Characters you hated at first but started to like

[DragonFlames]

Basically, the title. I wanted to bring some positive topics to counteract all the negativity (including my own). So, what characters did you hate/dislike/not care about but started to like during your playthroughs of the game?

Mine are the following:

Peri - At first, I thought she was a typical yandere stereotype, which would make her a repeat of Camilla and a second Tharja done worse. But then, I found out about her admittedly hilarious psycho personality with many surprising hidden depths, like her love for cooking or the reason why she is so psycho in the first place.

Also, her personal skill combined with Galeforce can make her really dangerous, which I like. The only thing holding her back as a unit is a low skill growth, which can get tricky in many situations, but I still would use her over Xander any day.

Nyx - At first, I didn't really care about her, I honestly didn't even consciously know she existed until I got to her recruitment chapter. As I unlocked supports with her, she immediately grew into one of, if not my absolute favourite female character on the Nohr side, because I can very well identify with her willingness to be a social recluse. And she's also a very deep and well written character, like Peri.

And I really love her confession. Oh my god, my heart melts every time!

Sadly, as a unit, she's not that great, unless you hack Aptitude on her or dump every Secret Book and Dragon Shield you get on her or you get lucky with her growths.

Unpopular opinion alert: I really like her voice as well.

Hisame - At first, I thought he'd be a 'Sasuke' archetype, an arrogant idiot who thinks he's better than everyone else (like a certain Royal archer). But then I recruited him, unlocked some supports and was surprised at how he actually turned out to be a really nice guy with a hilarious obsession with pickles.

Bonus points for Peri!Hisame or Selena!Hisame being the best candidate for a Weapon Master.

HisamexVelouria 4 lyfe!

Siegbert - He was a mixed bag at first, since I immediately put him in the arrogant prince department, but it turns out that is actually not the case. I like Siegbert for being humble and not bragging about his royal status. The only flaw he has is that he feels inferior to Xander of all people. Trust me, Sieg, you really aren't. Nobody is.

I really enjoyed his support chain with Caeldori, although as a unit, he sadly falls behind Sophie a bit. Which brings us to...

Sophie - Design-wise, she is nothing special, so I assumed her personality wouldn't be anything special either. Then you have her admittedly bland father and it doesn't get much better for her. But then I got to her paralogue and she immediadetly flipped from bland to the cutest thing ever. I like her cheery attitude and her clumsiness adds to her charm. Bonus points for having a hilarious sidekick in the form of Avel. Her supports range from funny to heartwarming, which I really like.

Unit-wise, she can be the best Paladin in the game, given the right mother (Hinoka or Oboro) and friend/husband. Bonus points for having a hilarious personal skill as well.

Oboro - While I'm still not fond of her looks, which are really weird, to be honest, I liked her personality from the very start. I am admittedly still a bit lukewarm on her, but she started to grow on me. Only negative point I can find about her is a Cordelia-ish crush on my most hated character. Why crush on that asshole? You deserve better!

Unit-wise, she is amazing. A very good tank and if you give her an A+ support with Rinkah, she wrecks house with Death Blow and a Killer Lance. Give her Counter from that very same support and Aegis from an S-support with Silas and every enemy will think twice about even touching her.

I don't really know who the better Spearmaster is between her and Shiro, but I honestly think Oboro is better, if only because she fits the hole Nephenee left in the FE-universe better than Shiro can (especially if Shiro doesn't have a mother that boosts his Defence.)

Bonus points for having a very cute voice in the English version. Yes, I care about such things. So sue me.

Benny - My first impression of him was a solid 'meh'. Like Nyx, I didn't even consciously register his existence until I got to his recruitment chapter. He started to grow on me as a character for his 'Gentle Giant'-esque nature. I like characters like him. I really do.

Unit-wise, he has to compete with Effie, who is definetly the stronger of the two, but as a pure tank, I'd give the crown to Benny. His Defence is ridiculous. So ridiculous in fact, that Conquest's final boss can't even touch him. The only thing crippling him is his abysmal speed, which is negated by the fact that Wary Fighter exists. It DOES make him harder to train up, though, if you grind skills, since he absolutely cannot double the yellow Faceless on Boo Camp, similar to Orochi, in fact.

BennyxOboro is a pairing I really like. Team Scary Face ftw!

That's every character I can think of at the moment. What are yours? Discuss away!

As a side note: I noticed that I am ridiculing Xander the Spineless and Takumi the Unlikable every chance I get. I think I have never ever loathed characters in a video game so much and so openly. That in itself is an impressive feat and speaks for the quality of Fates' characters. If that was the intention of the writers of those two characters, then well done.

And I did it again.

Edited July 20, 2016 by DragonFlames

[twice]

I kinda hated Takumi.. Now not as much. He's a really great unit as well. Should've use him more often tbh. Oh, and he's quite adorable as well.

As for any other characters from Fates. I'm not sure which I disliked before the NA release. I can say that I don't have major issues with any characters now.

I just prefer some over one another.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Jin

[The Draco Knight]

The only one who I can say I didn't like at first but then started to like is Camilla: I tought she would simply a fan service machine, but she actually revealed to be a more interesting character than I tought.

Aside from this, there isn't any other character I didn't like and then srarted to like.

[DragonFlames]

The only one who I can say I didn't like at first but then started to like is Camilla: I tought she would simply a fan service machine, but she actually revealed to be a more interesting character than I tought.

I would certainly agree with you on this.

Please don't kill me for disliking Takumi.

[Michelaar]

I thought I would hate Takumi, but besides Anna, he's my favourite character in the whole game. Other examples are Hinoka, Elise and Hisame

[Sequitur]

I don't know if I'd say I hate these characters but I was moreso indifferent to them

Mitama-

I didn't like her design (specifically her eyes) but after reading her supports she has become one of my favorite characters in the game

Camilla-

Her supports completely changed my opinion on her and she has become not only one of my favorite royals but one of my favorite characters as well.

Sakura-

Before I played the game, I didn't really have an opinion on Sakura but during my first three playthroughs, she got ridiculously blessed, which really brought up my opinion of her. Along with having some pretty good supports and amazing dialouge on her chapter in Conquest she is also one of my favorite characters.

[Cyana]

I wouldn't say I disliked them, but I was pretty indifferent to most of the Birthright cast initially, but after (mostly) finishing it, quite a few have grown on me. Oboro and Takumi spring to mind at first, and Hayato. I'm still pretty indifferent on Ryoma though, he didn't interest me at first and did nothing to endear himself by throwing ridiculous poison + grisly wound (or whatever combination it was) ninjas at me in his chapter in conquest. And yeah, despite being an amazing unit, I'm still kinda meh on him...

[SniperGYS]

I didn't start with a hate on characters, it was all the other way around: characters I thought that I would like but I ended disliking. Overall, I can divide the characters like this: My favorite ones (Takumi, Kagero, Oboro, etc), The ones I like (Hana, Kaze, Keaton, etc),The ones I don't find interesting but I'm ok with them (like Odin, Saizo, etc) and the ones I don't like (Benny, Silas, etc)

But there a lot of characters I just didn't pay too much attention at first and now are in my favorites or I just like them a lot, like Shigure and Soleil, also Kagero who become one of my favorites after my first Birthright play

[Rend Keaven]

I would say Kaze, when I looked at his portraits he made me think "Oh, he's going to be the Kent in the Ninja duo, yeah he's going to be boring". But his personality and supports are well made. I also think that he represents the whole "choose a side" theme better than any other character. Not only is he my favourite of the ninja trio, but he is my favourite character in Fates and maybe in the entire series.

For the children, probably Velouria. Beast units are the few classes I dislike because of how their terrible base stats are depending on the game and how gimmicky they are. Also, when I heard she is the biggest daddy's girl out of all the personality-lacking children I was ready to hate her. However not only is she one of the best children in terms of combat but the whole over-attached daughter thing works because Wolves naturally form strong bonds with their kin so it allows the Lupen personas to be shown in anthropogenic form very well.

Out of the royal siblings, Hinoka. I hated her Tommy Pickles voice and even benched her in Birthright. By the time I got to Revelations on the other hand she made me wish I never benched her. She has the best ethical will out of all the siblings: Takumi has mental issues, Sakura's a pacifist, Ryoma's loyal to a fault and less I say about the Nohr siblings (minus Leo) the better. So yeah Hinoka's my favourite sibling, also her map when you fight her for the last time in Conquest is amazing.

[Thinks Their Own Way]

I thought Takumi was a whiny bitch at first, but as game went along... the more he grew on me.

I'm starting to like Nina more as well.

[MCProductions]

Rhajat, I still hate her as a concept and I still consider who she's a clone of my least favorite FE character ever, but as a standalone character, I find myself at worst tolerating her and at best genuinely liking her

Garon, yeah he's not very well handled as a villain, but after a while I just started liking his design too much to care.

[jonson]

Not many, I'd say Hisame, Saizo, Arthur and Azama (that guy is something lol), on the other hand I have a lot of the opposite cases, characters that I thought I liked and ended hating (Takumi, Elise, Silas, Charlotte, Subaki and maybe some other).

[saisymbolic]

Takumi - I just didn't like him. Come to find out we share very similar personal issues such as self-worth and self-esteem. He is my fictional platonic soul mate and kin.

Oboro - I thought they would overplay her crush like with Cordelia. I still prefer her with Benny and Hinata, though.

Caeldori - Thought she was going to be Cordelia but she pleasantly surprised me. Currently in the middle of daydreaming about her secretly pining over Ignatius.

Rhajat - She is SO much better than Tharja. Her supports really flesh her out and make her quite endearing.

[MeddlingMage]

I hated Reina at first. But I really been liking her a lot lately. I would never use her as a Kinshi Knight, but since I turned her into a Basara, I like using her now.

I will always hate Jakob. But I guess I will have to use him when I am a female avatar.

[Anomalocaris]

Can it count across games?

I didn't really hate her, but I found Severa to be an abrasive, bratty asshole in Awakening (and not in a funny way like Gangrel) and was my second-least-favorite character behind Nah. As Selena she seems considerably more mature and entertainingly dry-witted. It also helps that her new portrait looks more dynamic instead of making her look like she's permanently mid-temper-tantrum.

Though I read her S-support with Corrin and it seems regressively petulant and selfish.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Anomalocaris

[Water Mage]

Takumi.

At first he sounded he seemed whiny and unlikable, but I as played the game, I started to realize what incredible character Takumi is.

He's one of the most well-written characters in the entire series, and he feels so human. His supports shows a lot of sides of him, and he's very relatable as well. You can tell how Takumi ended up the way he is, and his actions never feel random. He's his own person.

[MapleRose]

I kinda hated Takumi.. Now not as much. He's a really great unit as well. Should've use him more often tbh.

I started on Birthright, and the beginning of it he acted kinda Tsundere, with too much tsun and not enough dere. So I benched him for Setsuna as my archer. Conquest actually made me like him more, esp the ending of Conquest. So I used him in Revelations, and yeah he's a really good unit (combination of Fujin Yumi, and high skill critting / Rend Heavening everything that I don't even notice he's a bit slow for a sniper). I still can't really say I like Takumi now, but at least I don't hate him anymore.

Charlotte is probably the most polarizing for me. I disliked her at first for her fakeness. But reading through all her supports, she's actually not that bad a person, she really just wants to help her family. Plus I like the contrast in Japanese between her crit quotes sounding like a punk vs battle winning quotes sounding cutesy, how she can just turn it on an off like a switch, it's pretty amusing.

Can it count across games?

I didn't really hate her, but I found Severa to be an abrasive, bratty asshole in Awakening (and not in a funny way like Gangrel) and was my second-least-favorite character behind Nah. As Selena she seems considerably more mature and entertainingly dry-witted. It also helps that her new portrait looks more dynamic instead of making her look like she's permanently mid-temper-tantrum.

Though I read her S-support with Corrin and it seems regressively petulant and selfish.

Ditto on that, I really disliked Severa for her tsundere with waaay too much tsun, and several times I wanted to slap her. Selena is a lot more chill, and it really feels like she grew up. She's still tsundere, but it feels a lot less lashing out at people and more hiding embarrassment.

[Ebony]

I use to not think about Takumi at all, now he's easily one of my favorites.

Use to not like Felicia either. Her English voice endeared her to me.

I agree with the Selena stuff like others have said. I always liked her design in Awakening and I was sad she was on the meaner side, now she's chill.

And at first I thought Elise was going to be obnoxious, but she's a lot more chill then I thought.

[NoDoubtNoHarm]

Can it count across games?

I didn't really hate her, but I found Severa to be an abrasive, bratty asshole in Awakening (and not in a funny way like Gangrel) and was my second-least-favorite character behind Nah. As Selena she seems considerably more mature and entertainingly dry-witted. It also helps that her new portrait looks more dynamic instead of making her look like she's permanently mid-temper-tantrum.

Though I read her S-support with Corrin and it seems regressively petulant and selfish.

Totally in agreement with her maturing. In Awakening, she was the unit I most frequently left without an S support because I felt that she wasn't mature enough to handle anything resembling a long-term relationship. (If I did marry her it would usually be to Laurent because their support involves her being balanced out and they seem to actually kind of get each other.) But in Fates, she seems to have a handle on toning things down to allow for (somewhat) better communication.

Other characters I didn't think I'd like but it turns out I did would include Charlotte, Orochi, Elise, Arthur, Oboro, Takumi, Sophie, Shiro, and Rhajat.

[Qilin]

Leo. He looked so generic, but the way he taunts people during the supports is gold.

[DragonFlames]

I wouldn't say I disliked them, but I was pretty indifferent to most of the Birthright cast initially, but after (mostly) finishing it, quite a few have grown on me. Oboro and Takumi spring to mind at first, and Hayato. I'm still pretty indifferent on Ryoma though, he didn't interest me at first and did nothing to endear himself by throwing ridiculous poison + grisly wound (or whatever combination it was) ninjas at me in his chapter in conquest. And yeah, despite being an amazing unit, I'm still kinda meh on him...

You're probably the first person I heard saying that. Interesting.

Yeah, his chapter on Conquest is annoying.

I'm also surprised by how many people grew to like Takumi.

I have a few others to add, which came to mind after I played another bit:

Kagero - At first, her personality felt a bit dull. That she was a Damsel in Distress on all three paths didn't exactly help her cause either. But then, I used her during some Ninja chapters and found that she is probably the best counter to Ninjas there is. Now I like her.

Nina - I wasn't too hot on the whole 'Yaoi Fangirl' thingie and surprised myself at how entertaining it actually is. Her supports with Soleil are pure gold.

[SageHarpuiaJDJ]

Nina- I thought that she was gonna be a stuck up bitch considering how she acts when you have to recruit her, but her interactions with Niles are one of my favorites of the parent/child supports. The Yaoi stuff is funny, but I wanna go through her other supports.

Saizo- Is it wrong that some of his supports are kinda unintentionally funny to me? I thought that he'd be absolutely stiff as a character, and he is sometimes, but some of his supports are just heartwarming or funny, like Felicia's supports or Hana's supports.

Hayoto- I hate Ricken, I really do, but Hayoto doesn't feel like Ricken to me. He's better as a character and as a unit,imo.

Dwyer- I can't stand Jakob, so I thought Dwyer would be the same, or worse, just takes his father childish insults, but he's actually kinda tough and witty and makes his father look like an idiot.

Takumi- He's a cunt when Conquest starts, but when things get deep I start to feel very sorry for him. He's also not a complete dick in the other paths too. I think he's my favorite Hoshidan Royal, Sorry Sakura. ;~;

The only characters that I don't like anymore are Silas and Xander. Silas is kinda flat other than being Corrin's best friend and a servant, and up till the final encounter Xander's whole character was ruined for me in Birthright because how quick he was to flip switches. I will admit that the way he dies is kinda sad, but it's still dishonorable.

[blah the Prussian]

Right then. Takumi annoyed me at first, because I absolutely despise the edgelord character archetype, be it with Takumi, Holden Caulfield or Kylo Ren. As Conquest continued, though, Takumi as an anti villain became the only good part of an otherwise completely dogshit story for me. This is because of his slow progression into insanity; sort of like Lyon, but admittedly less well written. He was essentially the hero, because, you know, fuck Corrin, but took it too far when he got possessed.

[Sentinel07]

Here's some.

1. Niles- I personally was exhausted of this character before the game came out because no one in the fanbase would shut up about him. However, the more I played the game, the more I've found that he's probably one of the better characters in the game. He actually nails the niche of a character being blunt yet not being an ass about it (take notes Soren and Jakob). Heck, he even apologizes when he knows he went too far.

2. Nina- I was apprehensive about her at first because of her freaking yaoi obsession, yet I was actually pleased to see that it's not brought up in many of her conversations. It's something she keeps to herself, which I can appreciate over characters who can't take a hint of when not to act like bozos.

[Anythingbutit]

Camilla and Kagero, I'm not a fan of those big breasted obviously fan service ladies but I actually gave them a chance and their okay, not my favorites but their still okay~ Other than that, maybe Saizo too, as he seemed bland at first but now he's a side husbando~