HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER WITH DEPRESSION - Rean Schwarzer Analysis (Trails of Cold Steel)

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

Class VII: You do realize putting “Haha” at the end of every sentence doesn’t hide the fact that your secretly depressed right? Rean: Yes it does “Haha”

[@celestialsylveon6453]

As someone also with poor mental health, I've noticed these things about him too. Some people say that Rean has no character, but like this video explains, he's really well written and has a lot to him. Thank you for makiing this review of his character, you compiled everything and edited it really well. Although I'm not sure if the haha thing has anything to do with depression, I've been watching someone play Sky and haha gets thrown around a bunch in the very first game too.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@celestialsylveon6453 the “haha” thing is just a joke don’t worry lol. The fanbase memes about it because characters say it all the time. But I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

[@calebcollette7806]

I think Trails has shown multiple times how well they can handle characters like Rean. Kevin is my favorite example, and his character arc alone makes Sky the 3rd my favorite game in the series. Bonus points as well to Van and Joshua who have elements of this as well though I wouldnt say that its their defining struggles and traits for their whole character arc. Van in particular I think is more characterized by his duty and responsibility more than anything.

[@hack5770]

The problem I have with Van is that he is in the same,how do I say this,atmosphere as Rean and Lloyd with how the characters round them treats them you get the same childish behavior from his comrades it would of been nice if we could of gotten a Main that reacted differently to the characters surrounding them, it so annoying when childish characters act like your keeper asking dumb questions who is that your speaking to,what's your relationship to that said person being nosey as fu@k giving u the stare of shame for being an adult and on it goes.

[@dewitt4724]

Rean is indeed the GOAT

[@danieldishon688]

You sir understand Rean perfectly and what makes him great. You know I often like making Rean fish, even though I hate the mini game in CS1&2, because I like the idea of this guy whose truely not okay on the inside and is looking fir an excuse to run away and throw his life away, just stopping all the noise coming from that inner ogre to fish. Just listen to the creek water, wait and fish, taking a time out from doing Student Council busy work he throws himself into like finding worth in his life depends on it, or field study missions, fishing is exactly what he needs

[@DarkGraid]

This is what I love of the Trail series, the depth on the characters and their stories, even of those that are not entirely protagonist, like Kurt, Juna, etc.

[@colt1903]

Rean becoming an Instructor was one of those things I initially kinda hated, cuz it felt like he was failing to move on, and trying too desperately to cling on to the past when he was happy even though all his friends had already moved on to do his own thing. Yet in true Falcom fashion, they ended up making it work so damn well that by the end I loved it. Partially because all my hate was directed at just how absolutely fuckin' EVIL that cliffhanger was in CS3. I was able to jump into 4 immediately, BUT STILL. The BALLS on Falcom with that astound me to this day.

[@aquila519]

Man CS3's cliffhanger emotionally destroyed me 🤣🤣🤣🤣 so I don't even blame u

[@zangy3748]

@@colt1903 it even gets worse when you look up the lyrics of the ending song

[@babaXIII]

Rean is such a complex topic that, at its core, baffles me. People who claim to love Trails so very deeply looked at Cold Steel, saw the bonding events and immediately dismissed Rean as a Shonen Protag Harem Wishfulfillment. Falcom gave us Sky, Azure, Daybreak, Nayuta, etc and yet people still didn't give them the benefit of the doubt and refused to actually take in Rean's story. A recent poll on Reddit made me laugh a lot because he was rated both as the most overrated and underrated character in the franchise and yeah, it's pretty much true.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@babaXIII it’s unfortunate because he’s genuinely amazing imo. I don’t even mind the harem stuff either like I said in the video lol

[@sewnmind1786]

​@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICEI'm not just a Rean stan but I was locked in to the Alphin route after the rescue scene in CS2. It's was a fantastic moment for the relationship basically kicking it off and showing huge growth for Rean. He can't control the Ogre Strength without being able to envision a future for himself.

[@Maverick55Moose]

Reallyexcited to watch this! Gonna love this deep dive into Rean's psyche

[@joaocbcneto]

I was alright with Rean during CS1-2 but the man really picked up the pace with Cold steel 3 and only kept getting better from there up to Reverie with a great character arc. I think one really underrated scene with him I like is in CS3 during one of Kurt's bond events, where they both go fishing and Rean has a heart to heart with him after Cedric showed up with him relating to Kurt's own issues with himself.

[@lukedelameter7961]

No joke, that bonding scene alone cemented Kurt and Rean both as some of my favorite characters.

[@joaocbcneto]

@@lukedelameter7961 Rean as an instructor was a genius idea by Falcom, it's so good and the stuff he gets in CS3 onward tied to his arc just makes it even better.

[@zangy3748]

As someone who's fighting off depression myself I really felt some kind of connection towards Rean. Also just to throw it out now: Lloyd also has a harem, so I don't get why Rean gets reduced to harem protag while Lloyd is the same boat. Oh well, anyway. I really like how during Riverie Rean gets some closure and also look at his cut-in picture, he holds his sword the same way someone else did. I also really loved the bonding events in CS4 with Laura getting really angry at Rean or Towa finally getting her closure. It's not just Rean who's well written but also the people around him who are well aware of his depression and try to help him out. There were alot of moments throughout the series where I just wanted to hug Rean or other characters. Civil War and world wars are no joke on the people ON TOP of the other issues they have.

[@Bageltrice]

Loved it. I also really like Rean's character, so it is nice to see you make a video on him. Btw I really enjoy your editing style as well. Really looking forward to the eventual Osborne video.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@Bageltrice I’ll definitely cover all of the main characters and antagonists eventually!

[@canasnewell3089]

1:02 For some reason we have decided in the english language that "Sean" should actually be pronounced "Shawn" Don't ask me why it just is.

[@ExaltedWaffle]

i'm so glad to know someone as insane as me gets this man, i love Rean. great video!

[@kruckcrusher8102]

Indeed a great video and explanation on Rean’s character.

[@SpanishFly120]

Rean really is a cool character, and while I'm typing this before I've finished the video, it's always been interesting to me thinking that his whole Ogre Powers are you know, just as much narratively symbolic as they are "cool super saiyan mode". Plus, honestly Cold Steel (and Trails in general) has a lot of characters who are dealing with both depression and mental illness, many of whom turn to vastly different things and means in order to try and cope or deal with it.

[@coryturner8743]

I've really enjoyed the way you've told the story of Rean, I'm differently looking forward to your future videos.

[@vDorgengoa]

17:15. I need that Rean and Altina picture lol. And yeah, Rean is my favorite Trails protagonist.

[@maxime2201]

Good video... I hate how some people in the trails community treat Rean as a "Typical shonen protagonist". I mean his harem aside, he doesn't think he deserve to be happy and try to find a meaning to all his suffering. His speech to Ash in Cold steel III is overlooked a lot (one of my favourite moment). His character development until reveries ending is fantastic.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

I couldn’t agree more!

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@steponcurry7012 “has everything” His entire existence brought shame to his family, Two people he cared about literally dies, he gets dragged into two wars, causes a curse to spread across the continent which results in multiple deaths. But no, he isn’t ALLOWED to be depressed am I right???

[@MinhLe19303]

9:59 Admittedly, he's quite similar to Emiya in Fate series as a deconstruction of similar protagonist trope, but less extreme.

[@babaXIII]

Just finished the video so I'll add to my other comment: It's pretty obnoxious how so much of the community complains about Rean's "trope-ness" despite the whole of Trails being built on Tropes. Like, name a character and someone'll name you the trope. They're meant to be tropey because it's such a wide world wide so many characters. Attempting to write a thousand+ characters with each of them being OC-DONOTSTEAL would be absolutely foolish. Estelle and Joshua can be a tropey and nobody bats an eye, but Rean is and suddenly the whole of Reddit blows a gasket. It's really annoying and why I mostly steer clear of the fandom in general.

[@hack5770]

This is one of the reasons I stay away from reddit legend club they worship Estelle and despite rean,sorry Estelle is a Mary sue is that bad no but they dunk on Rean for practically nothing.

[@deanmalto1386]

​@@hack5770Estelle is anything but a Mary sue lol, she doesnt have latent super powers,not a chosen one destined to save liberl from and impending doom heck she's not even the top 10 strongest in all of her games (sc-3rd) Joshua,Kevin,Zin,Schera,Renne,Alan,Agate, the others from bracers guilds to name a few playable characters that are way way more stronger than her canonically in some chronological orders (she might be in top 8 in 3rd) , your hate for her is displaced, while Rean still a good protagonist, there is a reason why most people regarded Estelle as the best protagonist in the series

[@hack5770]

@@deanmalto1386 You don't need to have a superpower to be a Mary sue lol the relationship she has with others does don't get me started with how they threat her like she's a goddess could say no wrong always right in everything she say or does they the game describe her as the one who shine like the sun everyone is in love with her the other games in the franchise you can't stop hearing of how awesome she is,the kill them with kindness kind of Mary Sue,do I hate her no but her fans are insufferable for sure I do agree she is not the strongest I would not consider to pick her for my ultimate team that place goes to Joshua.

[@deanmalto1386]

@hack5770 that's not even Mary sue, not even close, do you even play Sky? Her character Arc ended in 3rd/zero, she's a ball of sunshine in sky yes, but with many flaws, she's abrasive, rash, headstrong,immature and severely lacking in almost all of the aspect of being a bracers, she grew more and more in sc until the Joshua scene at the beach , that is where she become worthy of her praise, she isnt shoehorned to be a likable character, she earn it,which means there is no reason for Falcom to expand on her besides being a recurring side character, her flaws ended right when after the final fight in zero and reuniting with Renne , that's why shes touted as a ray of sunshine without flaws cs forward, not because shes a mary sue, but because there's no point in making her anything more than she is, it's basically calling Aurelia a Mary sue because she's the ultimate swordswoman that can rival the strongest of ouroboros while also being a pinnacle of beauty and sex appeal in all 3 games she'd appeared in just because her character development ended way before CS, I might understand if you called her (Estelle) one if she's the MC of reverie, heck, if she's even the main, heck , secondary focus in azure or CS4, but no, shes just there, as a supporting character with her arc completed to support Rean and Lloyd which still needed the closure in Reverie

[@hack5770]

@@deanmalto1386 Yes I did play sky and can't wait to do so again and yes I still think she is a Mary sue a bad one no everyone else earn their praise also but some how it's only ok for Estelle she is actually shohorned to be like by what she say and does,everyone has flaws but hers seem likeable no need to be rude about it just like I said her fans are insufferable.

[@Solus1994]

Rean is my favorite protagonist

[@soulsq2]

I love Rean still my favorite character. :)

[@Naraku203]

Can't wait to see your video on Jusis he is one of my favorites in class 7

[@colt1903]

Playing CS1, I can't remember the exact moment that prompted it, but I remember jokingly saying to myself "Good going, Shirou Emiya." THEN EVERYTHING MADE SENSE.😂

[@supersonicmario56]

It's likely a coincidence, but I do like how the Cold Steel series, mainly 3 and 4, has moments in it that parallel Bleach.

[@floris1111]

While Rean is my least favorite protagonist, I still really like how well he works in Cold Steel 3 in particular with the "war hero" figurehead thing for a horrible government

[@Theatricbandit]

Rean is one my favorite characters of all time, I'm so glad I came across this as I do want to write some analysis on him eventually...I do have one question before I watch, just to be absolutely sure, there's spoilers here for the Cold Steel Games as said in the description, so by that measure there's no spoilers or footage or mentions of Trails into Reverie right? I haven't started that game yet and Reverie I guess technically isn't part of the Cold Steel series? .-.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@Theatricbandit There is spoilers for Reverie yes. I’ll add that to the description

[@PanosZok]

saving this for when i finish reverie . on act 1 of cs4 rn

[@ShadowNite777]

Now I wait for the 12 hour Laura video Jokes aside, I really enjoyed this video. Also, I'm really glad you explained why there is a second rean in reverie cuz I'm stupid and couldn't remember

[@jzblue345]

Rean gets way to much hate. I always thought he was a great example of a man with self loathing and serious depression.

[@Drschnarch]

I think considering he mentioned he had an obligation (not necessarily a right) to be happy, Rean might actually run into something where he might overdo it and risk another mental breakdown. Buuut at least he has a lot of friends to help him out... Edit: Great video btw, another question though: 31:27 Was it THOUSANDS of years? I only remember Ishmelga Rean being aware of events that shall come three years after Reverie...

[@colt1903]

Well, he can't fix ALL his problems, cuz then there's no reason to have him appear in the future stories other than fan service. 😂

[@Naraku203]

Cold Steel is the Gundam Seed of the Trails fandom both of the stories and characters get a lot of unjustifiable hate and people go out of their way to hate on them

[@gtgop1527]

Rean is shirou emia of trails series.

[@ZeroNightBlaze0]

This was such an amazing video. I really enjoyed those small video edits in-between where it was gameplay with character lines said over them. I think what I enjoyed most out of the video was how spot on and a more positive talk about who he is as a character. It reminded me a little of a different person's video talking about different characters with sacrifice & healing, feel bad I'm struggling to remember the name though. Sorry if this is a dumb question but was CS1 also your first game?

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@ZeroNightBlaze0 yup CS1 was my first but I went back and played the Sky trilogy after finishing CS2. I saw CS1 on the PSNow and I’ve been obsessed with this series ever since

[@ZeroNightBlaze0]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE Same ^-^ Playing CS1 & CS2 helped a good few personal issues growing up.

[@YuuSen]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE dang CS1 is also my first, I'm on my 2nd play thru of CS1 and then I'm buying CS2 XD looks like im in for a ride

[@PaxAeterna98]

A yes my other favorite Black haired overpowered protagonist next to kazuto kirigaya 🥳

[@Azure8Note]

Great video! I love Rean and you explained it so well!. My only wish is he had a cannon partner. Because the "what if" scenario hamstrings a lot of the potential the other girls on the cast. Like the other guys have minor npc love interests like gaius and Linde, but since the girls are rean's choice, they can't have any other interest. I hope in Kai this can be resolved. Like maybe alt Rean in Reverie had the "your choice" character as the love interest and died, while the real one has a cannon one. This will free them to move on and grow more. Also my head cannon is Rean x Towa, they match really well, and the only way to stop a workaholic that cares for people more than themselves is to have another one.

[@xaviaxs]

i mean you can carry your romance choice of cs4 to reverie so in a way there is a canon partner based on your save file

[@raionbomber75]

Alright Bobby you put up a good video, nice job. I learned some stuff, I overlooked quite a bit. I still think CS3 is wack tho, but your explanation makes it less wack lol

[@froschdico3767]

REANJUMPSCARE

[@ChaosEater39]

1:38 for estelle and lloyd I can understand but van and kevin are way more mysterious in their introductions. this maybe sets an aura for something but its not as great as with joshua. I mean him helping characters is cool ig, this glosses over the majority of the flaws with rean but yeah sure. rean is not mature he is mature *sometimes* when the dialogue needs him to be 5:21 so he is underplaying his skills. sure. a normal bad quality 6:01 which is dumb because he could have blocked it with his sword or at least not his spine :) 6:31 up until now you are just showing how normal of a protagonist he is, nothing special yet 7:46 when in existence has this ever been said????? I have no memory of this ever happening. 8:00 legitimately I have no words, I truly believe you are just putting head canon into this video lol 8:25 I kind of maybe understand the sacrifice thing kinda maybe maybe but underplaying his strength? really? how is that relevant at all from what im seeing right now you are putting headcanon into this but still even if what you said is true, the dialogue flow, the character interactions are all so embarrassing that any semblance of character development that you mentioned yet is shallow, weak and hard to feel. 10:01 you have not shown any evidence of this yet, and everything you mentioned is just generic protag stuff. most protags have problems related to family, have/had problems with mentality and want to help people and cheer people up. 11:49 I feel like you are just saying words here. you are not showing WHERE he says these things or feels these things, just saying that he does. 12:49 most of the things he is angry at himself for are things that are contained in the story and not the past but ig if he had problems like that before you would be right (which you have proven very shaky evidence for) 13:27 you skipped over the cringest most torturous dialogues in the whole trails series and over some fairly major events such as the pantagruel escape (crow interactions, actually using spirit unification, alfin interactions) and the crimson wings which are all quite major in his character development in this game but sure. also the memes in this video are not well made because they break the flow of the video and are way too loud. 13:39 its not revealed, he slowly throughout the games gains a more defined personality 14:27 I was in agreement with you until you showed no moments like that. you just showed vulcan and scarlet trying to kill themselves, not even rean's reaction. 14:58 you are narrating events without showing (or even explaining) rean's reactions to events, this video is quite poorly written even if you want to argue for cold steel and rean. 16:35 you arent even wrong.. its just that the game is so infuriatingly cringe with so much of the dialogue that these parts of the game are just towered with complete shit. 17:21 the issue is that there is nothing yet shown of the north ambria occupation that is written well dumbly enough so these parts of the story that could be highly emotional were just removed... as a testament to the stupid writing of cold steel. 18:20 actually here is when I stop disliking rean as a character but the writing of the games. I hate how forced it is that his students fight ouroboros with him because it legitimately makes no sense to involve students in things like that. you might argue as you have before that rean did that as a student but this is not normal in this world, the fact that one person does something does not mean it should be a golden standard. 19:35 its not self sacrifice, its protecting students from harm, I disagree on this part completely. 20:20 I still cant see him hating himself, he just has a lot on his mind. 20:24 here he just regrets that crow died, he doesnt attack himself for that 21:58 this WAS really hype, one of my favorite moments in trails 22:30 you are showing too little evidence, again, you sound like you are writing your own story or telling your own story rather than showing things to back up your claims. 22:39 he came to terms with the fact that at the end of the day he is the sacrifice of the great twilight 23:22 this is the first time there is actually good evidence to back up your claims of deep regret/depression. 24:52 yeah the bad ending was quite sad 25:33 this is the ending so there is not much to comment about the quality of the writing, this is pretty good but then again im a big trails fan so enjoying trails is not exactly something to be shocked about. 28:12 yep that is how a person would react to things like that happening. this video is very lazer focused on rean so I cant comment much on the overarching problems with reverie's dumb writing in some places but yeah he is not depressed he just has a lot to think about and come to terms with still 29:00 he already did that in cs4, this time its just with different flavoring 30:24 you could just say what happens, we all know what happened in the game and even the people that dont will understand with the minimal amount of context needed, no need for mark rober the evil science guy 31:46 wdym what a creative name? he calls himself that, what else do you want him to be called? the demon rean of impending doom and the great ones owner? 33:30 this was.. something well idk I dont really need to watch the rest I have a conclusion. this video is not very well made to prove a point but I can say this: what your point is (that rean is like trying to defend other people at the cost of himself) is not especially wrong or anything, but the game is especially poorly written if this is what they try to convey. the WRITING is bad, maybe the idea is good (which I never disagreed with actually lol) but the writing is not peak fiction, its far from it. there is much unnecessary bullshit and a lot of the points that you showed in this video are not felt so much during the playthroughs of the games because they are just shallowly written. also cold steel is still way more mid than the other parts of the series just because of the shallowness of the dialogue.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@ChaosEater39 I think this comment just proves you didn’t pay attention to Rean’s character at all lol. But I’m not even going to bother

[@cosmes.l8742]

I like Rean, my problem is the Anime Tropes, I know, all the characters in all the games have something of that, my point is precisely his Shounen side, because I'm already used to Shounen, and Rean's "Talk no Jutsu" always ends up getting boring. 27:51 - I understand what the story wanted to convey, but at this point I was kind of fed up with Class VII & SSS, I really wanted to see it being focused 100% on "C" and his redemption, but for me, Reverie left more to be desired with the secondary characters than the main story XD. 37:19 - Here's another problem I have, as I'm already used to Shounen, you're also used to other genres like Harem, why not form pairs with the other characters in your own class or outside of it? As mentioned in the video itself, in CSI & CSII you have more background of the characters, but in later games it's forcing who will be the "chosen waifu", we know that this is an appeal to the Japanese public, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯... Thanks for the video Bro 10/10. MUSSE, EMMA, TOWA, ALFIN OR VITA >>>>>>>>

[@sjstronghold9238]

Reverie had an awesome arc for Rean and C. But clearly they were out of idea for Loyd.

[@RaifSeverence]

Rean is actually 18. I only know cuz it said so in the art book that came with the original ps3 limited edition release

[@Naraku203]

I might be wrong but isn't Rean birthday in May so he is 17 and 18 in cold steel 1 and 19 and 20 in cold steel 3

[@RendingHeaven]

Hey man, I want to say thanks for this video. I really put me more in light of Rean instead of another Harem Shonen Good guy. With a little bit more respect to his name. And I see why few people I know would use his likeness in avatar models and such. I came in disliking Rean for aforementioned aspects. Harem, Pretty Boy, Mr. Steal your b**h. And again high school games just about does it badly for me. But seeing you bring up the evidence for Rean really make me respect the man. Yes he is a pretty boy. Like you, I don't roll that way but hey, man's got the looks. I haven't hopped on Trails too far in the extent as most do. Playing the RPGS now would be a huge investment of time. So reading and watching/listening to characters, lore, synopsis. Learning as well as the upcoming Kai No Kiseki: Farewell O'Zemurai. I'm happy for yall and I want to be part of that. I came from all of Ys wanting to learn from Trails for the longest. With it's 30+ years of ongoing story telling. That's something I can get behind. I'd say, for those who haven't gotten the time to learn through CS 1-4 for Rean, come here. You did a bang up job of dissecting Rean than most I've seen. Thank YT's Recommendation too for finding you. Thanks again.

[@aurelienellena8138]

hello and thanks for the video, I still don't dislike rean but I've learned across cold steel games how he came to this and to somewhat appreciate him However what I don't like is the bond system of cold steel together with the developement of the characters of the team or their relatives, Each girl or guy has very few developement in my opinion aside from some including rean emma, juna or altina, like how much has elliot or kurt grown for example; in my opinion not much, he is a nice guy and he plays music but what's more ? Kurt could have had much more on the side of royal familly body guard cut from his duty, what hardships laura crossed during the way of the sword thing and her fighting multiple strong opponents , she had a nice starting arc with the fie and mercenary thing but it never has gone far. It is like every developement thing is kept for rean bonding event, would have enjoyed the other characters growing friendship When I think of strong relations between characters I think 1st about estelle joshua, kevin ries, tita renne/agate, the entire sss group, but not bewteen cold steel characters, I'm not all for the main character getting all the love from everyone or be worshiped etc Though I must admit rean is really handsome and him having the same sword style as arios a boss character in the former arc is really enjoyable Sorry for long post

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

Class VII is my personal favorite cast and I felt every character had great development and stories to tell, so I respectfully disagree. You can look forward to my future videos on the other characters where I explain why

[@hack5770]

Class 7 is special miss them so much the game itself taught me how to look after my team mates as a leader should, I have only played jrpgs this is the first time I as rean put everyone wellbeing before his just love them so much ❤️ the game made me feel like I was part of class seven,the best part is when Rean gives his speech before a hard battle u felt he was talking to u also 😆

[@ChaosEater39]

sorry for the long ass rant

[@copiumuser3134]

The best protagonist in trails. Other trails protagonist not even close to him. Edit :)

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@copiumuser3134 Well IN MY OPINION he is. One of my favorite fictional characters of all time in fact. Sorry. 🤷‍♂️

[@copiumuser3134]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE well let me fix my sentence

[@SagetheFallenlord]

What was it with the Cold Steel arc and depressed characters

[@Flamelance_Accendo]

@1:03 Sheep Chiplock lmfao

[@krimzonstriker7534]

Oh Daddy Osborne, do you need your own separate video indeed. 😅Also, hope you're looking forward to the Sky Remake next year 😆

[@zigrakudo4092]

Not his younger not-sister 😅

[@stardataminesthings]

> Mentions Sora and Rex and eating up corny friendship speeches I see, you're someone of culture as well. :) But yeah the other comments have covered anything I'd want to add. Dude's got a lot more to him than it seems, but you have to be willing to play ball with the series which for a series so corny, a lot of people don't seem to want to do! He's got a special place in my heart. I have mixed feelings on things like the bonding event system making him the center of everything (because all the other Class VII girls sans Millium are reserved for Rean, none of them can really have relationships with the other guys, romantic or otherwise. Like Laura could also spar with Jusis or Gaius or talk to them about marial arts as much as she does Rean but AFAIK she never does. This didn't turn out _as_ badly with the new class, but it still happened to a degree.) However, that's a meta issue, and Rean _as a character_ on his own is totally fine. It's just falcom made some not so great choices that I disagree with that involved him. And that's fine.

[@izabelawiatrowska665]

I love chara Rean from 1 trails 😢i knew,dies one will hero without proof

[@deanmalto1386]

Can you do Estelle and Joshua's next, their romance is hands down easily the best written romance in all of the JRPG ive played, Joshua story is kinda like Rean but he was lucky to have Estelle to knock some sense into him that the "must sacrifice myself and atone for my sins for everyone's sake" arc only lasted half a game

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@deanmalto1386 I will eventually!

[@Daichi82]

I really like Rean, and he has the same voice as Banagher Links in Gundam Unicorn, the japanese voice cast it top notch in this game, playing with english voices is missing half of the game enjoyment.

[@Drunkendrakon]

Only right romance options are Elise, Towa or Laura.

[@Kunkunne-lv9wv]

Rean might be the only protagonist that has alot of plot armor than the rest and when those plot armor gone ,He completely almost destroy .He still my third fav protag , first might be Estelle because how real and raw she is ,no super power or plot behind BS .Just a big stick and Ultra Violence baybee , second is Van because he is HIM .

[@mathewgooseman2956]

This is an important topic to me so I feel the need to comment. 1.) Respectfully, I think the format doesn't work well. Most of the vid is a recap with a surface level "analysis" of the scenes displayed (which to begin with aren't really subtle to warrant much looking into.). Any interesting part that you could add to the discussion is undermined by a joke or glossed over in favor of continuing with the recap (specifically referring to him being a "deconstrucion" and the criticisms his character gets. Stuff I really disagree with, but would've helped with the "analysis" if you went more into detail). 2.) The story beats chosen are very surface level and really repetitive (all boiling down to "Rean doesn't think highly of himself/thinks he is a burden"). One scene which warrants analysis would be Rean's flashback in CS3 which has more depth and showcases his survivors guilt, also his speech with Ash in the same game... 3.) There is a surprising lack of analysis for the symbolic aspects present, such as his ogre power and how it could be a metaphor for Rean's repressed feelings of anger towards himself/others... How changes in his support system (Class 7 -> NC7) are a key part for his recovery, etc... As for the thesis of the vid, I couldn't disagree more honestly... Its a very personal matter, so I'm just gonna speak from my experience... While feelings of worthlessness are a syntom of depression, they dont even encapsulate a great part of the experience... There are other key aspects such as general feelings of emotional numbness, self harm, lack of energy to perform even basic tasks etc. And Rean really only displays a generally vague lack of self esteem with some self loathing. The way the story treats it is also very surface level. After CS1, besides Rean rushing in to save someone what other flaws does he showcase? What real mistakes does he make? How much does the story call him out for these mistakes/how many are REALLY his fault? He unleashed the curse, even though he was set up by Osborne. He helped anex 2 neighboring countries, but he was coerced into doing so and the game itself portrays his particiaption as a good thing (working to save civilians and minimizing damages)... The reason people call Rean wish fullfilment is the major aspects surrounding his character too... He has a large support system of friends, coworkers, and family that are pretty much always understandable of his situation, willing to help him out and (agains post CS1/CS3) rarely ever have a conflict with him (besides his sacrificial nature)... (Not everyone has a good support system, and even if they do, they too are people with their own problems so you cant expect them to be there all the time) Despite being adopted the only person who has any issue with it is himself, even his biological father turned out to be a good person that was always proud of him... He someone manages to handle a 9-5 as a teacher, his daily rounds, a good social life with coworkers, students and his old friends AND still have enough time to train to become a divine blade... (Some people dont even have the energy to take basic care of their hygine, that is a huge contrast)... He is regarded highly by some of the most important figures in the empire, and outside of it (Arianhrod even basically tells him she wanted him to be her son)... He is even highly regarded by his enemies (at least those that arent nameless soldiers) and those he has wronged in the past who hold little grudge over his actions (Lloyd, Rocksmith)... Any mistake he makes (besides his one glaring flaw) are glossed over, or can be justified. And of course the Harem. Despite everything, he is a natural born lady magnet that attracts a large chunk of the female cast (even those the player cant choose like Claire and Duvalie). The less said about his (not*) sister and his students the better... (If keeping up with friends can already be hard, you can imagine a romantic partner) This is also why I disagree with the idea of him being a deconstruction... He isnt deconstructing anything. He plays into all the same tropes that other fantasy fullfillment anime do (as listed above), and his only negative trait isnt even that unique... The idea of a boy with a special power that scares him and makes him isolate from others by thinking he isnt worthy isnt in anyway new, and was used by a lot of light novels at the time. To the point it was mocked and memed and turned into the "edgy/angst" OC image sometimes shared online... I dont think there is anything wrong with fantasy fullfilment. And if people found solace in Rean for their own problems that is great! More power to them... But praising it as good representation doesnt sit right with me personally... The one major exception is his speech in reverie which does encapsulate the responsability people have for their own well being. But even so it's not that deep, its very blunt in fact. All this to say that while I love trails, it's not perfect and not that deep. There is a lot of media out there that portrays these topics in a better and more authentic way. So I suggest seeking it out! Trails is cool, but you should definetly get out of your comfort zone! On a final note. Even in trails we have Kevin and Renne being a pretty good representation of the effects that trauma can have on the individual, and part of that is 3rd's willingness to take the subject matter seriously and showcase the truly ugly aspects of it.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@mathewgooseman2956 I love Renne and Kevin too but I still think Rean is the overall better character. Telling me that Rean’s self loathing was too surface level just tells me you didn’t pay attention

[@mathewgooseman2956]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE So that's your response to all that? Assuming I didn't pay attention? to what? the video? the games? Despite notting the lack of key scenes for Rean's characterization? And even more came to mind like his talks with Claire and Matteus in Reverie which are important for him to overcome his thought patterns and finally give the first step at the end of the game (by "slaying" the ishmelga part of himself). Or his discussion with Crow after the rivalry in CS4 which showcases the difference between how he treats others and himself with him shouting at Crow to stay and fight instead of taking the easy way out (although, personally always interpreted it as him shouting that at himself as well) Or even how the key events showcased are skimmed through due to the format. Like Crow's death in CS2, which isn't just devastating to Rean for failing to save a friend, but because that friend explicitly died FOR him (which worsens his own perception of his worth, and is key reason why later he regresses as a character in CS3). Or how Class 7 leaving is also a big reason why Rean falls back into the same mistakes as well, by having the support system that helped him through the war stripped from him it left him to mourn and cope (or fail to) by himself... And instead of covering how chapter 3 of Reverie serves as symbolic way of showcasing how Rean falls back into the same thought patterns (The "resonance" phenomenon is literally a representation of this), and that is EXACTLY what brings Ishmelga Rean back (The representation of his sacrificial nature and lack of care for himself). We get a weird explanation of what Ishmelga Rean is that could've been summarized as simply as "Rean from the bad ending"... Similarly how Fragments and the lead up to it would've been better for both the recap and the analysis to showcase how ALL of Rean's friends react to his circumstance and act to help him. Instead of just going with optional and missable bonding events for 2 of the girls? But I guess I didn't pay attention at all, nope... Don't care to argue who is the better "character", people can like Rean for whatever reason they want and that is valid, I can't take that away from them nor do I want to. Again, if people find solace or comfort in him, then that is great. And I like other aspects about him like him being an 8L1B character, or some of his designs, as well as his more sarcastic personality in CS1 when dealing with Sarah.... What I argued is Rean isn't good representation of "depression" and feels very surface level if taken that way. Also that Renne and Kevin had more aspects that resonated with my experience with trauma, some which are really ugly and Rean fails to capture in comparison... With Renne, I could just say star door 15. But beyond that we see how a small child has to dissociate and self harm to simply survive, and how her parents leaving created a fear of abandonment that cause her to act out in ways that are harmful to others and moreso to herself. How despite wanting to meet with Estelle in the 3rd, the moment she realizes she isn't dreaming she acts antagonistic towards her in attempt to drive her away before SHE could abandon her, self sabotaging basically. That's why the ending of zero hits so hard, because Renne truly thought Estelle and Joshua would give up on her because of her past, because it's something she can't fathom someone accepting, but with understanding and patience they "catch up" to her. It also helps in SC and 3rd, Renne is called out by Estelle, Ries and Tita when needed, because despite being a victim that doesn't mean she can't do no wrong. And Kevin. Kevin showcases a deep trauma for childhood, that despite being able to rationalize as "not his fault" (because it wasn't, he was just a child and the situation was really messy), he still can't forgive himself for that, this is worsen by his part in Rufina's death (which is another similar situation). This guilt and trauma is then represented by his title and his stigma (which is fittingly the true villian of the 3rd) which by the end of the story he manages to change. He makes mistakes; his actions are shown to hurt Ries by abanoning her and also by lying to her face (which rightfully makes her angry, be it because he doesn't trust her, or thinks she will somehow buy his "fool" act). How his time as the Heretic hunter is a form of punishment and can be viewed as self harm. And it's all messy like real life... The scene in ch7 where he slowly goes deeper into the orphanage isn't just a representation of him being more vulnerable and letting people in. But the climax, to me (and this is a reading I don't know if others will share), always read to me as Kevin geniunely going to accept Rufina's (or rather his own intrusive thoughts) plan of taking him to Gehenna (which, when put that way really does resemble suicidal ideation). He truly thinks the others would be "free" if he was gone, but (like in real life), he fails to notice not just the pain he would leave behind, but that THIS is a situation he has put himself in (That's what Phantasma represents, and why the lord of phantasma being his stigma works really well). That the solution isn't to leave, but to work on his own traumas for his well being, and by extention that of others (Insert the "Obligation to be happy speech here")... And of course the rest of CH7 is just that, he doesn't do it alone, and it's hard (not just for him, but it works because the player only has kevin and ries, as well as other stuff like the chest messages being gone). But he is doing it and it's powerful.... I could go on, but that misses the point I think. Like before I'm not saying they are perfect (they definetly aren't) or "better" characters than Rean. Or that people SHOULD like them even (or are missing the point for not doing so)... But that I think the way their stories are told, and what their arcs are more closely resemble my (and other people I've talked to) experiences than Rean's (and that in comparison he feels more superficial). That is not to diminish other people who have similar issues like Rean's either (Please don't twist my words or misunderstand). Life can be hard for anyone, and I truly wish the best for anyone going through mental health issues. God knows the world needs more understanding on the topic (and that's why I felt the need to comment). Ultimately, I think Trails desperately needs more critical content. Stuff analysing how the game's handle their characters, the themes displayed through the arcs, etc. And despite my issues with the video I commented in good faith, giving criticism in hopes of seeing the content improve (cause I thought there was potential), as well as just giving my thoughts on the matter which just happened to not agree with your thesis. You could've easily just said "I respectfully disagree" and leave it there. But instead, as what I saw with another comment, you dismiss any opposite viewpoint as "not paying attention"? I truly understand how tiresome the fandom (and the internet) can be. I know there are people who argue in bad faith and simply hate for the sake of hating... But I don't think this is a good response at all from your part. In fact it sorta goes against the themes of the series you so vehemently talk about... As corny as it's gonna sound, which going by your love of KH and Xeno I think should be up your alley : ), I have to flip the question. Where you paying attention to the message of trails? How the villains (Weissman, Joachim, Dieter, Grimwood, Ishmelga) ultimately are people that impose their will and beliefs on others without any room for discussion? And how the heroes are people that come from different backgrounds, sometimes fighting amongst themselves (Machias/Jusis, Laura/Fie, Rean/Crow, Millium/Altina, Duvalie, Agate in FC, Renne, Yin, etc.) but with patience can come to an understanding, and together make something greater than the sum of it's parts (The Liberl Team, The SSS, Class 7)? How everyone can benefit from being heard out, and reaching out to help each other? How we should create a space that facilitates this? Similarly, in an analysis for the SYNTHESIS to happen, we need both a Thesis AND an ANTITHESIS...? Maybe, I did miss the point of it all. Maybe I am pretentious... I know I lack self awareness by writing an essay on a youtube comment without any idea if it's even going to be read lol... Even so I feel strongly about this and did it anyway. I want this series to get the respect it deserves, I want to see this fandom improve too, and that starts with all of us as individuals... I'm not perfect, I am open to hear any criticism of what I said or did, I've learned that the hard way... I just hope you don't dismiss people so easily like that again... At the end of the day, in spite of this large comment. I do wish you well with your future projects and videos. And to whoever may read this behemoth, I am grateful for being heard out. And I wish you a good day :)

[@ChaosEater39]

after replaying the whole of trails of cold steel and reverie I can conclusively say: you are schizophrenic

[@luchi91]

The problem with Rean is the inconsistency of its central theme. Yes, he was abandoned and the nobles see him badly BUT his adoptive family loves him unconditionally. He says he doesn't deserve to be in class VII BUT all his classmates can't stop telling him how much they care and love him. He says that he is nothing next to his classmates but it is Rean who solves most of the problems within Class VII by making them look useless without Rean. I think it was a very bad idea to make a character with low self-esteem has a harem because it makes me ask "why does the man who says he's worthless attract all the girls?" The game wants to be a tragic story and a harem fantasy at the same time and that makes me and many other people not take Rean seriously and sorry, I don't think Rean is a deconstruction of the shonen protagonist

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@luchi91 I fail to see how Rean having friends and family who love him means he can’t be depressed, when his depression literally has nothing to do with that. As I explained in the video, his self loathing started because his parents were ridiculed for taking in a commoner. Just because they weren’t bothered by that, it doesn’t change the fact that Rean can’t help help but feel responsible. And that’s not the only factor that plays into his self loathing. If anything, I’d argue his loving family and even the harem STRENGTHENS Rean’s character and his depression. As Rean needs to recognize people care about him despite everything

[@luchi91]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE The problem is not that he has friends but HOW he has them. like I said before. For a character who had low self-esteem, the people around him sure are attracted to him, it feels very forced and sure his self-hatred began because his parents were ridiculed for taking in a commoner. I get it, but I can use the factor that his family (you know, people who are much more important to him than some nobles that he doesn't even know) would have much more weight in how he should see himself but well it seems I can't use that argument. Oh and "the harem STRENGTHENS Rean's character and his depression"...really? the fact that you can romance your teacher and STUDENTS is an important thing for Rean's character and his depression...really? CS4 hotspring scene of rean alone with the girls is character development? is not fanservice at all? ok i was wrong then...

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@luchi91 I meant it represents that people care for Rean. The whole point of Rean’s arc is recognizing that, and realizing making a self sacrifice attempt will only hurt his friends, not save them. I fail to see how the harem ruins this lol

[@luchi91]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE Well, the harem ruins how you perceive the characters since the female characters in the end are more waifus for the player to choose from than characters themselves, you can barely see class vii interact with each other making the friendship in class vii artificial (new class vii have better quemistry between them than the old class vii though...just a little). So all of Rean's sacrifice and the sadness that the group may have for that reason remains empty because you don't believe the friendship that they have in the first place. I mean man, it is no coincidence that people in general put Liberls party and the SSS above from class vii. there are reasons why CS is the most controversial arc of trails, people are not haters just because

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@luchi91 I’m just going to assume you didn’t pay attention to the games then lol. Class 7 is my personal favorite cast and leagues better than the Liberl crew & SSS imo so I massively disagree

[@ChaosEater39]

average trails fan when they get told that rean is a poorly written character and cold steel is mid at best:

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

Because he’s an amazingly written character and Cold Steel is peak fiction 😁

[@MeadTree]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE He's trash, depressed yet constantly giving lloyd-style motivation speeches in front of the whole class, get the fuck outta here

[@Ninja07Keaton]

Rean is very similar to Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach. They both go through near identical character arcs, and due to their struggles being predominately internal, most fans fundamentally do not understand these characters. The inconvenience of the Western audience having surface level literacy, but I digress. You won't see that in Japan, as Rean is easily the single most popular character in the series where overseas with Crow right behind him.

[@roxascross3741]

Hey That why we have opinions

[@Konochinchingasuki]

I will be that guy, Get ratio'd

[@hendribadaya8814]

I might be the minority here, but whatever. I think Rean is the WORST Protagonist in the trails series, I hate how naive Rean is like in the cold steel 2 he want Crow to graduate with Towa and friends despite he just "killed" Erebonia chancellor and started civil war that caused a lot of death. Even if Rean forgive him it's dumb to think the Goverment gonna let him go after everything is over.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@hendribadaya8814 I dont see the issue with Rean wanting to redeem Crow??? Estelle literally does the same thing with Renne. Who is a literal murder child. Star Door 15 doesn’t change the fact she did bad stuff, but Estelle looked past that and wanted to see her get a happy life.

[@hendribadaya8814]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE Are you really comparing Renne with Crow? Renne is a child who was abandoned by her parents, and the ones who saved her were a crime organization. Even Estelle said it herself that if Renne were an adult, she wouldn't have tried to persuade her.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@hendribadaya8814 She still killed people. Saying Rean is naive and “it’s dumb the government would forgive Crow” is silly because you can literally say the same for Estelle wanting to redeem Renne. My overall point is it’s not unreasonable for the protagonists to want to redeem antagonists who went down a dark path. If Estelle can redeem Renne because she saw good in her, then Rean can redeem Crow for the same reasons.

[@hendribadaya8814]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE Estelle didn't try to redeem Renne because she saw good in her, but because Renne only a CHILD. Estelle said it herself in Liberl ark or the tower (forget which one) that she would leave Renne alone if she was an adult.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@hendribadaya8814 she still killed people lol

[@kokinfysraviolis1620]

Good video, I disagree completely though... Go watch Kamen Rider OOO. It's way better than Trails of Cold Steel in regards to how it handles it's subject matter. Eiji Hino (The GOAT) >>>> Rean