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Going off of this, Hans has absolutely no real world experience. Hanush is far too restrictive to allow Hans anywhere near these sorts of situations, at least until he's damn near forced to in the war. Hanush kept Capon in a cage his entire life, until recent events in the games. So storybooks were his only real lense into the world at all.

Even when Hans accuses Henry, while suck together in the pillory in KCD2, that he doesn't understand the world, that's Hans projecting his own insecurity onto Henry. Hans must realize to some degree how out of depth he is in KCD2. He doesn't have Hanush or Radzig to fall back onto when shit hits the fan and he's scrambling hard.

More proof that Hans views the world through a kind of fairy tale lens. Or at least that he's using stories to navigate the world.

He assigned "roles" to the participants in the war, and then found out it was more complicated than that, and now he's off to take the hero role himself to make things right in his narrative again.

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You know, I've actually pondered making a post pointing this out as well, but ultimately thought it might be me looking too far into the writing, but honestly its too much. There are far to many instances where Henry, bumbling ignorant Henry, is just minding his beeswax, strolling down a road and someone randomly accuses him of being Lucifer himself.

One or two times I can forgive, but over four and there is some serious inside joke I'm not privy too.

In KCD1 as well, there is that wild quest Godwin gives you to go find out about witchcraft from the local women, and Henry gets pulled into that mess where the ladies believe he's Satan come to make a contract with them. Not to also mention Henry literally meets death wandering the roads at night and has a casual conversation with her like their stuck in a line together at the gas station.

Like, Im starting to beleive Henry may have three daddies here.

i'm fascinated by the implications of multiple unconnected npcs assuming henry is either demonic in nature, or satan himself in kcd2. there's the latin-speaking dice player who assumes henry is the demon he summoned in the past to play chess against, the inquisitor who accuses him of dark sorcery, the peasant who tries to summon satan at the crossroads and gets henry instead, and, of course, the interaction with bellissimo, the sole time (that i know of) that henry can enter into a conversation knowingly taking on the guise of satan from the start.

are these assumptions simply meant as a somewhat humorous look into the medieval mindset of these characters? i don't deny it was funny the first couple of times he was deemed satanic when my henry was in the midst of doing little sidequests to help people all across the countryside, but the third random encounter got me thinking, and the bellissimo quest in the dlc really made me wonder how intentional the devs are being with drawing parallels between henry and demons. they're all very cool interactions, but i do think a devout henry would end up with some kind of complex from the constant association of him with demons, and at the least i think he'd start reflecting on his own quest for revenge and just how much blood he's willing to spill after the second or third time he was viewed as demonic by a total stranger.

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KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE II (2025) henry & hans + protecting each other

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This is a great interpretation of Hans' and Hanush's relationship, and I'm humbled you could take so much out of my mad ramblings to add to it. I have severely mixed feelings when it comes to Hanush, then I have to remind myself this is 15th-century Bohemia, unfortunately, parenting doesn't come with a learner's guide or a "Parenting 101 for Stubborn Idiots". It just hurts to see how in pain Hans is and how absolutely no one realizes it, or even cares. I don't even believe Henry understands the full picture yet, either. Only that he rarely catches the brief moments, Hans is too exhausted to even hide his true feelings, before he whips that wall back up like an exposed nun.

A Hans Capon Character Analysis

Part 2: Hans and Hanush

Continued from Part 1.

Hans' relationship with Hanush plays a considerable role in both games where Hans consistently tries to impress his uncle, but it isn't until KCD2 that this relationship (and the attempts to please) lead to a pretty blatant disillusionment with the nobility. Everything he learned, everything he ever thought he knew with complete and total certainty, ends up challenged in the face of the tremendous growth he experiences over the course of KCD2.

We'll start by talking about who Hans is as a person and where his personality and behaviors are coming from both before and after Henry meets him.

There's something to be said here about how growing up as part of the nobility is inherently dehumanizing and uniquely traumatizing, but I think for Hans in particular this is true. Even he realizes that his life had the potential of being just that little bit better had they been in the picture:

And let's be honest, even if it wouldn't have been better or different at all (let alone in any significant way), the fact is that Hans knows that something better could have been. It's even possible that he could have ended up with siblings to play with at some point! The idea of potential denied or just out of grasp for him is a theme that comes up quite frequently for him!

We know that Hans grew up under Hanush's tutelage if not in his love and affection. For Hans, that meant learning about how to govern a territory and learning to read and write, Latin and other languages included… but little else. I can say this with some amount of confidence because Hans wasn't taught social skills. At all. One of the most tragic visual examples of this comes from the meeting(s) at Raborsch. While Jobst makes his announcements, Hans is busy watching the other adults around him to see how they act and doing his best to mirror their behavior. This is heartbreaking.

@codeword-art made an amazing post recently about how incredibly lonely Hans is, and by god, they are correct. There are so many good points made in that post, many of which point to the fact that Hans has a LOT of learned behaviors. I've touched on this before in my Hanush meta, but @georgecostanzaatemysoup brought up the very good point that Hans most likely learned that negative behavior got him attention. But that's far from the only thing he's learned. As @codeword-art pointed out, Hans has learned that people treat him either like a "troublesome child" or like something precious to be protected. And when people default to treating him that way, even people who don't know him (!), he falls back into old habits. This is how life is, how life has always been, and how life will always be. The way Hans is treated has pretty directly affected and even shaped his personality.

This goes hand-in-hand with one of my all-time favorite meta posts in this entire fandom, which is this one by @antivanwine14. They make the incredible point that boar hunts were very social activities for nobles at the time. And that as soon as Hans finds his first actual friend in Henry he immediately goes to take him boar hunting. Hans has spent his entire life learning by watching and doing his best to echo what he sees.

You want to know where Hans got his personality from? I would bet good money that he saw the kind of commanding presence that his uncle bore and did his best to learn. Hanush is, in many ways, quite bratty himself. He's loud, boisterous, and gets what he wants. Hans got used to being called useless and did his best to be better. To be more like his uncle. Here's what Henry is told by the innkeep right before the boys start fighting:

Does that... remind you of anyone? Because it reminds me of Hanush!

Of course, that didn't get his uncle's approval either. So when that didn't work, he turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. A kid can only be told he's a useless little waste of space so often before he starts to not only believe it in earnest but also leans into the suggestion.

@codeword-art made this point absolutely beautifully here as well where they talk about how people view him throughout Rattay and what sort of effect that would also have on him. In Hans' eyes, no one aside from Captain Bernard and Oats think he's worth anything. Yet that isn't even entirely true. When Henry is given the tour of Rattay by Nightingale, he ends up learning the following:

But there's no doubt in my mind that Hans isn't hearing "Hanush should hand over the fiefdom to you, my lord" but rather Nightingale's comment about how these people are fools. It's not surprising then that this fake persona that Hans projects is just a protective facade that he puts in place when he has to interact with the outside world.

Hanush shouldn't be part of that category, and yet he inevitably is because he pushes his nephew away emotionally at all times.

Need I remind you that when Henry goes to check on Hans at the beginning of Next to Godliness... this is how Hans responds:

Okay. Reread that.

Hanush. wouldn't. let. anyone. near him????????????

Like…… why?????? Hanush wouldn't let anyone near him except the priest who treated him like he was already dead???????? No doubt growing up in the castle must have felt a bit like being dead too! He cared about the friends he was drinking with the night he got in that fight with Henry so much that they literally never came up ever again. This boy was never socialized! He is so lonely he has no one to even spend time with, if Hanush would even let him! So whom does he even have to impress?

Hanush. Just Hanush.

And this comes up quite a lot.

Because he wants so badly to be loved by his uncle.

This is what really gets me in terms of his relationship to Hanush. Hanush is an objectively terrible parent. And even in spite of this Hans very clearly wants to categorize him as his uncle instead of just as his guardian, this far more personal thing, but still feels compelled to restrain himself from that in everyday conversation. Even if that conversation happens to be with the guy who is rapidly sliding into the position of Hans' best friend.

Moreover, we know that Hans calls him uncle when that isn't actually his role in Hans' life:

I've noticed that Henry does a lot of code-switching depending on whom he's speaking to. In a lot of ways, even despite the irreverence he exhibits at times he treats Hans much nicer than he does most people. The annoyance that comes up with others does not generally show up with Hans.

And there is a lot of variance in how Henry treats the people around him outside of that. He knows how to juggle the different worlds he traverses in his myriad social roles that he occupies simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Hans only has two settings: deep and vulnerable and personal... and everyone else.

Hanush sits pretty solidly in the latter category. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Henry's existence alone created the first category to begin with. Without him, it would not exist. Hans doesn't let down his walls until he meets Henry because he doesn't even know he has them.

Only at his most emotionally vulnerable, usually with the people he cares about most (and vice versa), does Hans open up. At the end of KCD2, while he's drinking with Godwin and lamenting the fact that his soulmate might die out there, we learn the truth of why he decided to take the message to Trosky to begin with:

I mentioned in part 1 of my analysis that he's talking about nobles as a whole here. If only he took the message to von Bergow, everyone would finally take him seriously and stop treating him like a child.

As he puts it when he meets Henry in front of his room at Suchdol:

But Hanush is at the heart of all of this.

Let's rewind a bit to KCD1 again.

I know we joke a fair amount about Clothes Make the Man and how quickly Hans starts throwing his gifting love language at Henry and latches onto him plus playing dress-up with Henry but there's a lot more going here.

The opening already gets me. It takes him 0.2 seconds to turn Henry into his emotional rock.

It's pretty transparent that this is at least in part about wanting to throw presents at Henry to make sure that he stays around (consider also the timing: he does this right before he knows they're both going to get a talking-to from his uncle... it's like he's trying to butter Henry up in advance of that meeting to make sure it doesn't freak him out. He didn't have to put Henry into his own clothes!!), but the fear of looking bad in front of Hanush isn't an excuse. That is a real fear here.

And we know these sorts of lectures are far from rare; if anything, they're a common occurrence!

So much so that it even comes up again in KCD2 where Brabant drops this line post-Maleshov:

Implying that Hans talked to Brabant quite a bit about his concerns regarding precisely this while they were both in captivity. This was clearly something that weighed on him heavily, so much so that Brabant remembered it well enough to bring up here!

This isn't particularly surprising. From the very beginning, he's genuinely invested in his uncle's opinion of him (not that that comes as much of a surprise) and ends up viewing the trip as a sort of test that he can either pass or fail:

If you look at his growth through that lens it is quite frankly heartbreaking to watch him go through all that he suffers.

At the tavern in Troskowitz, Henry suggests going back to Rattay, and Hans immediately shoots that down because they'd be a laughing stock and Hanush would never let him forget about his failure:

The fear here is net negative approval.

By the time the lads are riding out to deal with Nebakov, he's come to terms with the fact that this will right the initial wrongs and things will return to normal!

I think this is very telling. The best he's hoping for at this point is a net zero approval gain.

The prospect of Hanush having to pay a ransom for him briefly pops up while they're locked up at Nebakov. And then Godwin shows up, reminding him that he can't even deliver a letter. We're back to net negative approval.

Henry reminds him that it's fine! At least they're alive!

And then we're treated to a strangely somber look from Hans and silence, one that Henry also notices and responds to by trying to inject a spot of good news (their return to Rattay):

Hans knows how his uncle reacts to failure. Not just here, but in general. He's generally not given the chance to plead his case. Case in point? After Next to Godliness, he tries to explain the situation to his uncle:

And... Hanush doesn't believe him:

He knows that optics are everything here. If it looks like he fucked up, that's how it'll be taken. To that point, the night before Nebakov Hans points out to Henry that he suffered all of those situations just because he was "trying to do the responsible thing."

Okay, now we're getting somewhere! He's honestly been trying here, all for the benefit of his uncle. Henry can even ask if he isn't worried about Hanush will say, given that it's pretty obvious that that is precisely what he's worried about:

With that, we're back to net zero gain in approval. Which is quickly turned into a net negative again the day after when he's taken hostage. Again.

And then gets to spend at least a week (possibly several) thinking about how badly he fucked up and how much Hanush might have to pay in ransom to get him back. As we noted earlier, it's fairly obvious just how much Hans cares about that as per his conversation with Henry and Brabant after the escape from Maleshov:

At this point he tells his uncle that he fucked everything up (which just isn't fucking true, Hans, you are way too hard on yourself) and Hanush is quick to reassure him that it's fine:

Even he recognizes that Hans has grown at this point! Or... at least he says as much. I think this gave Hans a sliver of hope that he could actually earn his uncle's approval.

Of course, later on Hanush reveals how he really feels about the matter and this is, of course, what leads to the Devil's recommendation to just marry him off. My beloved mutual @audentesfortunaiuvattwrote an excellent post about how infuriating this whole conversation is, and I agree 100% with her argument and the follow-up.

Hans' real feelings on the matter are revealed after the announcement, only while he's absolutely sloshed:

Henry tries to point out to him later on after von Bergow's interrogation that he would have gotten Hanush's approval after his work at Maleshov, and it just...

... doesn't land. A part of me wonders if the announcement of the betrothal swept the rug so solidly out from under his feet that he lost any hope that he could have ever gotten his uncle's approval by his own merit. Which is also why he ends up sounding so resigned when he ends up talking to him later. Like he expected it to turn into an argument.

It's kind of heartbreaking to watch honestly. Because every time that Hanush is in the picture, you get to play witness to Hans grasping for his approval again with just that tiniest sliver of hope reawakening. While they're at Suchdol, that doesn't factor in at all. In this timeframe, Hans and Henry both exist in a space outside of society. As I stated in part 1, nobility and social stratification are meaningless in the face of, uh, hunger and despair. But as soon as Hanush returns, with him come the demands of the society around them.

All I see here is someone who desperately wants to impress his uncle. This is the sliver of hope.

Only for it to be promptly shattered into pieces.

And by the time of their end conversations, there's no repairing it anymore. Which is fucking tragic, because if you pay attention to Hanush, he clearly has no idea how to parent Hans. After giving Hans and Henry that lecture following Next to Godliness, this is his expression when Hans leaves:

These are two people that have spent their whole lives misunderstanding each other. Like, I truly believe that Hanush is doing what he thinks is best here (and, as I've said before, in many ways he's right! he's a great guardian, but he's a terrible parent; I go into that in more detail at the bottom of this post). In terms of being a good parent to Hans it just happens to be a sad miscalculation.

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I may add this as a small addition to my longer post regarding Hans's loneliness epidemic.

Hans has a very bombastic personality. He's a chatterbox, inappropriate, arrogant, stubborn, hypersexual, likes to tease and jest, and is energetic as all hell, which is why it can be so hard to notice he's such a lonely little loser like 95% of the game.

I believe a good portion of this personality is a facade or a persona that Hans puts on when he's forced into social interactions with others. He takes everything up to a hundred because he's trying too hard. Things like Hans chirping Henry's ears off and playing around with him are real, but it's because Hans is comfortable with Henry and allows himself to open up and have a little fun. He can also be this way with characters like Godwin and his Oats.

However, people expect him to be a certain way as a nobleman. They're supposed to be proud, stern, with a love for women (which I believe stems from Hans' own doubts about his own sexuality), and well, arrogant. I believe without a shadow of doubt that Hanush's defamation of Hans has corrupted Hans' sense of self-worth and makes him act out exactly in the way Hanush says he will. A perfect self-fulfilling prophecy.

Walk around Rattay for ten seconds, ask a peasant what they think of their young lord, and you'll see how far corrupted their opinions of Hans are. Captain Benard (also Oats) is the only one who gives him any grace and knows how kind-hearted and brave Hans truly is. You can't entirely blame them because Hans does exactly what they think he will, but when you tell a child their worthless, they don't question it, they just believe it.

The small glimpse we get to see of the real Hans, when he's exposing his entire heart perched atop a bed, talking about romance and knights, in a quiet and careful voice, stuttering and terrified, shows us how loving and gentle Hans can be. How calm and truly brave he is.

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@bucket-fucker

I see your tags, #holy shit I need this pointed out that's such a good point #also worth noting: we see him socializing and laughing with other people at the celebration post-Suchdol#which if you romanced him is after Henry reciprocates his feelings

And I want to add a tidbit that you are 100% absolutely correct.

Hans development throughout KCD2 not only matures him, but he starts to very slowly come out of his shell, that Hanush has all but screwed shut. The first instance is Hans trying to talk to Samuel, and while his jealously got the better of him in that conversation, that's seriously the first time I've seen him talk to anyone on his own. That isnt Godwin of course.

Speaking of our debauched preist, his growing relationship with Hans is also very important, as he is one of the few people Hans seems comfortable being around that isnt Henry. Henry can even catch them speaking Italian together. Godwin treats Hans as an equal, not taking his nobility into account, but also disregarding Hanush's criticisms as well. Which Hans reacts extremely favorable too.

If only Godwin wasnt the one to arrange the wedding.

So after Suchdol, it doesnt surprise me that Hans would feel a deeper connection to the Devil’s Pack than before, even if they might not be on solid ground quite yet. They all battled together, starved together, and protected each other. So I feel like Hans would absolutely feel inclined to celebrate with them as well.

Zizka's opinions of Hans softens during this time as well, where he considers Hans more as a skilled soldier and fantastic archer, and not just the token noblemen that may or may not be used for negotiations if it comes down to it. (You know, objectification at its finest.)

So while there aren't many moments, its still a positive outlook for Hans opening up a bit more as time goes on. Especially under Henry's influence. It may take a long time to be as extroverted as he pretends to be, but he'll get there, and might even manage to retain his healthy relationships and dump the toxic ones, cough cough Hanush.

I want to talk about how alone Hans really is. Straight up, before Henry barged into the picture, I couldn't even imagine how Hans spent his time.

Now, this isn't to say Hans doesn't talk to people. He clearly does, when he wants to, but the circumstances really dictate when he does. If it's him just seeking out a bit of comfort, he'll go flirt with a bath maid or woman, drink with a few laborers, or argue with annoying peasants that disrespect him, but put his ass in a room full of his "betters", and he just crumbles like a pillar of sand.

It is obvious that Hanush doesn't engage with Hans too much, even though he is his guardian. We know the Rattay priest often teaches Hans things like literature and scripture, and I'm sure other tutors have taught him diplomacy, as he's very good at it. However, Hans severely lacks social education. He's awkward, says many inappropriate things without seeming to realize it's inappropriate, and has difficulty making friends.

In KCD, Hans wanders around Rattay alone. He sits alone, he reads alone, he leans up against buildings, and stares off into space alone. He's never seen drinking with anybody, he never converses with anybody, and he just feels so isolated from everything.

This doesn't change in KCD2 either, not really. Sure, Hans has Henry as a genuine friend now, someone who not only likes him for him but also treats him equally, protects him, and stands by him, even when he's being a massive prick. However, when Henry isn't available, what does Hans do? The same exact behaviours. He isolates himself. He doesn't talk to anyone, and the few conversations he does have are very short and curt. He wanders around, eats by himself, sits by himself, and stares off into space. This does not seem to be an NPC-specific schedule thing.

Sure, NPCS do similar activities, but Hans specifically has less dialogue triggered with the Devils Pack or any of the NPCs in Von Bergows' castle. If at all, honestly, I don't remember Hans speaking to anyone at all there. He also purposefully stands apart from them as well, removing himself to the furthest parts of the Den where literally no one else but Henry goes. 99% of the time, Hans is leaning against some pillar at the Den, just thinking, or maybe people watching? I've caught him once, halfheartedly flirting with a bathhouse maid in my entire 180-hour playthrough. Then he says he takes strolls in the woods often as well.

The man can't even enjoy parties. Sure, it seems he does, but watch him more closely and you'll see he just drinks himself stupid and still stands off somewhere by himself again. At the Semine Wedding, he did this until he managed to woo Enneleyn to a one-on-one. At Von Bergows' party, he just gives up and goes to bed early, and then at the rebellion meeting, he slumps in a chair next to the fireplace and stares at the flames. Then he drinks himself into a frenzy after the wedding announcement.

It's incredibly alarming how used to this he is. I'm certain it's not because he wants to be alone, considering how excited and attached to Henry he is. He's just always been so invisible to everyone else. Literally. It isn't just that Hans isn't engaging; no one tries to engage with him. I'm not saying they're required to, but Dry Devil and Zizka very clearly have had their opinions set on the poor man from the get-go, and everyone else just seems to follow in line.

One would assume Hans would try to make more friends while he's able to. These people don't really know him yet, they're not from Rattay where Hanush has made sure to sour his name, (He also pulls this same shit at the rebellions meeting too) Yet, nothing is that different is it? Zizka treats Hans like an expensive, fragile glass cup, and Dry Devil, if talking about Hans at all, just seems to view him as a troublesome child. Hans is used to this, so he falls into his habits, not even bothering to defend himself or try to change their minds.

It's heartbreaking. This is obviously a deep-rooted issue and ties back to Han's lack of self-esteem. Oh, he acts like he has an ego, but look closer at that birdie and you'll see an empty space where any self-worth is supposed to be. He just adapts and makes himself as small and out of the way as he can. Until he's with Henry again, where he's a little more open and active, in all the good and horrible, chaotic ways. Which is why his relationship with Henry means so much to him, and why it terrifies him to possibly lose it. Especially in his romance, where I believe we get to see Hans with all his walls down and the most exposed and vulnerable he's ever been.

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I want to talk about how alone Hans really is. Straight up, before Henry barged into the picture, I couldn't even imagine how Hans spent his time.

Now, this isn't to say Hans doesn't talk to people. He clearly does, when he wants to, but the circumstances really dictate when he does. If it's him just seeking out a bit of comfort, he'll go flirt with a bath maid or woman, drink with a few laborers, or argue with annoying peasants that disrespect him, but put his ass in a room full of his "betters", and he just crumbles like a pillar of sand.

It is obvious that Hanush doesn't engage with Hans too much, even though he is his guardian. We know the Rattay priest often teaches Hans things like literature and scripture, and I'm sure other tutors have taught him diplomacy, as he's very good at it. However, Hans severely lacks social education. He's awkward, says many inappropriate things without seeming to realize it's inappropriate, and has difficulty making friends.

In KCD, Hans wanders around Rattay alone. He sits alone, he reads alone, he leans up against buildings, and stares off into space alone. He's never seen drinking with anybody, he never converses with anybody, and he just feels so isolated from everything.

This doesn't change in KCD2 either, not really. Sure, Hans has Henry as a genuine friend now, someone who not only likes him for him but also treats him equally, protects him, and stands by him, even when he's being a massive prick. However, when Henry isn't available, what does Hans do? The same exact behaviours. He isolates himself. He doesn't talk to anyone, and the few conversations he does have are very short and curt. He wanders around, eats by himself, sits by himself, and stares off into space. This does not seem to be an NPC-specific schedule thing.

Sure, NPCS do similar activities, but Hans specifically has less dialogue triggered with the Devils Pack or any of the NPCs in Von Bergows' castle. If at all, honestly, I don't remember Hans speaking to anyone at all there. He also purposefully stands apart from them as well, removing himself to the furthest parts of the Den where literally no one else but Henry goes. 99% of the time, Hans is leaning against some pillar at the Den, just thinking, or maybe people watching? I've caught him once, halfheartedly flirting with a bathhouse maid in my entire 180-hour playthrough. Then he says he takes strolls in the woods often as well.

The man can't even enjoy parties. Sure, it seems he does, but watch him more closely and you'll see he just drinks himself stupid and still stands off somewhere by himself again. At the Semine Wedding, he did this until he managed to woo Enneleyn to a one-on-one. At Von Bergows' party, he just gives up and goes to bed early, and then at the rebellion meeting, he slumps in a chair next to the fireplace and stares at the flames. Then he drinks himself into a frenzy after the wedding announcement.

It's incredibly alarming how used to this he is. I'm certain it's not because he wants to be alone, considering how excited and attached to Henry he is. He's just always been so invisible to everyone else. Literally. It isn't just that Hans isn't engaging; no one tries to engage with him. I'm not saying they're required to, but Dry Devil and Zizka very clearly have had their opinions set on the poor man from the get-go, and everyone else just seems to follow in line.

One would assume Hans would try to make more friends while he's able to. These people don't really know him yet, they're not from Rattay where Hanush has made sure to sour his name, (He also pulls this same shit at the rebellions meeting too) Yet, nothing is that different is it? Zizka treats Hans like an expensive, fragile glass cup, and Dry Devil, if talking about Hans at all, just seems to view him as a troublesome child. Hans is used to this, so he falls into his habits, not even bothering to defend himself or try to change their minds.

It's heartbreaking. This is obviously a deep-rooted issue and ties back to Han's lack of self-esteem. Oh, he acts like he has an ego, but look closer at that birdie and you'll see an empty space where any self-worth is supposed to be. He just adapts and makes himself as small and out of the way as he can. Until he's with Henry again, where he's a little more open and active, in all the good and horrible, chaotic ways. Which is why his relationship with Henry means so much to him, and why it terrifies him to possibly lose it. Especially in his romance, where I believe we get to see Hans with all his walls down and the most exposed and vulnerable he's ever been.

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This photo is so cute.

Source here

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Precisely this as well, I never even considered Hans still trying to salvage what little dignity as a noble he had. I was just honestly like, okay whatever I'll take the sacks, but mainly from an understanding that I wouldn't be in the mood to do anything either, much less menial labor. I can also see your point in how Hans' promises to repay the favor, by looking for Mutt with Henry, away from prying eyes in the woods where their titles mean significantly less. He even mentions that technically being a huntsmen's job, but jokingly dismissing the fact immediately afterward. Its very easy to forget the absolute chokehold feudalism had on the world at that time. Especially in the 14th century, after the plague devastated populations. The merchant class was taking back their power and wealth as the nobles had no choice but to bend to the labor class as there just wasn't enough people to monopolize anymore. Hence characters like the Baliff Thrush having more money than the nobleman Semine. The nobles would most likely be grasping for any sense of power, wealth, and superiority as feudalism was slowly choked out of the Medieval era and thrusting the world into the Renaissance.

Mainly, that they would be even more insufferable than before. At least most of them.

I feel like I was immensely less annoyed at Hans in the beggining of KCD2 than most other people. I understand after the lake incident that Hans is being a massive brat about everything, but in all honesty I would be insufferable as well.

Its easy to forget that those two men just came out of hell. Both nearly died, Hans was a wretched mess watching poor Henry suffer a PTSD induced hallucination caused by possible head trauma. Hans just lost his entire company, men he knew and constantly brings up throughout the game, even when its not nessaccary after a certain point (R.I.P Oats). He really cared about them and took their deaths hard.

He nearly lost Henry, his best friend, and damn near got himself killed protecting him. That entire experience was its own trauma inducing nightmare. Then after all that, when things should be looking up for them, even slightly; Hans gets literal shit poured on his head for no good reason. Beggars or not, that is appalling behavior, and disgusting. Id fucking crash out too.

And then to add insult to injury, everyone is treating Hans and Henry like gutter trash in the village. Yes, its annoying he gets out of carrying the bags by using his position, but that annoys me significantly less than the ballifs son saying Hans and his company deserved to be slaughtered by bandits. Id punch him in the face as well.

At the pillory, I understood that Hans was projecting his insecurities and frustrations onto Henry, and while not appropriate or acceptable, I get it. Hans is Hanush's kid. He never learned how to properly deal with his anger or frustrations, just like his uncle is who prone to outbursts as well. If Henry pushes back against Hans, there is a literal moment where Hans sounds close to crying. I just felt extremely bad for both Henry and Hans, and I tried to go and immediately find Hans after being let loose into the world.

You can see how little meaning Hans' insults meant by the fact he still tries his damndest to do right by Henry, earn money for them, and get them into that wedding. Even stepping in to protect Henry once again at the wedding, when they're both still seemingly mad at each other. Hans' apology afterwards feels genuine, because he didn't mean anything he said to Henry, because it was all meant towards himself. Hence him taking Henry saying "No one is proud of you!" so hard, it even stunned him into silence.

He was over stimulated, traumatized, and fresh off of death, pain, and humiliatio. I cant help but cut him some immense slack there.

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I feel like I was immensely less annoyed at Hans in the beggining of KCD2 than most other people. I understand after the lake incident that Hans is being a massive brat about everything, but in all honesty I would be insufferable as well.

Its easy to forget that those two men just came out of hell. Both nearly died, Hans was a wretched mess watching poor Henry suffer a PTSD induced hallucination caused by possible head trauma. Hans just lost his entire company, men he knew and constantly brings up throughout the game, even when its not nessaccary after a certain point (R.I.P Oats). He really cared about them and took their deaths hard.

He nearly lost Henry, his best friend, and damn near got himself killed protecting him. That entire experience was its own trauma inducing nightmare. Then after all that, when things should be looking up for them, even slightly; Hans gets literal shit poured on his head for no good reason. Beggars or not, that is appalling behavior, and disgusting. Id fucking crash out too.

And then to add insult to injury, everyone is treating Hans and Henry like gutter trash in the village. Yes, its annoying he gets out of carrying the bags by using his position, but that annoys me significantly less than the ballifs son saying Hans and his company deserved to be slaughtered by bandits. Id punch him in the face as well.

At the pillory, I understood that Hans was projecting his insecurities and frustrations onto Henry, and while not appropriate or acceptable, I get it. Hans is Hanush's kid. He never learned how to properly deal with his anger or frustrations, just like his uncle is who prone to outbursts as well. If Henry pushes back against Hans, there is a literal moment where Hans sounds close to crying. I just felt extremely bad for both Henry and Hans, and I tried to go and immediately find Hans after being let loose into the world.

You can see how little meaning Hans' insults meant by the fact he still tries his damndest to do right by Henry, earn money for them, and get them into that wedding. Even stepping in to protect Henry once again at the wedding, when they're both still seemingly mad at each other. Hans' apology afterwards feels genuine, because he didn't mean anything he said to Henry, because it was all meant towards himself. Hence him taking Henry saying "No one is proud of you!" so hard, it even stunned him into silence.

He was over stimulated, traumatized, and fresh off of death, pain, and humiliatio. I cant help but cut him some immense slack there.

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This is going to be longwinded BUT,

I have such mixed feelings about Hans' romance scene, and not because it isn't a beautifully written masterpiece of a romance, but because it's so complex in its execution I can't decide how to interpret it.

What makes the romance so beautiful is the fact that Henry and Hans feel intimate in all areas of their relationship. Not just physically, though they are very comfortable with each other in that aspect as well. Hans opens up about his fear and anxieties to Henry. About his nobility, the war, Hanush, his birthright, and even his hesitancy towards killing or torture, which would traditionally emasculate him. However, Hans knows Henry won't unfairly judge him. Just as Hans didn't unfairly judge Henry when he opened up about his own trauma and fears.

Henry fulfills that need in Hans to be recognized and loved for simply being who he is. Not for who others want him to be. Henry provides Hans a friendship not bound by titles or wealth. One where honesty and loyalty thrive. Hans can trust Henry, not because he's being paid or fears his power, but because Henry loves him.

Hans fulfills Henry's need for levity and attention. To be able to laugh and joke, act childishly, and grasp a piece of him that nearly burned back in Skalitz. Hans is what keeps Henry himself. The kind, goofy, and loving man he's always been, that could have very quickly died if it wasn't for Hans melting through Henry's frozen ice walls like the damn sun.

Then somewhere along the way Hans realizes their relationship could be more. Hans doesn't just love Henry; he's in love with Henry. Sadly, we don't get to see this turmoil in Hans personally, but we do get to see a small glimpse of it in Henry. I think it's obvious that the romantic dialogue choices for Hans aren't about being flirty or seductive. It's about giving Hans the confidence to confess his feelings to Henry when the time is right. Henry confirms that yes, he does care for Hans beyond duty, and he wants the best for Hans, and he likes Hans more than he knows.

Apparently even more than Henry knew either. I don't personally believe Henry was aware of his growing romantic feelings towards Hans. Which is why he reacts so poorly at first when Hans kisses him. Henry isn't as in tune with his own emotions as Hans is. Though he isn't perfect, Hans proves himself to be pretty emotionally intelligent, especially against Henry. Henry doesn't mull over his thoughts, because it can quickly go somewhere very deep and traumatic. Henry keeps himself busy on purpose, unlike Hans who is accustomed to long bouts of isolation and self-reflection.

So, when Hans boldly bridges that gap for Henry, Henry doesn't know what to do. At first, he seems enthusiastically receptive. Like his body and heart reacted first, but then when his brain catches up Henry pushes Hans away.

I mean honestly, think about your best friend suddenly kissing you. How would you feel? What would you think? Is it a cruel joke or are they serious? Does fear have them acting irrationally, or have they always wanted to do that?

You can literally see those gears rotating in Henry's head at his not-so-subtle furrowed brows and grimace. Then something in Henry changes. Henry looks back at Hans with a look of realization. A possible, yes, you can have this. Yes, you do feel the same and always have. Then Henry locks in, heads back, and its history from there.

I adore the complexity of the scene because its leaves so much open to interpretation. Like a painting. Is it religious guilt that causes Henry to hesitate, was it his convictions towards nobles? Didn't he realize he was in love, or was he completely unaware until that very moment?

My assessment of the scene could be entirely different from someone's else's and that's fantastic! It works because the foundation of their relationship is already strong, loving, and known. We already know how much they care about one another. So, the subtleties of their relationship changing can be left up to the audience to decide. It's a very fine line to walk, and it's not easy to pull off, but Warhorse and the actors managed to do just that.

The complexities of the relationship make it feel real, and that's what makes it so beautiful.

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Just going to throw this out here.

The scene in KCD2 where the boys are discussing who to send out to go get help during the siege of Suchdol, and at first Hans is hesitant at the idea. Most likely not just due to the idea of dying himself, but the idea of sending someone from the group to also go die. We've seen a few times that Hans doesn't handle death well.

When Henry volunteers, because of course he does, Hans perks up a little and agrees to go with Henry. Then he's turned down by Zizka because of his status, and this in when we see Hans genuinely mortified at the idea of losing Henry out there in the unknown.

I find it really interesting that Hans had no issue going with Henry to certain death, but sending Henry out to the wolves by himself is unthinkable. Its isn't the inherent idea of death that scares Hans. It's the thought of having to live in that world without Henry, his Galehaut.

At least together they may survive, and at worst they'd at least die together, having never known the pain of surviving without each other. Hans may have even been able to use his nobility status to keep Henry safe in the scenario he does get caught, but not immediately cut down. To Hans, any scenario, whether it be victory or destruction, is better served at Henry's side. I can imagine Hans never hating his title and birthright more than that night at Suchdol.

I also can't see Henry reacting any differently in vice versa. Henry would flip absolute shit if anyone tried to send Hans out into that death trap without him. Whether you choose to romance him or not, we know Henry, beyond the players wants, cares about Capon immensely.

The idea is so deliciously tragic and romantic, it keeps me up at night. No wonder Hans spills his heart out to Henry that night. Bless Godwin for seeing after the young lord. Hans may have drunk himself to death that night in agony otherwise.

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I adore Han's character for so many reasons it's hard to articulate it. I was annoyed by Hans in KCD at first, just as much as anyone would be. He seemed like a bully, some rich snobbish dick who existed to just be the villain in Henry's story.

Except he isn't that at all.

Hans challenges Henry to an archery competition and sword fight. If Henry wins either, or both, Han's doesn't react at all like a typical bully or self-centered character. He didn't demand a rematch, try to fight Henry, or accuse him of cheating, and he doesn't even degrade Henry further out of embarrassment. Han's just goes "Damn, I must be having an off day." That is shockingly humble for someone that came at Henry so strongly before.

Our interactions with Hans from then on, and into KCD2, continue to show that Hans is a surprisingly calm, kind, and thoughtful man. He's chill as hell for a nobleman. He takes the death of his people hard. Not even forgetting about them much further into KCD2, when it'd be alright to never mention it again at that point. He even feels sorry for the people in some unknown burnt village that he has no ties too. Just the thought of that destruction and death hurts his heart.

He changes his language towards Henry's dog when he realizes how much Mutt means to Henry and even promises to help Henry look for mutt in the second game (even if that didn't pan out). He is relatively cordial with people if he has a good relationship with them and becomes shy and nervous with older and more powerful company.

He's even a romantic. Hans seems like a lecher, going from woman to woman, flirting with ladies of all classes as long as their appealing to him, but deep down he craves passion and romance like in the fairytale stories. We can see this in his romance arch with Herny, and even in KCD when he's deep in thought about going to Trosky and he tells Henry he's never had a true love before.

His actions betray his words as well. Hans will call Henry a peasant, blacksmith boy, and so on. He pulls rank on Henry often, but then he turns around and will look past anything and everything Henry does.

Oh, you stole my keys from me? That's hilarious, keep them.

You want to sleep in my bed? Go ahead I don't care.

You messed up my chance with Karolina? Whatever, she probably sucked anyway. Here, take this love poem I wrote.

You didn't win the tournament in my name like I asked? Well, that's okay, you tried your best!

There is no reason for Hans to be treating Henry with such good faith, or as equals. Hans doesn't care though. He likes Henry, a lot. The man imprinted on Henry like a duckling, and he's a ride or die for that dirty goofy blacksmith's boy.

Hans isn't perfect either. He's insecure, jealous, sometimes a coward, is a bit socially inept, and quick to pull rank when he feels attacked. Which are all side effects of his environment and the way he was raised by Hanush, who also exhibits similar personality traits. He's a bit spoiled yes, but he also likes to spoil others. He gifts Henry little things all the time, and it's clear gift giving is a love language of his. Like a little magpie, he finds all the shiny baubles and shares them with his favorite person in the whole wide world.

Hans parades around like an arrogant selfish nobleman, but deep down he's a young, fun loving, kind, and passionate man. I could write about him for ages.

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I couldnt beleive Warhorse put this expression in again. I've been in the trenches for these two since the beginning, and my gaydar was off the charts for these two, especially Hans. When I saw that KCD scene for the first time, I was convinced it was intentional. Then they redo it in KCD2!

Its also super cute that both times Hans is trying to silently cheer Henry up, and it works both times.

KCD1 vs KCD2 - Hans has always looked at Henry like 😏

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Its really funny to me that Istvan Toth got ratted out by Henry to Zizka because of how unhinged Henry got towards Toth in the jailhouse. I know Zizka already had some doubts about Toth up to that point, but the pure hellfire Henry was spitting at Toth was enough to make Zizka turn against Toth, and put his ass in a cell next to the man thats ready to chew through the bars to snap Toths neck.

Henry was pacing that cell like a lion eyeing a toddler at the zoo.

God imagine if Henry ran into Toth during Hans' and his intial visit to Nebakov. So much shit could have been prevented.

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The colors in this are gorgeous!!

quick painting im going to sleep goodnight hansrybody

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All my recent sketches and works based around the Sherlock and Co. Podcast. I absolutely adore this audio show. Also a little Mariana as well.