#it is completely unedited so my bad for any typos omg

[veilder]

Hi, who is your favorite dbh character?

Heya, I just realized I never answered this! Shame on me, kind anon, I'm so sorry! 😓 But I love this question so lemme give you the rundown. XD (This got way too long, so the answer is under the cut, omg.)

So, I have a few answers here, lol. But let's start with good ol' canon. And without a doubt, my fave canon character is Hank Anderson. Seriously, I resonate with this dude, so damn much? Like, not only would we be contemporaries if he were real (as he was only born 5 years before me), but we have such a similar sense of humor, lol! I too thrive off that dry, deadpan, sometimes-fatalistic humor that Hank is so good at and, despite all the horrible stuff that happens along Connor's route, Hank always got the biggest laughs from me, lol! Not only that, but I feel like we have a very similar temperament, too. Like, not to get too personal on main or anything, but that sort of irascibility is nothing new to me, omg. I can have quite the temper at times and am not always pleasant to be around. Getting pissed, holding grudges, assigning blame to try and assuage your own guilt... Idk, I really feel for him? Like, no, I've never experienced the absolute devastation of losing a child or anything, but I've had my fair share of little tragedies, too. In a way, I feel like I can relate to Hank in some small way. And of course, there's his (determinant) drive to do better. To be better. The way he actually wises up and sees the injustices being committed and decides to *stand against that*, no matter what. And I've been talking about the good ending Hank for the most part, but if we dial it back to the rooftop scene with machine!Connor, well... I think it's very telling that, if given enough opportunities to see androids as people, Hank will confront even his own wayward partner to try and protect them. He gives his all because he's finally found something else worth fighting for and he wants to do whatever he can to try and preserve that and... Damn, that's such a beautiful, inspiring message? Like, that ending is far from happy no matter what way you take it, but I feel like it's still an intrinsic part of Hank as a person, too. If Connor deviates, he'll do something similar, even going so far as to try and fight off Sixty on his own to buy Connor time. I just... Hank is such a noble character if you give him the chance to be and that's something I aspire to be. It's... really nice to see a character as flawed as Hank get that sort of redemption story. It gives me some hope I might be able to change, too. Now, on the flip side of this is my fanon pick, which... Yeah, you probably guessed it, but it's Gavin Reed. Yes, that Gavin Reed, lol. DPD Asshole Extraordinaire. Certified Rat Man. Tough-talkin, rarin' for a fight, bigoted, unpleasant Gavin Reed. Yes, I am so terribly fond of this garbage human being. Allow me to explain. (With all explanations going off of my own headcanons, of course, since he really doesn't have much actual characterization in canon.) So, first thing I wanna say is that Hank and Gavin are actually quite similar? Their character arc really mirror each other in a weird way tbh. But the key difference that lies between them is... Hank is given the chance to change. And Gavin isn't. Like, not to be a Gavin apologist or try to excuse his shitty behavior or anything, but Hank is specifically assigned to investigate deviants alongside Connor. Hank is inundated with evidence of their personhood, is a firsthand witness to Connor's own wavering loyalties, and he manages to come out of it with a new outlook on life. But Gavin, despite showing up on a few of their investigations, doesn't have that opportunity. Gavin is only there for the aftermath. For the violence that rogue deviants bring, for the havoc they wreak on the economy, it's really no wonder he comes in with such a skewed attitude towards them? But I honestly, fully believe that, if given the same opportunities as Hank had, he would be right there in his place fighting to save this marginalized race. Like, dude was born in 2002, he's a Gen Z to the core. I have to believe that, at his heart, he also has a fierce desire for justice as well? (Especially since I default hc him as LGBT+.) So, if given the evidence Hank had, if the proof of deviancy was

literally shoved in his face like that, then I really can't imagine he wouldn't flip sides. But I'll stop here before I go even more off piste, lol, and move onto the next point! XD Another thing I love about him is his volatility. Yes, you read that right. But, as established earlier, I *also* struggle with my temper, too, and even moreso than with Hank, I feel like I understand Gavin's impulse to lash out. This man is hotheaded, blunt and reckless, a winning combination if ever I've seen one, lol, and I expect it's landed him in some hot water more than once. (Especially if you go off of Neil Newbon's hc that Gavin got his nose scar in a bar fight! XD) But I feel like Gavin is more feral and more extreme than Hank is and, well... Yeah, I vibe with that a little too much. 😅 But him learning to harness that drive, to control his temper, God I love fics like that? I love seeing him get a character arc where he can recognize his own flaws and learn to be better, where he can work on the things in himself that drive others away. Where he can realize he was wrong about his beliefs and try and make amends. And yes, this is all highly subjective, but this is the Gavin Reed I like. Others may still see him as the awful man he is in canon and that's absolutely fine, nothing wrong with that? It's literally what he was created to be. But I always take a shine to the asshole characters, lol, they are my people. And I always love seeing fandoms do their best to excavate their hearts of gold. Not only is it entertaining but, like with Hank and his story arc, it's heckin inspiring for me personally, flawed human that I am. Fanon!Gavin makes me a little more hopeful. So yeah. This has gotten hella long, whoops! I didn't mean to write so much, I swear! But I think I would be remiss to not give a few honorable mentions (I'll try and be brief though! XD): Connor: Just such an amazingly written character, I freakin love this guy. And his own struggles with identity are something I think a lot of us can vibe to, if only just a little. He deserves to be happy after all he went through. T_T Sixty: God! This little bitch! XD I fuckin love this dude! He had such little screentime but he fuckin stole the show for me! He's so... campy and overdramatic! And then insisting he's not a deviant, lol! Like, okay champ, whatever you say. XD And I know he's a highly subjective character too since he doesn't have much of an actual character in game, but he's definitely top tier feral for me in my own headcanons, lol! He's a bastard and I love him. XD North: Omg, yes queen, slay!!! Once again, it's the feral ones that win me over! XD But truly, I love her determination and drive, her protectiveness, her willingness to do whatever's necessary to see a better future for her people. She is just... Dammit, I love her. T_T She should've been able to win the Battle for Detroit, dammit! Let her lead her people!!! And that's that, lol. Anyway, hope I answered your question, kind Anon? Sorry it got so long and rambly, I tend to do that, omg. But yeah, thanks so much for the question! I always love talking about my faves! ^_^