Help With A Project

[Epsilon]

So, I'm working on something as an intellectual exercise/junk writing project and find myself vexed.

I'm writing a crossover that will feature five series. It will also feature five main characters, one from each series. However there is a catch. These
characters must be people who don't have superpowers/special abilites in action/adventure series which heavily feature people who do. So far I have picked
out five of the main characters: Winry Rockbell (Full Metal Alchemist), Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Tatsuki Arisawa (Bleach) and Rakki (Claymore). I
need a fifth character (and thus series). I am looking for a character to fulfill my "spiritual person" role. That is I need a character from a
series that could reasonably be called the kind of person who could serve as the spiritual center of the group above.

Barring that if one could make a good argument for a character to shift roles from the above group to the "spiritual center" role. At the moment I
have a fighter (Tatsuki), a faceman (Sokka), a thief/rogue (Rakki) and a brainy type (Winry). Other people could fill one of those roles if I could move
somebody out of their role to the spiritual center one.

I never realised how hard it is to find a spiritual person who has no superpowers in such series.

Caveat: No, I'm not using Xander. Nor do I want to use characters from any series which I've already hevaily worked with in, say, Hybrid Theory.

----------------

Epsilon

[yesilmavi]

First i am familiar with Full Metal Alchemist. Also saw some Avatar: The Last Airbender, but not that familiar.

With spiritual center, do you mean morale? Or something else?

Would somebody like Ayame or her father work?

(from naruto, ramen stand) (Naruto always likes ramen, now is it because its cheap? or is it because of the Ramen stand? )

[Epsilon]

By "spiritual center" I mean the kind of person who is like Sailor Moon or Nausicaa. Someone with a strong moral conviction, but more accurately a
strong spiritual connection. Basically, the Jesus type. Bonus points if they serve as the "heart" of the group, the kind of person that may not be
the leader in fact but everyone draws their moral strength from.

----------------

Epsilon

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

Mizuki Segawa from Guyver? ^.^

--Sam

"And next time, may it bloom in the good way."

[Valles]

Hm. Most of the candidates that leap to mind are powered, after a fashion, but not in a way that's fighting-focused. Frex, Alice Malvin from Pumpkin Scissors is without a doubt the driving dynamo behind her war-relief unit and she isn't capable of taking out a tank single-handedly, but she's slightly psychic and a skilled fighter in her own right. Even when linked to her ship, Outlaw Star's Melfina isn't much of a fighter typem but she is the nurturing shoulder the rest of her crew leans on and she does have the ability to synchronize with machinery. Kaname Chidori has no real combat skills, but she's a budding supergenius and has a mcguffin in her brain...

Hmm. Playing the other angle, Alice does do the Jesus thing, or you could use Kaoru from Rurouni Kenshin. Or... I haven't really seen this one, but Misaki from Angelic Layer?
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Angryoptimist]

I find it really strange that I can't seem to think of any characters in such series that really, truly fit the bill.
--Angryoptimist
    http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=164]HEART!

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Two great tastes that go great together!

[Shepherd]

Millie from Trigun? Kasumi Tendo from Ranma 1/2? The first is a stronger character, but you may have some trouble explaining how she meets the other
characters. The second could easily get sucked into weird events, but is very passive.
----------------------------------------------------

"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV

[Wiregeek]

I second Millie - though she's got a minor Super Strength gift.

Please kill me, I just, reflexively, tried to speed-build Millie as a CoH toon.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[robkelk]

I find it really strange that I can't seem to think of any characters in such series that really, truly fit the bill.

Nor can I...

Kasumi Tendo from Ranma 1/2?

Knowing how Epsilon feels about that particular character, I'd be extremely surprised if he chose her for this...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[The Hunterminator]

Wiredgeek wrote:

---

I second Millie - though she's got a minor Super Strength gift.




Please kill me, I just, reflexively, tried to speed-build Millie as a CoH toon.

Rifle/Energy blaster's the closest I can think of. Damnit, I don't even HAVE time to play CoH and my Altitis still manages to get me at the oddest
time. The fact that I really like Millie doesn't help either.

[zojojojo]

i'm going to vote either "ein" from cowboy bebop (ok, so they're not all superpowered.. but he doubles as the 'cute animal mascot'!)
or anthy from shojo kakumei utena
-Z, Post-reader at Medium
----
If architects built buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization.

[Wiregeek]

The fact that I really like Millie doesn't help either.

She is a sweetheart, isn't she?
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[deadpan29]

Does it have to be an anime character? If not, then Xander of BtVS comes to mind. I'm coming up short on non-powered anime characters with the
characteristics you are looking for.
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No, I don't believe the world has gone mad.  In order for it to go mad it would need to have been sane at some point.

[Necratoid]

I think the flaw here is that you can't have a powerless 'heart' of the team... or they die quickly. That or everyone, non ubers, around them
dies off quickly. At least in the serious combat animes...

Also, Kasumi is a random sister who is more subtile that Nabiki, but not nearly as openly evil... but she did more to damage Ranma and Akane's starting
interactions than anyone else. Lets just say that foisting Akane off on Ranma, then insert the famous, 'a violent maniac, but a nice girl' line then
add in she set them up for an uncomfortable joint bath... in episode one. But we aren't dicusing Kasui specifically. Want an exercise is a single event
altering a series? Have Kasumi ot for the first day and see how that minor change alters the series. Make sure to watch the relivant episode/read the
relivant manga chapter(s) first.

The Heart of Ranma 1/2 is Ranma. The Heart of Naruto is Naruto. The Heart is the character that is the social linch pin or team... which brings up what is
the base plotline of the writing exercise that your writing. Without that we can't tell effectively how the charicters would interact with the
world/setting in which they interact... without the situation we don't know what they have to deal with... without knowing what they have to deal with, we
can't determine what filters their interaction are perseived through.

For instance... 2 or 3 charicters are missing limbs, Winry is going to be the Heart. Without her doing the limb replacement the story is completely different.
Just as a charicter with +900 bajillion ranks in diplomacy is still eaten by near mindless zombies during the zombie apocolypse, however during a peace treaty
those ranks are uber.

In other words, you can't pick a charicter for the heart, because they don't have a situation for them to be the heart of. Naruto isn't Naruto,
because of the nine tais specifically (making him of 'unclean' parentage and replacing the ninja and chakra things with a Westside Story setting and
dance fights), won't change who Naruto is as a person all that much. Its his ability to change peoples outlooks on life. Powers are a vehical for the
charicter to accomplish the character's goals... A charicter mostly defined by their powers needs to be smacked upside their head (emo is a power)... or be
an expendable monster of the week.

As it stands (here is 4 random people add a Heart to the team), I could make a hat full of settings... have people, all with the same exact understanding of
the characters involved, and writing temperament... and each setting and that new character will make as many different stories as there are different
settings. So yeah, your problem is that your channeling the underwear gnomes here and attempting to get profit without bothering with step two: the setting.

Deadpan... he said no Xander as his only qualifier.

[Epsilon]

The "heart" of the team is the person who is inspirational. Even if Jesus wasn't the son of god he would still be Jesus with all his sermon on
the mounts et al. Sailor Moon would still be an idealist. Nausicaa would still be Nausicaa.

I want someone who works as a spiritual leader. The kind of person everyone respects, even if they don't have powers, or even neccesarily have anything
worthwhile to add to the situation at hand at all. While I guess a nebulous qualities such as "spiritual, moral, inspirational, supportive" is kind
of nebulous it definitely isn't the way Necratoid describes it.

Basically think "if I were God and I had to pick an anime, manga, video game, TV show, etc." character to be my prophet/messiah with the caveats of:
no obvious superpowers and from a world with action/adventure superpowered people" who would you choose?

The reason it has to be an action/adventure is because I plan on working on an action adventure story and want to be able to have suitable opponents and
challenges.

-----------------------

Epsilon

[Morganite]

Hmmmm.... Nako from Steel Angel Kurumi 2?

-Morgan. Best thing I can think of right now. '.'

[robkelk]

Hmmmm.... Nako from Steel Angel Kurumi 2?

Hmmmmm... good call. I'll have to lend my copy of the anime to Epsilon so he can decide for hmself...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Shepherd]

How about Yurika Misumaru, the captain from Martian Successor Nadesico?
----------------------------------------------------

"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV

[katreus]

Icchan from Battle Athletes Victory? Although Akari becomes more the spiritual leader by the end...

Penelo from FFXII or Rikku from FFX? Those two sort of share it with the Vaan/Tidus char but they're more like... peppy and spirited rather than a
spiritual leader. Nothing like the Mother Teresa figure! Maybe Aeris although she probably counts as having a superpower.

Nunnally from Code Geass. Lacus from Gundam Seed. Lotta from Soukou no Strain.

And, I'm horrible with names: The Normal Guy from Ghost in the Shell. The Fiery Girl from Kaze no Stigma. The Girl in Last Exile. Kaori from Rurouni
Kenshin. The Guy from Shakugan no Shana.

[Herr Bad Moon]

Somebody from a world of super powers but who doesn't have any remarkable skills but everybody still respects and admires?

That's easy: Alfred Pennyworth.

Of course, I don't think anybody would attribute messianic qualities to him, but it's a fool who disregards Alfred the Butler's advice.
---
Jon
"And that must have caused my dad's brain to break in half, replaced by a purely mechanical engine of revenge!"

[zojojojo]

there's always C-ko, though I suppose it's arguable whether or not that world is "full of super powers" ...
-Z, Post-reader at Medium
----
If architects built buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization.

[Necratoid]

The "heart" of the team is the person who is inspirational. Even if Jesus wasn't the son of god he would still be Jesus with all his sermon on
the mounts et al. Sailor Moon would still be an idealist. Nausicaa would still be Nausicaa.

You want someone that inspires people... Someone with no superpowers... Guts from Berserk comes to mind. Probably not what your looking for,
though. He inspires through action and deed rather than speeches... those with superpowers also keep staring at him and are baffled on how he is still alive
at all. He inspires through being a Pillar of Strength and Stability.

So I would suggest as a serious candidate, GTO, Great Teacher Onizuka except for the not a combat heavy series (though there are notable action elements,
Standard Earth technically has plenty of action elements in it, just doesn't happen there)... Though he tends towards inspiring through being a real person
and brain frying people into preforming Cranial Rectal Deinsertion on themselves.

Well I could suggest any of a hoard of though Pillars of Innocence and Hope for a Brighter Future wandering around on warships in mecha shows. They
collectively inspire by being a sign of a possible brighter future. Though no annointed one status.

I think the thing that bugs me is the idea of Messianic' mattering for an inspirational 'Heart' of the team. Just too many possibilities for
apparently extremely inspiring, but devoid of substance people like say... a certain, high profile, political candidate I refer to as King Nothing.
Inspiration that comes only from the power of worship the 'anointed one' status is flawed and situations eventually degrade to the point of being
doomed. If being able to inspire people to do stuff is all it takes I suggest Jinnai from El Hazard. His only power was actually understanding what the hell
his troops were saying.

Lets go to Harem series were the male lead usually ends up as the Heart of the series by inspiring women into believing that their actually exists men who
actually aren't perverted scum. Which is apparently a tall order in Japan. There and in Australia where women are researching ways to breed withot men.
Not that they don't like men, they just hate their men.

Even Jesus, who was an anointed one and not thee anointed one, only really had two messages to share: 1) wouldn't it be great if people stopped being
'expletive deleted's to each other and were nice to each other for a change?, and his less popular with those in charge message 2) the Jewish
leadership are complete tools (of the Roman establishment). Its the second message that brought down the Hammer of Roman Justice on him. Jesus was not
inspirational for being Jesus. Jesus was inspiration for a reason. He offered a voice to the people and hope for a better world.

In short what is this Heart going to be inspiring people to do? Their late homework? Eat Babies? Fight evil and the Lovecraftian horrors of the multiverse?
Burn down an orphanage? Paint there toe nails? Clean the taint of group X from society? Start a fundraiser to build a temple to the Bacon Gods? Survive in
a Hell dimension? Train as ninja landscapers and sneak onto the property of badly maintain lawn and make them look nice? Overthrow the 'evil' world
government for its policies on weekends off work or defenestration people whoes name start with the same letter as the one that came up on a random dice roll
today.

Besides Jinnai I'd suggest Manga Excel Excel... who is literally capable of walking into a room and making a speach that whips people into a frenzy. I
still think your problem is you only half know what you want and are not giving yourself enough qualifiers. As it is King Nothing is what you think you want.

[Aleh]

Alisa or Suzuka from Nanoha? They fit...

[nemonowan]

It's difficult to find a candidate, since in a world full of super-powered champions the ability to rally, inspire and be the spiritual focus of a
group/faction/nation tends to become ITSELF a super-power, out of sheer holyness/illumination/budahood/whatever.

In "normal" worlds it is easier to find a candidate (Justin Ueky Taylor comes to mind (and yes, he IS the heart of his crew)). Conversely, if
everyone in the world has powers it is also easier, because it could be someone who refuses that power and that is what makes them such a leader (for instance,
Subaru in .Hack//Sign (everyone has the same powers in an MMORPG, but she made a peacekeeping organization and refused to level up)).

The best candidate I can think of is actually Kyon from Suzumiya Haruhi. It is more evident when you have read the novels, but by now his three super-powered
companions have indicated that they are loyal to him above their respective organizations, no matter what. Not only that, they have willingly left the fate of
the world to his choice more than once, trusting him to make the right one. More than once he could have been rid of the responsibility of handling a mad god,
but chose to shoulder it, for the sake of the world and his friends. Icing on the cake is that after Haruhi's antics he is used to deal with both weirdness
and danger. The only problem would be justifying his presence without Haruhi destroying the universe and/or coming to bring him back.

NN

[katreus]

For some reason, I could never stand Kyon. Something about his attitude always rubbed me the wrong way.