Where did characters' personalities go??

[poke07]

All the new characters (like Dawn, Nando, Zoey etc) have clear personalities. Meanwhile, where did Ash's personality go??

He used to be this stubborn and haughty, yet loving boy. Now he basically doesn't have a personality besides liking battles. Why don't the writers bring out more interesting traits in him like they used to??

Same goes for Brock. Besides the "girls" thing, what ever happened to "Brock the Rock" 'and all that jazz'?

Note: please do NOT turn this into a voice actor argument. I'm commenting on character portrayal by the writers, not the actors.

 

[Princess of Lumas]

...it got blown aways by Torterra's Leaf Storm.

 

[#Daisuke#]

*sigh*

Ash and Brock still have personality. They're just not as brash and blatant as before. They've grown.

Ash is more serious and toned down compared to his idiotic younger self. One can finally take Ash seriously now. It's called character developement. If that's not good, I don't know what is.

People act like it's personality theft... :/

 

[Suicide by cop]

"Brock the Rock" slowly turned into "Brock the Breeder". Have you even been watching the show?

 

[Piplup]

Ash and Brock don't have personalities? That's was one of the most ridiculous things I heard in my whole life...
You can say you're tired and bored by now of these characters, but you can't say they don't have personality...
Also, Ash changed and developed over the time, he's not the same stupid beginner that he was in Kanto - now he's a more serious, mature, experienced trainer... even his rivalries refelct this: with Gary it was a very childish "oh I'll beat that loser cause... just because!" while with Paul we had deep and serious stuff about each of the trainer's way to treat Pokémon
I prefer the "new" Ash over the "old" Ash... and I think character development is a good thing
Brock with the time just became crazier with the girls thing and became emphasized as the "big brother" figure of the group (mentor them, explain stuff, makes food, etc...) but that's it, he's still the same Brock...

 

[Somari]

Ash has a personality. He's loyal, somewhat stubborn, caring, etc.

He's just more mature. Before he was an immature kid and now he's changed. It's called "Character Development".

 

[Pesky Bug]

Also, Ash changed and developed over the time, he's not the same stupid beginner that he was in Kanto - now he's a more serious, mature, experienced trainer... even his rivalries refelct this: with Gary it was a very childish "oh I'll beat that loser cause... just because!" while with Paul we had deep and serious stuff about each of the trainer's way to treat Pokémon

It's a shame that none of the life lessons and battle tactics he learns stay in his head once he leaves the region he learned them in, innit?

And if his rivalry with Gary seems childish, it's because Gary's reason for being an ass is also childish. He was being rude for the sake of being rude. So, naturally, Ash only response to why he hates Gary is the annoying attitude. Sure, with Paul he actually got a rival who challenged his morals rather than his patience but it's not like Ash learned the value of caring for his Pokemon. He's always treated them with respect and love and their happiness has always been his #1 concern. And he's told that to everyone he meets and thinks otherwise. Paul just got more screentime.

 

[Piplup]

It's a shame that none of the life lessons and battle tactics he learns stay in his head once he leaves the region he learned them in, innit?

That's false... there's a lot of continuity in the show... Ash often mentions past events and stuff like that, so we can be sure nothing was "forgotten"
It's not like Ash needs to randomly remind us every second everything he learned in the past =\
Also, Ash always uses mostly new Poké every saga, so it makes sense he'll have to get used to them and come up with different ideas rather than use the same "battle tactics" as you said, as he used with his older Poké...
For example, Counter Shield should be kept as the thing of Ash's Sinnoh team in my opinion, while the Isshu team should get special moves of their own - it's more fresh and interesting this way

He was being rude for the sake of being rude.

DP!Ash would never react to that like Kanto!Ash did... you can't excuse someone for being childish just because someone else acted childish towards them

but it's not like Ash learned the value of caring for his Pokemon.

You act as if Ash got nothing out of his rivalry with Paul... he learned a lot himself from watching Paul's strategy, he adopted an abandoned Pokémon and helped it get over its trauma and made it a strong fighter, he proved Paul wrong and caused him to change his ways... that's a LOT... it means so much more and will affect Ash so much more than the ridiculous rivalry with Gary

"When every life meets another life, something will be born"
You can say that about Ash and Paul... but can you honestly say that about Ash and Gary?

 

[Pesky Bug]

That's false... there's a lot of continuity in the show... Ash often mentions past events and stuff like that, so we can be sure nothing was "forgotten"
It's not like Ash needs to randomly remind us every second everything he learned in the past =\
Also, Ash always uses mostly new Poké every saga, so it makes sense he'll have to get used to them and come up with different ideas rather than use the same "battle tactics" as you said, as he used with his older Poké...
For example, Counter Shield should be kept as the thing of Ash's Sinnoh team in my opinion, while the Isshu team should get special moves of their own - it's more fresh and interesting this way

I'm not saying he should recycle old strategies but he seems to forget things he's done. From teh top of my head, Candice had her Sneasel skate to increase its already great speed. Ash was taken by surprise even though he once did the same thing. I honestly don't remember where he used it but he had Pikachu bounce off ice pillars to increase its speed.

Or Bertha's episode, telling him to pay attention to his surroundings. Ash owns her old ass in that category. Or at least should. He's used the terrain to his advantage many times. Like versus Gary when he heated it up and forced Gary to create a smokescreen, or versus Drake (I think that was his name, the Orange Islands champion), where he used the soft sand to tank Dragonite's attack with Tauros. Or as I already mentioned, using the ice pillars.

DP!Ash would never react to that like Kanto!Ash did... you can't excuse someone for being childish just because someone else acted childish towards them.

It's not like Ash had the most mature response when he first met Paul. He sort of acted like against Gary, yelling and whining at him. It's later that he took things seriously. And even though he started off as just wanting to beat Gary for the sake of beating him, he later wanted to so he could prove they're on equal ground. They've grown up togetehr and Gary's always looked down on Ash, he wanted to prove that he's worthy of being a Master.

You act as if Ash got nothing out of his rivalry with Paul... he learned a lot himself from watching Paul's strategy, he adopted an abandoned Pokémon and helped it get over its trauma and made it a strong fighter, he proved Paul wrong and caused him to change his ways... that's a LOT... it means so much more and will affect Ash so much more than the ridiculous rivalry with Gary

Charmander was the same case. And not only did Ash adopt it, he saved its life. But Ash still didn't do anything he hasn't done before, showing people that caring for your Pokemon is important. He's met many other people who don't share his view. This was a lesson for Paul and for him to change, Ash just did what he does best.

"When every life meets another life, something will be born"
You can say that about Ash and Paul... but can you honestly say that about Ash and Gary?

No, I'm not trying to.

 

[Piplup]

Candice had her Sneasel skate to increase its already great speed. Ash was taken by surprise even though he once did the same thing.

So what if Ash did it himself once in the past? Why does that mean he can't be surprised when his opponent is doing it? It's not like every time Ash battles, he's thinking of all his previous battles and what he did in all these 325235 battles =\

Or Bertha's episode, telling him to pay attention to his surroundings.

Bertha had ONE battle with Ash... yes, Ash use his surroundings, but maybe in that certain battle he forgot to do it due to being too excited facing a member of the Elite Four
It doesn't really mean anything

It's not like Ash had the most mature response when he first met Paul.

It was more mature than reactions to Gary... mature people can get angry too, you know...
Also, as you said, the more he got to know Paul, the more mature he became with his reactions to him... I especially like it in the scene where Paul release Chimchar, Dawn starts to talk to Paul but Ash tell her to just ignore him or something like that...

They've grown up togetehr and Gary's always looked down on Ash, he wanted to prove that he's worthy of being a Master.

I still can't even try to compare this to the rivalry with Paul... with Paul it was much more mature and serious

Charmander was the same case.

Oh no it wasn't... Chimchar had to get over its trauma, Charmander had no trauma at all... Ash took an emotionally hurt Pokémon and made it get over its problems, it's something that happened for the first time in DP

showing people that caring for your Pokemon is important.

Well, that's the whole purpose of Pokémon... to befriend your Pokémon and grow stronger together with them

He's met many other people who don't share his view.

Really? 99% of the non-evil people in the Pokémon world seem to support the "befriend them" way
Also, even if we saw a few here and there, none of them was important to Ash like Paul is


Anywayyyyyy, I think we're really getting off topic and also that we'll both end up repeating ourselves if we continue this
So I'll just answer the thread question again and leave this thread- Ash has a personality, it didn't go anywhere, that's just ridiculous to say this...
That's all... I'll try to not reply in this thread anymore

 

[Ashfangirl22]

I disagree with you about Ash, I think he has a lot of personality still its just he's become some what serious which I love. And others would sadly argue about Dawn having personality but whatever.

 

[Hellion]

Oh this again... really? I mean really?

You know if Ash had kept his Kanto persona, still made rookie mistakes and goofed off every 2 seconds, most of the people would still complain he hasn't changed, that he's still the same. So he changes, people complain, he doesn't, people'd complain. You take Ash off the show, some people would complain, you leave him in, some people would complain. At the end of the day, people complain.

If anything I would like Ash to be even more serious, even less funny and even more focused on battle and have him make the transition from funny man to straight man so that he's still a source of humour without killing his character developpement. But that's my opinion.

 

[Enzap]

I've noticed a character change that's more than just maturing too. It's almost like in the newer seasons all the main characters seem to have the same personality. Like when Dawn came on they all started the whole "No need to worry" thing. It's like they take one character and distribute their qualities through all of them.

 

[Zwampert]

They all have personalities, but since they grew up and matured, its been toned down.

 

[Insanish Danish]

It's not that their personalities went away, they just changed.

I myself much prefer their older personalities, but whatever. They're different now. Not personality-less, just different.

 

[Fa7e]

they have personalitys, it just seemed like ash matured alot more, and i like that they did that, i watched the older episodes again not to long ago, and before ash hardly thought in battle and always got pissed, now hes always stratagiziing and stuff, i do think brock maybe a little bit though, he seemed better when it was him, ash, and misty

 

[Hestia]

It's not that their personalities went away, they just changed.

I myself much prefer their older personalities, but whatever. They're different now. Not personality-less, just different.

I agree with Dana.
But still, Ash has been on the show for 13 years, and he's going to keep being in it for a while still, so I'd say its probably a good thing that his personality hasn't remained static the whole way through.

If anything I would like Ash to be even more serious, even less funny and even more focused on battle and have him make the transition from funny man to straight man so that he's still a source of humour without killing his character developpement. But that's my opinion.

Mehh, I don't know, I think I'd feel a bit bored by him without the humour. I don't mean the kanto rookie mistake sort of humour (which I did love, but, it would be pretty irritating at this point in his development), but he can still have funny personality quircks whilst being a serious battler in my opinion.

 

[Miar]

Come to think of it, where'd Pikachu's personality go? It pretty much disappeared halfway into season 1 and now all it does is Thunderbolt TR into oblivion.

 

[kurtoise]

I can see where this question is coming from.
The bit that annoys me is that they have established Ash as a more mature kid now, but, he's kept all the annoying childish qualities and lost all of his good ones. Like when he used to say to race to the next town and his enthusiasm for gym battles. I can see that since he has ben through it a lot then he won't be as excited as before, so why does he battle at all? Now he just seems like gyms are just pointless and he just wants to win win win the pokemon league. He's kept the stupid reactions to things that he doesn't know, and even things you would have thoguht he knew already, being a trainer for soo long. The question clearly means about his old personality, the more fun-loving ash, and i agree, it has disappeared. He has become a mature and serious bore.

 

[Gronarak]

All the new characters (like Dawn, Nando, Zoey etc) have clear personalities. Meanwhile, where did Ash's personality go??

He used to be this stubborn and haughty, yet loving boy. Now he basically doesn't have a personality besides liking battles. Why don't the writers bring out more interesting traits in him like they used to??

Same goes for Brock. Besides the "girls" thing, what ever happened to "Brock the Rock" 'and all that jazz'?

Note: please do NOT turn this into a voice actor argument. I'm commenting on character portrayal by the writers, not the actors.

I agree. Character development... yeah, no. I'm sorry, but this isn't development, this is just plain laziness. Alright, you know what? If it is development, it's really bad development. =/ I mean, for god's sake, if their voices were changed I couldn't tell one character from another.

kurtoise: +10