Do you think the main character should be an "empty vessel" for the player to project themselves into, or a fully-fledged individual with their own character?
Can you imagine yourself in MC's place?
- Thread starter Violetta19
- Start date
- Dec 19, 2025
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Thank you very much Violetta for this topic <333.
For me to self-insert or imagine myself in the MC's stead, I require her to be smart at least, or as you said have her own character. I don't care that much about her appearance, but I do about her personality, and intelligence.
To answer your question, I would say that, in my opinion, the main character should not be empty, or without personality. It's in fact better if the MC had intellect and their own character. It feels really good to imagine oneself in place of someone who has brains, and good personality (◕‿◕).
Thank you again, and best of luck ヽ(o^ ^o)ﾉ.
For me to self-insert or imagine myself in the MC's stead, I require her to be smart at least, or as you said have her own character. I don't care that much about her appearance, but I do about her personality, and intelligence.
To answer your question, I would say that, in my opinion, the main character should not be empty, or without personality. It's in fact better if the MC had intellect and their own character. It feels really good to imagine oneself in place of someone who has brains, and good personality (◕‿◕).
Thank you again, and best of luck ヽ(o^ ^o)ﾉ.
- Apr 1, 2026
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I like it when the main character is their own character, because I don't tend to self-insert. I like seeing the MC and LI falling in love with one another, not the LI falling in love with me. On the other hand, I can see why some people who do self-insert want someone to be an empty vessel, because it's harder to self-insert when someone is so different from yourself! Personally, as long as the story and LIs seems interesting enough to me, I'm fine if the MC doesn't have much of a personality!
- Jun 27, 2023
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i don't really self-insert and it's much more interesting for me to read the story when MC isn't an empty vessel and has her own personality
- Mar 2, 2016
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I can see why those who self-insert may prefer an empty shell MC, but I don't self-insert so I definitely prefer the MC as her own character. I play otome games like I'm reading a book. I do sometimes imagine what it would be like or what I would do if I was in her shoes but that's it. I'm fine if the MC is an empty shell at the beginning like maybe she has amnesia or something, but as the story goes on I want to see her grow, have her own personality, and take actions for what she believes in.
- Feb 24, 2026
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I don't do self-insert, so I really like it when the protagonist has her own personality/ambitions/dreams
- Dec 21, 2015
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I'm staunchly on the "just playing / reading as a third person" side.
Eyeless heroines make me sad and I enjoy seeing expressive heroine sprites and reading about heroines with spunk or cute dynamics with the love interests.
I think there are a few games (usually amare?) where the player character can be customised, but that said, I always see myself as separate from the characters on the screen.
Eyeless heroines make me sad and I enjoy seeing expressive heroine sprites and reading about heroines with spunk or cute dynamics with the love interests.
I think there are a few games (usually amare?) where the player character can be customised, but that said, I always see myself as separate from the characters on the screen.
- Mar 4, 2025
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Not exactly. I think it's good for the MC to have some personality, it's even better if there are those personality choices in the dialogues or something you pre-set at the beginning of the game. ( •̯́ ^ •̯̀)
I self-insert myself into everything I play, no shame here please, but the MC having a personality is good because an empty vessel MC doesn't have much room to maneuver in terms of specific dialogues and actions, in my opinion.
I think it depends on how the author writes the MC's thoughts; normally you can tell their personality from there even without anything being explicitly shown. I've never seen an empty vessel MC because you can always see a little bit of them there, and then I imagine a bit of their personality. (..◜ᴗ◝..)
I self-insert myself into everything I play, no shame here please, but the MC having a personality is good because an empty vessel MC doesn't have much room to maneuver in terms of specific dialogues and actions, in my opinion.
I think it depends on how the author writes the MC's thoughts; normally you can tell their personality from there even without anything being explicitly shown. I've never seen an empty vessel MC because you can always see a little bit of them there, and then I imagine a bit of their personality. (..◜ᴗ◝..)