Headcanon Personalities for the Player Characters?

[Psytrainer]

So I've noticed three different attitudes towards player characters: indifference, treatment as self-inserts, and treatment as characters in their own right, and I'm writing this post to talk about the last one. What are your personality headcanons for the player characters? I'll start with some of my own:

Red: Essentially a foil to Blue: kind-hearted, relaxed, but also lacking any motivation beyond his love of Pokemon. His journey entails him finding his drive for battling and, eventually, becoming champion, which leads to him becoming the uptight individual we see starting in GSC.

Ethan: Short-tempered, reckless, brash, just a few words that describe the future champion of Johto. Unlike Red, Ethan had set his sights on becoming champion very early on. Initially, he seems nothing more than a cheeky brat, but he can develop grudges surprisingly fast, is very narrow-minded, and possesses a sharp wit. He does become more compassionate and mellows out later on, particularly after his actions injures one of his Pokemon.

May: A happy-go-lucky tomboy with an arrogant streak, May's ego was only inflated by her early battle skill, but was still capable of showing kindness, such as to Wally. Of course, she's humbled sometime during her journey, which actually leads to her expanding her ambition beyond defeating Norman to becoming champion as a means to further improve herself.

Serena: Unsociable, perfectionistic, and intelligent, Grace's fame was not kind to her daughter. The only attention she received from her peers, for better or worse, was because of her mother's status. This not only lead Serena to develop a strong distrust of other people, but to also see becoming a trainer as a means of escaping her mother's shadow. While she initially seems out only for herself when she agrees to join Sycamore's other disciples, she also displays a deep-seated kindness towards Pokemon, the only living beings she had come to trust. Of course, she does come to see the error of her previous mindset and opens up to the other kids.

 

[Zexy]

I treat them as characters in their own right and base their personalities on what little we know of and maybe a little self-inserting here and there, filling in whatever gaps:

Red: He has A LOT of psychological problems. Growing up without a father in a very small town, with a mother he is willing to abandon too easily and not call back; maybe because his mother hasn't fully recovered from the disappearance of the father herself, or because he's grown to hate everything family stands for. During his childhood there was only one more child around, Blue, who became his best friend and an escape from life's problems; but as they grew up a bit more Blue became arrogant and ended up becoming his bully. Feeling betrayed once more, and getting closer to the age he'd be able to become a Trainer and leave Pallet Town, he starts getting obsessed with Pokemon. The good part of his personality is that when he sets his mind on something he likes, he gives it his all and does the very best, and he's so talented he had no trouble becoming Champion. Deep down, despite all the troubles in his life, he's a very kind soul; willing to help those in need, defeat Team Rocket... but also quite competitive. In the years after becoming Champion however he starts feeling empty, as if he's reached his limit because there's no one better than him, so he ends up becoming more and more reclusive, eventually becoming the hermit in Mt. Silver. Ethan defeating him snaps him out of it, they develop a strong friendship, but a bit later (according to my headcanon) he gets to lose him. But by now he is starting to solve his problems; getting more mature, vowing to never fall to that depressed state again for the sake of Ethan who's the one who took him out of it in the first place, Blue mellows up again and they resume their friendship. By Unova (maybe) and most certainly by Alola they're best friends again, and he's find a better balance in his life. He still has some trauma, you can tell in Alola that he's gone through a lot; but he's doing well as an adult now.

Ethan: His main characteristic is wanting to help everyone around him and to please them, that's what he lives for and where he draws motivation from; there's no ambition around. When he starts out he doesn't plan on becoming a Trainer challenging the League or anything like that; he only wants to help Prof. Elm by running his errands. He is later asked to start challenging Gyms, but he doesn't have the ambition to do it; but his Quilava (my headcanon is that he picks Cyndaquil and it evolves at the final battle in Sprout Tower) has a strong competitive spirit and is eager to challenge Falkner. He decides to do it just to please Quilava and eventually the other Pokemon he's about to get. He keeps helping people out on any occasion and eventually figures out that he has talent too, which is how he becomes Champion. When he gets to Mt Silver he hopes to find Red and help him snap out of his depression, which he does. And as a person willing to give his all to help out others, in my headcanon, he ends up making the ultimate sacrifice to calm down Arceus in Sinjoh Ruins. Unlike Red, he has a much better relationship with his mother; she keeps money for him, they talk from the PokeGear occasionally etc.

Brendan: He wants to beat his father Norman too much. He held him back a year from starting out on his journey (he's 12 when starting out unlike Red who's 11) because he knew he'd be accepted in Hoenn the next year and would like him to participate in that League instead of Johto's. When starting out his main desire is to have an official Gym Battle with Norman and win his Badge, and that's the driving force in the first half of his journey. He eventually achieves this and by that point he's grown stronger and more willing to keep going and get a better position than his Dad in the League itself (Gym Leader or more). He achieves that of course by becoming Champion. He also has a passion for adventures and travel, he seems quite amused by the new places he sees in the diverse region of Hoenn and loves soaring around on Lati@s.

Lucas: He's a quiet, calm and reserved type, kinda "cold" just like the Sinnoh region he lives in. But he also shows lots of ambition as he had no reservations with following Barry and attempting to catch Red Gyarados/Legendary Pokemon at the very start of the journey. Definitely a foil to Barry.

Hilbert: My headcanon is Black/Black 2, in which he gets Reshiram; he is an embodiment of truth, maybe even the reincarnation of that brother from the legend. Indeed, he is a teenager who searches for the truth of who he is and how the world around him operates. Also a quiet, calm and reserved type but with strong beliefs and determination when the time calls for it.

Nate: He pursues ideals, and you can tell he's out there to see how things could be. He's very energetic and willing to do everything at once, he also grew up in a somewhat big city (Aspertia) compared to the hometowns of most other protagonists. His Riolu (caught at Flocessy Ranch, the Lucario we see in BW2 animated trailer) evolves into Lucario in the middle of the Brycenman movie shooting after he gets his 2nd badge; his version of the Brycenman movie (using his own Riolu instead of the rental one and it evolving mid-battle in an awesome sequence) makes it a huge hit that makes him a celebrity very soon. He keeps doing flashy stuff actually; he just enters Join Avenue and managed to become its manager immediately, turning it into one of the busiest areas in Nimbasa. His battle with Elesa is very flashy too. He wins the first ever exhibition PWT Driftveil Tournament and the list goes on. In the ending credits we even see that on his way back home after becoming Champion, he actually crosses Castelia City in Burgh's car with much fanfare and fireworks.

Calem: True to his name, he is also a very calm protagonist. He has French flair and style, a true Kalosian who ends up becoming very popular in Lumiose City. Likes to dress well.

Sun: An energetic boy (less than Hau) without too much ambition, he is attracted to Lillie from the beginning. He changes his style when reaching Heahea City (when he's far from his mother) to match Lillie; dying his hair blonde, putting on green contact lenses and a hat similar to a straw hat. He's managed to not get power hungry at all despite having access to Z-Moves, Mega Evolution, Ash-Greninja, Ultra Beasts and maybe even the tapu.

 

[Anime Psyclone]

I have my own personality for them all, and kinda backstory/future.
Sun/Moon: Has had their face paralyzed due to Meowth. Secretly wants Hau to be a better trainer. Often calm.
Serena/Calem: Joined the International Police after the events of XY. Kind.
Hilbert/Hilda: Part of the dragon they captured, possibly the human spirit of said dragon. Filled with Truth/Ideals.
Rosa/Nate: Only cares about defeating other trainers and their reputation. Became the new Subway Boss.
Dawn/Lucas: A Faller who lost their memories after returning to the distortion world. Perky and kinda weird.
Brendan/May: Loves collecting rare Pokemon, and seeing what power they can hold. Became famous after the Delta Episode.
Ethan/Lyra/Kris: Mercilessly searching for members of Team Rocket and handing them to the police. Relentless.
Red/Green: Has suffered from depression after the death of their father. Mute and somber.

 

[KaylaBaraonda]

Red: Serious, calm, mature.
Leaf: plucky, flirty, somewhat cunning.
Ethan: loud, boisterous, funny, flirty in an inappropriate way. Basic shonen hero.
Kris: Adventurous tomboy, nature lover, calm but brave.
Lyra: Kris but much more silly and childish, also somewhat girlier.
Brendan: Hyperactive, really happy, somewhat childish and silly for his age.
May: Tomboyish, brave girl-next-door.
Lucas: Calm nerd.
Dawn: Plucky, calm, feminine but not too girly, loves adventures and videogames as well as she does contests and fashion.
Hilbert: Soft, sensitive calm slightly nerdy boy. Really into (the Pokéverse counterpart of) Brony fandom. Less mature and overall sillier than Cheren, but less sillier than Bianca.
Hilda: REALLY brave and daredevil tomboy. Slightly hot-headed. Slightly sillier than Cheren but much less sillier than Hilbert and Bianca.
Nate: Like Hilbert but much more adventurous and self-assured and less sensitive.
Rosa: Like Hilda but less tomboyish and much childish and silly. REALLY into Meowths for some reason.
Calem: A bishonen-type. Calm and romantic.
Serena: Romantic, mature, and motherly.
Sun: Basic shonen hero but more emotionless.
Moon: Plucky, peppy girl.

 

[Serverus Snope]

Don't have one for all of them, but here are a few:

Hilbert: He looks less fired up than the other trainers in his Vs. sprite, so he'd be more calm and analytical. He may have an undercurrent of quiet determination, but his tactical brilliance is his greatest asset. In fact, his name arguably means "bright/brilliant in battle." Kinda the opposite of Hilda, really.
Hilda: She's the brash tomboy of the PCs. She may not always act super tough, but the moment she walks onto the battlefield... there's that look in her eye. When you see it, you know she's ready to utterly wreck your team.
Brendan: He's got a kinda sort-of dudebro exterior, but that quickly melts away to reveal a friendly, somewhat dorky guy whose attempt to put up a tough front is kinda obvious. For example, he's awful at denying his love for Poke Dolls.
May: The sunniest, happiest PC of them all. While Sun/Moon smiles into the abyss, May's jovial nature is much more genuine.
Lyra: The resident Cloudcuckoolander of the PCs. Who else would wear such an outfit?
Dawn: Tied with Serena for the most traditionally feminine of the PCs. She feels compelled to carry herself with grace; she has a legacy to uphold, after all.
Serena: If you need a new look, This PC's the one to call. She's got a keen eye for style. Some would say she's wasting her money on buying so many clothes, but she knows full well how important giving the right impression can be. Since she puts so much stock in ensuring things look just right, her rough-and-tumble mother's ways are rather baffling to her.
Sun/Moon: Both of them are enigmas. Victory or defeat, depression or delight, their blank smile hardly budges. Are they deranged? Are their minds hollow voids? Are they simply good at masking their emotions? It's a riddle for the ages.

 

[Peekaboo Pikachu]

I kinda sorta developed headcanons for Hilda and Rosa, (particularly because I've always shipped them with each other but whatever):

Hilda: Intelligent. Tomboyish. Has a quiet confidence about her.

Rosa: Airhead. Girly. Talks a lot and is always happy but her smile hides deep insecurities.

 

[DoctorWhy]

Hm. I never actually thought about this much. I usually just project my own personality onto my individual player character. I kind of just see them as blank slates.

 

[Foxwarrior]

Red prodigy, aloof, shy, dorky, somewhat of a loner, a guy of few words, not somber at all. Actually he is very soft but just don’t care about fame and shallow social interacions
Leaf Friendlier than Red, still very shy, but makes a effort to make people feel confortable
Ethan cares too much of honor and ethics, wants to accomplish some heroic feats and dream to be the Champion
Kris serious, mature, sportsy, big sister, science girl, impatient towards childish behavior
Lyra Bubbly, optmistic to the point of naivity, pokes her nose on subjects that don’t matter to her and this often puts her in trouble
May adventurous, nature lover, carefree, free spirited more like a hippie, somewhat impulsive, very humurous
Brendan a grumpy nerd that started his journey after realizing that the world is bigger than his small town and his bedroom
Dawn reluctant protagonist, friendly, gracious, kind, motherly, wants to please everyone , but is very insecure about her own potential.
Lucas Somewhat haughy with a know it all atitude, but very smart and prone to help. Like a male version of Hermione Granger
Hilbert typical cool popular guy, Golden boy, laid-back, wants to be loved by everyone, has the same talent of N of talk with pokemon
Hilda rebel, choleric stubborn, street smart, very sincere, could easily be the leader of a bicycle/motorcycle gang
Nate generic shonen hero
Rosa tv personality, famous, flirty, girly, shallow but very talented, somewhat of a tsundere
Calem typical bishounen, elegant, polite, calm, fashionable, had a silver spoon his whole life, very rich and turned a trainer to get out of the shadow of his mother
Serena rigid, hard-working, goal-oriented, studious, competitive, ambitious, didn’t have a nice childhood at all, at first can look somewhat cold but has a heart of gold
Moon eccentric, sarcastic, impulsive, somewhat cunning, creates crazy strategies that turn out being genial
Sun emotionless, somber, melancholic, cynical towards the world and very corageous