When it comes to a Silent Protagonist, many feel they do not have the attributes a character should have. The general opinion is that the Silent Protagonist is completely void - unlike the Voiced Game Protagonist.
However, I want to show how a Silent Protagonist can have the same attributes as the Voiced Game Protagonist - (The video game character type seen in a story-focused game).
Though the Silent Protagonist is most known for not speaking - sometimes, they are shown to talk. The only factor is that we do not hear them speak often. Since we don’t always hear them, it’s why they are called the “Silent Protagonist.”
The Silent Protagonist is viewed as not being fleshed out. I want to discuss the features of a character and what makes them fleshed out.
A character becomes developed because their attributes are expanded on regarding whom they are - giving them depth.
Many people hold different opinions on the details we should see in a character where they will be fleshed out. I think the main features needed we should see - are a personality (with more than one or two traits), a motivation, likes and dislikes, how they interact with others, and how the character feels internally.
It’s vital to get the details of what makes the character who they are. If the individual has only a few details that we know about them, or their attributes are surface-level, it wouldn’t make them developed. The information doesn’t inform us much, and their features weren’t brought out enough.
Their personality is important because it tells us about the figure in a game or story. We wouldn’t have much surrounding them if they had one or two traits. When they exhibit and carry out the other facets listed about what a character can have to them - it’s how we understand their personality.
A motivation can show us what keeps the character going and what they care for.
Knowing the character’s likes and dislikes will tell us their tastes. We can see their opinions when they come by parts or situations in the story.
The protagonist’s interactions add to who they are because we can see their dynamics and relationships with others. The situations let us know how the main character in the story treats and feels about someone else (and vice versa).
Finally, seeing how the character feels internally lets us know what they think about themselves, their mindset, and their inner feelings about situations they may encounter.
These are the attributes that a Silent Protagonist will have, just like the Voiced Game Protagonist.
Some may feel that for a character to be fleshed out, they need “character development” - (such as changing what is in their nature) and a backstory. The reason is that - character development expands or adds to an individual’s view on life, mindset, personality, and more. A backstory helps us understand the character deeper by knowing their origin and how they grew into who they are now.
Though it can expand and add to the person in the game or show, a character can be created to be already filled out - without changing who they are. This includes the exclusion of a back story as well.
A character’s predetermined traits and other attributes were developed where the information that was given suited the protagonist. It’s not necessary to have their other attributes expanded or add traits to them.
If the character’s qualities that they display are portrayed in sufficient detail so that we can understand the protagonist, then a backstory is not needed. It can also heighten and make a person in the story mysterious with the exclusion of a backstory.
A person can say - “If a character doesn’t express their personality by emoting through facial expressions, gestures, and speaking, how can we know their personality?”
When it comes to the meaning of a personality, it is used to describe someone’s identity and explains who you are as a person. There’s also more than one way to show a personality.
While yes, talking, gestures, and facial expressions can show who someone is, a person can show their nature in other ways like - actions, writing, song, art, and more. Your emotions are how you feel within, such as - happy, sad, mad, etc.
Your expressions are letting out how you feel on the inside - outwardly.
Just as there’s more than one way to express your personality, a person can express their emotions in multiple ways. It doesn’t just pertain to - expressing through a person’s face, words, or body language. You can also present your feelings in the different ways you can reveal your personality - as listed in this analysis.
Both the Silent Protagonist and the Voiced Game Protagonist can emote and express themselves. However, the Voiced Game Protagonist can show who they are more openly.
Someone can claim that because a Voiced Game Protagonist will talk and emote more than the Silent Protagonist, it makes the Silent Protagonist less of a character. It is true that *sometimes the Silent Protagonist won’t be as open - expressing themselves by speaking and facial expressions. However, this doesn’t mean the character type is less. As we covered and continue to cover in this analysis, the Silent Protagonist can express themselves in the same way a Voiced Game Protagonist will. Even if the Silent Protagonist can talk and emote less, they will show their character in other ways - equally as the Voiced Game Protagonist.
- In-game, with a Voiced Game Protagonist, the character type doesn’t really show their facial expressions, and you see their facial expressions most of the time in cutscenes. They can have emotion in their voice when they are stating their views to themselves or talking with others - but while they continue, they will have moments of silence.
- While the Voiced Game Protagonist is silent, the objectives we have to guide the character through will tell us who they are.
- We, the player, will know what to do in a situation the character comes across in the game or where they need to go. When we guide them, it is supposed to be viewed as if they did it - continuing the story.
- As the player directs the character through events they will come across in the game, the figure we play as will react to situations or do actions that the player wouldn’t do if they were in that position.
- There can be different ways we can tackle the goal in the game. When we play, it won’t be done in the same exact way someone else will.
- We can sometimes gear off from the primary mission and explore different areas in a location. The player can sometimes make choices for the Voiced Game Protagonist — concerning what they will say or do.
- For gameplay reasons, there are objects that we have an option of picking up that can help us on our quest. We could get injured or die when we play, though it wasn’t the game’s intention for you to do.
Within a game, these are more features the Silent Protagonist can have - just like the Voiced Game Protagonist. Regarding the two video game character types, by them coming from games, we must control them through the narrative, intention, and design of what the game wants us to do. When we do this, it will tell us about their character while we play.
This is also done with movies. We watch movies to see how the story plays out, and the actor has to follow the script written for them. When the actor plays the character in a film, the character they are playing will have tasks, actions, and more which will - tell us about their personality and more.
Some say - “By the Silent Protagonist being non-verbal, the player makes the character’s personality. You have to guess and create traits for them.”
Someone doesn’t have to create a personality for the Silent Protagonist, even if he or she is nonverbal. As you would with any other character, you offer your interpretation in response to what they display in a game or show.
Since the creation of the Silent Protagonist, their silence is a space the character type leaves so that you can put in your personality.
However, some can see them as their own character and can’t insert their personality into a Silent Protagonist.
If we say that a Silent Protagonist being quiet is a way to view ourselves through or as them, we as humans do not always talk. Something on our minds can keep us silent, or simply, we don’t have anything to add or respond to. Just because we do not speak doesn’t mean someone will view themselves as us.
At the same time, even in real life, when we hear someone with a similar story or acting in a way that we would, we can see ourselves as that person - putting our personality in someone.
While we watch a show or play a game with a focused narrative, many want a character to relate to. They can see similar aspects in the individual adding their personality into the individual.
Someone may state - “Even if a Silent Protagonist has a personality, along with many purposes and other attributes that are needed to make a character, the traits they have are supposed to be seen as a representation of you.”
What a character represents is subjective and viewed differently by everyone.
If the personal traits of a Silent Protagonist are supposed to be viewed as a representation of us, we can do the same for other characters.
A person could say - “When the creator made the Silent Protagonist, they didn’t make them have a character.”
Sometimes, when the creator intends for their creation to be one way, the viewer can interpret it differently. The creator’s view doesn’t make what viewers see in the maker’s work untrue.
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With that said, I would like to go into the steps that could be taken when you are analyzing a Silent Protagonist.
1 — Looking into what the story is about - This is where we can learn about the character’s motive for doing an event or their personality.
2 — The actions of the character and their goal in the game - Let’s use the objective of what the Silent Protagonist must do in the game. When looking at the situation the character has to come across to finish their primary mission or get to their goal - it shows their character.
I use the term “main mission” because *some optional ones aren’t needed to get to their destination, beat the game, or be a part of the narrative since it wasn’t a requirement. By being optional, you have a choice not to do the task. This can make the events subjective because it’s different from another person’s point of view. Because it would be up to interpretation, we might not be able to use the circumstances to characterize them.
Though some main missions can also be left to the player’s choice - whether they want to do them or not, it’s still the intention of what the game wants you to do. Additionally, it’s the focal narrative of what the character comes across and goes through within the game/story.
3 — What characters in the game are saying about or to the Silent Protagonist - While you are on the mission, the people who will talk to the Silent Protagonist can speak about their character or say something about what they will encounter. Seeing their comments can show the Silent Protagonist’s personality.
How we analyze a Silent Protagonist doesn’t just go for their character type, but other character types too in a game, show, movie, etc.
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People feel that all Silent Protagonists are characterized similarly, but that is untrue. A Silent Protagonist can be created in different ways, just like a protagonist in a movie, show, or video game can be described differently from other protagonists.
For example:
Link (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) — Link acts as an older brother to the children of Ordon village. Like an older brother, he lets them try things they probably shouldn’t; however, he is always protective of the kids.
Jack (BioShock) — Jack was under mind control by a man named Atlas. However, after beating him, Jack can live in peace, and when he saves children given the title “little sisters,” he will adopt them and give them a happy life. (Bioshock: Infinite) confirms this ending happens.
Samus (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes) — Samus is strong, resilient, yet compassionate. When she comes across the group known as Federation Marines, she becomes mournful and closes the eye of the Marine, and she wants him to be at peace.
Joker (Persona 5) — Joker is shown to be a witty and sarcastic person in his personality. He also enjoys showing off in different situations.
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Conclusion -
The theme of the analysis of “How to analyze a Silent Protagonist” can connect with life as well. Even some of the examples given in this analysis intertwine with real life.
While being online, I notice how we can take different subjects at face value. If the viewer sees what’s on the surface of the character and does not like it, they will disregard everything in their nature and story.
Like a tale or a person in a narrative, we can also take life at face value. If we don’t see what we need, or the answer doesn’t show in the way we want, we think it’s not there and silent. However, just because things do not happen how we would like to view or understand them - wouldn’t mean what we are trying to find does not exist.
What we are looking for may seem silent, but it can still be heard in numerous ways. Even if it’s not spoken, it will be shown in many alternative ways where we *will get the answer we are searching for.
If you take life at face value, there are tools and utensils we can miss that we need in our lives. If you go into a mine and see a wall of rock, it will seem like nothing is there. However, it takes breaking the rock to find gems and jewels of every type.
Because we do not have what we think is necessary or needed, we will find the true answer and throw it away; simply because we don't like it, want to hear it, or believe it is required. We will find, accept, and feel something we think is the truth, and it's pushed as truth, but it's flawed and incorrect. When you look deeper into what we disregarded, there was more of an answer/reason, but we knocked it away.
More depth can be found when you look deeper into the obstacles in real life, characters, and stories.
I hope I was able to give another perspective in showing how a Silent Protagonist can also have a character.
I thank you for your time reading — “How to Analyze a Silent Protagonist.”
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