Amber

From first season to last, Amber was a character "ideal." From the beginning she was a leader, somebody willing to fight for what she believed was right. She would often sacrifice her personal safety or happiness to do it.

She was also the least developed & most wooden, one-dimensional character that "The Tribe" gave us.

Ok, I just heard at least 3 people accuse me of heresy--gimme a chance here, guys!

Amber was a hero. And like most heroes, her hallmark was her steadfastness. Once she made a decision, she stuck to it. If she agreed to do something, she saw it through to the end. Her personal sense of honor was highly developed.

It's easy to trace Amber through the story. Leader of the Mall Rats. Leader of the Ecos. Leader of the Resistance. City Spokesperson. And along the way she met Bray, fell in love, had his baby, then lost him to the Technos. Her friend Dal died in her arms. Her friend Pride died senselessly. But her personal feelings were beside the point. Amber was focused on the city, making it a decent place to live for everybody. She worked toward that goal to the very end.

Amber the Hero didn't grow. Didn't change. Some people will argue that with me--hell, even her style didn't change all that much in five seasons. Clothes come 'n go but those Zulu knots were forever. In a way, they were almost a symbol of her unchanging nature.

Amber didn't surprise you. You knew her character, knew her politics, knew her passions. Those didn't change. She was essentially the same person at the end of Season-5 as she was at the beginning of Season-1.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. People like their heroes to STAY heroes. And the world of "The Tribe" needed heroes.

But I would've liked to see Amber grow & develop & change the way a lot of the other characters did. In that, this character was short-changed. She was a lot more than just a hero...I wish we'd seen more of that.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"