For many colorful decades, Pokemon video game protagonists have marched to the silent beat of adventure. From Red’s pixelated adventure in the Kanto region to the expansive open world of Paldea, the protagonists have always kept their mouths shut and their Poke Balls ready.
It worked peacefully in the early days. Silence was golden when our Game Boy Colors could barely make out a battle cry.
But times have changed. Nintendo’s consoles now boast the power to render rich expressions, showcase cinematic cutscenes, and give emotional complexity to character movements. In this evolving gaming horizon, the once-charming mute trainer now sounds... a bit too quiet.
What Are Silent Protagonists in Video Games?
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+ 9They're the strong, silent types of digital storytelling. They don’t speak, at least not out loud. You might get a few dialogue choices, but the game never shows them talking.
They express themselves through nods, facial expressions, and occasionally, dramatic body language. Their job is to be your vessel. Think Link in The Legend of Zelda, Gordon Freeman in Half-Life, or the Dragonborn in Skyrim.
These silent characters let you freely fill in the blanks. Their silence is a canvas for your paintbrush of words. But that only works when the world and lore around them are built to fit that silence with intent and clarity.
click to enlarge+ 9When it comes to Pokemon video games, though, the cracks in the silence are beginning to show. As the rest of the Pokemon characters become increasingly animated, creative, or even deeply philosophical, your trainer stands there smiling widely like a mannequin at a mall showcase.
It’s starting to feel outdated. Players notice when they don’t have a say in major, even world-altering, decisions, or when the NPCs around them steal the spotlight with vivid personalities and emotional arcs.
Your character becomes the least interesting person in their own story, a gray crayon surrounded by a cast of colorful options.
click to enlarge+ 9Now imagine this instead. Your Pokemon trainer isn't just a silent observer but a living, breathing character. One who has opinions, ideals, maybe even a backstory beyond "I just woke up and it's time to get a starter Pokemon."
Picture them challenging a Gym Leader not just with a battle, but with sharp words and a witty one-liner. Imagine them arguing with Team Star or questioning Ghetsis' questionable ideals. There’s an unvisited potential in giving your trainer a voice, narratively.
But let’s not throw the Poke Ball out with the bag just yet. There’s something charming and timeless about silent protagonists. Their quietness doesn’t make them shallow, but it makes them flexible.
click to enlarge+ 9They aren’t just some kid from Pallet Town. They’re you. You’re the one who decides whether to catch that shiny Magikarp or leave it. Whether to rush into the Pokemon League or spend countless hours naming your party with hilarious nicknames.
That freedom and that immersion? It exists because the protagonist isn’t doing the talking. You are. After all, Pokemon is still an RPG at its core. A genre where player autonomy is the point. A silent protagonist ensures you never have to worry about the character saying something you wouldn’t.
It’s a clean slate or a mirror held up to you. This allows the journey to feel personal. When you beat the Champion, it feels like you are the one who actually won and not some pre-made character with a catchphrase and a tragic backstory. Just you, your choices, and your team of Poke-champs.
click to enlarge+ 9There’s also beauty in self-interpretation. The silence gives space for players to infuse their own emotions and motives into the story. Were you furious when your rival insulted you despite being beaten by you? Were you heartbroken during that Nuzlocke loss? Did you feel like a winner when your underdog Pikachu survived on 1HP to land a final Thunder move?
The game doesn’t spell it out as that emotional narrative is yours to build. The protagonist isn't there to interrupt your internal monologue.
And let’s not pretend that digital silence doesn’t work anymore. It still does and often brilliantly. Look at Undertale’s Frisk, whose silence makes its world more mysterious. Even newer titles like Hollow Knight and Tunic leverage silent protagonists to deliver emotionally rich observations.
click to enlarge+ 9These games prove that a wordless hero can still leave a powerful impact when the design around them is thoughtful and built for them.
There’s also a middle ground worth exploring. Monster Hunter Stories 2 can be considered a prime example. The game has fully voiced cutscenes and expressive characters, yet your Rider stays quiet.
It works because its monster-filled world respects your silence. The character's still involved, still expressive, and still reacting. It blends the immersion of a silent protagonist with the immersion of a talking environment.
click to enlarge+ 9Which leads us to the real answer. The bottom line isn’t that Pokemon should fully ditch the silent protagonist or cling to it like a Komala to a stump. The ideal future lies in a perfect blend.
A character with enough personality to feel present but enough flexibility to still represent you. Let us choose our tone, our beliefs, our emotional responses. Let us speak, but not at the cost of immersion.
Pokemon could even take a page from its own spin-off playbook. Remember Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team? That game starts with a personality quiz to decide which Pokemon protagonist you become, and it gives you a foundation.
click to enlarge+ 9What if the mainline series adopted something like that? Let us define who our trainer is at the start, being either timid, brave, sarcastic, or diplomatic. Use that to shape our dialogue options moving forward.
Throw in some optional voice acting for key moments in the game. Imagine your trainer screaming "Hyper Beam!" with grit and determination. That would be epic!
So, where do we land in this debate? Should Pokemon’s protagonists finally start spewing words? The answer is yes. And no. Or rather, yes and no. Give us the best of both worlds. Preserve the immersion of silence while offering just enough voice to make us feel more important in that world.
click to enlarge+ 9Pokemon has evolved in every area except its protagonist. It’s time to let that evolution stone finally take effect.
Whether the protagonist remains mute or begins to mutter, one thing’s for sure: Players are ready for more. Not just more Pokemon, more battles, or more gimmicks. More story, more emotion, and more elements of you.
So Game Freak, if you’re reading this, give us a choice and a voice. Or both!
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