Verum Vitae
Provisional Evolutionary
Now, I'm new here, so it may be difficult to pick up on the fact that VI is my absolute favorite game of all time.
That said, it is, really and truly.
But, lately I've been thinking.
Would any human, in any character's position, truly do anything different?
I have a few characters in specific that I want to address here.
Consider Gestahl, the Emperor. We know that his son was a general in his army, and that Kefka was something of a Jafar-type, at least initially.
Given that his son actually believed in what he was trying to achieve, supporting Gestahl in his aims (Which probably extended only so far as world domination), Leo sacrificed his life to safeguard Gestahl's dream. Could it be said that any of us wouldn't be driven to insanity by losing a precious life?
I know death impacts each of us human souls differently, but a gravity of loss, losing a son, or a sibling, or a parent, is entirely different from losing a friend, especially if they were close.
I'm not saying I agree with Gestahl, mind, I simply wanted to raise this point:
Who doesn't want to rule the world, and remake it in their ideal image?
Consider now Kefka.
I imagine that initially, he was simply brilliant, a Lebwhol-type of genius that led him to many great discoveries. It was after he began experimenting on himself that he lost his mind, that's canon information that he went insane only /after/ he began to modify his own body. He had a dream, too, to rule the world, but he wanted to do it through Gestahl, right? Nobody wants the responsibility of ruling the world, just the perks. I can't say I fault him for that. But then he lost his mind, and started to make poor decisions. Like killing Leo, attacking Terra. Dropping the Emperor (who he was sworn to serve faithfully) off the side of a continent.
Insanity is no excuse, of course, but it is a reason. Morally speaking, does anyone think he was specifically wrong for his choices, or would we have made the same choices in the same situation?
My final moral question is about the Triad, those responsible for the War of the Magi. Doom, Poltergeist, and the Goddess.
What started the argument that led to the battle? Was it a simple difference of opinion, or something more? Was the Goddess a force of good, while Doom evil, and Poltergeist merely ambiguous? And if there was no real start, was the battle simply one that started the universe, like a Big Bang sort of deal?
At the very least, the Triad should have taken responsibility for their accidental creation, instead of just withdrawing from the war they started, yeah?
It seemed completely stupid that the Triad would simply say "Oh, look, we screwed up. Let's not move for a thousand years and see what happens."
If there is someone truly evil, I vote that it's the Triad, not Gestahl, not Terra, or Kefka, Maduin or Madonna.
Everything wrong in the world of FFVI is directly the fault of the Triad, and their failure to use their powers responsibly to resolve their differences, and their utter disregard for the lives they altered/created.
So my actual question would be:
Who do you think is the villain here, and why? Bonus points for reasons/history.
That said, it is, really and truly.
But, lately I've been thinking.
Would any human, in any character's position, truly do anything different?
I have a few characters in specific that I want to address here.
Consider Gestahl, the Emperor. We know that his son was a general in his army, and that Kefka was something of a Jafar-type, at least initially.
Given that his son actually believed in what he was trying to achieve, supporting Gestahl in his aims (Which probably extended only so far as world domination), Leo sacrificed his life to safeguard Gestahl's dream. Could it be said that any of us wouldn't be driven to insanity by losing a precious life?
I know death impacts each of us human souls differently, but a gravity of loss, losing a son, or a sibling, or a parent, is entirely different from losing a friend, especially if they were close.
I'm not saying I agree with Gestahl, mind, I simply wanted to raise this point:
Who doesn't want to rule the world, and remake it in their ideal image?
Consider now Kefka.
I imagine that initially, he was simply brilliant, a Lebwhol-type of genius that led him to many great discoveries. It was after he began experimenting on himself that he lost his mind, that's canon information that he went insane only /after/ he began to modify his own body. He had a dream, too, to rule the world, but he wanted to do it through Gestahl, right? Nobody wants the responsibility of ruling the world, just the perks. I can't say I fault him for that. But then he lost his mind, and started to make poor decisions. Like killing Leo, attacking Terra. Dropping the Emperor (who he was sworn to serve faithfully) off the side of a continent.
Insanity is no excuse, of course, but it is a reason. Morally speaking, does anyone think he was specifically wrong for his choices, or would we have made the same choices in the same situation?
My final moral question is about the Triad, those responsible for the War of the Magi. Doom, Poltergeist, and the Goddess.
What started the argument that led to the battle? Was it a simple difference of opinion, or something more? Was the Goddess a force of good, while Doom evil, and Poltergeist merely ambiguous? And if there was no real start, was the battle simply one that started the universe, like a Big Bang sort of deal?
At the very least, the Triad should have taken responsibility for their accidental creation, instead of just withdrawing from the war they started, yeah?
It seemed completely stupid that the Triad would simply say "Oh, look, we screwed up. Let's not move for a thousand years and see what happens."
If there is someone truly evil, I vote that it's the Triad, not Gestahl, not Terra, or Kefka, Maduin or Madonna.
Everything wrong in the world of FFVI is directly the fault of the Triad, and their failure to use their powers responsibly to resolve their differences, and their utter disregard for the lives they altered/created.
So my actual question would be:
Who do you think is the villain here, and why? Bonus points for reasons/history.