Emperor? Nuanced?

If "nuance" means "going back and forth on threatening to make you obey him by force or patronizing you at every step because he was shoehorned into the plot very late and had no time to be properly developed", then I just don't know what makes a character "good" anymore, I guess.

There were hopes during EA here and there, but every if not all major characters in the game are either one-dimensional or you are pushed by the narrative to interpret them in a specific "correct" way. Like Ketheric Thorm, who isn't even given a chance to properly play out. As for the companions, their arcs are as transparent as they get, like with the "evil" ones:

- Lae'zel: starts as a fanatical adherent to Vlaakith, very strongly pushed towards turning away from her and softening up;
- Shadowheart: was actually a Selunite all along, only kidnapped and brainwashed, complete with a lot of Mary Sue moments throughout;
- Minthara: never was sadistic and violent, it was all Orin's influence! The game presents her as a perfect companion for an evil PC in Act 1 if you destroy the grove only to show the fattest middle finger and take that away entirely.