[B/W] What's so special about N? [May contain B2W2 spoilers]

[Roswell]

N is a hot, sexy beast whose philosophy everyone should follow ^_____^

Seriously though, I do like his philosophy on Pokemon, though I'd expect he wouldn't mind people catching and raising Pokemon as much if his son of a female dog father didn't warp his outlook on how people raise Pokemon. Honestly, I think he just needs a hug, you know? ;;

[Fuutachimaru.]

Well, I really like him xD (yes, I'm a fangirl e_e) he is so cute and sexy :$ (?), although it is very weak in battle -3-

[AccioLucius]

Aside from the fact that I love his character design, I love him as a character as well. He's just so interesting and his mysterious past leaves your imagination open for so many possibilities. He seems to be one of the few characters that actually has a personality and back story.

[Shizz]

I'm female, and I want to punch his Peta-Inspired face. Perhaps he should join a real animal rights group. >u>

[Frisky Arcanine]

I like N - For a pokemon game he's awesome; for a game, he's all right

I don't get the whole "he just looks like a hippie" thing, hahaha. My brother and I had hair and the like similar to N for a long while, and way more people I knew in the 90s (and still). That's not saying anything about the hippie look, I always liked that too :p

Aside from having a cool design..

He's finally a major player in the plot that is interesting! To a degree, at least. At first he was just the usual eccentric character of the game. But his background became very interesting and I honestly don't understand how so many people who play games find him weird/unusual, there have been plenty of characters in games like this. I'm really interested to see if more is revealed about him in the future. I mean, is he Ghetsis' son? Is he an experiment or something? Is it Ghetsis himself? Deep for a pokemon game, but it'd be cool :p

Considering how sheltered he was (he was obviously isolated for a long time, and groomed by Ghetsis) it makes sense that he acts somewhat awkward and all, and that his room is strange.

Basically all I can do is mostly rehash Nemesis and Glaceon. He's not super special, but cool for a pokemon game. Personally I like his outlook/personality, though I don't like how he pushes his ideals on others - but he was groomed to be that way. He's more likeable than a snobby neighbor kid or your annoying friend with serious ADHD issues, or your friend with the receding hairline and red glass that is obsessed with being a champion and comes off as a doucherocket. And about him being weak..when have you played a pokemon game where any of your rivals were that great =P

anyway to finish up the wall of text, I've seen way more Elesa/Cynthia fanboys and that's even more overbearing D:

[drarixio]

1) He's a twisted, demented loony about pokemon, kinda like how I am with animals...

2) He wears a hat, has VERY long hair and his clothes are EPIC...I mean, what more do you want?

3) He's a hero (captured Reshi or Zekky).

4) He has an awesome posture.

[Kaori]

Haha...some of the opinions in here. :G

I wouldn't say I'm a huge fangirl or an obsessive fan, but he's alright, as I'm sure I've said before. I'll admit his design is one of the best character designs in the game as well; I love his hair. :3

[Forever]

Each week I'm going to revive an older discussion - and from then on from now until forever, it can be posted in! Keep in mind that older posts you quote may not get replies, however you can discuss ideas mentioned in older posts by new regulars/users around now!

This thread is the first of many, so just check the [Ongoing Discussion] prefix (click it and see) for threads that are allowed to be posted in. The revival rule applies for everything else, however, except threads with prefixes.

So to start up discussion again, what are your thoughts on this, guys? For those who posted before, and who've played through since (over the last year), have your opinions on why he is special changed? Or if you haven't posted before, why do you personally think he's special? Do you think less emphasis should've been placed on N early on, and so on? Discuss. :3

[BLOOOD-La-ti-]

He was totally weird in BW.
Obsessed with pokemon,LOL
It's all ghetsis' fault.

But he wasn't weird in B2W2,
Saving u from kyurem's attack,
confronting ghetsis.

[GolurkIsDaBomb]

I liked the emphasis on N in the beginning. He was a mysterious semi-neutral presence, which made him interesting. By semi-neutral I mean that while he was for releasing pokemon, he seemed willing to listen to the players pokemon, and was sad that people like the player and their pokemon would be ripped apart by team plasma's plans. For a leader of an evil organization (even though it was really ghetsis, but meh, whatever) he was incredibly interesting - calm, passionate about what he was doing without seeming crazy, *cough* Archie *cough* and trying to better the world with an actual legitimate reason. (no offense Cyrus)

And I think that's part of what makes him so special. Also, of course, is how mysterious he and his upbringing is. It's a little creepy, is child hood room, and the fact that he was groomed to be a leader. And I felt so bad for him when Ghetsis betrayed him, I mean that was his only family.

Not only that, but he's special because he can talk to pokemon, and understand everything about them. If a legendary pokemon deemed him worthy, then there must be something extraordinary about him.

[Hikari10]

One thing I liked about N was his personality in general - it was very different to that of previous villains in the series. N grew up with Pokemon, which sort of meant his activity around humans was a little awkward but he treats Pokemon as his friends.

His character development is pretty interesting for an antagonist, but it's enjoyable to look at. Especially the scene where he takes the main protagonist on Nimbasa's Ferris Wheel. It had to be one of my fave scenes in Pokemon gaming history.

He can talk to Pokemon... and he made a connection with a Legendary, which is what made him special.

[11wildy]

Stopped reading after finding a spoiler to BW2, which I am still playing, thank you very much. I thought I'd be safe in normal Black and white discussions..

AS for the topic, I actually liked N. He seemed like a nice person, he was just used by a bad one. And now it seems to rescue you, and I DID NOT ****ING WANT TO KNOW THAT YET

[FrostPheonix]

I liked N and his philosophy. He keeps shaking his head in the game xD
But really, his ideas were good. And I still think they're right. He just went the wrong way about, and tried forcing people to do it. And since I am a boy, I don't really care abt his looks . Its cool how he talks to pokemon tho.
And having reshiram/zekrom wasn't hypocritical. He befriended it, and it came willingly. Heck, he JUMPED on its back! I suppose he put it in a pokeball for the fight becuase game mechanics didnt allow any entry animation without a pokeball

[Rivvon]

I love his character; he faces many conflicts in a realistic fashion and is quite mature. His design is very fashionable, too.

Mostly, though, I love what N represents: the advancement of narrative in the main-series Pokemon games. Whether you like N or not, you can't deny that his character is deep and meaningful, and he is part of what makes the plot of Black and White so complex and mature and...better than any game prior, really. N is essential to Black and White, and I'm hoping that more characters in future Pokemon games are as deep, complex, and interesting as N.

[93Aiwass]

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

From my understanding, you have to beat him in order to get to the Poke Transfer lab... That's pretty big and special, especially if you want your Gen IV pokemon (and the Gen III pokemon you've transferred into Gen IV).

Love is the Law, Love under Will.

[Batel]

My personal opinion regarding N... Well, it'll probably be no different than anything else that's been said but whatever, this is my two cents...

This is definitely not clear cut in my opinion. While he was played for a fool by Ghetsis all the way through B/W, it's not really fair to say he was a real fool.
Many of us take the ideals we're raised with for granted, and N is no different.
He wasn't portrayed as a particularly intelligent person, but he had drive, and people with drive are highly admirable.
That said... He DID take a radical philosophy for granted and pit it against the wider world, while not looking into what kind of organization he was in charge of(at ANY point).
I heard the term 'glorified hippie' used in an earlier post, but really... He WAS a hero of legend. It's pretty apt to say he deserved the glory, hippie or not. So all in all, yeah... He is a bit of a confused little kid... But he's also a champion for a cause, whether that cause be good, bad or somewhere in-between. That's darn impressive.

Also, he's really, really cool and handsome(be quiet, I can like his green hair if I want. >w>).

[Lapras*]

I felt like he was kind of freakish in a way, and when he turned good at the end I couldn't really relate to him because of that. Villains of other games were really just regular people with skewed visions, and in the end sometimes they realized their wrongs or completely changed, and you could almost relate to them in a weird way. N, however, was acting kind of freaky the entire storyline imo. I wish he had been more... normal. I can't say I hate him because he is kind of adorable.

Also I know he would battle you to see what your Pokemon were saying, but that was also kind of weird. Outside of battle, he was an extremist on Pokemon's rights, yet when it was time to battle, that suddenly didn't seem to matter a whole lot. I know Gamefreak had to have an antagonist, but still.. it doesn't really make 100% sense.

N is also kind of a weird name, kind of seems like someone smashed their head on a keyboard and used whichever letter they typed first. Why not H instead of N, because apparently his name is Harmonia? (Gamefreak kind of failed naming their BW characters, so I'm not really going to judge them specifically on N's name)

Good stuff about N imo: he wasn't stereotypically evil, which allowed him to be chosen by a legendary Pokemon, and that was pretty cool. It was different than an evil team finding a legendary and then you get to capture it. His character design is pretty cool, and if this counts, all of N's themes (when he's talking to you and different battling themes) are pretty cool. He is also kind of adorable.

[Gym Leader Rozu]

I say he has been pushed into leading a plot which he has been brainwashed into actually thinking its sane. He's not special, but he isn't one ordinary guy. And I think he is handsome in a way, I mean green hair isn't exactly my cup of tea, but in anime, every guy is sexy xD

[CycloneGU]

Originally Posted by Lapras*

N is also kind of a weird name, kind of seems like someone smashed their head on a keyboard and used whichever letter they typed first. Why not H instead of N, because apparently his name is Harmonia? (Gamefreak kind of failed naming their BW characters, so I'm not really going to judge them specifically on N's name)

Negative. His full name is Natural Harmonia Gropius. It begins with an N. They used N.

Cyclone

[Forever]

Originally Posted by 93Aiwass

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

From my understanding, you have to beat him in order to get to the Poke Transfer lab... That's pretty big and special, especially if you want your Gen IV pokemon (and the Gen III pokemon you've transferred into Gen IV).

Love is the Law, Love under Will.

Except in the Pokemon world that is mattering less :(

Originally Posted by FrostPheonix

I liked N and his philosophy. He keeps shaking his head in the game xD
But really, his ideas were good. And I still think they're right. He just went the wrong way about, and tried forcing people to do it. And since I am a boy, I don't really care abt his looks :P. Its cool how he talks to pokemon tho.
And having reshiram/zekrom wasn't hypocritical. He befriended it, and it came willingly. Heck, he JUMPED on its back! I suppose he put it in a pokeball for the fight becuase game mechanics didnt allow any entry animation without a pokeball :)

Or maybe Zekrom just preferred staying in the ball! Or Reshiram, w/e.

I do like how you guys mentioned having Reshiram/Zekrom tho as a good thing. There's also the fact that Ghetsis raised him, and due to being naive and believing him just makes him stand out because he had nobody else and rose up to become the Champion temporarily.

[LMFAO. Word up.]

The storyline with N needed it's own little side quest, When you answer his questions in BW nothing happens, his dialogue changes slightly but apart from that there is real point in having the questions there, I think they should have made it where depending on what you answer him with "Yes or No" on the questions things should happen differently and when you memory link with BW2 he should answer you differently when you finally meet him.

If you say no to his beliefs he is nicer to you in BW2, as he has learnt a harsh truth.
whereas if you say yes he is more agressive towards you, as he believes all of his ideas were true and that people agreed with him.

[ExMedic]

N, as a character probably isn't really that special. In essence, he's a child that was manipulated and turned into a tool and exploited by his father. He's got his ideals and his talking-to-pokemon gimmick, but to be honest, he's a fairly poor trainer and a rather broken human being after it's all done and finished.

However, he does a good job of adding more depth to the storyline, and does represent what Team Plasma was originally supposed to - the liberation and freedom of Pokemon. Because of N, you do sort of start to think that this particular villainous organization may actually have had a good point, if not for all the painfully obvious and exaggerated hypocracy of the other members of the organization. Until Ghetsis turns around with his strangely under-levelled Hydriegon and starts letting all the **** hang loose.

Then there's the whole "ERMAGERD, N IS A SEXYBOY" thing. Yeah, sure, it's cute enough at first. Still kind of a creeper though, in a man-child way.
I mean, good lord, he's got to be at least 6 years older than the players character (I picture about 18-19), and he's basically like "ERHERHER, CHILD YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE. COME WITH ME ON THE FERRIS WHEEL WHERE NO-ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM".

[Wind Heart]

I found N interesting when N said to aim to be the hero of Unova and willing to battle you face to face as Hero vs Hero. He's the different kind of 'villain', after all.

[Arlo]

I haven't played either of the second games yet, so I can only comment from the perspective of the first games.

N just sort of saddened me. He just doesn't seem to have an actual clue at all - all he knows is the misinformation he's been fed and the weird stuff he's dreamed up. And honestly, I'm not convinced of the whole "can talk to Pokemon" thing. I knew a guy who talked to trees, and while I guess that did make him special, it wasn't really in any sort of admirable, or useful, way.

He is an intriguing character though - I'll give him that. I'm looking forward to finding out more in BW2.

Beyond that - he's a bit too bishie for my strictly heterosexual tastes, but we got Hilda, so I guess that's only fair.

[JessieFan92]

I just think he looks cool. I like his design.