#mcburn

McBurn in a manga style

A thought I had, before starting Trails Beyond the Horizon.

So like, Mcburn and Shizuna are basically the same kind of character archetype (most specifically common to these games) that being 'person who is so ridiculously Mary Sue and cool and strong that they could probably end the story by themselves if they wanted to, but because they're so fickle and unpredictable it's just as much of a hindrance to have them on your side as against you.'

Imagine if Tom Bombadil was an anime twink/babe and that covers it. I wouldn't say it's a great archetype or that these two are particularly well-written, but they're entertaining enough and fulfill the role they were made for. That, and the characters themselves being a bit tongue-in-cheek about their mary-sueness helps, especially when even the people on their side can't stand them. Them being losers deep down is what gives them their charm.

And yet, unsurprisingly, most of the fanbase loves McBurn but despise Shizuna with a passion.

They hate to see women winning I guess. I have no deeper thoughts about it because it's no deeper than 'it's 100% misogyny', but it at least made me appreciate Shizuna more, if for no other reason than to be a contrarian.

That, and her character introduction consists of her beating the previous arc's protagonist and breaking his sword. She was so fucking funny for that. That it made said protagonist's fans seethe in rage over it is the cherry on top.

All known Enforcers Part I

0 Campanella the Fool

I McBurn the Almighty Conflagration

II Leonhardt, Loewe the Bladelord

III Lucrezia the Golden Butterfly

VI Luciola the Bewitching Bell

VII Simeon the Imaginator

VIII Walter the Direwolf

IX Krueger the Severing Chains

this is how that one fight with duvalie went in trails of cold steel 2 went, right? (reference to this dbza scene)