Seazas

No Alm doesn't meet the criteria. He isn't perfect nor does the plot "bend and distort around him", it's called being the protagonist and naturally being prominent. Alm getting praised and being competent doesn't equal gary stu. Especially when he worked hard to have that strength and awareness as we see early on. Him having a notable inheritance from the gods doesn't equal gary stu either. Plenty of non stu/sue chars in fiction have chosen one qualities. Now for your numbered responses... Yes they do. It's literally in the official definition of mary sue. It doesn't really matter if the weaknesses and shortcomings aren't handled in a way you prefer. It doesn't erase that they exist and Alm isn't perfect, they are directly identified as weaknesses to the point Alm's mindset almost got people killed. Even in the canon drama CD, people were poisoned because of Alm's shortsighted approach. Putting people in unnecessary avoidable danger because of recklessness is NOT a positive trait. He didn't approach Nuibaba for the betterment of his army, he did it out of emotion. He wasn't even tactical about Nuibaba either, he just saw Celica and ran for the Manor instantly in the story. Not a good thing to do as leader. "Glorifies him" Every lord gets glorified, from their bloodline to their capabilities. "Before he's even proven himself" Did we play the same game? Alm got handed leadership strictly because he was proven worthy. He's a legendary war hero's grandson and showed his ability in combat by retaking an important outpost. The Deliverance was a sinking ship and no one else could take Clive's burden as leader. "Gives him the credit for everything" How? Alm is primarily credited for the things he does and Alm still shares the glory with everyone else. And Tobin directly says that this army is what helps define Alm's strength and Alm would've died in the war without Celica's help. Alm directly voices how he needs her and his army to win, he can't do everything himself. He couldn't handle the political and tactical manners of an army, Clive and his lieutenants are credited for that in the story.

You're still still throwing around the gary stu and mary sue buzzwords? I thought that nonsense ended with Micaiah. None of the FE protagonists fit the criteria of what makes a stu/sue. Just say you don't like Alm as a protagonist rather than making up labels. Alm has weaknesses, Alm has defining shortcomings, and Alm would fail without the side cast carrying him. Nor is he an idealized author insert.

I fucking love Echoes and the positives greatly outweigh any negatives in the game for me. It's dated and the game can definitely suffer from it but I don't really care.

And that support is completely optional. Claude acts the exact same without Cyril. It doesn't matter at all because that's not what Claude is after, he wants the current Church changed and Rhea out of power. He's frustrated with her and reacts positively over a world without her even if you trigger Cyril's support.

Rhea already lost because of Edelgard's strive for change. Rhea would not listen otherwise, her being booted out of power and walking away is always a huge positive for Fodlan.

If Edelgard walks away, nothing changes or she gets executed by a merciless Rhea. If Rhea walks away, Fodlan is better for it. Huh, maybe it's because Edelgard's war was necessary to some degree after all.

Nah. Cyril is not nearly as influential enough for that and Claude has the same outcome in Houses even if you don't recruit Cyril or let him die. Rhea already stepped down from power in VW and dies offscreen with Byleth being installed into that position beforehand. Claude had an easy way to pacify the Church and form it in the image he desires most. Of course that wouldn't happen in Golden Wildfire in any capacity. Claude has zero reason to work with the Church in this timeline.

I see it, just not sure if I agree as someone who really got into Ashe. Ashe did whine about Lonato and bring him up often. Whining and being soft defines him, he talks about knighthood just as much in Three Houses. To the point Felix brings it up against him when they share a task and Ashe is complaining about the work. Just how he is. Especially when... he didn't directly betray Dimitri in CF/VW/SS. The Kingdom was already destroyed in Three Houses remember? Ashe never signed up to be Dimitri's knight the same way either if you already recruited Ashe.

Wow. Never have I expected that people are willing to pick apart Rhea's faults rather than the usual "Claude sucks for going against her rather than uniting to defeat Edelgard" like I see everywhere else. Awesome.

How? Three Hopes is a spinoff and an alternative branch. It's not a follow up to Three Houses' endings. Hopes is just another what if so it can't really make 3H's endings irrelevant at all.

Ashe's dream and ideals were all about being a knight. And he wasn't entirely focused on "not being knight" he has special dialogue with all those associates and isn't happy about betraying the Kingdom not just knightly reasons. He chose to live and it's in Ashe's character to dwell on these details often. It's what he did in Three Houses. "He'd be happier if his father were dead but could pursue his knightly dreams." Yes. Yes he would be, because he doesn't agree with Lonato and his choices. Lonato himself told Ashe to follow what he thinks is right. It's the entire reason he got the strength to strike him down at all. Ashe would still be conflicted about it of course, I wouldn't deny that, but he staked everything on his ideal of justice.

Well, it's simple why Ashe feels that way. He betrayed his entire dream and ideology. He successfully became a knight in this timeline only to turn tail on his king and now he's helping kill close associates. It would be character assassination if Ashe was anywhere near happy or content about it considering how much of a soft boy he's meant to be. Reminder, the Empire's declaring war on the Kingdom and Ashe has no real reason to hold a grudge against Dimitri or anyone from the Kingdom. So he's pretty much centered around a "what am I fighting for" moment.

I mean hey, it may be a what if but it's still enjoyable and different. This time rather than having Byleth be the usual star of the show, we get a fresh new face to define dynamics very differently.

They're not worth any worry as they already got thoroughly exposed. It's impossible for them to have the same puppet string pulling they once had because all 3 major factions stand against them. What made Thales so effective is that he could hide behind Edelgard.

I disagree. Thales actually getting to do stuff and be the generic villain he always was but with actual spotlight is pretty cool. He was gassed up as a problem in Three Houses too only to wave him off quickly, it was pathetic. He doesn't even die by the lord, he gets knocked back and dies by his own nukes... Laughable.

They purposefully left it out for DLC to do some big mother expansion. The end of the Ashe support confirms it.

Sylvain never resonates with Edelgard's army. It doesn't really matter if they share "crest bad" ideologies when Sylvain shows tons upon tons of love for his homeland and friends. He didn't even have his heart in it within Crimson Flower either. He goes out of his way to belittle Edelgard and Hubert in base dialogue. ? Felix makes no sense for Hopes. He's duke this time. Him shifting loyalty makes no sense this time since his relationship with Dimitri is properly explored.

I'm not with the criticism over Dimitri. It makes no sense for Dimitri to have his killer boar arc here. Three Hopes is meant to be an add-on to 3H not a retread.

No shot is Heroes dying anytime soon. It makes so much money with little effort from the developer's end.

I don't see them making a bunch of new characters for DLC in a Musou spinoff. They're hitting far too many niches to succeed like they did with the Ashen Wolves.