Guild Wars 2

Running out of things to do in game, so I’ve been playing through alt toon storylines. As I’m selecting which Order I want my toon to be a part of, I’m reminded about the mentors – Tybalt, Sieran, and Kernsson. Then it reminded me about how everyone loves Tybalt more than the others.

What gives? I just don’t understand it. They all guide you as a recruit when you’re first introduced. You go off on missions specific to your Order. And at the end, they all perish the same way. What makes Tybalt so much better? Heck, Sieran had a much quirkier, more likeable personality. Is it because she’s a sylvari? Was Kernsson just too macho to care about? Tybalt was a disgrace to the Iron Legion, yet he’s loved. Anet even made him a Mist Champion.

Maybe he just had a cute face? Like a puppy given a new ball to play with. That’s the only thing I can think of.

It’s because he had lovely…….apples.

I’ve never done the other orders up to that point (back when I played, you had to do every single quest, not packs of them every 10 levels), so I can’t talk about them… but Tybalt was just a really likable character.

He was a disgrace, but he kept chasing his dreams, and even though he was afraid and crippled, he didn’t give up. When doing quests with him, he always had wild and crazy plans (drinking contest with pirates), and he acted like a kid a lot of the time. In the end, he just swallowed his fear and showed real courage, saving you and everyone else on Claw Island.

So, he’s got issues but overcomes them. That’s why people like him, I think. ^^

I think it’s because Tybalt has a more memorable backstory, and one that players are more likely to sympathise with.

Sieran is pretty unexceptional for a sylvari – a good person but with more curiosity and enthusiasm than common sense. As far as I remember her backstory is basically that sometime after awakening she joined the Priory and has been gradually working her way up the ranks.

Forgal is a bit more interesting, his father was the last dolyak sharman and he lost his family to the icebrood, which is what inspired him to join the Vigil, but I suspect his manner puts some people off, and you don’t get the same sense of him struggling to come to terms with his past as with Tybalt, it’s all over and done with by the time you meet him.

Whereas Tybalt is a Gladium – the only charr to survive the death of his warband, which generally means he gets the blame for it regardless of what actually happened. He lost his hand, his warband (which is basically his family), his home and basically his entire life in one go and believed the other charr when they said he was useless now. Even though he’s been in the Order of Whispers for years when we meet him he’s just beginning to get over that – taking on his first field missions and finding out that he can contribute something meaningful. So we get to see the whole of that journey, culminating in his sacrifice at Claw Island.

In other words I think it comes down to who makes a better character in a story rather than who is a better or nicer person.

Edit: Come to think of it I also wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just that more people, and particularly people who only do the story once, picked the Order of Whispers because they might seem like the more exciting of the 3, and they’re the one GW1 players will be familiar with.

Danikat summed it up nicely – Sieran acts too much like the typical run of the mill Sylvari and Forgal is a lot less likable in general. Meanwhile, Tybalt is rather funny, easily relatable with his underdog background story and in my opinion was siply written much better than the other two. Even though my main joined the Priory, I barely remember anything we did together with Sieran, while getting drunk with Tybalt, listening to him doing the most obvious pirate impersonation ever was much more memorable.

It does help that his story was that of redemption. Charr society (and by extension – he himself) saw him as worthless and a coward and with his final act he proved them wrong. Meanwhile, Sieran just sort of… died, no story arc, no nothing.

Also, in-jokes always make characters more relatable. Apples!

The real reason why many (not saying everyone) like him is because he’s less of a mentor and more of a funny sidekick, completely non-threatening to their macho egos. Many people REALLY hate anyone who even appears to outrank or somehow overshadow them. That’s why many like Tybalt and hate Trahearne.

I enjoyed Sieran and Tybalt the most and out of them both Tybalt takes the cake, and he is a true champion after everything happens to him and he still kept on going xD he lost his family, his respect amongst the Charr and his arm meaning he wouldn’t be able to fight as efficiently in a very militant nation, he hit rock bottom but still found purpose and kept a smile on his face ????

Yeah, as Danikat said. Tybalt just has the best arc. Its like the Claw Island scene was written for him, and Sieran and Forgal just got given the same ending.

He also has, in my opinion, the best voice acting of the three, and his quirks are a bit more memorable. They’ve maybe taken the apple thing a bit too far with the Stronghold skills (one out of three would have been fine), but it was cool during the story. A lot of NPCs just don’t have something that makes them stand out as more than a plot device, and Tybalt did.

That said, I’d love for Sieran and Forgal to get more attention. Would be great to see them as Stronghold champions, or maybe get some guild hall statue decorations of the three of them.

Maybe they will come, just not all at the same time? Let’s hope…

Danikat.8537:

Come to think of it I also wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just that more people, and particularly people who only do the story once, picked the Order of Whispers because they might seem like the more exciting of the 3, and they’re the one GW1 players will be familiar with.

Yep, this seems very likely. I’d never even heard of the other two mentors prior to this.

The other two mentors are somewhat bland characters with a plain and simple backstory script that can appear everywhere.

Tybalt comes with tragic instead, and he lives it. He not only has only one paw, he has become depressive and tries to overcome it during the whole story. He is a real hero in trying to overcome his fate, for example with his apple jokes, but although he is successful in all of his missions, he is still trapped in his depression. But he carries on until the end, and this is what makes him a hero. He is the only character in GW2 that does not only fight enemies, the real fight is the one with himself.

(I don’t know if you ever met a depressive person in real live, but if you didn’t, it might be difficult to recognize that aspect of his character)

Ariurotl.3718:

The real reason why many (not saying everyone) like him is because he’s less of a mentor and more of a funny sidekick, completely non-threatening to their macho egos. Many people REALLY hate anyone who even appears to outrank or somehow overshadow them. That’s why many like Tybalt and hate Trahearne.

No and no. And the reason people dislike Trahearne is because he is flat, two-dimensional, boring and devoid of any actual personality. he was not a character, he was a plot device.

But thanks for clumping us all together in the macho egos club, that is so not condescending of you.

Sieran was 100x better to me, Tybalt was ok but she was just fantastic. They were both very memorable at least, unlike the Vigil guy. He was a bore.

Danikat.8537:

Edit: Come to think of it I also wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just that more people, and particularly people who only do the story once, picked the Order of Whispers because they might seem like the more exciting of the 3, and they’re the one GW1 players will be familiar with.

Coming from Guild Wars 1 myself, the Order of Whispers was the first one I joined, so you may be on to something there.

Because there is nothing funnier than

‘The idea starts with “run for it” and generally goes downhill from there.’

people like passionate people. doesn’t matter what, just that they are passionate. Tybalt loved apples and was not afraid to share the love.

For me, Tybalt had the most feels and most likeable character. Amusing, but his backstory was pretty serious. And his final quote before holding off the undead was the best.

“I’ve done a lot of things wrong in my life. But this one thing, I’m gonna do right”

Blockhead Magee.3092:

Because there is nothing funnier than

‘The idea starts with “run for it” and generally goes downhill from there.’

Note that that’s a quote from your (drunk) character. But yeah, Tybalt has some memorable lines.

has just been disguised as Demmi Beetlestone so the real girl can be smuggled out of Lion’s Arch
“Burn me, I’m a human girl! Whoa, I’ve got two hands and some lovely… apples.”

Sieran, meanwhile, is just adorable. Same with Forgal, though in a different way (papa bear vs overly friendly friend).

1. He’s furry.
2. He has a self-depricating sense of humor.
3. His back story is harsh, but he has maintained a positive attitude.
4. Your interactions with him are written like a buddy cop comedy rather than a mentor/trainee situation (Forgal) or being given a slightly nutty and whimsical partner (Sieren). Your first mission with him involves a hilarious drinking contest, a poorly planned rescue, and general comedy. Gotta love that.

I think all three mentors have their own really good qualities. They’re all written differently, though, so it’s hard to compare the relationships the player character has with each one. Tybalt, as I said above, is the buddy cop comedy character; your character feels more like a partner than a trainee in that story due to the way the dialogue is written.

Forgal, on the other hand, is written as the stern father figure character; he’s a bit rough towards you, but he also quickly respects your abilities. The dynamic still largely remains as father figure/child; the relationship never really feels like it goes into the equal partners area.

And then we have Sieran. She’s never really been my favorite, but the story with her has its charms. The player character honestly feels more like the mentor here because of Sieran’s childlike enthusiasm for every single kittening thing in existence. You’re both friendly from the beginning with some comedy added, but, again, it’s written pretty differently from the Tybalt story.

TL;DR: Tybalt is great. But it’s hard to compare the relationship the player character has with each mentor because their respective relationship dynamics are different.

All the mentors are great and I like them all!

Why I personally favor Tybalt kind of hinges on how Charr are portrayed as a whole. Charr are gruff, violent warmongers (FOR THE MOST PART!) with slight variations in personality. Some might be kitteny and dismissive, some deluded and angry, some stand-offish and loners, etc etc. But they all have that dominating fierceness which is awesome…but less so when EVERY Charr is like that.

Of course, Tybalt breaks the mold. If his character accomplishes anything, at least in that point of the game, it’s to push to the player that not all Charr are forged through the same soldier mold.

I like Tybalt, but Forgal was way cooler. Sieran, she was just annoying. But ANet have there favour’s.

Sieran gets my love, too. She was goofy and silly, but she shared her enthusiasm with the PC, and her closing dialog shows she’d grown as a person.

Tybalt had the most pathos, honestly. And old, broken-down soldier on desk duty suddenly gets a chance to make a difference. And when he does, it’s with wit and a smile.

Forgal’s introduction was beyond the border of good taste for a tsundere. He couldn’t be bothered to like/teach you, and he actively resented your presence. “Oh, I got saddled with some junior soldier wannabe. Again. Guess I’ll put up with it.”
When you prove to be a good li’l professional murderer, he comes around and starts to get chummy. But not too chummy; better watch yer mouth, youngun.
I felt a great sense of relief when he died. He got to go out like a hero, and I cut free the reluctant, whining boulder from around my neck. Win-win.

I honestly never cared about Tybalt and the other guy (I forgot his name). I joined Vigil and Whisper on alts just to see the story and get access to the skins. I wasn’t impressed. I love Priory the most because we have a LIBRARY, the best base and of course SIERAN. My Sylvari main’s personality (and my real life personality) is exactly like Sieran’s, so I can actually relate to her. Curious, adventurous, easily amused, daydreamer and sometimes careless… Sieran is love, Sieran is life! CHERRY!

CrashTestAuto.9108:

Its like the Claw Island scene was written for him, and Sieran and Forgal just got given the same ending.

And I will also maintain that the idea was that in the main story, you as the player where going to kill the Risen Tybalt.

Remember, you never see him die. The dragon could have taken him and corrupted him.

The reason for this is that later in the story you get a rather wierd mission thats not really explained, but at the same time its portrayed like a mystery. The one where the Risen suddenly seem to have a commander. Someone that place a trap for the player… Even the NPCs you are with are suprised with the Risen tactics.

Then when you get to the end of the mission… you meet a generic named boss you’ve never heard about. Imagine if that boss had been your mentor, now serving Zhaitan?

Or as said boss himself say: “Enough! You will die, then rise, and I will see you destroy your own allies!”

Think about it.

Endless Soul.5178:

Danikat.8537:

Edit: Come to think of it I also wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just that more people, and particularly people who only do the story once, picked the Order of Whispers because they might seem like the more exciting of the 3, and they’re the one GW1 players will be familiar with.

Coming from Guild Wars 1 myself, the Order of Whispers was the first one I joined, so you may be on to something there.

Same here. I was going to pick the Vigil for my main because they seemed to be the sensible choice but ended up going with the Order of Whispers because I wanted her to follow her ancestors.

RoseofGilead.8907:

Your first mission with him involves a hilarious drinking contest, a poorly planned rescue, and general comedy. Gotta love that.

And some Star Wars references throw in for good measure.

Specifically when Demmi says “Aren’t you a little sober to be a pirate?” and “Some rescue. No wonder you’re called the Order of Whispers—nobody would brag about this.” and Tybalt responds with “Watch it, Princess.”

(And I actually didn’t notice until after I played it with the sound off and found myself reading those lines in Carrie Fisher’s voice.)

I love the claw island mission. Even so, the manner of th mentors’ role in it pretty much killed any positive opinion I might have had of any of the three. An example of poor integration of writing and gameplay in my opinion.

Character wise Tybalt’s writing, dialog and backstory where just, better then the other three. Sieran came off as a bubbly aidhead with no sense of direction and Forgel came off as a brooding victim who didn’t like being around you till near the end… Tybalt was just, fun to be around like your buddy. The atmosphere around Tybalt was kept just fun and just serious enough to hold everything together in the perfect web of character/player interaction.

Tybalt also has wider appeal across the age groups, mature gamers and kids will find something to like about his character, whereas Forgal prob only identifies with grumpy ol’buggers like me