Character Analysis-Odessa Silverberg from Suikoden 1

It has been said by certain online critics whose names shall not be mentioned, that in the video game industry there is a shortage of female characters that are strong, independent, and who embody the ideals of feminism. They say that most female characters in gaming fall into a select few categories, including the much reviled Damsel in Distress. I respectfully, but strongly, disagree. I believe that for every female character that's little more than a plot device, there is another female character that is well rounded, with flaws and strengths. Today, I will look at one of these strong characters, female. Her name is Odessa Silverberg, and she hails from the game Suikoden 1.

This is not Princess Peach. 

Born into the nobility of the Scarlet Moon Empire, Odessa spent the early part of her life completely ignorant to the injustices her country were committing against the common populace. One day, she had met a young rural aristocrat named Achilles, who was a member of the Anti Imperial movement. They both fell in love and became engaged to be married. Before the wedding, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, a ruffian named Kraze Miles, arrested Achilles on accounts of treason. Sentenced to death, Achilles asked to marry Odessa, as a final request. On the day of their wedding, Odessa sneaked into Achilles' jail cell, wearing her wedding dress, stole a sword, busted Achilles out of jail and dragged him away while they were both shot by several archers. Though they had managed to escape, Achilles was far too injured. In his final moments, Achilles spoke his last words to his lady love: "Defeat the Empire!". He died in her arms shortly afterward.

Armed with a new resolve, Odessa wasted no time. She sought like minded individuals, people who also hated the Empire. She found quite a few: soldiers that were dissatisfied with their roles, angry citizens, the works. Some of the most important recruits she had found included Humphrey Mintz, former Imperial captain, who abandoned the Army after the Kalekka Incident. The Kalekka incident was where several Imperial soldiers massacred the people of the town of Kalekka and then blamed it on the invading country of Jowston, to spread a pro war sentiment among the war weary people. Another important recruit was Mose, chief of the Secret Factory, that made new, innovative weapons for Odessa's growing Army.

Pictured: Mose. Brilliant Blacksmith, devoted husband and father, and all around nice guy. His semblance to Hitler is most unfortunate.

From the get go, Odessa planned everything. Whereas most revolutionaries tend to be reactionary, Odessa was a visionary. She knew the day would come where her Liberation Army would be large enough to take on the Empire directly in battle. She knew who she'd face, so she purchased from the neutral Dwarfs of the Great Forest the plans for a brilliant weapon: a type of flamethrower called a Fire Spear. She knew the Liberation Army would need it. She was right.

With a few skirmishes here and there, the name of Odessa spread like a flame among the dissatisfied and angry populace of Scarlet Moon. She went from the being known as Leon Silverberg's niece to a few people, to the biggest dissident in the Scarlet Moon Empire. Her name became known to all, even in the highly remote village of Sarady and the bandits of Mt Tigerwolf.

One day, she met someone. He was the son of Teo McDohl, the Undefeated General of Scarlet Moon. His name was Tir, and it was he who'd eventually inherit Odessa's position. Tir, betrayed by the Empire, was taken in by Odessa, and given the choice by her to join her army. With time, Odessa helped open Tir's eyes to the true nature of the Empire: corrupt, brutal, inhuman.

One day, as Tir and Odessa returned to the Liberation Army's hideout after a mission, only to find that the Empire was attacking. Tir and Odessa enter the hideout, in an attempt to drive off the attackers. Odessa, however, saw something she did not like: a child was in danger. A few imperial soldiers surrounded the child, perhaps with the intention to kill him. With her bow and arrow in hand, she leaped into action, saving the child. However, she was outnumbered, and the soldiers proved to be more than she could handle. She was fatally injured, but the child was saved. Sadly, she was beyond saving. With her last breath, she turned leadership into Tir's hands, her final request being that he not allow the hope offered by the Liberation Army to die. Per her request, her body was thrown into the sewers, never to be discovered. As far as ANYONE was concerned, Odessa was still alive, leading from the shadows.

Odessa formed and led an army of rebels to overthrow a corrupt Empire. She was an icon of the people, a real living legend. She was a woman who walked the walk and talked the talk. She touched the lives of hundreds, and inspired thousands. Her actions helped topple an Empire rotten to the core and replace it with a new, representative Republic. And she was only 25 when she died.

Odessa Silverberg: She's awesome.

Player Character Point of View- Romancing Karen in Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town

 My name? Well, people call me Pete. When I was much younger, my folks took me on vacation to this quiet little place called Mineral Town. One day, I got separated from my parents, and ended up on this old man's farm. I stayed there until my parents found me, playing with the animals, enjoying the fresh air. The old man and I struck up a friendship, and we kept exchanging letters. I had no way of knowing that on that day, my future was sealed...

The old man simply stopped writing one day. I grew worried about him when he wouldn't respond my letters, so I went to visit him. I had run into the mayor, who gave me the two biggest shockers of my life. First, the old man died. I nearly fell on the floor when I heard that. My friend died. The mayor then told me that the old man left me the farm.

The old man had no family. He left his farm to a kid that exchanged letters with him for years. I wanted to cry for him.

I had no time to waste. The farm was mine now, and frankly, it was in dire need of repairs. My 'house' was little more than a dusty shack. The barn was empty, just like the chicken coop. The fields were chocked with weeds, stones, and dried up stumps and branches. Impossible to clean up by myself. So, I cleaned up a bit, had myself a small lot for farming, and went to the market to get some seeds. That is when I met...her.

I had never seen a more beautiful girl in my life. When I entered the market, she walked up to me, greeted me and gave me a free bag of grass seeds. I smiled like such a goof! I walked up to the counter, bought a bag of turnip seeds, and walked out of the market, telling her goodbye. My heart was racing that day!

After that, I ran into her every now and again. Sometimes, when I'd take a break from my farm, I'd find her by the waterfall close to Mother's Hill, on the edge of Mineral Town. Whenever I went shopping for supplies, I'd see her working in the store, and I'd tell her hello. She and I would always talk, always happy to see each other. I really liked her. Barley, the man who worked the cow farm, told me that the key to showing how much I liked a girl was to give her something she liked. I eventually learned that Karen really liked wine.

I bought her wine every chance I had. Wine was expensive, and I wouldn't always have the money for it, but I bought it anyway, for her. I still sometimes chuckle at the memory of the time she beat Duke, the local winemaker, in a drinking contest! That was amazing.

She isn't the best cook in the world. She'd always enter the yearly cooking contest, even though she always came dead last. She always tried cooking some weird recipes. One time, she mixed chocolate into a fish stew! I still laugh about how it was so bad it sent me to the clinic, even if at the time I didn't find it so amusing.

I would often walk with her on the beach after sundown. Yeah, most of the time I'd be bone tired, with my body aching quite a bit after farm work. And sometimes I'd do things that were just silly, like walking under the rain for over an hour just so I could visit her at the market, and give her a bottle of wine, or something I had cooked for her in my kitchen. Yeah, I'd often catch colds because of that, miss a few days or work. But you know what? It was always worth it to me, to see her smile.

When my farm became more successful, I had my old shack expanded into a real house, with a few more rooms and a few more amenities. Sure it wasn't a mansion, but it was a good house. Good enough for the family of a farm man.

A family. I had long decided that I loved Karen. I knew in my heart of hearts that I wanted to marry her. I bought the Blue Feather, which is the custom in Mineral Town, to ask her to marry me. She said yes!

We're married now, expecting a child. My life is amazing, and it's all thanks to that one time I got lost. Thank you, old man. I'll name my son after you.