Would Corrin have been a better character if

[Ronnie]

Xander and Ryoma were in charge of their respective armies instead of him? After playing Conquest, it became apparent that Corrin is not fit for the role as a leader and it bothers me that his siblings keep making him uphold that position despite knowing his weaknesses. Leo outright tells him that he's too soft to kill off enemies so he does it for him. How is that someone capable of leading an army if they need someone else to kill his threats? His siblings tell him he's too trusting and innocent and sometimes doubt his decisions and yet still kiss up to him as a leader.

Now I'm starting to think that maybe the siblings are the bad characters for trusting Corrin to lead them so much lol. Corrin is also noticeably more indecisive in Conquest. I know it's totally normal to have doubts about your objective when crazy shit happens (like in Cheve) but when he brings it up almost every chapter it becomes grating. If he just took a step back and let the older brother lead the army while he completes his objective from within the army, I think he would be a little more accepted by the fandom. Your thoughts?

[Etrurian emperor]

I think it would make a better story but I don't think it would make Corrin any better. An extremely naive shut in like Corrin leading an army instead of Xander or Ryma raises some eyebrows to be sure but I don't think the problems people have with Corrin would be gone if he wasn't in charge. He would still whine a lot, he would still trust people he really shouldn't, do things just because the plot needs it and still be praised all the time. He just wouldn't be in charge when he does it. 

Conquest does have at least some sort of reason as to why Corrin is the leader. Garon wants it and if anyone has a problem with what Garon wants then they lose their heads very quickly. The siblings even point out there that Corrin isn't ready yet. 

[Gruntagen]

Technically, they still are in charge of their armies, but they defer to the MyUnit a la Chrom in 13. Heck, I'd say that they're better parallels to Chrom than they'll ever be Camuses.

And besides, the problem isn't that MU is their leader. Ike was made the leader of almost every group he ever participated in, yet nobody ever complained for someone else to take the reigns from him. The problem with Sieg Kaiser Kamui is that he's too goddamn blatant of a wish fulfillment character for the player's libido, yet isn't likable enough on his own for more emotionally mature people to tolerate that.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Gruntagen

[Lightchao42]

Technically no one puts Corrin in charge of the army in Birthright (because at first they just go along with a group to find Takumi and Ryoma); they sort of just move into the position of leader on their own since no one else was doing it. When Ryoma does come back he and Corrin seem to lead together, or at least Ryoma is willing to listen to Corrin's opinion on matters. In Conquest Corrin objects to being in charge of Nohr's army, but Garon forces it on them anyway because he of course has ulterior motives. By the time the war against Hoshido properly starts, Corrin knows better than to try questioning Garon's orders (with the added "benefit" of also plotting against him).

[Ertrick36]

The stories would be slightly better, but you have to bear in mind that characterwise a lot of flaws come from Xander's inconsistent writing, not Corrin's.  At most it'd make Revelation a better story since then it'd probably focus more on the two kingdoms and them forming a peace between one another instead of our resident Gary Stu and some ghosts you hardly even got to know.  But CQ still has to deal with the fact that Garon's kids - especially Xander, the man most capable and likely to oppose Garon (in fact, I'd even say everything in his characterization in supports would suggest that he would) - are just letting their daddy get away with slaughtering scores of innocents and oppressing scores more simply because "there might still be some good left in him!" while BR needs to do more to set itself apart from other FE stories.

And as for Corrin himself... he has a lot he needs to do in order to classify as a "good character".  A huge problem with him is that he never really grows, and whenever an opportunity presents itself for him to grow, the story denies him that and says "nah, he's fine".  So he stays the same old Corrin with the same old flaws, and his flaws are twisted into strengths more than an underqualified job applicant's resume.  Or in other words, his naivety is apparently his actual strength, and we must cherish it always.

The better solution would be to fix Corrin's flaws so that him taking leadership of the Hoshidan/Nohrian armies actually makes sense.  At least in BR he proves himself as a tactician before Ryoma comes around, while in CQ it's because of Garon's dastardly ways, so it isn't entirely without justification; it's just him also being a competent leader would help round it off and would also make Revelation so much better.

[DragonFlames]

EDIT: @Ertrick36 spoke right from my heart and said it way better than I ever could. Thank you for that, fam! :D
 

Edited July 14, 2017 by DragonFlames