I’ve gone over some of this stuff in previous topics for this game, so I guess I’ll be repeating myself a bit. Wall of text warning.
Character and Theme Analysis
I feel like the initial narrative touched on themes such as isolation and loneliness, gender identity, objectification(including denial of autonomy, trauma, abandonment, loss, self hatred, shame, and social rejection.
When I think about the MC’s motivations, I interpret the MC as having been repeatedly victimized and having their very personhood been violated for most of their life; now they are bitter, angry, disillusioned, and driven to carry out a revenge fantasy regardless of the collateral damage that they may cause. After all, no one cared when they had their freedom taken away from them again, and had to escape through their own means.
Ortega an interruption to the MC’s tunnel vision by firstly refuting the MC’s idea that no one cares about them, and secondly by being a face to those who will be harmed by the MC’s actions. The collateral damage is no longer faceless, and by hurting someone who doesn’t necessarily deserve it–since Ortega is portrayed as someone who believes unconditionally in the MC—the MC has to deal with conflict over being a hypocrite.
My headcanon was that the MC did have more telepathic potential prior to the Heartbreak, but their abilities were limited by their idealistic moral values. These were values that they had to voluntarily betray in order to survive their last capture.
I don’t what the MC may have expected from becoming a hero in the public eye. The story hints at wanting acceptance, while also fearing rejection for what they are. I suppose they feel disillusioned that despite all their sacrifices and people they knew, no one came to save them or topple the people who caused them so much pain.
In Victor Frankl’s Man Search for Meaning, there was a scene, I recall, where one of Frankl’s concentration camp mates, after their release, runs through a patch of flowers trampling them in the process. Frankl makes a comment about the fragility of the flowers and brutalism in the act, and his prison mate replies essentially that he doesn’t care about the flowers considering what he has been through. Similarly, the MC may be projecting onto their victims through terrorizing the public with their villain persona. One way to communicate the pain one has gone through is to cause pain to the other party. And this sort of behavior perpetuates a cycle of trauma and revenge.
I feel like that a “happy” ending for the MC that wouldn’t feel cheap requires airing the MCs deepest fears and hurt, which would require them being in a position where they would be comfortable enough to be so vulnerable. No one, fictional or real likes being in that sort of position. Most people in real life can’t relate or don’t want to think about the negative realities and tragedies that make up the lives of other people. Realistically, people don’t just “get over” marginalization and dehumanization.
The world can be unfair, and people get screwed over by other people. What does justice mean to the MC now that they’ve made their heel turn? How will they respond to those that disagree with their methods or motivation? Can they live happily, peacefully, with what they’ve done, the people they have used(considering they are an empath), and the person they’ve become?
Okay, Im done for now. Thanks for reading. The story can go in whatever direction and appeal to a different variety of audience, but I wanted to bring up these things I picked up and wondered about.
