Guild Wars 2

Let’s see:

- She’s super educated beyond what can be reasonably expected of a Sylvari or any normal being for that matter
- She likes to taunt and insult the player during battle
- She appears to be both insane, with an inexplicable lust for power to boot
- She has a tendency to laugh and cackle
- She teleports
- etc. etc.

She seems too much like a cardboard villain that adheres to a bunch of tropes to feel like a real threat.

Wondering what a Villain Sue is? See:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainSue
http://www.catnip4writers.com/tools/cliche_villain.htm

We should just grab buckets of water and throw them on her. game over.

Kratic.8763:

We should just grab buckets of water and throw them on her. game over.

Agreed.

/rollseyes

The internet killed that term.

Avatara.1042:

/rollseyes

The internet killed that term.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainSue

Really, Scarlet so far “pretty much shows up as an author’s wish fulfillment to just be evil.”

It’s a Scooby-Doo villian. It’s to be expected.

She’s a anime villain.

Note that despite being uber genious and perfect, she made a huge mistake in forgetting Jehnna is a mesmer, and another in giving her enemies a means to attack her.

Let’s not forget she acts like she’s 10.

Namica.2951:

She’s a anime villain.

Note that despite being uber genious and perfect, she made a huge mistake in forgetting Jehnna is a mesmer, and another in giving her enemies a means to attack her.

Let’s not forget she acts like she’s 10.

And she looks like 10.

She is clearly insane. Something she saw (the eternal alchemy?) has unhinged her.

When has there ever been a sensible villain in the GW2 universe. One that has reasons beyond LOOK HOW EVIL/MAD I AM BWHAHAHAHA"

The writers aren’t paid enough to come up with something resembling a reasonable character.

A shame, I was realllllly hoping the 1yr anniversary would be something players have been asking for, for months: dragons.

Nope. Ugly weapon skins and one of the worst villains in MMO history, plus a continuation of the least favorite villain faction in GW2 (aetherblades)

If she doesn’t turn out to be a Mursaat, I’ll be terribly disappointed.

Another very important sylvari character then that has extreme skills in lots of things.

Tell me why choosing to have this villain be a sylvari is better than having them be, say, an asura? Why a sylvari again, after Canach? Can we have a villain that’s not a sylvari?

Oh, also? “Eeeeveryone’s heard about Scarlet!”

Well I haven’t. No one has since before today. And it makes believing this character is capable of graduating from the three colleges of the most intelligent race in Tyria in under 20 years very difficult.

Sprawler.5612:

Oh, also? “Eeeeveryone’s heard about Scarlet!”

Yeaaaaaah. The writers really need to work on building villains instead of pulling them out of thin air like this. Especially if they’re so super special that they apparently are a master student of all three asura colleges and mentors from every other race ever.

I love how everyone always states their opinions as facts on the internets ‘plus a continuation of the least favorite villain faction in GW2’. Obviously everyone’s opinion is fact and everyone should subjugate to it! <.<

I like the Aetherblades plenty and Scarlet’s been hinted at for awhile.

However, is she really a graduate from each of the colleges? Where do you find that information?

She looks like bad copy of Joker.

Scarlet is Rita Repulsa. Google it.

^
“Magitech Rifle, make my Monster grow!”

kristof.7182:

She looks like bad copy of Joker.

Funny, I thought that she is pretty much an exact copy of Harley Quinn, even has the same color scheme and voice.

But yeah, she’s quite one-dimensional. Lots of long speeches, telling what you’re gonna do and maniac laughter. Bo-ring.

Gandarel.5091:

Namica.2951:

She’s a anime villain.

Note that despite being uber genious and perfect, she made a huge mistake in forgetting Jehnna is a mesmer, and another in giving her enemies a means to attack her.

Let’s not forget she acts like she’s 10.

And she looks like 10.

She might actually be 10. She’s Sylvari after all.

I was shocked a bit when the camera zoomed to her in closing ceremony.Is this intented to create such non stereotype compared to other sylvari npc?
It feels so unnatural and weird(or disgusting by my pov) for her voice, hair, armor and face are mismatched. She doesn’t feel like a sylvari.

I can’t help but theorize that Scarlet is Anet’s attempt to create a character so mary sue-ish that the playerbase is practically forced to call all future attempts by Anet to write characters well-written by comparison.

I completely disagree. Scarlet was a lot of fun, and I really enjoy her character. You guys are being way too critical—I think Anet did a great job of mixing cartoon-villain humor with serious situations.
As for her education, it was hinted at that there was some sort of deception involved there—so we don’t know for sure. And anyway, if the Asura can play the “I’m super educated” card, why can’t a Sylvari? I find it intriguing that she was permitted to attend Asuran college at all… this opens up potential for a whole cultural exploration of the Asuran colleges and outside races.

I don’t like how she graduated from all three colleges. For an asura, it is an incredibly important decision in his/her life which college to join, since it decides your entire future. And here we have Scarlet, without previous mention whatsoever, being possibly the first and only person to attend and GRADUATE from all three colleges. In record time, even.

If that isn’t Villain Sue, I don’t even

Weindrasi.3805:

I completely disagree. Scarlet was a lot of fun, and I really enjoy her character. You guys are being way too critical—I think Anet did a great job of mixing cartoon-villain humor with serious situations.
As for her education, it was hinted at that there was some sort of deception involved there—so we don’t know for sure. And anyway, if the Asura can play the “I’m super educated” card, why can’t a Sylvari? I find it intriguing that she was permitted to attend Asuran college at all… this opens up potential for a whole cultural exploration of the Asuran colleges and outside races.

Where do you get off telling people how to feel or when they have the ability to voice their opinions? The overall feel of the character is borderline check list for lazy villain making. You’re welcome to your opinion but let people have theirs.

ESKan.6782:

I don’t like how she graduated from all three colleges. For an asura, it is an incredibly important decision in his/her life which college to join, since it decides your entire future. And here we have Scarlet, without previous mention whatsoever, being possibly the first and only person to attend and GRADUATE from all three colleges. In record time, even.

If that isn’t Villain Sue, I don’t even

This was the tipping point for me. I was enjoying the instance and the story, but finding out this info, as well as the fact that she’s trained under ALL the other races in Tyria was just too much. She’s this weird mash up of Batman and the Joker and it just doesn’t sit well with me.

kristof.7182:

She looks like bad copy of Joker.

She reminds me of the Joker’s girlfriend Harley Quinn.

I have to agree the portraying of Scarlet was a bit disappointing… For now I’m just hoping that later patches will expand on the story and her character; we don’t even know her motives yet, so there’s still opportunites to make her appear less shallow (for example, it could turn out that the college thing is a lie, or at least I hope so – that part is just strange!).

Another fail by the writers. When will they realize that not only 8 years old play this game and we aren’t fine with ‘ah she is the best of bests who knows everything and is the master of everything’ kind of villain with a Scooby Doo feeling while being a total copy.

But the voice acting is awesome.

I thought she was part of the show. Completely staged by the queen.

Gandarel.5091:

Namica.2951:

She’s a anime villain.

Note that despite being uber genious and perfect, she made a huge mistake in forgetting Jehnna is a mesmer, and another in giving her enemies a means to attack her.

Let’s not forget she acts like she’s 10.

And she looks like 10.

She’s a Sylvari. She probably IS 10.

Well, she isn’t the most original villain ever but there is one reedeming quality…

She actually succeded in something. So compared to other villains who have 0 or next to 0 successes she doesn’t seem that bad.

Still if she would appear in any serious AAA (or even lower) RPG she would be considered a bad joke.

Given that the Inquest are working with the Aetherblades (and her, by extension) it’s possible that they arranged for her to be able to attend and graduate all 3 colleges. That’s only speculation though, otherwise my suspension of disbelief is utterly broken.

She’s not ugly, but not pretty either..Her voice is good, but her personality is rather shallow. “Hey, let’s kill everyone! Oh, by the way, the Pavilion’s mine now! Hahahaha!”

The only thing left is me puzzling just how she came to be. Was she a Nightmare courtier who decided to seek more knowledge from the Inquest during their attempts to cooperate in the Brisban Wildlands? Is she a Soundless who decided to completely shun the Dream in favor of her twisted fun?

Or could she not be from the Pale Tree we know of? There’s at least another one out there..what if the Inquest have found it first? She does seem to have a distinct look from other Sylvari, and seems rather young, even by Sylvari standards.

Still, just speculation. We’ll have to wait and see.

I’m gonna agree to disagree. I think she’s marvelous.

Shagaz.6209:

Well, she isn’t the most original villain ever but there is one reedeming quality…

She actually succeded in something. So compared to other villains who have 0 or next to 0 successes she doesn’t seem that bad.

Still if she would appear in any serious AAA (or even lower) RPG she would be considered a bad joke.

So far she hasn’t succeeded in anything she attempted. Kidnap the queen? Nope, she was Anise’s illusion and instead she got someone with more panache and aplomb. Oh, and HOBO-TRON.

Pavees.7281:

Weindrasi.3805:

I completely disagree. Scarlet was a lot of fun, and I really enjoy her character. You guys are being way too critical—I think Anet did a great job of mixing cartoon-villain humor with serious situations.
As for her education, it was hinted at that there was some sort of deception involved there—so we don’t know for sure. And anyway, if the Asura can play the “I’m super educated” card, why can’t a Sylvari? I find it intriguing that she was permitted to attend Asuran college at all… this opens up potential for a whole cultural exploration of the Asuran colleges and outside races.

Where do you get off telling people how to feel or when they have the ability to voice their opinions? The overall feel of the character is borderline check list for lazy villain making. You’re welcome to your opinion but let people have theirs.

… He just stated his opinion that you’re being too critical. Way to overreact, son.

Unless she turns out to be a disguised Mursaat, the background story is utter garbage.

Then again, ArenaNet can’t be THAT bad at story writing can they? I mean, the human starter stories were a lot of fun…

ESKan.6782:

Shagaz.6209:

Well, she isn’t the most original villain ever but there is one reedeming quality…

She actually succeded in something. So compared to other villains who have 0 or next to 0 successes she doesn’t seem that bad.

Still if she would appear in any serious AAA (or even lower) RPG she would be considered a bad joke.

So far she hasn’t succeeded in anything she attempted. Kidnap the queen? Nope, she was Anise’s illusion and instead she got someone with more panache and aplomb. Oh, and HOBO-TRON.

She blew up every civilian that at the ceremony… that’s something, not to mention the Seraph Guards protecting them…

I personally LOOOOOOVE Scarlet, why should every villain need to be super cereal? I think it’s more fun when they’re a total loon. And for everyone being kitten about all the stuff she supposedly completed, even that asura thinks those rumors are full of kitten. So why are you believing them? And if they were true, so what? She could be a prodigy, it’s not really outside the realm of possibilities especially since she’s a Sylvari and can kinda be born with an obscenely large amount of knowledge..

TheKillerAngel.3596:

Avatara.1042:

/rollseyes

The internet killed that term.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainSue

Really, Scarlet so far “pretty much shows up as an author’s wish fulfillment to just be evil.”

Not necessarily. Using the same TV Tropes description: Probably the rarest type of Sue, as Villains are always given great powers and abilities to make their inevitable downfall more sweet. A true Villain Sue will probably never have one, however, and even if he does it may be via Only The Author Can Save Them Now rather than any non-kitten Pull method.

Presumably we WILL bring her to some sort of justice. If we do that but she escapes to wage war another day (a la Joker over and over and over again) then she could very well be in the VillainSue category.

Durzlla.6295:

I personally LOOOOOOVE Scarlet, why should every villain need to be super cereal? I think it’s more fun when they’re a total loon.

Then I’m missing the joke, sorry.

And for everyone being kitten about all the stuff she supposedly completed, even that asura thinks those rumors are full of kitten. So why are you believing them? And if they were true, so what? She could be a prodigy, it’s not really outside the realm of possibilities especially since she’s a Sylvari and can kinda be born with an obscenely large amount of knowledge..

Because she’s a Sylvari, and Sylvari in this game in general always outshine the other races. Asura are smart? Sylvari are smarter. Norn can drink? Sylvari can drink better. Charr can fight? Well, a Sylvari that doesn’t see himself lead an army does it better. Other racers become undead, but of course not Sylvari. Other races don’t want to work together, but Sylvari ‘will make them see reason’. And when it comes to brilliant blacksmiths, we get Norn (logical), Tengu (logical) and…well, a Sylvari because he apparently created an inpenetrable plant harness.

Sylvari seem to always outshine everything else, and quite frankly, I’m sick of it. The whole ’can’t grasp emotions very well’ bit was lost somewhere along the road, with only Seiran being a decent character. The rest are just one-dimensional Superman-clones.

Its currently what’s to be expected from Anets writing staff. They have the capability of your average Tumblr fanfiction writer.

She’s a Sylvari, what do you guys expect? It’s the race’s thing to be a mary-sue. They just showed up on Tyria and everyone likes them, because they are awesome and smell like tasty cucumber!
So naturally a villian of this race will be a villian-sue. Just like Canach, who actually started out okay in Lost Shores. I got that upper class twit vibe from him, which I liked. But no they had to turn him into a rambo like action-monster who can clean a molten alliance weapons facility out by himself.

Hmm.

Given what we see her doing, and how she behaves, I’m fairly certain there’s a lot more about her than “she’s studied under every race, if the rumors are to be believed”. (Emphasis mine…) The Rata Sum thing? Considering she is actively using portals to summon Steam Creatures (otherworldly constructs) and other hints?

She may have graduated from three colleges all right, just not in the same time continuity. I hesitate to think she actually did study under the charr, norn, kylek, et cetera . . . but it is easy to believe “everyone knows her” on the darker side of things because our characters don’t operate there except to go brush against it from time to time.

I’d believe it more if it was a Whispers agent doing the decanting, since it’s their JOB to go find information even about the stupid minor conflicts which crop up.

As for her attitude – frankly, she’s not the only crazy sylvari we’ve seen. Owain comes to mind, as does Faolain and her three disciples. Canach is a borderline case, since he’s not insane just unhinged.

Kind of tired of the sylvari. Would have enjoyed seeing a proper asuran overlord.

You got a Sylvari that needs killin’? Time to smoke some brisket.

I posted the very same in the Scarlet fanboi thread, paraphrasing that “she’s a cartoon villain copycatted (and unsuccessfully) off of Joker. An annoying Villain Sue[link].” And it was before I’d seen this thread. Really glad I’m not the only who will be put to torch by the sycophants of the horrible writing that has taken root at ANet.

If they can salvage this garbage and give us a compelling, interesting, and unique backstory for her and her motives, I’ll retract everything I said. Chances are it will never come to pass.

Don’t worry people always defend lazy and cliche writing only because they like it and won’t bother defending why they like it that’d make any logical sense other than “just because”.

You know most people will usually like the first thing they meet when it comes to characters because they haven’t seen that the ones that’s the easiest to write most writers will go for opting their own tastes without scope of what that entails in actual story.

also liking something doesn’t make it inherently bad or good but people can like bad writing or bad movies that’s actually possible.

Pavees.7281:

also liking something doesn’t make it inherently bad or good but people can like bad writing or bad movies that’s actually possible.

Yeah, there is truth to this. I mean, my brother liked “Meet the Spartans” . . . and Twilight. No, I’m not kidding, but I do mean the book and not the movie.

I’ve seen this villain before, by the way, with less cackling insanity and more cold calculation. I’ll plug Lois McMasters Bujold’s “The Vor Game”. For the same character with the insanity (sans cackling) and male? Tad Williams’ “Memory Sorrow and Thorn”.

See also “Grand Admiral Thrawn”.

This game seriously needs more “villainy” of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s kind.