Who's your favorite character? (Survey #1)
Dee
Member Posts: 10,447
Who is your favorite character, and tell us a story about why.
We all have our favorite characters. This week, we’d like to know who yours are, and what are the moments that made you fall in love with them. It could be an NPC from the original saga, one of our “Enhanced” NPCs, or even one of your own creation. If you have a story you want to tell, this is the place to tell it.Warning to unwary readers: spoilers may appear in full force in this thread. Consider yourself duly notified.
Why are we asking this question?
Throughout the month of December we’ll be asking a lot of questions about your experience with these games. We’ll post a new thread when there’s a new question to answer, and we’ll be reading (though not necessarily commenting on) your responses and discussion.We're looking for things about Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition that grabbed you, that made you sit up on the edge of your seat, that made you think "Yes, this, give me more of this!"
Me personally, I’m hoping it will make for some interesting holiday reading. But you also never know who might be reading along, looking for ideas…
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However, the overall awesomeness of Hexxat's quest made me like her as a character too, because it was something different for the series.
Jaheira) The best written joinable NPC in the history of RP video games, as far as I can remember. She doesn't comfortably fit any female stereotypes, and is one of the few females characters in a game that you don't think of as a gendered NPC. She's sensitive, opinionated, full of rich interaction not only with you, but with the world around you. Furthermore, she doesn't give you what you want all the time. Some people hated her romance because she got snappy with you. In later games like Mass Effect romances very much showed the NPC subjugated by the PCs charm, yet Jaheira does not fall into your arms or pander to player ego: nothing of the sort, she sometimes stiffens up even when you do everything right - or because you do everything right. It's like she is resisting the idea that you are the PC and it is all about you (this regards her romance, primarily, but she is opinionated and willing to interject elsewhere), and the tone of her dialogue is very much so "I'm a person too, I know how I feel, and I'm not just along for the ride - this isn't me serving your needs, this is my life too and I'm not always going to make it about you, and I'm certainly not going to let you make it all about you". Respectable, realistic, and totally three-dimensional.
Nalia) I find Nalia was another character that didn't comfortably fit into any stereotypes or player expectations. Nalia had a much more nuanced kind of morality. People disliked her thoroughly, which upsets me because more than any of the other characters (aside from Viconia), Nalia's background is brought to the fore. She is a product of her upbringing, and sometimes this affects her perception of what it is to do good. Like a noble, she is sometimes demanding; very quick to condescend (unwittingly or otherwise); and confident in her right to speak out when she has something to say. Certainly she is a good person, but unlike her counterpart, Aerie, she is not a good girl through-and-through with no black marks to her name.
The way she was written was admirable because the writers did not think "ooh, people won't love this about her, let's tone it down.", but rather they thought "you know what, if character x had grown up in an environment like this, this is precisely how they would act - so that's the way Nalia is going to act!" I believed Nalia much more than Aerie, who had understandable self-esteem issues due to her background, but was otherwise completely without sin until the inexplicable moment where she mocks Jaheira for being a widow... Pardon me, what? Aerie being the virgin bride and then saying something like that seems wildly out of touch and hard to believe, yet when Nalia said something that was foolish or impolite or perhaps even cruel it was always believable as a by-product of her class and her being sheltered; something that was excusable because it was true to the flaws of the character, which were not suppressed for the purposes of good publicity: we have good traits, and we have flaws. With Nalia, these were acknowledged equally. With Aerie, however, there seem only to be good traits and then others which incite pity or pathos, which I find to be irritating and 2-dimensional. It is clear we are meant to love Aerie, but Nalia - in my opinion - challenges the player to realise the separate realities of these characers; not unlike Jaheira, Nalia has clearly got her own life and her own baggage and she isn't going to drop that for the convenience of getting you to the Throne of Bhaal.
And that is all I have to say. ... For now!
No I'll stop, I'm sorry.
When the player finds out her bloodline connection, it really became a "that's so cool" moment, that when I first played the game as a youth, I had no idea that plot twist would come in BG2. I was hooked on the idea of saving her when she was imprisoned, and when she was finally rescued I was gleeful that she was once again a part of my team.
Ultimately, she has a fun personality with great lines. Her character development is superb.
This guy is a complete boss, I love this npc, out of all the new content I have seen for this game, this is my number one favourite, I love his portrait, and I always imagine this guy is the sort of bear, who just likes to chill, sit back, sniff things, and so on, he actually kind of reminds me of my cat Socks, and the fact that you can have a bear on your team is just wicked awesome, although I don't understand why his race can't be shown on the character sheet screen, Hexxat's can, but not Wilson's? must be an engine problem I assume, plus getting him is kind of a pain in the ass, although he is more of a goof/ easter egg type npc, he is still great, I love his sound sets, especially his ineffective one, he just seems so confused and I find it humorous, and too bad he doesn't have his own gear that only he could wear, because being naked through the whole series kind of weakens him a bit, even if he only had gear that gave him a +1 AC bonus, +1 to all saves, some elemental resistance to something, make his regeneration a bit faster, etc.. but all in all, but npc I have ever played in any game, and who ever came up with the idea of Wilson and what Wilson is about is my hero,
Favourite characters, let me think.
I find Montaron really interesting. Specifically because he's the single evil NPC in BG1 who isn't a raging stereotype. He's actually an anti-stereotype, a deliberate bucking of the concept that halflings are friendly welcoming folk in the Tolkein-vein. It makes me want to find out a bit more about him. Where in Faerun is he originally from? Was he born in a city, or in a halfling community in the country and leave to seek his fortune or because his disposition was at odds with the others? Similarly, did he leave his community voluntarily or did he do something heinous and be cast out? How did he end up working for the Zhents?
I've decided that if I ever develop advanced modding skills I intend to do a kind of 'Zhentarim Expansion' for BG1 that delves a lot more into Montaron and Xzar and has you do various Zhent-related quests out of their HQ in Sorcerous Sundries.
Bg1: Alora shes fun has enjoyable lines and quotes Ren and Stimpy. I always liked halflings in this setting and Alora is kind of everything I would want from one. she also benefits visually from being a female Halfling thief which I think has one of the coolest character models in the game.
BG2: This is tough because it constantly changes I think overall Id say its pretty close between Viconia and Mazzy but mostly because Viconia has more dialogue and a romance. Viconia has a great personal story and great character development that can even include an alignment change, also she has one of my all time favourite voice actors so that certainly helps. I think though Mazzy just shades it. Mazzy is great simply because shes in many ways the best of all the characters, constantly striving for an ideal she may never reach, yet never questions her worth. Shes serious but friendly and still has a nice light side to her. Oh yeh and shes a little pint sized wrecking ball.
id also give Neera an honourable mention I haven't played with her enough(comparatively) to put her top but from the run I did make with her I enjoyed her a lot. Like Alora shes just a lot of fun to have around and has a great personal arc and a romance line which I felt culminated extremely well in TOB. I could not decide if she's up there with Mazzy but in time she could be. It also helps shes my favourite arcane caster class
An amazingly well-rounded character, and a great example of everything a Good character can strive to be. She does the right thing the best way she can despite a host of cultural assumptions and obstacles (not to mention game rules) that tell her she can't, and she does so in a self-assured, confident fashion. In a party with other good NPCs, she will boost up everyone else, supporting them emotionally and morally. In a party with evil NPCs, she will criticize their behavior without jumping down their throats or attempting to stick them with her sword except in the most extreme of situations. She mourns her lost love without being angsty, can wax wistful about who she might have been, and every once in a while betrays some insecurity about her position, but nevertheless remains steadfast in pursuing what she sees as her duty. She's the best person a good (or even neutral) aligned Bhaalspawn could have at their side to help keep them grounded and resistant to the impulses of their blood.
1. Edwin: The thing I remember most about Edwin in BG2 was how I wasn't expecting him to be the comic relief in an Evil party. There was Korgan, sure, but Korgan's humor is very crass and highly dependent on who you take with you (with Aerie and Mazzy bringing out the "best" in him). And then you had Edwin, a Red Wizard of Thay, accidentally genderbending himself and striking out with Viconia and getting hit on by Salvanas. It made him so much more enjoyable than he was in the first game.
2. Dorn: I knew from the moment Dorn was announced that he'd be a mainstay in my party throughout both EE games. Setting aside the fact that Gord Marriott's voice acting is flawless, this is a character who, like Hexxat, the game absolutely needed to have: Evil PCs finally had a champion, a counterpart to Ajantis and Keldorn. That he turned out to be bisexual was a bonus for the sheer novelty of the concept.
3. Cespenar: Because he always, always makes me laugh.
Honorary Mention goes to Baeloth, because hearing Mark Meer channeling Mark Hamill's Joker made me take back everything I ever said about his voice acting (even though Jennifer Hale remains the Superior Shepard), and to Sarevok, because I love the Defeat Means Playable trope.
One can always say "They are all heroes; Minsk and Boo and even Xan".
But I'll try to answer.
3rd place - Yoshimo. I like his personality, his accent, his picture. "HIIIII-YA! *chuckles* The tourists love that stuff!" is simply amazing. And I will never forget my feelings when I discovered the end of his story the fist time I went through it.
2nd place - Jaheira. Nearly every other female character is a damsel in distress when you meet her (and it happens so often in RPGs). But when you meet Jaheira in BG1 she is happily married and a well known Druid and Harper. Then she lost all of that following you and still remained by your side. It's seems very emotional to me. Her character is very real and truly shines when you romance her.
1st place - Edwin Odesseiron! (You simians may merely refer to him as 'Sir,' if you prefer a less... syllable-intensive workout) He's ridiculously powerful, funny as hell, and looks good in the color Red.
Mazzy Fentan. The most genuinely good character in a pretty dark series. She's a better Paladin than Keldorn, and no wilting flower like Aerie. She's loyal, steadfast, a good friend to even my neutral CHARNAMEs, and as a pure Fighter with a few unique, and powerful, special talents, she's versatile enough to bust out into any weapon and role you see fit, unlike other, more rigid characters. Mechanically solid, personality-wise excellent, she's the true epitome of what Lawful Good should be.
Plus she's a halfling. Halflings rule.
Also, Boo rules.
I installed all 4 or 5 disks and got to playing that night. My prior RPG experience was limited to final fantasy (1-10 at the time), pokemon, and runescape. I had never experienced the joy of a d&d game before, and while it was challenging to learn all the new mechanics, I fell in love with my very first NPC, Minsc. His hilarious comments, his ranger antics, and his miniature giant space hamster...the times we shared were sublime. Minsc is my favorite NPC by far, when unheard the news of the enhanced edition, I went to YouTube just to listen to clips of minscs dialog....
Anyway, I have rambled on long enough. Thanks to you guys at Overhaul for making this game a reality for me without having to mod or workaround on my computer.
Runners up: Neera and Korgan
It was until BG2 that I really fell in love with characters though. The first was Aerie, despite all the bashing she receives on forums. To glance at her, yes, you might be fooled into thinking she's just a typical virgin elf maiden. But when you first meet, trapped in Ogre form with all that madness going on around her, she doesn't ask for help; she tells you to get away and save yourselves. She's not just a damsel in distress; she is brave, and far more intelligent and wise than she really knows. She tries her best to not be a beast, even though that's how she's been treated, and she's not always perfect. She says nasty things in her conflicts with Jaheira. The same things Viconia says both in and out of romance, but it's just far more shocking coming from Aerie because it is so unusual and out of character... but it's an unusual situation for her and just shows the stress and anxiety she's under at those moments. Jaheira hurts her, and she identifies the one weakness Jaheira seems to have and tries to hurt back. She does have pent up anger and frustration, she just usually finds outlets to focus that energy on (since in her circumstances, getting mad just wouldn't achieve anything other than make the circumstances worse), like studying, chores, and beating up baddies. I think some people imagine she should be less good and more cynical because of what's happened to her... but that's an oversimplification. In real life some people might be like that, but there are certainly lots of people like Aerie who go through horrible things and come out of them wanting to be nicer and help others and prevent the same kind of things they went through from happening to anyone else.
My own gripe is that I don't think she should have been romanceable. As someone who's there to learn about the world, basically in a somewhat similar situation to Charname and Imoen in the first game when they were thrust out from their isolated home (except for Aerie, it's a choice; she wants to leave the circus and start making her own way), I think she really fills the 'little sister' role left by Imoen better than Nalia, who maybe should have been the good romance (why is it all the elves, anyway?) So, yeah, I would preferred to see her growing on her own or just with the help of friends.
I think all the characters are pretty good though, even in BG1, although you have to fill in some blanks on your own. Like when Aerie says in Spellhold 'I have seen such places before... this is a place people go to be forgotten', it seems most likely she's referring to a slaver camp or fort she would have been taken to after her capture and before being sold. I do like all those little subtle lines that add even more depth to a characters backstory.
out of the enhanced editions its neera, i have never seen such a double edge sword in a concept work. ive played mods on games that try to hint at wild magic and i played with the wabbajack from the elder scrolls games but neera is the icing on the cake, using her and being a wild mage is SO MUCH FUN, i can say with all truth i have never -EVER- had so much fun in an RPG than i did playing with neera in my party, dragon age origins is my favorite RPG and i really enjoy playing it, but theres enjoying a game and being immersed in its story and characters then there is laughing at your computer screen when neera does some impossible thing like give everyone haste at level one or makes a final boss battle in the kobold mines over in two spells because it turned into a fireball and the boss is set to your level which is level 1-3 at most.
what would i want more of in the games? i'd like more areas that change the rules, the wild forest is one of the greatest things to EVER exist, like a quest the reverses everyone's weapon choices so minsc sucks as a front-liner but becomes a beast with a bow. or more areas / quests that have an impact on your alignment or some quests that can only be done by certain alignments.
i'd also like to see a bit more dialogue for characters and have them react more when i do some of the side quests
these are things i'd like to see not that i demand to see. im very happy with what ive gotten any more is just icing, and you can never have too much icing
I feel like I should mention Tenya as well, even though she's a very minor character in the first game. I always felt sorry for her and it never felt right just leaving her, and fanfic writers had done great things with other minor characters, so I decided to make her a more significant character in fics. Lots of fun, like a perpetually angry Dalek (although she can be a little compassionate and sweet sometimes). She's also ended up being the first character I've written anywhere to have her own catchphrase (I mean Imoen had one already), when Safana suggested tying her hair in pigtails and her eye started twitching and she said 'I... should just kill you now.' And this all before I'd seen Kick-Ass or Game of Thrones. I may try making a mod for her as well.
Out of the ones I do have experience with Jaheira is my favorite. In my opinion she is by a good margin the best written NPC in these games. Even though her mourning process is obviously on fast track, because of the time limitations games have, I found it reasonably believable and interesting. More importantly she actually seems to evolve as character over time. As an added bonus having her in the party can be pretty amusing as well with right party combinations.
Also even though she will forever be remembered for the inventory baby I have to give her a honorable mention to Aerie as well. The Aerie is ToB is quite different from how she behaved when you first met her. Watching her get more confident was a pretty gratifying experience.
For completely different reasons I like Edwin and Jan. Their dialogue always brings a smile to my face, and especially for Jan there is also more serious side to make the character seem much more three dimensional.
Overall I like pretty much all the BG2 I have experience with. They are all relatively well written, and watching what they say about other panty members is big part of why BG2 is so re-playable. In BG1 most characters don't really have enough content to say anything about them.
Out of the BGEE Overhaul NPCs I like Neera the best. Her's, and Dorn's, story got me interested right from the start. Dorn is fun to have around as well, but his character in BGEE, and very early BG2EE seems a bit too predictable. Maybe that changes later on. Rasaad on the other hand just seems bland and boring, at least in BGEE. I don't really give a crap about his religion talk that seems to define him, and because I don't really like him that leads me to not caring about his brother either.
of the new npc's dorn was most promising to me (also based on bg.ee where i consider him the best addition of the three), i liked him and i really saw him as a great potential but his ultimately one dimensional character, very obvious lack of relationship content and predictable evil behaviour and epilogue made him a bitter disappointment for me in the end.
neera seems quite pleasing to have around in bg2:ee and has much improved since bgee where she was just off-sounding and annoying. she was a positive surprise. hexxat seemed a bit bland and seemed to have no interesting contributions outside her quests, but it's nice to have a proper thief for once.
character that has made the most impression on me however was cabrina. yes, that snarky, sarcastic side quest NPC. her comments really made me laugh more than once and she seemed interesting and pleasing to encounter. i regret there are not more evil NPC's like her mysterious, comical without being silly, and in general very very charming. this is what i miss in bg saga- characters that make evil behaviour seem seductive, pleasing and charming so player is almost happy to get along with it. i see cabrina as such potential NPC.
For the new npc's Dorn is probably the most interesting though I did enjoy Rasaad's interaction with Viconia over their faiths.
For "unofficial" characters I'd have to give props to the Faren npc. He's well written and feels like he "belongs" as a member of the cast.
Branny:
She's a hardass. She grabs every female stereotype by the balls and gives them a good shake.
Yes, she is a "damsel in distress" by being petrified and what not, but once she's out and about she's more clobber-willing than most. A fairly good cleric and a very good woman. She seems so natural, so honest and real. As a cleric of Tempus, she acts very much according to what you might expect.
She is calm, collected and wise, yet at the same time a brawler and warhammer connoisseur.
All together a very pleasant travel companion and my "go to" cleric for BG1.
Somehow, despite her violent deity, she comes off as more of a woman to me than any other femme char.
That might be because in comparison to a woman like Branwen, all the others are just lil girls.
Keldorn:
Well! What can be said about Mr Carsomyr-so-far-up-a-mages-ass-he-gets-steel-on-his-breath, that hasn't been said before? He's a fantastic character, excellent voice acting and he truly is the epitome of what a paladin should be. Loyal to a fault, determined like nobody else, stoic calm and kicks ass.
His "father'ish" approach to Charname, where he lends advice and wise words is excellent and i -really- love the fact that despite his friendship and admiration for Charname, he still promises to kick your celestial ass so hard even Bhaal would feel it, if you indulge in your evil birthright.
This old no-nonsense Paladin is perhaps the best character on a personal level there is, and certainly is one of the top (if not the best) melee warriors available to your party.
Korgan:
He's a horrible little man, he'll kill you for a handfull of coppers and would want to make an omelett out of Aerie's baby if she laid eggs - And he's honest about it!
You just can't go wrong with a bi-polar Dwarf who in my eyes isn't outright evil, but more of a down right bastard who gets his way by swinging axes and threats. He makes me laugh every single playthrough, his quips, insults and shenanigans are both amusing and very fitting for the scene.
If ever there was a proper old grumpy Dwarf character, then Korgan is it.
Save for Sarevok the Overpowered and Keldorn, I'd rank him the best melee warrior there is, he certainly kicks the ass of Dorn, Valygar, Minsc, Mazzy and whomever else i might have forgotten.
She was also essential party member -- having all those 'chaotic commands' slots makes the mind flayer lair so much more fun.
2. Jan. As lots of others have said. Truly laugh out loud funny. Essential party member. The Jan-Aerie peg leg / cracker story deserves an award for 'best use of a MacGuffin in a video game.' Hire whoever wrote this character.
3. Neera. Great writing. Great voice. Her 'we are about to meet Irenicus' lines made me laugh. Writing was good enough to remind me of a friend from high school.
(Btw. i am not yet in spellhold during my bgee2 game with hexxat, so maybe I will be nicely suprised
Of the Bioware originals, I'm especially fond of Irenicus. His over-the-top melodrama was so beautifully delivered and his lines so expertly crafted that I recall thinking I'd never seen any character so well-developed and emotionally appealing with so little actual content outside of a novel. He makes a great villain regardless of the nature of his foe.
Of the new content, I'm most fond of Hexxat. She brings something new to the table as her own interests are always more important to her than the PC's situation and there's a reasonable explanation for that. Her qualms over her own recently acquired immortality and redefinition of "surviving" are poignant without being overstated.
For one, Coran is my BG1 favorite because he is Chaotic Good exemplified and appeals to my sense of whimsy. "Luck be a Lady" and "You can't live without a little adventure!" are two quotes that make me think that Coran's traveled far and wide. Up and down the Sword Coast, he must have made friends, lovers, and enemies - and laughed as he left them all behind in search of new adventures. Special mention goes to the creator of the Coran BG2(EE) NPC. Anytime I see a "favorite NPC" thread pop up I always answer Coran because this mod is everything I hoped Coran would be and more!
My other favorite character is Keldorn. If I could ever become a paladin, he's the example that I would strive to follow. He puts the Good in Lawful Good. He is a father figure to every group he's in and his wisdom always steers CHARNAME in the right direction. His voice is calm and when he speaks, you can feel the genuine concern and awareness of duty he holds for the party. This is epitomized by when you make him the leader and he says solemnly, "I will do everything in my power to keep this group safe and on the path of right." I can feel Keldorn's conviction when he shouts battlecries like "Good is on our side this day!" and "For right and honor!" Besides those things, I agree with everything that @Khyron said about Keldorn.
Runner-ups include Minsc, Baeloth, Anomen, and Haer'Dalis. Minsc is just iconic for all the reasons previously listed; Baeloth is awesome because of his added alliterative appeal; Anomen is actually really good because of his character development, and I enjoy Haer'Dalis' wit and prose.
I also like her for the sheer improbability that she was there at the end of the series at all. She very nearly wasn't in the first game at all and in the second game she was supposed to be killed off. And yet by the end of the series she's potentially one of the most important characters of the saga. Someone in Bioware must have really fought for her.
Plus every time she says "Huh, you're a queer fellow" I crack a little smile.
I haven't been here all that long, but it's been made clear in probably over half my posts that I'm one of those fangirls. You know, the ones who turn into a puddle of incoherent goo at the mere mention of Edwin Odesseiron? In the beginning I didn't know anything about the Realms - or D&D at all for that matter - and I certainly didn't know what a Red Wizard was. Thirteen years later I can't look at a map of Faerun without having tunnel vision on Thay. Initially it really was easy to attribute liking Edwin to my attraction to villains and handsome men with nicely-trimmed goatees and European accents. Still, those parameters are a silver-a-dozen, especially in this genre. So I suppose what makes him special enough to acquire the attention of an otherwise completely flaky woman and hold it for thirteen years is what this is really all about.
Even though in comparison to how he is in BG2, Edwin was really not that interesting in BG, he still pretty much had me at "Go no further". What started it, I suppose, first and foremost was that voice. I'm a sucker for good voice acting, whilst bad voice acting (or even sub-par voice acting) can completely cause me to despise a character for no other reason whatsoever. As has become a trademark of theirs, Bioware collected only the best and I can't imagine anyone but Jim Meskimen as Edwin. Next, obviously, would be the portrait. I don't mean to be shallow but deal with it the man is hot. Beyond that it was just that every time he said something I would pretty much burst into laughter, yet while it was all hysterical and meant to be so, it wasn't as over the top as Minsc. Sadly, a fair bit of Baldur's Gate series humor seems to forget about genre and time period realism. "Butt-kicking for goodness" is a phrase that for me just kind of pulls it right out of a medieval fantasy setting. Edwin's eloquent and elaborate word choices are fitting and keep things comical without yanking me out of the mood (with the exception of the "mouse magic" bit, which is only if you won't stop clicking on him incessantly). Among a host of other characters, Edwin performed his role as the humorous villain with an enjoyable level of believability.
I'm not really sure what made me see it in BG, because honestly there isn't much there, but come BG2 it was confirmed that a solid character was there. Evil characters in D&D are difficult to work with, to say the least. It is really the only genre where you're handed a character and flat-out are told "oh hey so this person is evil". I enjoy that Edwin is not overdone insofar as evil is concerned. He has logical reasons for his actions based on his own goals and is written according to these. Too often villains, especially ones that are given a comical baseline, are written in a blatantly sadistic and campy manner. Edwin has desires, ambitions, and though they are cleverly disguised, regrets. In short, he's human. Even though he's a total arse, there's something loveable about him that I can't quite put my finger on. Perhaps it's the way he sometimes seems to stumble over himself, and his bad habit of talking to himself, like somehow under all of that posturing, there's a tiny little bit of insecurity he's compensating for. And really, aren't there a great deal of antagonists formed by some measure of an inferiority complex masked by practiced arrogance? The world of Marvel certainly comes to mind.
I never had a runner up until now. Lately, Nalia has become a second favorite of mine, oddly for somewhat similar reasons. That is to say, believability. I know she's hated by many, and I actually had started this HUGE reply in the "why do people hate Nalia" thread until I realized it was tl;dr and the thread had kind of fizzled anyway.
I think people would find her more likeable if she truly didn't see any class distinction at all, rather than constantly remarking how they were lesser but that they deserved good treatment. However, if you stop and give some serious consideration to her life and those she grew up around, you have to realize that would be rather unrealistic. Even if she is able to see beyond the attitudes of her Aunt and the other nobles she was raised with, she is young and inexperienced and has always been privileged. It is unlikely that she would be able to forget such a heavily-defined line between the classes without more time in the world.
I also have no issue with her class distribution, because it's almost used as another characterization method rather than any mechanical need. Yeah, she is a crap rogue, but you're not supposed to USE her as a rogue. It's a background that happens to give her a few last-ditch abilities and makes her a tad more useful in combat. What it paints a picture of is a girl who from a young age began to rebel and sneak out, probably learning skills from the peasants and poor during her excursions. I realize that she says as much in game but I don't know, I really appreciate it when I see thought put into how a character would choose classes and how that would develop, because that's how I make my characters. Even if it means they might not be quite as strong mechanically as they could be.
I am very disappointed in the lack of dialogue she's given in much of the events related to the Keep if you take it on. The fact that you can't defer for her opinion, and that she has no comments to make when you make decisions regarding your visitors. She also has what... one line? During the Isea kidnapping bit. I have the de'Arnise Romance installed, however, and there are several points during which I've struggled for a minute to figure out if I was in a canon part or not. Needless to say the characterization for that mod is flawless and it fills in a few holes. I chose to play it because I realized that she reminds me a LOT of an old, mostly forgotten original character of mine that I abandoned, so I decided to do a playthrough as her romantic interest and it's been very interesting. I'm probably going to be integrating the two into my FR fanseries. But I'll spare you any more rambling about fanworks.
As an honorable mention in relation to believability, despite some of her more modern speech patterns, Neera is actually a very well-written Chaotic Neutral character. I can't say I like her, however. In fact I despise her, and I was raging inside during her entire BG2 quest, but I think that's due to some rather obvious biases so I hesitate to claim my personal tastes say anything about the value of her as a character.
In general, I'd say Xan. I like characters with a humorous bent, and Xan manages this while still being serious. He is my go-to arcanist in BG1, and any time I start building a theoretical party in my head for a playthrough, I always try to justify having Xan along. In my most recent playthrough of BG:EE with my jester Veraka, I geared up Xan the best I could and would occasionally send him into melee in low-threat fights. In the caverns below Candlekeep he single-handedly dispatched the remaining mercenaries with his moonblade while the rest of the party was held or feared (he tanked Agannazar's Scorcher like a champ with 50% fire resistance coming from his sword). Between him and Minsc, I've had to force myself to stop using them in BG1 so I can experience some other NPCs in more depth.
The jury is still out for my favorite among the new NPCs. I did appreciate how grand Rasaad's quest felt when we raided the monastery in the mountains and fought with trolls, I felt like it captured the adventure of the Gnoll Fortress from Minsc's quest while having more story and greater challenge. It'll take me a while to work through all of them in BG2 because the entire game is pretty new to me. I may end up liking Neera the best, but time will tell.
Finally, my personal character favorite is Veraka, my chaotic neutral human female jester. I've had a lot of fun as many different races, classes and alignments, but something clicked with me when I started playing a powerful, low-Wisdom, capricious jester who I felt free to be ridiculous with. She was usually nice to people, unless it involved sparing a guilty person's life or there was a joke to be made. I've discussed her before in other threads, and I even started writing an epic for her: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/22604/veraka-s-saga-spoilers#latest