What makes Rachel's Character so likable?

[Chad32]

That makes sense to me.

[Venus]

Being the hardcore R/T shipper that I am, it was Rachel's loyalty to Tobias that made me like her. The others thought she was so hardened, but when she was alone with Tobias a much softer side of her came forward. Had she not died I really think their relationship would have lasted for the long term.

[voodooqueen126]

I think so to, in fact I think she would've thrived. I think the only reason she died was because warriors are politically incorrect these days.

[Chad32]

What do you mean by politically incorrect?

Yeah, Rachel and Tobias' relationship was strong. Which made me understand even less when KA talked about Jake and Cassie's relationship not working because relationships that start during wartime can't last during peacetime.

So that's two contradictions. One where I can't see why Tobais and Rachel, whose relationship didn't start until after the war started, would fall apart. Another where Jake and Cassie were together before the war started, and had little development, but then fell apart because they changed over time. Of course change happens to people, whether they get caught up in a war or not.

[voodooqueen126]

Well we can guess the views (from interviews and subtextual reading of her books) of KA Applegates and they are almost the essence of political correctness. (an ideology that is generally anti war if the west does it, morally libertine, mildly socialist in economics i think someone else discussed the themes of animorphs) KA is very anti-war which is why Cassie and Jake's relationship falls apart...
Rachel, despite being  KA own creation, was still offensive to the authors world view: she was violent, materialistic, vain, rude... to my own world view i would describe rachel as: brave, stylish, proud, and honest... Rachel, like Jake and Cassie's relationship, died of theme. Cassie, who epomitises politically correct values was the only one allowed to  survive the war.
Ironically I could be quite wrong... long before  i thought that Rachel died of theme, I had a  strong impression that Naomi was a social conscience left leaning/PC lawyer (this is California after all so those values are quite likely for her)...

[Tiana]

Rachel is one of my favorite Animorphs. For someone her age, she's the most self-sacrificing, loyal and of course, brave teenager in the series. The way she always supports Tobias and is there for Cassie, and even Marco is very admirable.

I hated how the books changed Rachel's character later. Here was this strong, intelligent (why did the writers dumb her down? She was incredibly smart!), caring, and beautiful girl who was not a hypocrite like Cassie, nor an arrogant, ethnocentrist(?) like Ax(love him anyways), or totally cold/ruthless person like Marco. What's not to like?

[voodooqueen126]

The authors own sentiments affect how they portray certain archetypes and character types, Rachels character just offended KA...

[Mira]

Good question, I have sometimes thought in this way. (No one have to agree with me): I think that if Cassie had died instead of Rachel it would have been the opposite. I mean, Rachel is both beautiful, intelligent, brave... before I found this site and was able to read more books than the few ones translated into Swedish I was very annoyed with Rachel.

[voodooqueen126]

maybe I said this on the literary archetypes, but how the audience receives Ax, Rachel, Cassie etc is affected by their own background and values. For instance Riza San an Australian subconsciously portrays Ax unsympathetically. Perhaps in politically correct Sweden (like France and many English) looks upon warriors unsympathetically and much prefers Cassie...?? I mean western Europe has certainly lost her warrior/imperialistic sparkle. Any Victorian (the period not the state) would read the Animorphs, and after they got over Rachel's gender, would be like "Go Rachel! Go Ax! Die Tobias! Die Cassie" (and not because of the latter's race either)

[Chad32]

I find it hard to imagine Ax being unsympathetic. The worst thing about him is that he's not always loyal to the group over his own people, and that's perfectly justified. But you're right. It's all about the individual, and their personal opinions. Rachel and Ax were the two most soldier-like members, and they ended up dead and assimilated. Tobias, whose only purpose in life was trying to save the world and use the war to become important, wound up a self-exiled hermit. Cassie and Marco wanted to be in the war the least, and they ended up better than anyone else.

[voodooqueen126]

Riza San portrayed Ax unsympathetically as did Korean Pearl.

[Robcola21]

What i loved about Rachel was exactly the things you said. She was strong and loyal, protective, and able to love someone so different along with everyone else.

Out of the whole group she was the strongest, which makes it ironic that she died. She gave her all.

If they ever bring back the series i hope they clone her or something. Have a storyline where Tobias has to deal with the clone being her but not being her.

[Thea]

For me it's the character development. They all had it, but especially her. She started off as a little mad and aggressive, and grew into a person who lived for war and nothing else. She even became a bit of a bee iy tee cee h at the end of it, as I recall. If she had lived past the war, she'd have gone mad not having something to fight. I think she changed the most out of all the characters.

[Chad32]

I don't think she ever got to the point where the war was all she lived for. And she wouldn't have gone mad, because she'd have had anti alien terrorists to fight.

But that's just alternate character interpretation.

[DinosaurNothlit]

If they ever bring back the series i hope they clone her or something. Have a storyline where Tobias has to deal with the clone being her but not being her.

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it sounds like you might like my fanfiction.

[spoiler]Technically, not a clone, though.  I used her ixcila + a hereth illinted body.  Which leads to all kinds of psychological fun times![/spoiler]

And anyway, I agree that Rachel wouldn't have been the same after the war.  She would have been as broken as Jake was, if not more so.  I mean, she's committed at least as many terrible sins as he has.

Well, maybe not quite.  But certainly close.

And letting her live wouldn't have done Tobias any favors, either.  It's suggested that, had she survived the war, he would have 'gone human' for her.  And then he would have endured the same shock that Cassie got from Jake.  Rachel would not have been the same wild reckless person that Tobias fell in love with.  It could not have worked out between them, I don't think.  And then where would that leave Tobias?  Trapped, without his wings, and utterly miserable.  Seems he was just doomed to suffer, either way.