes probably doesn’t make sense but J fascinated me and i want to carve out deeper different facets then the usual “loyal volunteer” image

[nordic-breeze]

I was going through my files and I came over this document I sent to my friend @distant-rain pretty much the same day I realized I had fallen in love with Arthur, after weeks of being in denial or shrugging off my daydreaming of this cowboy as nbd or thought experiments and boy was I confused. 

I knew next to nothing about RDR1 when I wrote this December last year and I didn’t know much about RDR2 post chapter 2 either except for Arthur’s fate, which I had just learned of, and oml was I upset and confused. Though also scaringly accurate about certain things.

Now over six months later, I love this cowboy even more. And I kept true to my word. If anyone wanna read the rambings of a fangirl who had just found her new obsession be my guest.

I was blown away by how massive this game is. The level of detail is incredible and I greatly appreciate the effort put into creating this world. Yeah, we’ve all heard about the horse testicles shrinking in cold weather but it’s not like it’s just one bizarre detail being essentially a dick joke in an otherwise average game. No, RDR2 is detailed enough that it actually makes sense to add in peculiarities like that. The amount of wildlife alone, I mean, ever since the PS2 era I’ve been used to seeing animals in games but R* created whole-ass ecosystems in RDR2, several of’em, from snowy mountains to marshlands, with animals that act so much like actual animals. Just listening to the birds singing, it’s like being out in an actual forest!

Characterization is another thing that amazed me, in particular the protagonist. I knew nothing about the first RDR when started playing RDR2, nor did I know anything about RDR in general other than it was western-themed and made by the GTA-guys. I expected somewhat of a similar characterization as GTA where every character is a stereotype or a caricature. I genuinely liked GTAV’s story for what it was and even though every character was more or less an asshole, some of them were also weirdly likeable and even earned my sympathy (and hint of affection) occasionally.

But it never really went deeper than that nor was it particularly long-lasting (still way more than I expected tho). I bonded with one of the characters more than I thought I would but not nearly as much as I would had the characters felt more like actual humans and not like the epitome of stereotypes. But it is what R* wanted and it worked. I expected the RDR2 characters to be the same but to my surprise the characters, especially Arthur, are fleshed out, complex, even relatable (depending on your actions I guess). Unlike GTAV, they act and react like actual human beings. Well, human beings that have lived their entire life (more or less) as outlaws. In a country and time period foreign to me. But still they felt human. Ofc I’ve not gotten to know any of the NPC’s as well as Arthur but from various missions and eavesdropping on their conversation I’ve gotten to know them a bit. Hosea is my favorite. He seems like a good man despite being an outlaw and I love how everyone goes to him for advice and how supportive he is. I also wish more people (esp a certain Dutch man) could listen to him more. I also really like Charles. He definitely got morals and could be a good influence on Arthur and the others. I haven’t seen much of Sadie yet, but think I’ll like her too. Lenny seems nice. That one scene when he and Arthur went out drinking together was absolutely brilliant! And lil Jack’s adorable ofc. Only one I don’t like is Micha or Miach or whathisname. I know no one in the van der Linde gang are saints but that guy is a total psychopath. I kinda wish Arthur had gotten his way there when he said they should just leave him in jail as he was nothing but trouble and it annoys me how Dutch is sticking up for him. Yeah, speaking of, not too fond of Dutch or that German guy either atm.

But all in all very impressed by the large open world, the level of details to well, everything and the characterization. Soundtrack is great, graphics are stunning, animations smooth, the horse-riding simulation is just extraordinary and you never know what’s gonna happen as you ride through the map. The amount and variety of random events and encounters are truly impressive. Often comical, like that wildlife photographer who keeps getting almost eaten up by the wildlife he’s trying to document, sometimes eerie like the serial killer side story, or sad like when Arthur met with his former love. Or a combination of said elements like the pig farmers I ran into. With no pigs. But were still veeery well fed. You know, when people are just a liiitle bit too friendly? That eerie feeling you get when you just know something’s wrong but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Until you can. I thought they were husband and wife I really did. You shoulda seen my face when I realized they were in fact brother and sister. Me and Arthur had the exact same face. They were living as husband and wife tho. Well, up until I killed them.

I also love the contrast between the more ‘modern’ world and the simpler life. I could go into town, buy food at the saloon and rent a room or take a bath at the hotel. Or I could ride a few mins out into the wilderness, hunt and gather my own food, cook it over a bonfire and sleep under the stars. Electricity exists, but people are still completely dependent on oil lamps and open flame. Trains and trams exist, cars have been invented, but people still mainly travel on horseback. This contrast between old and new as an era is ending and the modern era is about to begin has been an amazing experience considering the level of detail the game has. The colonization of the new land, which has been largely unknown to me, the contrast between this and modern-day America we see on TV. So many people did not even speak English, I often find abandoned buildings, or burnt-down buildings, some with bodies inside, leaving me wondering what happened to them, I found a ghost town whose inhabitants had been wiped out by a plague. It was tough for many I reckon.

In fact, I find the exploration of this foreign but also somewhat familiar, beautiful but harsh world and its many random events and encounters waaay more interesting than the actual main story itself, which is why it took me forever to reach chapter 3. In fact, the story is probably my least favorite part about RDR2, as backwards as it may sound. I’ve never been into western stories or aesthetics, and I’m certainly NOT into the whole ‘outlaws till the end’ stuff ugh. I fail to sympathize with the whole ‘boo-hoo the world no want outlaws like us no more it’s unfair’. Ugh, go cry me a fucking river. And then go get a job. A real job. Yeah, I get it that adapting to society is tough, life’s tough deal with it and stop preying on others. Wow, robbing two trains in short time and staying in the same fucking area actually has consequences, I’m so shook!

So yeah, story-wise I don’t quite ‘get it’ and Dutch is really starting to get on my nerves, which is probably why I prefer to just ride off alone and experience the world. I guess RDR2 story will rely heavily on being torn between gang loyalty and your own morality and principles but since I have virtually no concept of group loyalty that is all lost on me. My own morals and principles all the way. I’m like, ‘these people suck, take Hosea, Charles, Sadie, Tilly (maybe John Marston and his family) and leave these bitches behind’.

At the beginning, I did kinda liked Dutch. He seemed genuinely sorry for Sadie, took her in and saved her life, even if it meant another mouth to feed in dire times. And he showed Kiran mercy despite hating the O’Driscol’s. But as I’ve progressed thought the game, his grand speeches about sticking together, sticking with him, slowly but surely has turned from pep-talk to keep people’s spirit up to sounding like a cult leader desperate to keep his following no matter the cost. Yesterday when I was playing, I overheard him quote some quasi-philosophy book to Lenny and used the words to twist them into his own convictions to support his decisions. And when Lenny objected, Dutch literally said ‘you’re breaking my heart, kid’. Wow Dutch, talk about manipulating your protégé.

It was the mission when those lawmen approached Arthur as he was fishing with Jack that really made me consciously see Dutch in a new light. Up until then, RDR2 had mostly been fun and games but that conversation left me feeling a bit uneasy. But I just figured it was the main story finally picking up pace and also, I figured I was near the end of the chapter. I carried on, suddenly eager to see what would happen and was thoroughly surprised by how the chapter ended. In a bad way.

While both chapter 2 and chapter 3 begins with a ‘new start’ vibe, chapter 3 felt very different from chapter 2. Mostly it was that feeling that Dutch’s obsession with ‘sticking to this life’ is going to get people killed. Idk, it’s this eerie feeling something’s wrong but can’t quite put my finger on it-feel again. But thanks to internet being internet I already knew some spoilers so I couldn’t help but to look up something and… well, let me put it this way. I’m never going to finish this game. Ever. It breaks my heart because in so many ways it’s truly an amazing game and a fantastic experience. But I’m just not that into the story, I don’t like where it’s heading and I don’t want to see what’s coming to character(s) I’ve come to care deeply about.

I still want to explore the world more, see what unfolds, do more challenges, add stuff to my compendium, maybe get some trophies… but I doubt I’ll ever progress much story-wise. Quite the contrary, I might reload an earlier save and just stay in chapter 2 forever.

(wrtten a couple of days later)

Seems my instincts was right on the money, esp concerning Dutch. Sad thing, I do believe he is sincere. In the first few chapters at least. He is manipulative but I also believe he’s convinced himself that he’s doing the right thing. And then his obsession will eventually get the better of him and when people and the lifestyle is slipping away from him, he doesn’t handle it well at all. Ugh, it’s so frustrating, I just wanna gather all my favs and yell: “leave nooow, before it’s too late!

It’s not for the sake of spacing it out or making it last. I just don’t want to progress in the story at all. I hated losing Horseshoe Overlook. HATED IT HATED IT HATED IT!!!! Yes the new place is beautiful, yes I know it’s the life of the outlaws and RDR2 does show that life for better and for worse whereas most stories tend to romanticize the whole thing, yes as outlaws they can’t stay for too long in one place. But as mentioned I have a hard time sympathize with and immerse myself into that lifestyle. Yes, I got all my upgrades and a whole new area to explore, a bigger nearby town, and closer to that big city. Still hated it. Horseshoe Overlook was my place. The Heartlands was home. And the view was stunning! And I liked Valentine. It was small and dirty but I had good memories from there. Until I had to shoot up half the town. My motivation for continuing the main story is at absolute zero.

It was more what the transition represented, I guess. You never know what will happen in RDR2. And it’s true, for random encounters, and many of the individual missions. But when it comes to the story as a whole, I feel like I already now can predict how it’ll play out. Every chapter begins with the gang on the move, finding a place to settle down and have a fresh start, even chapter 1 (as they were on the run bc a heist gone wrong or something). Then they settle down, go into town to get to know the area and establish connections and looking for easy money, often at the expenses of others. X random events later, they get too overconfident or careless, screws up or get hunted down, it ends with a shootout, then they are on the run again, finds a new place to settle down where Dutch promises that THIS TIME IT WILL BE DIFFERENT until they’re wanted on the entire map and can’t go anywhere cos the wild west is ending. I really liked it at Horseshoe Overlook and whenever Im in that area again I’ll just get sad.

I had no idea I’d gotten so emotionally invested so I was really surprised at how much I disliked moving camps and all. I’ve also gotten so fond of Arthur. I was so busy with exploring, doing challenges, learning to hunt etc I didn’t even realize it happening. Until one scene had me almost tearing up! I think because, we as the player really have to look out for him. Even though I make sure that he eats regularly, he’s still underweight. When out riding I usually set up camp when night falls so that Arthur can get some rest. Something I’d never think about in any other game. And I always give him coffee in the morning. Then it’s his journal that gives such valuable insight into who he truly is as a person. There’s no doubt he’s so much more than just a mere outlaw. He writes surprisingly well and is open and is surprisingly honest about his thoughts and feelings. How torn he is between the life of an outlaw and wanting to be a better man, a better person. How he admired Charles because, for him it was ‘so easy to just be good’ whereas he himself always feel torn between good and evil. And his journal entries when he meets his long-lost love Mary and saves her brother from the cultists. The expression on his face as he said goodbye to her on the train station… how utterly heartbroken he was… how she still loved him too… man, that one tore at my heart. Still does when thinking about it.

I wish I could take Hosea, Charles, Sadie, Tilly, John’s family and maybe Lenny too with me, run off and start anew. Charles would have good influence on Arthur and encourage him to turn his life around and find his place in society and encourage John to be a better father and role model for Jack and they could all learn how to live as free men and women without robbing or hurting anyone (unless they deserve it). Like, Charles is an excellent hunter and tracker. He’d totally get enough food for the gang and maybe even enough to sell. He could train Jack too. Hosea was always more of a conman/grifter than a brute/robber. He could con bad guys or rich assholes Robin Hood style. If anyone gave him grief, John and Arthur would settle the score. Arthur could sell animal pelts and John could take up carpeting. They’d be such a happy lil family. But, RDR1 is yet to happen so it’s all just wishful thinking *sigh*

[padawanlost]

The Last of the Jedi & Ferus Olin: Character Development

A few days ago I decided to read The Last of the Jedi series again, and I’m not surprised to say it was frustrating. As much as I like Jude Watson (she knows how to hit me right in the feels), when I comes to Ferus Olin characterization she loses me. Ferus being her OC probably influences her writing but I think she went a bit too far with him. We’ve already discusses my personal opinions of Ferus and overall role in SW franchise but most of these discussions were focused around the Jedi Quest series and not the The Last of the Jedi and, imo, TLotJ series only exacerbates the problems from JQ. And this is what I want to talk about. This is not about Ferus or his actions but about Jude Watson’s development of him and how that is probably the reason why Ferus is such divisive character.

For those not familiar with both series, let me present some context

The Jedi Quest by Jude Watson is a series a book set between TPM and AOTC. Ferus Olin is introduced as the perfect padawan who always follows the Jedi Code and a rival to Anakin. He constantly criticizes Anakin behind his back, overhears his conversations with Obi-wan, tells Obi-wan to “beware of Anakin”, etc. He leaves the Jedi Order, by choice after a convoluted series of events leads to the death of another padawan.

The Last of the Jedi by Jude Watson is a series of books set after ROTS. it involves Ferus (and a bit of Obi-wan) fighting the empire and impressing Palpatine to the point he thinks about replacing Vader with Ferus. Right now, I’ll be discussing only the first book of the series The Last of the Jedi: The Desperate Mission so here we go:

Obi-wan is in Tatooine guarding Luke with occasional visits of force-ghost Qui-Gon Jinn. He’s grieving, depressed and frustrated. During a trip to the city, he hears the name Ferus Olin and immediately wants to know more about the former padawan:

Ferus had been a Jedi apprentice. It didn't matter that he had left the Order at the age of eighteen and had been a civilian since then. He had been one of them, and he was still alive.  He had kept track of Ferus in the beginning. He'd always thought that after the Clone Wars he would contact him.

 The problem is here is that it’s hard to believe that Obi-wan kept track of Ferus. Not because there was something wrong with Ferus but because that’s not the Jedi way. Once you leave the Order, you leave the Order. As we saw it with Ahsoka, to dwell on the fate of a former Jedi is frowned upon. They made their choice and, as a Jedi, the right thing to do is to let them go. I can see Jedi dwelling on lost friends such as Anakin thinking of Ahsoka and Obi-wan thinking of Anakin and Qui-Gon. But in both cases, there was a deep bond and tragedy involved. Ferus, on the other hand, was more of acquaintance/casual friend. And, the clone wars kept Obi-wan pretty busy so I have a hard time believing that he would have the time to keep tabs on a former apprentice who chose to leave the Order.

I can understand Obi-wan interest in the present, after losing everyone he’s probably desperate for a connection with anyone who understands what he’s going through but the idea of Obi-wan worrying or keeping track of Ferus right before the clone wars seems a bit ludicrous to me.

“After Anakin had turned to the dark side, Obi-Wan had cause to remember Ferus. It had been Ferus who had first warned him about Anakin. Ferus who had sensed that Anakin's great gifts hid great unrest. Ferus who saw Anakin's power - and feared it.  He owed him.”

And here we are. The biggest problem with Ferus Olin in the Jedi Quest series was too aware. Not only was constantly praised for his formidable skills he also was completely aware of everything that was wrong with Anakin and where it would lead them. He is described as so unique, that as a teenager he saw what no else did. Because Ferus not only sensed all that but also actually told Obi-wan about it, Obi-wan nows feels he owes Ferus to go and save him.

Ferus is in trouble and Obi-wan is torn between helping him and leaving Luke alone. He talks to Qui-Gon about it and just like in the Jedi Quest series, Ferus amazing qualities and potential are brought forward:

"Speak of what you know about Ferus, not what you can guess." "He was the most gifted apprentice, second only to Anakin." "With so many gifts, he is a formidable opponent of the Empire." "But I would have to leave Luke alone," Obi-Wan said again. It was a duty that Yoda had charged him with, and he knew it was vital. "You will not be leaving him alone. I will watch over him. He will be safe for a time. There is danger for Luke, danger that is close. I can feel it, but I can't see it. I sense that Ferus is the key."

 So Obi-wan leaves Luke in a ghost’s care and go save Ferus. He runs into people from Ferus daily life and they all seem to care about him. He inspires loyalty from his neighbors and those following him (in fighting the Empire).

 “Ferus is more than  a man to the Bellassans. He’s a symbol”.

"I miss his jokes," the woman with the holsters said. "He made us brave," a man said. "I joined because of him." Obi-Wan couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Ferus he had known as a boy had been a careful rule-follower. His skills had been excellent, but his style lacked Anakin's brilliance. What had Ferus said to him once? Everyone liked him, but no one was his friend. This sounded like a different Ferus. Ferus a magnetic leader? Ferus with a sense of humor?

Again, the same problem from his characterization remains: Ferus is too good. Not only he’s a good person, even his flaws are turned into something positive. If his biggest “flaws” in Jedi Quest series were that he was too serious and stiff (to the point no one liked him), now he’s also funny, charismatic and a natural leader.

Yet it was Ferus who had seen into Anakin's heart.. It was Ferus who had stood up to him, to Anakin's Master, and said, Something is not right here. It had been a brave move for a Padawan, to challenge a Master about his own apprentice. Perhaps it shouldn't surprise him that Ferus was now capable of this. The seeds for leadership had been there. He just hadn't seen them....  Because he'd always been thinking of Anakin. He had been the Chosen One. And their closeness had blinded him.

 JW apparently wants us to believe the only reason no one realized how amazing Ferus was is because everyone was looking at Anakin. His earlier “flaws” from the previous novels were not really flaws as much as they were “hidden abilities” no noticed because of Anakin.

 At the end of the novel, Ferus and Obi-wan finally talk about past. Ferus asks about Anakin and Obi-wan, of course, lies by saying Anakin was killed by the Empire. And because JW can’t seem to pass on the opportunity to show us Ferus is the better man, she bring back the reasons Ferus left the Order by having Obi-wan ask him if Anakin had anything to with it. Ferus, being the good, wise and insightful man he is, decides the past should stay in the past and that he doesn’t want to cause Obi-wan further pain by mentioning Anakin.

Ferus Olin doesn’t really do anything wrong/evil throughout the book that makes him dislikable but the way Jude Watson describes makes him even less sympathetic if you already disliked him from the previous series. She presents him as the ultimate good person but it falls flat because she doesn’t give him any real character flaws to overcome. From the moment he’s introduced he’s always tried to do the right thing and be a good person, not unlike characters like Anakin, Obi-wan and Qui-Gon Jinn. But differently from them, she refuses to give him any personal or moral shortcomings.  Older Ferus is the same Ferus from the JQ series, expect he’s better, wiser and friendlier.

[sasusakuotpuniverse]

Why I think Sakura is a Feminist Character

The thing about Sakura is that the style Kishimoto wrote her character in subverted the heroine trope, which is especially prevalent in action genre media. We all know that superhero/secret agent/sci-fi/fantasy action movie, book, or comic. It’s the typical overcoming the monster, quest, or voyage and return story plots. The male protagonist is your average guy, nothing special - until he meets super hot, sexy mysterious woman who saves his ass from this newly discovered evil the protagonist encounters. She is so strong, smart, witty, etc. She is a combat master in judo, has great aim with her weapons, and/or supernatural powers that dazzles our hero. He eventually enlists in the Forces of Good to battle the evil because the World as We Know It will be destroyed. He trains under the heroine. He slowly becomes stronger than our heroine after only a faction of the time the heroine has trained for. She falls in love with our hero and suddenly is now a damsel in distress. 

THEME: Love is our heroine’s downfall. She becomes weaker because of it.

Then there’s the other kind of heroine - the teen girl in the young adult sci-fi/fantasy genre. She, like our male hero, discovers an evil foe beyond the likes of anything she could ever have imagined. The Forces of Good realize that she has innate abilities that could help defeat their enemy and save the world. She meets Tall, Dark, Hot, Mysterious, and Brooding - her love interest. Her abilities wax and wane in relation to his. Either she is weaker than him or equally strong. He loves her more than the sun, moon, and stars, though at first he resists for some idiotic reason. She is constantly thinking about him. Her reason for fighting is because of the Big Picture or for some touching, profound notion or memory - or because, well, she just has to. A/N: This is a relatively common trope for YA fiction, particularly apocalyptic and/or oppressive government in theme.

THEME: Love ties into our heroine’s development maturity-wise, but it doesn’t give her her power. She does not fight for the sake of love, but it overshadows her potential.

What Kishimoto does is characterize Sakura in such a way that her love for her companions is her source of strength, much like Naruto. Her love for Sasuke is a catalyst for her development. It’s her constant reminder of WHY she needs to be stronger - so she and Naruto can bring him back. Together. She actively works on becoming level with her comrades. She despises the thought of losing easily. She curses at her shortcomings. And unlike the action movie heroine, she isn’t objectified or there for sexual appeal. 

In contrast to many young adult novel heroines, she embraces her femininity. She likes the color pink, happily takes care of her body and grooms it within reason, enjoys flowers, and celebrates her body with flattering clothes. Her profession is in the medical field, yet this isn’t necessarily feminine. Her proficiency/genius in the field doesn’t designate her solely as caretaker, though this is still an aspect of her character that is just as important. Her monstrous brute strength, which is stereotypically a masculine trait prided by male heroes, balances and even adds an element of diversity to her. (She’s got brains and brawn). Her quick temper, also a cliche masculine trait, is a contrast to her compassionate nature. Her combat clothes are practical and well-suited to her fighting style and medical profession. Her hair is kept short for easy maintenance, as well as mobility and evasion. She is quick, nimble, physically strong, intelligent, temperamental, caring, logical, impulsive, and most of all, human. 

Kishimoto has described Sakura as probably the most human character in the series for a reason. Her actions and thoughts are sometimes irrational, but have good intent. Her personality traits described above are on opposite sides of the spectrum - because her character is exceptionally dynamic. Her love for Sasuke may be well a large motivational factor in her training and growth, but this is eclipsed by her own reasons - since from the beginning of the academy days, she’s wanted to be her own person. In other words, Sasuke doesn’t make Sakura stronger. He rather inspires her. Perhaps her love for him is irrational, but since when is this a factor in love? Kakashi states that we don’t need a reason to love. She explicitly thinks solely about Sasuke himself and her love for him maybe somewhere above 10 times total in a 700 chapter manga, and even that might be pushing it. Most of these moments largely consist of her missing him as a person and worrying for his well-being and especially his happiness. This is almost exactly Naruto’s concerns in regards to Sasuke, but unlike Sakura, these thoughts are a prominent theme of the manga - they are constantly mentioned with flashbacks to boot. Both Sakura and Naruto wanted to save Sasuke by killing and dying with him.

Sakura knows that the likelihood of Sasuke reciprocating romantic feelings is dismal at best or so she believes. She’s constantly reminding herself of this, especially in part 2, i.e. her confrontation with Sasuke with the intent to kill him, and her second confession to him in an attempt to stop him from fighting Naruto. During the battle against Madara, Sakura charges forward as a decoy and is stopped by Madara’s invisible clone and effectively skewered by the real Madara’s sword. Afterwards, as she is held by Naruto, she glances at Sasuke, who looks unaffected as usual. She believes he doesn’t care about her at all, which would be painful considering just how much she cares for him, and this speaking not strictly romantically, but as a person, an old comrade, or equal. In effect, Sakura believes Sasuke looks down on her, is uninterested in her well-being, and holds no respect for her. She is convincing herself of this because there are no obvious signs that he even feels a fraction of what she feels. 

I won’t go in depth here about this, but there are many very good comprehensive analyses of Sasuke’s body language, words, and actions that actually make sense and ultimately confirm that he cared deeply for Sakura. Sasuke was never a man of many words or a man of outspoken physical affection either. It would only make sense that his reactions were just as subtle as the rest of him is. It would also actually discredit Sakura as a character in such analysis in regards to romantic dynamics. If Sasuke were the doting boyfriend seen in most of today’s YA books, not only would it be out of character, but Sasuke would be much more heavily involved in her life - readers would see Sasuke and Sakura, not just Sakura, or just Sasuke even, for that matter. Their relationship would not be as complex as we’ve seen in Gaiden. Because of the lack of understanding and miscommunication seen in part 1 and 2, they must learn to navigate and grow in the relationship not just as partners, but also as people. In essence, perhaps a more realistic and healthier reflection on relationships.

Lastly, but most definitely not least, Sakura raises her daughter alone without resentment for Sasuke, but rather thinks only of his love for his family, Sakura and Sarada, and Sakura and Sarada’s love for him. She misses him and regrets his absence with a quiet longing and that he’s the only one who could do the mission. There is no bitterness, but a love waiting to welcome him home. First, the rarity of a powerful, main couple having a girl for their first and only child is a large contrast to the vast majority of classic literature/stereotypes. In these cases, an infamous man almost always breeds an even stronger son, i.e. Dragon Ball Z, Zeus and Heracles, Prison Break, Odin and Thor (from ancient Norse paganism), etc. Female protagonists tend to have sons, most likely because the family name will continue to the next generation or the bias for men as heroes, i.e. Jane Eyre, Bleach, Naruto (Hinata gives birth to Boruto as the oldest child and only son), Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. Additionally, children of whichever gender will tend to carry on their father’s legacy, such as Hunger Games, Lion King, Superman, Raven (from Teen Titans), etc. However, Sarada is born of Sakura and Sasuke as their first and only daughter. While she inherits her father’s Sharingan, her true display of strength in the end against the army of Shins in Gaiden is the inheritance of her mother - precise chakra control in the manifestation of brute strength, Sakura’s signature style. The story itself left no doubt that she was an Uchiha and would activate the Sharingan. The true question was of Sarada learning the love/power of her mother and using it in a bout of desperation - another typical theme for heroes unlocking their powers/legacies inherited from their fathers.

To conclude -

THEME: Love is the heroine’s strength and weakness. It enables and discourages her in her actions and motivation. Her determination and loyalty stems from it. She becomes more three-dimensional because of it and more relatable as a character.