Avowed's Kai Is the Game's Breakout Star

Summary

Companions in Avowed are seamlessly integrated into the game's narrative and never leave the player due to choices made.
Kai stands out as the most memorable companion in Avowed, with a rich backstory and depth comparable to Mass Effect's Garrus.
Kai's warm yet humorous personality in Avowed highlights Obsidian's understanding of great character depth and emotional layers.

In true Obsidian Entertainment fashion, Avowed features several companions for players to get to know on their journey, all of whom have been seamlessly integrated into the game's narrative and will never leave the player on account of the choices they make. This ends up making Avowed's companions one of its most essential features, with their stories, personalities, and opinions expanding the game's story beyond its primary objective to produce something more meaningful and memorable than it could have done on its own.

Each of Avowed's four companions — Kai, Giatta, Marius, and Yatzli — are compelling in their own right, but none of them quite live up to Kai in terms of memorability and depth. It makes sense, given the fact that Kai has been one of the most prominent faces of Avowed during its marketing phase, almost as if Obsidian knew the lasting impact that he would have on the game and its players. While Giatta, Marius, and Yatzli all have unique qualities that make them stand out as video game companions, Kai's rich backstory, lovable personality, and versatility on the battlefield make him Avowed's breakout star.

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By Josh Cotts

Kai Is Avowed's Best Character

One of Kai's best characteristics isn't immediately noticeable in Avowed, as he initially gives off "comic relief" vibes that have been known in many other games to be indicative of a character's shallowness. In those games, comic relief characters are generally used merely for their ability to lighten the mood in any situation, rather than what they may be hiding beneath their playful exterior. However, in a lot of ways, Avowed's Kai is like Mass Effect's Garrus Vakarian, whose warm, sarcastic humor is a defense mechanism more than anything else, useful for masking their pain and shying away from vulnerability.

Ironically, Avowed's Kai is voiced by Brandon Keener, who is also the voice of Garrus in Mass Effect. This was likely an intentional choice made by Obsidian, as they presumably wanted Kai to share characteristics with Garrus.

Just like Garrus in Mass Effect, Kai has a rich backstory that not only unravels as Avowed's story progresses, but even more once players do his unique companion quest. Throughout the game's narrative, Kai reveals certain aspects of his character in lines of dialogue, but it isn't until players start digging into Kai's companion quest that they will witness the true depth of his character, as his past is laid bare before the Envoy, and he is forced to confront his own guilt. It runs almost perfectly parallel to Garrus' own story, almost betraying Obsidian by revealing the developer's preference for one of Mass Effect's most beloved characters.

Kai is more than his pain, however, and his warm personality isn't always just a mask. It may seem as though he has a difficult time taking things seriously, but he knows how to balance his humor with compassion, proving himself to be quite the sweetheart throughout Avowed's story. If players ever find themselves in the middle of a dilemma where someone's life or health is at stake, they can always count on Kai to give them a reality check and urge them in the right direction.

Just like Garrus in Mass Effect, Kai has a rich backstory that not only unravels as Avowed's story progresses, but even more once players do his unique companion quest.

Kai's role in Avowed not only makes him the game's most memorable companion, but also highlights Obsidian's understanding of what makes a great character. While Giatta, Marius, and Yatzli each bring their own strengths to the table, Kai's depth, emotional layers, and humor set him apart. His arc goes against the grain with most modern RPGs, where a comic relief character is actually given real substance, much like Mass Effect's Garrus Vakarian before him, resulting in a character that Avowed arguably couldn't do without.

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