hoshi ⊹₊⟡⋆

YES exactly!!!! i've talked about this so many times (and have half-finished rambles in my drafts for once i complete my TOY reread), but to me, xavier's supporting cast is so strong that i feel as though his story route could act as an entire standalone game they all feel fleshed out, their personalities balance each other well & their interactions feel unique. even characters as minor as our grandis knight teacher get their own little character development arc (ferrying the revenants in sindersfell being his eternal punishment for his complicity in philos's human sacrifices, and helping us reach the tree of life was his act of penance before sacrificing himself to the sinders), even villains like soren have depth to them (his struggle with class/status compared to us and xavier, witnessing the repercussions of philosian society treating its people as expendable fuel), and even npcs we never meet personally like hal have an entire story to them (his experience on tradewind island resulting in him staying behind to save the island and transform it into what it is now) and they all do such an incredible job of elevating xavier's character, highlighting his strengths as a leader and as a person in different ways. like isaiah's classism standing in contrast to how xavier gives everyone the same fair respect regardless of status, or getting to see how he commands respect from sullivan and successfully convinces him to help us out because of how well he knows each of his teammates (and then of course there's jeremiah who could warrant an entire post of his own, he's my favourite npc in the entire game and i'll forever stand by that)