KNOWING WHO YOU ARE IS HALF THE BATTLE

ally-wonderland:

I also fully believe that Baron Praxis is Clancy Brown’s best performance in anything he has ever done.

Praxis terrifies me so much sometimes, but he’s not just a megalomaniac warlord pent on destruction and domination. There’s so much to his character that we don’t get in the games (though the same can be said for all the characters besides Jak, because they’re all NPCs in Jak’s story save Daxter occasionally), and yet it’s still there, tangible and present, in his dialogue, his tone of voice, his actions, and his beliefs.

Naughty Dog was able to fit so much of the characters in through simple dialogue and even the body language of the characters, sincerely, without having to explain or shove it to the players to make it obvious, and in a visual-based medium completely reliant on overt explanation (eg, basic controls) to tell its story and make the experience accessible that is no mean feat.

Oh my god I fucking love Praxis.

Every time I watch the opening sequence, I pledge my undying love to his characterization. He is a fantastic villain and the perfect person to pit Jak against. There’s a lot of reasons why I love Jak II the best (the fact I can beat it, Jak’s beautiful hair, Keira), but Praxis as the villain is up there at the top.

He’s just so human. He’s selfish and egotistical and greedy, but he’s also trying to protect the city the best way he knows how. He’s totally committed to maintaining his view of order, and he’s totally willing to do whatever it takes, no matter how horrible the consequences, because he’s completely convinced he’s right.

And just…fuck me, the way he treats Jak. THAT’S what makes it. He’s disgustingly proud of what Jak’s become. He’s proud that he works. He’s angry that Jak slipped away and is tearing at the foundations of his empire, but he’s entirely convinced he can get the boy back under his thumb. Jak hates him, and he just grins, so sure he’ll win, so sure that Jak is the key to winning the war, and soooo sure that Jak Is His.

guh where did all these J&D feels come from there’ all over the place

Reblog / 19 notes.

Posted on February 27th at 2:21 AM
Tagged as: reblog. Baron Praxis. Jak and Daxter. Jak II.
Reblogged from: yo-lady
Originally posted by: ally-wonderland