Explain Serge's Silence.

[YukonaSunato]

I've been wondering why Serge is silent. Is it because he is you, the player of the game? Or is that how he truly is? There are other RPGs that have protagonists that speak, and their characters are developed and clearly seen.

Serge's character is kind of unclear to me. Of course, I get the protagonist bit and that he's a good person, but what else is he? 
I've been browsing the fanfic archive at www.fanfiction.net. Some fics show him as silent, good natured. But the badly written ones show him as a person who shouts. Some show him as gay,    some show him as... OOC.  Anyway.... HOw can you explain Serge's silence?

[V_Translanka]

He's a douchebag who just goes with the flow. It's not like he never speaks, either, much like Crono, he speaks whenever you choose an option...or he introduces himself or w/e...

I don't know what else can really be "explained" about his silence that you don't already know: it's a throwback to an old RPG standard because RPGs used to be about the player being the character and coming up with who they were and everything...RPGs as we know them, big dramatic console things, aren't really about that anymore so the silent protagonist shtick has fallen to the wayside...

[Insane]

Basically, a Silent Protagonist (Player Character who does not talk) is like that so that the Player can become more attached to them.

[The Black Wind]

This Silent Protagonist shit has got to stop. I want to be able to relate to the character I'm playing as, which I can't fucking do if he never speaks. Crono is more understandable because Chrono Trigger was made in 1995, and the character was actually intended to represent the player. Crono was an average guy with no established past in the game because the player's backstory is irrelevant to the plot of the game. Though, as far as I'm concerned, Magus was the main character of Chrono Trigger. One way or another, everything revolved around him and he was easily the most complex and interesting character in the game. Frog came close even though his Shakespearean dialect brought my piss to a boil, and I thank God that it was fixed in CTDS.

But Serge, on the other hand, has one of the most well-established backgrounds of an RPG character, and yet he doesn't speak -- at all. First of all, what was the point in doing that if the character is given no development whatsoever? I'd really like to know how Serge felt when he found out the secrets of his past, or how he felt when he found out that the man he had pursued throughout the game and killed was his father. What a waste! Second, why didn't he speak? He spoke in Radical Dreamers, which I realize was a different game but our Serge was still based on the same character. Kid kept her stupid Australian accent, didn't she?

If there's another Chrono game I hope that the series gets with the times and gives us a character that will open his mouth. This shit will not fly in 2009.

[maggiekarp]

Gimmicky throwback to Trigger that was interestingly used in some parts but, due to the lack of emotional expression outside of cutscenes and significant character interaction, it sucked balls.

It is representative of the game as a whole.

[Romana]

Serge's silence unfortunately conflicts with what could've been a really enjoyable character development... Silent protagonists always give me the impression that they're never surprised and cool as a cucumber in any situation, and that just wouldn't be logical with everything Serge goes through during the plot. It's all really dull and weird without any reaction.

[Toan]

If Serge was in another game, he probably would be a normal chatter box. This happened with the Persona 2 games. In Persona 2: Innocent Sins Tatsuya Suou was the main character and assumed the role of a silent protagonist, another character, Maya Amano was a normal chatterbox. However in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, Maya Amano became the silent protagonist, and Tatsuya Suou became a normal chatterbox.
Same happened with Chrono Trigger/Cross. Crono was the silent protagonist in Trigger. However in Cross, his ghost talked normally.
So if Serge appeared in another game and was not the main character, he would be his own character.
Make sense?

[kid123]

Make a little sense, if Serge even available as chatterbox on next Chrono games....

I will be glad if he can talk on another games, the problem is I cannot feel the ENTIRE     character development of him, which wasted in Chrono Cross.  The whole perspective of Serge during the game plot were ruined completely because being silent and does not react according to the plot atmosphere and revelation/dialogue. It just piss me off.
I have daydreaming that he hold a hatred toward his father within his heart, for ruining his life by attempt to kill him. But deep within his heart, he try to search the truth of why his father acted like that.

[Toan]

My hypothesis is actually correct in one of the Chrono Cross FMV's. After Serge and Lynx switch bodies and when Lynx/Serge stabs Kid, Serge/Lynx seems like he is calling Kid's name and is very upset after the incident. He showed a ton of unique personality there.

[kid123]

That, and during the burning of orphanage house event. Kid mentioned Serge's cheek is wet indicate he is crying. I cannot remember any event that show his personality other than that,
anyone try to enlighten this matter?

There are so many event that could leave a deep impact toward Serge, but silence is golden,
few reaction from him. Wasted and busted.

[V_Translanka]

When Serge first turns to Lynx, regardless of what you may think he looks like he's saying, he actually just roars. It's more in confusion or possibly frustration, because he's seeing his dream come true...Regardless, one little burst of quasi-emotion does not make up for an entire game of reactionlessness...idk how many times I've said it, but at least Crono had a friggin surprised sprite. Serge's world is turned upside down several dozen times throughout his adventure and he never seems to bat an eye. "Oh, yeah? That's my grave? Big whoop." is what it feels like, only if he HAD said that, it would have been more acceptable!

[maggiekarp]

I don't think the problem is so much that Serge is silent, it's more that Cross handled ALL of the characters rather poorly.

[V_Translanka]

Everyone but Kid & Harle...and they're out of the game for like half the time like the rest of the party (not even Serge's friends like him...his sole companion through it all: Pip...)...Harle even less, really (though you don't have to have Kid for very long in the game either, which is odd)...

[Celdine]

I have daydreaming that he hold a hatred toward his father within his heart, for ruining his life by attempt to kill him. But deep within his heart, he try to search the truth of why his father acted like that.

I think that is why Serge is silent. The creators wanted the player to feel and react to the events on their own, to bring the player into their story more.  I remember the first time I played through CC I myself felt everything that the character should be feeling. There are many games where the main characters do talk and react, though its handled poorly and just takes me out of the experience.

Personally if its done right, I like the whole silent protagonist thing. Makes for a good immersive experience, though if your looking for character development, I can see how you would want more.

[Chrono'99]

at least Crono had a friggin surprised sprite. Serge's world is turned upside down several dozen times throughout his adventure and he never seems to bat an eye. "Oh, yeah? That's my grave? Big whoop." is what it feels like, only if he HAD said that, it would have been more acceptable!

He did shake his head. It's more a problem or art style than anything. Can you imagine Serge doing Crono's "surprised" animation?