This is a study on how to
make a character as relatable as possible using story, personality
but mainly design, also how the design successfully portrays the character as
soon as you see them.
I will be looking at the
character 'Guybrush Threepwood' from the long running 'Monkey Island' point and
click adventure games from Lucas Arts.
Firstly to establish if the design does
justice to the character we must first look at aspects of their personality
such as their aspirations, background, likes, dislikes, anything that is used
to create a well rounded three-dimensional character.
Guybrush is a young man, regularly
referred to as a boy by the rest of the cast. He has dreams of becoming a
“mighty pirate” which is stated in the first conversation of the first game and
is often thought as ridiculous by other characters he meets. Even throughout
the series when Guybrush has been on several adventures we still get the
impression he is trying to prove himself. This makes him immediately relatable
by anyone that’s ever had an ambition and by those who have felt that others
haven’t believed in them or taken them seriously. Guybrush has a lot to learn
but is always optimistic which we know to be a loveable trait. He also has a
pretty sharp wit and has plenty of opportunity to use it due to the fact that
he’s often surrounded by strange people or idiots, a feeling most of us get
from time to time. This could possibly come across as arrogant but because he
is also quite naive and he is humbled by his love interest Elaine, who is much
more intelligent than he is, he remains endearing.
As we can see here they even have him
breaking the fourth wall, which could be seen as cheating but I believe at this
moment he shifts from being just a video game character to momentarily filling
the role of a friend who you are working with instead of controlling.
In terms of design I believe he’s a few
notches away from perfection. You can pretty much surmise everything I’ve just
said about him just by looking at him. Firstly his body type is a million miles
away from most protagonists in games purely due to the fact that is looks like
he would be useless in any form of physical confrontation. Even though most
males would like to disagree, deep down we know this is probably the case for
ourselves, this makes us less likely to aspire to be him as most games seem to
aim for but so much more likely to relate to him.
Everything about him is designed to
suggest that he is non-threatening. A big part of this is his large boyish
hairstyle that is bright blonde. Male characters rarely have light hair in
games because it is often related to weakness but here it is one of his main
features and makes his silhouette unmistakable. Also when you look at any
designs, advertising or box-art, anything that’s created to give a quick,
accurate impression of him he’s always in a ‘happy-go-lucky’ or
vulnerable/nervous pose. Good use of poses is essential to design as they can
get across the emotion of a stick man if they need to and the fact that
Guybrush can be seen above giving us the ‘thumbs up’ tells us immediately that
he’s got good intentions.
Even his name is used to solidify our
impression of his character, I don’t know exactly what images the name
“Guybrush Threepwood” conjures up but I think it’s safe to say they aren’t aggressive.
In conclusion, to create a successful,
relatable character I must start by giving them common, human characteristics
whether they are positive or negative. Even if no one ever see’s them, I
believe this will inspire strong design. I must then think of every aspect of
my characters design and make sure that it reflects the traits I have decided
on. I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with exaggerating or glorifying
the human form but they must remain true to what makes that character unique. I
must then consider how my character is posed and make sure it gives the viewer
no doubt about the characters past, present and future.
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