If Estpolis Biography II were a giant high school, Dekar would be the popular jock. He would get voted class president, even if he doesn't have the brains for the job. He'd be prom king, even if he couldn't find a date. He'd be homecoming king, even if his only talent is flexing his muscles. Everybody loves Dekar.

The reason for this lies in the structure of the Estpolis games. Their storylines and characters are rigid. But Dekar defies that. He's not bland and boring like Maxim, or an overused stereotype like Selan and Lexis. He's delightfully different, fantastically flawed and wonderfully human.

As a character Dekar provides a lot of comedy relief in Estpolis II. In true 16-bit-era fashion, he is part of the well-established running gag of the amorous male who chases after girls but can't seem to catch one. It's a popular joke in Japan, but everywhere else it's another story. The playboy characters are often the least popular in their respective games, especially among male fans. But not us Estpolis fans. We love Dekar anyway. So what if he can't get a girl? He has a fan brigade large enough to start their own country.

Ask any Dekar fan what they love the most about him and the answer is unanimous: his stupidity. But he's stupid without being too stupid, and that's why he's so funny. In many Estpolis II reviews I've read, Dekar's dumbness is referred to as the high point of the entire game. One reviewer described him as being "as dumb as an ox" (and "with the agility of a three-legged cow" to boot), then gleefully confessed that he's a huge fan of his. Another reviewer who greatly disliked the game called Dekar's brainlessness its shining point and admitted to quitting it after Dekar's "death" in the Karlloon shrine.

But while he may be funny, Dekar also has depth as a character. He's surprisingly softhearted. When Prince Alex was finally confronted with his obvious weakness in the North Dungeon, Dekar didn't rub it in his face. Instead he consoled him (and was rather eloquent about it), bringing Selan to comment that his concern was "really impressive." Tia admitted that talking with Dekar helped her feel better, during one of the most touching moments in the game. Dekar is the epitome of sympathy when the occasion calls for it. He's also humble at the right times, too. Think about how often he tolerated Alex's belittling. He could've easily put the prince in his place, but he never did. For a flirty boy, he has a lot of self-control.

For me, the best thing about Dekar is his total lack of angst. He isn't a brooder with a tragic past. His character depth relies on being emotional in a postive way — by reaching out to others — instead of withdrawing into himself or having psychotic breakdowns. Now don't get me wrong, I love a long list of psycho characters. It's just refreshing to see a character who's facing the present and not the past, who is truly free of emotional baggage.

Flawed as he is, Dekar always manages to save the day, right up to the end of Estpolis II. The game doesn't pick on him or make him out to be nothing more than a fool. He's a genuine hero...and a genuine human being as well. He is a character's character, one whose personality is far more important than his role in the grander scheme of things. He stands up to the darker tone of the game, challenging us to smile in spite of it. And he does it with such ease and charm that we can't help but click on his name every time we're asked to choose a favorite character. The girls in the land of Estpolis may be able to resist him, but us fans certainly can't. For us, everything that's wrong with him is part of what makes him so perfect.