Why Shulk is an Amazing Protagonist

[@reyntime8735]

Shulk’s development as a character can also be well seen within his skill trees: Bravery, Humanity, Integrity, Intuition, and Pessimism.

[@minimik75]

hello Reyn Time

[@jayjaysheroah2485]

Hi reyn

[@Mnemoniforma9.00]

You can tell that the first and last traits arise from a flux between Zanza within and the boy crying out for his parents, the boy who was devoured by him in Ose Tower. As a result, you can see a bit of an edge beneath that upstanding purity and intellect. Nothing that goes to all the way to Hot Topic levels like Roxas or Nero, but a shade thereof.

[@linkalot7415]

"And so what I... no, what we wish for is a world where Xenoblade is mainstream."

[@anthonydavis5826]

A Xenoblade movie, if well made, would probably do that.

[@corrinflakes9659]

A character design professor of mine once responded “if a character is in Smash they’re iconic already,” when I was doubting to use a character for an assignment making a companion animal for a “iconic pre-existing character”. Character I wanted was Pit from Kid Icarus, so Shulk would be too. Of course not being in Smash doesn’t delegitimize a character’s status but rather is a good certificate of verified icon to have. I mean Pyra’s tea GIF in other fandom circles is enough to suggest Xenoblade is far reaching. In the west I’d say Xenoblade is on JJBA in anime equivalent of iconic for RPG’s, it is almost barely right there among undoubtedly iconic.

[@questionmarkquestionmarkques]

@@anthonydavis5826 no way you can fit xenoblade into a movie. an animated series makes more sense

[@mylesobrien7477]

old but that happened to Metal Gear Rising and its been a disaster

[@ystevenxu]

A world without juju!

[@JustJulyo]

Shulk became a God before our eyes yet he didn't change, now that's one strong character

[@michaelbrent1536]

Better than Ruby Rose(RWBY) and Corrin(Fire Emblem)!

[@rosheafan]

@@michaelbrent1536 Corrin is not a character, period. I do play Fire Emblem games.

[@airtiger4577]

He seems to be more powerful than rex

[@rosheafan]

@@airtiger4577 Rex is a weak little bitch. I beat XC2's main story two days ago, so that's about as much confirmation as you can get.

[@ph34rbucket91]

​@@michaelbrent1536 a fucking rock is better than Ruby Rose

[@Speckmantelmade]

My favourite thing was to see friends who only knew Shulk from Smash play XC 1. They were absolutely floored at how different he is. Still an airhead sometimes and kind , but BOY is he angry, and rightfully so. His journey is written in a way that just grabs you and doesn’t let go.

[@polyman6859]

I really like how keeping Mumkar alive foreshadows Shulk’s decision to try and spare Egil. Every time I look at this game, it gets even better. This was an excellent analysis of Shulk’s character.

[@louiseechoes]

He spares a homs, he spares a machina, But he doesn't spare the God.

[@polyman6859]

@@louiseechoes If he did nothing would change.

[@louiseechoes]

@@polyman6859 Correct!

[@Nekro_Knight]

Still should have let Dunban kill him though.

[@Snugboy]

Good video my dude! Shulk is such an amazing character and I think, like you said, it’s all due to Adam Howden’s outstanding performance. Genuinely my favourite va performance of any game ever.

[@xanderscut]

Absolutely. The sheer intensity and heart that he puts into his performance makes everything feel so genuine.

[@TheFaceSoap]

one of my favourite moments in the whole game (spoiler I guess) is when Riki and Shulk have that heart to heart on top of distant fingertip, where they discuss family and Shulk feels morose about being an orphan, and Riki says he'll adopt him once all is said and done. Riki is goofy and seeing him offer such tenderness to Shulk was an absolutely beautiful moment

[@PSIUser658]

This was a really great video my friend! Shulk is definitely one of the most engaging protagonists ever put in a JRPG.

[@TayeTalks]

Don't think I've seen a analysis on Shulk yet, this was really well done man, essays and Xenoblade, my two favorite things on KZbin lol.. Bravo with this one...🙌🏾🔥

[@ph34rbucket91]

I was never a fan of Shulk due to having played Smash first, but some friends kept pestering me to play Xenoblade... and I'm happy to say I've never been so glad t9 be wrong. Shulk is a badass and a ln excellent protagonist.

[@theloverofnothing7120]

I love shulk he felt so real and I related to him every time he tried to hide his feelings bout his visions cuz I often hide my sadness and stress till it’s irreparable. Xenoblade was so well written I knew the fiora spoilers before hand but Shulk being dead really pulled the rug out from under me and his mental breakdown afterwards was so real! I was glad he didn’t just get back up right after like a lot of protags

[@hynes_ketchup248]

This video is severely underrated man. If there was an RPG character I can relate to, personally I think it probably would be Shulk. Yet I'd never find the exact words as to why I find him so relatable. Your video just did that for me! Best of luck with your channel! ❤ And more people really need to play this game!

[@xanderscut]

Thanks a bunch! So glad I could do that for you

[@redgerran]

Personally, I love Noah as a protagonist, but Shulk is what makes Xenoblade 1 my favorite in the franchise.

[@danknados]

My favourite part of shulk's character is how much his goal and mindset changed throughout the game. A good example of this is at sword valley when shulk stops dunban from killing mumkhar, if fiora actually died and didn't just become a mechon, shulk would've let dunban kill him, and on that same note, he would have killed egil. Another thing I like is how zanza eminating from shulk is foreshadowed from as early as just after the mechon attack colony 9, when shulk says to reyn:"there's a part of me that wants to make them pay'. And when zanza is removed from shulk, shulk changes from wanting revenge to just wanting to fulfill the needs of the people of bionis and mechonis respectively. Also when shulk sees that fiora is in fact alive, his whole perspective shifts from revenge to finding out the truth. Shulk is probably my favourite video game character as well as Link from the legend of Zelda, as he actually feels more down to earth than other video game MCs because he is born in humble beginnings as a guy who collects scrap. Yet another thing I absolutely adore about shulk is how his character moves through the stages of grief while on his journey from being sad that fiora has seemingly died, anger towards all mechon, bargaining with his self worth, depression for losing people close to him, but finally acceptance with him not feeling resentment or anger when he faces zanza but instead, courage to prove the worth of all life on bionis as meaningful and not just food for zanza to use. I feel like I'm glazing too much but I can't deny how amazing xc1 is, with its amazing soundtrack and it's story. Also xenoblade 1 has more twists than a pretzel so there's also that.

[@inesatt1313]

Him,Roxas,Ventus and Sora from Kingdom Hearts would be total brothers While Dunban and Reyn will get along swimmingly with Terra,Axel and Riku Fiora would enjoy the company of Kairi,Aqua,Xion and Naminé I wish there was a crossover between these two games,I would totally love to see their interactions

[@bluemariomedia8351]

Well they are both in smash.

[@inesatt1313]

@@bluemariomedia8351 Yup,but no interaction

[@nicenice1572]

"its clearly established that shulk is kind, determined, and a massive fucking nerd" also awesome vid

[@BulbaWhat98]

Shulk is one of the most GOATed video game protagonists ever! I love everything about him, and Adam Howden's voice acting was amazing! Can't wait to possibly see him in Xenoblade Chronicles 3's DLC story!

[@magnumopus8124]

i literally beat xenoblade 1 yesterday and i can completely see the hype for it since the wii version. shulk is definitely a very awesome protag and he certainly became one of my favorites.

[@Mel-jo5mo]

Shulk (and the XB1 cast) will always have a soft spot in my heart. Their character development and interactions are what made XB1 for me and personally is still my favorite in the series.

[@ajtriforcegamerofhyrule8538]

I'm so glad to have got Xenoblade chronicles for my birthday years back I been growing attatched to the characters

[@LFPman]

Had the pleasure of finishing Xenoblade DE today, I had already finished 2 and heard really good things about 1. It took me awhile to adjust to the game’s mechanics and remove XC2 instincts, but given time, I could then understand and love Shulk as a character. He’s got admirable traits that make him a good person, but the flaws for him to overcome of being bent on revenge, and to finally let go of it and seek peace with the confrontation with Egil… it’s amazing. I had fully hoped Shulk or Dunban to put an end to Mumkhar when he full on deserved it. He betrayed Dunban, betrayed the Homs and killed Fiora, is sadistic, spits on the enemy if he’s got the upper hand over them, and never once did he regret it, not even in his final moments, and Shulk had every reason to kill him. But the fact he could do what not many could do if they were in the same position, and do so against Egil, and even resist the devil in his ear that is Zanza, i’m proud to have played Xenoblade and know Shulk for more than he’s known from Smash Brothers.

[@Xyleff]

Woa ... congrats. That's a great video, thanks for this analysis and bring these aspects of Shulk to light for those who don't know him well

[@xanderscut]

Of course! Thanks for the comment, much appreciated.

[@Xyleff]

@@xanderscut

[@tirzahroseroot]

Shulk is my second favourite video game character of all time and he’s only passed by the former title character of the Ratchet and Clank series

[@-libertyprimev1-902]

(Around 10:59) Something I absolutely love about this game and something not many people bring up, this bit of story telling is so good yet so easily looked over, why do you think Shulk and Dunban and Mumkar make such a big deal about killing fellow homs? Because it's not something that was done before in the context of the story, in our f**ked up world we look at a Human killing another human as something that's very bad but not unforgivable depending on the context (for example in self defense) because we've had several wars between each other and a deep history of scenarios where such acts take place, meanwhile in this world they've seemingly never had any wars between homs or any real infighting... All their military is there for is in the war against the Mechon, you see hints of it here there but the biggest point is definitely here when Shulk refuses to kill Mumkar despite everything he did. It's not in their nature or history to want to have such big disagreements to the point it's choosing sides so therefore it's not such a snap your fingers ready to go decision, Dunban only reached this point after everything is revealed and it turns out it was one of his war buddies that nearly destroyed his home as well seemingly murdered his sister all because Mumkhar was jealous of him (Dunban probably sees it partly as his fault because of that). - - - *SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING!* The other big point that shows this is the Ending where the military district and the army is turned into a reconstruction effort and help for all the races to continue to work together, this is because the only thing the military was there for was fighting Mechon. As mentioned before they've seemingly never had waring armies between themselves or the other colony's so once the Mechon and The Other Threat is gone, so is the need for their military.

[@Ghost_Drive]

You say Shulk in the game is very different from the Shulk in Xenoblade Chronicles, but I think Smash does a perfect job of representing gameplay Shulk. What really sells Shulk to me is not just everything you talked about here, but that when you are playing the game instead of watching the story, Shulk is more relaxed. Joking with his friends after some fights, taking precious time out of his journey to help people in side quests, things like that. It makes the moments where Shulk loses himself to rage or makes a serious decision much more noticeable because you know that's not who Shulk normally is.

[@thedoorman6940]

I think this video helped me understand the words I’m looking for as to why I love Xenoblade 1s plot. Before I chalked up the various changes in objective to evolving. With every new info given the objective evolves, from killing the Mechon, to just stopping and understanding them, to kill a god XD But I think the better word, is mature. Shulk, and the groups goals mature through the game, from revenge, to understanding, then putting those lessons to the test to fight God. Some may argue it’s not keeping focus, but I say it’s keeping focus in a different way. It all boils down to maturity. Having the maturity to reevaluate yourself with new info, be it the revelation that Fiora is alive, that Homs are the Face units, to the history of the feud between the Titans, and understanding what Egils deal is. All until finally, he’s worthy of a Third Monado and can confront Zanza for the sake of the world. In the beginning he wanted to unlock the secrets of the Monado, and at the end, he did just that. Shulk really is the true Heropon :3

[@Mnemoniforma9.00]

I MIGHT be projecting because I wanted Tails in Smash, but to me, Shulk has that "fly high to the highest heavens for those waiting for me" vibe to his work ethic as a scientist, except he takes it to messianic levels in the name of human autonomy and self-determination. He comes across as a more cerebral version of Simon from Gurren Lagann. And I think for one of the "anime swordsmen" of gaming, that's a rather unique personality type.

[@bacopon7985]

This video is so underrated man, i honestly couldn't have described Shulk in a better way, he's one my favorite videogame characters just by how likeable and relatable he is. As IGN would say "Xenoblade Chronicles really makes you FEEL like Shulk" 10/10, subscribed

[@xanderscut]

Ay thank you so much! Working hard on more content like this, hope you enjoy that as well.

[@bacopon7985]

@@xanderscut By the way you made this video i already know i'm gonna love the rest of the stuff you'll make

[@marioxenobladedokifan614]

Great analysis. To this day, Shulk is still my most favorite video game protagonist. Xenoblade Chronicles is one of my most favorite games of all time and the first game where I cried multiple times. Shulk is a character I really connected with. It's because of Xenoblade Chronicles that I got into Jrpgs which is why I still continue to hold it in very high regards.

[@FleetofFeet]

An amazing video that perfectly sums up the wonder that is shulk, great job

[@tomdaturtle5792]

Seeing Shulk pick up the Monado and activating it to fight the mechon was such an amazing moment. The entire game so far was mainly about how only Dunban could wield it, then Shulk picks it up and youre terrified for him. Then he crushes it!

[@NicholasMonado]

He is my favorite video game character of all time you did a amazing analysis

[@michaelbrent1536]

Better than Sora(Kingdom Heart), Pit(Kid icarus),Ruby Rose(RWBY) And Lightning(Final Fentasy)?

[@IkanaMaskedMan]

@@michaelbrent1536 i don't know everyone but Pit, i can Say safely that better than Pit he is for sure...

[@zery5039]

@@michaelbrent1536 lol those character are just awful im sorry bro XD

[@david_8916]

@@michaelbrent1536 Easily

[@lucaspalomino-fs8tz]

To all the people saying that xenoblade characters have no character development or personality Shut up

[@keblin86]

I still remember that day, the first day playing this game on the original Wii. All my friends didn't know what it was and I constantly told them "One of the best games ever, u have to play it!". I remember that first scene with Fiora and the Mechon and my throat hurt lol. It was so dry. I could barely speak and that was only a few hours into the game. I knew that this was going to be something special and damn it was/is! I wish they could give us Xenogears in a more modern control scheme of today but that will never happen. This series is just beyond anything I have ever seen. The scope of it all is insane!

[@TrvisXXIII]

Idk about him being the greatest, but the voice over work of his character is incredible

[@roisin2004]

This was a really cool video!! Part of Shulks Development I really like is how he comes to learn to care more about his friends and gets over his obsession with understanding and researching the monado In the beginning when Reyn holds the monado and it goes hairwire and it hits fiora Shulk is more concerned with the sword then his childhood friend, he explains why as the monado couldn’t hurt people at the time but it shows exactly where his priorities lay and didn’t understand it until it was too late and lost fiora. Shulk was described a lot in the beginning as not going outside of his lab a lot and his interests being more with his research perfectly contrasts him against klaus which is a parallel of what he could’ve become if it wasn’t for his friends and all he’s learned throughout the game Klaus likewise from what we saw in 1 was highly dedicated to his research and didn’t care who was effected by it. This is made more interesting due to 2 of course but the core aspect is there. Klaus did want to use the experiment to try and improve humanity likewise to shulk who wanted to understand the monado to help his world. I think Shulk destroying the monado fully shows how much he’s grown and how he doesn’t NEED to understand everything anymore and he’s okay with getting rude of the object that defined him for so many years.

[@samreddig8819]

Shulk didn't understand what he had until it was gone.

[@CrocvsGator]

Great video! Though I know you mentioned up until Egil in this video, I also think a very underappreciated moment is when Shulk is recovering afterwards, and in his mindscape he begins to have a mental breakdown until Alvis calms him down and shows him he has purpose. As someone with mental health struggles, this scene really resonated with me, the feeling that everything I ever did was pointless or as Shulk said "I was never alive" Anyway, I know it sounds strange, but playing that part on the New 3ds version really helped me get over some pain I had. Also the first time a video game made me cry was Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, of all things. You all know what part I mean.

[@feiwong3634]

Xenoblade Chronicles is in my all time best games ever made podium along others like Xenogears, Terranigma or Skies of Arcadia. Such an amazing game, goosebumps everytime i remember it.

[@AlexxxMYLSince2013]

Rex and Noah have good Arcs but Shulk is on another level

[@sword_racer185]

Rex has zero arc

[@AlexxxMYLSince2013]

@@sword_racer185 To be fair i don't remember much about Xenoblade 2

[@sword_racer185]

@@AlexxxMYLSince2013 no problem

[@BDaMonkey]

@@sword_racer185 He went from being a lowly salvager to banging three anime chicks.

[@linkalot7415]

Great video pal! Xenoblade is goat and criminally underrated.

[@xanderscut]

Completely agree. Xenoblade games have been my favorite experiences in gaming, and it's a shame they don't get more love. It's so nice to see other fans in the community.

[@jakecustodio8038]

Go off king

[@Fish2049]

Born in a world of strife 🌎 Against the odds ⬇️ We choose to fight！ ⚔️ モナドー斬　👁👄👁

[@toomayps214]

4:08 about Fiora and the mobile artillery, the first vision Shulk has about it happens earlier in the game, before the invasion (basically Reyn does an oopsie and while he returns the Monado to its stand he has the vision). You may spend a bit of time confused about it but when Fiora runs towards the mobile artillery and is separated from the party all the pieces should come together. So when you see Fiora show up in the mobile artillery you and Shulk are filled with dread cause you know what's about to happen and that there's nothing Shulk can do except plead for her to leave.

[@ashvinkannan6903]

10:18 Ah it’s shulk’s broken fair.

[@ashvinkannan6903]

Also if I had a dime for every time a blonde haired blue eyed orphan in a world made up of energy learns to control said energy, gets a laser sword, goes on a hero’s journey, overcomes their anger, and eventually spares the bad guy... I’d have 20 cents. It’s not a lot but it’s weird it happened twice.

[@reyntime8735]

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it

[@indigo1868]

Amazing video, u rly did show why shulk is one of the best protagonists of all time and hes personally my favourite and i'd like to see u do one on rex as well, bc even tho i dont think hes as good as shulk, hes still amazing and gets an insane amount of hate for dumb reasons but yeah this was a great video, tysm for making it

[@michaelbrent1536]

What about Sora(Kingdom Heart ) or Link(Legend of Zelda)?

[@EliTurp]

This is a really good analysis! Love the video, and I agree completely. Man... Xenoblade 1 is such a good game

[@daimena.cianci2651]

Great character analysis my friend!

[@Neogears1312]

One minor thing Is mumkhar was also a candidate that could wield the monado. It’s why he says he’ll steal it because they passed him up despite being the first guy they found to be able to use it because dunban was better at it.

[@Tswiz7]

“He’s lived a life before this game” Actually he was an empty shell 🤣🤣

[@TheBandoBandito]

Now I've went and gone down the Xenoblade rabbit hole on your channel.

[@TG_Geek]

Well written man, keep up the grind!

[@xanderscut]

Thanks! You too

[@TG_Geek]

@@xanderscut Sure will :-)

[@TG_Geek]

@@xanderscut When's the next stream? I don't want to miss it😁

[@xanderscut]

@@TG_Geek Either Saturday or Sunday at about 3pm PST. Thanks for showing interest!

[@TG_Geek]

Got it!

[@clevernamehere1]

Games that elicit such a deep level of empathy take a lot of heart to make!

[@seekingsolutions7078]

Dude you are the man! Amazing video. You’re easily going to have 100k subscribers in no time.

[@M0riW0lf]

*GPS says there are spoilers* *chooses to watch it anyway cuz it's a GPS video* 😎

[@emblemblade9245]

Hey there! I think you definitely did a great job of getting your thoughts across in this video. The script was very well-structured and did a great job of describing each detail then relating it to how it made you feel. While I actually don’t really love Shulk, this video did a nice job of explaining why others do, so I’m really glad for that. There’s some things you said I agree with, some that I don’t, and other things that weren’t brought up that I think are worth mentioning. And there’s kind of a lot I want to say… Thing is, for me, Shulk was a character who started out really great but who I ran into problems with later on in the story, and I ultimately mostly lost interest with him. We both seem to agree that XC1’s early game does a fantastic job of establishing his character, making you care about him, and providing him a strong motivation. This is the part where I liked Shulk the most. I still really enjoy looking back to those moments with him and Reyn in Tephra Cave and the Ether Mines, and the moments of conflict in between. There was a great balance between him learning about the Monado and him fighting back against the mechon like Xord, growing into a leader that could give the Homs hope, while still bearing the rage towards Metal Face for the loss of Fiora. But something went wrong after that, and his characterization became rather scattered to me. Perhaps it was the huge lack of mechon encounters from Satorl Marsh to the end of Eryth Sea, but I largely forgot about his desire for revenge. When Metal Face came back at Prison Island it made sense for him to be angry, but the resurfacing after so long felt a bit jarring to me, and I didn’t feel as invested in HIM as I was in the oncoming plot developments. Then he finds out Fiora’s alive and kinda drops everything he was doing to try to find and save her. An understandable reaction, but I always felt like it was rather irresponsible and short-sighted of him as well and that it was abandoning his prior motivations too much (did no one care that the guy with the trump card against mechon was chasing after someone he might not even be able to save?). I didn’t resonate enough with the way he cared about Fiora, so for the stretch of that subplot I didn’t really care for what he was doing. I also didn’t really feel invested in his character development regarding the revenge motivation, and that’s because of how plot events formed around it. When he decides that he wonders why Bionis and Mechonis have to keep fighting, it’s only because he just found out that some of the mechon have Homs inside them so killing them suddenly (could I say conveniently?) becomes immoral. Even when they had personalities revealed, seen as early as Xord, it didn’t seem to bother him. I think that scene came off clumsy to me because the face mechon being modified homs doesn’t really suggest any moral gray area for the mechon themselves. There’s nothing yet to suggest they’re anything other than brainwashed (except Mumkhar) servants carrying out the mechon’s orders. There are a few other things by this point suggesting the mechon are more than it seems, but that’s not what Shulk chooses to bring up. And all of this is used to justify not killing a HOMS who is acting of his own will, not mechon’s, was just a few cutscenes earlier shown trying to kill Fiora, and who of course gleefully attacked Colony 9. None of Mumkhar in this moment actually has to do with mechon, really, and he has no moral gray to speak of. Even if Shulk chose not to kill him, he didn’t even try incapacitating him, and Mumkhar conveniently dies anyway so Shulk won’t have blood on his hands. So now Fiora’s alive, Fiora’s “killer” is dead, and the mechon are a big question mark. What next? Well soon the party meets the machina proper and find out that literally none of them are bad except for Egil. I’ve seen it said that Egil is a foil to Shulk, and a look into what Shulk could become if he gives into his hate, but I believe their circumstances are too different for that to be true. If I recall correctly, nowhere are we ever given reason to believe that Shulk would try to do harm to a non-aggressor to further his own agenda against an enemy, at least not in a callous and tactical way. Egil on the other hand commits some seriously extreme atrocities against the Homs even though Zanza’s the only one who did anything wrong, and hides his anger-fueled motivation behind the excuse of starving Zanza. I just don’t see how Shulk could ever go that far, given who he is. Not that it matters much because now we know Egil is the only villainous mechon and the entire rest of Mechonis is good and even Egil’s father tells Shulk to kill Egil so during the whole climb up Mechonis it felt to me less like anything to do with revenge and more like “Egil is an extremist who is preventing peace between Bionis and Mechonis so if he’s defeated then they both can stop fighting”. Forgive me for thinking this, but Shulk having that last spurt of vengefulness at the end of the Yaldabaoth fight felt like it came out of nowhere as a result, like the writers just suddenly remembered he had that as a motivation. So having that scene be the resolution to his character development…well it just felt long past the point where it was to be resolved. Ultimately it never felt to me like Shulk’s moral conscience was in danger of going too far, and that kind of thing is crucial to a revenge story. When the opposing force is boiled down to a single person who even his own people fully disagree with, it no longer feels like it’s about Shulk’s emotions to me. Lastly, there’s all the stuff to do with Zanza and how he was able to somehow obtain the true monado from Alvis and overpower him. I like Zanza a lot, and the revelation of Shulk being his vessel, but Shulk being able to just do all the stuff that he could only do because Zanza was controlling him? Gonna need an explanation for that. In summary, while I absolutely love what Shulk was in the beginning, what he developed into was not a direction I enjoyed, so I could no longer say I loved him. He was still very cool, and Adam’s a really great voice actor, but it wasn’t enough. Whether the issues I had were something other people just weren’t bothered by, or have explanations for that I’ve yet to fathom, this is all an honest account of how I perceived him when I played through XC1. I suppose the only reason I put so much work into the rant is because I so often see him praised as if his greatness is a fact, a universally believed truth. Therefore, the fact that it isn’t universal is something I feel deserves to be stressed. I don’t mean this as pride for not liking him or an attack on those who do. Being so far in the minority simply gives me the urge to act. It feels lonely sometimes, seeing everyone else love him and not feeling the same way, so the least I can do is try to share why that is.

[@fourthstrongest]

i think the part with egil being a foil more comes from that both him and shulk were so motivated by revenge that if shulk were in his shoes, he may do the same thing. shulk is fairly extremist about his hate for the mechon pretty much until he realizes that fiora is alive. i think shulk past that point has already changed so that he couldn't be like egil, but without that and the right information/circumstances, he could be. it's kinda a big "what if" in how the foil works, but it's there. otherwise i fully agree with you. i like shulk but i really don't understand all the praise except for him being written more human than many other characters in JRPGs

[@IkanaMaskedMan]

Amazing description of what is Shulk as a character and a leader (something almost everyone forgets) , i hope You can do other characters of XC1 or 2 man

[@crowgirlc5353c4k]

something I adore so deeply about the way shulk spared mumkhar and how it angered me was how i instantly forgave him for his inability to spare later. His desire to spare his enemies upset his peers (and the player as well!) but his inability to spare dickson, (practically) his father, at the end of the game just made me pity him and how much fate is against him. he spared the one who killed fiora... but the only enemy he physically couldnt spare was the one who raised him. fate keeps playing in his face and im glad the game is all about defying it. im sad

[@FlareBlitzBanana]

I actually kinda like how Shulk is represented in Smash. I wanted to play Xenoblade because of this whimsical blonde Monado boi who’s really feeling it. Then the game totally caught me off guard with how serious Shulk and the game overall were.

[@lilrockstar8170]

blatant spoilers below His past is also pretty crucial to his character - Shulk, although he gets better at it, struggles to open up to people and talk about his problems all through the game. Why? Because he doesn't know how. Dickson, the man who should have been there for him, never was. Even though he had close friends, he always felt left out and a little jealous when it came to families, because he was left all alone. And yet, there was still love between them, deep down. That's what makes Dickson's death one of the saddest scenes in the game.

[@kingofpoptarts3604]

Shulk in smash is the same Shulk from the things Shulk probably wouldn't say. Recommend the vid its absolutely hilarious

[@immortalnub]

I played xenoblade before smash 4. It's my favorite game.

[@ToonLink1672]

In my personal opinion, the first Xenoblade has the weakest cast out of the 3 games… still great! But 2 and 3’s characters gave me a much stronger connection with them than 1’s characters. But man… SHULK though. SHULK is a REALLY great character, I’d go as far as saying he CARRIES the narrative and of course he does being the main character! He’s truly amazing

[@sword_racer185]

I'm sorry but 2 has the weakest cast and the weakest protag I can't stand Rex I wish he died like half way through, and the voice acting is horrendous

[@ToonLink1672]

@@sword_racer185The voice acting doesn’t change how well written a character is. If it bugs you that much then play it in Japanese. Each character in 2 is much more developed than 1’s cast, much more memorable. Sometimes I forget who Sharla is

[@sword_racer185]

@@ToonLink1672 I'm sorry but I hate 2s cast and ots not just the VA but the writing Rex is basically a simp, Mythra and pyra are the equivalent of twitch streamer E girls, Nia isn't even interesting beyond cat ears, zeke is an annoying sidekick and isn't anything more, morag and Brigid are the only interesting ones, oh and let's not forget that it's now cannon that Rex had kids with Nia, Mythra, and pyra wich is just disgusting, Rex is also one of the most annoying protagonists in any game I've ever played, most the time I forget that Nia, zeke, and pyra even exist, xenoblade 2 had the weakest everything in the series I would rather play cod vanguard than xc2

[@ToonLink1672]

@@sword_racer185 Aight this has to be bait lmao

[@sword_racer185]

@@ToonLink1672 it's not I can't stand anything about 2s story, its combat is a pretty good improvement but it's navigation system makes it the worst to play

[@nintenster]

"You cant just jump into a conflict" Ummm, XC3 has an issue with that statement lol

[@dezij15]

should i play this game yall?!

[@13thseeker73]

Yes!!!!

[@jefftheindianchief8279]

Heck yeah!

[@softnoobgirl73]

Yes

[@sabrith3871]

y e s

[@someguyv1188]

Do it!

[@pyranitar]

Sayonara Baby!

[@Nootathotep]

Wow. All it takes is an ample bosom for GPS to say they're an amazing character.

[@ouchiewowow]

thank you for seeing what a nerd shulk is

[@pocketinfinity6733]

9:27 he said it he said Aegis *reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

[@derpious267]

I find it odd that you didn't talk about anything after the fight with Egil.

[@Tari_10_Editz]

Even though shulk is a Nintendo character, he's low-balled like crazy cause the Nintendo fanboys are focuses their love for Mario and Kirby, and wanking them like crazy, alien x vs Kirby and Mario vs sonic for example, besides, shulk is more overpowered than the both of them combined

[@luisugalde6956]

I think Shulk was added tro SSB as a promotional tool.

[@michaelbrent1536]

Skulk is on Par with Sora(Kingdom Heart), Link(Legend of Zelda),Pit(Kid icarus Uprising) and Lucina(Fire Emblem ) They have great character development!

[@antoniogrady5954]

Imo he's better than all of them and is the best video game protagonist ever besides cloud strife

[@stovespiegel]

>link >character development huh?

[@linkalot7415]

@@stovespiegel lol true, link has no depth

[@rosheafan]

Ah, yes, Lucina from Fire Emblem: Awakening. Everyone knows her, somehow.

[@Tari_10_Editz]

Except shulk negs their verses

[@TheZatharias]

Xenoblade Cutscene 95

[@eow4317]

XC1 is AoT is it wasn’t grimdark

[@Qwerky_Qwerty]

Shulk is a great protagonist but I respect Rex's grind more plus now he's Chadosaurus Rex

[@joonieh1]

spoilers? the game is one of the most publicized jrpgs and it's been 15 years lol. tbh, shulk was one of the main reasons why xc1 was an actual joy to play and him going berserk in rage is pretty juicy

[@sonjaa.martin6269]

It's always good to let people experience the game for themselves lol it's a really good game, and it's why people continue to be adamant about putting spoiler warnings and using code names(ex. Seven) even after a decade of the game being out

[@jameskozy7254]

Shulk>noah>rex I love all three games though. Xenoblade 2 has really high highs, and really low lows. Xenoblade 1 is incredible but there were lackluster bits. Xenoblade 3... I need more time to reflect

[@KingsleyG]

Don’t quite like this guy. Developers created some weird, yet kind person at the same time. His foresight to see future, yet he always do what his feelings told him to do. He always seems like he is thinking, deep in thought, full of wisdom? When zanza asked him to release him and give him power, he do so without second thought despite melia told him there must be a reason he was sealed. He still do it accordingly anyway. If you want to change the future with the foresight shouldn’t you do something that is different from what you feel like doing to change the course? Yes he is kind, but he for one is a reckless person. To me, he is not great at all. Thank you.

[@xusextremo]

A mi me parece muy malo, lo único que hace es gritar, Fiora!!!!!!!

[@david_8916]

Buen chiste 👍🏼

[@DbonnRP]

the reason everyone loves shulk is because rex was so shit.

[@skylandersfan6954]

Nah, Rex is good as well

[@airtiger4577]

@@skylandersfan6954 I don't really like rex, but I tolerate him.

[@sonjaa.martin6269]

People liked shulk before xc2 came out

[@AzulStryer]

Rex is just as good as Shulk, it’s just that his voice direction could’ve been better

[@spiderfreak1011]

People already liked Shulk a lot long before Rex came along lol. All Rex did was make a lot of people appreciate Shulk more since most people find Rex so much more immature and way less inspiring by comparison

[@takarahayashi4124]

Shulk is awful, he's static with zero character growth, he ends the same person he started off at.

[@antoniogrady5954]

This just isn't true and static characters aren't even bad

[@skylandersfan6954]

"When we set out I wanted to destroy all Mechon, that was my aim. But now, I know that there are people inside. I have to know why, whats the reason for all of this? Why do Bionis and Mechonis have to keep on fighting? I have to find out why," the game literally says his character development. Shulk starts of the journey vengeful yet by the end refuses to kill Egil, thats his growth in the most basic sense

[@takarahayashi4124]

@@skylandersfan6954 he wanted for revenge for like 2 days. he goes back to how he was at the start of the game.

[@skylandersfan6954]

@@takarahayashi4124 No he doesnt? He would just go back home once he gets Fiora if that is the case

[@takarahayashi4124]

@@skylandersfan6954 I think you're missing the point... a goal and the type of person you are, are two separate things. example, if a crackhead switched from mugging to break-ins, is it still a crackhead? Shulk doesn't fundamentally change, he's the same person. And Fiona being alive is even more hilarious and antithetical to character growth. It's like someone raging over thinking something of yours was stolen, and doing stupid shit, only to find out that you misplaced it in a drawer you didn't check yet.

[@officialdazer]

This type of pseudo intellectual analysis is way too common in JRPG's.