#he's a marble statue that randomly falls over and crushes people because “it's for the greater good” or something like that

[theknightstemplar]

perspective. (end of year rant)

Rubbing my hands together as I force redditors to sit around me like kindergartners. I then explain that "Argath's actions are undeniably Bad but. we are viewing them through a lens of detachment and fiction so it's all too easy to say 'WELL I WOULDN'T DO THAT IF I WERE IN HIS SHOES' ."

Ivalice isn't real-- though the issues it represents very much are. Argath is also not real but going "well I would subject this 16 year old to what amounts to war crimes for his actions!" is not the hot coals of justice take you think it is.

Argath is a child.

A fictional and fucked up evil child, but a child still. I'm more willing to pity him than I am the adults who perpetuated and even rewarded his behavior. You wanna know who you should hate more in my opinion?

Zalbaag Beoulve.

I won't lie, I get a little sick of the "zalbaag should have joined the party!" opinion. At least as it is now... You really think Zalbaag "This Changes Nothing" Beoulve would have done anything to help in ch2 onwards? Ha ha, I fucking doubt it! Even if you think tietra's death was a fluke or that "argath shouldn't have shot her" (someone else would have if argath hadn't, you know this I know this.) the first thing he does when ramza DOES come to him for help issssss... oh wait, let me check! HE DISMISSES HIM AND DISOWNS RAMZA TO HIS FACE.

Ramza: You speak of trust, Zalbaag, yet you show me none in kind! Zalbaag: What have you ever done to inspire my trust? The mistake was my own. Until today I had looked on you as a true brother. But your mother's common blood forever stains you common. You are not fit to bear the Beoulve name!

He doesn't let Ramza defend himself or anything, it's on-sight immediate "you're wrong you're not my brother commoner filth i hate you fuck you" Argath was less defensive than this when Ramza called him out just before Zeakden ("Best of luck, my soft-hearted friend. You'll need it.") so WHY AREN'T WE TALKING MORE ABOUT WHAT AN ASSHOLE ZALBAAG IS? He's the same vein of classism Argath is only WORSE because he's an adult in a position of power over others!

It's almost always "Ohhh zalbaag the tragic hero!" "zalbaag felt so bad, I wish he could have been saved :(" and rarely "zalbaag only felt sorry after it was too late for 'sorry' to MEAN anything" or "zalbaag never truly apologized for facilitating the death of several northern sky soldiers and at least 2 children, only for being dycedarg's good little moron" yeah zalbaag, tell tietra how sorry you are that you essentially said her life means nothing. even if you say it to her grave. would you have, zalbaag?

the narrative forgives zalbaag as well. dycedarg largely takes the fall for his little bro flubbing fort zeakden. zalbaag gets the more heroic sounding theme of the older brothers and he's given the benefit of doubt by ramza re: war scheming-- I would say it's a mercy almost that Argath's in turn forgotten by the narrative as a person and turned into more symbolism but then. War of the Lions had to fuck that up lmao

But my point is. I don't forgive Argath's actions; I pity him. It was adults like Zalbaag, Gaffgarion, and Dycedarg that left him to fall through the cracks and become the hateful thing he was before he died. And even if Zalbaag didn't have some grand sinister agenda he's still an asshole whose inability to open his eyes and either act or change lead to death abound, moreso than argath.