Most well written characters for every tier: List Edition

[SuperStar]

Rules:

1: Explain why you think the character is well written, then we will vote similar to Versus Threads.
2: For a verdict, there must be at least five votes in favor of the character, with a minimum difference of three votes
3: Whichever character has the most votes will be added to the list.
4: The numbers aren't ordered.

We can change up the rules/voting system depending on how well it works. Maybe

0:

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High 1-A:

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1-A:

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Low 1-A:

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High 1-B:

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1-B:

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5. Beatrice (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Darksmash, SuperStar,
Disagree:

High 1-C:

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1-C:

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Low 1-C:

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2-A:

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5. Homura Akemi (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Darksmash, SuperStar
Disagree:

2-B:

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2-C:

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5. Shallot (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: GarrixianXD, SuperStar
Disagree:

Low 2-C:

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High 3-A:

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3-A:

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3-B:

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3-C:

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4-A:

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4-B:

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3. Ichigo Kurosaki (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Spinoirr, SuperStar
Disagree

4. Zero (Mega Man X) (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Kazuma_kuwabara, SuperStar
Disagree:

5. Geo Stelar (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Kazuma_kuwabara, SuperStar
Disagree:

High 4-C:

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4-C:

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Low 4-C:

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High 5-A:

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5-A:

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5-B:

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Low 5-B:

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5-C:

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High 6-A:

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5. Prya and Mythra (0-4) (Reasoning) Agree: CloverDragon, SuperStar, Lacku, Dragoonseraphim
Disagree:
6-A:

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5. Inuyasha (0-3) (Reasoning) Agree: ImmortalDread, SuperStar, Lacku
Disagree:

High 6-B:

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6-B:

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Low 6-B:

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5. Shirou Emiya (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: TheKingStrategist13, SuperStar
Disagree:

High 6-C:

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5. Fire Emblem Three Houses characters (0-1) (Reasoning: None) Agree: Naitodesu
Disagree:


6-C:

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5. Prya and Mythra (0-4) (Reasoning) Agree: CloverDragon, SuperStar, Lacku, Dragoonseraphim
Disagree:

High 7-A:

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5. LOTR Characters (0-2) (Reasoning: via appeal to authority) Agree: DontTalkDT, SuperStar
Disagree:
7-A:

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7-B:

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5. Spamtom (0-2) (Reasoning: No explanation needed) Agree: ZillertheBucko, SuperStar
Disagree:
Low 7-B:

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High 7-C:

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5. Meruem (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Shmeatywerbenmanjenson, SuperStar
Disagree:

7-C:

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5. Po (0-1) (Reasoning: TBA) Agree: Naitodesu
Disagree:

Low 7-C:

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8-A:

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5. Kokushibo (0-3) (Reasoning) Agree: Passersby, SuperStar, Lacku
Disagree:

8-B:

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High 8-C:

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8-C:

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5. Spamtom (0-2) (Reasoning: No explanation needed) Agree: ZillertheBucko, SuperStar
Disagree:

9-A:

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3. Ezio Auditore da Firenze (0-3) (Reasoning) Agree: KLOL506, SuperStar, SpookyShadow
Disagree:
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Roman Reigns (0-3) (Reasoning) Agree: RandomGuy2345, SuperStar, Lacku
Disagree:

5. Roland Deschain (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Tarang123, SuperStar
Disagree:

9-B:

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5. Sans (1-1) (Reasoning: None) Agree: Kirinator07
Disagree: Kazuma_kuwabara

9-C:

1. Rick Grimes (0-2) (Reasoning: No Need) Agree: Winter, SuperStar
Disagree:

2. Johan Liebert (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Darksmash, SuperStar
Disagree:

3. Saul Goodman (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Darksmash, SuperStar
Disagree:

4. Walter White (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Darksmash, SuperStar
Disagree:

5. Minato Kageaki (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Darksmash, SuperStar
Disagree:

10-A:

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10-B:

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10-C:

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5. Mr. Glass (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Lacku, SuperStar
Disagree:

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11-B:

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11-C:

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Varies:

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Unknown:

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5. Secré Swallowtail (0-2) (Reasoning) Agree: Arnoldstone18, SuperStar
Disagree

 

[Passersby]

I AM HERE

 

[Arcker123]

I AM HERE

You are not that guy lil bro

 

[Adem_Warlock69]

How very

 

[Passersby]

You are not that guy lil bro

that guy who?

 

[CloverDragon03]

As with before, I'm pitching Pyra and Mythra for 6-C and High 6-A. Yes I know it's two characters, but they're kind of a package deal. My explanation is below, and as a heads-up, massive spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and its prequel Torna: The Golden Country.

Spoiler: Pyra, Mythra, and the Fear They Carry

So, what makes Pyra and Mythra so well-written? There's a lot to go through. To me, they're so compelling because of how their characters evolve throughout Xenoblade 2, specifically in regards to how they revolve around one pivotal moment in their lives that creates a fear so great it drives them away from the ones they love. And I'm gonna start this by highlighting who Mythra is in Torna: The Golden Country, the prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

• Introduction

Starting with Torna: The Golden Country, Mythra is a part of a supernatural, nigh-immortal race known as Blades. More specifically, she's of a legendary class of Blades known as the Aegis, of which there are three that comprise what's known as the Trinity Processor, all of whom are responsible for the formation of the world of Alrest. She was summoned due to another of the Aegis, named Malos, waging war on humanity in an attempt to destroy it all - a result of his summoner (known as his Driver, as is the case for all who summon a Blade) harboring a similar hatred for humanity. Despite her unwavering confidence in herself, and despite the fact that she built friendships with many people, all of whom cared deeply about her, she's the butt of everyone's jokes to the point that it was pretty rough on her. This is only important, though, because it becomes compounded by something far greater.

• The "True Nature" of the Aegis

See, in her final battle with Malos, he wants to draw out her "true nature," believing that the Aegis are all fundamentally meant to bring about the world's destruction. And so, he begins to attack the nation she's on, killing several people. One of these, though, was a close friend of hers named Milton - someone she'd frequently banter with. That alone got to her, but it was compounded by the fact that she had told him to stay where he was, believing he'd be safer that way. So not only did she witness one of her closest friends be killed, but she was indirectly responsible for it. This drove her to the point of losing control of herself, and in her fit of rage, she proceeded to completely overwhelm Malos in a destructive battle.

But this is exactly what he wanted. This destruction, to him, is the true nature of the Aegis. In his own words:

"It's what the world has cried for since its very birth! You! Me! We're here to give them what they want!"

And yet, even in her berserk state, a state in which Mythra can no longer even control herself, she tries to resist. She goes on to voice her true feelings... How she only ever wanted to save the ones she loved. But in the end, her berserk impulses overtake her, as she proceeds to completely annihilate Malos. But in the process, she causes substantial damage to the nation they're on, causing it to sink. And not only that, but her berserk rampage killed several people, including another friend of hers: Hugo.

In the end, even her own Driver, Addam, was no longer someone who stood at her side... He feared her.

• The Birth of Pyra

Following this destructive battle, Mythra would be forced to bear witness to the destruction she caused. Even worse, she's forced to watch Milton's corpse carried in front of her, before being held away from her, as if she's a monster that must be kept away from him. In the end, this is all too much to bear, and it sparks a transformation from Mythra.

This is the birth of Pyra.

So, who exactly is Pyra? Well, in the most fundamental sense, she's another "self" created by Mythra while Mythra herself hid from her trauma in her own subconscious. Pyra was created to be everything that Mythra wasn't. To give some examples:

1. Pyra was exceptionally kind, while Mythra was headstrong.
2. Pyra was an amazing cook, while Mythra's cooking was horrendous.
3. Pyra only carries a shadow of the strength Mythra had.
4. Even their designs reflect this, as Pyra's clothing covers body parts that Mythra's doesn't, and vice versa, which was actually revealed by the lead designer to be an intentional choice to reflect how they're "incomplete" without each other.

After this, Pyra and Mythra sought to seal themselves away, as they believed themselves to be a danger to everyone around them. And so, they'd do just that. As she was the one in control now, Pyra followed the two's wishes and sealed herself away, never to be reawakened again.

Until...

• 500 Years Later: The Fear She Carries

500 years pass, and the events of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 begin. The protagonist of the game, a salvager named Rex, is goaded into unsealing Pyra by Malos - who survived his battle with Mythra. His plan doesn't go as expected though, as while he made sure Rex was killed before he could potentially become her new Driver, Pyra was able to resurrect him, and he thus became her Driver anyway. After an initial confrontation that ends with Rex and Pyra escaping, she makes a request to him...

She asks her to take her to a place known as Elysium.

As the game progresses, though, Rex comes to learn of the conflict of 500 years ago, and the destruction "Pyra" had caused. And yet, he sticks by her. Despite this, though, she still bears the guilt, regret, and fear that she and Mythra had been carrying for all that time. It's so much to bear, in fact, that Mythra has not reawakened a single time. That is, until later in the story...

In another confrontation with Malos that leaves Rex, Pyra, and their allies with nowhere to run and on the verge of death, Mythra is forced to reawaken despite everything. After forcing Malos to retreat, one thing is made clear about Mythra: she's far more standoffish and defensive than before. It's revealed she awakened because she too wanted to protect Rex, but at the same time, her personality change stems from another feeling of hers. She doesn't want anyone to get close to her. She doesn't want to hurt anyone again. As such, she tries to push away everyone around her and hide from the world.

And during the time in which Mythra refused to reawaken, this forced Pyra to bear the brunt of this fear, as she was actually out in the world while Mythra ran from it all.

And it all culminates in a major turning point of the game's story: Pyra turns herself over to Malos, who intends to use her power to restore himself after his battle with Mythra 500 years ago weakened him, in order to have Rex and the others' lives spared. After a moment of self-doubt where he's faced with the harsh reality that he never truly understood Pyra and Mythra like he thought (which I won't get into as that's more relevant to Rex), he resolves to rescue them and understand them entirely, no matter what. I'll actually put in a quote here from him that resonates with me (and ties into not just the fear Pyra and Mythra carry, but also the loneliness of it all):

"Stupid... I was stupid. I didn’t understand Pyra and Mythra's feelings. Though we were destined to walk different paths, I tried to walk together. I walked in the shadow of the Aegis's light. Blindly walking my own path. While she walked alone. So, I might be stupid... but I’ve made my decision. It's obvious. I'll crush you into oblivion, and take Pyra and Mythra to Elysium!"

As he fights to rescue them in a losing battle, though, they urge him to give up, because they believe they're not worth rescuing. That they'll only cause him more pain if he sticks by them. And not only that, they reveal why they want to go to Elysium...

To beg their creator to let them die.

Their guilt, regret, and fear are so great that they believe they'd be better off dead so as to not be a danger to anyone else. But, in the end...

• A Desire to Live

Despite the pleas from Pyra and Mythra for Rex to give up, and to leave them behind, he refuses. He insists that he'll do everything he can, for their sake, and swears he won't "let the world burn a second time." It's clear in their reactions...

They didn't expect was someone like Rex, who cared for them wholeheartedly. None of that butt of the joke shit from before. No fear for the power they carry. He accepted them in their entirety. The people they were, the power they wielded, and the fear they carried.

Side Note: The reason they're shown together despite ordinarily being two souls in one body is because this is a telepathic communication between them and Rex, with this being a projection of them.

This marks the turning point, where after a hard struggle, they ask Rex one final time, if this is what he wants. To remain alongside them. And with a strong affirmation from him, the way forward has been made clear to them. They decide to push forward, alongside Rex, into the future.

I seriously highly recommend watching this scene. I will be the first to admit Rex's voice is far from the best, but cut him some slack, it was his first ever video game role and the game itself did not have a strong voice direction because of how niche the series was at the time.

Things don't end there, though, as we see the effects of this in the game. Pyra, and especially Mythra, are far more open than before, rather than keeping themselves closed off, and they - above all else - desire to live on now. They don't hide anything. Mythra is no keeping everyone away from her, rather, she embraces the company of her friends and especially Rex. Most of all, though, they have an express desire to live on now, more than ever before.

This comes to a head near the end of the game, though. Despite the party's victory over Malos, the entire place they're in begins to fall apart. Worse still, the place in question exists above the world of Alrest, meaning its collapse will also cause the pieces to crash onto Alrest with enough force to destroy it.

The only way to stop it... is for Pyra and Mythra to sacrifice themselves, using the last of their power to completely annihilate it.

Just as they've begun to desire to live on, they must sacrifice their lives.

It's, quite frankly, heart-wrenching to watch, as they express their gratitude to Rex for everything he's done for them. Despite the short time they were together, it was, in her own words, "warmer and brighter than any time of her life." And, there's my personal favorite part of her final speech...

"Thank you for that gift of light..."

And thus, in the end, Pyra and Mythra made the ultimate sacrifice to save Rex, and all their friends.

And yet, it doesn't end there...

As the credits roll, the ending song - One Last You - begins to play. You can find the lyrics to the song here, but what I'm going to highlight is by far the most important part. The song itself actually comes from the perspective of Pyra and Mythra, wherein they reminisce on all the memories they had with Rex, and how their life has come to an end. But, the final section is by far the most striking, as it conveys not just a desire to keep on living, but a plea for their creator to grant them a second chance at life. I'll let the lyrics do the talking...

You have gifted many things to me
But I wonder if I could've done the same for you
If you would let me, I will give back a handful
If it would put a little smile on your face

Can I ask you, God? Despite all of this...
Could the sandglass somehow take back the time?
One last time is all I ask from you
Can you please spare me a time with the one man I loved?
I wouldn't care how and where it should be
But I need one last time I want to tell you, how I feel inside for you
I want you to know...

The two that, for the majority of the story, loathed and cursed their existence and desired nothing but death, now desire life with the one they love when that death finally comes to them...

And in the end, their wish is granted, as they are reborn as two separate people, instead of two souls confined to one body...

Thanks for reading.

 

[RandomGuy2345]

​

Spoiler: Acknowledge Your Tribal Chief!

Formation of The Bloodline​

On the September 25th, 2020 episode of Smackdown, Jey Uso goes on a rant about how the Anoa'i family always sees Roman as the top dog, and how Jey Uso is just another person, mentioning how people usually say "Which one are you?: when they see him. He’s referring to the fact that he and Jimmy Uso are basically seen as the same person, and how people get them confused. What really stands out in this segment is when Jey Uso declares that he will defeat Roman Reigns at Clash of Champions, and Roman's face starts to intensify. Even hearing the mere thought of his own blood beating him gets him riled up inside. He thinks he’s the only one who’s capable of supporting the family, which is emphasized here, basically saying that Jey isn’t worthy of being the Head of the Table, and during their match at Clash of Champions, he's forcing Jey and even Jimmy to acknowledge him. This is only the beginning of his manipulation of The Usos.

After Clash of Champions, Roman once again manipulates Jey by saying it was the worst night of his life, and all he wanted was for Jey Uso to be in the spotlight. Roman’s definition of that is Jey forever being second fiddle to Roman so he can continue to feed his ego as he reigns supreme over everyone. He even goes as far to say that Jey disrespected and embarrassed their whole family by not acknowledging him.

In the build to their Hell In A Cell rematch, Roman makes the ultimatum that if he quits, he's no longer the Universal Champion, but if Jey quits he "falls in line." Everything Roman says, he’ll do. He has no choice but to respect and acknowledge him when Jey quits.

At the climax of Jey and Roman’s ‘I Quit’ Hell In A Cell match,Jimmy interferes, begging Roman to stop all of this, and that whatever he's going through, they can fix. Roman then starts to cry in regret of what he's done, going as far to say he’s sorry, but just when Jimmy thinks he can trust Roman, Roman locks in the guillotine, forcing Jey to say ‘I quit’, once again showing how much of a manipulative piece of crap he is. He’s willing to sacrifice his own flesh and blood if it means becoming The Tribal Chief. On Smackdown, Jey Uso finally acknowledges Roman as the Head of the Table, proving his loyalty as he attacks Daniel Bryan.

When Jimmy Uso comes back from injury, he’s unwilling to fall in line and acknowledge Roman, even calling him out for using and abusing Jey like he did when they were kids, and after Jey walks out on both of them, Roman starts manipulating again, saying he doesn’t want to fight Jimmy. He wants what’s best for the family, using Jimmy’s words against him so he can make him fall in line, too. You can tell Roman wanted to lash out on Jimmy by the way his face starts twitching before he starts using his manipulation tactics to get the upper hand.

At the end of it all, Jey, Jimmy, and Roman make amends, officially forming The Bloodline. However, there is one thing that I feel like needs to be pointed out here is what Roman says here: “All of us working together, can’t nobody touch us. Can’t nobody touch us… if we do it my way.” Those last six words really stick out to me because this is Roman’s somewhat subtle way of saying “I’m in control now, and you both are going to do everything I say from now on.” He thinks his way is the only way of doing things. It’s just Roman feeding his ego once again.

---

Sami Zayn Arc​

After this, The Bloodline, that being Jey, Jimmy, and Roman, dominated the WWE. Roman is now the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, and The Usos are the Undisputed Tag Team Champions.

However, Roman’s reign was in serious jeopardy, as Drew McIntyre was about to end Roman’s reign of terror, until Solo Sikoa made his debut and cost Drew the titles. Right off the bat, Roman doesn't hesitate to state Solo answers to him now, despite the elders being the ones that sent Solo to help Roman.

On the October 7th, 2022 episode of Smackdown, Logan Paul starts to play mind games with Roman, implying that he can't tell if Roman or Jey Uso is the Tribal Chief. This causes Jey to lash out at Logan, but if you look at Roman, his facial expression changes the moment Logan mentions Jey. To Roman, this is a big hit to his ego, as he believes that no one is worthy of being the Tribal Chief other than him, and the thought of someone else taking over is what pisses him off, and it even makes him somewhat fearful. Roman thinks he should be on top of the world, and that everyone should fall in line and obey him. This is exemplified on the October 28th, 2022 episode of Smackdown, where Jey and Sami start arguing. Jey questions Sami’s loyalty to The Bloodline, as he’s been doing for months, saying that he’s not even blood, and that Sami is not willing to do the things he would for his blood. This leads to Jey angrily shouting “I don't give a damn what the Tribal Chief say!” which causes Roman to immediately perk and give Jey Uso a death stare. Before things escalate, Sami saves Jey from getting likely another ass whooping from Roman. From Roman’s perspective, Jey saying what he said is basically him saying “The Tribal Chief doesn’t tell me what to do!”, which is a big deal for Roman, because he wants everything to be done his way, and his way only. This is the WWE planting the seeds for the eventual Bloodline implosion.

At Survivor Series: Wargames, Sami proves his loyalty to The Bloodline by helping Roman beat his closest friend Kevin Owens.

On the January 23rd, 2023 episode of RAW, Paul Heyman forges evidence to prove that Sami Zayn is a snake, and has been plotting behind The Bloodline so he can see it implode. The stand out moment for me in this segment is when Heyman presents ‘Prosecution Exhibit D’, where Sami Zayn (seemingly unintentionally) bumped into Roman. After seeing this, Roman gives Sami almost a look of disgust, ashamed of the fact that Sami would actually try and pull something sneaky like that. Notice how Roman doesn’t seem to acknowledge anything but when Sami bumps into him. Sami “defends” himself by saying he's shocked over the fact that Paul would do something like that and incriminate him after all they went through, and that his "defense" was he has no defense. This sends Roman over the edge, as he goes on a rant talking about how Sami has so much ego to where he doesn't even explain his actions. He even says that Sami doesn’t even care anymore after all of the stuff they went through together. He then orders Solo to finish the job, but just before Solo finishes Sami off, Jey Uso stop him. He proceeds to defend Sami, telling Roman how many bullets he took for them to show his loyalty. Jey proves this by showing everyone the video tape he made for Sami, showing all the times he was loyal to them. Jey explains how at first, he didn't trust Sami at all, but Sami was able to see the good in him, and that he loves him like a brother. This hits hard for people who’ve been watching the show weekly to see how much Jey hated Sami’s guts. He thought he didn’t belong anywhere near The Bloodline, but Sami proved him wrong, which shows great character development on the side of Jey. At the end, Sami is found not guilty, but Roman wanted to test Sami's loyalty as he defends his titles against his best friend Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble.

At the Royal Rumble, Roman successfully retains his title against Kevin Owens, however, the aftermath is what really matters. When the match is over, The Bloodline (except for Sami) beat the living hell out of Kevin Owens (30:22), and just before Roman can finish Kevin off (31:29), Sami stops him. He convinces Roman that he doesn’t need to do this, and that he’s above this. Roman agrees, so he ends up giving the chair to Sami and tells him to finish it (32:26), but when Sami hesitates, Roman starts pie facing him. This is Roman once again trying to assert dominance by abusing the people around him. However, this was the last straw, as Sami turned his back on The Bloodline by hitting Roman with a steel chair. However, instead of apologizing to The Bloodline, Sami apologizes to Jey, which again shows how amazingly subtle this storyline can be. It’s the little things that really propel it. Another little thing I noticed is how Jimmy was the one who attacked Sami first, and he was the one who was the most friendly to him the entire time he was with The Bloodline. They even made their own handshake. This is Jey slowly starting to realize how abusive and manipulative Roman is.

To prove that Sami still has love for Jey, he even tells him that he's going to do everything in his power to see Roman crumble, and he doesn't want Jey to have the same fate.

At the Elimination Chamber, Roman orders Jey to finish Sami off for him, but Jey hesitates. Similar to what happened at the Royal Rumble, Roman pie faces Jey, as if doing that will make Jey do what he wants. Roman retained his titles in a very hot Canadian crowd who hated Roman’s guts.

On the February 23rd, 2023 episode of Smackdown, Sami does the same thing to Jimmy as he did to Jey. He tries to convince him to step away from Roman so that he doesn't have to fall with the ship. Jimmy calls out Sami for being selfish, and says that he was the one who made that choice to turn his back on The Bloodline, which is something family doesn't do. Sami turns Jimmy’s words against him, saying that family doesn't make you test your loyalty every week, and they don't abuse you and use you like Roman's been doing to Jey for years. Jey is in the crowd seeing all of this go down.

Next week, Roman orders Jimmy to take care of Sami Zayn so Jey can come back to The Bloodline, going as far to say if Jey doesn't come back in a week, he'll blame everything on Jimmy. Jey realizes this, and he makes the decision to come back to The Bloodline. Jey explains his actions on Smackdown, saying he had to because Jimmy's his blood, and he has to put family first. He calls Sami Zayn selfish, just like Jimmy did. This heated feud culminated in Sami and Kevin winning the tag titles from The Usos, finally ending their record-breaking reign.

In the build for Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 39, Roman brags about the fact that Cody's deceased father (Dusty Rhodes) basically praised him whenever he was around, and would never, ever mention Cody. This just boosts Roman’s ego more, which I will get into more detail a bit later.

On an episode of RAW, Cody tells Roman that on April 3rd, he's going to have to wake up, look in the mirror, and acknowledge the fact he lost, and that when he does, everyone will leave him. One thing to take note of is how Roman starts to lose his composure when Cody says that Jey will leave him. Roman knows for a fact that if Jey leaves, so will Jimmy, and then Solo, and then Heyman. His empire will crumble. His expression paints a whole story here. Unfortunately for Cody, he wasn’t able to finish the story, as Roman barely escaped with the titles thanks to a Solo Sikoa interference.

On an episode of Smackdown, Roman calls out The Usos for having the nerve to dedicate their tag title rematch to him and lose. He thinks it’s weird that there are hall of fame tag teams in their family, but The Usos dedicated their match to someone who’s not even in a tag team. He demands that they apologize to him. Jimmy thinks Roman is just playing around, until Roman pie faces him, but just before Jimmy can do anything in retaliation, Jey calms the situation down and apologizes to Roman. Paul Heyman then announces that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will defend their tag titles against Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns himself. This is all just to fill Roman’s ego up even more. He doesn’t need the tag titles at all, but he wants to challenge for it because he can. He wants to run the WWE.

On next week's episode of Smackdown, Sami says that Roman and Solo are not gonna win because they are not as good as him and Kevin. He even says that Roman isn’t even as good as The Usos, which really ticks Roman off. Notice how whenever someone even as much implies the fact that The Usos are on the same level, or even better than Roman, he starts to lose his cool. The Usos end up sneak attacking Kevin and Sami, which we then realize that they went out on their own, as Roman goes on a complete tirade, shouting at The Usos that he didn't tell them to come out in his ring, and that they had a plan: his plan. Roman goes off on them again backstage, once again saying that he's the one that calls everything. He's the quarterback of the faction.

At Night of Champions, The Usos once again interfere in Roman's match, and while they were succeeding at first, everything went downhill once they accidentally Superkick Solo. Roman gets extremely pissed off and pie faces both Jimmy and Jey, which culminates in Jimmy snapping and Superkicking Roman. Jey automatically questions what the hell was Jimmy thinking, to which he responds with the following: “I'm doing what you should've done a long time ago! I got you!” Jimmy proceeds to Superkick Roman again. This is an extremely powerful moment for victims of abuse and manipulation. Seeing Jimmy finally snap and give Roman what deserved for years, as well as seeing him scream out years of abuse is very satisfying to watch. It teaches a lesson to not put up with someone’s bullshit and to stand up for yourself when you’ve been abused, even if it’s your own blood. Thanks to this, Sami and Kevin were able to retain their titles.

---

Jey Uso Arc​

After NOC, Jimmy finally gets to tell Roman how he really feels, calling him out of manipulation, abuse, and betrayal of his family. Something everyone’s been wanting to hear. He also warns Solo that Roman will do the same thing he did to The Usos for years if he decides to stick with Roman. Roman then selfishly states that the fans chant 'Uso' because of him. He then proceeds to do what Jimmy warned Solo of: he manipulates him, trying to convince him that Jimmy is trying to speak for him as if he doesn’t have a voice. This all turns out to be a set up by Roman, as when Jimmy and Jey think they’re all on the same page, Solo attacks Jimmy. Roman strikes again with his master manipulation skills.

Roman once again makes another attempt at manipulating Jey, as he makes Paul Heyman say that Roman's plan all along was to groom Jey to make him the next Tribal Chief. Heyman also says that Jimmy knew about this all along, but he resented it out of pure jealousy. This was another tactic to make Jey come back to Roman. They even went as far as to set up a match between him and Austin Theory for the U.S. Title that same night, which ends up going awry.

Next week on Smackdown, Roman tries damndest to convince Jey to join his side, mentioning the fact that he’ll become the next Tribal Chief. Before Jey can make his decision, Jimmy interrupts to tell Jey that Roman is using you again to get his way, and that he doesn’t actually care about him. Roman mentions the amount of success The Usos have had since teaming with him, adding the fact that they were never this successful by themselves. Roman also points out the fact that Jimmy was the only one who had a problem with Jey being named 'The Right Hand Man', to which Jimmy admits to it. Jey assumes the Jimmy was doubting him. And from then on, Jey talks about how in reality, he was trying to keep up with Jimmy the whole entire time while they were competing with Roman, even saying that he made it big because of Roman. However, this ends being a manipulation on Jey’s end, as it turns out he was goading Roman into a false sense of security to strike at the right moment. Another powerful moment in the story, similar to Jimmy's moment at NOC, as Jey finally stood up to Roman’s abuse and manipulation. This led to a Bloodline Civil War at Money in the Bank, the matche being Roman and Solo vs The Usos, which culminated in Jey being the first person to pin Roman Reigns in roughly 4 years.

---

The Subtle Storytelling of Roman’s Character​

Some of you might be saying “Random, most of these moments you mentioned Roman wasn’t even involved. If anything, this shows how well written the other characters were as opposed to Roman.” And while that does show how well written the other characters are in the story, damn near every major storyline The Usos had all stemmed from Roman. The Sami Zayn story, and how he fulfilled his goal of crumbling The Bloodline, wouldn’t have been nearly as powerful if it wasn’t for Roman’s constant self-doubt, manipulation, and abuse Sami suffered from the past few months of being with The Bloodline, and the whole Bloodline Civil War story wouldn’t have been nearly as powerful if it wasn’t for The Usos finally breaking from Roman’s abuse and manipulation, as well as seeing Roman become more and more desperate to make sure his empire stays intact. There’s no depth Roman wouldn’t sink to in order to keep his spot at the top. Gaslighting, abusing and manipulating his own flesh and blood was something he did not hesitate to do. He’s a power-hungry tyrant that needs to be slain.

Roman’s anxiety/self-doubt really starts to kick in whenever someone says, or even implies the fact that The Usos (specifically Jey) is on the same caliber, if not, better than him. Roman has a fragile ego that can be broken at any moment. He thinks he’s the only one who's capable of supporting the family. No one can replace him, and the mere thought of someone doing just that takes a toll on his psyche. This is why the titles mean so much to him. Without these titles, there’s basically no Tribal Chief. Hell, the titles are the only reason why Roman is able to stroke his ego more and more.

Roman’s massive, but fragile ego can also be shattered if the fans don’t acknowledge him, or if someone gets into his head. The whole concept behind this is masterful storytelling, as before Roman became The Tribal Chief, he was known as ‘The Big Dog’, a character who was widely hated by the WWE universe. He was pushed as being a guy you were supposed to root for, but the fans just weren’t having it, no matter how hard WWE tried. However, this was subtly implemented in The Tribal Chief character, which is explained perfectly here in this amazing video that I heavily recommend you watch. Whenever Roman is booed by the crowd, it reminds him of his past when he was the most hated wrestler on the roster, and that damages his psyche. When his opponent is playing mind games (specifically Seth Rollins), it reminds him of where he used to be at one point, which damages him, too. And whenever Roman couldn’t beat his opponents by himself, whether it was physically or mentally, he fell back on The Bloodline to come and save his ass, but now that since he has no one but Solo left, it’s only a matter time where The Tribal Chief breaks under all of the pressure, and he will fall.

---

Conclusion

This is why I nominated Roman Reigns. Everything from his in-ring work, his mic skills, his psychology, his storytelling, his ability to make you feel everything he says, his superb acting, the facial expressions which perfectly sell every moment and whatever emotion he’s feeling at the moment, how he carries himself. Everything is top tier. His work from the past 3 years has easily cemented him as one of the best wrestlers of all time. This is why WWE fans call every Bloodline segment as “Cinema”.

As of right now, WWE are currently building up Jey Uso’s match with Roman Reigns at Summerslam, which will be a Tribal Combat match, and so far, the build has been really solid. Odds are the match is gonna be great.

Roman Reigns for 9-A.

 

[ImmortalDread]

Submitting Inuyasha (at least low 7-B to 6-A)​

Over 1000 episodes, 4 films, a lot of OVAs and even now a new anime for the new generation. Where should I start, from action/adventure genre to romantic/love genre as well as so many plot twists. I watched it when I was smol, and rewatched it three years ago, and I still love the in-line story.

I can confidently say that this anime is one of the fewer anime(s) that I watched (my list goes over 200+ animes) that Inuyasha is the only character that goes from Point A to Point Z, so naturally when he gets development, it’s not only because he needs it, it’s because he really NEEDS it, it’s more crucial to his character in the series because he has the furthest path to travel.

They invested a lot to showcase us the importance of relationship between brothers, also normalizing the forbidden love (a half-demon is not allowed to fall in love with human) as well as his old ex-relationship plot twists moments.

Spoiler: Those are keywords to understand the context

To get the context; I will explain each character's role:

• Kagome Higurashi (the main female protagonist)
• Kikyō (his ex-gf)
• Miroku (a traveler and womanizer)
• Tessaiga (his sword)

Most important aspects of the anime are:

• Conveying himself

This is a bit tricky because Inuyasha is kind of a mix of expressing his feelings. Sometimes he's comfortable doing it, especially around Kagome or when he's forced to. But there are moments where he gets all closed off, especially when it comes to his past, parents, and how he grew up after losing his mother. These are topics he usually avoids or tries to forget. The hardest thing for him is expressing his feelings, but he gets better at it as the series goes on. Surprisingly, he's most open when he's drunk and meets the potion master near the end of the series.

Basically, Inuyasha can be pretty open about his emotions in certain situations, like with Kagome or in the right setting, but he still has some things he'd rather not talk about from his past. His main focus is moving forward and cherishing the happier times he shares with Kagome.

• Accomplishment

Inuyasha never fully loses his impulsive and aggressive fighting style, but he does become a much better fighter, and a big part of that improvement is thanks to having Kagome by his side. When she's around, he becomes naturally stronger, faster, and more precise in his battles. It's not easy to do things like slicing through The Noh Mask just inches from Kagome's face, especially for someone who is still a novice. But he manages it because he trusts in his own abilities and his determination to protect Kagome without harming her.

His motivation to become stronger stems from his desire to keep Kagome safe, not just from others but also from himself. His initial pursuit of power might have been somewhat selfish, but that changes over time. He starts relying on the Tessaiga, the powerful sword he possesses, and through that reliance, he keeps getting better and better in his fighting skills.

• Accepting Himself

Surprisingly, you'd think this character would undergo significant development, but he actually doesn't progress much beyond the beginning of the series. At first, he desperately seeks acceptance from others, even if it means compromising his own heritage. It's not entirely his fault since he was led to believe that being who he was, a half-demon, was wrong. So, he tries hard to prove himself "right" in the eyes of others.

However, as he spends more time with Kagome, he starts to understand her perspective and accepts her unconditional support. He experiences his human side at its worst, and that makes him determined to become a full-fledged demon. But a warning from Miroku stops him, as he fears the idea of turning against Kagome. Instead, he focuses on becoming stronger and protecting her after a dangerous attack on some bandits.

In summary, though it may seem like this character would go through significant changes, he remains largely fixated on seeking acceptance and becoming stronger, especially for Kagome's sake.

• Trustingness

Inuyasha admits that he survived so far because he trusted no one, not even Kikyo, due to their trust issues, which were evident in how they interacted and eventually turned against each other. Ironically, right after saying this, he finds himself having to trust Kagome to save him and keep him safe. This moment becomes a major turning point for him, as he starts relying on Kagome's ability to help him and support him in tough situations. Inuyasha had been cautious about trusting others throughout the series, but with Kagome and his group of friends, he gradually learns the true meaning of trust and develops a stronger bond with them. This also leads him to understand companionship and love better, something he had a basic understanding of at the beginning of the series. Through his interactions with Kagome, Inuyasha opens up to new experiences and starts behaving differently than he used to in the past.

• Conduct

Kaede had a great insight early in the series when she suggested that Inuyasha might resemble his father more than Sesshomaru does. At the start of the series, Inuyasha comes across as a wild and rebellious bandit, but as the story progresses, he undergoes significant changes. Deep down, he's actually a kind-hearted boy who craves acceptance, care, and companionship. The tough exterior he portrays initially is just a front. Due to his lack of proper upbringing, there are aspects of his personality that unintentionally push people away, and he sometimes behaves selfishly, act upon by his past experiences with bandits. However, as Kagome guides him, he gradually evolves into a mature and considerate man. Kagome plays a vital role in helping him adapt to society, teaching him how to interact with others and overcome his selfish tendencies.

Throughout the series, we witness Inuyasha's transformation into a more open and understanding person, leaving behind some of his childish behavior. Although he doesn't completely lose his identity, his approach to situations undergoes a significant shift, making him more receptive to the people around him. Kagome's influence is evident in how he learns to prioritize the well-being of others, not just his own desires. Initially, he was solely focused on obtaining the Shikon Jewel quickly, even if it meant endangering Kagome's life. However, this changes after Kagome confronts him and faces near-death situations herself, which causes him to reevaluate his priorities.

In summary, Inuyasha starts as a wild and self-centered bandit, but with Kagome's guidance and experiences throughout the series, he transforms into a caring and mature man who values the well-being of others.

• Powerfulness

In simple terms, Inuyasha's growth and confidence are closely tied to his sword, the Tessaiga. Even though it could be categorized under Swordsmanship, that wouldn't give credit to how it shaped Inuyasha's character. The Tessaiga was made to protect Inuyasha's mother, so when he uses it to protect Kagome, it brings out his natural power, speed, and strength, making it a perfect match for him. However, his true strength comes from believing in himself and who he is. Confidence can be a tricky thing, as some characters like Naraku become too overconfident and end up failing. But for Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru, their confidence grows throughout the series. Kagome and Inuyasha gain more self-assurance, while Sesshomaru learns to shed his overconfidence, which often got him into trouble. As Inuyasha accepts himself and trusts in himself and others, he continues to rise and become stronger.

Conclusion
Inuyasha's journey from A to Z is summed up well at the end: "taught."
He never really had someone to show him the ropes, lost his mom early, and learned things on his own in the wild. When he met Kikyo, no real learning happened. He tried to fit in and find acceptance, but when that failed, he created his own path. Enter Kagome, not just a crush, but a guide.

Let me give you an example from the actual show: remember when Inuyasha was feeling all gloomy, and he told Kagome he didn't deserve to be happy? Well, she took his hand and showed him the way to a happier life, being all supportive and stuff. Those moments when Kagome guides him through his dark times and pulls him out of his lowest points are pretty awesome.

Like, you know, everything about how he started feeling and changing, gaining more power, accepting himself, and wanting to stay true to who he is, trusting others, being an awesome swordsman, and tons of other stuff, all led to Kagome in some way. Inuyasha really makes it clear at the end of the series, and it totally makes sense, man. Her impact on him, turning him into a fierce warrior and a real man, shouldn't be underestimated, for sure.

 

[Passersby]

kokushibo’s symbolism​

Kokushibo's six eyes symbolizes the six realms of existence in buddhism, The six realms can have a literal meaning or a symbolic meaning. They are six states of mind we experience in our life, states which shift to each realm according to your karma.

karma in buddhism refers to action driven by intention which leads to future consequences.



Kokushibo experiencef all 6 of these realms in the course his life, and in this post i will try to explain why and how

• human realm

the human realm is based on passion desire doubt and pride,

the human realm in buddhism is considered to be the most advantageous of all possible rebirths as in higher domains, beings are blinded by the pleasures of their realms and neglect working towards bodhi (enlightenment) while being on the lower realm are too busy trying to avoid the suffering and pain of their worlds to give a second thought to liberation.

however, the human realm is a balance, as it provides enough suffering to motivate the beings inside to acheive liberation but not too much that every moment of their lives is consumed by it.

in most cases, humans waste their lifetimes in pursuits of their desires rather than working towards enlightenment, Because of this, most of them descends to a lower domain of rebirth after a human life.

kokushibo experienced the human realm in his early childhood, it’s the greatest test and it offers the opportunity to become enlightened. Kokushibo dealt with some hardships but it was the challenges he and Yoriichi faced that makes up the human realm,

passion, desire, doubt, and pride.

• The Jealous God Realm

or the realm of the asuras

Asuras are hyper-competitive and paranoid,They are driven by a desire to beat their competition, and everyone is competition, their first priority is getting to the top and they always desire to be superior to others

Kokushibo experienced the jealous god realm when He was fueled by intense jealousy, ego, and aggression to rise in power and position, and according to the purpose of the human realm, this is a key moment since should he give in to temptation, he will fall into the lower realms.

• God realm

the god realm is the most pleasure-filled among the six realms, and soon after yoriichi disappeared, kokushibo experienced it

He lived a blissful life, had a family, became heir, they were peaceful somewhat boring days

• animal realm

after 10 years, yoriichi came back

he saved Michikatsu, and the envy and jealousy boiled in his stomach once again and blissful peaceful days were over, and seeing yoriichi kill something that wasn't even human that made his envy slowly turn to obsession, he saw yoriichi's skill and strength and wanted all of it to be his,

he abondoned his family to walk the path of a demon hunter just like yoriichi, but he also couldn't use the breath of the sun so he made the moon breathing,and eventually he got the mark

however, he realized that there was no future left for him as those with the mark die at the age of 25,so there was no time for him to train and achieve his goal

however, Muzan presented him an opportunity,a future where he can find purpose and fulfill his dream. Koku gave into the temptation to lose his humanity for his greed and desire.

and so michikatsu became a demon and was reborn to the animal realm as kokushibo

The animal Realm symbolized him losing his humanity and it is a reflection of a man's basic instincts

The animal realm is where animals are believed in Buddhist texts to be driven by impulse and instinct, they prey on each other and suffer, and kokushibo’s obsession and instinct is to become stronger than his brother he preyed on humans and suffered trought his enitre life without finding a purpose nor completing that obessesion

Just as the moon reflects light from the sun,The reflection of Kokushibo's instincts was to surpass Yoriichi who is like the sun. Kokushibo could not achieve liberation since he was always obsessed with surpassing his brother

• hungry ghost realm

This is the domain of addiction, beings inside it constantly seek something outside themselves to curb an insatiable yearning for relief or fulfillment.

kokushibo experienced the hungry ghost real since he was always hungry to be like Yoriichi, but could never reach him, he was but a mere shadow to what his brother is and he became monster because of his hunger and fustratation from his desire that could never be fulfilled.

the beings in the Hungry Ghost Realm have big bellies and small mouths and Ironically, the final attack that led to kokushibo’s death was muichiro’s stab to his stomach

• hell realm

and finally, Kokushibo experienced the Hell Realm, the result of his karma that was built upon his actions after his death, he lived a tragic life, and caused a lot of suffering, and now, he has to suffer the consequences of his karma

the moon in Buddhism is symbolized as liberation and enlightment, however, ironically Kokushibo contradicts that as he is in fact the opposite of what that entails. He couldn't free himself from that obssession, he acheived nothing and lost everything that’s important to him

 

[Passersby]

the icarus and the sun


Icarus,drawn by his desire to to reach the heavens, tried to reach and devour the sun, lost himself in the process and ignored his father's warnings, then failed and burnt his wings causing him to fall to his demise

seems similar?

Who is the sun, and who is the icarus?

And the dynamic between them

• character dynamic

Character dynamics refers to the way that different characters in your story relate to one another. The word dynamic can be defined as something that results in change, growth, activity, or interaction. Character dynamics are how you use the relationships between characters to help your characters grow or transform

Do you see what I mean?

Yoriichi and Kokushibo share the same dynamic exept it was presented in a more humane way as a brother envious of his twins overwhelming talent and losing himself and everything in the process

what makes their dynamic so wonderfully written is that the entire foundation of their character is based on the fact that both their existence affect and change each other, one being the unreachable sun and the othe being the icarus that’s deseprately trying to reach it, how it affected him and how it both broke and change him

yoriichi changed him, he affected his growth mentality and all the activities he ever did were based on their dynamic, that is the one between the sun and the icarus, yoriichi's existence itself dictated how Michikatsu developed and grew, he was the reason he abandoned his home and family and became a demon hunter, he was the reason why he abandoned his humanity and became a demon, he dedicated his entire life into reaching yoriichi's level due to his obsession, he could never forget his face even after centuries and he still very vividly remember him, and even centuries, he couldn't reach yoriichi's level nor could he see the world he was seeing, be accomplished nothing and abandoned everything, and thereby he lost everything.

His character itself is based on the foundation that he is always trying to reach the sun, but he never could and all these factors and the way the way executed and presented was wonderful

how they may be twins, but they couldn’t have become more different, they walked different and conflicting paths and had contradicting Philosophies.

kokushibo was a broken human being, one whose envy drove him to reach for the sun

but no matter how desperately he tried to reach out for it,The only option was writhe and suffer, just like the icarus

And just like the icarus, Kokushibo's lost everything while trying to reach for the heavens

And even after abononing everything he had, he couldn't achieve what he wanted, he never got to see the world he longed to see.

kokushibo as a charcter felt human, he was flawed, he didn’t lose everything, he abandoned everything, he made mistakes and his development as a character was realistic

and what makes the dynamic between the two so amazing is the fact that the entirety of koku’s character develoment is based on their dynamic, you cannot talk about him without talking about how yoriichi affected him, they’re connected,he is the icarus,yoriichi is the sun


not to mention that it’s also inspired by the story of the sun and moon god(Japanese pantheon), who separated and walked different paths

While Kokushibo's became a demon and bleived that being eternal and living forever was the logical conclusion



yoriichi bleived that living and dying was the beauty of being human he became a demon hunter and bleived that they should reach the end of their lives feeling nothing but ease, and stayed as such until he died of old age



and just like tsukuyomi, kokushibo is a a proud, violent, and somewhat tragic character.

he also needs to chase after the sun, and he continued to do so without stopping for 400 years



Kokushibo, or Michikatsu’s goal was to become the strongest samurai. We can see in his backstory that Kokushibo trained as hard to the point of bleeding from his hands so he could become a worthy successor. Its a common notion that hard work beats talent, or that it will result in success, that hard work never betrays you.


However, all that hard work proved itself to be worthlesswe Kokushibo worked hard, practiced till he bled, and gave more than just his all. While, Yoriichi who never touched a blade, defeated an opponent that Kokushibo never even managed to land a hit on


All the effort and hard work he put was simply outmatched by a his twin who had talent, who if anything didn’t even want it, treated as something worthless

he realized that,even with all his hard work, in front of a one of a kind prodigy, his pace was akin to that of a turtle

it was hopeless, nothing could be done.

and then their treatmentt changes, kokushibo was abondoned by his family, yoriichi became the focal point of everything,he was special and while he was not,his dream of becoming a samurai would never be acheived

he ammounted to nothing for he was not special




after that it's only natural for envy and hatred started to it’s roots, your family of origin and your enviorment plays a huge role in your development as a kid and kokushibo isn't an exeption


his backstory and the root of his obssession felt human and it had realistic development


they reunited again after 10 years

=
yoriichi saved Michikatsu, and the envy and jealousy boiled in his stomach once again, his peaceful days were over, and seeing yoriichi kill something that wasn't even human that made his envy slowly turn to obsession, he saw yoriichi's skill and strength and wanted all of it to be his,

he abondoned his family to walk the path of a demon hunter, but he also couldn't use the breath of the sun so he made the moon breathing..and eventually he got the mark

He tought he could reach yoriichi's level if he trained more,but he realized it would be impossible, the mark shortened his lifespan, he paid for the strength with his life, and so did all of the pillars

He realized that there was no future left for him,and that there was no time for him to train and catch up either

until he met muzan,and he was offered eternal life

At that moment the path he wanted with all his heart was before him

His obsession of catching up to yoriichi made him choose to become a demon, at that moment, he was free from all obligations, he had enough time to train and reach his level…or At least that what should have been,

Yoriichi appeared again, and proved that even his old age, he is the sun that can't be reached, he almost killed him, making realize that all of his training was useless,and just as he was about to deliver the final blow, he died of old age


And even after living for centuries, even after forgetting how all his loved one’s faces looked like he still remembered yoriichi’s face vividly even if it’s the one he wanted to forget about the most

That's how far his obsession has reached.

His jealousy turned to envy, that envy turned to obsession, and that obsession haunted him for the rest of his life

He abandoned everything, and he lost it all in his path to reach for the sun…

and he realized in then end, that all of it was pointelss, that no matter how many times he yearns for the sun and reach out his hands, his only option was to writh and suffer untill he turns and to ash and disappear

and even with the amount of times he felt jealous of his brother, or how he stated he hated him. He still held on to the flute that he gave to Yoriichi, because that was the only thing left that truly mattered to him.

This Kokushibo's origin, his emotional struggle was shown and beautifully talked about his constant change as a character while trying to reach his goal was well documented his regrets and emotional scars are shown and his monologs that beautifully portrayed his emotions.

Kokushibo was so obsessed with fulfilling his dream and finding a purpose in life, that he abandoned many things that were important to him.

He lived hundreds of years, but he never even found an answer to why he was even born. He abandoned his family, his home, and killed even his descendant

But he realized how empty and hideous he’s become, just to catch up to yoriichi So doubts arise, did he really want to become the strongest?To the point that he’d abandon everything? did he really want to never lose? so much so he ate all those humans?

did he reallt fear death? so much so he’d abondon his humanity?

In the end, he realized that his true goal and dream was that he wanted to be just like Yoriichi. However, his envy and obsession to reach his level were the reasons Kokushibo abandoned everything, and just like the icarus, his fate was to writhe and suffer in the ground until he turned to ash



and that's all i have for now, i don't know if i screwed something up


how is it?

 

[CloverDragon03]

Bro split the Kokushibo analysis into two posts, insanity

 

[ImmortalDread]

Real, again I disagree on it. Akaza is better for the spot.

 

[Passersby]

shut up you normies, koku is still better written

i also split it because appearently there is 20 image limit, i had so many images there that i deleted till i realized i could just split the post

 

[ImmortalDread]

shut up you normies, koku is still better written

i also split it because appearently there is 20 image limit, i had so many images there that i deleted till i realized i could just split the post

Use link instead of "image".

 

[Passersby]

Use link instead of "image".

that would be way less impactful tho,

but that's a solution i'm too lazy to implement so you're stuck with what's above

 

[RandomGuy2345]

Why couldn't you condense everything into a spoiler?

 

[ImmortalDread]

Why couldn't you condense everything into a spoiler?

He already said it. He is lazy (not professional like me)

 

[RandomGuy2345]

Bruh moment.

 

[CloverDragon03]

How do you do the Spoiler button that collapses into the text you wanna show? I wanna better organize my thing

 

[ImmortalDread]

I could do paid courses in how I organize my threads XD.

 

[RandomGuy2345]

How do you do the Spoiler button that collapses into the text you wanna show? I wanna better organize my thing

What I usually do is highlight my text, then click where it says "more options", then it will show a crossed out eye saying "Spoiler".

Click that and you can name the spoiler whatever you want (I recommend a title that fits what you're talking about).

After that, you should be done.

 

[Passersby]

Why couldn't you condense everything into a spoiler?

..wait you can do that?

edit: even with the image restriction?

 

[ImmortalDread]

Always, you can use spoilers for other purposes.

 

[RandomGuy2345]

..wait you can do that?

edit: even with the image restriction?

I believe so.

 

[Passersby]

yeah, i have no idea what i'm doing

let's just leave it as such

 

[LIFE_OF_KING]

Can't we make a list without "B is > than C"? Like, just put the characters and thats it

 

[CloverDragon03]

Can't we make a list without "B is > than C"? Like, just put the characters and thats it

Oh 100%, the numbers are pretty much entirely for show, the lists for each tier are actually entirely unordered

 

[CloverDragon03]

Anyways I'm actually editing my post right now, seeing how detailed everyone else's are. I'm not gonna go the route of images and hyperlinks, but I'm gonna be as detailed as I can

 

[Passersby]

Anyways I'm actually editing my post right now, seeing how detailed everyone else's are. I'm not gonna go the route of images and hyperlinks, but I'm gonna be as detailed as I can

i'm cheering for you!

maybe someone will read it that way

 

[RandomGuy2345]

If I wasn't a lazy mf and found a way to watch the show, I'd nominate Satsuki Kiryuin for 6-A.

 

[SuperStar]

I agree with all the character listed, I added them to the OP.

 

[Passersby]

I agree with all the character listed, I added them to the OP.

small correction, dread doesn't disagree

she just thinks akaza is better suited


also hell yeah!

my boy kokushibo is finally getting some recognition for being the well written character he is

 

[Lacku]

I agree with everybody listed, especially the Tribal Chief

 

[RandomGuy2345]

I agree with all the character listed, I added them to the OP.

Acknowledge your Tribal Chief...

 

[CloverDragon03]

As with before, I'm pitching Pyra and Mythra for 6-C and High 6-A. Yes I know it's two characters, but they're kind of a package deal. My explanation is below, and as a heads-up, massive spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and its prequel Torna: The Golden Country.

Spoiler: Pyra, Mythra, and the Fear They Carry

So, what makes Pyra and Mythra so well-written? There's a lot to go through. To me, they're so compelling because of how their characters evolve throughout Xenoblade 2, specifically in regards to how they revolve around one pivotal moment in their lives that creates a fear so great it drives them away from the ones they love. And I'm gonna start this by highlighting who Mythra is in Torna: The Golden Country, the prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

• Introduction

Starting with Torna: The Golden Country, Mythra is a part of a supernatural, nigh-immortal race known as Blades. More specifically, she's of a legendary class of Blades known as the Aegis, of which there are three that comprise what's known as the Trinity Processor, all of whom are responsible for the formation of the world of Alrest. She was summoned due to another of the Aegis, named Malos, waging war on humanity in an attempt to destroy it all - a result of his summoner (known as his Driver, as is the case for all who summon a Blade) harboring a similar hatred for humanity. Despite her unwavering confidence in herself, and despite the fact that she built friendships with many people, all of whom cared deeply about her, she's the butt of everyone's jokes to the point that it was pretty rough on her. This is only important, though, because it becomes compounded by something far greater.

• The "True Nature" of the Aegis

See, in her final battle with Malos, he wants to draw out her "true nature," believing that the Aegis are all fundamentally meant to bring about the world's destruction. And so, he begins to attack the nation she's on, killing several people. One of these, though, was a close friend of hers named Milton - someone she'd frequently banter with. That alone got to her, but it was compounded by the fact that she had told him to stay where he was, believing he'd be safer that way. So not only did she witness one of her closest friends be killed, but she was indirectly responsible for it. This drove her to the point of losing control of herself, and in her fit of rage, she proceeded to completely overwhelm Malos in a destructive battle.

But this is exactly what he wanted. This destruction, to him, is the true nature of the Aegis. In his own words:

"It's what the world has cried for since its very birth! You! Me! We're here to give them what they want!"

And yet, even in her berserk state, a state in which Mythra can no longer even control herself, she tries to resist. She goes on to voice her true feelings... How she only ever wanted to save the ones she loved. But in the end, her berserk impulses overtake her, as she proceeds to completely annihilate Malos. But in the process, she causes substantial damage to the nation they're on, causing it to sink. And not only that, but her berserk rampage killed several people, including another friend of hers: Hugo.

In the end, even her own Driver, Addam, was no longer someone who stood at her side... He feared her.

• The Birth of Pyra

Following this destructive battle, Mythra would be forced to bear witness to the destruction she caused. Even worse, she's forced to watch Milton's corpse carried in front of her, before being held away from her, as if she's a monster that must be kept away from him. In the end, this is all too much to bear, and it sparks a transformation from Mythra.

This is the birth of Pyra.

So, who exactly is Pyra? Well, in the most fundamental sense, she's another "self" created by Mythra while Mythra herself hid from her trauma in her own subconscious. Pyra was created to be everything that Mythra wasn't. To give some examples:

1. Pyra was exceptionally kind, while Mythra was headstrong.
2. Pyra was an amazing cook, while Mythra's cooking was horrendous.
3. Pyra only carries a shadow of the strength Mythra had.
4. Even their designs reflect this, as Pyra's clothing covers body parts that Mythra's doesn't, and vice versa, which was actually revealed by the lead designer to be an intentional choice to reflect how they're "incomplete" without each other.

After this, Pyra and Mythra sought to seal themselves away, as they believed themselves to be a danger to everyone around them. And so, they'd do just that. As she was the one in control now, Pyra followed the two's wishes and sealed herself away, never to be reawakened again.

Until...

• 500 Years Later: The Fear She Carries

500 years pass, and the events of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 begin. The protagonist of the game, a salvager named Rex, is goaded into unsealing Pyra by Malos - who survived his battle with Mythra. His plan doesn't go as expected though, as while he made sure Rex was killed before he could potentially become her new Driver, Pyra was able to resurrect him, and he thus became her Driver anyway. After an initial confrontation that ends with Rex and Pyra escaping, she makes a request to him...

She asks her to take her to a place known as Elysium.

As the game progresses, though, Rex comes to learn of the conflict of 500 years ago, and the destruction "Pyra" had caused. And yet, he sticks by her. Despite this, though, she still bears the guilt, regret, and fear that she and Mythra had been carrying for all that time. It's so much to bear, in fact, that Mythra has not reawakened a single time. That is, until later in the story...

In another confrontation with Malos that leaves Rex, Pyra, and their allies with nowhere to run and on the verge of death, Mythra is forced to reawaken despite everything. After forcing Malos to retreat, one thing is made clear about Mythra: she's far more standoffish and defensive than before. It's revealed she awakened because she too wanted to protect Rex, but at the same time, her personality change stems from another feeling of hers. She doesn't want anyone to get close to her. She doesn't want to hurt anyone again. As such, she tries to push away everyone around her and hide from the world.

And during the time in which Mythra refused to reawaken, this forced Pyra to bear the brunt of this fear, as she was actually out in the world while Mythra ran from it all.

And it all culminates in a major turning point of the game's story: Pyra turns herself over to Malos, who intends to use her power to restore himself after his battle with Mythra 500 years ago weakened him, in order to have Rex and the others' lives spared. After a moment of self-doubt where he's faced with the harsh reality that he never truly understood Pyra and Mythra like he thought (which I won't get into as that's more relevant to Rex), he resolves to rescue them and understand them entirely, no matter what. I'll actually put in a quote here from him that resonates with me (and ties into not just the fear Pyra and Mythra carry, but also the loneliness of it all):

"Stupid... I was stupid. I didn’t understand Pyra and Mythra's feelings. Though we were destined to walk different paths, I tried to walk together. I walked in the shadow of the Aegis's light. Blindly walking my own path. While she walked alone. So, I might be stupid... but I’ve made my decision. It's obvious. I'll crush you into oblivion, and take Pyra and Mythra to Elysium!"

As he fights to rescue them in a losing battle, though, they urge him to give up, because they believe they're not worth rescuing. That they'll only cause him more pain if he sticks by them. And not only that, they reveal why they want to go to Elysium...

To beg their creator to let them die.

Their guilt, regret, and fear are so great that they believe they'd be better off dead so as to not be a danger to anyone else. But, in the end...

• A Desire to Live

Despite the pleas from Pyra and Mythra for Rex to give up, and to leave them behind, he refuses. He insists that he'll do everything he can, for their sake, and swears he won't "let the world burn a second time." It's clear in their reactions...

They didn't expect was someone like Rex, who cared for them wholeheartedly. None of that butt of the joke shit from before. No fear for the power they carry. He accepted them in their entirety. The people they were, the power they wielded, and the fear they carried.

Side Note: The reason they're shown together despite ordinarily being two souls in one body is because this is a telepathic communication between them and Rex, with this being a projection of them.

This marks the turning point, where after a hard struggle, they ask Rex one final time, if this is what he wants. To remain alongside them. And with a strong affirmation from him, the way forward has been made clear to them. They decide to push forward, alongside Rex, into the future.

I seriously highly recommend watching this scene. I will be the first to admit Rex's voice is far from the best, but cut him some slack, it was his first ever video game role and the game itself did not have a strong voice direction because of how niche the series was at the time.

Things don't end there, though, as we see the effects of this in the game. Pyra, and especially Mythra, are far more open than before, rather than keeping themselves closed off, and they - above all else - desire to live on now. They don't hide anything. Mythra is no keeping everyone away from her, rather, she embraces the company of her friends and especially Rex. Most of all, though, they have an express desire to live on now, more than ever before.

This comes to a head near the end of the game, though. Despite the party's victory over Malos, the entire place they're in begins to fall apart. Worse still, the place in question exists above the world of Alrest, meaning its collapse will also cause the pieces to crash onto Alrest with enough force to destroy it.

The only way to stop it... is for Pyra and Mythra to sacrifice themselves, using the last of their power to completely annihilate it.

Just as they've begun to desire to live on, they must sacrifice their lives.

It's, quite frankly, heart-wrenching to watch, as they express their gratitude to Rex for everything he's done for them. Despite the short time they were together, it was, in her own words, "warmer and brighter than any time of her life." And, there's my personal favorite part of her final speech...

"Thank you for that gift of light..."

And thus, in the end, Pyra and Mythra made the ultimate sacrifice to save Rex, and all their friends.

And yet, it doesn't end there...

As the credits roll, the ending song - One Last You - begins to play. You can find the lyrics to the song here, but what I'm going to highlight is by far the most important part. The song itself actually comes from the perspective of Pyra and Mythra, wherein they reminisce on all the memories they had with Rex, and how their life has come to an end. But, the final section is by far the most striking, as it conveys not just a desire to keep on living, but a plea for their creator to grant them a second chance at life. I'll let the lyrics do the talking...

You have gifted many things to me
But I wonder if I could've done the same for you
If you would let me, I will give back a handful
If it would put a little smile on your face

Can I ask you, God? Despite all of this...
Could the sandglass somehow take back the time?
One last time is all I ask from you
Can you please spare me a time with the one man I loved?
I wouldn't care how and where it should be
But I need one last time I want to tell you, how I feel inside for you
I want you to know...

The two that, for the majority of the story, loathed and cursed their existence and desired nothing but death, now desire life with the one they love when that death finally comes to them...

And in the end, their wish is granted, as they are reborn as two separate people, instead of two souls confined to one body...

Thanks for reading.

AAAAAAAAAAAAND DONE, NOW IT'S OVER 2000 WORDS LMAOOOOOOO

 

[Passersby]

AAAAAAAAAAAAND DONE, NOW IT'S OVER 2000 WORDS LMAOOOOOOO

Good job!

I'm proud if you

 

[CloverDragon03]

Good job!

I'm proud if you

Then ****** read it if you don't care about spoilers dammit

 

[Passersby]

Then ****** read it if you don't care about spoilers dammit

I do care about spoilers tho


Still proud of you!

 

[RandomGuy2345]

AAAAAAAAAAAAND DONE, NOW IT'S OVER 2000 WORDS LMAOOOOOOO

See how much better and organized it looks now that it's all condensed in a spoiler?

Now it doesn't have to clog up the thread. Take notes @Passersby!

 

[CloverDragon03]

See how much better and organized it looks now that it's all condensed in a spoiler?

Now it doesn't have to clog up the thread. Take notes @Passersby!

Yeah that's why I asked how to do that