The concept of a role-playing game has expanded quite a bit since the term entered the realm of video games. Initially rather rigid and confined to only a few genres, the vast majority of open-world games now incorporate elements of RPG design into their overall scope. This is because RPGs give a palpable sense of progression and let players truly feel the rewards of each and every battle in these games.

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However, there are times when some characters seem so weak that spending any modicum of time developing them feels like a waste. While a poor first impression is generally indicative of a bad character that no one would want to play around with though, the same doesn't apply to the following exceptions to this rule.

10 Edward (Final Fantasy 4)

Edward Chris Von Muir from Final Fantasy IV

Edward is a character in Final Fantasy 4 who is a part of the dreaded Bard class. Many veterans of the genre will attest to the fact that the Bard is nothing more than a support class who doesn't really help out a ton in battle.

However, since Edward leaves the party after a point, players don't know that his stat growth increases exponentially after reaching Level 70. He becomes the fastest member of the party who hits like a truck, but most people simply have no incentive to reach this point.

9 The Chosen Undead (Dark Souls)

the chosen undead in dark souls

In a way, the player character in each FromSoftware game starts out as weak. However, Dark Souls is the game that catapulted this studio to success, with the Chosen Undead's struggles against the game's many imposing denizens being quite engaging indeed.

The Chosen Undead starts off in a pitiful state and barely has any direction of where to go. However, as players begin to understand the layout of the areas and start improving their stats, they'll soon build up a strong character who can eventually one-shot enemies that had once given them a tough time.

8 Liara T'Soni (Mass Effect)

Video Game Archaeologists Liara Tsoni

Liara T'Soni is an Asari scientist who is one of the most beloved characters in Mass Effect. She plays a pivotal role in all three games, and a romance with her ends up being one of the highlights of the series.

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Early on in the game, she doesn't really help out a lot in battle and is definitely the first person to go down during a frenetic shootout. However, if players distribute her stat points properly, then she becomes one of the best biotics in the game who will leave enemies helpless as they float around the arena.

7 Kel (Omori)

Kel from Omori

Omori is an excellent RPG where the majority of the video game hijinks happen in Headspace, a mental world in the mind of the protagonist. Here, the protagonist teams up with his three friends, Kel, Hero, and Aubrey.

At the start, Kel is pretty weak and can only be counted on for his swiftness. However, as he gains more and more levels, Kel becomes a great damage dealer who can also restore the party if need be, all while retaining his position as the fastest member of the party.

6 Terry Hintz (LISA: The Painful)

Terry Hintz in LISA The Painful

Speaking of indie RPGs that are a joy to play, another great game that comes to mind is LISA: The Painful. This game is extremely quirky and goes out of its way to mess with the player at inopportune moments.

At the very start of the game, players meet with Terry Hintz, who is one of the most annoying characters in the game who players can't wait to get rid of. However, if players level up Terry Hints enough, he gains access to one of the strongest abilities in the game that can absolutely wipe out anything and anyone with ease.

5 Zagreus (Hades)

Zagreus holding sword in Hades

At the start of Hades, both Zagreus and the player are pretty unskilled and need to be whipped into shape. The first boss itself becomes a massive gauntlet, and clearing Tartarus seems like an impossibility.

However, as the player slowly starts developing their skills, each boss in the game becomes more and more conquerable. Investing in Zagreus' stats and abilities also goes a long way toward ensuring that players can easily wade through areas that were initially giving them a tough time, and there will come a point when even beating someone as tough as Hades becomes just another footnote in a successful run.

4 The Dragonborn (The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim)

Image of the Dragonborn getting ready to battle

Anyone who's played one of Bethesda's huge sprawling open-world games knows just how much they struggle early on. Fighting a Giant in Skyrim at a low level is pretty much asking for a death sentence as the Dragonborn is sent flailing through the air.

Thankfully, as the player keeps on exploring areas and gaining levels, Skyrim becomes more of a manageable affair. In fact, after gaining enough levels, there's pretty much nothing that can threaten the player, especially since a single hit or two is enough to take out most enemies with ease.

3 Chie Satonaka (Persona 4)

Chie Satonaka in Persona 4

Persona 4 is a beloved title in this illustrious series, with its cast of characters being quite lovable in their own right. One such character who starts off somewhat brash but ends up being one of the highlights of the game is Chie Satonaka.

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Even her character arc as a fighting party member is somewhat similar to how players perceive her in the game. She starts off decently strong but completely lacking from a magical standpoint before learning extremely hard-hitting skills and gaining an all-party all-stats augmenting skill too.

2 The Courier (Fallout: New Vegas)

The Courier in Fallout: New Vegas DLC Lonesome Road

Fallout: New Vegas is considered by many to be one of the greatest games in this long-running series. Despite launching with many bugs, Obsidian Entertainment was lauded for developing a title that combines the modern advancements of gaming with the celebrated role-playing mechanics of past games in the series.

Since this game is made in Bethesda's engine, it goes without saying that trying to fight certain enemies early on will lead to the player being one-shotted in record time. Instead, it's more prudent for players to gain some levels and attain a sense of satisfaction from killing off the Cazadores that were giving them a tough time early on.

1 Geralt Of Rivia (The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings)

the-witcher-2-changegs

Geralt of Rivia is one of the most powerful Witchers of all time. However, the second game in the CD Projekt Red series makes him look like the weakest person in the world during the early chapters.

Players lose count of how many times they die to simple footsoldiers during the first chapter. It's odd that The Witcher 2 features an inverted difficulty curve, with Geralt wiping out most enemies without any worries after gaining a few levels.

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