nyxlunaire

Latest Posts by nyxlunaire

A kiss from your prince

i love the awakening kids but i also hate them so much at the same time because they all have the exact same problem in that they all insist on dealing with their problems on their own! they have literally endured two worlds worth of trauma but wont talk to anyone about it! not with eachother, not with their parents, no one!! it has to be coaxed or bribed out of them because theyre all convinced that opening up is equivalent to burdening other people and it’s just!! not true!!

laurent refuses to talk about how being isolated for five years changed him until his dad and lucina push him! severa wont talk to her mom out of fear until cordelia makes a deal with her! inigo wont open up to his dad until he almost dies! kjelle convinced herself she cant show a smidge of weakness or else everyone will die! brady convinced himself his insecurities are a liability! owain and cynthia would rather die in their alternate personas than admit theyre not as happy as they let on! im not even gonna touch gerome’s refusual to talk about his feelings with a ten foot pole. nah was neglected by her foster parents and forces herself to treat it like its not a big deal BUT LIKE. IT IS? noire was literally abused by tharja and talks about like all she did was get a slap on the wrist once. yarne is carrying the livelihood of an ENTIRE RACE on his shoulders. admittedly hes probably the one who talks about it the most, but honestly. he deserves to! because what the fuck?? dude?!

and lucina. oh my god lucina. i dont even think i can put into words how much pressure she was under in her own timeline, and how much she had to repress in order to be the exalt her people needed, even though she knew she was leading her friends into a losing war. and then we literally see her first moments in canon timeline of awakening, the first thing she sees is her father who she misses more than anything in the world, and she cant even react to him?! she cant tell him how much she loves him, how much she missed him, she cant cry, she cant do ANYTHING shes quite literally hiding everything behind her mask. and then she continues to hide it all for TWO YEARS until she accidentally slips up, but the fact that it was an accident means she was going to keep up the marth facade. like GIRL. JUST HUG YOUR DAD!!!

anyways this is all to say they make me emo

the thing that gets me about the awakening kids is that they grew up as prey. they were not the apex predators in their world. they had to fight and claw their way to survival at every given moment. they’re not hunters, they’re survivors; never once were they the predators in their world, and that has honed them so sharp that nobody even realizes it. so what if severa’s reaction to being startled is to draw her sword? so what if laurent keeps his back pressed against the wall whenever possible? so what if inigo’s hearing is so sharp he can hear footsteps from hundreds of feet away? they survived, and they’re good fighters; during the war, it only helps them. it doesn’t matter.

but what about after? when the risen are eradicated once and for all, when the wars are finished, when the fight comes to a close? now, owain falling silent when a door creaks two floors down is annoying. now, kjelle’s ability to switch focus right into fighting is scary, not helpful. they’re humans; they’re the best fighters ylisse and everywhere else has to offer. they’re the apex predators.

and yet they grew up as prey.

i don’t think the trauma hits owain/odin until after anankos is killed.

he never knew peace. he was so unbelievably young when the war started, as there was war before there were risen, that chances are, the only little bit of peace he’d ever seen was in the few months before anankos showed up and begged him, severa, and inigo for help, so he donned a persona and fit himself into the role of a retainer—another soldier, another fighter, just with a more refined name.

and then he fought for leo. he fought for garon. he fought the war, and perhaps he killed anankos along the way, or perhaps he and selena hoisted laslow’s body in a casket and used their crystals as odin bid farewell to his lord turned king. and then he returns home—wherever home is, whether it be ylisse or nohr—and is met with… peace.

if he stays in nohr, it takes longer to set in. there are still skirmishes, still reparations, still things that must settle down and things that he must manage by leo’s side. but as peace settles a blanket over nohr, as odin no longer has things to worry about every moment of every day, is no longer worrying about battle after battle or training or building up public trust—well, first come the nightmares, then the flashbacks, then the triggers.

if he goes to ylisse, it’s faster. ylisse has settled, by now, almost irregardless of how much time passed in ylisse versus nohr. there are no battles to fight, no wars to win. owain barely counts as a prince in the ylisse he returns to, with his counterpart already born or maybe, if the time is far different, simply on the way. there is little for him to do, and so the images of risen haunt him—whispers of their magic in dark corners, their eyes in the reflections of stained-glass windows, their rotten stench in the stables.

he is fine. he is fine, he is happy, he is healthy, he is stable. but then when everything he has built himself up around crumbles—when there is no longer a cause to fight for, no longer people who need protecting—he collapses, completely and utterly.

@someobscurereference I’M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS 44 SLIDE MONSTROSITY

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u0HxzRT2jte626lSvK_MyNhxaxwOpoAHHXokXT08fuI/edit?usp=sharing

Here’s the link to the slideshow, it should pop up as “This is a title” because I am very creative

Also WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE HIDDEN FATES DLC AND LASLOW-ODIN SUPPORTS

Make sure to view it in presentation mode because there’s a lot of transitions and animations! 

Anyways, AFTER HOURS OF WORK IT’S FINALLY DONE SO HERE IT IS, I SPENT SO MUCH TIME GETTING ALL THE NOTES AND PICTURES AND THIS TOOK AT LEAST 10+ HOURS OVER THE LAST WEEK

LIKE, I’VE NEVER PUT THIS MUCH WORK INTO EVEN SCHOOL PROJECTS

BUT THIS WAS FUN AND I ENJOYED IT AND I HOPE YOU DO TOO

Wallace @ Norman as soon as he learns about all the shit he did to Ruby throughout Pokespe:

[ID: a gif of a person winding up and kicking the camera. End ID]

Reblog if you love any of the underappreciated pokespe pairings

luckyshipping • specialjewelshipping • viridianshipping • ambershipping • entourageshipping • raltsshipping • concretejungleshipping • gracefulshipping • magmajewelshipping • chosenshipping • manganewrivalshipping • originshipping • absurdistshipping • grantedshipping • originalshipping • romantic or platonic • reblog with others!

something something Inigo is such an inherently tragic character who quite literally never gets to rest or just breathe. He was so young when the war in future-ylisse started he barely remembers peacetime. He fights because it's all he knows. He watches his mother die right in front of him, in an act of selflessness, to protect him. He forces him self to become comedic relief in a way, practically degrading himself in some cases just to make his friends smile because what is he if he's not boosting the morale of the army? He repeatedly puts himself in harm's way to protect others but maybe that selflessness is also partially derived from selfish desires. He's afraid to lose people like he did his mom, he'd rather die for someone than have it be the other way around. If he can't help people what does he need live for, especially if he's Lucina's brother. There she is, his strong and amazing big sister, a beacon of hope for all as she leads them. He has to be cheery, has to make everyone laugh, because if not then he's utterly useless. No one relies on his leadership the way they do Lucina. Then they go back to the past. He's glad to see his mother again but his father? He barely knows the man. He's distant and seems so unreal to him. They fight and he chastises Inigo and finally all those years of bottled-up emotions burst. He sceams and yells because how DARE his father assume he doesn't care. He doesn't know the utter hell Inigo's been through. Such an anxious boy forced to be all smiles and smooth-talking for the sake of the others. After getting that out of his system he's mostly alright. Relationships are mended, everyone's happy, but he can't stay. Not with baby Inigo on the way.

Then he goes to Nohr. He serves under Xander, devotes his life to him. For the sake of this ramble, then birthright happens. Oh boy, birthright. Inigo, who's never been afraid to put his life on the line, dies for a country he has no loyalty to. He loves Xander (whether it be romantic or platonic) He sees Xander about to get himself killed and directly disobeys an order to stay put (I mean, when has he ever listened to those) and gets himself killed. He dies protecting someone he care for. I'm sure as he layed there dying he thought of everyone he left behind in Ylisse. He thought of Selena and Odin and the promise he made, how all three would live no matter what, but it's too late for that now.

Did this make sense? no but I got my messy thoughts out somewhere

this is just part of my interpretation of him as a character and there's so many more things I could talk about with his character and who he is, but I love focusing on the aspect of him feeling the need to sacrifice himself and his own needs for everyone else

actually thinking so much about the implications of chrom!laslow. because he grew up a prince completely useless, completely unable to protect his citizens from this force that tried to kill them no matter how hard anyone tried. they were completely at grima’s whims and try as he might to protect them, his father was gone and his mother did her best before she inevitably died as well, and he was so young and there’s only so much he’d be able to do, yk? but then fast forward and he’s in his 20’s, maybe 30’s, and he’s under xander who is in such a painfully similar situation, and he’s seeing it from an outsiders eyes. sure, anankos isn’t raising the dead citizens before their eyes to kill what remained of the living, but he was still destroying the people of nohr and by extension hoshido. people lived in fear. there was nothing that could possibly be done for them, not until anankos was killed and garon, by extension, died. but this time, laslow is one of the few people who knows about it, and he cannot speak of it lest he want to disappear forever, which ran the risk of dooming nohr forever because he did have some sway as the retainer to the crown prince of nohr. and he’s older now, it’s true, but he is just as helpless as he was as a child, watching his citizens lose family and friends and themselves in the face of the horrors that surrounded them and being able to do absolutely nothing to stop it.

Sothis' design symbols and colors are frequently represented in nabataeans design, game's UI and many more. In this post, we will address all of this.

Stars

These magical points of light would have always reminded people of other worlds and heavenly powers. According to spiritualists and astrologers, the stars transmit certain messages and energies that affect our own world. Stars are often seen as magical and mysterious, reflecting the mysteries of the universe. Also, the star would hold the meaning to something higher, beautiful, enlightening, mighty, and divine. All of these things unmistakably represent everything Sothis is in a game. The stars also symbolize guidance on the right path (either literally or figuratively), a role played by Sothis, Byleth, and Rhea in game.

Heart

The heart often symbolizes love and passion, but it also symbolizes spirit, the essence of life and strength, and this is in line with the concept of the crest of flames as the source of Sothis’ power. Furthermore, the crest of flames is in the stylized shape of a heart, and in the Sothis’ design it appears literally inside a heart in her necklace.

The similarity of the design of Sothis to the Nabataeans

In order to understand the method of my explanation of the similarity of the nabateans design with Sothis’ tiara, I divided the crown parts and named each part as follows: P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, and P9.

Surely many have noticed that Rhea’s adornment is very similar to that of Sothis, while the patterns on her cape are similar to those of Sothis’ dress and the crest of flames. 

She has P1 and P2 in her outfit as Seiros.

Like Rhea, Seteth has in both his diadem and belt frame and tassels similar parts to that of Sothis’ tiara, but in a more stylized form as pictured below.

While Flayn’s barrette may not look like the parts of Sothis’ tiara at first glance, they are in fact stylized P1, P2/P3, and P5.

The distinctive pattern that Seteth and Flayn share looks like a stylized of Sothis’ knot, and even the pattern on Seteth’s back is similar to a P3.

Even the pendant owned by Sitri is the same as the P8.

Colors

Sothis generally wears blue (specifically dark blue), which is the color of the star Sirius. However, it is very important to note that the Sothis’ ribbons are distinguished by the color white, which in Buddhist culture and most world cultures symbolizes learning, purity, longevity and knowledge, and pink symbolizes the traditional Buddha. So we see Sothis in crests mural wearing only white and pink. (I avoided golden and black because I felt that they are just colors used in general in design)

Besides, all the Nabateans wear the same Sothis’ color scheme, white, blue, golden and black.

The only color they lack is pink, which only Byleth and Seiros wear in her hair band.

The Byleth’s dagger also has the same Sothis’ color scheme, representing the relationship they have. But I guess I’ll talk more about Byleth’s design in another post.

The rainbow fish bestowing the Goddess Messenger has the same Sothis’ color scheme.

I know that I ignored black and golden, and I know that some may think that the uniform colors of the Officers Academy represent the names of the three houses, but it also specifically represents the Sothis’ color scheme, and evidence of this is the white shirts, and the dark blue which is the same color as Sothis’ dress.

Its house leader insignia is similar to P1 and P4.

The pattern in uniform has P1 motifs, as does the infinity motif in Sothis’ necklace.

The uniform brooch is stylized for P1, P3 and P4, but in rhombus pattern style.

Speaking of the rhombus pattern, some must have noticed it given its presence a lot in the game, and in any product for it. Sometimes 4 rhombuses major are combined to form a four-pointed star, and sometimes 4 rhombus minors are also combined with the major ones to form an eight-pointed star. The eight-pointed star is the one that represents Sothis and the Nabateans in general, which symbolizes god, protection, and victory. Over the years, it has also taken on different meanings due to a variety of cultures and customs adopting it. In many cultures the eight-pointed star is also a symbol of harmony, spirit, and matter. You could even think of this star shape as two superimposed squares that form the basis for the universe. Sometimes a square is confused with a rhombus, especially since a rhombus can also form an eight-pointed star with a square. 

This pattern is present in many parts of the game, including white magic units, church npc, and the pattern found in Rhea and Gilbert outfits.

The pattern found in Cathedral.

And in many UI game.

There are also many UI that contain a Sothis’ design, as shown in the image below.

Everything Johan did was For Anna/Nina

Everything Johan did was for Anna. 

                      A “Monster” capable of love.

“What I’m most afraid of is…forgetting Anna. The strange lessons we have everyday… are making my memories fade. Please, don’t make me forget Anna. It’s only Anna and me in this whole world. Just give me that - please. Please.”  – Johan Liebert”

I was very confused about the complexities of Johan's character up until the last handful of episodes. After rewatching the series for a 3rd time and exploring how Johan is portrayed in the manga, it became very clear to me that my initial opinions about Johan were basic and devalued the intricacies of Naoki's writing. From the beginning we are only TOLD by conflicting views, who Johan was. His character, in the fictional world as well as our own, is simply defined by an individual's perception of him and the story presented. However, if we dissect ALL of the themes and even the undertones Naoki presented to us through the world of characters; I think it would be evident that Johan was not committing heinous acts for superficial reasons such as simply being evil to be evil.

So what was the method to his madness? 

I believe... Everything he did was for Anna.

(Yes this includes erasing himself from existence too )

Author's Note: I want to preface before you read on that although these essays are written in a sympathizing light that Johan has done PLENTY of wrong. This is not written in an attempt to dismiss his heinous acts lightly, but to simply understand the "Monster" of the series by tackling Johan's crimes deeper than the surface. I tried to make sense of Johan's every action in regards to his OVERALL PLAN and why Naoki presented them to us as viewers. For those who will nitpick the term "everything" quite literally, I want to make it clear that not E V E R Y S I N G L E A C T I O N Johan has taken coincides with his love for his sister; his actions towards the children specifically - because there are some things that had nothing to do with his "perfect plan" but more to do with attempting to build Johan's character and his view of the world us as viewers. Justifying ones actions vs. rationalizing ones actions are completely different. I am in no way attempting to discard the accountabilities that Johan should face for his actions, but instead trying to make sense of it all. I've analyzed Johan's crimes against children here: https://xprincessgarnetxvi.tumblr.com/post/691678531250487296/i-really-love-reading-your-essays-i-can However, this will explain the root of Johan's character and the core of his overall plan(s) that was committed for the sake of his sister from the very beginning to the end. The overarching theme and message of Monster is that there are no such thing as Monsters, only broken human beings capable of great evil; so we will humanize this great Monster in order to understand not only Johan Liebert, but the hows/whys Tenma/Nina was able to forgive him and ultimately find value in saving the life of this supposed Monster.

Before we begin, I'd like to take the time to thank you for reading! I can't wait to review your comments and further discuss this magnificent series of Monster!

-

Anna was set up from the beginning to become The “Monster” given she was the one who actually endured the experiments. Her tendencies are shown in glimmers throughout the show. The heartbreaking twist to it though... is that the only reason why she DID not become the beast, was because SHE ( unlike Johan ) HAD KNOWN REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

-Johan’s love and sacrifice is what kept her safe from the darkness he knew very well. He got his hands dirty to shield her. He chose to leave her behind in the care of her foster parents, knowing she would forget him, in order to heal.

He chose her than himself over and over; becoming her shadow; choosing to lose his only attachment to his already weakened identity in order for her to heal.

His love for her is why she never became a monster...and tragically, why Johan had.

Which reflects exactly what Mikhail Petrov (whose real name is Reinhart Biermann) said about his "PROFOUND DISCOVERY" concerning his current experiment on the children he had in his home; he said the children did not become animals because he gave them LOVE.

(Mikhail Petrov telling Grimmer how the children in his current experiment did not become Monster - it was because they had LOVE.)

In his own twisted way and view on things, he was protecting her. He killed every "parental" figure they had because he was betrayed by every adult figure in his life so far. People who mentioned calling the police, ended up finding out about their past - anything that could lead the man, who Johan referred to as “The Monster” into finding them, he disposed of.

The adults in their lives thus far would betray them, torture them, hurt them, throw them away- and forcefully separate them. In his severely abused mental state, any adult figure was a potential threat to his and Anna’s safety. So he’d kill in order to runaway from "the monster" and protect Anna. Then when Anna found out about the blood on his hands that fateful night the Monster paid them a visit, he realized that now he had become someone Anna feared - a different kind of Monster but all the similar to the one they were running from.

So he rationalized that now he needed to die.

In that moment, I think we should focus on his body language and expressions. Johan faced the ground. hardly picking up his eyes. His shoulders were sunken and he did not have that menacing little smile he usually had. Johan has killed in secret various times with Anna and back at Kinderheim.

So why was he so messy with the Lieberts?

Because he did not want to kill them - he said HE HAD TO.

It was not a calculated murder, because he was not truly calm and collected; He was afraid.

Lets not forget who Johan was up until that moment: the infamous little boy who provoked an entire riot and massacre by simply opening his mouth. With mere words he was able to sway the adults and children into doing what he wanted. BUT IN THAT MOMENT when Anna caught him red handed, he could not, or rather, would not - try and manipulate Anna.

(He has never once been shown trying to manipulate or abuse her throughout the entire series as he has done intentionally with the rest of the world.)

Instead, he asked her to shoot him and run - in an attempt to finally liberate her from the horrific life they had to lead up until now - blaming his existence for the constant chase their predator (Bonaparte) gave way to them as prey because in that moment, his memories were distorted and he believed he was the one who went to the Red Rose Mansion. **** (X) (this theory is challenged referenced below)

To Johan, him living was a danger to Anna and that night made it evident to him.

But when he was brought back to life and realized the gravity behind his methods, seeing how terrified Anna was of him - he started to cry. Because despite his initial feelings of finding his death absolutely necessary for her to be safe, he still wanted what he had with her; the only bond of love he ever knew.

What set his entire ADULT plan into motion (wiping out everyone who ever hurt Anna and created HIM) was Anna's rejection at the hospital. That was when he realized internally, he was beyond forgiveness and that he was nothing more than a monster. A Nameless monster in her reflection that needed to die in order for her to live in peace. (Referencing the God of Peace storybook. )

Johan was the one who gifted the God (Anna) her hat and then she saw herself as the Monster she was supposed to be due to the Red Rose Mansion experiments. This would NOT have happened if Johan did not give her the hat (the red hat which can symbolize the blood he spilled for her. ) so in this instance, Johan is also the reflection (you are me and I am you. They are both nameless monsters)

From that moment on, he wanted to wipe out his entire existence, and that meant those who ALSO "created" him so that Anna could heal as Nina.

I believe this is what is depicted in the Nameless Monster storybook. 

Initially, we are made to believe Johan wanted to “consume everyone” so he would be the last one standing. The Monster known as Johan in the book also devours his counterpart, the Monster who went West and then there is no one left to call him by his name. But clearly, Johan never does this, because Johan never attempts to kill/devour Anna/Nina - because what it symbolizes is entirely different in nature regarding Johan’s intention. 

A quick reminder that both Johan and Anna were considered Nameless Monsters. HOWEVER - by Johan’s hands, Anna does not remain “Nameless” nor does she ever become a “monster” the moment Johan decided to not only leave her behind in the hands of a loving family, but by her changing her name and her identity to Nina. The Fortners never made any implication that they knew of Nina’s past concerning the Lieberts murder and I believe this is because Johan introduced her as Nina to the Fortners and never allowed them to see the trail behind her identity as Anna Liebert. 

Symbolically, Johan, as the Nameless Monster, consumed the Monster inside of Anna and became the only Monster left. This is what is mirrored in Johan’s intentions and the Nameless Monster storybook. 

With Anna forgetting him and Johan leaving her behind thus losing his only connection to someone who truly knew him, now all that is left is Johan, without absolutely anyone to call him by his name - the one and only Nameless Monster.

And this is heavily referenced in Another Monster:

(This reinforces that Johan was trying to make Nina forget her past as Anna)

There wasn’t some sick satisfaction from any of his killings done when he was a child. To him, it was needed for the sake of her safety. This was Johan’s initial “plan.” set in motion. He wanted to be the only one left in the world with his sister - so that they wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore. 

(I also believe at that point when they were kids, Johan's very first plan he referred to when telling Anna "Remember, I have a plan." was to run to another country with her so that the Monster will never find them. It is the only logical idea of a plan that a child could conjure following what he actually leads them to do, which was cross the border. Simply destroying the world is unreachable in his current state and Johan is smart enough to not be delusional in his endeavors. With that being said, he had to kill that old couple to erase any trail they may have left of "two beautiful blonde twins." But this plan fails because they nearly die at the Czech Border and was discovered. )

(Johan telling Anna he has a plan.)

RUHENHEIM:

One of the biggest moments in Ruhenheim has been misinterpreted and lost due to the mistranslations in both the English Dub and the Japanese subtitles. 

I clarify and mend this by breaking down what Nina unraveled in Boneparte’s house when she looked at the portraits by correctly translating the Japanese script/text in depth here on this post:

 But to summarize it for the purpose of this essay, it was revealed to us as viewers that Johan apologized to Anna when she returned from the Red Rose Mansion, revealing the overwhelming weight of guilt he carried when Anna had been taken that day. 

(That day depicts the moment their mother made the terrible 'Choice')

and then Johan accepts his mother will never return to them (assuming she abandoned them) and goes on to tell Anna this:

Johan is the one crying because soon after, Nina tells us that Johan was in that room crying.

This information provides clarity as to why Nina was finally able to understand Johan, empathize with him enough to be able to forgive him. She remembered he was a boy who felt guilty over what happened to her; a boy who cried when he realized they were now all alone in the world.  She understood that Johan desperately did anything and everything to ensure he and Anna survived despite it all.

That Rainy Night:

I want to GREATLY EMPHASIZE the important factor I missed my first time watching the scenes with Johan/Anna - the scenes shown to us were ONLY through her recollection as fragments due to her memory loss. They were told from what she COULD remember, so her take on what really happened that rainy night the first few times the events are unfolded before us should not be taken as absolute. At least...up until it is revealed in the final episodes that Anna realized that on that night instead of seeming like an empty shell of a person asking for death, Johan was crying and crying before she shot him.

The scene where Anna finds the portraits reveals what truly happened between them and its so important. She said “Johan was crying “here” just like before.” She was mimicking a memory she had just recalled in its entirety. “Why are you crying, why are you crying?” She sounded in distress. Directly after she reveals that she remembers him crying, it shows the image of him pointing at his head that rainy night.

Even though Johan told her to shoot him, it is IMPORTANT that he was crying and the author highlights this for a reason.

I believe that, finally being able to vividly remember that day finally revealed to her that Johan wasn’t the “face of absolute evil” she initially dismissed him to be; he was a boy/man who could cry and mourn - he was human. He was a terrified boy protecting Anna and himself the only way he knew how. and instead of showing him forgiveness/love - she added on to his collection of wounds scarred upon his soul from everyone else who chose to harm him.

Tenma...was ultimately the ONLY one in his life who showed him kindness.

Johan's intentions and reasons behind many crimes: Essay II.

( I will summarize it here as the extension essay was far too long to put on this post)

**** (☓) I want to ask, did Johan truly believe he was the one who went to the Red Rose Mansion or was that simply a masquerade he performed to make sure Anna did not remember?

(I wrote an essay on this being a possibility here: PART 2 OF THIS ESSAY. This will explain Johan's intentions in depth)

(this is a theory I FIRMLY believe and have completely adopted. But for the sake of argument, I will entertain both concepts behind Johan's memory in this essay.)

If we entertain the idea that Johan never misconstrued his memories about the Red Rose and pretended he did, I can dissect Johan’s intentions a bit more intricately.

Throughout the series you see that he is trying to wipe everyone who knew of what happened to Anna off the face of the earth, that included himself. He did not want Anna to remember. So when it was revealed she did remember, he mourned. It was subtle but evident in the anime when she reveals “you are wrong.” something in him shifted - for once he was reacting to the words of another.

She said "he had a smile but seemed like he was crying. I never seen such an expression on his face before." That entire scene, Johan’s eyes expressed something we’ve never seen from him throughout the series - a sense of mourning or longing?

Johan in front of Anna always appeared the most human and I feel Naoki did this with purpose.

(Naoki specifically told the directors/animators of the anime series to never stray from how he expressed Johan's eyes for a very important reason. )

Johan's expression finally meeting Anna after 13 years apart.

-

If, however, Johan DID truly think he was the one who suffered at the red rose mansion, his “perfect suicide” plan still relates to his twisted-selfless feelings for Anna.

Johan learns it was not him that suffered at the Red Rose Mansion...but Anna instead. and then Johan goes on to commit the "perfect suicide." In his plan to die, he wanted to take The Monster with him, forcing Bonaparte to endure the same exact hell he forced Anna to suffer as a child.

Call it an act of revenge. Some may think Johan is incapable of being vengeful but I cannot see this cruel and calculated act as anything other than malice. After Bonaparte was finally dead, the monster disposed of - Johan was ready to die.

But you can see his conviction began to slip away when Anna forgave him. What made it worse was realizing he was wrong about Tenma because even now, Tenma was still hesitating on killing him ruthlessly like he always presumed would happen. Johan thought he had humans all figured out - after all, all Johan has EVER known was the darkness in people’s hearts. That is why he was so confused/moved by Tenma and wanted so desperately to prove him wrong.

The manga portrays Johan’s expressions 1000X BETTER THAN THE ANIME. As soon as Anna arrives, Johan is just staring at the floor, unable to look at her - Repeating everything from that fateful rainy night when they were kids. But this time, Anna doesn’t kill him, she chooses love and compassion. and when she says she forgives him - his reaction is something the anime does not do justice

(The subtle shift the artist expressed in his eyes from her words is so significant but missed in the anime; but he reacts rather deeply, moved and shocked by her words.)

Because "Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again."

In the manga he isn’t quick to reply. He ponders over her words carefully and I think this is when his mind starts panicking.

Anna realized that forgiveness was the one thing he wanted that night she shot him, despite him also thinking his death was needed. His value depended on her view of him; and what she once robbed from him was now returned - a human being worthy of forgiveness instead of a monster.

He is telling her the evident truth that he cannot turn back because he TRULY believes Tenma is going to kill him any moment.

Johan refuses her forgiveness not because he resents her or thinks its too late for her to redeem herself - but because he doesn’t think he deserves it. “There are somethings that cannot be undone.” Because it is too late, Johan is going to die - he WANTS to die. Then you see the fear and helplessness in his eyes after getting the one thing he always wanted [ Anna’s forgiveness] because he desperately wanted to die as the only thing he knew himself to be: the nameless, nonexistent monster. But both Anna and Tenma rob him of that by bestowing upon him the gift of compassion, mercy and empathy; for the first time treating and valuing him like a human being instead of a monster,god,experiment, devil etc., as everyone around him has his entire life.

(The Monster inside of Johan begins to crumble.)

Johan in his final moments was cracking and finally falling apart. You see it in the final expression he makes: the distraught, confusion and sadness. Because he realized, he was wrong about people, he was wrong about the world. But how can we blame him for his view on humanity when all he has ever been shown since birth was how ugly, selfish, cruel and inhumane people can be?

How can we expect someone who has only seen darkness to be able to find the light?

I want to clarify one thing I noticed: Johan has never shown to take any kind of sick satisfaction from killing unlike all the other serial killers being interviewed in the series. (aside from Richard) Specifically, Johan is without "the lust for murder" as Lunge explains in Another Monster - which is why Johan hired other people to kill for him instead. Especially contrasting Johan with Roberto, specifically, when Roberto tries to kill Anna.

(that is until Richard, which makes Johan's dealings with him stand out for a reason. He doesn't even take pleasure in killing the Red Hiddenburg, he leaves before witnessing her death instead of reveling in his 'checkmate' coming to fruition.)

Despite his callousness and his lack of care for life - Johan, despite how much of a "monster" he was, very clearly had humanity and had love....for his sister most of all. Johan saw when his mother choose, how little their lives meant to her and this instilled his nihilism at such a young age. He watched Anna get tossed to the wolves like nothing and in that moment, he probably thought his mother chose Anna over him for a reason. (even though the question on her intention would haunt him for the rest of his life) But her being able to choose is what hurt him the most and it's probably what instilled his self sacrificing mentality to care for Anna above the world in order to never make the same mistake his mother had.

That is why after she got back from the Red Rose Mansion, he cried for her story and apologized as if it was his responsibility to feel guilty over what happened to her. It should have been him that suffered. Then after, he treats her with the upmost care, telling her everything is hers, no matter what she will win everything because he would deem it so. He is kind to her, never letting go of her hand even when she is dragging behind - he sacrificed all of himself for her...

Because she deserved everything in the world to contrast their mother throwing her away.

(it should be noted that the Lieberts did not want Anna either but only adopted her because Johan refused to leave the orphanage without her. Which is also why I believe he killed them when Bonaparta came because he thought the Lieberts were conspiring with Bonaparta to get Anna)

🌰 (The ‘Acorn game’ represents their Mother's choice, a child in each hand. But in this version, Johan would ensure that no matter what hand Anna chooses, she will NEVER choose wrong. He manipulates the fate behind her choices by holding two acorns instead of one; never letting her make the same mistake as her mother.)

He wanted her to know above all else, she was loved.

A clear indication of this adoration/attachment he has for her is the fact that he DOES NOT forget her even after enduring the hellish experiments in Kinderheim that aimed at wiping out / messing around with his memories.

-

I wrote this because I was astounded to see various posts/Wiki pages implying that Johan’s intentions were to torture Anna and make her kill herself. Telling her to shoot him was his first attempt to drive her insane? They twisted a lot of things Johan did to try and make this statement true. But I cannot comprehend how they drew this conclusion? The series has characters mentioning on more than a few occasions that Anna is dear to Johan. "He is lost with you."

Everyone knew Anna was important to Johan, Professor Geidlitz was the first to mention this besides the old blind man. Roberto was aware of this which is why he tried to kill her as mentioned in Another Monster. Which is ALSO why Peter Capek tried to hold her hostage to prevent Johan from killing him.

and for the first time, Johan DOESN'T kill him.

Johan cried when he awoke at the hospital after he reached for his sister and she screamed in fear of him. His face full of tears - his heart completely broken. If his intention was to drive Anna insane, he would have triumphed in that moment she screamed and fell to the ground after he reached out to her. But instead he mourned.

Anna has mentioned several times that Johan has cried for her, like when he was in the room full of their happy portraits, he was crying. He never once tried to bring harm to Anna - not intentionally towards her person. Explaining the Fortners murder - either he killed the Fortners after they decided to keep lying to her, thus keeping him in the shadows when he wanted to return. OR he killed them because they were going to tell her the truth about her identity, which was something Johan worked to conceal. (this theory is explained thoroughly in essay #2 )

Regardless, if he wanted to torment her, he would not have tried to lure her away to the castle when he set up the Fortners to be killed.

They imply that Johan wanted to torture her and then kill her at the end. But that makes absolutely no sense. Where in the storyline does Johan give off this tendency towards her? Even at the end he told her where to meet him in Ruhenheim and not once did he try to shoot her or Tenma. Honestly, if he really wanted to provoke Tenma to shoot him, he would have held the gun to Anna instead of a random child. But even though being shot by Tenma was his greatest endeavor, he refused to point the gun at someone who was important to Tenma...because Anna, is important to Johan too.

To say Johan, despite being hailed as the Monster of the series, had no love or humanity in him and was merely the Devil himself...completely missed the point of the story...

I’d like to point out the constant mentioning of Hitler in this story and draw another important factor...Hitler brainwashed people to commit mass genocide. Under his rule, millions perished in horrific ways. But despite that...Hitler was capable of loving others. Hitler was also loved by others. The terrifying truth about people who commit atrocities...is that they are not monsters or demons or devils...

they are merely human.

-

Here’s two passages from ANOTHER MONSTER [novel post Monster written by Naoki] that really drives this point:

- PSA: My twin brother FINALLY finished his 2 HOUR Johan Analysis Essay, that dives deeper into Johan's character. This essay and essay #2 will be included in this analysis video as we both worked on it together. However, this lays out the details visually and with beautiful music. Please watch!

Grimleal Studies: A Masterpost

Hi. I have been inspired to compile the immense body of work generated by my fellow Grimleal about everybody's favorite maggot. A lot of these are also mine, because, yeah.

These are all of varying length and style by various authors, so obviously not one congruent opinion. We all have different interpretations, after all. Additonally, this is NOT the full breadth of everything that exists, because tumblr search is, not good.

Also known as: I wish Tumblr had nested bullet points, the post.

Bolded for personal recommendations, though everything here is worth reading, honestly.

Required Reading:

Valentian Accordion: Secrets of Thabes Labyrinth

Awakening and beyond:

Grima = Robin Reincarnation Theory (the-priestess-of-dawn) [THE classic Grima essay]

check out Dawn's masterpost while you're at it, so I don't have to reiterate everything she's ever written (it's all very good)

Grima: One Guy in Two Trenchcoats (meeeee)

FP Grima is Tired (cannibal-lesbian)

Reading Grima as an Abrahamic god stand-in in the world of Fire Emblem, and how that is filling in gaps in the narrative. (imustbenuts)

Id, Ego, and Superego as applied to Chrom, Robin, and Lucina (thanatophagency)

Robin, Grima, and Fighting Your Own Nature (ro-botany)

Why does Grima have two bodies? (me <3 ft. Dawn)

On Chrom and Robin instantly hitting it off in Awakening (gimureifeathers)

Grima & personal agency (cannibal-lesbian) [prose]

Naga's treatment of Grima (iturbide ft dawn and cannibal-lesbian)

Guilt-complex Naga (dawn)

Contextualization of Grima's Echoes backstory (iturbide)

Echoes & Agency (ro-botany ft. the whole gang, really)

The Anatomy of Grima:

Grima anatomy per the Awakening artbook (dawn)

RE: Grima having a tongue (cannibal-lesbian ft. the-priestess-of-dawn)

Heroes:

Depths of Despair's continuity (dawn ft. me n salem)

What's up with Brave Robin's Forging Bonds? (me <3, ft. many people with cool opinions)

Let's talk about Grima's personal morals (cannibal-lesbian)

On the Characteristics of the Risen, and the Character of their King (ro-botany ft. the whole gang, really)

Addition 1 & Addition 2 (thanatophagency)

The Risen King and his Tactician (ro-botany)

Additional discussions:

Sombron's Cobra Dragon Form is a call-out to Buddhist Nagas. Or: wait, are Divine and Fell Dragons really that different? (imustbenuts)

Are Dragons mammals? + Addendum (Original post by me, major additions by ro-botany)

An Attempt at a Semi-Realistic Analysis of Thoron Stab Wounds (ro-botany)

The Different Kinds of Risen (dawn)

Resplendant Tiki (iturbide)

Sombron & Grima comparison (thanatophagency, dawn, cannibal-lesbian)

Additional notes:

A lot of us have started keeping track of these! Check out Grima Studies on my blog or dawn's, or Grimleal Studies on ro-botany's.

Accolades! Check out these guys, they're very cool!

cannibal-lesbian

felikatze (meeeeeee)

gimureifeathers

imustbenuts

iturbide

thanatophagency

the-priestess-of-dawn

ro-botany

And if you read all these, congrats! You are now a certified grimleal scholar!

Hey all, did you know that the original lyrics to Fates’s iconic song were a hilariously accurate description of its plot events?

To my knowledge, there isn’t a literal translation out there that highlights just how well it serves its prophetic function, so I wrote up this translation+analysis post. Enjoy.

Massive spoilers for all of Fates.

So I was rather curious as to why Corrin and Azura were barefooted and everyone else (except Kana) had shoes.

In ancient Rome, footwear was a sign of power. Fathers would give their Sons shoes on their wedding days to symbolize “a transfer of power.”

Those who were imprisoned, enslaved, or even captured would have their shoes removed. Many prison uniforms did not include any form of footwear! And if you played the game, you would know that Corrin and Azura are captives, just raised by the royal family. The lack of shoes may represent their lower status in their countries, or may just show that they are captives.

However, bare feet can also symbolize innocence, which very much ties into the fact that, despite their choices, Azura and Corrin are ‘innocent’ for wanting peace. Another meaning to being barefoot is “a child”, which can explain Kana’s lack of footwear.

Fire Emblem Fates: Personal Arcs and Thematic Parallels for the Royal Siblings

Introduction

As we all know by now, the royal siblings of Fates are all mirrors and contrasts with one another.

Xander and Ryoma are the wise and kind elder brothers who have the weight of their kingdoms’ futures on their shoulders, however Xander is an anxious stoic entrenched in state of denial who worked hard to get as strong as he is, whereas Ryoma is a charismatic natural talent, a huge hothead and has major prejudice issues.

Camilla and Hinoka are the caring elder sisters, with Camilla being overbearing and feminine and Hinoka being stubborn and tomboyish. 

Leo and Takumi are the intelligent younger brothers who face massive self esteem issues (in regards to their older brothers) and jealousy (in regards to Corrin), but while Leo’s problems are hidden under a layer of cold pragmatism and isolation, Takumi’s are front and center since he is very emotionally volatile. 

Elise and Sakura are the sweet and compassionate little sisters, with Elise being excitable and cheery and Sakura being shy and timid.

However, these aren’t the only parallels that exist between the siblings. More parallels are discovered when you look at the story closely. Especially when you lock down each of their personal arcs. Furthermore, close analysis reveals other interesting parallels, namely for Leo and Hinoka in regards to their brothers, Xander and Ryoma.

Themes, Arcs and Developments: Hoshido & Birthright

The development for the Hoshido siblings and the Birthright path is belief in others, collaboration and tolerance. The siblings start off separated from each other, with Takumi and Ryoma going missing and Hinoka having already left to go find them. 

Corrin’s belief in others gets tested through being double crossed by Zola, and the possibility of there being a traitor in the party. Nevertheless, his doubts don’t consume him, and his belief in himself and others gets him through tragedy. Many times in the story, trust and working together gets brought up, like during Chapter 14 where Corrin asks if anyone’s reluctant to move forward with the invasion, but his siblings reassure him. The same thing occurs when Corrin learns about the Rainbow Sage; at first he says if he needs to go alone, he will. But again, his siblings make sure to come with and support him. This dovetails into how the siblings personally develop as well.

Through Corrin accepting Sakura’s pleas to come with them, Sakura goes from meek and unsure princess to a strong willed young woman who’s able to punch Iago in the dick. Through being reassured and believed in by his family, Takumi goes from a prickly skeptic to a confident and heartfelt prince. Through learning of Nohr’s plight and accepting that he can’t do everything alone, Ryoma goes from a stubborn and prejudiced high prince to a tolerant King who seeks to break boundaries and misconceptions, walking hand in hand with his former enemy. The siblings enjoy their newfound perspective and the peace that comes with it; the peace their mother cherished.

Themes, Arcs and Developments: Nohr and Conquest

The development for the Nohrian siblings and the Conquest path is moving on to the future, where justice lies and change. Nohr and the siblings are set in their ways; doing what needs to be done to survive. Upon his return to Nohr, Corrin seeks to change that necessity and bring an era where Nohr can seek glory through mutual respect, not oppression. His willpower gets tested constantly; at times he succeeds in settling things peacefully, at other times he fails or his plan backfires. Still he moves on, working behind the scenes toward his own path of justice, along with his siblings who have done the same for much longer than he has.

Through Corrin’s leadership and conviction, Xander is shown the truth, and from that leaves behind his entrenched way of thinking. He grows from a scared crown prince set in his ways, into a benevolent King promising to bring prosperity to his kingdom through his own sense of justice. Camilla is able to cut away from the same mindset, no longer being afraid of the monster her father has become. Her love for her family outgrows her fear of Garon, the fear that was established during the aftermath of the Cheve rebellion. Elise starts out naive and innocent, but playing a part in the tragedies that unfold gives her perspective. When she first meets Sakura, she’s childish and selfish, but later comforts the Hoshidan princess during a time of great pain. At the end of the route, the two are fast friends as a result of Elise’s compassion. The siblings enjoy the light they are able to bring to their kingdom and the future they seek to walk towards.

The Outliers

But in all that, there remain two siblings whom I didn’t really name specifics for: Hinoka and Leo. This is because, other than the general development of the siblings as a collective and the themes of their routes, they don’t really change too much. Leo starts as the pragmatic executioner who imparts the course which Corrin begins to take, and remains as such later in Conquest. Hinoka is the stoic and determined princess whose concern is the protection of those she cares for, and she remains as such later in Birthright. Neither seems to have personal growth to accomplish other than the general themes of their routes. 

That is, until you look at the routes in which you oppose them.

In fact, a new form of development occurs for all of the siblings when you oppose them, and with that, come new parallels.

Opposing Paths and New Parallels

Xander and Ryoma remain each other’s mirror and contrast. On the respective paths that you oppose them on, they are the notable threat to overcome later in the game. You encounter both of them in earlier chapters as well, and both of their maps are escape objectives; this shows in gameplay how much stronger they are compared to Corrin and how it is the smarter decision to pull back and regroup. They both can’t forgive Corrin for betraying their kingdom and family, but while Xander accepts Corrin has turned traitor, Ryoma is intent on bringing him back by any means necessary. Upon Elise’s death at his hand, Xander falls into despair and forces Corrin to strike him down. Ryoma on the other hand, sacrifices himself to spare Corrin the hardship of striking him down when he realizes his brother is still the kind soul he thought he was. 

The elder brothers are the ultimate test of Corrin’s resolve, to see if he’s ready to finish the path he started. The loss of these two are a tragedy, and the impact is felt in many ways.

Takumi and Elise gain new mirrors and contrasts with each other. For starters, each of them get inflicted with illness and reveal a truth they wouldn’t otherwise have awareness of during their delirium. It’s the suffering of these two that gets highlighted the most on routes you oppose them. Elise is miserable from her family being broken apart, and has to escape her home just to find some semblance of joy. Takumi meanwhile, lashes out more and more against Corrin, becoming more volatile and suffering from constant headaches. Elise only fights you once (and even then she’s an optional fight), while Takumi fights you the most out of any other sibling. Both of them end up losing their lives through indirect means; Elise throws herself in front of Xander’s sword in a bid to get him to stop fighting. Takumi throws himself off the Great Wall of Susano-o, blinded by rage, frustration and sadness. 

Takumi and Elise are major victims of this war and the path Corrin chose, victims who expressed their misery in different ways.

Camilla and Sakura are each other’s mirror and contrast. These two probably have the most difficult parallels to pin down, but they are there nonetheless. When Corrin chose Hoshido, Camilla lost her security; her family is broken apart and she can’t do anything to stop it. She is forced to accept that Corrin has left her to join Hoshido, and finally comes to terms with it after her second encounter. When Corrin chose Nohr, Sakura lost her solace; her country is being invaded, she had just lost her mother and now her older sibling is choosing to go back to the kingdom responsible for her suffering. She is forced to suck it up and defend her home on the from the front lines. Instead of development coming naturally due to positive reveals and encouragements, both sisters are forced to change in order not to break entirely. 

Camilla and Sakura are loving sisters who now have to accept a harsh reality during and after a war they had no control of.

Bear the Crown, Bear the Development

That leaves Hinoka and Leo, and this is where they each get major development as opposed to their native routes. 

Hinoka and Leo were spared by Corrin after thinking they were gonna be killed, and eventually the thrones fall to them when the war concludes. After all, Hoshido favors kings over queens so if it wasn’t Ryoma, it would be Takumi. Nohr has an age based inheritance, so if it wasn’t Xander, it would be Camilla. Leo and Hinoka never dreamed it would be up to them to lead their kingdoms. When they bear the crown, they bear the weight of a responsibility they never expected.

However, when looking at it closely, it seems they also bear the character development their older brothers would’ve had.

Leo has battled feelings of inadequacy and jealousy in regards to his siblings already, but Corrin choosing Hoshido causes those feelings to surface. He’s angry and hurt over it all, but hides that under a layer of cold-bloodedness. Leo, promising to kill Corrin at every turn, thinks of his brother as dead to him.  However, Leo later finds himself. When talking with Corrin and seeing the truth about Garon, he realizes that Nohr doesn’t have to remain the way it is in order to survive. 

Leo at the end of Birthright begins to feel similar to Xander at the end of Conquest.

Hinoka has dealt with the guilt of Corrin’s kidnapping for over a decade. She became strong by choosing the path of the warrior as opposed of the princess. When Corrin chooses Nohr, she is in disbelief; after all, why would her brother return to to his kidnappers? She resolves to defeat him, and thinks of her dream of being a family again as a fantasy that will never come to fruition. However, Hinoka later believes otherwise. When talking with Corrin and seeing him and his Nohrian siblings work to end the war in a different way, she realizes that Hoshido’s beliefs about Nohr are wrong and that those misconceptions must be cleared. 

Hinoka at the end of Conquest begins to feel similar to Ryoma at the end of Birthright.

Conclusion

Leo and Hinoka each become the rulers that their kingdoms needed. They fill the space left by Xander and Ryoma. They don’t have personal arcs on their native routes nor on Revelation because there’s no absence to be filled; they can remain as they are, rather than be bound by the weight of the crown. Their rule as monarchs is bittersweet, for it’s a role neither of them expected, but they perform said role well nonetheless.

That’s, at least, how I feel about all of this. Of course, this whole thing isn’t a perfect interpretation, nor does the game handle this aspect as well as it could have. Hinoka still lacks in number of notable appearances compared to pretty much every other sibling; hell, there are even scenes in Birthright where every sibling except Hinoka appear. Leo, meanwhile, has many more scenes of importance, especially since he wields a divine weapon and his big hero moment triggers the Yato’s transformation during Conquest. The negative effects of Hinoka’s later addition are still very present, and it’s something that I hope would be done better in a possible Fates remaster. 

As it stands now though, I still think all of this is done well enough for everything I described. Fates’ story is smarter than one might think, and I believe all of this is an example of that.

Fire Emblem Awakening: Reclass Relation to Characters

I’ve gushed about this already in Fates, and 3H has a similar concept in regards to skill levels and such, but Awakening also does this, so I thought to lay it out.

Putting it under the cut because it got really long lol.

Afficher davantage

Fire Emblem Fates: Reclass Relation to Characters

Had this in the drafts, so I thought to finish it. All of it is under the cut.

Afficher davantage

Fates’ 2nd Gen Characters: Parallels and Contrasts

A request from an anon. Again, I won’t do the neutral children since it would be kind of difficult to do so. But it was easier than I thought to do the rest of the kids.

Shiro and Siegbert: Both are heirs to their respective kingdoms through their very renowned fathers and are actually pretty insecure about inheriting the title of king. Siegbert is principled and docile, and always knew he was royalty. Shiro is rebellious and direct, and was kept in the dark about his identity. Siegbert idolizes Xander and wants to be just like him, whereas Shiro wants to be better than Ryoma and went so far as to fight with naginata so he’d have an advantage over his dad in a fight.

Kiragi and Forrest: Both have mixed feelings about their royal blood and their inheritance; Forrest is afraid of the responsibilities and terrifying power that comes with being royalty and Brynhildr’s successor, whereas Kiragi hates being coddled due to his status. Forrest is a healer with a keen aesthetic eye, loves fashion and prefers to keep things neat and tidy. Kiragi is an amazing hunter who is one with wilderness, and is pretty unkempt. Forrest is shy with confidence issues (said issues being more apparent in the JP version, again he was kind of changed in Western releases) and has an uneasy relationship with Leo. Kiragi is optimistic and outgoing, and loves Takumi unconditionally.

Asugi and Nina: Both of them have very strained relationships with their fathers, are skilled in espionage, fight for what they believe is righteous and just, have unconventional obsessions and both of their paralogues require you not to let them escape. The key difference is that Nina chose the same path that Niles did despite him not wanting that for her, whereas Asugi resents being the sixth Saizo, and wants to find his own path in life no matter what his father wants.

Mitama and Soleil: Both are noted to have inherited a slew of traits from their respective fathers (Soleil inherits Laslow’s smiling credo and flirtatiousness with women, Mitama inherits Azama’s star eyes, wisdom, and sharp tongue). However, Soleil is sociable and enthusiastic, while Mitama is lazy and keeps to herself. Also, Mitama is very artistic; she enjoys poetry, scroll crafting, and chigiri-e (a Japanese form of artwork where you tear and paste together colored paper to create an image). Soleil on the other hand has as much artistic style as stale bread, and is outright noted to be a terrible dancer and singer, among other things.

Caeldori and Ignatius: Both characters look up to their fathers and want to be just like them, but have massive insecurities. The difference lies in that Caeldori is outwardly confident in both social interaction and battle, but is incredibly anxious and afraid of not measuring up to her father. Ignatius is afraid of looking like a coward to basically everyone, especially because his role as an armor knight means he must protect people; however, he gets a boost of bravery and courage whenever he’s on the battlefield. Another difference is that Caeldori hates being treated like a natural talent because it makes her feel isolated and her hard work being ignored, whereas Ignatius diminishes his own talents and hard work a lot, and hates looking like a failure in front of people.

Rhajat and Ophelia: Both are eccentric spellcasters who are talented in the dark arts. Ophelia is open and dramatic, whereas Rhajat is gloomy and introverted. Ophelia makes her love and admiration for her father well known, hence her being inspired by him. Rhajat on the other hand is initially rebellious and standoffish with her father, but does reveal that she loves him deeply. While Ophelia is always flashy and chipper, she’s secretly insecure that people won’t take her seriously and that she’ll never measure up to the Chosen One status that she seeks to accomplish. Rhajat may appear standoffish, but desperately wants to make friends and have people like her despite her gloomy aura and odd habits. In short, both care deeply about what others think of them despite it seeming like the contrary.

Hisame and Percy: Both characters initially rebelled against their fathers. Both also have contradictory traits compared to their fathers (Hisame’s seriousness vs Hinata’s carefree attitude, Percy’s good luck vs Arthur’s horrendous luck). However, Percy’s rebellion against his father is played for laughs and a reference to both of their respective luck (good luck that Percy had mercenaries to back him up, bad luck that Arthur has to deal with the mercs), and he ultimately loves his father a lot. Hisame’s relationship with Hinata though is more complex and deep-seated, but he ultimately does care for his father and is actually secretly jealous of his carefree nature. Lastly, Percy is childish and innocent, whereas Hisame is calm and wise beyond his years.

Selkie and Velouria: Both characters are scions of their respective beast tribes and love their fathers dearly. Selkie is a free spirit who loves playing with others and getting praise, whereas Velouria likes to remain by herself most of the time and has more unconventional interests. Selkie is naive to the ways of the world, and often has to be taught about things such as morality during conflict or how her race puts her in danger. Velouria on the other hand is quite knowledgeable about things, if a bit blunt. Also, Selkie is clingy to her father because she never had a chance to visit the rest of the kitsune hamlet, but Velouria is clingy to her father because she knows she’ll eventually have to live for herself one day and is trying to make the most of the time with her dad that she can.

-

And there you go. I hope I made a good sequel post.

Coming this November: Pokémon Pink Diamond™ and Pokémon Renegade Pearl™

Ahhhh! It’s done! I’m so glad! This took a week to make, but it was a lot of fun! I took this as an opportunity to learn a new engine and also make a xanlas tribute~ And I’m so glad to finally be able to share it with everyone!

This story takes place in the aftermath of war, when the countries of Nohr and Hoshido have decided to make peace, Laslow prepares to return home as Xander becomes Nohr’s new king. Filled with doubt and regret, he has to decide: will he stay or will he leave?

This game is post revelations end. It should take, at most, 10 minutes to play. There are two possible ends. You pick the true end, decide as you see fit!

This game is made with love, so it is free to enjoy in its entirety. However I do request that you do not reupload it to another sharing site. Have fun! Happy Xanlas Week!

Characters: Laslow, Xander, Selena, Odin  Warnings: shaking screen Other: Fluffy, cheesy lines

[Download it here!]

Julius and Ishtar are Well Written Characters, Actually

You All Are Just Taking Spoken Words At Face Value

The title to this post is tongue in cheek and the subtitle to this post is mostly a joke, but I've seen a lot (with no real change over time) of misunderstandings regarding the character writing of these two. Mostly confusion over exactly how "himself" Julius really is, and why the hell Ishtar stays with him; there are some finer points as to what the game expects you to feel about these characters, too.

Part 1: Julius (The original one, to be clear.)

So, most people know Julius's general backstory- was a good kid until he was given the Loptous tome. This is where the information ends, though. We learn nothing else about him, even from other characters, besides "he was such a nice guy."

There are a lot of arguments made that certain actions taken by the Julius we see imply that he's still in there, but these don't hold much water. There's also mention of Loptous "fully returning" in the final chapter, but in terms of actual events, this seems to refer more to the fact that Arvis is out of the picture than to any change in Julius himself.

Characters in the game who actually interact with him treat him in varying ways. Arvis calls him a demon; Ishtar spends half of Thracia worried for his health; Manfroy spends much of the second generation of FE4 treating him like a child, suggesting that at least he thinks that he's not actually speaking to his god for most of it. All three of these people, though, have good reasons to be deceiving themselves. (Arvis is a major wifeguy; Manfroy really doesn't want to be shown up as a religious authority (see his interactions with Veld); Ishtar (in Thracia specifically) is a 14-year-old at best going "I can fix him." with her childhood crush.)

The most important testimony, funnily enough, comes from someone who's not seen him in over half a decade. Julia, upon initially encountering him, tells him that he is not her brother and asks him who or what he really is- that her actual brother died seven years ago. Julia, who treats her father and his sins with a gentle hand, and even greets Julius by calling him her brother, isn't the type to treat someone as unforgivable if there's any way she could see to save them. And of course, she has no memories of possessed Julius to mix with her memories of the Julius she knew and loved as a child- unlike Ishtar.

Per Kaga: "The tome... makes Loptous able to control Gair's descendants. The final boss of Genealogy of the Holy War was its victim." It certainly doesn't sound like Julius has any effect on things.

TL;DR: Julius is gone as hell from at least the start of Thracia 776, but in practice probably from 771.

Part 2: Loptous (This Fucking Guy)

As for Loptous, we get PLENTY to characterize them. They're a complete misanthrope and a sadist, of course, which isn't news to anyone who's played FE4; but they're also interesting in terms of how incredibly paranoid they are- for the sort of evil god figure, such vulnerability is surprising. There's a lot to dig into.

Most people who've played Thracia know about the "jealous about Reinhardt" scene, and many people take this (and his obsessiveness in general) to be a twisted expression of Julius's actual feelings for Ishtar- but this doesn't actually make any sense. Julius was possessed (and killed Deirdre) at age nine to ten, at the oldest- seven to eight is more likely. (Deirdre's not pregnant yet at the end of chapter 5, which takes place in 761; 778 is the year the game ends. Per Julius himself, Deirdre bit the dust seven years before 778, thus he'd be ten at maximum.) If Julius has feelings for Ishtar at all, they would have developed entirely after being possessed (or at most been a puppy crush that developed into something more later). While possible (if Julius is still there) Occam's razor simply says that Loptous is the one who has feelings for her, instead. (Or doesn't, and thinks of her as useful. Who am I to psychoanalyze a lizard? But dragons in FE are perfectly capable of getting attached to people, and cartoon villain though he is, I don't think Loptous would be an exception.)

This scene makes more sense in the context of Julius's further paranoia in chapter 10, after successfully capturing Julia; Manfroy is understandably more concerned about the army of rebels on their doorstep than some chick with a book (who doesn't even have a chance to get her hands on the book.) Julius, by contrast, sees Seliph and crew as busybodies at worst, but is very nervous about Julia escaping. Together with the Ishtar discussion, it seems that he's entirely unconcerned with any threat he's posed unless it's an obstacle to another vessel coming into existence or Naga herself. (This bites him directly in the ass, but it does the same to Manfroy; the paranoia in Julia's case is justified, but Seliph is why she's able to become a threat in the first place.)

His relationship with Manfroy is interesting- Manfroy seems to believe that he's speaking in some way to "Prince Julius", even going so far as to attempting to provide justification for why Arvis had to be gotten rid of in chapter 10 (The Emperor had long served his purpose, Your Majesty. He was little more than an obstacle to your ambitions. He had to die.), but Julius doesn't seem to care about this in the slightest. This is curious; why would Manfroy expect him to care about this after killing his mother in cold blood? One possibility is that he's convinced that that was only because he saw her as a threat- that Loptous exerts some influence over him, but Julius is still at heart a teenager who still cares about his family members to some extent.

This probably comes as a surprise to the player, too- Julius can come off as a bit childish. The way he follows his whims instead of plans and "plays around" can come off as being a teenager. Indeed, the game in chapter 10 has essentially no rhyme or reason to it, and seems quite out of character for an ancient dragon- at least until you remember the previous conversation, where you see his certainty at nothing but Naga being able to kill him. (This is even shown in gameplay, very funnily, by him not having Nihil- unlike every other one of Sigyn's (Maera's) descendants. Nihil, in Japanese, is 見切り awareness of everything. He's not paying attention!) In play that's just a way for you to get the Leg Ring if you somehow lost it in gen 1, plus a bit of a challenge. The intended solution is suicide + valkyrie staff; but if you're willing to put in the effort, it's a great way to demonstrate how arrogant Julius is right from the get-go.

As for the sudden turn to flower gardens in chapter 4 of Thracia, that's less whimsical and more practical- telling Ishtar to shut up without doing so explicitly when she won't fall for some particularly weak lies. Those lies are an interesting point, though! What good does it do to try and convince her that what he's doing is harmless when he eventually gives up in lieu of open threats ("Are you trying to escape me in death, Ishtar?")

My hypothesis is that "teenager under the dark god's influence" is vastly more capable of getting things done given Arvis is still around than "actually, it's just a dragon". Manfroy himself doesn't seem to be too loyal to Julius, in actuality- he's perfectly willing to make decisions that he won't agree with. There's a possibility that he's doing this because he thinks he's talking to a teenager, but there's another, quite salient possibility that he enjoys being the head of the church quite a bit, actually, and doesn't want to give up that position. In essence, I argue that Manfroy is a Gharnef in more ways than just being an evil wizard- he's got the one-upmanship, too. In that case, convincing him that the reason he wasn't listened to was because he was trying to argue with a bratty teen and not because the demon he summoned in the basement doesn't actually like him at all might be very useful.

(There's an interesting point, if that's the case, to be made about "why the FUCK would you send Julia out to fight instead of just killing her"- besides the fact that Manfroy doesn't see her as a real threat, there's always "well, just in case she IS a real threat, it's best to have her around in case my relationship with the brand new emperor goes pear-shaped pretty fast." like elice with aum. That's just a theory, though- it's perfectly reasonable for him to just be an overambitious idiot, too, like Hilda.)

Therefore, the thesis of this and the first part is that Julius is a.) Dead as hell and b.) Being imitated to some extent by Loptous in order to get things done more efficiently.

Part 3: Ishtar (Well, Why The Fuck Is SHE Still With Him, Then?)

Most people generally take issue with one of Julius or Ishtar on the basis that either we're expected to think of Julius far too sympathetically considering how Ishtar acts around him or Ishtar's a complete idiot for staying with him for this long that the devs tried to make sympathetic by having her save kids at the last minute.

I've attempted to deconstruct the former line of reasoning (we are NOT expected to think of Julius-as-of-right-now at all similarly to people such as Lyon) but what about the latter? Is Ishtar really an inconsistent, poorly written character?

The answer is... mostly. In Genealogy, that is.

Ishtar in Genealogy, textually, seems to have a fairly happy relationship with Julius, all things considered. He does act weirdly possessive in chapter 8, and there's the implication that she's trying to run away in the final chapter (and she saves those kids), but you're given no real reason why other than her conscience catching up with her, which is inconsistent with her behavior in chapter 10; sure, the rebel army killed her dad and brother, but the same thing happens to Julia and she's perfectly happy to return to your army at endgame- it's kind of odd for Ishtar to participate in a game of hunting rebels with this in mind.

Of course, in Genealogy, you can argue that evidently their sunny relationship isn't all it seems, and she's not leaving due to her obligations to her family, that she doesn't seem THAT happy to play kill-a-rebel, et c. But it's just "whose interpretation is it, anyway" with only Genealogy in mind.

And then we get Thracia.

Thracia sheds light on all of this to an incredible degree. At the end of Chapter 4, we get to see Ishtar and her family obligations show up- they don't seem to actually be that pressing, though. She seems more concerned with the fact that Julius is unhinged, appearing more forlorn than anything, and appears to think that she can argue him out of child sacrifice. This is "I can fix him" Ishtar; she seems to be convinced that whatever Julius is going through he'll recover from eventually.

After this, we don't see her for a hell of a long time! But she eventually does return in 17A, to summon Saias and his ten leadership stars off the field. In this chapter, though, she's a bit more than forlorn; she refuses to ask the Loptrian bishops for help in healing Julius's illness, because she thinks they're to blame for his condition. (She'd be right, though.) Here, she seems to be a little less convinced of her ability to Fix Him(tm)- she just wants to stop things from getting worse.

And finally, the fucking chapter of all time, that confirms the light to see her actions in Genealogy. 21x. The two of them make a stop by the fort after you escape, and Julius mocks House Friege again- but notes that she's not the problem with it. As the conversation goes on, Ishtar spends the whole thing horrified, at both him and her mother- far from her forlorn air in chapter 4, by the end of the conversation here she's begging him to not kill her childhood friend and guard. There's no more "I can fix him" or even "I can stop him from getting any worse". The reason she's staying now is for her own safety- because she feels like she'd not be able to escape, even if she wanted to.

Of course, all of our encounters with her in Genealogy are after this conversation. By the point we fight her in chapter 8, she's too afraid to flee (and her father IS still alive at that point- she's fighting so he might not be killed, too. To a small extent, Blume and Reinhardt both get the same treatment as ch. 10 Arvis; Hilda, who's useful, isn't allowed to kick the bucket even after putting herself on the frontline, but the former three are, to put it nicely, left out to die.) By chapter 10, it's worse; instead of stating her opposition to the child hunts directly (like she does in chapter 4 of Thracia) she instead couches her disagreement in what Arvis wants- she doesn't want to anger him by speaking out here.

So, by the time you get to Miletos Castle, is that "I'd love to!" really something you can trust? Voicing her disagreement but still going along with something is one thing, but she's already passed that point. At this point, she's just hoping that she survives, because her mother evidently won't back her up. (Sorry Ishtar dear, mommy is climbing the social ladder.)

And eventually, she gives up on that, too. In the final chapter, when going off to fight your army, what she says is that she wants a chance for vengeance. Unlike in Thracia 21x, though, I don't think that what Julius says in response is baseless paranoia. Ishtar has personally betrayed him, after all; if he finds out that she saved those kids, she's going to go the way of Arvis- staying around as long as she's useful, and then being offed.

And as for joining the rebellion... She isn't entirely fabricating; they did kill her entire family. Also, though, it's pretty unlikely they'd allow her to join in the first place- princess of the Empire and all that. And who knows if Julius would try to get her back? He's brought her back from the brink of death at least once, most likely twice if you're decent at the game; evidently there's not much that would stop him from pursuing her.

So she's left with two options; to likely die once her treachery is discovered, or to definitely die and absolve her sins once and for all. I think it's pretty understandable, considering all she's experienced, that she'd choose the latter.

Of course, she's still complicit in the empire's actions over the past seven years- and she did make the mistake of thinking she could help Julius in the first place. She is not without sin- even if that sin stemmed from a childish crush that she never got an option to back out of. Yet, she (and Julius himself, though we never get to see him) is more of a tragic figure than a fool trapped by her loyalties. She may have once been the latter, but eventually had no choice.

Thanks for coming to my jugdralposting.

(Arvis is still the better main character of a Greek tragedy, though.)

Chapter 13 of Fates Revelation is a writing highlight for me.

Corrin: What's going on? They're both blaming each other for this carnage.

Azura: Of course. Kingdoms at war will always twist things to benefit themselves.

Ryoma and Xander-representative of Hoshido and Nohr as a whole-uphold the conflict and status quo of the world they live in. Even if it makes no sense, they accept that they're enemies and an enemy must have done something awful to harm the peace.

Even parts of their battle quotes and end of chapter dialogue emphasize this.

Ryoma: It doesn't matter, Kagero. Anyone who doesn't side with Hoshido is the enemy. What will you be?

Xander: Trust her? Don't be a fool. I won't listen to any more of your lies. You've chosen your side—opposite me. Prepare yourself, Camilla.

-

Xander: This isn't over! We'll fight to the very last man!

Ryoma: You won't see Hoshido waver! We'll fight until there's no one left!

Xander: Whoever retreats now admits defeat! Nohr will never lose to Hoshido.

Ryoma: This war will continue until we take our last breath!

They are unable to see any part of a conflict as something with them or against them. Nuance and rationality don't sit well in minds stubbornly steeped in years of animosity. War, hatred, and reinforcing the way things are is something both of them are willing to do, because they see no other path or choice for themselves.

Corrin and Azura meanwhile, actively disrupt their world views.

Corrin: ...You may be my brothers, but I won't go easy on you if you try to stop me! Come, everyone! ... Ryoma! Xander! Please, you both have to listen to me! We've defeated the real enemy—you don't need to fight each other now!

Azura: Ryoma, Xander... It wasn't Nohr or Hoshido who destroyed this town. It was done by the invisible forces that we just defeated. Now that they are gone, I will not allow any more senseless violence. I will sing my song as many times as necessary to restore peace. Do you still insist on fighting?

And it's not empty words or cries that fall on deaf ears. Corrin is strong. Her will is iron-clad, and she will ensure her vision of peace is made a reality, no matter who she makes an enemy of. Azura is strong as well. What she lacks in directing a path on her own, she makes up for with raw resilience and no qualms about using her song-something that risks her life-to end things on her terms.

They force their stubborn older brothers to look at things in a different perspective; to stop trying to hack and slash their lives away and consider a bigger threat to what and who they care about.

While they aren't swayed immediately, they're undoubtedly shaken. After that, it takes personal introspection and uncomfortable truths for each of them to swallow their pride and admit their ways are wrong, and to follow Corrin to end a senseless war.

And I love this exchange at the end as well:

Scarlet: Ryoma's talked my ears off about what happened to you as a kid. You sound like an idealistic brat to me. You want to bring peace to the world? Ha!

Corrin: There's nothing idealistic about ending this horrible war.

REJECT 👏🏽THE 👏🏽 STATUS 👏🏽 QUO 👏🏽!

Accusing others of being naive or idealistic for things like this, in my opinion, shows cowardice, or even ignorance; a life that's been beaten down by other upholders of a terrible state of the world until they agree.

Why is it naive to trust people? Why is it idealistic to want something like endless warring to stop?

We're fed a lie as children: "Life's unfair, you can't do anything about it." Says who!? Why accept that life is cruel and unyielding, when there's so much capacity for good in the world? Is life actually unchangeably unfair in its nature, or is it simply malefactors taking advantage of innocent people in order to rise up to slake their own greed?

Once terrible people get in power, they beat down any forms of resistance and feed this very same lie to them. Worse still, they can even convince the masses to discriminate, fight, and kill each other all so they can swoop in during the aftermath and reap the benefits. And people, at their lowest point, take solace in any explanation-no matter how untrue and no matter who it's coming from-in order to have some semblance of control or direction. That forms their new view of the world.

It takes people who haven't been exposed or raised to believe such nonsense (Corrin) and people who are wise enough to recognize the true problems of the world (Azura), to push against this normalized destruction between two innocent groups of people and direct their ire towards the actual oppressor (Anankos).

It's succint, but scathing. The word choice-in both JP and localization-is too deliberate to consider it a coincidence, I genuinely think it's a good criticism of how our modern world works as well. From a philisophical standpoint it is basic, but Fates as a whole also tackles issues of ignorance/discrimination, xenophobia, the boundaries and meanings of family, who defines justice, the belief of many versus the will of the few, embracing consequences instead of running away, and exploring the concept of leadership in general.

For a game this big, IMO, it meets the mark more often than not when considering the points it wants its audience to hear.

How I feel I sound every time I theorycraft about Grima

What I say: I'm fine.

What I mean: Do you ever stop and think about everything the future children went through? they grew up in a literal zombie apocalypse ruled by a demonic dragon bent on destroying humanity. Their parents died trying to defend them, and some of them saw their family members dying. They went back in time to stop it, but were dropped off in different continents in different years and had no real idea what to do. Laurent spent five years in solitude, becoming the oldest child despite being younger than Lucina before the time travel. He was nearly driven to suicide from the loneliness and grief. Yarne only wanted somewhere safe where he could live in peace, but instead he was forced to join a mercenary band and nearly died before you found him. Severa was forced into a bandit gang to get her mother's wedding ring, her one precious keepsake from her family, back. Nobody knows where Morgan came from - he/she may have been ripped from another timeline entirely, which begs the question of how his family is doing. Are they concerned? Are they even alive? And he's amnesiac to boot. He never gets those memories back. Cynthia, pure, honest Cynthia, was tricked into a life of crime and nearly killed her own mother before she cleared things up. Kjelle found an adoptive family, only to watched her father figure brutally murdered in a dirty duel. Lucina got the closest to her father, but couldn't reveal her identity before she was born. Imagine how painful it must be to see your long dead father before you, close enough to hug, but know that for the sake of your unborn self you simply cannot. Brady must have felt so useless being unable to fend off bandit raids. He must have cursed himself every time he healed the wounded. And the brave and brash Owain admits that he curled up into a ball and CRIED for days and weeks when he realized he was separated from the others. Inigo probably wanted so badly to show his mother his dance routine and finally learn from her, but he couldn't. Instead he turned to skirt-chasing, which he is incessantly mocked for in most of his supports for the rest of the game. Gerome is completely numbed to the idea of becoming close to anyone in the past - to him, they are all already dead. He just wants to let his wyvern, Minerva, go so she doesn't have to be hurt anymore. But he doesn't even get that simple pleasure until after the game ends. And Noire probably doesn't trust herself to go into towns because she's too mentally unstable, so she probably wandered for weeks at a time without trying to seek medical help for her anemia. And Nah. poor, poor Nah, cursed to live forever. She probably wanted to spend as much time as she could with each Shepherd - memorizing their names and faces and voices, knowing one day they would all be gone. But she would still live. She'd live for thousands of years after her friends died. She might even outlive Nowi and Tiki, which would leave her truly and utterly alone. And despite this she's still friendly and gets married to one of her mortal companions. She spends as much time as she can with her father, knowing one day he just won't be there Just....think about the future kids.

i’m kinda upset that the fire emblem fandom keeps drawing Lucina with huge breasts because:

She binds for the whole damn main story

In the official hot spring DLC art she wears an alternate outfit without binding and look.

and there are plenty of other fire emblem women who are confirmed to be over 19 and have large breasts, please acknowledge them, gosh.

ohhh my god do i hope this theory ends up being true. It just makes so much sense for the Clara Dolls to be able to disguise as Homura in some way, they're all her after all

We also know familiars are able to grow into witches themselves after consuming enough souls

Another point id like to make:

2. Nekura: The second one to come was Gloominess. Walking out with a tapping sound, she sneered at Good-for-Nothing. “This is Good-for-Nothing! How very unbecoming.” These dolls are only disciples of Freedom, and are devoted to their lust for it.

10. Mie: The tenth to come running is Vanity. She exaggeratedly avoids Good-for-Nothing's head and says a few words. “I wouldn't be able to bear dirtying my cape with that sticky blood!” These dolls make fun of the witch's self-mu tilation.

I feel like this fits the other Homuras in the trailer quite well

Nekura's name would also explain why that Homura is hiding under the umbrella's shade:

EVEN MORE CLARA DOLL DETAILS:

So you know how the Dolls have their own distinctive clothes?

Guess who else has their own distinctive clothes!

That’s right. The multiple Homuras are actually Clara Dolls.

And that’s why ‘Homura’ is smiling.

Here they are! The one with the striped hat is Nekura (Gloominess or Pessimism) and the one with the flower is Mie (Vanity).

Here’s their descriptions from the art book.

[The second one to come was Gloominess. Walking out with a tapping sound, she sneered at Good-for-Nothing. “This is Good-for-Nothing! How very unbecoming.” These dolls are only disciples of Freedom, and are devoted to their lust for it.]

[The tenth to come running is Vanity. She exaggeratedly avoids Good-for-Nothing's head and says a few words. “I wouldn't be able to bear dirtying my cape with that sticky blood!” These dolls make fun of the witch's self-mutilation.]

Good-for-Nothing is Homura, by the way, but the Clara Dolls seem to consider Good-for-Nothing to be good for something after all after she splits Madoka. She turns into the Devil, and the Clara Dolls are stated to be “okay” with the Devil. If the young voices in the trailer belong to the Clara Dolls, then they also call her “Akuma-sama” now. Something like Mistress Devil, implying a sense of respect.

[… if they are not summoned, they will simmer. There are orders they will comply with, and also orders they will disobey. What they are and the witch herself's own magic are not well understood.]

At the end of Rebellion, Homura gave Madoka her ribbon back. She declared that they might become enemies in the end. Honestly, I thought that Homura would try her best to avoid Madoka entirely. The trailer suggested that Homura was meeting Madoka, though. Here’s the answer: it wasn’t Homura herself, but Gloominess, who wants freedom.

Now, I’m not sure how this situation works out. Do Clara Dolls have free will? Are they obeying Homura’s orders? Acting out Homura’s true emotions? Is Homura perhaps directly puppeteering them in order to fulfill her goals, or do they act on their own?

I find it likely that it’s a mix of both: some of them obey her, and some of them will try and fulfill her (probably very conflicting) desires, as familiars usually do. Gloominess is likely part of Homura who wants the freedom to talk to Madoka, for example, but Vanity seems to me like a Clara Doll who is obeying Homura. After all, she still needs magical girls to fight wraiths, at least until she finds a way to wipe them out.

[I'm Vanity (Mie). I'm pushing myself to the limit for someone.] And she is, of course. All of the theatrics, the calls, the organization of magical girls. These are things that Vanity is shown to engage in. All of this is for Madoka.

We see with Gloominess, at least, that she seems to be fulfilling a specific desire: in the background are white spider lilies. Instead of the red spider lilies that mean death, final goodbyes, and lost love, white spider lilies mean a hope for the future and a fresh start. Maybe this really is the first meeting for these two in a while, and she wants to be friends again?

Or maybe, being Gloominess, she wants to warn her about something.

[I'm Gloominess (Nekura). Forcing smiles tires me out.]

Then there’s this Homura.

Nothing about her clothes is very different. She is wearing ribbons as Homura in the wraith universe does, but look closely: the ribbons are different. They have some wavy stripes on them, while Madoka’s ribbons are plain. She does not correspond to any known Clara Doll.

However, there’s mentioned to be a fifteenth Clara Doll that is not yet born: Ai, representing love. This could be her. Is it love for others? Or love for herself? I’m hoping it’s the latter, but very likely it’s love for Madoka and her friends. This would explain why she’s trying to fight Homucifer in the poster, as Homura believes that she’s a danger to everyone else.

How can this be? Well, here’s a few options:

- The Clara Dolls are grown-up familiars. They ate souls, and they became a copy of their witch. This is a process that was explained to us in the original series, where some magical girls are stated to farm familiars by letting them eat people so that they would grow souls/grief seeds.

- The Clara Dolls are not familiars, or wraiths, but instead a secret third thing. “What they are and the witch’s own magic are not well understood”, as said in the Rebellion art book. They could be magical constructs of a different kind, but I do think that this would get into overcomplicated explanations quickly, so I favor the familiar explanation.

- The Clara Dolls could be familiars, but instead of eating souls they’re simply powerful enough to change their shape. Their strength is equal to the strength of a magical girl…. when Homura was a witch, before Homura became something more. It could also be energy from the contracts making them stronger. Maybe it’s me being sentimental, but I don’t like the idea of Homura letting anyone’s soul be nommed on.

Now, before there’s a panic about how they’ll juggle fifteen extra characters, here’s a few thoughts:

- Just because they seem different doesn’t mean they’re actually different. It might be that the Clara Dolls are a way for Homura to present herself. As Vanity, she might show off more, or have dramatic flourishes like her throne and her dress. As Gloominess, it might be that she doesn’t believe that her plans will work, so she tries to do what makes her happy. It’s likely that the Clara Dolls are just extra ways to explore Homura’s character. They’re parts of her soul, after all, and right now she is extremely powerful. She might simply want to keep her true self away from humans.

- They could work like projections. Homura wants more bodies to work with, but she has to filter herself through the Dolls’ personalities. This could result in a lot of juicy character interactions, as the things she tries to keep hidden are closer to the surface.

- Will ‘Ai/Mystery Homura’ fight against Devil Homura? Very likely! How can this be when they’re the same person? Well, who hates Homura more than Homura? That’s right. Nobody. Anyone can fight and argue with their self, it’s just usually not on the level that a reality-warper like Homura can manage.

If this is true, there’s plenty of interesting directions they can take it.

- Because the Clara Dolls have a degree of separation from Homura, they can show other characters things that Homura herself has ignored or locked away. Bad memories, affection for her friends, the resentment she must feel - everything from concern to a cry for help can be plausibly shown through them as the actors.

- Manuke (Stupidity) is specifically more naive/sincere than the others. Maybe interacting with this Doll would show the Quintet that there’s something more going on than a Devil who wants to hurt other people.

- If Ai represents a love for other people, Ai can have a strange character arc where she learns to value Homura/herself, and become self-love.

- On the other hand, Ai can represent self-love from the start, and because Homura looks very fucking unhealthy in the trailer, she only wants to stop her because she’s hurting herself. This option plays into the themes of self-sacrifice and happiness, which I believe to be some of the major themes that they’re going for.

- The poster could be misleading and Ai ends up fighting everyone but Homura. I find this the funniest option.

- Homura can hug herself. It’s possible. In fact, every character can hug Homura 15 different times.

Smiles are a Clara Doll’s default expression. We have yet to see Homura smile for real.

Is this going to get very ambiguous and confusing? Probably. But rewatching for details was the fun part in Rebellion, so I’m looking forward to it!

{The Inheritance of Holy Blood}

{ ooc. I think I should preface this by saying that I am currently studying a bachelor’s degree in molecular genetics and biotechnology which is why this meta is so long, so if there is anything in this that you do not understand/want to know about, feel free to message me! If you wish to dispute something, please come to me with factual/canon reasons why the concepts I’ve put forward are incorrect– not ‘this conflicts with my hc so it’s wrong and I don’t need to explain why’. Anyway, I’ve tried my best to explain certain concepts and how they work in this, so let’s get this thing rolling- }

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