Do people like Karol? (Spoilers)

[Delta]

When I played back in the day I really didn't like Karol as a character. He's supposed to be your guide to the Guild Town but never really tells you anything beyond the most basic facts about the place, and doesn't really contribute to the plot beyond that between opening a couple of locks and basically being the voice that says "mummy and daddy, stop fighting!" whenever there's conflict in the group.

His cowardice goes on way too long too IMO. Sure he's just a kid, but shut-ins like Estelle and Rita seem to have no problem coping with having their lives in danger right off the bat, which makes his running away from boss battles seem even more out of place. If he can't cope with danger it really seems like he has no basis embarking on a dangerous journey, and his tendency to panic makes him a liability and endangers the rest of the group.

His talk of forming a guild never really goes anywhere since Brave Vesperia never really does anything more than a few fetch quests, acting no differently to any other RPG party.

Finally his dream of being a warrior really doesn't seem to suit him at all, and comes across more as if he's forcing himself to be something he's not to impress the girl from the hunter's guild. I think I'd have much preferred his arc if he'd realised his dream didn't fit him and found one he was more suited to instead.

[Simon]

I haven't play that far yet so I don't know much about the whole story. Nonetheless, I quite like him and he is best boi. At least he is not annoying like some other kid in the Tales series - Elle Mel Marta.

[Homer Morisson]

First playthrough back then, I hated him for the first half or so of the game, really hated him.

Now though... I'm just thinking: "Hey, he's a kid, he lives in a tough world and is alone in it, desperately trying to find some way to cope and deal, which is a damn sight harder if you're 'just a kid' with no one to rely on"... signs of growing older, I guess.

[Miraglyth]

One word: Baitojoh.

[D's Journal]

I do, he grows a lot by the end of the game.
You're suppose to not like him at the beginning of the game because he is a coward and a bit of an annyoance.
He's only 12, and that's understable. Estelle is extremely selfless by default and Rita goes through danger in order to gain more knowledge about Blastia, when she even says herself in Shaikos Ruins.
Karol's initial purpose was to be your guide about the world a bit, and monsters.
His knowledge is thanks to being a part of many guilds.

Spoilers here.
They mention how the Guild didn't do much until the end of the game they make it somewhere of a Delivery/Lost&Found service (some other stuff I can't recall too).
Which consists of him as leader, Yuri, Repede and Judith.
He originally made the guild to thank Don Whitehorse for the protecting his hometown I think?

Karol begins to shine at the near end of the game, where the group gets trapped but him because Yuri pushes him out the trap he then uses his courage instead to try and save them. They tell him to run but he didn't want to leave them behind. He gets his hammer knocked out by the monster but grabs a sword to strike it and save the party, passing out from using all his strength. It's honestly one of the best scenes in the game.

So yeah, Karol DOES grow. The party always accepted him for who he was unlike other guilds who kept kicking him out. He finally finds true friends that have been there with him the whole time and uses that courage to protect them and by running the guild. Karol sees and admits his faults and mistakes too which also helps him work on them and do better for the guild and protect the people he loves and others.
I may miss somethings because I played this on release lol.

[Marsson]

He's kinda cute, and easy to like. I remember him being a little bit too much comic relief early on though.

[.]

I haven't beaten the game yet, so I'd have to get back to you - however I'm at the guild town and your impressions are similiar to my own. I am so far not a fan of the character.

That being said I'm hoping that his character develops. There's a lot of room there because he is just a kid (He's 12 according to the wiki. Estelle is 18, Rita is 15) (Kid = potential.) Estelle and Rita have things bigger than themselves to draw strength of character from. So far I've just seen a kid looking for a place to belong and a jaded protagonist that takes him under his wing.

Examples of possible character development that would justify Karol -

- He finds strength through THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP and belonging to the larger group.
- He wrestles with his fear and realises that "One can only be brave by taking action regardless of fear." (AKA Bravery doesn't mean you feel no fear, but that you take action in the face of it.)
- The entire point of him wanting to be a warrior is because he recognizes he's a coward and wants to be better than he is.

I could go on with how I might carry this kind of character, but those 3 are some common tropes.

That said I think it's unfair as well to lump him in with Rita and Estell just purely based on age. 12-15 and 12-18 are huge leaps usually in terms of maturity.

[Homer Morisson]

No worries, Karol will undergo quite a bit of personal growth... won't comment on how far off or on the mark your ideas are, as I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.

But I think you'll like him at the very least a lot better than right now come the later stages of the story.

[Snadzies]

Played the game several times.
Didn't like him my first playthrough, don't like him this playthrough.
He is such a cowardly ♥♥♥♥♥ who tries to act like he is hot stuff for sooo long that I lost any and all interest in him.
I usually like playing the slower bruisers in the Tales games but his character turned me off so completely that could stand playing him in battle even.

He is one of my most disliked characters in all forms on media.

[Shadow Esper]

I don't particularily like Karol. He's a bit whiney, which I dislike in child characters. He does grow out of it somewhat, but not enough for me to consider liking him.

Genis from Symphonia is an example of a child character who can be a coward that I DO like.