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allywrites360 · 4 years

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Red Shoes - Analysis/Review

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world… whether my eyes are open… or closed.” - Merlin

““But I’m still that Merlin inside.” - The one who grew. The one who changed, and learned to love himself and others for more than what’s on the outside. I know Snow is the main example of self love in this film, but Merlin provides a great example of this; something we don’t often see in male characters.”

So this film just released in North America, and I thought I’d share some thoughts and overall themes/metaphors from this film. But first, I’d just like to encourage you (if you haven't already) to go and support this film. It pretty inexpensive, and was made by an independent animation studio, which I think is absolutely amazing. Now onto the analysis!!

Love the concept of everyone being an adaptation of a fairytale character; adds to the society being shallow and appearance focus as a whole, as fairytales were traditionally focused on dichotomy and physical beauty.

The lighting, and really animation as a whole, is phenomenal for a film made by an independent studio. The shading and colour grading is a real standout, though. And the landscapes!! They feel really three dimensional, and gorgeous.

[ID - A shot of a sunrise, beautifully lit behind a belltower - End ID].

Scoring/motif for the main villain is amazing.

Introduction to the protagonist is really not setup well. Did she actually get sent away from the palace? How long was she gone? How desperate is she to save her father? All of these questions are left unanswered, and no prominent character traits are shown through her first scene. She could be clever? All she did was change her hiding spot, so even that’s a stretch.

I hate the king’s narration. The dialogue is choppy, and repetitive in a completely irrelevant way.

The lore around the tree is really unclear. Why haven’t the shoes worked for Regina? Why do they work for Snow? Will they not regrow?

Love the transition scene to the dwarfs; makes it feel as though they’re just been walking listlessly since the spell was cast. Which, y’know, more or less true.

[ID - A shot of the seven dwarfs walking together through the centre of a forest in midday, looking slightly dejected - End ID].

Love the fact the mirror points out that ‘wisdom’ and ‘kingdom’ don’t rhyme; I paused to point that out.

I will say that the action scenes are really well directed/choreographed. The camera flows really nicely, and always follows our protagonists (ooh, tying into the dichotomous nature of fairytales overall?), which makes the stakes and emotions feel higher/more personal.

The villain’s voice acting and dialogue is really sharp and entertaining. She feels like a real threat (and also uncannily similar to Gothel but).

Love the wooden front on their house disguised as a castle. Really nicely done metaphor for them clinging on to a cheap version of their pasts; refusing to move on, which is torn down when she arrives. Also ties in to the “what’s on the inside outweighs what’s one the outside” moral.

[ID - The seven dwarfs’ house, which is a cave, with a wooden cutout shaped and painted like a castle sitting in front of it to give the illusion of a grander living space - End ID].

Can I also say I love that her first reaction isn’t insanely positive to her new appearance? In general, she just notes there’s been a change, which is a really nice subversion of the ‘overweight people have to be unhappy at the outset’ trope.

Her facial expressions are also really animated, which is something I’ve always loved (see Ariel, Anastasia, etc.), especially her eyes. Really well designed. Actually, all the expressions suit the characters’ personalities really well. Great job, animation department!

The fact that all seven dwarfs are names after popular mythical characters is really inventive (much more so than simply naming them after a character trait), as well as having their diverse fighting style be built from that, which I loved. Could even be allusions, but I don’t know enough about the original stories to say.

Hate the electric guitar of Prince Average. Highlights how much he doesn’t belong in this movie. His name is horribly uncreative, and his pop culture references break the forth wall, and aren’t funny, as they aren’t used properly. With him as the involved antagonist for most of the film, I can’t take the threat seriously. Other comic villains have been done so much better, such as Prince Charming from Shrek. The only valid line he has is about ‘dwarfs’ vs. ‘dwarves’; I never know which to use. “Finally, the big guns, thank you!” One more fourth wall break from this man I swear.

Love the added detail of the shoes not being able to be removed once you place value on the beauty they give. It’s hard to let go of that temptation; and if you don’t, you won’t be seen as your true self. It also highlights how she loves herself at the outbreak of the movie, and is therefore able to remove them freely. Also gets rid of the the deus ex machina of her shoes coming off freely in the water.

Wish we could’ve seen her doubt grow as she realizes they wouldn’t have helped her in her original form. Feels like we were a bit disconnected from her emotions. Which might not be a bad thing… if we assume Merlin in the protagonist.

Nice foreshadowing to her father being the bunny; if you know to look for it.

References such as ‘#blessed’, or ‘Pablo Picasso’, don’t work in the slightest. They serve no purpose, and aren’t funny simply because most would recognize them.

Normally I would make a note about Merlin and Snow having really standard, basic designs, but one, this animation studio is small, and on limited resources, and two, it, again, relates back to the shallow, uninteresting societal expectation of beauty that refuses to be unique.

Ahh, nice that apples are what trip the guards up in the chase scene through the market. Symbolic.

Love that she’s willing to defend the dwarfs even when she realizes they won’t help her in her original form. Again, wish we could’ve seen her emotions pertaining to that a bit more, although the reflection shot in the mirror (reflected from the shot at the start of the scene) was nice. Speaking of that, the broken, fragment reflection of her ‘fake’ self, is beautiful, because it isn’t a representation of herself, however at the end of the scene, we see the reflection in the same manner, but with her original self, but due to newly inflicted self doubt, we get a split second of that reality being fragmented too.

[ID - Snow White frowning as she looks into a shattered mirror leaning against the wall of an alleyway in her society-dictated “beautiful” - End ID].

[ID - Snow White looking into the same mirror, frowning, and having removed the shoes, restoring her to her original appearance - End ID].

The three bears (I’m assuming an allusion to the Goldilocks mythos) don’t really serve any plot relevance… however they are cute, so make of their inclusion what you will.

Again, the scene where she exits the dwarfs’ home; it would’ve been great to see a shot of her internal conflict before she submits herself to giving up her freedom for Merlin and Arthur’s. Relating to that, I have noticed that the hostage situations have shockingly low stakes in this film. For instance, at the end, Merlin is simply held in a branch, and a second later, Snow is willing to give up her life to set him free.

The movie didn’t end up using this (which was a nice subversion of expectations), but if Merlin had used all his spells in the final battle, and needed just one more shot, it wouldn’t have been a deus ex machina, because we establish previously he has the one Snow gave him for luck. I assumed it’d comeback again, but turns out they just used it as a symbol (for having the flower, a symbol of outside beauty, float out of his hand), for him letting go of his shallow mindset.

[ID - Snow White (wearing the shoes which change her appearance) smiles at Merlin, in his dwarf form. In his hand there’s a paper flower she folded from one of his spells - End ID].

Really love the joke about the mirror being hurt by smoke. Get it? Smoke and mirrors? Now that reference is funny; and also ties into the theme of false fronts/illusions. But not gonna lie, all that was an afterthought. It genuinely made me laugh.

Love that they rebuild the house too. It’s not beautiful, at least in a traditional sense. It’s cracked, uneven, but personal to them; they did it as a family. I’ll give the writers credit for so fully entrenching the theme into every frame and action. Nothing is meaningless in this film. Well, at least surrounding the protagonists.

Ooh, ooh, I could forgive the use of pop as their love motif if at the end, when there are no facades, it’s replaced by original scoring. I don’t remember that scene in all that much detail though.

The tree thing is… strange, I’ll admit, but considering Regina puts all her stock in the beauty which comes from the magic tree, it makes sense it’d be rooted into her magic in some way. The apple details are cool (notches shaped like seeds on the trunks), if nothing else, considering the scene with the three attacking is not investing the slightest, beyond some inventive attacks from Merlin (the action and attacks surrounding him aren’t executed all that poorly).

The directing in general is phenomenal in this movie; which is something I’ve been trying to put a bit more attention on lately.

Love small details like Merlin holding his back after the fight, circling back once again to the fact these characters are more similar than they realize (if you remember, that’s what she used as a cover when she first woke up).

[ID - A shot of Merlin running, pressing a hand against his back as he does so - End ID].

Okay, I can suspend my disbelief for a lot of things in this movie, but when Snow dives into the lake, that surface tension would’ve seriously hurt her. If even some waves would’ve been added, it would’ve not only added suspense to the scene, but made it a bit more grounded as well.

“Who do you like more, Snow White or Red Shoes?” “Easy, it’s Red Shoes.” “Who does Red Shoes love more?” “Easy, it’s me. Wait… no. It’s you.” That line is by far my favourite from the film. I love that it shows his guilt. She’s chosen to love him despite his appearance, but he won’t do the same for her. And now he has to look in the mirror at that ugly part of his personality.

[ID - At night, Merlin in his dwarf form stands beside Merlin in his human form. The dwarf version of him looks irritated as he looks up - End ID].

(Assuming Merlin named the rabbit, and if I’m being honest I didn’t pay attention to that) It’s sorta fitting to his character that he named it ‘Long Ears’ - a notably physical attribute.

While I do like that, just because the climax called for it, the sword didn’t suddenly lift from the stone, I really dislike that it was broken out by sheer force; which goes goes against the entire magic system/point of the sword and who gets to hold it.

Kronk as the magic mirror is hilarious. I want to credit the screenwriters for his lines… but I have a strong feeling it was mostly improv. Well done whoever is to credit for that.

Now this action scene, with Merlin being attacked by the tree roots, is insanely well done. For maybe the first time in this movie, I feel the suspense I’m intended to, and the setup and just character movement in general is really inventive. You feel his emotions and breath in this scene, which takes serious talent.

“How could she possibly want to save you more than she wants to be beautiful? Did you cast a spell?” - On a related note, I’m proud of this movie for not falling into the traditional ‘misunderstanding breaks up characters before the final battle’ (they technically do split up, but it’s the fault of Merlin’s unresolved selfish intentions rather than a petty matter) through Snow seeing the love spell, and assuming the worst even though Merlin never uses it.

The vines could be a metaphor as well; in this battle, they’re the shallow desires holding him back, while he, with the assistance of others, has to break his own way out (as shown by him using his lighting to crack a small hole in the doors (or exit) of the room.

[ID - Merlin is running towards the “camera”, however, he looks surprised as a vine grabs his waist, and attempts to drag him back into the castle - End ID].

“I’m sorry, Snow White.” That’s the first time he uses her name; and he does it mentally; in a voiceover. It isn’t to impress her, or win a competition. It’s how he truly sees her now. Also, so beautiful how his motives go from being self centred, to focused on her; he changed because of her influence. It’s been done before, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful here.

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world… whether my eyes are open… or closed.” That wasn’t his final line (he survives), but if it was… that would’ve been so powerful. Still is, just in a different way.

“I kinda liked the short and green Merlin.” “But I’m still that Merlin inside.” - The one who grew. The one who changed, and learned to love himself and others for more than what’s on the outside. I know Snow is the main example of self love in this film, but Merlin provides a great example of this; something we don’t often see in male characters.

And I loved that it was a hug immediately after his spell is broken. He isn’t trying to gain anything, he’s just happy to be with her, which is super romantic.

[ID - Both now restored to their original forms, Merlin and Snow White sit on the ground just outside the palace hugging each other, both smiling with their eyes shut. The king, and a few of the dwarfs stand in the background - End ID].

Onto a few of my favourite lines;

“I was worried about you!” “I was worried about me too. But- but mostly you!”

“If you could see the real me…” “I think I can see the real you… eyes open or closed, I still see Merlin.” What a great line. What a great theme. You don’t need to know the facts about someone, or see their original appearance, to know who they are. And I think that’s beautiful.

“Someone you’l be proud to be seen with.” “I think you’re right.”

“I thought that we were both under the same spell… but I was wrong.”

“He likes you more than he likes me,” as she looks down at the shoes.

“Who do you like more, Snow White or Red Shoes?” “Easy, it’s Red Shoes.” “Who does Red Shoes love more?” “Easy, it’s me. Wait… no. It’s you.”

“How could she possibly want to save you more than she wants to be beautiful? Did you cast a spell?”

“I’ve never been so glad to be chubby and green again.” - Because it means he’s not alone.

“I’m sorry, Snow White.”

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world… whether my eyes are open… or closed.”

“I kinda liked the short and green Merlin.” “But I’m still that Merlin inside.”

I’ll just say, as an ending thought, that the 2D animation of their wedding is adorable.

Overall, I’d give it 8/10. Nothing phenomenal that was entirely groundbreaking, but there’s a lot of heart to be shown here, with some truly amazing characters, even if some of their universe isn’t all that intriguing. Would highly recommend.

#red shoes and the seven dwarfs #red shoes and the 7 dwarfs #film analysis #animation #animation analysis

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revlyncox · 3 years

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Re-Energizing

This Platform Address was written for the Washington Ethical Society and presented on September 27, 2020.

Growing is very hard work. Whether we are talking about growing flowers, or growing in our understanding of living an ethical life, or growing a movement for justice, or nurturing young people as they grow, it’s very hard work. Whatever growing we happen to be in the midst of, a lot of what we’re doing is transforming one form of energy into another. In the garden, the nutrients of soil and water and the energy of the sun transform the impossibility of a seed into food and flowers and abundant life.

Ed Ericson, one of my predecessors here at the Washington Ethical Society, wrote that Ethical Humanism is “a single integrative process of creative spiritual growth having religious, educational, and social consequences.” Something we know about growth is that the energy has to come from somewhere. As we are looking at adapting our personal growth and our community’s growth for the year ahead, what energy are we drawing from? How do we renew and re-energize our ability to act as a community headed toward moral growth, beauty, joy, and ethical action?

Part of what Ericson meant by that process of creative spiritual growth is the human capacity to make meaning and to find purpose, using as our raw materials the experience of living in relationship with each other. Whether we find joy or sorrow, and usually a mix of both, we are energized for moral and intellectual growth with our direct experience. He wrote, “as human beings we are capable of transforming our pain and grief into sentiments that provide solace and healing and that bring deeper insights into the meaning of life.”

Here’s what I think this means for what we are facing today: We have a number of challenges before us, some of them unique to our time and some of them perhaps not as unique as we might hope. Adapting to the pandemic brings us challenges in our daily lives and in WES’s community life. Our challenges in dismantling oppression and keeping the ideals of democracy alive are many. Some of us have challenges getting through the day, finding transportation, caring for our loved ones, filling our prescriptions. Yet the difficulties we face, our way of making meaning from them, and the relationships that keep us committed to facing them, are some of the sources of energy that will carry us through this chapter of our lives.

On the other hand, despite the difficulties around us and among us and within us, beauty and love persist. These, too, are sources of energy for the transformative work that is ours to do. We must keep these things alive in our minds and hearts, because they help us to stay committed, and because we cannot have a complete picture of the world as it is without beauty and love. When we can perceive what’s right, what’s growing, what’s giving life -- as well as perceiving obstacles and threats to liberation and abundant life -- then we can come together with a whole strategy for change. That’s true whether the change is in our own minds and hearts, in our community, or in the world beyond. When we can see what is growing, we can make a plan for supporting that growth. Through all of this, we find energy by keeping care at the center; care at the center of our goals, and care at the center of how we behave in community on the way to our goals.

In other words, here are three ways we can re-energize for the months ahead: 1. Observe and treasure the impossible as it happens. When beauty and love and joy make themselves known, celebrate. 2. Plan and improvise support for what is growing and giving life. Plan for structures that can keep growth healthy, and also be ready to respond in the moment with support when delightful surprises sprout up. 3. Put care at the center. The way we treat one another and ourselves matters. Let’s live as if we believe that people are ends in themselves and are worthy of care.

Observe and Treasure the Impossible As It Happens

Observe and treasure the impossible as it happens. In this morning’s story, “The Garden” by Arnold Lobel (description here), Toad plants some seeds. It seems impossible that a tiny seed can grow into a flower, or a vegetable, or a tree. Yet that’s exactly what happens every time a plant grows. If it doesn’t seem impossible, that’s only because the evidence is overwhelming, but even so, the dramatic difference between the seed and the plant is worth a moment of awe and wonder. Thank goodness for Frog, who helps Toad to wake up and bears witness to that first inkling of success. We can be Frog for other people, and we can ask people to be Frog for us, lifting up occasions for joy rather than letting them slip into mundanity. When those sprouts do poke up, when the needle moves, when the data comes in, when the the city council considers your group’s proposal, when the student grasps a new concept, celebrate that.

Sometimes, we get to observe the impossible as it happens in social change. I never thought there would be widespread acceptance of the need for treatment and community care for people with AIDS. I never thought marriage equality would be the law of the land. Maybe some of you were born into a world that doubted the possibility of women leaders, or of voting rights for African Americans, or of the decline of the coal industry. Our current agenda for justice, equity, and compassion is long. We want safe communities, free from police violence and the cancerous growth of the prison industrial complex. We want racial justice, and an end to white supremacy. We want just immigration policies, and compassion for all who migrate. We want gender equity. We want to see swift and science-based climate action. The list goes on. We will not complete that list in a single lifetime. But, one step at a time, the impossible has happened before.

Plan and Improvise Support

A second source of energy is when we plan and improvise support. When we anticipate growth in all senses of the word, when we observe what is alive and what is going well, we can build structures to support future success. Sometimes we are delightfully surprised by what is working beyond expectations, and we respond in the moment with improvised support. That process of creativity and responsiveness and adaptability can, itself, bring joy that fuels future activity.

Some of you have heard me talk about my hobby as a clueless gardener. I try things, and sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don’t. The process of failure and discovery interests me, and so my cluelessness leads to curiosity, and this gives me the energy to keep going.

This year, I thought I would try pole beans companioned with corn. As you may recall, we had a cold and wet spring, such that it was June before it was warm enough to put beans and corn in the ground. Thinking I had to rush, I went against the conventional advice and I planted the corn and beans at the same time rather than planting the corn first and waiting two weeks. Since the corn wasn’t going to be tall enough to support the beans, I put a 6-foot bamboo stake by each pair of plants. I had some doubts that anything would grow, but it was worth a try.

Well, some things did grow. VInes spread out, beyond what I imagined. I became concerned that I wasn’t seeing any blossoms, just a lot of vine growth. I worried that I had made a mistake and wouldn’t see any beans at all. Then, in late July, there was a bean! And then a few more. Then about a dozen. I added more support. The vines kept going. One week, we put away about nine pounds of beans. Now that it’s fall and the first frost is coming soon, the beans are slowing down. Looking back, I’m glad I put up supports, in case something might grow. That support mattered, though it wasn’t perfect and I needed to adapt later. It has all been very surprising.

When we are doing something complicated together, we want to plan support as if success might happen, and we want to be ready to respond when something grows unexpectedly well. That means we need to be aware of what’s working, not just what’s broken. And it means there are times for sweeping the floors, making the copies, writing the letters, making the phone calls, and sticking with it through very long meetings. There are times for journaling, daily practice, and data collection. Whether we’re seeking new insights for our own ethical development, starting a new social group at WES, or building power for affordable housing in Washington, DC, there are plenty of everyday actions that strengthen and re-energize our efforts. They may seem boring or routine. The habits of support create a strong foundation so that, when things do grow, when the impossible does happen, there is space to thrive.

Put Care At the Center

Before we close, I want to say something about putting care at the center of what we do, both in the way we formulate our goals and in the way we treat ourselves and one another on the way toward those goals. There is a lot we want to learn, a lot we want to work toward for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our planet. Another world is possible. It may seem sometimes that urgency to the point of exhaustion is the only way to operate when one crisis follows another. I’d like to suggest that we prioritize kindness, not only in our individual interactions, but also in the way we make space for difference and vulnerability in our community expectations.

Again, this morning’s story provides us with an allegorical role model. Toad realizes that his shouting is not conducive to growth, and he attempts to make restitution through a practice of care. He provides light in the darkness, companionship in the rain, beauty of all kinds, the gift of his musical talent, and genuine concern. This might seem whimsical, but researchers have found that talking to and playing music for plants makes a difference. How much more do those of us who know we are self-aware, who use words to communicate, need that kind of care in order to grow and mature?

I was reminded profoundly of the ethic of care this week upon learning of the death of Elandria Williams. Elandria was an activist and a powerful community organizer, having spent many years on the staff of the Highlander Center before moving on to The People’s Hub in 2018. Elandria was a Unitarian Universalist from childhood, was a national volunteer leader since youth, and just completed a term as Co-Moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association; that is, the UUA’s highest governance officer. E was also my friend, someone who encouraged me when I felt like giving up, saw something worthwhile in me when I couldn’t, and wouldn’t let me off the hook when I needed to hear the truth. Elandria died this week at the age of 41.

In one of Elandria’s recent video dispatches, E spoke about caring for ourselves and each other as part of the practices of liberation. Caring for our loved ones and our communities is part of liberation. Learning to care for people we don’t know so that everyone can get free is part of liberation. Being mindful of our actions and taking care, because our actions affect others, is part of liberation. And, E reminded us that honoring our own worth as people, apart from whatever we think productivity or effectiveness looks like, is part of liberation.

Elandria dropped wisdom at every turn, generously and spontaneously. And people received that wisdom because Elandria had a gift of relationship. E’s friends and loved ones and colleagues had unshakeable confidence that E saw them and honored them for their - our - whole selves. There are memes turning up on social media already with some of Elandria’s wisdom. Here’s an excerpt:

We are worthy

Not because of what we produce

But because of who we are

We are divine bodies of light and darkness

You are not worthy because of what you offer, not because of what is in your mind, not for the support you give others, not for what you give at all

We are worthy and are whole just because

I could go on, but I want to make sure we have time to hear from you during the Community Sharing. That Elandria was a Unitarian Universalist may not be relevant to you, but as members of a society that affirms the worth of every person, I hope that E’s words resonate.

What I’m trying to say is that practicing care is one of the things that will re-energize us. When we regard each other with love, and our reminders to each other of our community agreements are rooted in love, and our demonstrations of care and concern and support for each other are rooted in love, and our appreciation of each other is rooted in love, we are practicing the world we hope to manifest. This is how we remember what we are on the way toward, this is how we sustain ourselves and each other on the way there.

Be the person who offers seeds. Be the person who wakes up your companion to celebrate when the impossible is in progress. Be the person who reads a story in the dark, or recites poetry, or plays music to encourage someone to grow. Be the person who chops wood and carries water, everyday practices to support abundant life. And be the person who offers that same love for your own wellbeing. Put care at the center.

Coming to a Close

We strive through our relationships to elicit the best in the human spirit. We work for a world in which love and justice cross all borders. These are not easy goals, and these are not easy times in which to live. We can do this, together. As we consider where we might draw energy and direct energy for the mission we have accepted, let’s remember the garden.

1. Observe and treasure the impossible as it happens. Causes for awe and wonder are all around us. 2. Plan and improvise support for what is growing and giving life. That may mean routine practices and unglamorous architecture. It may mean being fully present, rain or shine. It definitely means taking note of when something is going well. 3. Put care at the center. You are worthy. Your neighbor is worthy. The people we don’t know are worthy. Let us learn to lead with love. May it be so.

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inqua · 7 years

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I don't mean to be a bother, and you don't have to do this if you don't feel up to it. But from what I've perceived you love Hector. So I ask of you, could you more or less provide me an analysis of Hector's character. I want to be represent Hector as accurately as possible. I'm researching the common traits between Hector and Holmes of Tear Ring Saga. Thank you for your time.

I love Hector? Nooo what could havepossibly given it away??? 😞

I gotchu fam dw, screaming about Hector is pretty muchmy default state of being. In fact, I’m flattered you asked me, though I’m not sure if I’m the best person to do this. I don’t think I’ve everwritten an elaborate character analysis before, but you know what, as a wise woman once said, I’ll… do mybest.

Hope you like reading though. Like. A lot.

(Spoilers for FE7 & FE6 under the cut)

OK, so before I start I must say most of this is just me interpretingthis character based on what—relatively—little we know about him from thegames, given that he’s always a side protagonist of sorts in comparison toEliwood, even in his own story mode. It’s also been a while since I played theElibe games so forgive me if I’m missing anything. I tried to remain asobjective as possible, though some slight bias might slip through now and thenbecause I just love FE7 and its characters… a little too much. Which alsoexplains why it got so lengthy… again… woops.

Hector… You could very well argue he’s just another gentle giant archetypecharacter. And if I’m to judge from Hector’s popularity, this is precisely whatpeople love about him, including myself. But I do think that his character goesa little deeper than just that as well. What I personally think makes this particularcharacter stand out is his relationship with his best friend Eliwood, and Iwould even go as far as to say that the dynamic between these two carry thisgame’s plot for the most part. Eliwood, as well as his other friends and lovedones, are the driving force beyond pretty much anything Hector does, if youthink about it. This is shown immediately in an early encounter with Hector: whenhe finds out Elbert is missing, he doesn’t even hesitate for a second. He hasmade up his mind: he’s going to help his friend get his father back, because it’s essential to him that he spares hisbest friend the loss of a parent, a feeling he himself knows all too well.He quite literally goes out of his way to achieve this, defying his brother’sdirect orders even though he’s probably very well aware that Uther simplywishes to protect his younger brother and last remaining family member. Hector,however, just cannot afford to lose what’s at stake and has to ignore hisbrother’s wishes. Right now, Eliwood needs his aid more than anyone, and intheir supports, Eliwood points out that he already knew that this would beHector’s choice, because of their blood oath to always come to each other’s sidewhen in need.

I’m convinced Hector is actually a way more sympathetic and emotionalperson than he lets on. In his supports with Eliwood he’s casually checking inon him to see if he’s not overworking himself, and Eliwood picks up on this andappreciates his concern. He’s also very emotionally invested in what happens toEliwood’s family, as shown in the infamous “WOOOELIWOOD!!!” scene, where Hector almost seems more excited than Eliwoodhimself when finding out that Elbert is still alive. And then when lord Elbertultimately meets his fate when they were soclose, Hector’s feelings about this unfortunately never really get explored anyfurther as far as I can recall, which is a shame, because I’m willing to betHector is blaming himself at that moment for his own inability to save hisfriend from having to go through what he went through himself after being sodamn close to pulling it off. Most likely Hector does not want to show anyemotional weakness in fear of seeming vulnerable, as is very common in thistype of character. When finding out about his own brother’s death, Hector seemsto be more upset with Oswin—and to an extent Uther himself—for hiding Uther’sillness from him, rather than about the actual death itself, which perhaps hehad seen coming already. What’s more is that he has this scene afterwards withLyn where, if I recall correctly, he still acts very standoff-ish about the entiresituation and it is Lyn who is on to hisact, and cries in his stead, depending on where they are in their supportrelationship. Beside all of this, I also think Hector acknowledges his role asthe “pacemaker” of the bunch. He knows that even in times of despair, he haspeople relying on him, and he is always the one shown trying to keep the moraleup, though through actions rather than words, because as we all know, wordshave never been his… strongest asset. An excellent example of this is of coursethe scene with Nils in the desert, where their current situation is at anabsolute low, but Hector manages to cheer Nils, Ninian and Lyn up regardless.As well as in his supports with Lyn, something similar happens when he cheersher up after she lost to him, and againLyn takes notice of Hector’s genuine concern for his allies, but of courseHector, being Hector, plays it off.

I like to think Hector’s also got somekind of intelligence hidden underneath all that muscle. Note how he’s nevercompletely oblivious to the politicalsituation, but rather he emphasises that diplomacy simply isn’t his way of settlingthings, and he would rather let either Eliwood or his axe do the talking. Thisis probably because he’s still young and doesn’t quite have a grip on his own temperamentyet, but this is also something he has tolearn along his journey if he ever wants to grow into the role of marquess.In fact, he acknowledges this himself in his story mode’s epilogue, where headmits that, indeed, he may be ill suited for this position as he is right now,and even shows little interest in it. Funny is that although Hector himselfsays this, others do seem torecognise qualities of a ruler in Hector, as in his supports with Oswin of allpeople, he compliments Hector’s true and honest character. Even so, Hector doesacknowledge that it’s something he’s just going to have to grow into, because the throne represents everythingthat was ever important to Uther, and it was entrusted to him and him only.The only thing you could conclude from the little screen time Hector gets inFE6, is that he eventually did mature into the role and accepted the responsibilitiesthat come with it; yet at the same time, he also hasn’t changed a bit when youconsider he is directly partaking in battle regardless of his social or politicalstatus. After all, Hector’s still a warrior at heart.

Life and death is a common theme with Hector’s character. Honestly, longbefore picking up the Armads Hector probably already knew he would meet his endat the battlefield, as his death quote—regardless of what point he dies atmight I add—is always something along the lines of: “not here”, implying that he knows it was something inevitable andwas likely going to happen sooner or later anyway—Armads or no Armads. Buthonestly, did Hector ever give a damn, knowing that the price he pays for it isworth it? All of this he did for his friends and family, which at this pointhave probably become one and the same. And so, in his dying words, he asks Royto take care of his daughter Lilina, because “despite her strong exterior, shedoes need a friend to support her.” Huh… Sound familiar?

Even though I’m aware the whole “dying in order to protect your lovedones” shtick is a very common shounen trait that’s been beaten to death,and that the writers had plenty of room to play with this trait given his fatein FE6, the sheer nonchalance with which Hector treats his own sacrifice, as ifit was nothing, breaks my heart every damn time. In that regard I think it isbrilliant—if not completely sadistic—to make the player emotionally invested ina character that was doomed from the start.

TL;DR: Hector makes for such a legendary character because of hisundying loyalty for his loved ones, and how determined and stubborn he is inensuring their safety. His genuine concern for his allies and the charismaticrole he takes upon himself in the army are appreciated more than he would ever takecredit for, and his underlying selflessness does not go unnoticed to thoseclosest to him. And although he may dislike his role as marquess, his brutalhonesty and recklessness might prove surprisingly useful in this position, and areboth to be admired and feared. He probably always knew he was going to meet his end on the battlefield, but frankly never gave a damn because the sacrifice was alwaysworth it to him: his loved ones would get to live. To put it quite promptly:Hector is all you could every wish for in a best friend, and that’s exactly howhe was written.

That is how I interpret him and why I like him at least… I honestlydon’t think I’ve said anything new about his character that hasn’t been saidbefore, but I hope I did him justice regardless.

Anyway, thanks for putting up with the long read. This was like. 2+ pages lmao

#loptyrofjugdral #hector #fire emblem #blazing blade #fe7 #fe #ask #inquask #text #long post #the rumor come out: inqua loves hector #it was fun researching tho. learned a lot AND made myself sad. a very productive day indeed #i know absolutely 0 about the tear ring saga tho but gl

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