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Character Bracket Round 1.0


RadZakpak

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Keepers and Apothicons. You may remember my map bracket or my easter egg song bracket, and after some time, I've decided to begin a new bracket centered around characters of the Aether storyline. Which characters did I include, you ask? Well I began with 50 names with multiple speaking parts and a personality to talk about, and whittled that down to a more reasonable 28. So if there's a character not included that you wish was, I probably did too, but with too many characters to choose from in the first round things would get boring fast.

 

Even still, round 1 must be split into two parts, with the first six matchups today, and then next six next week. Here is the bracket in its initial form:

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So how does this work? I will provide a list of matchups, for example:

 

1. Juggernog vs Speed Cola

 

You would make your choice by replying with your pick and a reason why, something like:

 

1. Juggernog, because of course!

 

Your reasoning can be anything from personality, development, comedy, voice performance, or just how they look!

 

At the end of the week I will tally votes and advance winners to the next round.

 

Here are our first contestants:

 

1. Doctor Schuster vs Samantha Maxis

 

2. Takeo Masaki (Ultimis) vs Billy Handsome

 

3. "Misty" Briarton vs Sal DeLuca

 

4. Doctor Maxis (Original Timeline) vs Peter McCain

 

5. Tank Dempsey (Primis) vs Pablo Marinus

 

6. Samuel Stuhlinger vs Doctor Monty

 

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1. This is very, very tough because I have a personal bias towards Schuster. He's one of my favorite characters to write for, and I appreciate he is a scientist who is more of a follower than a leader. He feels like a very real person. However, I cannot deny Samantha's paramount importance to this story and her journey since the beginning, from an innocent girl lost in a dimension she did not understand, to a child desperate to find her father, and finally to a heroic figure in the end. I have to pick Samantha, because without her, Zombies would not be even close to what it is now.

 

2. My pick has to be Takeo. This may almost seem like an unfair matchup at first, but keep in mind Takeo was not always so loved, and Billy Handsome actually has some real, intense personality given a further look. When I played Mob recently as him, he struck me as the most interesting Mobster with his lack of regret for his undeniably evil actions. But Ultimis Takeo has always been a favorite of mine for his underdog status and commitment to a moral code.

 

3. I pick Sal DeLuca, which may be controversial, but I think Misty did not get enough development in her tenure, and while I do enjoy playing as her, Sal has this backstory and demeanor I really enjoy and some real depth.

 

4. I have to say Maxis due to his major importance to inciting Richtofen's journey and his effects on the multiverse. As much as I think this Maxis is a big dumb dumb, he has a genuinely well-written character, with his love for his daughter and his judgement being clouded by his own pettyness.

 

5. Tank Dempsey really grew on me in the past few years. It never really struck me until I started examining Primis Dempsey more how soft-spoken and introverted this Dempsey can be. When he isn't yelling, he's usually making a comment to himself or trying to find some meaning in it all. His field reports as a form of coping mechanism really resonates with me, and his close friendship to Takeo after the ordeals they both went through really warms the heart.

 

6. Tough call here. I want to say Monty because of the potential his character had, however I don't think he was utilized well enough, and as much as I enjoy McDowell's performance, Monty was not used enough to justify the importance he is supposed to have to the universe. I find Stuh hilarious most of the time and I appreciate even in Tag der Toten he is pretty much still the same moron with voices in his head that he has always been, and you can't help feeling bad when things go poorly for him.

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1. Doctor Schuster vs Samantha Maxis

Doctor Schuster because Samantha on Moon got OUT OF HAND. You can't even tell me that you don't hate her a little bit because of the pain she caused on Moon. 

 

2. Takeo Masaki (Ultimis) vs Billy Handsome

Takeo Masaki because he is one of the main characters throughout the WHOLE storyline. This isn't even debatable. 

3. "Misty" Briarton vs Sal DeLuca

Sal DeLuca because no one likes Transit. 

4. Doctor Maxis (Original Timeline) vs Peter McCain

Peter McCain because he saved the Primis crews' life on Gorod Krovi. 

5. Tank Dempsey (Primis) vs Pablo Marinus

Tank Dempsey. This one is also not debatable. 

6. Samuel Stuhlinger vs Doctor Monty

Doctor Monty because he is essentially partially controlling what is going on and trying to create a perfect universe. 

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1. I'm going for my favourite Doc too, Doctor Schuster. While indeed, I should actually go for Samantha, your Storybook made me like Schuster that much. He witnessed the downfall of his friend Richthofen and saw what the desire to power did to him and Doctor Layman. And that while Schuster didn't want this, didn't deserved this. He was just a scientist.

 

2. Takeo Masaki: Yep, I've never really got into MotD, let alone the characters. Thus, our Quick-Revive and monkeys liking warrior wins this in my opinion.

 

3. Sal DeLuce: From all Victis characters, Misty is my least favourite, for pretty much the same reasons as why I don't like Dempsey. She is just a cliché videogame badass character, without any dark or sad sides. For that reason, she isn't really a relatable figure either.

 

4. Doctor Maxis: His love for her daughter really grapped me. Even when corrupted, it seems his father instinct still wins it above everything else.

 

5. Pablo Marinus: His mysteriousness, and yet importantness, is something I like. He is a neat character to theorize about.

 

6. Stuhlinger: Stuhlinger has a real interesting background. I also like all the conspiracy talk he is constantly about.

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1. Samantha is such a complex and interesting character, Schuster isn't really much more than a scientist needed for Richtofen's schemes. Going with Sam.

 

2. Takeo is honestly my favorite character so this isn't too close. However I do really like the background that Billy got in the Blood Of The Dead ciphers.

 

3. Sal. Misty never really got anything-  Every other Victis character has dialogue in multiple BO4 aether maps, but she doesn't. The closest thing she ever got to backstory is her father being a marine.

 

4. Maxis. Peter is kind of a nothing character until Alpha Omega, while Maxis has been relevant in every single game ever. And he's really quite a complex guy. The original one is a truly horrible person, partnering with the nazis against 935's opposition, leaving samantha with richtofen despite knowing that richtofen was crazy at that point. And of course destroying Earth at the end of Buried.

 

5. Dempsey is my least favorite member of Primis but he still takes it over Pablo, who is a throwaway character until Tag. And yes he is very important to breaking the cycle and is a pretty good character, but it's hard for him to beat a Primis member. The DE cutscene gave Dempsey some great character building. 

 

6. Stu.  Monty is my least favorite character in the series. Stu is also quite a funny character with a very mysterious backstory, we know nothing about what he did before 2025.

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1. Samantha Maxis If I had to sum up all of Aether in one character to a stranger, I'd probably pick her. I dunno, if the person I mention her to, would actually be inclined to play the mode then, but I feel like it is fitting.

 

2. Takeo Masaki (Ultimis) Ultimis > everything else

 

3. "Misty" Briarton So, you know back when CoDz had a chat I once told the folks, hey Misty aint that bad, which I still stand by. I think she is a fun and quirky character, but I also said, how I liked her for the gloves she is wearing, cause I thought they looked nice and it became a running gag, initiated by good old Tasha. Cause you know... boobs... 

 

4. Doctor Maxis (Original Timeline) His beard is glorious (Though I don't know if the OG TImeline version has a beard as well, if not then pay no attention to the first reason.) and also he has been with us since the beginning

 

5. Pablo Marinus You know, this is a stupid reason, but I laugh everytime at the end of the Easter Egg, cause the way he talks and properly introduces himself while being teleported away is comical.

 

6. Samuel Stuhlinger I feel indifferent to Dr. Monty and Stu has that nostalgia bonus.

 

For the most part stupid and shallow reasons, but that is what you get with me. :P

 

 

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You're testing me here Rad but:


1. Samantha Maxis given a community member thought early zombies were saying “Sam” which started the whole thing.

 

2. Ultimis Takeo because ultimis..

 

3. Dunno anything about these characters really, but Sal because everyone loves Mob and Misty seems like a flat character.

 

4. WOWOW you’ve really got me here. I think Peter because that character has captured me so thoroughly since the Shi No Numa introduction, just hearing the name sends shivers across me body. So OG.

 

5. Pablo Marinus because old lore > new lore, but I’ve always got love for the crew!


6. BO2 was my least played/understood so even though I don’t like how Monty’s story turned out, I choose dat british boi

 

@Monopoly Mac @NaBrZHunter @Mattzs we all waitin on ur responses

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1. Schuster vs. Maxis

Hard hard call. But my vote goes in favor of Schuster for several reasons, especially consistency of character

Samantha doesn’t hold a candle to Schuster in this regard. Schuster is always believable, sincere, and deep, while simultaneously being a highly conflicted character. That being the case, he is complex in a way few characters in the storyline are. Sam, on the other hand, has switched sides, changed accents, and blown Apothicons in two with her hand like she wants to be a planeswalker or something. I love her character, but Schuster takes this one. Anyway...

Winner: Schuster

 

2. Masaki vs. Handsome

Takeo is an easy takeaway here for me, for one, I don’t really play the mob maps, so I wouldn’t know Billy Handsome if he picked my pocket in broad daylight, and two, because as with all ultimis characters, I love Takeo’s veiled complexity. 

Winner: Masaki

 

3. Briarton vs. DeLuca

Again, I know little of DeLuca, but that’s beside the point because I’ve always had a fondness for Misty, especially in the context of her relationship with Marleton. She is a somewhat flat character, as Tac stated, but her potential for development is there. 

Winner: Briarton

 

4. Maxis vs. McCain

Maxis, easy. He’s a highly conflicted character, torn between his love for his child, his work, and his ambition. All of it burns and he gets to watch. His is a tough, dark story. 

What I like about Peter, however, is his story and the mystery surrounding it, not so much his character. 

Winner: Maxis

 

5. Dempsey vs. Marinus

Dempsey is a moody character, and I appreciate a glimpse at his younger self. Marinus, however, has been a fulcrum if controversy and should be dead. 

Winner: Dempsey

 

6. Stuhlinger vs. Dr. MTX

Stuhlinger. I don’t even need reasons. There is literally nothing - NOTHING to like about Dr. MTX. He was inserted like a drug into CODZ in order to sell “divinium.” Stuh, meanwhile, is a real character

Winner: Stuhlinger

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1. Samantha- She is like the fifth member of Ultimis (no offense, Pablo). Going back to the first zombie yelling something resembling the name “Sam”, Samantha has been there since the beginning. Before Monty and the Apothicons, she was the big-bad.

 

2. Takeo Masaki (Ultimis)- I like Billy, but the Ultimis crew is too iconic. They are perfect and will always hold a special place in my heart. Rock on, Tak.

 

3.  Sal DeLuca- Gonna have to go with my goodfella over here. The mobsters had an elaborate backstory. Despite Five and CotD, the Mobsters started the trend for Treyarch’s approach to “one-off” crews. Even with only one appearance, they all felt like well-rounded characters. Sal and his Pals managed to be interesting and engaging with the occasional wise crack added into the mix. He is one of the celebs that I would like to see return.

 

4. Doctor Maxis (Original Timeline) - Don’t get me wrong, I really like Peter. He is iconic in his own right. Peter has been hanging around since the beginning and recently got more backstory in Alpha-Omega. However, Maxis had more time to develop as a character. Alongside Samantha, Maxis is another staple of the series; especially in Ultimis’ story.   

 

5. Tank Dempsey (Primis)- Like Schuster and Peter, Pablo had little screen time. He is also like Peter in that he has his own claim to fame. Being the supposed mystery portrait and fifth test subject, Pablo is ingrained in Ultimis’ lore. However, Primis Dempsey has the honor of showing a saner version of Tank. In a roundabout way, Primis gave more legitimacy to Ultimis as characters.

 

6.  Doctor Monty-  Stu had one of the most interesting backstories of the Victis crew. He even had a few good one-liners, but Monty is something else. The story potential and questions surrounding Monty overshadowed his own late entry into the series.

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I know, I know, I'm late as fuck to doing this.

 

1. Samantha Maxis. There really isn't a secondary choice for me - Sam is... Sam. It's a weird thing, debating with myself over the two characters. I enjoy Schuster, but he's kinda stuck in the background. Sam was always present, though. Always a force in the story, be it through innocence or said loss of innocence. It's... strangely poetic.

 

2. Billy Handsome. I always hated Ultimis Takeo. The single stereotype that killed me having to listen to. BO4 doesn't really help, but it's effort. Whereas, Billy somehow was more than a one-dimensional mobster (although that was his main face to bear). I like that.

 

3. Misty. While I respect Sal, Misty was... always just a good leader in my books. Not a perfect character, very much a stereotype as you might think she would be, but... I forgive that for the character she became.

 

4. I might be a lone gunner here, but Peter's plight always spoke to me. He was just a lost soul amid the chaos of multiple worlds. His general story just... spoke to me. He had no role, no will or choice, he was just... there. Another person torn away because of the Aether's call.

 

5. Primis Dempsey. Primis is probably gonna get all my votes for being the best versions of these characters in my books. Sorry if that comment is controversial. I just really like the writing behind Primis.

 

6. Doctor Monty. I hate the guy, but... he stands for a lot. I've alluded a lot to how he's like a cosmic painter, and my thoughts on that logic haven't changed.

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Round 1.0 is ovah! Here's the results:

 

1. Doctor Schuster (3) vs Samantha Maxis (6)

 

2. Takeo Masaki (Ultimis) (8) vs Billy Handsome (1)

 

3. Misty Briarton (3) vs Sal DeLuca (6)

 

4. Doctor Maxis (Original Timeline) (6) vs Peter McCain (3)

 

5. Tank Dempsey (Primis) (6) vs Pablo Marinus (3)

 

6. Samuel Stuhlinger (5) vs Doctor Monty (4)

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Just now, RadZakpak said:

Round 1.0 is ovah! Here's the results:

 

1. Doctor Schuster (3) vs Samantha Maxis (6)

 

2. Takeo Masaki (Ultimis) (8) vs Billy Handsome (1)

 

3. Misty Briarton (3) vs Sal DeLuca (6)

 

4. Doctor Maxis (Original Timeline) (6) vs Peter McCain (3)

 

5. Tank Dempsey (Primis) (6) vs Pablo Marinus (3)

 

6. Samuel Stuhlinger (5) vs Doctor Monty (4)

Sheesh, savage!

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1 hour ago, NaBrZHunter said:

Peter is a favorite of mine, but as a character he hardly has anything we can go off of except for Alpha Omega which was, yeah, canon, but far too silly to tip the scales for me. Peter’s *story* is what gets me. 

 

I feel like you're missing the point.

 

It was never about the mission, the endgame or anything. It was his warpath through the events surrounding the actual story that he carved, and his stance as he grew to be another soul lost in a grand scheme beyond him. He was a bystander in a greater war than he could understand.

 

For him to come back in AO is... interesting, to say the least - and I'm not going to cry on about whether or not that felt off for the sake of being off. Regardless, it was nice that we could see him in a light as one more hopeless man - and how we found him inextricably tied to everything else by the end of that tunnel. It feels... poetic.

 

Apologies if zero words in this tangent made sense - I'm running on fumes today.

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@The Meh Negative, I am delineating between him as a character and his story. Someone can have a tragic or powerful story and be a weak, ineffectual, or even wicked individual. What better time to discuss this than while Joker is in theatres?

The challenge was to choose the better character. For all we know, Peter was a war criminal. Don’t get me wrong. If you think I take issue with the lore of Peter McCain, well...heheh...you don’t know me. Eh, Tac? 

The point is, as a character, he does not have the depth that Dr. Maxis does. 

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At the end of the day it all comes down to personal preference and what the individual person values more in a character. Like to me Doctor Schuster is a strong character, despite us not even knowing what he looks like, and his appearances amounting to him giving expository science dialogue. But I can extrapolate based on his reactions, his tone, and manner of speech around superiors to paint my own interpretation of him as a scientist being yanked around by those willing to take advantage of his abilities. But it would also make total sense for someone to see none of that, and just see him as a nothing character, which is a fair interpretation. Same applies to Peter, and I can see how just little snippets of that character can be extrapolated into something far greater than Treyarch ever intended, because at the end of the day a character is only the audience's interpretation, since they are not a real person.  

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Agreed, that certainly can be. Above, you’ll see I also cast my vote for Schuster over Samantha - because, despite Sam’s prominence, Schuster’s strength as a character does come across rather strongly. 

Again, my argument though, was that Peter was pitted against Maxis. LOL! WAW Maxis, one of the most complex and thorough characters in the storyline. 

I see the argument clearly, and as a die hard fan of Peter, myself, it was not the easiest vote to cast, especially since we as a community are often preferential towards the more mysterious characters even over the more transparent ones. But if his mystery carries so much weight for me, I believe it should be a less *weighted* factor in the matter of my vote. 

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