Tales of the Abyss
Makoto Yoshizumi, the producer of "Tales of the Abyss" explained that studio staff made the protagonist, Luke, unlikable by being "selfish" and "annoying" at the outset of the game. These negative personality traits were designed to cause gamers to dislike him but over the course of the game, he would mature into someone so likable that the other main characters would comment, "Huh, Luke's not that bad". While such a character could turn off many players, Yoshizumi preferred a cast of "flawed characters" rather than a story in which "the fated protagonist had a perfect life and a perfect upbringing, and he grew up to defeat the demon king".