Yesterday we had a little news about the new League of Legends champion Kindred, eagerly awaited by the community. The principle of “two individual characters in one” is not new, even if it is now celebrated by LoL players. At least one other game (and surely many that I don’t know) had such a character long ago – and that character is centuries old. We are talking about Hel from Smite, a Norse goddess of the underworld.
Hel – The Daughter of the Trickster
Hel is definitely one of the most interesting goddesses handed down from Norse mythology. She is the daughter of Loki, the great trickster, and therefore a monster (like all his children). But that’s not all: She is also cursed with the madness of two personalities and takes care of those who cannot enter Valhalla. The “bright” Hel looks after the sick and the elderly, while the “dark” Hel sorts out all bad people and sends them to the underworld. But why do I bother when this video can explain her so much better:
In contrast to Kindred, Hel often argues with herself – as it expresses her personalities. Not everything is serious, and much is just silly fun, but a few sentences are enough to know that the “bright” Hel and the “dark” do not understand each other – except when they lead or kill a soul into the depths of the underworld.
What Makes Split Characters So Popular?
I can only speculate why these characters are so popular. That’s why I make it simple and shamelessly generalize from myself to others: Most heroes in MOBAs are not connected to their game world. They are puzzle pieces that somehow have to work with the other pieces. For this reason, dialogues – if they exist at all – between the characters are very rare and often only scratch the surface of the backstory. In Heroes of the Storm, for example, some heroes insult each other. However, if you pay closer attention to the words, it quickly becomes clear that they are chosen in such a way that they apply to multiple opponents. The individuality, the soul of the different characters suffers from this.
Dual beings, like Kindred or Hel can break out of this trap. They can tell their own story without relying on other players. The characters can argue with each other, encourage or ridicule each other. They can engage in deep, meaningful dialogues or just fool around.
That may sound lofty or unrealistic, but I believe people long for stories and especially connections – and these characters provide that on a very basic level. They are not a reinvention and not innovative, but they give us a bit more story and a bit more entertainment than all other characters. Moreover, they are incredibly cute.
