Weird, I made this post yesterday but it seems to have vanished. Anyway, TL;DR -

Quote Originally Posted by Vahnavoi View Post
Someone has to make the characters for there to be anything to play in roleplaying game. The overarching point is that no matter how much you feel you want it to be you, as a matter of practice it doesn't have to or need to be you to lead to an enjoyable game - because there are more things to consider than just this limited aspect of game.
Sure, it doesn't need to be me. It doesn't need to be the GM either. The question is who should make the characters, not who can make them.

Like yes, I am aware that pre-gen characters are possible and some people prefer them. That's fine. I still have a preference for making my own, and IDK why anyone would think "but the GM could make them" would change that preference.

Let's take another angle at this: you and some others keep bringing up that pregenerated characters are fine for one-shots but not for campaigns. What are your practical reasons for that?
Much like with clothing, I have higher standards for how well something "fits" if I'm going to be sticking with it for months than if it's just for one day.

Also, there's less need for "hitting the ground running" in a longer campaign, so the cost/benefit ratio is worse.