#insights analysis
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
chessb0r3d · 11 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Analysis so bad you don't even know what it's talking about anymore.
57K notes · View notes
ai-innova7ions · 10 months ago
Text
Unlocking AI's Power: Transforming Live Video Content Creation!
Discover how to unlock the power of AI in transforming live video content creation in this engaging short!
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, understanding audience behavior and enhancing audience engagement are crucial for content creators.
Restream AI:
Tumblr media
Learn innovative content strategies that will boost audience retention and elevate your digital marketing efforts. This video provides quick content ideas and effective script resources to streamline your content creation process. Uncover insights analysis and marketing analytics techniques to ensure your content resonates with viewers. Don't miss out on these game-changing engagement hacks and digital outreach strategies that can take your content marketing to the next level! Tune in now and revolutionize your approach to live video content!
0 notes
wintersnails · 11 months ago
Text
House has definitely sent Wilson a dick pic or several but he sends them by email because they are both old men and the titles are things like ‘URGENT: please identify if lung cancer’ or ‘patient biopsy results - respond ASAP’ so that Wilson’s guilt complex makes him feel obligated to open each one just in case someone’s life is actually on the line
12K notes · View notes
starw0man · 7 months ago
Text
Astro observations
☯︎ People with Saturn ruling their 3rd, 7th, and 11th houses could experience someone else trying to control their communication or ways of expressing themselves. It might feel like you need to break free from power and social structures that are preventing you from being who you fully are
☯︎ Lunar dominant women and Saturn dominant men are one of the best couple pairings. It reminds me of sailor moon and tuxedo mask man.
☯︎ Venus sextile Jupiter and Venus-Jupiter conjunction represents wife coming from a religious/spiritual family
☯︎ 9H placements are likely to be born into religious or scholarly families who value laws and institutions a lot
☯︎ 8H synastry can represent a deep level of intimacy and trust. It can also represent knowing each other’s shadow self and sharing each other’s secrets
☯︎ Having a 9H Saturn can represent a strict father or it can signal a father who has different religious and philosophical beliefs
☯︎ Virgo risings can deal with a lot of anxiety and stomach issues. They might struggle with self-criticism when it comes to their personality and expressing themselves to others
☯︎ Virgo moons are also prone to anxiety, stomach issues, and perfectionism. They can also struggle with self-criticism, especially pertaining to their emotions
☯︎ Having a malefic planet in your 12H (mars, Saturn, Ketu, or Rahu) can negatively impact your sleep and make it hard for you to fall or stay asleep, or you could have nightmares
☯︎ People with mars in the 9th house are likely to have a daddy kink, while those with mars in the 4th house are likely to have a mommy kink.
☯︎ People with Venus in the 4th house might like to be the mommy and those with Venus in the 9th house or in Capricorn, Aries, or Sagittarius might prefer to be the daddy
☯︎ Let me know if you want more astrology observations from the sidereal perspective because that’s what I focus on. Also, check out my Patreon (@starw0man4) where I make daily astrological posts, I do weekly tarot and oracle pulls, I analyze celebrity birth charts, and talk about Hellenic polytheism
998 notes · View notes
wisteriagoesvroom · 4 months ago
Text
we must bundle him into a blanket and pass him a giant mug of hot chocolate because what the hell was that race seriously
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
[x]
387 notes · View notes
ataleofcrowns · 3 months ago
Text
I just answered an ask about this and didn't publish it since it was way too long, but since I gave away the answer to that person I may as well post it here, too.
This is about the "right" choice in X's route in their CH7 scene, specifically the first romance decision the Crown has to make in order to resolve X's argument with Behram. Read more for spoilers!
Verbatim from the game, the choices state:
“What about you, [X]?” You expect an apology from [them] as well.
Accept Behram’s apology on behalf of them both.
The person who asked me this thought the second option was the better one and interpreted it as the Crown defending X, but for the record, that is absolutely not what that choice means.
There is no option to "defend X" from Behram, because what X did at the coronation was a huge misstep. X is the one who instigated that argument and caused a scene at the Crown's coronation. That's basically like one of your friends starting a fight at your birthday party with another guest, except 10 times worse--sure, you can assume X had a good reason for it (and they do), but in the moment, the Crown does not know that yet. All they know is X starting an argument and blowing up on Behram at a VERY public and incredibly important event.
If your Crown chooses to accept Behram's apology on behalf of both of them, that in essence means letting Behram speak for X, which X absolutely does not appreciate considering that they hate Behram. Hence, why they also do not appreciate having the Crown basically listen to Behram and ignore X in that interaction. Plus, letting X's misbehavior slide does not win you X's respect either.
X respects it much more if the Crown holds them accountable, and also listens to them: in other words, if the Crown treats them like an equal.
So choosing to essentially dismiss X in that CH7 scene carries over into the CH9 scene, where the Crown has a similar dismissive attitude and lacks respect for X (provided that you do not have enough romance points--there is a way to choose the "wrong" choice in CH7 and still have enough points to get the high romance variant in CH9).
So, that's a bit of clarification and character analysis for the X romancers 💖
234 notes · View notes
padmestrilogy · 10 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
x
434 notes · View notes
somewhereincairparavel · 8 months ago
Text
my favourite character exchange of all time between the hoo gang will always be this particular line from jason to nico in house of hades.
“Nico, you do choose how to live your life. You want to trust somebody? Maybe take a risk that I'm really your friend and I'll accept you. It's better than hiding”
jason doesn't say something like 'i'll make sure to prove myself to you' or 'i'll do everything I can to make sure I earn your trust' because they are empty words. especially considering that this was before jason knew about nico's past, he can't exactly do anything to make nico trust him, apart from offering support, because in the end, it was nico's choice whether to trust him or not.
yeah, some people might think jason was being 'cold' and 'shallow' for saying this, but jason genuinely MEANT well. he told nico that he's WILLING to be his friend even before he knew nico's past. this was before jason knew an OUNCE of nico's backstory. he gave some slightly harsh but brotherly advice to him.
jason didn't deliver any false promise to nico that everyone will love him no matter what and that everyone will always be kind to him in camp half blood (this strangely parallels w percy deliberately choosing to NOT promise nico that he'll keep bianca safe because percy knew that death is a possibility and didn't want to make any fake promises just because nico is a kid, percy tried his hardest to be honest with nico, that certainly caused problems of course, but we can see the pattern between how percy and jason both hated fake promises.)
also, in boo, will says “Oh, please. Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away. You have friends or at least, people who would like to be your friend. You pushed yourself away. If you'd get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once”
i know I've seen alot of people use this excerpt as consensus of saying that will is super 'tone deaf' and 'insensitive'. but can you guys see the pattern here? will came off a lot more agressive bc of his romantic feelings, but we can see how will, jason and percy were sort of 'reality checks' that nico NEEDED. he had an inferiority and victim complex (which is very justifiable and valid considering how much trauma he faced, on the contrary i thought nico was being considerably calm with everything he's been through and deserved to yell way more. I quite related to nico a lot when it comes to the personality sometimes so jason's words definitely struck a nerve for me) but nico was always drawn to honesty.
nico had some of his earlier memories washed away by the river lethe to 'protect' him from more trauma, and nico was so attached to bianca that the thought of her leaving for the hunters of artemis felt like a personal betrayal. he was made to beleive that he and his sister were safe in camp half blood, and combining that w the whole lethe thing and hades generally trying to protect the di angelo family from the gods, you can see how much nico needed honesty and not coddling. because coddling and sheltering ruined his life and took away his light.
jason saying that nico needed to take risks as it comes with the package of love and friendship, and overall giving him authenticity, telling him that heartbreak and family can coexist, causes nico to be drawn to him and genuinely have him an eye opener.
jason knew what it was like to be held with fake promises his whole life, and even mentions it as a reason as to why he made sure he kept the promises he made. because he would never turn out to be like his two faces mother beryl.
I'll always believe that jason played a huge part in nico's overall character, and his death even more so.
344 notes · View notes
runerapier · 9 months ago
Text
With FS 2 finally out I wanted to share some of my thoughts, I think it would be fun to talk about the possible mental state Angeal is in around this time in his life and subsequently how it reflects Sephiroth, as well as the meaning behind Angeal's dream sequence.
Since a lot of the details of Angeal’s backstory are hidden in external material, I’m going to use it as a point of reference. Crisis Core has a lot of content they were not able to include at the time of it’s release, so it will be fun to see if they follow up on these things they wrote about but couldn’t include in game.
Tumblr media
We already see from the get go that Angeal is serving as a contrast to Sephiroth’s outlook, demeanor, and manners. Angeal’s energy and passion he has for teamwork, his comrades, and genuine care he has for doing his job all directly contrast Sephiroth’s whatever attitude. Even small acts of chivalry are made to highlight this, showing Angeal going the extra mile to help Alissa across the bridge vs Sephiroth’s refusal to engage with anyone socially. Sephiroth was brought up to function independently, made to be a one man army, no use for friends, families, or allies. Especially with the recent loss of friends, he is going to be distant.
This is extremely important for contrast with Angeal, who has likely recently left home and is missing his family, not to mention he is someone he deeply values his connection to others. There is no set age for when Angeal left home, but it is likely within the last 2~ years. His sword in game is listed as type 90, this is comparable to Zack’s sword in CC which is type 99, the type number likely reflects the year the sword was created or the year of when that model was created. Assuming that it's updated every year, leans towards the fact they've been in SOLDIER since at least that year. Meaning Angeal likely left home at 14~, which is closer to around the age Zack and Cloud left home for SOLDIER anyways.
Tumblr media
Angeal is someone very sentimental, he is very defensive of his home and his family. CC showed us he was quite nostalgic about Banora on several occasions. This is another contrast to Sephiroth, who doesn't have a hometown or a family. According to the CC ultimania, Genesis was one of the motivators for Angeal to leave and find a better way of living. The new chapter confirmed Angeal left home because he wanted to help pull his family out of poverty. In CC, Angeal's father was said to fall sick from overwork to pay off debt from the buster sword; however, the ultimania mentions an important detail: his father has always been weak and sickly. It’s partly due to his father being chronically ill/disabled that they aren’t able to make a lot of money. The buster sword isn’t the sole cause of his death but rather an extension of working in a system that likely exploits disabled people. Genesis might have been the push Angeal needed to leave far away from home rather than staying and trying to take care of his sick father.
Tumblr media
Which gets us to Angeal’s dream, there is debate on how much of it is real because Sephiroth’s wasn’t real. In my personal opinion, the dream being real is a very important contrast to Sephiroth. We know that whatever Alissa is, she is preying on the desires of them. Especially in the case of her being Jenova, who uses memories of her victims to her advantage. Angeal doesn’t need to make up a scenario of his family loving him or being proud of him, because it’s already a reality, Sephiroth doesn’t have this luxury. Angeal's father pushed himself to the brink just so he could support his son in his endeavor, there is no doubt his family loved and supported him. So, what is Angeal's actual desire then? In CC it is never really specified when Angeal's father died, but in Gillian’s profile in the ultimania, it mentions his father died shortly after Angeal left for SOLDIER, even the dream is hinting towards something bad happening on the horizon. Angeal's dad is probably already dead and it is mirroring Sephiroth wanting to see his mother. Possibly reinforced by the fact he is already refusing to use the buster, while it's not confirmed if he didn’t use it all because of his cheapness, I think his father's death added significant value to the sword, making it irreplaceable. They are two kids who just want to be with their parents again, one's desire being entirely fictional and the other's being in the past. It is another contrast between them with their dreams: Sephiroth's being all he lacks, and Angeal's is all he had, but left behind. Both unattainable but in a different sense.
Tumblr media
This dream is likely some of the last stability Angeal had before leaving home, along with possibly being one of the last times he saw his father alive which is probably why he is yearning for it. I think if the dream itself symbolized only wanting stability Angeal wouldn’t mention leaving for SOLDIER, I don’t think he wanted to leave home to provide for his family if given the choice. Instead "Jenova" is preying on something that is tangible. However, there is still a possibility it is exaggerated a bit with Angeal having the money for donations and plenty of food. I don't think this is true either, the dream implies Angeal was already working at this age to support his family, so it’s not entirely out of the question he uses what little he has to give back or that he helped with saving for Gillian's birthday party. In contrast nothing in Sephiroth's dream was real besides the fact he lives in the Shinra building, we know Angeal has loving parents, we know he is a hard worker, we know he left for soldier, and we know he loves his village and his family, more was real than just the setting. Also, I think there's a point that this is a special occasion, they could've opted to save up for her birthday. It really didn’t feel too wild to me that one day in particular they had extra food, especially considering they live in a farm village. When and the exact reason why Angeal stole when he was younger is honestly not clarified at all. He could have been afraid of asking for extra food, it could have been during droughts, or even when his father was too sick to work. It is very common for poor families in remote villages to grow their own crops, we even see people in Gongaga growing their own supply, so these things are not really out of the question. I think if any of these details were fake Angeal would be confused or surprised by having these things like how Sephiroth did to make it clear to us as the viewer, but that didn’t happen. The dream closes with remarking his desire to provide for his family so they live happy and healthy… and we know that didn’t happen, which is the point. I think it's also worth mentioning there are some small discrepancies in the localization. He isn't just giving out expensive equipment to multiple people individually, instead, it's a donation that is meant to be shared by everyone. Angeal is building community with farmers who might also be struggling, and I feel like this is an important detail that's missing.
(small disclaimer: I'm not fluent, I only know basics, but I did my best to break down the sentences to make sure these were accurate)
Tumblr media
I think it’s clear Angeal isn’t yearning to be rich (or someone else that’s not even relevant in the current narrative… especially when their focus currently is to compare and contrast him with Sephiroth). If Angeal wanted to be rich or famous why isn't he chatting up the PR guy to hope it gets him more attention to the point of promotion? Instead Angeal cares about doing his job and making sure it’s done right, he even gets angry at Bachman and tells him his priority is the rescue mission. Angeal cares deeply about protecting and caring for the people around him, especially those important to him. The dream is only reinforcing this. They even made his gameplay reflect his narrative by being the one to provoke and tank damage for his team, which shows how he views his role as a leader. I want to preface this with there being nothing wrong if the dream ends up being exaggerated, I think regardless it is a good insight on Angeal's character. He loves his family and friends, he wants to support them and make them happy. It shows how they were a positive influence on his life and how they affected his motivations. I think narratively speaking though, Angeal having something that is at very least somewhat more real is another important contrast with Sephiroth, especially when a point of contention between them is how they grew up in different worlds. I think the turmoil of Angeal’s father being most likely dead is going to carry a lot of weight for this story and is meant to parallel Sephiroth's desires for wanting family, it possibly being how they find common ground. While Angeal did grow up in a loving household, he is going through a lot right now with his father's passing. The focus on the Buster sword is incredibly important since it is going to represent why Angeal fights. To protect and to care for what he couldn’t back home, for what his father wanted for him. A dream of a better future and to not lose sight of his morals.
In my personal opinion, it makes a lot of sense that Genesis might not be joining for this section of the story. It's shining a light on some of two most iconic swords in gaming history, and how Angeal’s outlook related to his struggles is going to shape Sephiroth. Angeal’s character and his trauma shape the foundation of the Buster sword and future wielders, and it shaping the Masamune too will be an extension of that. He is the heart of SOLDIER, and I am excited to see this story continue to reinforce that.
305 notes · View notes
what-about-zaladane · 3 months ago
Text
What if you don't relate to your Rising Sign? Meet your Chart Ruler
A lot of people don't identify with their ascendant. That's okay. And it might be because their Chart Ruler is steering their chart in a different direction.
The chart ruler is the planet that rules your rising sign (or ascendant). It tells you the moves you make in the world, underneath the style of your Rising.
Aries: Mars
Taurus: Venus
Gemini: Mercury
Cancer: Moon
Leo: Sun
Virgo: Mercury
Libra: Venus
Scorpio: Mars (and kinda Pluto)
Sagittarius: Jupiter
Capricorn: Saturn
Aquarius: Saturn (and kinda Uranus)
Pisces: Jupiter (and kinda Neptune)
(There's a lot of back-and-forth about traditional vs. modern rulerships, but that matters less for this post. We're going to go with mostly traditional, with modern rulers added on for a little flavor.)
Important Distinction
The Ascendant is the filter, the style, interface. It's how you move.
The Chart Ruler is the driver, the body, the animating part. It's the moves you make.
If your Ascendant is your "mask", the Chart Ruler is the person who picked it out.
The Ascendant might describe how you initiate your approach, but the Chart Ruler describes what you're actually trying to do.
Some Examples
You're a Taurus Rising but you feel restless, sharp and intense -- not slow, methodical and grounded? Check out where your Venus is in your chart -- it might be in Aries. If so, your moves might be careful, but the actions they take are a lot more intense than your Taurus Rising gives you credit for.
If you're a Aries Rising but you feel quiet, structured and methodical in your heart instead of brash and confrontational, check out your Mars placement. It might be in Capricorn. (In which case, congratulations, your Mars is exhalted.) You have a lot more stamina, forethought and resilience than your Aries Rising says you do.
If you're a Scorpio Rising but you're charming, bubbly and maybe a little bit scattered, maybe your Mars is in Gemini. That will change how your Scorpio tone plays out in lived reality. (Psst - check out what your Pluto is doing too. It'll show you how your Scorpio depth and intensity is directed and how it plays out. Maybe it's in Libra and you're the world's most amiable Gen-X Scorpio.)
The Ascendant is the hypothetical approach -- all else equal, how do you approach life compared to a different Sign on the horizon? The Chart Ruler is the actual reality -- how does your energetic approach actually show up in day to day life?
Conclusion
If you feel disconnected to your Rising Sign -- you're not wrong, and neither is astrology. You just need to look elsewhere on your chart for deeper answers. There's more to the story. Your chart ruler is you walking that story in your own way. Your Chart Ruler shows you how the Character in your Rising lives, moves and makes decisions.
If the Rising Sign is the Archetype, the Chart Ruler is how you play your position.
138 notes · View notes
affectionatecorpse · 1 year ago
Text
I'm once again getting overly philosophical over horror movies, so here's a study of the death angels from A Quiet Place as observed by a very enthusiastic animal loving veterinarian.
Every time people talk about death angels, it is, understandably, about how violent they are. These creatures are brutal and merciless, and will tear apart anything that makes too much noise. Hence the title of the movie.
Tumblr media
Death angels are frankly terrifying, and show no empathy towards the creatures of the planet they invaded. No living thing is safe from them.
... so here's why they COULD be--
Look. Death angels are simply not suited for our planet. It's a noisy, chaotic place full of noisy, chaotic animals. From humans, to raccoons, to birds, to cats, nearly everything in our world is a potential trigger for a noise sensitive animal such as these.
But that's exactly what they are. Animals. And no one seems to remember that fact. People talk about them as though they themselves are sentient, anthropomorphic monsters, but the way these creatures act mimic many real life animals. Animals that don't belong here, but are trying to survive here. On a noisy planet covered in water, which they despise and cannot swim in.
Death angels are completely blind by nature, as seen in many other creatures such as cavefish, moles, and my personal favourite, the olm. Due to a lack of sight, they very clearly use echolocation in the film, to scan their surroundings and... well, not get dead. But echolocation is far from their only tool, as their ears are the strongest asset they have.
Their ears are INCREDIBLY sensitive. Just the slight ticking of an egg timer when heard from their perspective in the first film, is like a pounding drum in their ear. This is fine in a naturally quiet planet, but if a very subtle tick is that loud, then imagine the rest of the noise. Screaming. Explosions. Crashing. Little toy planes. Holy CRAP, that's gotta hurt.
Sounds that loud would definitely cause extreme hearing problems from pressure over time, and easily result in lifelong illnesses and disabilities such as deafness, infection, and so forth, if not stopped. It's going to be painful. It's literally bursting their ear drums inside their heads, and you can't explain to an animal why it hurts. You cannot rationalise with wildlife about treatment and self care. An injured and scared animal is always going to turn hostile, no matter how docile they may be normally. You can't explain to a lion with a knife in it's belly that you can stop the pain if it just doesn't attack you. You can't explain to a death angel that it needs to go somewhere more isolated instead of just destroying the source of the noise to shut it up.
Tumblr media
Going to backtrack here a sec. Remember how I mentioned echolocation being another asset this creature has? Which means the slightest movement, the tiniest breath, can immediately allow you to be seen by it. With ears that good, too? It can see you from ages away. It knows you're there. Which means they DON'T attack for sport.
'Evil' is a concept rarely seen in nature. Yes, a lot of humans can be evil. And yes, many creatures can be too. Animals hunt for sport as well. Cats, for example! Although even then, I wouldn't describe it as evil. Calling the death angels evil implies they're attacking out of malicious intent, which just isn't true. In moments of panic, they'll destroy. But they are fully aware of humans around them.
Humans need to breathe, and can't stay perfectly still very easily. The death angels would be able to see our main cast at several points, even when they're being quiet. They don't attack whenever they locate a sign of life. For example, the scene in the basement. Being that close, whether the water was running or not, that alien absolutely would've heard Evelyn and the baby's sharp breaths. It didn't care. It was clicking at them almost curiously before it heard the bang of the silo, to which it ditched them to stop the sound.
This scene is a great example of why they don't kill for sport. Injured and young animals are especially easy prey for a creature built so strong and nimble. Evelyn is shown to be terrified of the mere presence of this thing, but it never actually does anything in the scene. It moves about. Ignores her movements in the flooding water. Investigates the baby. Clicks curiously at her while she backs away. It moves slowly and on all fours, when we know while aggressive, they will stand up on their hind legs (unless sprinting) and move very fast.
This implies it was in... well, not a submissive position, but a nonthreatening one. It wasn't baring it's teeth (as best it could), it had it's claws tucked up and unused, and was in no way in a primed-to-attack mentality. Until the silo made a loud bang. And even then, it could've quickly sliced up the two in the basement before running off, but it DIDN'T. It just left, without a moment of hesitation.
Let's also acknowledge the anatomy.
Tumblr media
This is a carnivore. With sharp teeth for ripping apart prey, sharp claws for defence, and thick armour for protection from it's natural climate, as well as strong, long legs for running, this is absolutely a meat eater. The fact it's so well equipped makes me wonder if their natural prey is just as dangerous as them, which is why they have such tough skin. Or if they themselves have something above them in the food chain.
They seem to be pack animals, as usually others aren't far behind when one is about. Such as the trio by the Abbott house, the few at the docks, the ones by Emet's hideout, and even that group sliding down the building in the Day One clip I keep seeing as a gif. With their knack for running included, I wonder if they function like lions? Blending into their environment back home, clicking to hear prey, then the whole pack going on the chase when their target is vulnerable, in a way.
I got distracted. My point was, in a year, all the bodies from past victims vanished. All those people in the town who were swiped left and right just vanished from the town. They couldn't have decomposed in such short time, which means something moved them when it was safe. Something like a carnivore needing food after it felt comfortable in the silent aftermath. The argument that they do it for sport is one I see all the time, and it's just not true.
Everything needs to eat. Carnivores need to eat. Animals need to protect themselves from suspected danger. They never eat on screen because whenever they're on screen, they're surrounded by noise and are DISTRESSED. Have you ever had a sick pet? Most of the time, it won't eat when it's ill because it's too stressed, uncomfortable or in too much pain. When having their ear drums assaulted, a death angel isn't going to sit down with a cup of tea and a grilled cheese. Also, I won't add it because there's blood, but in the scene with the old man screaming in the woods, after it attacks, you can actually see it go back on all fours and sniff about the aftermath, like a hungry predator catching prey to eat. This was probably the first and currently only on screen proof of my claim.
By all means, not all animals are meant to be tamed. Jordan Peele's Nope said that best. Yet I can't help but wonder about the individual. Every animal is completely unique. Some will tolerate more than others. Due to their realistic nature and the similarities to actual animals, in specific circumstances, could they be befriended?
Anyway keep an eye out for A Quiet Place 4 where someone has a pet one that wears doggy ear protectors and accepts meat in exchange for pets-- /j
641 notes · View notes
mightydragoon · 20 days ago
Text
What The Bronze Dragon says about Annabeth Chase.
Returning to PJO I also started rereading a good few of the side stories and I forgot about basically all of them. But even I didn't realise how bad the Bronze Dragon was until I reread it.
My feelings towards Annabeth Chase were not as sour as they are today, and even still, I don't hate her. If anything, I'm mainly disappointed with her wasted potential, but also the trajectory in which Rick wrote her and how she is ultimately disappointing more than anything. I think she is a stagnant character who originally might have once had the opportunity to grow but Rick refuses to let her.
And you know on the topic given how much the word "misogynist" is chucked at anyone with even a negative opinion of Annabeth, whether that leans from outright bashing to the slight bit critical let's delve briefly into that and how Rick had misogynist leanings in the series and how that translates into characters like Annabeth.
Part of that, I think, also comes down to the attitude of the time when Rick was writing it in the 2000s, where that was a particular push on "strong female characters" and "pseudo feminism".
This actually connects with the Bronze Dragon ending for reasons I will get into, but for general notes.
I do think Rick was trying in some respects, but it doesn't change how PJO is quite dated in a lot of ways, and how Rick writes women in it is one of them. The dismissal of femininity in the text is part of that and the Goddess are the more clear victims of this, often reduced to caricatures or outright villains compared to their male counterparts. Demeter is one of the most explicit, completely reduced to something ridiculous despite being one of the six Kronids and an Olympian.
Tumblr media
But you see, this problem is prominent from how Demeter and Aphrodite's cabins are discussed in the first book alone, compared to Athena.
Tumblr media
-
Tumblr media
That becomes harder on examination to believe as a reader, given how the Aphrodite cabin can have members with charmspeak (TLH) and Demeter cabin members with the ability to turn tunnels into jungles (TLO).
Additionally, given how Annabeth goes off how she and the Athena cabin don't have powers (which ironically I think she does but she ignores it because its weaving and it's no coincidence with that being an inherently feminine profession) and she is one of the few characters with a mobile phone (by at least BOTL but possibly as early as SOM which might explain why she was tracked as she was) which is a known signal attractor to monsters.
Or how she feels she is dismissed for being blonde, which in another story might have a semblance of sense but here it doesn't
Tumblr media
It feels too performative to take seriously. The Athena cabin are fucking blondes as a reminder and a good chunk of the Apollo cabin are too but the Athena cabin is interesting in how narratively invisible they are apart from Annabeth and Malcolm and I will get into the implications of that one day and what it reflects on Annabeth and family.
I think it's revealing with the exception of Silena (who died rather gruesomely by a Drakon and was a traitor) Rick often presents femininity in a poor light and it reflects in the attitudes he passes onto his female characters like Clarisse and Thalia "death to barbie" Grace in an attempt to be "strong" often try and turn away and dismiss it. Annabeth included.
I don't even want to get into the misandry by the Hunters and gods forbid the Amazons that Rick presented as feminism because ugh.
Tumblr media
It's gross.
But nowhere is this element of internal misogyny within female characters stronger than in Piper's story which is basically "not like other girls" in the Lost Hero and maybe one day I will get into how Drew is ironically a deep character due to logical assumptions in how she even became a camp counsellor in-universe and the implications of her being the counsellor of a newly larger cabin in the aftermath of Silena's death despite Rick writing her as a one-off catty villain.
Annabeth had the potential to be a genuinely good character, and even now she is an interesting one when you look into analysing her actions based on her fatal flaw pride. But ultimately, she is not interesting for the reasons she should be.
Forgive me for trying to reread characters and ways they could've been better and how Rick squandered growth in favour of poor and cliched romantic developments that I can't fathom why people fawn over because I have seen more interesting dynamics.
And forgive me for criticising a relationship most people claim is healthy and a gold standard, and seems to normalise the toxic and unhealthy aspects of the relationship.
The fun of an unhealthy relationship in media can be with the author knowing that and expressing that. Even better if there was once a chance it could have been healthy, but one or both parties erased that. The best tragedies demonstrate that.
If Rick wrote Percabeth deliberately as unhealthy or destined to break up man, would I read that? It would've been revolutionary in demonstrating the complexities of relationships and how they might break or why people continue in these unhealthy dynamics. Heck if most fans acknowledged that maybe I wouldn't have the same faults.
But that isn't the case.
There are gaps between fanon and canon in any fandom but nowhere do I think its more explicit than in PJO and especially with how old the fandom is. Annabeth is often wildly misinterpreted by her own fans to fit a more appealing image of her character than canon presents. It's understandable but it is important to grapple with the characters we often see ourselves in in order to improve ourselves as people.
Annabeth herself has nice moments that is nearly immediately chucked out the window in order to make her appear to be superior. In some ways, it makes her even more wasted because she shows some capacity; she could be better but she ultimately can't.
The Bronze Dragon plays a role in cementing that for reasons I will say in a minute with missed opportunities and chances taken, but for the first three books, I didn't have a major problem with Annabeth.
Part of that was because one would expect Annabeth would develop into a more rounded one and go through an arc much like Grover was going through with finding Pan, and the damage done to the world was up to the remnants of nature, and they had to try and protect what was left. She does not, and I will discuss her architecture for a future post and how Rick inadvertently doomed her and her relationship, with what her signifier appears to be in her designs.
Rereading BOTL was the turning point along with others on a discord server changed that perception. She is older so it is harder to excuse her actions and this is when Percabeth was becoming more apparent and romantic but it still blindsided me when the volcano kiss occurred just as much as Percy was when it happened.
Tumblr media
I think the confusion is also conveyed in how Annabeth treats not only Rachel but Percy in a hot and mostly cold manner. She is young but Annabeth is also a fictional character at the end of the day and as a reader one would want to see her move past her jealousy, reckon with her flaw and mature beyond what we were introduced to.
We don't get that in PJO. Let me contrast that in an instance where I did see it with another character like Astrid Hofferson. I can see bits of Annabeth and Astrid with how alike they can be in their pride. The difference is Astrid is far more rounded character and her actions are also more understandable as she is determined from the start and intervenes notably when Hiccup screws up a little early on with the Nadder (Stormfly).
Astrid is certainly no friend of Hiccup, no one is but unlike Percabeth she has good reasons with how Hiccup is already naturally isolated, clumsy, her intolerance towards idiocy and is frustrated with how her attempts to be a warrior are thwarted. She also doesn't put Hiccup directly in danger and is more annoyed he is even there in the ring because she believes he doesn't take the endless war they fight against dragons seriously and is putting her life and others in danger.
It's far more natural than hating a camper seemingly on the spot for killing a monster, and losing a loved one in the same place you once did (and not expressing much if any empathy for it) and putting them in danger just to win a game. Not to mention the forced rivalry when there was a missed grievance with the CTF over "oooooh our parents hate each other" and its mainly one sided.
Astrid has legitimate reasons that the audience sees as Hiccup does have an advantage in training and she isn't a fool. But that amnosity leaves her after the romantic flight. From that point, you can really start to see how Astrid respects Hiccup. Respect plays a big role because while Astrid does occasionally hit Hiccup, that's usually at the start of the relationship, where she doesn't respect him and she stops doing it as frequently and as roughly, with the exception of a few friendly jabs later down the line. Annabeth takes an almost opposite approach given the Judo Flip we see in MOA
The conversation as the ships leaves is even more crucial in solidifying their relationship and it being able to stand later. Astrid bluntly puts that Hiccup has lost everything and he must feel horrible. But still questions plagues everyone's mind. Why Hiccup didn't originally kill Toothless and Astrid pushes that point to get the truth from him. It's a genuine question both Astrid and the audience wonder because it forces Hiccup to examine himself and change his understanding. And eventually, he admits why he wouldn't kill Toothless after Astrid points out he is the first to fly one. It's a moment of vulnerability by Hiccup and you can see how seriously Astrid takes it with gentle encouragement to get the truth. And after Hiccup does Astrid shows empathy towards Toothless, noting how scared he must be and that is the trigger for Hiccup to set out and fight the Red Death. And that's just the first film as after that we start to see the pair respect and grow together, especially as the series is expanded in subsequent sequels and the tv show.
Crucially we see that development unfold as the entire cast matures and develops. We aren't just told. The show does a genuinely amazing job with its characters in general but that's besides the point.
We get scenes from Annabeth especially early in the books about her vulnerabilities and a bit in TLO but we don't really get scenes from Percy allowing to be vulnerable to her despite having quite a few conversations together. Percy often says how amazing Annabeth is but we don't see her actions reflect that.
She is propped up as a leader of the Argo in MOA but due to the nature of the POVs requiring every character to have a little mini arc that had every character doing their own thing like Leo getting the scrap metal one chapter. It doesn't really suit.
The main instance where that did actually apply was the initial escape from Fort Sumter (in her POV fitting with the mini arcs mentioned) where she was barking out orders and taking control of the helm and at the start where she was planning the landing and was VERY aware it was meant to be a peace mission. The first paragraph in MOA establishes this.
Tumblr media
And we all know how that ends.
Tumblr media
The Bronze Dragon only proved to me Annabeth is cemented in ways I didn't realise and while Staff of Hermes proved to me how doomed Percabeth was from a narrative standpoint, The Bronze Dragon broadcasted how ironclad Annabeth's pride, her callousness and the sort of mind games she plays on others like Percy.
Take the first Capture the Flag match in TLT, and even on reread it's kind of incredible that Annabeth and a certain level of contempt that she planned Percy as bait, who she immediately hated for accidentally splashing her with toilet water.
We know why Luke played along in the plan (he is evil and in the first two books he is comically evil and then Rick realised midway he needed to make him sympathetic) but Annabeth is interesting cause of what it suggests of her.
Tumblr media
Annabeth's only warning to Percy was to watch Clarisse's spear, nevermind the fact it is electrified or Percy is standing near a creak of all places. At this point Annabeth is still the opinion Percy is moreso Zeus' son so and she did watch over him but she only intervened after the fight was already over
Tumblr media
Annabeth comes across as quite a cold individual upon introduction.
She is someone will do whatever it takes to get a victory over a game, despite the real harm that it could bring and it is seriously a missed opportunity that Percy was not genuinely mad with Annabeth over this more. It would've made a much more compelling conflict than the forced Poseidon/Athena rivalry that hilariously is more natural with Clarisse and is generational with Ares with Percy (and probably Annabeth too)
So Annabeth put an untrained camper in the way of five others and could've gotten seriously injured if not killed if it was literally anyone who wasn't Percy. Annabeth is not completely heartless but it does make you wonder if Annabeth had done a similar thing not just to Percy but other campers she is not on good terms with.
She does win here, but her tactic feels very short-term success and long-term enmity. In that logically, she would not make many long-term allies especially if she is willing to pull something like this for just a game. It might also explain the lack of friends she has around Camp despite being there for years.
After all the Hunters are despised for using very dirty tactics in their CTF matches from what we saw briefly in TTC.
So that's the first CTF match and why on earth is this relevant?
Well, it's because the Bronze Dragon itself is about a CTF match. This is a good chance to see how characters have grown a little since that initial one.
We are introduced with the Hephaestus cabin pulling a major upset in CTF the match prior and seizing the flag from the Ares cabin.
Tumblr media
Rick is presenting it off as cute, as this point the Percabeth moments are but coded, but it's less cute when Percy asks her to stop and the reason he even accepts is less because he "loves it" and more so because he is used to it, and that is not exactly better.
Annabeth expects Percy to like it, but from Percy it doesn't exactly come across as him liking it. And unfortunately, with Percy's background, we understand why he doesn't.
Tumblr media
The bump is interesting because in a sense I do think it's a good example of how Annabeth might think her behaviour is friendly but in reality, it is ultimately harmful to the person she supposedly has a crush on as we see a bit throughout this story. It's not inherently a bad thing to have friendly jabs but the thing with Annabeth is it's hard to discern the difference between what's friendly and what's not.
She is competitive, but as I mention in the Staff of Hermes post, Rick writes Annabeth with an undertone that she constantly dismisses Percy's inherent worth and constantly underestimates and forgets his capabilities. It doesn't come across as playful as Rick is trying to suggest here and it means that even an innocent sentence like this
Tumblr media
This comes across with an uneasy light with the case that Annabeth would genuinely prefer that and it fits well with the ending.
Competitiveness between couples is nothing new but it does feel like Annabeth would harm Percy in order to get one over him in order to feel superior over Percy or have Percy believe she would harm him in order to do so.
I feel like this explains the flinches from being attacked in BOTL respectively but also the ending of this particular story.
It's also linked to the general issues in Percabeth that Rick feels the need to dismiss Percy's self-worth in order to boost Annabeth own standing in the relationship.
The Judo Flip is after all not a flaw but rather a feature. It wouldn't have its defenders if it didn't. And Rick encourages through Charlie Beckendorf that if a girl is mean to you, that must mean she likes you....Which....No.
Tumblr media
This is the equivalent of a young boy pulling his crush's hair to get her attention, and it's not cute with the genders reversed. Or a good thing to encourage.
Percy himself seems to read Annabeth's behaviour as her genuinely hating him in a way and given Annabeth's past actions where she did legitimately not liked him in TLT and she doesn't exactly act any different towards Percy it's no wonder he feels this way.
Here it's Beckendorf who justifies the behaviour which is fucking ridiculous and infuriatingly wrong to imply any girl who tries to murder Percy secretly likes him. It's such an infantile reaction for anyone's first reaction when in love is to act violently and yet Beckendorf endorses it as a sign for Percy. What's more it is meant to be by Annabeth and it seems to be her "love language," and she seems to bemoan how Percy doesn't get it.
Percy is often treated as an idiot when it comes to love by the narrative and others. In BOTL, there is an underlying indication that they are meant to be fighting over Percy.
Tumblr media
It's done poorly done by Rick, given that there is a genuine animosity by Annabeth against Rachel for her being a mortal and while there are hints of her softening in BOTL and Annabeth later saving Rachel's life
(I'm wondering whether or not Frederick got her flying lessons or something, given how technology is not something Annabeth is naturally gifted in like Leo is to explain it. She does manage in this story somewhat to fix Festus but still.)
I despise how they seemingly make up almost immediately in TLO offscreen. I get that Annabeth saved her life, but it feels like Rick is trying to brush off the love triangle and once Rachel was no longer a threat in Annabeth's eyes and show that the two girls are good friends, really!
But Percy also doesn't exactly have a basis for what healthy relationships look like. Yet we know from his interactions with Rachel in TLO, he seems to prefer the more open communication rather than the confusing mind games. He knows one form of abuse through Gabe, but that doesn't exactly mean he can recognise other forms, and he is taught here by Beckendorf that this behaviour is acceptable for romantic relationships. Percy's fatal flaw is loyalty and I don't really think it's been mentioned much but loyalty can be detrimental in a different way than I think Rick presented it as.
In the general narrative, Rick presents it as being willing to burn the world to save one's loved ones but Rick fails to acknowledge what it means when personal loyalty can blind a person to another's faults and how it can destroy the person themselves.
Fatal flaws don't just ruin others; they can ruin the person themselves to be blinded of the wrongs or the flaws of a loved one.
With Annabeth, Percy often builds up Annabeth in his conversations with others, despite us not really seeing that in action. I recall reading MOA recently and getting to the line about Annabeth being no one's sidekick and laughing because up until that point she had played such a passive role in the story and her greatest achievement in that story was trapping Arachne which is immediately deflated with Annabeth taunting Arachne so much, Arachne instantly frees herself and nearly kills Annabeth had it not been for the timely arrival of the Argo.
Additionally having reread the series, Annabeth is an expositor of knowledge like Greek Myths (and occasionally getting them wrong *cough* Cadmus and Europa *cough*) and Rick seems to equate that with strategy and wisdom.
It's telling us how great Annabeth is, without us seeing it. A bit like in Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead we get this.
Tumblr media
It's a sweet sentiment but it doesn't really stand.
Whatever the case Percy and Beckendorf go around near the Ant Hill and see a Bronze Dragon and at this point it becomes one of the first signs that Beckendorf is abandoning the game in pursuit of the dragon.
The entire game vs reality plays an undertone in this. Annabeth does eventually realise where they are and the seriousness of the situation and to her credit she does go to rescue Beckendorf but her focus was still on the game and not on her initial surroundings.
I'll get into this with the ending but let's keep it in mind for now because it is important.
Tumblr media
Let's note the fact that Beckendorf is badly injured.
Annabeth doesn't immediately rush in to save Beckendorf much to Silena's and Percy's bewilderment but there is a reason for that.
Tumblr media
They get the future Festus' head and it is noted that the Myrmekes our monsters, have a very nasty poison and acid. Beckendorf has already been exposed to both and is likely not in good shape.
Tumblr media
At this point the focus is on the Myrmekes; all thoughts of the game are out. And we learn about the automatens, the previous guardians of camps. Festus was one such guardian until it went rogue. It becomes clear however, that Hephaestus intervened in unearthing the dragon's body, wanting it to be found.
We get a slightly cute-ish moment with Percy mentioning he would trust Annabeth to reattach his head and then immediately get this
Tumblr media
Yet another instance where Percy is afraid Annabeth is going to attack him. This is a constant theme in their relationship but there appears to be a genuine fear from Percy of Annabeth's capacity towards violence. It might be fun for a one-off gag but as seen prior this is constant with Percabeth.
They (mainly Annabeth) fix up the dragon after some time and at this point Percy assumes CTF is over.
Tumblr media
(This also suggests CTF matches are usually quite quick but it is important that Percy is mentally checking out of CTF)
Festus nearly immediately goes to attack and fun fact we get a likely indication where Silena uses charmspeak on Festus. It's not explicit but she has a very commanding tone as she speaks to Festus.
They soon race to rescue Beckendorf. We also get hints of how desperate Silena is to rescue Beckendorf and an indication that she is deeply in love with him
Tumblr media
But ah yes, demolishing Silena from the stereotypes of her being a typical Aphrodite kid. Stereotypes which Rick created and enforced for the cabin and he continued to reinforce in HOO.
They reach Beckendorf who is still deeply injured.
Tumblr media
And while the paralytic might wear off, as mentioned earlier, Beckendorf was still hit in the face with presumably the acid and he got bit in the leg which absolutely doesn't help matters. Either way Festus wrecks shit up and proceeds to nearly wreck their shit too.
Tumblr media
Percy now starts to get injured and Beckendorf activates Festus emergency defence mechanism to save it. Unfortunately it goes rogue on them.
Beckendorf starts running but at this point I believe more than anything adrenaline kicked in for him to move but I still doubt he is in good condition by any means. Either way they need to get Festus in a less murderous mood so they can make it for another day.
Tumblr media
As they fight it with Festus, Percy notices Beckendorf do something and while Annabeth warns him, Percy stays put and buys Beckendorf the time he needs and succeeds.
What follows is a mildly cute moment (minus the nickname) and what feels like a second of appreciation from Annabeth. We also get some developments with Silena and Beckendorf going to the fireworks together. They head back. But at that point Percy is injured the acid hurting him to the point he is limping.
Tumblr media
Funny enough we also get some acknowledgement from Annabeth over Percy's ideas and for a moment, for a brief moment we get what appears to be a sincere moment from Annabeth to Percy.
Tumblr media
Then it is immediately ruined by the ending. Oh boy, the ending!
One of the major problems I have with Percabeth is that anytime there appears to be somewhat of a cute moment between them, there is nearly is almost something negative clouding their relationship that makes it impossible to enjoy.
Like with the picnic in Staff of Hermes wasn't enough, and Annabeth didn't seem to appreciate the effort and pressured Percy to do something "special" for the month anniversary (a materialistic and most likely something Annabeth said to pressure Percy) and then immediately after for the second. Not to mention Percy was already doing something for her. Like it doesn't matter Annabeth did do something for Percy in Rome later (one of the better moments of MOA honestly) and proving she could have done something herself for a date.
The real issue was the lack of appreciation and consideration.
This is no exception in what appeared to be a sweet moment turning sour, losing the impact it originally had.
Annabeth's nameless siblings come out of the bushes to capture Percy and Beckendrof, revealing the CTF was not yet over. For Percy and Beckendorf we get a good indication that for them, they had long mentally checked out of the game to prioritise other real life issues.
For a second, one might think maybe Annabeth would give Percy and Beckendorf who are already injured and probably seriously so and clearly not playing the game anymore some slack, but alas. Like mentioned at the start of this story.
The chance to beat up Percy is the best thing that ever happened to Annabeth and here she took it.
Tumblr media
It comes across as cruel to do such a thing to Beckendorf and Percy.
Now do I believe Annabeth orchestrated that entire thing to keep them both out of the game? No.
Annabeth was as shocked as everyone else when Beckendorf got kidnapped and she mentioned she was following Percy and Beckendorf. But she didn't let Percy know that.
Annabeth allows Percy to believe she had the capacity to do that. The fact Percy considers Annabeth as perfectly capable of doing such a thing is legitimately kind of awful and it's played as a fun little scene, with the girls getting one over the boys.
Funny enough, I do think another reading in Silena's actions here is that it inadvertently shows that while Silena does love Charlie Beckendorf, when it comes to her own selfish desires, she will prioritise them and allow Beckendorf to be seriously harm in the process. That is not the intended reading but is one I nonetheless made, considering Silena's role as a traitor in the story and how she wanted to protect Beckendorf but got him killed thanks to her spying.
It screams unfairness. It feels like the first CTF, except it kind of feels worse because here was a moment Annabeth could've stepped back and allowed Percy and Beckendorf to get treated for their injuries. Heck, it didn't even need to result in Annabeth "winning". The game like the boys thought could've been over and we might even be able to see the fireworks with them.
Tumblr media
In-universe, it feels despicable and there is a real semblance of confusion and disgust over the boys. It feels so laughably bad that Annabeth had the audacity to pull a move like that and then ask Percy out afterwards.
But this how Rick tries to equalise Percabeth. It's how he demonstrates that Annabeth is "strong." And he does that by degrading Percy. Much like the judo flip is meant to present to Reyna she is a warrior which comes at Percy's expense.
It's also presented as a feminist victory with that last line. The girls beat the boys! But it's a pseudo one, one the girls didn't earn in their own merit. Yeah, they won but it didn't feel deserved or satisfying. The victory came at a hollow cost and if Beckendorf and Percy weren't who they were, anyone else would've felt betrayed.
Winning is everything to Annabeth. We saw that from the start and she proves it here. Annabeth does jolt back to reality once she realises when Beckendorf is in danger but she didn't originally notice that and I think that was because of how single-minded she is in winning.
The ending didn't need to be like this. The ending could've been a sweet moment with all parties involved going to the Infirmary and Percy and Beckendorf getting their injuries treated and then Percy getting that invite. It could've had Annabeth continue on their chat about what Percy did to give Beckendorf time to fight Festus.
But that didn't happen.
We just saw that Annabeth is the same as she was in her first CTF as she is now. Willing to occasionally help out, but will still prioritise the game even at others' expenses.
The next final thing to look at is her interview. This is crucial because it is a look inside Annabeth's head and more importantly, how she feels about Percy. While beforehand I might have been able to take the hits as slightly playful and her arguing with Percy as cute, this changes matter.
Tumblr media
Annabeth's interview feels like it deliberately cuts into that originally sweet moment where Annabeth showed appreciation for him but also how she can't genuinely say a compliment about Percy without a backhanded one. There can't really be a Percabeth moment that isn't tainted by a backhanded compliment, an insult or something else.
That isn't pleasant to read through, and it's not a good indicator in their relationship.
The nickname Annabeth admits herself is meant to be a dig at Percy's intelligence. Her annoyance at Percy also comes across as personal, as we know Percy is not trying to acting deliberately dumb. But that doesn't matter to Annabeth and from TLT she has always been exasperated by Percy's lack of knowledge as if he wasn't someone new exposed to this culture overnight and it wasn't her job to induct new campers to the system.
It comes across as her internally disliking Percy with how she think Percy does what he does to annoy her and how she constantly underestimates her intelligence and seems shocked whenever he is smart. Annabeth can acknowledge Percy is but its overridden by her own sense of self in that equation.
It has to be her that was directing Percy, it's thanks to her he wins and yet as we see in this story with Percy doing his own thing against Annabeth's warnings (though understandably so) this isn't true.
It's frustrating. Annabeth is still ruled by her pride and it's frustrating that a story about CTF when they are much older was a chance to show how Annabeth has grown since the first one. But she hasn't. She can't. Annabeth is the same as she always was and always will be.
That itself is the greatest tragedy of the series.
90 notes · View notes
casscainmainly · 11 months ago
Note
you’re soooooo right for the cass and jason stuff. i am obsessed with how their views make them behave in their own separate selfish ways. cass needing to believe people can change and be redeemed because she herself needs to believe she can be redeemed…… im thinking specifically in batgirl where she tries to save a murderer from death row. saying “maybe he changed” to the victims mother….. and then everything with jason really, the way he can’t see beyond how he was a victim to see how he has hurt and victimized others. how he has made himself into someone who really can’t see beyond his own tragedy in many ways… how he sees bludhaven literally blow up but refuses to let bruce leave to find Dick
YOU'RE so right because it's easy for people to side with Cass or Jason only, but it's more interesting to see it as neither being 100% in the right. That issue in Batgirl is literally so good - as this post points out, the crime the guy was in prison for was most likely a hate crime. The motive doesn't matter to Cass, since her belief is that no one should die, but it's deliberately disquieting that she doesn't stop to consider the victim until the victim is actually in front of her. Her point of view is focused around redemption and absolutes, to the detriment of justice and specific circumstances.
Jason, on the other hand, is so focused on justice that he has trouble making room for redemption. His is a situational ethics (in contrast to Cass' moral absolutism), which can be good in certain instances (like, debatably, killing the Joker), but can lead to really muddied actions and reasoning. Jason, like Cass, is fundamentally compassionate, but his actions are calculated in a way Cass' is not, leading him to sometimes lose sight of saving lives as the original goal.
Bruce, Jason, and Cass form a really interesting triangle of people whose views on murder are irrevocably tied to the perspective they witnessed the defining murder of their lives in. It's why none of them (yes, even Cass and Bruce) can ever truly understand each other, but also why they have a lot in common. Idk it's just very interesting to think about!
226 notes · View notes
autumnmobile12 · 11 months ago
Text
Endeavor: Physical Strength vs Emotional Strength
Tumblr media
Or The Total Mess that is the Todoroki House.
*Note:  The following is not a defense of Endeavor nor is it excusing his actions.  It is a deep-dive analysis into the complexities and nuances of his behavior and how it affected his life and everyone else in that family based on observations I’ve made throughout the series. There are also comparisons with other objectively violent characters from other series.
Trigger Warning for domestic and child abuse.
...
We're gonna start out by looking at what happened to his character over the available time frame. Endeavor did not start out as a violent person to his family. We can see that in the flashbacks of the family's early days.
Tumblr media
Starting here, note that he’s not cold toward Rei in this scene.  The way they’re walking around out here in the garden gives the impression that negotiations between him and Rei’s family are going well so far, but they’re out walking and talking in private just to make sure this arrangement is going to work and making sure further negotiation isn’t going to be a waste of everyone’s time.  I say this because if he was dead set on ice powers for this Quirk marriage, Rei probably wasn’t the only option.
It's also important to remember Rei did choose this. She chose for her family rather than herself, but it wasn't her parents' end all be all decision. (And maybe there was familial pressure on her side, but it's not explicitly stated in canon so exactly how much free will Rei actually had is up for interpretation.)
Tumblr media
However what I think shows here is they weren’t really talking all that much. Specifically, he is not ‘talking down to her.’  He is not treating her with any particular disrespect or putting her down as inferior.   He doesn’t have the arrogance he later exhibits. This also isn’t him being aloof and ignoring her either.  Look at his face, specifically his eyes.  That is the same blank, deer in the headlights, “I have one brain cell dinging around in my head that is struggling to find a way to interact with people,” stare he shares with Shouto.
He has no idea what to say to her. 
So finally, Rei turns off to the side to admire the garden, and he asks, “Do you like the flowers?”  It’s a small thing, but it does show that in some capacity, he did show some interest in Rei and making her happy.  He’s just stupidly awkward about it at this point. (Even if his ultimate goal was…well, we’ll get into that.)
But this trait of never knowing what to say is a massive defining part of Endeavor’s character that has manifested in a myriad of disastrous ways throughout his entire arc.
Now I don’t think there’s enough shown about Endeavor and Rei’s relationship that we can conclusively say they ever loved each other at any point, but I do think they were, at the very least, cordial in the beginning.  They got along, they loved their children, and that in their minds was good enough for them. If you look at the scenes that are Touya and Fuyumi's early childhood, the family seems content. There's no sign of the abuse we see later.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The other big indicator that Endeavor was not originally a violent person to his family is the two very different ways he approaches training with Touya and Shouto. His motive for training them hasn't changed, but compared to the warmth and pride extended toward Touya we see in the above picture, Shouto’s experience with training in the second screenshot is harrowing and traumatic.
So why the difference?
A big reason is it has to do with age.  When Rei defends Shouto, telling her husband that, “He’s only five!” and Endeavor is still pushing their son to achieve the standards of an older child, yes, this does show his impatience. However, the other unspoken sentiment here is he himself is not getting any younger.  When Touya was born, Endeavor was twenty-two and had his whole life, career, and all his hopes with it ahead of him.  His kid has a greater Quirk than his, his legacy is secure, nothing to worry about.  But then they learn about the genetic issue with Touya’s Quirk.  He can’t use his fire safely, he’ll never be able to use it safely, and he will never be a hero in the way Endeavor can.
Touya:  Failure
Fuyumi:  Failure
Natsuo:  Failure
Shouto was probably viewed as his last chance.  Endeavor was getting older and running out of time.  If Shouto didn’t work out, then this legacy was dead in the water. At least, I hope Shouto was the last chance, otherwise he might've tried getting another kid out of Rei, divorced Rei and married someone else for the same reason, or attempted securing his successor through a grandchild.
Which is some freaky medieval way of thinking.
Anyone else getting Henry VIII vibes here?
Tumblr media
Remember what I said about him never knowing what to say? The most obvious example of this is his complete and total inability to control the situation with Touya.
The tragedy of both Touya and Fuyumi's characters is they are the only two kids in the house who remember the happier childhood, and they both cling to that in their own way. It's why Fuyumi is so determined to 'fix things.' She's trying to regain the family they lost. For Natsuo and Shouto, things have always been bad in the house, hence why Natsuo bailed as soon as he could.
Then we have Touya. His flashbacks start with him at a toddler age. It is very common and normal for a child that young to prefer one parent over the other, but usually it's the parent they're most familiar with: The one that stays home with and takes care of them. Remember, to a toddler, everything is new and potentially scary, and that can also include a parent that is not always present: The parent that's working. In the Todoroki house, Endeavor has his career as a hero, so we have the indication that Rei was the parent who stayed home. In that situation, the probability of Rei being the 'familiar parent' was more likely, so for Touya to prefer his father over his mother shows just how close he was to Endeavor. Or because Fuyumi was the new baby and needed more attention, he could have gravitated away from Rei and gone to his father instead. He didn't see his father's ambitions for him. He didn't see that he was a successor as opposed to a son.
What he, through a child's innocence, saw and understood was that his father loved him and wanted to spend time with him.
Cue the genetic disparity of his Quirk: Where Endeavor failed as a parent was him never talking to Touya about what had happened. He didn't sit down with him and explain it wasn't safe for him to use his Quirk.
The My Hero world has a social problem of Quirks defining one's worth. It's not just the PLF's philosophy. Having no Quirk is viewed with pity and having a Quirk that can't be used could be viewed as a disability by this society, regardless of the fact it's completely possible to live a healthy life without having a Quirk. So Touya's 'issue' required compassion and understanding, especially from a parent. What Endeavor needed to say and what Touya needed to hear was, "This is a path that is blocked to you, it isn't your fault this happened, and I will love you regardless."
Instead, he just dropped him completely. (Given his character, I doubt he's even the one who broke the news to him.) In Touya's eyes, he didn't have the adult nuance to understand why he was being ignored; he just had the child innocence of, "I don't want to hang out with Mom and Fuyumi, I want to be with Dad. Why is he ignoring me? Why won't he train me anymore?"
What Touya learned from this is he only has value in his father's eyes as a hero. So he began training himself to be a hero because he was desperate to get that love and affection back. When Endeavor discovers the fact he's been training and burning himself, Touya never apologizes for disobeying him. He just repeatedly says variations of, "I can do this, then maybe you'll finally be proud of me."
Fuck, dude, just tell the poor kid you're already proud of him. That's all he needed to hear.
Tumblr media
And Rei does call Touya out on this. She asks him, "Do you want to be a hero because you want to be a hero or are you doing this because it's what your father wants?"
In order words: "Are you doing this because you think it will make your father love you?"
And we come full circle to the 'death' of Touya where he realized, "I was never a son. I was a product."
...
Endeavor never addresses the problem going on under his roof. He handed the problem off to Rei. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know (and still doesn't) how to be a parent, and instead of confronting that lapse in his character, he instead made a coward's retreat back into the safe and familiar territory of being a hero.
This was the catalyst for his violence to his family.
Being a hero means fighting villains.
Fighting villains is often solving problems with violence.
Because he never knows what to say, he didn't know how to properly navigate a complex emotional situation, so he resorted to the only method he knew that worked:
Beat it into submission.
And since we have the previously mentioned signs they were once a happy, normal family, I have a feeling the violence began very suddenly and without warning.
...
To back this up, I'm gonna give a little personal insight here. I used to work in an orthopedic clinic and a lot of injuries that came through were hand injuries due to someone punching a wall out of anger/frustration.  You may think this is fine since they didn’t hit another person and only hurt themselves, but the issue with taking your aggression out on even an inanimate object is you are unwittingly training your brain to associate anger with violence and make it all the more likely for you to lash out violently against another person.
Throughout his career, Endeavor has conditioned himself into this same mindset of repeatedly forging and reinforcing the physical connection of violence with the mental/emotional connection of anger.
Tumblr media
Look at this scene from Arcane.
If you haven't seen this series yet, 1.) Get on that. You're missing out. (Don't worry, there's not too many spoilers below.) and 2.) This is Vi and this screenshot is from a scene where she, in a moment of anger and grief, strikes her little sister hard enough in the face to knock her to the ground.
Look at the horror in her eyes when she realizes what she’s done.
Tumblr media
Now before and after this moment, we see Vi undoubtedly loves her sister and would die for her. (Season 2 pending...) The first thing she does when they're reunited is hug her and tell her how sorry she is. But Vi has also been a fighter all her life. The sisters grew up in the rough part of town, they had to fight to survive, and they've experienced a violent atmosphere from a young age. We also see that when Vi gets frustrated or angry, she punches/slaps inanimate objects, so she too subconsciously associated violence with intense emotions, and in a moment of blind rage/grief, she failed to dissociate and she hurt her sister.
It wasn't a conscious decision, but it happened nonetheless.
What follows is she walks away from Powder. She doesn't go far, she just puts some distance between herself and her sister to calm down and process what's happened and hopefully find a way to move forward. Only, for unrelated reasons that don't pertain to this topic, she is apprehended by authorities and spends the next 6-7 years in prison, obsessing over her regrets and finding her way back to Powder.
She is never going to forgive herself for this.
I bring this scene up because as far as fiction is concerned, we as the audience do often excuse a character losing their temper and hitting a loved one once. What Vi did was not okay, but because it only happened that one time, nobody is labeling Vi as 'abusive.'
...
So consider the first time Endeavor hit Rei. We don't see it in canon, but with all the indicators of a relatively happy home, I believe that first act of violence was the culmination of these factors:
Endeavor's ongoing inferiority complex with All Might and the frustration in his inability to surpass him, and then projecting that frustration onto his family.
The career of solving problems with violence.
The subconscious association of anger with violence resulting from that career.
I'm also going to throw out the possibility of multiple head injuries incurred from his career playing a role. Traumatic brain injuries can and often do lead to behavioral changes where an individual has trouble managing emotional responses, experiences anxiety, has a shorter temper, etc.
Obviously, none of the above should be treated as excuses (not even the TBI possibility because there's therapy options for that), but they are potential contributors to the pivotal moment of frustration and impatience where Endeavor, like Vi, failed to dissociate and did something he couldn't take back.
Striking Rei is his tea kettle incident. Think back to the awkward moron who didn't have a clue what to say to her when they first met. That young man never thought he would do something like this. That first moment when he hit Rei, I really don't think it was a conscious decision and it may have taken him off guard as much as it did Rei. Like Vi, he probably acted out of blind anger and may have been just as horrified by what he'd done, and I can imagine Endeavor walking away from that to calm down and process that he crossed a line he thought he would never cross.
Unlike Vi, who was going to return to Powder after calming down so she could apologize, beg forgiveness, and move forward, Endeavor is an emotional coward who never knows what to say or how to confront a complex emotional hurtle. So he did the same thing he did with Touya: He retreated from the problem and pretended it didn't exist, and because it was never addressed and he was never held accountable, it only got worse. The lid was off and there was no getting it back on.
I'm not saying there was a definite chance he could have come back from that (that ball was in Rei's court as much as it was Powder's) but Endeavor had a choice:
He could have addressed what he'd done and made amends by submitting to whatever consequence Rei set down for him.
Or he could have rationalized his own twisted justifications for what he did.
He chose wrong.
Tumblr media
For another comparison of the violence aspect, I’m also going to bring up Shizuo Heiwajima from Durarara!!, a character who I think flies off the handle far more frequently than Endeavor does.
If you haven't seen Durarara!!, same as above with Arcane.
The nuance of Shizuo is the intense rage he experiences, the violence that follows, and his own inner turmoil. He associates violence with anger, but these are traits that he fully recognizes as detrimental to himself and his personal relationships with other people. He has a temper, he gets violent, he lashes out with abnormal strength and has seriously injured many people.
But the people he's attacked are usually people who provoked him, whether it's thugs who opted to harass him on the street or he heard that a friend was in trouble and rushed off to help them. Not that violence is the answer, but they were people who arguably deserved a beating. More importantly, though, is the way Shizuo treats his relationships with caution. He's a loner by choice. He does want to connect with other people, but he keeps his distance because he legitimately fears harming someone he cares about. Because of his caution and self-awareness, he is a complicated and likable character that I think anyone with a short temper who has said or done things they regret can relate to.
If he didn’t have that level of control on himself and was violent with everyone regardless of who they were to him, he would be despised by the fandom as much as Endeavor is.
This is how Durarara!! can get away with presenting a violent character in a comedic fashion. Shizuo, despite his temper, is an absurdly strong guy, a little bit of an idiot, and fiercely loyal to his friends. All three of those are endearing qualities.
Tumblr media
And in the right framing, Endeavor's violence is also presented as comedic.
This scene is funny, but grabbing Hawks like that and lifting him off the ground is technically assault and it is intimidation. Replace Hawks with Rei and this scene changes drastically from funny to very unsettling. Replace him with Touya and it's a fight.
...
Where Endeavor really differentiates from Vi and Shizuo is marked by two important factors:
Shizuo, for all his claims at being unable to control his anger, has it very much under control around the people he cares about. He really only lets loose against a perceived threat.
Vi mostly has that same control even though she lost it for a moment, but she was also separated from her sister in an indirect punishment for her actions.
Endeavor does not have Shizuo's restraint nor did he face any immediate consequences like Vi.
Tumblr media
Which brings us to Rei.
I have mixed feelings when it comes to Rei, and the absolute harshest opinion I have of her is that she is pathetic and she failed her children. And I know that's a very black and white, cold-hearted view, but hear me out because it's a lot more complicated than that.
Endeavor is ultimately responsible for his own actions, but Rei also had the option to deal with the problem when it started. When he started hitting her, she could and should and have taken the kids and run as fast as she was able and not looked back. No amount of financial security, family appearance, or whatever justification one finds in this scenario is worth it. She should not have tolerated that abuse against herself and she definitely should not have subjected her children to that. While there's nothing conclusive to say Endeavor was physically harming any of the kids aside from Shouto, not fighting for her autonomy/safety was inadvertently teaching all four of them this is how men treat their wives, women are supposed to tolerate this treatment, and a marriage like this is 'normal.'
And in the end, she straight up abandoned her children. We see from Shouto's point of view right before she attacked him with the tea kettle. She's talking to her mother on the phone, saying she 'can't take it anymore' and she just wants to 'run away from this life.' Well...considering she goes on to spend the next ten years in a psych ward and left her children to her abusive husband...she did get what she wanted. Ten years and she really didn't put any more effort in trying to get back to them? She knew Endeavor was hurting her youngest. Going home and protecting her babies should have been her priority. For a long time, I legitimately thought she was in Fujiya because she was considered unsafe to rejoin society whether she was a danger to herself or to others. When she shows up in Endeavor's hospital room, I stared at the screen and thought, "The fuck? She could discharge herself at any point?"
All right, now that I've gone over my hard-line point of view, let me dial back the judgment and consider what else is going on here:
Rei is a refrigerated character.
She has very little characterization beyond her abuse and being the victimized mother in Shouto's story, so we don't know all that much about her. In all fairness, her oldest son suddenly dying while she was hospitalized certainly would have contributed to her downward spiral and account for her prolonged hospitalization.
She tolerated her abuse longer than she should have, but it is possible:
She learned that from her own parents. Tolerating abuse is often a byproduct of generational trauma. Maybe her father treated her mother the same way and she grew up thinking this was normal.
Maybe the first time Endeavor hit her, she rationalized it into a point of acceptance where she told herself that everything was fine and that it was only the 'one time' and it wouldn't happen again, a sentiment she kept repeating every time it happened.
Maybe she was raised to believe ‘the man of the house is always right,’ and that is a mindset that is hard to break if instilled from childhood.
Her parents certainly didn’t seem all that supportive with what was going on, but we also don’t know how much she told them. We don't even know if that one phone call she had with her mom was the first time she reached out for help after years of pretending everything was fine or if this was was something she was repeatedly updating her parents about and those parents chose to be aloof to it.
Maybe she really did grow up in a loving home and just didn't know what to do when confronted with the violent relationship she found herself in.
Maybe she was gaslit into believing it wasn't abuse.
Maybe she really did report the abuse and the godforsaken, root-of-all-evil Safety Commission told her, "Your husband's a hero. Stay quiet and don't ruin that public image." Basically told her to suck it up. That is also a possibility, and one I think could be the most likely, but the series doesn't really go into just how corrupt the Commission was, so we're in headcanon territory.
Maybe she did try to take the kids and run but failed to get away. (Unlikely since it’s never mentioned in canon.)
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have an upbringing that instills the belief, 'if your partner hurts you, they are dead to you' and not everyone has the good fortune of a reliable support network that can help them recognize a bad situation and get them out of it.
Given how well-known Endeavor is to the public, maybe Rei was afraid no one would believe her about the abuse. "A hero would never do such a thing. She's making it up for attention. Her family was poor, so she must be a gold-digger trying to screw over her hero husband in the divorce proceedings."
There is also the important fact that Japan has a social stigma against divorce. Persevering for the sake of family stability and maintaining an ideal appearance is a deeply ingrained cultural norm, which does introduce a troubling power imbalance between a husband who works and a housewife who doesn't have her own independent income. We also have to remember that Rei and her family were financially dependent on Endeavor, so she may have feared the monetary fallout at the prospect of leaving him. Also, with the popularity of the hero ranking system, the No. 2 Hero's wife divorcing him would have been very public and potentially humiliating for all involved.
And we can’t ignore the fact that Endeavor systematically broke her down into a shell of a person who couldn't see a way out of her situation and was tormented to the point she had a psychotic episode and attacked Shouto, the very child she tried to protect. And this too could have contributed to her prolonged hospitalization if this was the final straw and she viewed herself as a failure of a mother.
Maybe it was a combination of two or several of the above factors.
At the end of the day, abuse is a multi-faceted beast, and just as the abuse comes in many forms, the victim can have any number of reasons for staying in their situation.
So even though I have my harsh opinion of Rei and I think she should have done more to protect her children, I do 100% sympathize with her. She is a victim and she in no way deserved what she went through.
But while her inaction wasn't the cause of the crisis in her family, it was definitely a contributor to how badly it got out of hand because whatever the reason Rei didn't expose Endeavor or try to take the children and leave him, that lack of accountability opened up the opportunity for him to rationalize his own twisted justifications for his actions.  “It’s fine. She deserved it because ______. She was 'acting out.' She was overreacting. She doesn't know what she's talking about.”  Whatever he needed to tell himself to believe he didn’t do anything wrong even though he knew he wasn’t fooling himself or anyone.
She didn't stand up to him. Their children couldn't stand up to him.
So he continued the physical abuse unchecked.
...
Moving on into the redemption arc.
After the Kamino Incident, Endeavor finally, finally, finally got that vaunted No 1. Hero spot he'd been chasing for two decades. But he didn't earn it the way he wanted to by proving he's the best of the best. All Might retired, so he won by default.
And then he finds it's just one spot further up on a ranking system that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. So he looks back at what's really important and he sees the charred skeleton frame of a house he burned down.
One institutionalized wife
One dead son
One daughter who clings to the memories of a happier home
One estranged son
One son who only has a use for him as a teacher and not a parent and will probably drop him the second he no longer needs him
In spite of everything, I do genuinely think the man deserves some credit for at least being willing to make an attempt at reconciliation. Not a lot since he dug that hole himself, but let's face it, a lot of lesser people would have looked at that mess and thought, "Fuck it, no going back now," and continued business as usual. So the question becomes:
Is Endeavor trying to redeem himself out of a need to make himself feel better about everything he's done or is he truly doing it for the benefit of the people he's hurt?
I tentatively think/hope could be a mix of both--I believe there is a part of him that cares about his children--but it definitely skews more toward making himself feel better because there's never a moment before the redemption arc begins where he's isolated, thinking back on everything, and just has the appropriate, "What have I done?" revelation. If his remorse was genuinely all about his family, we would have had that 'crying in the hospital scene' a whole lot sooner.
I think if Horikoshi wanted to portray Endeavor's redemption as genuine remorse for what he did to his family, I think he would have put more of a focus on Endeavor actually seeing the impact of what he'd done and feeling the inner turmoil and regret. Not just Natsuo's anger but also seeing firsthand Shouto's isolation and complete lack of social skills as a result of his training or having a conversation with Fuyumi where she admits she never wants to marry or have children because she doesn't 'want to risk ending up like Mom.' Seeing the effects of his behavior, realizing it's his fault.
So no. While there may be a part of Endeavor that loves his children (or he tells himself that he does), his wanting to atone is inspired mainly by his self-worth. He realized the ends did not justify the means and he tries to fix it.
But either way, how does he go about it?
The biggest change he makes toward earning forgiveness is to his hero career, which tracks with his character. That's familiar territory, so it's easier for him to navigate. He takes a significantly gentler method of teaching/mentorship with Shouto and he tries a kinder approach with his fans. That's progress, but it's still avoidance of the main issue that is the rift he caused with the other members of the family.
His relationship with Fuyumi doesn't have much friction. Fuyumi clings to their family's happier memories. With Touya gone, she was the only child who could remember a childhood without fighting parents, abuse, and suffering siblings. In a twisted way, this is something she and Touya have in common. So it makes sense that she would be the one who's the most receptive to Endeavor's attempts to be a better father. She sees this change as their best chance at being a normal family again. Like Touya, she wanted her father back.
Natsuo is different. He was 3-4 years old when the toxicity in their household really began to spike and when the violence started. Incidentally, this is also when memory cells in the brain start to fully develop and form concrete memories. Compared to his older siblings, the abuse is all he knows and that is why he's the child who left and went low-contact. The only thing Natsuo's really done wrong is start family drama when there's company over for dinner. I mean, c'mon. That's just rude. Don't do that in front of guests.
While Endeavor makes attempts to better his training methods/fan interaction, what he doesn't do is call a family meeting to discuss things, not that this would have resolved anything by a long shot, but it would have established a baseline of where everyone in the family was at and whether or not forgiveness was even on the table at all. It is an extremely arrogant thought for Endeavor to think forgiveness for something of this magnitude is possible, and if he wanted to seek forgiveness (or to atone, whatever the hell that means) for the lifelong mistreatment of family, he should have been more prepared for the most abject, humble groveling to the people he wronged that he could manage.
He should have admitted to his mistakes and faults, laid out everything he'd done wrong, apologize for that as best he could, then express he wanted to repair their relationship and be a family again while also acknowledging that he understands if that is not possible. Lay down that groundwork, maybe be open to family therapy so that a professional third party can act as a mediator and provide impartial guidance, figure out where the boundaries are, acknowledge he can't give them back their ruined childhoods but he can *insert anything Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shouto ask as recompense, even if it's just leaving their lives forever*, and listen for once to what his family is saying.
Instead, he tries to have normal conversations with his children as if nothing bad ever happened. He offers to come watch Shouto's remedial training like that's a totally ordinary thing for him to do. He tells Natsuo during the family dinner that he would like to try his cooking some time. That is a good olive branch! There is nothing wrong with saying that, but without that prior baseline conversation, it comes off as contrived and that's how Natsuo interpreted it. He sends flowers to Rei, also a good signal to send, but he should have done the the uncomfortable thing and contacted her through her physician to see if she's open to meeting with him for a conversation or sending her a letter she could choose to open at any time (or send back unopened.) That would have established that same baseline and helped move forward towards the atonement he wanted.
But he does the same thing he always does: He pretends the real issue just doesn't exist and he tries to control the situation to suit him.
Why?
Say it with me: He never knows what to say! He can't navigate complex emotions!
He doesn't try to find out if his family is even willing to forgive him, frankly because he's an emotional coward who doesn't want to hear the answer.
Tumblr media
However, we cannot say he has no character development at all.
There is one thing worth noting around this point in the plot that I think is important to recognize. If Endeavor ever had any character development that was in favor of his redemption, it was when Natsuo was kidnapped and nearly killed, and it's not because he ran and hugged him in the street.
In this scene, he admits to Natsuo that his actions might as well have killed Touya.
This is a small thing, but it's also huge because you have to consider that up until this time, Endeavor has been gaslighting himself into believing it was Touya's fault for getting himself killed or Rei's fault for not doing as she was told and watching him. He could even have been irrationally blaming All Might for just being a barrier to his goals. Any warped excuse and justification he could think of to escape the blame.
It's not a lot, but he did finally give voice to the guilt that he is the reason he failed and his child died. He finally acknowledged that the blame lies squarely with him and no one else, and acknowledging he drove Touya to his own death means way more than just talking about his intentions to atone.
He took accountability here, at least within the family.
That is one point he's earned. We as the audience can begrudgingly concede that one.
Tumblr media
But this progress is again stalled when Endeavor makes the decision that it would be best for his family if he distances himself from them. He chooses to build another house for them where they can all live together with their mother and away from his shadow.
The initial reaction I had to this decision was, "Okay, your solution is kicking them out of the only home they've ever known?" But then I considered that having those kids leave a house where they lived through a traumatic and stressful childhood was a good call. Natsuo already bailed, after all. And then there's Fuyumi... Yeah, you know what, maybe a conversation would have been appropriate here. Instead of finding out what they want, he goes and decides it for them like he always does.
Touya has a genetic disparity that prevents him from using his Quirk safely? Endeavor decides he shouldn't be a hero, disregarding any possibility of finding a potential workaround.
Shouto finally uses his fire at the Sports Festival? Endeavor has his whole speech that pretty much shows he has Shouto's entire life planned out after graduation.
He wants to do what's best for his family? He decides what's best for them.
And we're back to the big dumbass never knowing what to say and still running away from the main issue by making assumptions and decisions without actually considering the thoughts/opinions of the people around him and controlling the situation to his benefit.
He may have his intention to do better, but he has no idea what he's doing. He doesn't know how to relinquish his authority role.
Tumblr media
And then we have Touya with his, "Bitch, you thought!" grenade. Or is it a nuke?
It's important to note is that failure to articulate emotion in a healthy way is a trait that is shared by all of the Todoroki family members.
Endeavor - the emotional coward who resorts to violence when confronted with an uncomfortable situation
Rei - the passive mother
Fuyumi - the peacekeeper and people-pleaser
Shouto - the child who was systematically deprogramed into an angry husk imitating his father that he has only recently started to recover from
Touya and Natsuo are the only two who actually have some pushback against the bullshit in their family. Touya's a whole kettle of insane fish who's warped psyche deserves a character analysis of its own, but the point is, even as a kid, he doesn't creep around his father or try to make peace with him. Natsuo also has no problem calling out Endeavor for everything that went wrong in his childhood, plus he moved out and went to college as soon as he could.
Touya - the unstable sociopath who shares his father's tendency to violently lash out while stuck with the mental fragility of his mother
Natsuo - the traumatized avoidant
Neither of them have a functional way of dealing with their issues. (In fact, Touya is so unhinged about it that the door has peaced out and is halfway down the street.)
Endeavor wanted to atone for what he did...by burying and not actually taking any real accountability until the unavoidable moment Touya is screaming down to him, "Is it because you became No. 1 that you finally paid attention to your family?"
Touya has a warped view of the world brought on by years of trauma, but he hit the nail on the head.
Endeavor's main motivation for atonement is for the self-satisfaction.
So we have the symbolism of Endeavor, who has always used his physical strength to solve his problems by beating them into submission and used his intimidating height to glare down at everyone beneath him, and then we have Touya standing on top of a mountain, shouting down. Endeavor's in a position where he's looking up at his dead child, who is arguably the broken bough, elephant in the room, core unavoidable reason a full atonement was never going to be possible, bringing about a twenty-year overdue reckoning.
Tumblr media
And he once again doesn't know what to say.
Tumblr media
As the story ends, this is where we leave him: Crippled, looking up at his dying child, and confronted by one of the lives he ruined. By choice, he's going to sit here and face what he did. These talks are not going to be pleasant. I doubt Touya is so burned out and exhausted that he doesn’t have the heart to spit out more of the lifetime of vitriol he’s built up.
I know a lot of fans were disappointed Horikoshi didn’t kill Endeavor off in the end, but I personally prefer to look at it this way:
Some characters deserve death.
But some deserve to live in despair.
...
To revisit Arcane, I think this quote neatly sums up Endeavor.
Tumblr media
197 notes · View notes
Text
If Paranoid ever snaps completely one day I’d like to think that he’d become eerily silent. He’d probably start acting like Nightmare too.
Imagine. Former puppet becomes the puppet master. He would be so terrifying.
(Edited to have this cause I have a stupid idea. Ignore this)
Tumblr media
76 notes · View notes