Day 2 - Favorite SOD (Star of Destiny) in Suikoden I
VIKTOR, practically from the moment he was introduced. He smuggled Tir’s party to safety to skip out on a bar tab! He stole Gremio’s wallet! His idea of infiltration involves setting a house on fire! And he’s one of the most loyal friends you could ask for, despite his rogueishness. He’s loud and boisterous and brash and perpetually drunk without being a total dick, which I always enjoy. He has great relationships with so many other characters, too, and if you say you’ve never cracked up at Viktor and Flik’s bickering, you’re lying. Like a lot of JRPG characters, he has dark secrets in his past; unlike a lot of JRPG characters, he doesn’t bring them up constantly and hides his hurts behind a front of bluster and cheer. Surpisingly subtle characterization for a guy who’s so much larger than life, but that’s why Suikoden rocks.
He’s also a really, REALLY good character to have around in your party — I’m so used to games forcing really terrible characters into your party for reasons of plot, but I can’t imagine not wanting to have Viktor around all the time. Viktor + Double-Beat (or Viktor + Double-Beat + Fury or Double-strike in II) = death to all foes. And he saved my butt during the boss fight against Neclord in I, when he was the only character left standing. This is apparently a common occurrence.
Other favorite SoDs in I: Tir, Gremio (;___;), Flik, Valeria, Futch(ie), and Mathiu. And Luc, because I’m inordinately fond of that little asshole.
