Favorite OOTS Character Tournament: #13 BLACKWING vs #4 ROY GREENHILT [Archive]

Euclidodese

2017-08-30, 12:16 AM

Winner faces either Roy or Shojo next round.If Roy faces Roy in the next round, it's going to be very tight. :smallsmile:

I love Roy, he's a great main character and there's a lot to love about him... But I'm going with Blackwing. I love animal companions and ten to gravitate towards supporting characters.

alwaysbebatman

2017-08-30, 12:18 AM

Corrected, ty!

Peelee

2017-08-30, 12:24 AM

Damn, I was gonna vote for Roy to see how that next match went. As is, Blackwing.

alwaysbebatman

2017-08-30, 12:31 AM

2-0 Blackwing.

WAT

Rogan

2017-08-30, 02:22 AM

2-0 Blackwing.

WAT

Yeah, how can this be? Blackwing deserves at least a 3 -0! :smallbiggrin:

martianmister

2017-08-30, 04:02 AM

Blackwing all the way.

Jaxzan Proditor

2017-08-30, 06:02 AM

Well, I checked my original seeding and Blackwing is there, while Roy is nowhere to be found at all...

bguy

2017-08-30, 07:38 AM

Roy Greenhilt.

Hamste

2017-08-30, 08:03 AM

I vote Blackwing.

Arkku

2017-08-30, 08:08 AM

This may seem contradictory to my rationale for main character over one with relatively limited appearances, but the thought of avian victory amuses me so much that I must vote Blackwing.

(Also, I kind of see Roy's role in the comic as comparable to that of Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the series): although they are the main protagonist, they need to remain a bit dull and predictable to set the stage for the rest of the cast to make the series so thoroughly entertaining.)

Dr.Zero

2017-08-30, 08:09 AM

I follow a simple rule to give my votes in this popularity tournaments: in short, if this was a "save one, the other one is erased from existence, like it never existed (and with it, all the jokes, punchline, plot twist, etc, related)", which one would I choose to save?

Roy all the way.

Without him as "the only sane man" a lot of jokes in the comic would not have been possible.
And while lately (with lately being mostly since he died) he lost a lot of points from me, being too much of a drama queen for my tastes, he is still well above the (anyway funny) Blackwing (and anyway it seems he is getting better).

drazen

2017-08-30, 08:29 AM

Blackwing... meh. He(?) has his(?) moments, but most have been subtle.

Thus, although I'm irritated he has been carrying the Idiot Ball for most of the current book, which seemed wildly out of character, I'm still voting for Roy Greenhilt.

Sylian

2017-08-30, 08:35 AM

I like Blackwing, but he didn't make it on my top 10. Roy? Did.

littlebum2002

2017-08-30, 08:50 AM

I can't believe this is happening. Roy, hands down.

Laurana

2017-08-30, 09:12 AM

I like Blackwing, but it's mainly because of V.

Roy may not be my favourite of the OOtS (rather the opposite) but I still like him more.

Roy Greenhilt.

alwaysbebatman

2017-08-30, 09:24 AM

Welp. We have entered the Bizarro World stretch of this tournament....

I didn't want to vote sooner and break the crazy streak. FIVE IN A ROW to Blackwing before anybody broke its initial run.

Roy Greenhilt

2D8HP

2017-08-30, 09:47 AM

Welp. We have entered the Bizarro World stretch of this tournament....

Bizarre is fantastic!

Ignored for too long....

https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/BlackwingDisguise_zpspfbpv6kw.png

Nod for...

Blackwing!

Potatomade

2017-08-30, 12:16 PM

137beth

2017-08-30, 12:23 PM

I'm going with Roy.

alwaysbebatman

2017-08-30, 12:51 PM

Roy. Much like with Durkon, the straight man doesn't get enough love. My vote here isn't because of his sarcasm, which is nice, but never where Roy really shines. It's almost entirely because of his reaction to hearing about Durkon's death. He went to a dark, dark place, both when he was first told and later when he lashed out at Durkula at the Godsmoot. Very satisfying.

Also,

"I am going to stop you, and if that means I never get my friend back because he was twisted into being you, then I will be sad, but you will be DEAD!"

is a great line all around.

I like Blackwing, but he's a little too "wacky" for me.

100% agree. I don't really get the "idiot ball" talk. Roy not seeing the truth of the Vampire isn't him making a mistake because the plot required it, (that's an idiot ball.) He's making a mistake because characterization requires it. He's acting out of grief and denial.

Peelee

2017-08-30, 01:15 PM

Joerg

2017-08-30, 01:46 PM

Roy Greenhilt.

Riftwolf

2017-08-30, 02:04 PM

Close, but going with Roy . Blackwing isn't a stand alone character, more a dual act with V. Roy had to wrestle with his conscious alone, and triumphed with the aforementioned line 'then I'll be sad, but you'll be dead', which is one of the memorable lines in the comic.

white lancer

2017-08-30, 02:14 PM

Yeah, Blackwing's fine. Has his moments, and is occasionally very funny. That said, he doesn't hold a candle to Roy. I understand some people see Roy as the boring "straight man" of the group...but I love a good straight man, and Roy's been just as funny on average in that role as Blackwing while being a much more significant character. Another easy pick for me here.

KorvinStarmast

2017-08-30, 02:18 PM

Roy.

Blackwing's a joke. Roy's a character, and arguably the main character.

Sure, talky man talk too much, but there is no way I can vote Blackwing over Roy.

Fincher

2017-08-30, 03:45 PM

Roy for me.

L8r

2017-08-30, 04:43 PM

Like Belkar says, Roy isn't typically the one who adds humor to the story, but Blackwing is. My favourite part about the story is the humor, so I vote for Blackwing.

LadyEowyn

2017-08-30, 04:59 PM

Roy. Fantastic character, with lots of growth over the course of the story.

Liquor Box

2017-08-30, 05:30 PM

I vote Roy Greenhilt. He's had a strong storyline, plenty of character development, and has genuine flaws. He's been involved in some epic scenes like the fight with Durkula and the beat down of Miko. He also breaks a few archetypes, being an intelligent fighter.

NontheistCleric

2017-08-30, 08:53 PM

I vote for Roy.

The Curt Jester

2017-08-30, 09:42 PM

My vote goes to Roy Greenhilt.

Bob_McSurly

2017-08-30, 11:45 PM

This is one of the only ones that is easy for me. Blackwing gets my vote, all the way!

StreamOfTheSky

2017-08-31, 12:44 AM

Roy's our boy!

And it's going to be very tough choosing between him or Belkar next round.

Zaclock

2017-08-31, 01:03 AM

I started hoping for a surprise Blackwing victory when I started checking the vote, but Roy fans then appeared. I rarely am a fan of the main character in lengthy fiction works. Roy has had his moments, but that is bound to happen when you are the main character with any competent author. In contrast, Blackwing went from sidekick to safe bet for both laughs and deep discussions. He gave a new breath to V as a character. I'd like to see Blackwing interact a bit more with the rest of the group (or, actually, the rest of the group interact more with Blackwing), but that's still enough for me to prefer him to Roy.

drazen

2017-08-31, 06:24 AM

100% agree. I don't really get the "idiot ball" talk. Roy not seeing the truth of the Vampire isn't him making a mistake because the plot required it, (that's an idiot ball.) He's making a mistake because characterization requires it. He's acting out of grief and denial.

Near the end of BRitF, Roy tells Belkar, "It's Durkon enough for our purposes." In theory, he should have been suspicious from that moment forward (and even if not, his friend was asking to be resurrected, so he should have little to feel guilty about). Instead, an intelligent character who is usually really good at noticing subtle details ignored Thor attacking the ship and multiple instances of Durkon slipping up on his accent and acting out of character. All this happened after Roy learning a serious lesson about recklessness in W&E that cost him his life for nearly a year. Heck, he even listened to Belkar as they were escaping the pyramid, only to go on to ignore him for half the current book.

I'm calling that an idiot ball. I like and expect better of Roy, and I just think his behavior in the first half of the current book represents a regression, rather than character development.

hroþila

2017-08-31, 06:36 AM

Roy was suspicious from the beginning. Remember when he eavesdropped on Durkon while he replenished his spells? That wasn't because Roy was sure everything was OK. And remember when Durkon was mean to a gnome priest? Roy noticed and called him out on it. It just so happens that, in-universe, without having the privilege of seeing the scenes that go on in Durkon's mind, there's very little reason to posit "completely different being" as opposed to "Durkon, but Evil, so of course he's changed". Roy didn't want to think too much about it, for very understandable emotional reasons, but he still thought about it none the less.

Potatomade

2017-08-31, 08:28 AM

Near the end of BRitF, Roy tells Belkar, "It's Durkon enough for our purposes." In theory, he should have been suspicious from that moment forward (and even if not, his friend was asking to be resurrected, so he should have little to feel guilty about). Instead, an intelligent character who is usually really good at noticing subtle details ignored Thor attacking the ship and multiple instances of Durkon slipping up on his accent and acting out of character. All this happened after Roy learning a serious lesson about recklessness in W&E that cost him his life for nearly a year. Heck, he even listened to Belkar as they were escaping the pyramid, only to go on to ignore him for half the current book.

I'm calling that an idiot ball. I like and expect better of Roy, and I just think his behavior in the first half of the current book represents a regression, rather than character development.

If I remember correctly, all of the instances of Durkula going off-accent was during a fight, when Roy had more important things to focus on. Missing that isn't something that the characters should be blamed for. It's more something for the audience to pick up on.

Also, intelligent characters can make unwise or bad decisions, especially when they're emotionally motivated. The comic specifically says Roy was of two guts about the thing. His intelligent brain said Durkula shouldn't be trusted just because looked like and acted like Durkon. His emotional gut said otherwise. That's not an idiot ball, that's being a realistic, flawed, human character.

Chei

2017-08-31, 06:40 PM

Roy. Though Blackwing has come a long way. I actually had to think about it.

Ruck

2017-09-01, 04:59 AM

Near the end of BRitF, Roy tells Belkar, "It's Durkon enough for our purposes." In theory, he should have been suspicious from that moment forward (and even if not, his friend was asking to be resurrected, so he should have little to feel guilty about). Instead, an intelligent character who is usually really good at noticing subtle details ignored Thor attacking the ship and multiple instances of Durkon slipping up on his accent and acting out of character. All this happened after Roy learning a serious lesson about recklessness in W&E that cost him his life for nearly a year. Heck, he even listened to Belkar as they were escaping the pyramid, only to go on to ignore him for half the current book.

I'm calling that an idiot ball. I like and expect better of Roy, and I just think his behavior in the first half of the current book represents a regression, rather than character development.
I don't think it's an example of the Idiot Ball, but for different reasons than most people have expressed: Roy actually has a pretty well-established history of only hearing what he wants to hear and being quick to believe whatever confirms his preexisting notions, so it seems entirely in-character to me that he would do the same regarding Durkon and the Vampire.

Kardwill

2017-09-01, 09:34 AM

Roy. Though Blackwing has come a long way. I actually had to think about it.

Yes, I was kinda surprised I had to think about it, too. I mean, a class-feature / running gag / tertiary character against a main char I can actually relate to? That should have been a no-brainer.

But in the end, as the guy in our party who often plays the "serious LG fightin' guy-or-gal", I'll vote for Roy.

a_flemish_guy

2017-09-01, 08:55 PM

roy

no competition (for me at least :smallbiggrin: )

blackwing is comic relief, he's above bloodfeast and about the same level as mr scruffy

as fitting for a familiar he's bound to vaarsuvius, both in mechanics as in story, without vaarsuvius no blackwing

roy on the other hand is just getting on the highway to his charachter arc, he has dealt with the issues that his father gave him and this makes him ripe for the idea that his dad might has been sort of right al allong, that being a pure fighter is waste and that combining magic and swordplay is the way forward (being a pure caster wouldn't have wordked anyway since xykon's build on fighting casters 1-1)

Xihirli

2017-09-01, 09:33 PM

Roy Greenhilt

His character has developed over several arcs while Blackwing was consistent after he started talking.
Love Blackwing, just not enough.

skaddix

2017-09-02, 08:43 AM

Roy is My Boy.

Blackwing is a class feature good for a few laughs which I suppose is all a good part of the fanbase is around for but doesn't get any character development and is mostly around to be a good angel on V's shoulder.

alwaysbebatman

2017-09-02, 11:28 PM

I also thought this race was closer than it is. Though I think the 5-0 lead Blackwing had at the start explains that...

13 vs 4 Nods
#4) :roy: Roy Greenhilt 24
#13) http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Blackwing.png Blackwing 11

Peelee

2017-09-02, 11:59 PM

I also thought this race was closer than it is. Though I think the 5-0 lead Blackwing had at the start explains that...

That lead, while short, was glorious.

alwaysbebatman

2017-09-03, 12:11 AM

That lead, while short, was glorious.

The shutout was short. Roy didn't take the lead away from Blackwing until the 17th ballot finally put him in the lead 9/8...

So, 35 ballots have been cast so far... Blackwing kept Roy out of the lead for the first half of this contest!

Ruck

2017-09-03, 04:25 AM

All right, I'll throw a bone to Blackwing because, again, he's really funny, although I won't be upset when Roy wins.

Dellis

2017-09-03, 08:57 AM

Blackwing.

Because when V needed him, he's always been at his side. He's got his antics, he's funny, and sometimes a goof.

But as all familiars, when you REALLY need him, he's at your side, helping you get through life for no other reason that he's your friend.

And that is all that's needed.

zimmerwald1915

2017-09-03, 11:00 AM

Roy. Blackwing might be the Giant's favorite character to write (see: Blood Runs in the Family commentary), but Roy is and always will be the sole main protagonist around whom the story turns, and must always get consideration for that.

Bob_McSurly

2017-09-04, 05:06 PM

Roy is and always will be the sole main protagonist around whom the story turns
As a member of the Tarquin fan club, I am fairly sure that Elan is the protagonist :-)

alwaysbebatman

2017-09-04, 05:46 PM

This closes in about 24 hours, get your last-minute votes in!

13 vs 4 Nods
#4) :roy: Roy Greenhilt 25
#13) http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Blackwing.png Blackwing 13

Winner goes on tomorrow to face the winner of Shojo and Belkar.

elros

2017-09-05, 09:24 AM

Not even close for me. Roy is the key to this webcomic, but you could eliminate Blackwing and the comic would still rock. I vote for Roy.

alwaysbebatman

2017-09-05, 01:56 PM

26/13 in favor of Roy. This will be closing in just a few hours, get your last-minute ballots in now!

The winner will immediately go on to face the winner of Belkar/Shojo.

Voting is closed. Roy will face Belkar in their 2nd round matchup asap.

Rogan

2017-09-06, 06:31 AM

poor Blackwing, you deserved better.. And he had such a great start

martianmister

2017-09-06, 08:42 AM

V's revenge on him will dwarf familicide.

Bob_McSurly

2017-09-06, 02:07 PM

V's revenge on him will dwarf familicide.

I kind of hope it IS familicide, so that Julia dies to. :)

StreamOfTheSky

2017-09-06, 04:29 PM

V's revenge on him will dwarf familicide.

A look into the mindset of a V fan.

zimmerwald1915

2017-09-06, 04:37 PM

A look into the mindset of a V fan.
Not that Roy and V would end up head to head in the first place. V has no chance of beating Haley, not if she could barely edge out Wrecan.

Peelee

2017-09-06, 05:25 PM

Not that Roy and V would end up head to head in the first place. V has no chance of beating Haley, not if she could barely edge out Wrecan.

Rock-paper-scissors problem; we can't really know that. Current vote has V up by 11, for example.

Bob_McSurly

2017-09-06, 06:35 PM

A look into the mindset of a V fan.

Disintegrate. Gust of wind.

ackmondual

2017-09-06, 06:38 PM

Blackwing, not that he's talking and interacting with the gang

alwaysbebatman

2017-09-06, 07:06 PM

Rock-paper-scissors problem; we can't really know that. Current vote has V up by 11, for example.

Not only that, but I also would hardly call beating Wrecan by 10 points "barely edg[ing] him out"...

Also:

We seem to have found ourselves on a new page, so I say again: VOTING HAS CLOSED. Roy won and went on to face 5-seed Belkar in the second round.