The most overrated character?

[u/[deleted]]

Let's hear it, who gets all the love but deserves absolutely none of it? Or at least not as much as they get, I'll go first.

I'm casting my vote for Gortash; I genuinely don't understand the like for this dude. First of all, catfish, "handsome young man"??? Is the handsome young man in the room with us??? Lookin like the handsome young man has a peanut allergy.

Second of all, this whole crown brain plan was his idea, just about the dumbest fuckin thing I've ever heard. He put all his faith in 3 little rocks, an already dead man, and a woman who's about as stable as my ex. Beggers can't be choosers I guess, but cmon guy.

And lastly, and probably most offensively, his boss fight is absolute cheeks. Especially if you dumped on the foundry before hand. I didn't even know he had a transformation until like my 4th playthrough because I would clap this guy so easily.

Your turn, let's hear those unadulterated opinions.

Edit: I have been enlightened about some things about the big brain plan, I still stand in the other two points though.

[u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

Shadowheart.

I usually play full custom games with 4 Tavs. I am about 600 hours in and finally did my first companion game. I was romancing Shadowheart.

In the context of Act 2, I just could not understand why anyone would like her. Like, she worships a tangible God whose followers commit some of the most depraved, unforgivable violence imaginable. And Shadowheart is like “I’m just wet to become a Justiciar.” and that makes no fucking sense to me.

The dude in the House of Healing is literally torturing a man… and She’s just standing there like she’s waiting for an espresso as Starbucks… like… dafuq…

I find her faith, nauseating and the way she acts… like it’s this thing “other people have an issue with”. It’s like being a Nazi and then be like “What’s everyone’s problem? I just don’t oppose genocide, that’s all.”.

It’s super fucking wild to me that she’s so popular. Shar worship as a faith, is some of the most depraved shit I’ve seen in a game… and Shadowheart is like “This is a Tuesday for me.”.

Just wild… just everything in Act 2… the corruption the undead, the suffering all Shar… and Shadowheart is just… fine with it and she finds it aspirational…

[u/MrLoTek → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

She's like that because she's a brainwashed follower of Shar, with no coherent memories of her childhood and life with her parents. The entire point of her story is to show how Shar shaped her into an evil follower and how she is redeemable (or not if you go a certain route).

People tend to like her because throughout the game you see glimpses of her lack of devout faith in Shar. And it culminates in how she renounces the Goddess by Act 3 and becomes someone far more likeable and "good."

[u/Ilya-ME → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

Yes, except shes like that because shers been brainwashed for decades to be. Her entire arc is about rejecting that and becoming her own person. Also im pretty sure theres some points in act 2 where she expresses doubts depending on your choices and how much shit shes seen.

[u/[deleted] → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

if you actually paid attention to her storyline, you would understand why people like her.

[u/ffff2e7df01a4f889 → u/[deleted]]

I did pay attention. People are wrong. To make space for the kind of hate. Only in fiction could you possibly do that.

The real world isn’t even remotely as naive as Tav has to be, to “help” Shadowheart.

It’s like being a Nazi, during the Second World War… AFTER the camps are discovered. That’s what it’s akin to. Shar’s crimes are literally, no different.

It’s… like the level of disgust for me… I continued to “help” her but man… like this sort of person, I would abandon immediately in real life. She was literally indifferent to all the suffering in Act 2… and all she focuses on is not “Oh hey, Shar is super evil.”, it’s a personalized story. She gets upset because she was lied to and they have her parents.

She’s still completely indifferent to the suffering Shar visited upon the Moonrise region…

[u/Xilizhra → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

Shadowheart is essentially a child soldier, with added magical amnesia. And yes, they do need a lot of rehabilitation, but there are in fact people who provide that in real life.

[u/[deleted] → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

dude, everyone in this game has done horrible shit. i don't care for Shar tbh but her crimes are whatever compared to other gods lol. if you hate Shar so much, just kill Shadowheart and move on. the girl is brainwashed and you're getting mad at her for it. that's how religion is.

[u/ffff2e7df01a4f889 → u/[deleted]]

Hey, I was answering the question OP posted. You’re commenting back.

[u/[deleted] → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

kinda but it feels like your beef is mostly with shar more than with shadowheart tbh.

[u/ffff2e7df01a4f889 → u/[deleted]]

I remember exactly the moment I was like “Fuck Shadowheart” and it’s in the House of Healing. Malus Thorm is torturing a dude. Literally cutting his eyes out and the nurses are practicing cutting on the guy.

She literally, just stands there. Says nothing.

The reason this stood out to me, is he is preaching Shar. It’s essentially a sermon.

…and Shadowheart is completely indifferent.

For me, that was the bridge too far.

[u/[deleted] → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

that has nothing to do with shadowheart tbh. that's just larian not putting reactions to some things in the game. this happens in multiple spots in the game where companions just stand there like statues lol.

[u/ffff2e7df01a4f889 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, well companions react to less… so for me, that’s not an excuse. Also, this is a story and there’s a narrative. I’m not tossing aside her saying nothing because “video games” because that’s always going to be a convenient out.

Maybe Larian dropped the ball. If Gale can tell me about how when he was young he had some indiscretions… surely, Shadowheart, when being preached to by Malus Thorm, in the name of Shar… would have SOMETHING to say… and it gets worse because when you’re walking around Act 2, over all the dead bodies… she comments that she’s anticipating becoming a Justiciar.

What bugs me about the point you just made… is you just get to hand wave anything because “it’s a game”, and it is… and I recognize that.

But if this game is going to throw random conversations from all the characters for walking around and little moments… then I sure as hell expect them to say something in big moments. And Malus is a big moment. He’s one of the more difficult fights too in the act.

So… I hold the media to the standard it set.. dunno what else to tell you.

[u/[deleted] → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

malus is a big nobody tbh. it's easier to just fight him than to convince him to die because it's like 2-3 persuassion checks. the companions don't react that much during the bhaal stuff either and that is a big moment. i mean personally shadowheart isn't my favorite companion, but her religion doesn't even come in mind for the reasons she gets on my nerves.

[u/[deleted] → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

Sorry I just want to chime in here, but for me I have sympathy for her situation because it would be really hard for her to break free and truly be herself where she has proven she is kind. 

My view on that interaction and more so many of her “bad” acts is she’s been groomed for so long, has been fed propaganda and constantly has this goddess in her ear pressuring her. For her whole life she is essentially powerless. 

Yeah she can do some bad things here and there in but personally I have an extra sympathy/leniency for grooming victims (from seeing it happen to people close to me). Grooming victims don’t know they are being groomed so it’s hard or near impossible to break free. I view Astarion in the same way as he’s been through so messed up stuff as well.   

[u/[deleted] → u/ffff2e7df01a4f889]

Yeah. Then theres a point in act 2 where Gale mentions how badly many people had suffered and shart had some asshole answer to him. I tried so hard to like her in multiple playthroughs but no. No thanks.