Favourite Character Tournament III: The Last of Them

[oppyu]

Thread #1
Thread #2

Credit to Math_Mage for the thread name.

FCT (Favourite Character Tournament)
Seeds

Spoiler

Show

1: Roy Greenhilt - Eliminated in QF1 by Malack
2: Elan - Eliminated in SF3 by 5: Vaarsuvius
3: Haley Starshine
4: Belkar Bitterleaf - Eliminated in SF2 by 3: Haley Starshine
5: Vaarsuvius
6: Durkon Thundershield - Eliminated in QF2 by 18: Tarquin
7: Nale - Eliminated in 1,4 by Kazumi Kato
8: Redcloak - Eliminated in QF6 by 5: Vaarsuvius
9: Xykon - Eliminated in QF4 by 4: Belkar Bitterleaf
10: Mr. Scruffy - Eliminated in 3,6 by 15: Miko Miyozaki
11: Hinjo - Eliminated in 2,10 by Shojo
12: Celia - Eliminated in 2,2 by Wizard Guy
13: Sabine - Eliminated in 3,2 by Wizard Guy
14: Blackwing - Eliminated in 3,10 by Shojo
15: Miko Miyazaki - Eliminated in QF3 by 3: Haley Starshine
16: Monster in the Darkness - Eliminated in 3,8 by 9: Xykon
17: Thog - Eliminated in 3,12 by 8: Redcloak
18: Tarquin
19: Demon-Roaches - Eliminated in 2,3 by 6: Durkon Thundershield
20: O-Chul - Eliminated in 3,11 by 5: Vaarsuvius
21: Qarr - Eliminated in 2,7 by Secret SoD Character
22: Lien - Eliminated in 3,5 by 3: Haley Starshine
23: Zz'dtri - Eliminated in 2,9 by Enor
24: Daigo Da- - Eliminated in 2,1 by Malack

Round 1

Spoiler

Show

1,1
1: Roy Greenhilt (48) d. Knot-topped Resistance Leader (1)
Banjo (32) d. Gortok the Destroyer (16)
Malack (42) d. "Kaboom" Redaxe (8)
24: Daigo Da- (37) d. Rookie Cop (12)

1,2
12: Celia (25) d. Yikyik (7)
Wizard Guy (20) d. Sara Greenhilt (11)
Bozzok (22) d. Mr. Jones (10)
13: Sabine (25) d. Jephton the Unholy (8)

1,3
6: Durkon Thundershield (27) d. Hank (2)
chief grukgruk (24) d. General Chang (6)
Grand Larcenist (15) d. Pompey (13)
19: Demon-Roaches (26) d. Team Peregrine Commander (2)

1,4
Kazumi Kato (20) d. 7: Nale (11)
Chief (24) d. Hilgya Firehelm (7)
Flumphs (19) d. Shadowdancer (12)
18: Tarquin (26) d. Eugene Greenhilt (4)

1,5
3: Haley Starshine (25) d. Evisceratus (1)
Mr. Phil Rodriguez (14) d. Kilkil (11)
Thor (22) d. Inkyrius (4)
22: Lien (22) d. Samantha (4)

1,6
10: Mr. Scruffy (12) d. Julio Scoundrél (9)
Tsukiko (11) d. Sangwaan (10)
Jirix (13) d. Leeky Windstaff (8)
15: Miko Miyazaki (14) d. Roy's Archon (7)

1,7
4: Belkar Bitterleaf (12) d. Thanh (9)
Crystal (12) d. Girard Drakentooth (8)
Secret SoD Character (14) d. Trigak (4)
21: Qarr (12) d. Empress of Blood (9)

1,8
9: Xykon (27) d. Geoff (3)
Niu (19) d. Horace Greenhilt (11)
Ian Starshine (22) vs Jenny (8)
16: Monster in the Darkness (21) d. Kobold Oracle (9)

1,9
2: Elan (34) d. Eyepatched Resistance Leader (3)
IFCC (19) d. Gannji (18)
Enor (27) d. Samantha's Dad (9)
23: Zz'dtri (31) d. Haerta Bloodsoak (6)

1,10
11: Hinjo (33) d. Hieronymus Grubwiggler (4)
Shojo (35) d. Old Blind Pete (2)
Ancient Black Dragon (19) d. Greysky Priest (16)
14: Blackwing (32) d. Ganonron (4)

1,11
5: Vaarsuvius (29) d. Skullsy (3)
Soon Kim (24) d. Death Knight (9)
Therkla (23) d. Yokyok (10)
20: O-Chul (31) d. Julia Greenhilt (2)

1,12
8: Redcloak (29) d. Amun-Zora (3)
Daimyo Kubota (28) d. Huecuva (3)
Pit Fiend (21) d. Adolescent Black Dragon (11)
17: Thog (30) d. Yukyuk (2)

Round 2

Spoiler

Show

2,1
1: Roy Greenhilt (36) d. Banjo (11)
Malack (38) d. 24: Daigo Da- (9)

2,2
Wizard Guy (21) d. 12: Celia (17)
13. Sabine (32) d. Bozzok (8)

2,3
6: Durkon Thundershield (32) v. chief grukgruk (3)
19: Demon-Roaches (27) v. Grand Larcenist (8)

2,4
Kazumi Kato (28) d. Chief (13)
18: Tarquin (34) d. Flumphs (7)

2,5
3: Haley Starshine (38) d. Mr. Phil Rodriguez (2)
22: Lien (21) d. Thor (19)

2,6
10: Mr. Scruffy (23) d. Tsukiko (17)
15: Miko Miyazaki (26) d. Jirix (14)

2,7
4: Belkar Bitterleaf (38) d. Crystal (4)
Secret SoD Character (30) v. 21: Qarr (11)

2,8
9: Xykon (29) d. Niu (10)
16: Monster in the Darkness (37) d. Ian Starshine (2)

2,9
2: Elan (29) d. IFCC (8)
Enor (19) v. 23: Zz'dtri (18)

2,10
Shojo (33) d. 11: Hinjo (11)
14: Blackwing (26) d. Ancient Black Dragon (17)

2,11
5: Vaarsuvius (44) d. Soon Kim (4)
20: O-Chul (38) d. Therkla (9)

2,12
8: Redcloak (35) d. Daimyo Kubota (4)
17: Thog (33) d. Pit Fiend (6)

Round 3

Spoiler

Show

3,1
1: Roy Greenhilt (42) v. Malack (42)

3,2
Wizard Guy (33) d. 13: Sabine (26)

3,3
6: Durkon Thundershield (44) d. 19: Demon-Roaches (6)

3,4
18: Tarquin (41) d. Kazumi Kato (15)

3,5
3: Haley Starshine (45) d. 22: Lien (14)

3,6
15: Miko Miyazaki (34) d. 10: Mr. Scruffy (29)

3,7
4: Belkar Bitterleaf (30) d. Secret SoD Character (24)

3,8
9: Xykon (38) d. 16: Monster in the Darkness (36)

3,9
2: Elan (44) d. Enor (4)

3,10
Shojo (53) d. 14: Blackwing (7)

3,11
5: Vaarsuvius (32) d. 20. O-Chul (26)

3,12
8: Redcloak (49) d. 17: Thog (15)

Quarter-Finals

Spoiler

Show

QF1
Malack (33) d. 1: Roy Greenhilt (32), Wizard Guy (9)

QF2
18: Tarquin (42) d. Durkon Thundershield (32)

QF3
3: Haley Starshine (37) d. 15: Miko Miyazaki (23)

QF4
4: Belkar Bitterleaf (41) d. 9: Xykon (36)

QF5
2: Elan (33) d. Shojo (32)

QF6
5: Vaarsuvius (35) d. 8: Redcloak (33)

Semi-Finals

Spoiler

Show

SF1
18: Tarquin (39) d. Malack (33)

SF2
3: Haley Starshine (34) d. 4: Belkar Bitterleaf (33)

SF3
5: Vaarsuvius (35) d. 2: Elan (25)

Grand Final

(Don't start voting yet!)
18: Tarquin v. 3: Haley Starshine v. 5: Vaarsuvius.

[oppyu]

LC (Loser's Cup)
Seeds

Spoiler

Show

1: Nale - Eliminated in SF1 by Kobold Oracle
2: Eugene Greenhilt - Eliminated in SF3 by Leeky Windstaff
3: Gannji
4: Ho Thanh - Eliminated in QF4 by Julio Scoundrél
5: Kilkil - Eliminated in 2,9 by Leeky Windstaff
6: Hilgya Firehelm - Eliminated in 2,3 by Kobold Oracle
7: Roy's Archon - Eliminated in 2,4 by Greysky Priest
8: Empress of Blood - Eliminated in QF5 by Leeky Windstaff
9: Mr. Jones - Eliminated in 1,8 by Julio Scoundrél
10: Yikyik - Eliminated in 1,6 by Skullsy
11: Booted Wight - Eliminated in 2,12 by Sara Greenhilt
12: Julia Greenhilt - Eliminated in 2,2 by Horace Greenhilt

Round 1

Spoiler

Show

1,1
1: Nale (25) d. Sangwaan (10)
Old Blind Pete (23) d. Huecuva (9)

1,2
Horace Greenhilt (21) d. Yokyok (14)
12: Julia Greenhilt (18) d. "Kaboom" Redaxe (17)

1,3
6: Hilgya Firehelm (27) d. Pompey (13)
Kobold Oracle (38) d. Rookie Cop (2)

1,4
Greysky Priest (38) v. Hieronymus Grubwiggler (2)
7: Roy's Archon (30) d. Shadowdancer (10)

1,5
3: Gannji (31) d. Gortok the Destroyer (6)
Girard Draketooth (27) d. Team Peregrine Commander (7)

1,6
Hank (22) v. Amun-Zora (14)
Skullsy (25) v. 10: Yikyik (10)

1,7
4: Ho Thanh (30) v. Gladiator Warden (9)
Inkyrius (34) v. Knot-topped Resistance Leader (5)

1,8
Adolescent Black Dragon (21) d. Samantha (14)
Julio Scoundrél (33) d. 9: Mr. Jones (5)

1,9
5: Kilkil (24) d. General Chang (10)
Leeky Windstaff (31) d. Eyepatched Resistance Leader (5)

1,10
Geoff (19) d. Zit-Faced Goblin (15)
8: Empress of Blood (24) d. Yukyuk (9)

1,11
2: Eugene Greenhilt (31) d. Samantha's Dad (12)
Death Knight (28) d. Evisceratus (13)

1,12
Sara Greenhilt (24) d. Jenny (11)
11: Booted Wight (20) d. Trigak (16)

Round 2

Spoiler

Show

2,1
1: Nale (65) d. Old Blind Pete (7)

2,2
Horace Greenhilt (33) d. 12: Julia Greenhilt (19)

2,3
Kobold Oracle (44) d. 6: Hilgya Firehelm (4)

2,4
Greysky Priest (28) d. 7: Roy's Archon (21)

2,5
3: Gannji (33) d. Girard Draketooth (23)

2,6
Skullsy (29) d. Hank (27)

2,7
4: Ho Thanh (35) d. Inkyrius (16)

2,8
Julio Scoundrél (59) d. Adolescent Black Dragon (8)

2,9
Leeky Windstaff (27) d. 5: Kilkil (18)

2,10
8: Empress of Blood (32) d. Geoff (18)

2,11
2: Eugene Greenhilt (40) d. Death Knight (16)

2,12
Sara Greenhilt (34) v. 11: Booted Wight (16)

Quarter-Finals

Spoiler

Show

QF1
1: Nale (49) v. Horace Greenhilt (12)

QF2
Kobold Oracle (48) d. Greysky Priest (19)

QF3
3: Gannji (41) d. Skullsy (16)

QF4
Julio Scoundrél (46) d. 4: Ho Thanh (23)

QF5
Leeky Windstaff (44) d. 8: Empress of Blood (13)

QF6
2: Eugene Greenhilt (39) d. Sara Greenhilt (19)

Semi-Finals

Spoiler

Show

SF1
Kobold Oracle (44) d. 1: Nale (29)

SF2
3: Gannji (30) d. Julio Scoundrél (27)

SF3
Leeky Windstaff (34) v. 2: Eugene Greenhilt (22)

Grand Final

(Still not time to vote yet.)
Kobold Oracle v. 3: Gannji v. Leeky Windstaff

[oppyu]

Since my favourites are eliminated, I think it's okay to say that I was going for Elan and Redcloak, and you guys have no taste in characters.

Spoiler

Show

2: Elan - 25 - 41.67%
5: Vaarsuvius - 35 - 58.33%

Leeky Windstaff - 34 - 60.71%
2: Eugene Greenhilt - 22 - 39.29%

GRAND FINAL

FCT

Spoiler

Show

R1: 18: Tarquin (26) d. Eugene Greenhilt (4)
R2: 18: Tarquin (34) d. Flumphs (7)
R3: 18: Tarquin (41) d. Kazumi Kato (15)
QF: 18: Tarquin (42) d. 6: Durkon Thundershield (32)
SF: 18: Tarquin (39) d. Malack (33)
182-91 - 66.67%

R1: 3: Haley Starshine (25) d. Evisceratus (1)
R2: 3: Haley Starshine (38) d. Mr. Phil Rodriguez (2)
R3: 3: Haley Starshine (45) d. 22: Lien (14)
QF: 3: Haley Starshine (37) d. 15: Miko Miyazaki (23)
SF: 3: Haley Starshine (34) d. 4: Belkar Bitterleaf (33)
179-73 - 71.03%

R1: 5: Vaarsuvius (29) d. Skullsy (3)
R2: 5: Vaarsuvius (44) d. Soon Kim (4)
R3: 5: Vaarsuvius (32) d. 20: O-Chul (26)
QF: 5: Vaarsuvius (35) d. 8: Redcloak (33)
SF: 5: Vaarsuvius (35) d. 2: Elan (25)
175-91 - 65.79%

#763: "Here's to us, Elan. We're going to tell the best story EVER."
18: Tarquin
VS
#393: "I THOUGHT HE WAS YOU! I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU AND I THOUGHT I WAS KISSING YOU!!"
3: Haley Starshine
VS
#634: "I... I must succeed."
5: Vaarsuvius

LC

Spoiler

Show

FCT: 16: Monster in the Darkness (21) d. Kobold Oracle (9)
R1: Kobold Oracle (38) d. Rookie Cop (2)
R2: Kobold Oracle (44) d. 6: Hilgya Firehelm (4)
QF: Kobold Oracle (48) d. Greysky Priest (19)
SF: Kobold Oracle (44) d. 1: Nale (29)
183-75 - 70.93%

FCT: IFCC (19) d. Gannji (18)
R1: 3: Gannji (31) d. Gortok the Destroyer (6)
R2: 3: Gannji (33) d. Girard Draketooth (23)
QF: 3: Gannji (41) d. Skullsy (16)
SF: 3: Gannji (30) d. Julio Scoundrél (27)
153-91 - 62.70%

FCT: Jirix (13) d. Leeky Windstaff (8)
R1: Leeky Windstaff (31) d. Eyepatched Resistance Leader (5)
R2: Leeky Windstaff (27) d. 5: Kilkil (18)
QF: Leeky Windstaff (44) d. 8: Empress of Blood (13)
SF: Leeky Windstaff (34) d. 2: Eugene Greenhilt (22)
144-71 - 66.98%

#568:

Welcome to the village of
LICKMYORANGEBALLSHALFLING
Founded: Last week - Pop.: Just enough
"No, seriously, give 'em a good once-over!"

Kobold Oracle
VS
#783: "Listen, I have a plan, but... you're not going to like it. You need to kill me."
3: Gannji
VS
#344: "Gaze in fear as the trees of your much-vaunted 'municipal park' angrily awaken to wreak bloody vengeance on you for incarcerating them in a well-mowed prison! The once and future masters of this land walk among you now! Let those who led their dogs to urinate upon them now flee in mortal terror!"
Leeky Windstaff

Ok, quick bit of housekeeping. This round will go on until August 1, 8AM AEST. Which is basically exactly seven days from now. I appreciate all the votes you guys have sent in, and the patience you've had with my late and occasionally lazy updating.

Ok, now you can vote!

[Porthos]

Haley

and

The Oracle

Of the three, I like Haley's character the best. V is good. But not quite at Haley's level.

My vote for the Oracle goes without sayin', of course.

[Gift Jeraff]

Leeky Windstaff, evil gnome druid

Haley Starshine, chaotic good-ish human rogue

[Wraithlord]

Well, despite all 4 of my favorites losing in the quarter and semi-finals, I may as well vote for my favorites of the remainder.

Haley and Leeky Windstaff.

[137beth]

FCT: There were a lot of hard rounds lately, but this one is much easier. Haley is my favorite PC, and has been my favorite for a majority of the series. I'm not a huge fan of Tarquin, and while V is cool, he/she/it just isn't as awesome.

LC: This one is even easier: The Kobold Oracle is possibly the funniest NPC ever.

[Rakoa]

The Amazing General Tarquin and The Amazing Kobold Oracle

Let the chips fall where they may.

[Math_Mage]

Vaarsuvius
Leeky

[Kolhammer]

Tarquin and The Oracle

[apenpaap]

A shame to see Elan lose, but it makes the finale slightly easier for me. V is great, but not to the level of Tarquin or Haley (or Elan). So it's between Haley and Tarquin for me. My favourite hero and my favourite villain. The latest comic is one of the many that make me want to vote for Haley, but then I think of how awesome Tarquin is. It's a very difficult choice, but I think I'll vote Haley.

And the Oracle.

[DeliaP]

Sorry I didn't participate in earlier rounds, but if I can just join in for the final:

FC: Tarquin, the quintessential dangerously genre savvy magnificent bastard chessmaster.

LC: Kobold Oracle, just for the name of the village, if nothing else.

[bguy]

Vaarsuvius

Oracle

[kxm]

I love all 3 of the characters in the FCT final, and I'm fine with any of them winning, but I'll vote for Vaarsuvius

LCT is a lot easier, I'm going with the Oracle

[Shadebolt]

Vaarsuvius,
and
Leeky.

Had to fight between Tarquin and Vaarsuvius, but I went with V because of lots of recent character development, Genre Savvy, and moments of pure epicness. Arguably the most powerful member of the Order, I think that V should be the winner of the FCT.

As for Leeky, I've never liked Gaanji or the Oracle. The former is meh, and the Oracle is annoying, in my opinion.

[Kish]

It is Haley who must succeed.

The Oracle.

[RCSparrow]

Vaarsuvius beats out Haley who beat out Tarquin.

Torn between the Oracle and Gaanji for the Loser's Cup. Going with the Oracle for now, but may switch.

[dps]

Meh, given the choices, I'll vote for Tarquin.

[Keeper of Starlight]

Tarquin, though he has only been in the comic for a very short time, has proven to be, in my opinion, one of the most frightening villains in any work I have ever seen, whether movies, comics, books, or any other medium. The genre-savvy aspect of his personality only fuels everything else, because he knows exactly how he is supposed to die, and continues not because he doesn't care about it, but because he invites it; when he dies, he truly believes that he will live on as a legend, and being infamous is better than being famous anyway – the villains are all cooler.

Gannji has only been in the comic for a short while as well, but still stands out to me. Among the other LC candidates, he has by far the most depth of character, and I find him more interesting than the others.

[Syklone]

I'll go for Haley, [Abstain].

[Muenster Man]

I like all of the characters, but since going back through the archives and reading the series again, I remembered how much of a jerk V has been and often still is. Seriously, no attempt at even trying to send a message to V's significant other and their children after they were beaten within an inch of their life? People talk about V's redemption as a redeeming quality but it's barely even started. So I'll pass on V, especially since V beat Redcloak, the best character in this tournament.

Tarquin is an excellent choice because he's dangerously genre savvy. He uses that ability to bring up a lot of uncomfortable truths and comes off as pragmatic. But his whole plan about ruling through fear and tyranny as the best means of rule is shown to be a feint when Malack reveals he's just going to sacrifice people regardless of breaking the law. So really, he's just a vindictive bully. A smart one, yes, but still a bully.

And that leaves Haley, a well developed, practical, funny character who's been consistently relevant throughout the comic, unlike some main characters who tend to fade in and out of the spotlight. Also, she's a rogue, my favorite DnD class, so that's a plus.

As for the runner ups, this one isn't even close. The Kobold Oracle makes excellent use of every panel he's in. And his preemptive revenge against Belkar is probably my single most favorite joke in the entire strip.

[Demolator]

Tarquin, easily the most entertaining for me.

Also Gannji

[LadyEowyn]

I'm a huge Redcloak fan too. If he hadn't been up against V I think he would have made it to the finals.

As it is, it's pretty cool that we get one Good, one Neutral and one Evil character in the finals, and one male, one female, and one andogynous. Very balanced.

I will be voting for Vaarsuvius, even though Haley is also very awesome (as the current comic shows). The amount of character development V has gotten in the last two books is stunning, and V's arc and Redcloak's are the only ones that strongly get at my emotions. (Plus they're both science types [note V's comment on the right-hand rule in the Windy Canyon strips], which is awesome. They need to get together to discuss science and then start drinking really heavily and discussing how utterly they've screwed up everything. I'm strongly hoping for redemption for both of them, though I recognize their chances are not good [V's are better than Redcloak's]).

In contrast, despite my liking for Haley, I didn't find either the Resistance or the Greysky City arcs compelling; they're my least favourite parts of Book 4. Although that's primarily because I have little interest and Celia and strongly dislike Belkar, so Haley was my only 'anchor' to that plot, whereas I like Elan, V, Therkla, and the Azure City folks.

Tarquin is massively, indescribably overrated and he's beginning to wear on me. I hope he dies in a deeply unclimactic and boring way.

For the Loser's Cup, I'm voting for the Oracle, because of the way he dealt with Belkar. Anyone who can pull one over a Chaotic Evil character by banking on them acting in a Chaotic Evil way deserves points.

[Cuthalion]

Oracle

Vaarsuvius.

[Bird]

Since my favourites are eliminated, I think it's okay to say that I was going for Elan and Redcloak, and you guys have no taste in characters.

I think you mean, "Vaarsuvius fans have no taste in characters," since that's who knocked out both of them.

Anyway, Vaarsuvius. I feel like I should say something special for the final, but we've already been through it a half dozen times. I guess I'll just mention that we've all been there.

*

I would've loved to have voted for the Greysky Priest, or Julio, or Eugene in the LC final. I suppose The Oracle is a bit more interesting than the other two, being a funnier sort of Good Magician Humfrey.

[Sylian]

Seeing how this is the grand final, I would like to say a few words about each of the candidates before I cast my vote.

Tarquin, Haley and Vaarsuvius, all three strong characters. They all deserve to be here, and they all bring a lot to the comic, though perhaps through different means. That being said, I think it's a shame that Redcloak didn't make it, but he had the misfortune of facing Vaarsuvius. Nevertheless, these three candidates are indeed quite strong and probably deserved to go far.

Tarquin is a delight. He is simultaneously a stereotypical Lawful Evil villain and a breath of fresh air. He is charming, funny, and yet subtly threatening. He's the kind of villain Kabuto would be jealous of, yet he works behind the scene. The fact that he's human and loves his sons adds to his character, since it shows that Evil people can still behave like normal people. Despite all this, I feel that he is the weakest of the three...

Haley has developed quite a bit. She began as a greedy rogue-archetype, who had a crush on the bard. We eventually learned that she's much more complex than it would seem. Haley has gone through a lot and she is probably one of my top 3 characters from the Order. In many cases, I also feel that Haley is the most relatable characters from the Order. I doubt many of us know people that are similar to Belkar or Elan or Vaarsuvius, but we might know a few that are similar to Haley. She is a great character, all in all.

Why do people like Vaarsuvius? In many ways, V represents ambition and thirst for knowledge. While few of us are fully similar to V, many of us might share some traits of V's personality. Besides all that, V provides a lot of humor and is occasionally quite awesome. This is all good and well, but is it enough to crown V as my Favourite Character? No, it would not be, given these criteria I would probably give that title to Redcloak instead.

What makes V the best character in the comic is the depth that came from the IFCC plotline. V is a character that has been changing, and over time, has come really close to becoming Evil. Do you guys remember when V killed Kabuto? At that point in time, V was balancing between Neutral and Evil. V was put in a precarious position, and decided to that temporarily losing one's soul was preferable to losing the lives and souls of one's family. This decision led to an atrocity, Familicide, which could have been the final slip into Evil for the elf... But it didn't. Had V not shown any regret, then the soul of this elf would be damned indeed, and indeed, we do not know for sure that it isn't. What we do know, however, is that V is still Neutral and not Evil. The poor elf is trying to make amends, which I find quite interesting. This does create an interesting position, though; What V has done is horrible, but V is trying to make amends. The act created such extreme consequences that we don't really know how to deal it it. What should V say to the friends of those who died? What can V say?

V is a character that still has a lot to do, it is a character that has developed a lot and keeps developing, a character that has more depth and creates more controversy than any other protagonist in the comic.

I will vote for my favorite character now, and my vote goes to Vaarsuvius.

Oh, and I suppose I should vote in the LC as well. All right, I'll keep it brief. As I see it, it ultimate stands between two alternatives: Humor or sympathy. Leeky and the Oracle stand for humor, Gannji stands for sympathy. The Oracle is funnier than Leeky, so Leeky is out. The Oracle is quite funny, but that's all he has. Meanwhile, Gannji creates some interesting situations. He is a character that can be quite rude and mean at times while not being Evil. His relationship with Enor in the arena was truly touching, which more than makes up for his earlier rude behavior.

The Oracle? Well, he is funny! I was considering actually voting for him, but then I decided to reread strip 783, which sealed the deal.

My vote goes to Gannji.

[Caivs]

I am still sad that Redcloak didn't survive, I was almost certain he'd end up winning the whole thing :/ Oh well, I am still happy that those three are the ones who are left, they deserve it. Especially since a three-way makes a better climax (shush Sabine).

Oracle, I like him a lot and the two others are largely irrelevant for me (Though I remember the scene Ganji and Enor met in the arena as being one of the most emotional of the whole comic, I was disappointed a lot by their survival)

As for the real Grand Finale...I need more time to be 100% certain. I just hope I won't procrastinate enough to miss the deadline like in the previous rounds.

[white lancer]

So it comes down to this, huh? These three might just be my favorites of their parts of the bracket (though if Tarquin vs. Roy had happened, it would have given me a severe fit of indecision), and I expected at least Haley and Vaarsuvius to be here (Tarquin beating Malack was a tough call...or at least I thought it would be). I think they're all stellar characters, each one probably in my top 5 (though they're not my top 3--Redcloak got screwed!), so I can't be upset at any outcome here. After all, I've not voted against any of the three this tournament.

That being said, my vote still goes to Vaarsuvius. I've stated before why Vaarsuvius is, in my view, the best character in the comic, and the list goes on: the realistic and relatable character flaws, the best character arc in the story (the Darth V arc, of course), the subtle relationships with other members of the order, the top-notch humor, the current 'redemption' arc...I won't go on at length about that again. What I will say is that what puts V over the top even more is that despite all the awesomeness that has gone into her character so far, I still feel like there's a gold mine of character growth yet to come. Tarquin is well-established and unlikely to change too much, Haley feels a little bit stagnant at the moment, but Vaarsuvius still has so far to go with this redemption arc and I can't wait to see it all unravel. I think my favorite part about this particular arc is that it's not happening all at once--she still makes mistakes and relapses (blasting the slavers, the kobold, arguably her reaction to the divorce) and doesn't even realize some of the things that still need to be corrected, so there's still a ways to go yet. The growth that she's shown with her relationship with Blackwing, plus the guilt that she experienced and the newfound guilt from her deal with the IFCC...it's just too good for me not to vote for.

That said, Haley and Tarquin are both fantastic, and it's hard for me to choose a runner-up. Haley is pretty easily my second-favorite PC, and I'd probably give her the edge. I think her arc has been pretty realistic and well-handled as well while not feeling like a rehash of something we've seen a thousand times (a difficult thing to do considering how much of it had to do with a romance), and I love her street smarts and willingness to toe the line but still stay on the path of Good. Tarquin has a lot to offer as the only real 'mundane' villain in the strip, and I love that he can make up for that using wits and hard work. His love for the theatrics is also a constant amusement of mine, and he's my second favorite villain in the strip after Redcloak. Still not a match for Vaarsuvius in my book, though.

The Loser's Cup is an easy call for the Kobold Oracle, and I think it's no coincidence that he also had the toughest first-round draw (Leeky couldn't beat Jirix, really?). Leeky was monumentally entertaining in his brief appearance, and Gannji has some good character moments (even though I personally don't care for him at all), but the snarky psychic has to take it here. I figured last round (against Nale) was probably the virtual final round, and that seems to be bearing out so far.

[rgrekejin]

Eh. Put me down for Tarquin and The Kobold Oracle. Tarquin isn't my favorite character, but he's my favorite of the ones that are left.

[Hogwarts9876]

Tarquin, Oracle