Current Events > JRPGs and character ages be like

(+) Yeah! (+)

18 - Functional adult
24 - Wizened, battle-hardened and rigid
30 - Elder statesman
40 - Dying of old age

DarkRoast posted...

18 - Functional adult
24 - Wizened, battle-hardened and rigid
30 - Elder statesman
40 - Dying of old age

to be fair, if there's monster everywhere that would be normal.

I used to think this was egregious too but thinking it over it kind of makes sense when almost all of them take place in a medieval setting. Yakuza is like one of the few that doesn't and they have more realistic ages.

13 - runs the entire item shop after their parents passed away at the ripe old age of 36

Obligatory ProZD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGxCMyLm6js

18 years old and a general in the Imperial army.

2000 year old immortal who looks like a 7 year old girl

Southernfatman posted...

Obligatory ProZD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGxCMyLm6js

Reminds me of this hem
https://youtu.be/RSpnMf6TWyI

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/2/AAeEwGAADbcG.jpg

"Hi, I'm a 35 year old man"

This is why I appreciate Galuf from Final Fantasy V and Rowen from Tales of Xillia so much, they're both actual old men and they're just as badass as the youngsters they travel with. What a couple of bosses.

DarkRoast posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/2/AAeEwGAADbcG.jpg

"Hi, I'm a 35 year old man"

To be fair I had quite a bit more gray hair and just as many wrinkles when I was 35, just no scar.

DarkRoast posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/2/AAeEwGAADbcG.jpg

"Hi, I'm a 35 year old man"

He's got a lot more hair than some people I knew when they were 35.

Age is just weird like that.

In Japan, only 14-17 year olds are competent enough to save the world and kill a god. By the time you're 18, you're too old and out of touch.

Kitt posted...

In Japan, only 14-17 year olds are competent enough to save the world and kill a god. By the time you're 18, you're too old and out of touch.

Hey now Quistis was 18

A very common theme in Japanese media and literature is the young being the only ones able to fight whatever the system or problem is because they know or understand something the older generations don't. A lot of this goes back to bakumatsu, ideas like kontozai ni tsujiru and continued on to this day. Makes a lot of sense if you look at their society and last 170 years of history.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Hey now Quistis was 18

So were Shulk, Reyn, and Seven

DarkRoast posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/2/AAeEwGAADbcG.jpg

"Hi, I'm a 35 year old man"

There's plenty of pictures of 30 year old incels and Republicans who look like they're in their 50s.

Kitt posted...

In Japan, only 14-17 year olds are competent enough to save the world and kill a god. By the time you're 18, you're too old and out of touch.

Cloud Strife and Yuri Lowell were 23. It's the late 20s where you're not gonna ever appear except as an npc leader type character. Teacher, head of the company, etc.

gunplagirl posted...

Cloud Strife and Yuri Lowell were 23. It's the late 20s where you're not gonna ever appear except as an npc leader type character. Teacher, head of the company, etc.

Cecil was 27

Tyranthraxus posted...

Cecil was 27

Cecil Harvey was 20, and I'm not aware of any other Cecils in jrpgs

gunplagirl posted...

Cecil Harvey was 20, and I'm not aware of any other Cecils in jrpgs

Nah. He was 27 and is 43 in TAY when his son is 16.

WesternMedia posted...

I used to think this was egregious too but thinking it over it kind of makes sense when almost all of them take place in a medieval setting. Yakuza is like one of the few that doesn't and they have more realistic ages.

Low life expectancy in medieval times was caused by sky high infant mortality rates, not by people being ancient at age 40. People who made it past their first year or so tended to live into their 60s or 70s on average, younger than now but not by anywhere near enough to make JRPG ages make sense.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Nah. He was 27 and is 43 in TAY when his son is 16.

He's my favorite FF main character, he was 20 and 37. His son DID have to develop for 9 months after all.

I'm currently playing Tales of Vesperia.

Really great game but the whole Raven being an old man schtick got annoying real fucking quick.

a-c-a-b posted...

I'm currently playing Tales of Vesperia.

Really great game but the whole Raven being an old man schtick got annoying real fucking quick.

I felt the same way when I played Vesperia and was going to mention him.

The game--and Raven himself--constantly act like he's an old man, when he's only in his mid-30's.

a-c-a-b posted...

I'm currently playing Tales of Vesperia.

Really great game but the whole Raven being an old man schtick got annoying real fucking quick.

To be fair, he's a war veteran, disabled, AND subject of human experimentation.

Panthera posted...

Low life expectancy in medieval times was caused by sky high infant mortality rates, not by people being ancient at age 40. People who made it past their first year or so tended to live into their 60s or 70s on average, younger than now but not by anywhere near enough to make JRPG ages make sense.

I'm fairly certain working age people (which started younger) also died a lot more due to unhealthier and unsafer working conditions, killings and executions being more common, and medicine being worse. Though I can see if someone makes it past 50 that they would live to about the same as the average life expectancy in present day.

a-c-a-b posted...

I'm currently playing Tales of Vesperia.

Really great game but the whole Raven being an old man schtick got annoying real fucking quick.

Tales games tend to be very egregious with this.

Tales of Arise actually stands out in having most of their cast over 20.

gunplagirl posted...

To be fair, he's a war veteran, disabled, AND subject of human experimentation.

Damn. Didn't know that last part. It's my first playthrough.

a-c-a-b posted...

Damn. Didn't know that last part. It's my first playthrough.

I put it in spoilers for a reason. ;-;

gunplagirl posted...

I put it in spoilers for a reason. ;-;

Yeah, that's my bad. I can't help myself.

Oh well. It doesn't seem like it's something game ruining to know.