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To Peer Beyond the Water's Surface, A Fates Story Analysis


Ottservia
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3 hours ago, Ottservia said:

Corrin's growth in birthright is(well at least it's supposed to) going from someone relatively close minded to someone more open minded as shown through a majority of their characterization throughout the story. In this Corrin blames Garon for literally everything bad which the story considers to be wrong and punishes Corrin for doing so but they don't realize till the end when they almost die at the hands of dragon Garon. Like their growth in this story is examining the contradiction present inherent to them to side with Hoshido and trying to correct it which they do somewhat. As I said in my analysis Corrin does indeed contradict themselves in birthright because they keep trying to use the trust fostered between them and their siblings to sway them over to their side but it doesn't work they betrayed the very trust they trying to use. It's a contradiction plain and simple. It is only after acknowledging that contradiction and proving to their nohrian siblings that still cherish the trust they once had then they succeed. That's the growth and journey they go through. The only reason they are unable to fully correct is because they still blame Garon for everything when he's not the one to blame at all. That's the point of the narrative. That's the focus of the story. 

CQ!Corrin is weird in that they do indeed grow throughout the story but the focus more so is how Corrin effects the world around her which is more reminiscent of a flat arc protagonist. It's an interesting arc you could say.

need I remind you that Corrin can be mute in the japanese version of the games so there's that.

Bold: Can they? Where is the option, because I can't find it.

The rest: would you mind quoting dialogue to support this? I don't remember anything more happening in that final scene than Xander giving Corrin a pep talk about not giving up. Also, Corrin manages to persuade both Leo and Elise to their point of view pretty easily (well, Leo needs the stuffing beaten out of him first), long before their near-death experience.

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On 9/4/2019 at 5:02 PM, Seafarer said:

The rest: would you mind quoting dialogue to support this? I don't remember anything more happening in that final scene than Xander giving Corrin a pep talk about not giving up. Also, Corrin manages to persuade both Leo and Elise to their point of view pretty easily (well, Leo needs the stuffing beaten out of him first), long before their near-death experience.

I think I explained most of that in my analysis even with a quote from the game itself. Fates is not at all explicit with it's themes and ideas. I'll tell you that much. To sort of reiterate from my birthright analysis, when Garon almost kills Corrin they are awakened by Flora in their bed at the nohrian fortress just like the beginning of the game when they were still mostly ignorant of everything.And you can tell by the dialogue doesn't want to get up. In this sort of dream state they've kind of reverted back to the mentality they had at the beginning of the game in believing her nohrian siblings are her her true siblings and that Garon is her true father as shown with this dialogue here:

Quote

Corrin: That's OK. As long as I have all of you with me, I'll always be happy. I don't mind staying here for the rest of my life.

Elise: Are you sure about that? Is that really what you want?

Corrin: What do you mean? Of course! And it's what Father wants for me, too.

Xander: Listen to me carefully, Corrin. What do you think Father's true intentions for you are?

Corrin: That's a weird question... I mean, he's my father! He gave me this castle and servants and raised me... Well, I mean, I guess you did most of the raising. But you know what I mean! He intends for me to follow in your footsteps, naturally! Remember? He gave me that special sword, and... And... NO!

Xander: ...

Corrin: Gods, I remember everything now... King Garon isn't my father! We...we were just battling in his throne room…

Xander: So you remember. What now?

Corrin: Am...am I dead?

Xander: No. You can still go back. But you must make a decision. You can choose to remain here, with us. Or you can go back...and fight with your allies.

Corrin: My allies...

Note the underlined portions. BR!Corrin would never say this in the game ever! because she hates Garon in this path. She hates everything he stands for and refuses to acknowledge him as her father in any context. It shows here that she's sort of reverted back to that ignorant mindset for a second thinking that Garon is her true father and trult cares for her so she trusts him but when Xander questions her on that she realizes the truth again. Garon isn't her true father. This is not reality. This is a dream. this is a lie and it is only after realizing that that she can wipe it away. 

Also Leo being easy to sway? Are sure we're talking about the same character here? because throughout 80% of birthright he basically calling you a traitor and saying how much he hates you every you encounter him. Like the conflict between Corrin and Leo is when Corrin first is finally able to prove to one of her nohrian siblings that she hasn't abandoned that trust and rebuild it. I mean if you want in game dialogue evidence for this claim just read the entire script for chapter 18 of birthright. It's all there.

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Let me say my opinion on this ASQ(uickly)AP, first the theme of the game seems to be destiny as Lost in Thoughts All Alone seems to suggest, and the destiny is to follow two paths and they will bloom to a third path, ["A dragon neither white nor black sang three songs of prophecy so someday his soul might be released" Ancient Text #000 Poem, I think all three paths HAVE to happen because his soul isn't released in two of them, and the lyrics in the main song,  "Life is not just filled with happiness, or sorrow, even the thorn in your heart, in time it may become a rose" I think this thorn in the heart is killing Ryoma and Xander (Thorn In You plays in these chapters as more support for this), and the rose is them being alive in Revelations], something that's not touched a lot on in the story, and I also think Birthright Corrin might be the most close minded individual of all the paths, and that closed mindedness is what got 3 of Corrin's Nohrian siblings on Corrin's side, but I haven't read your analysis yet just saying my opinion for now based on my observation from two play through of Birthright, two play throughs of Revelation, and one for Conquest.

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Ah crap, I missed the second part!

I'm surprised at how little Azura was mentioned with this one, considering her role in encouraging Corrin to persevere through working for not-daddy. I can see just how Corrin's merciful nature can work with this, but in the end the way ends up being lost because they were so close in the dark..

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On 9/7/2019 at 9:33 AM, Ottservia said:

Note the underlined portions. BR!Corrin would never say this in the game ever! because she hates Garon in this path. She hates everything he stands for and refuses to acknowledge him as her father in any context. It shows here that she's sort of reverted back to that ignorant mindset for a second thinking that Garon is her true father and trult cares for her so she trusts him but when Xander questions her on that she realizes the truth again. Garon isn't her true father. This is not reality. This is a dream. this is a lie and it is only after realizing that that she can wipe it away. 

Also Leo being easy to sway? Are sure we're talking about the same character here? because throughout 80% of birthright he basically calling you a traitor and saying how much he hates you every you encounter him. Like the conflict between Corrin and Leo is when Corrin first is finally able to prove to one of her nohrian siblings that she hasn't abandoned that trust and rebuild it. I mean if you want in game dialogue evidence for this claim just read the entire script for chapter 18 of birthright. It's all there.

You said: they keep trying to use the trust fostered between them and their siblings to sway them over to their side but it doesn't work they betrayed the very trust they trying to use

***

Leo holds back and lets Corrin kill him, even though he could easily stop them:

Leo: Heh, I don't doubt your ability to hurt me, dear brother/sister. Go on. Kill me. End this battle, just as you wish.

Corrin: ...

Leo: What are you waiting for? I'm not helpless, even in this position. I could kill you right now with a spell. Make your move.

Corrin: No...

Leo: Why? What's wrong with you?

Corrin: Me? What's wrong with you? Why haven't you cast your spell?

Then he admits he never hated Corrin, even after they went to Hoshido (bold mine). There's no mention of betrayed trust, only conflicting loyalties (between Corrin and the Nohrian royals):

Leo: I never hated you. Not...not ever. I was jealous at times, sure. You were always Xander's favorite. And Camilla...she always doted on you so...

Corrin: I understand. There's no need to say anything more. But, Leo...please. Please join us, Brother! Help us put an end to this war.

Leo: You're asking me to betray my father. And Xander. And everyone else... How can I do that? I can't hurt my siblings! I won't do it!

That looks a whole lot like "using the trust fostered between Corrin and Leo to sway him to their side" (or at least, away from the opposing side) to me.

***

As for the rest, that's the point. Corrin changes a bit during the prologue section, then doesn't change on BR/RV. The change from "Garon is my daddy and everything is good" to "Garon is suspicious and worthy of mistrust" doesn't take place in BR, but in C5. I suppose I should have clarified what I meant by BR!Corrin.

If I had more time, this would probably be something I'd dig into further, but I don't, so I'll leave it there. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on Revelation.

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14 minutes ago, Seafarer said:

You said: they keep trying to use the trust fostered between them and their siblings to sway them over to their side but it doesn't work they betrayed the very trust they trying to use

***

Leo holds back and lets Corrin kill him, even though he could easily stop them:

Leo: Heh, I don't doubt your ability to hurt me, dear brother/sister. Go on. Kill me. End this battle, just as you wish.

Corrin: ...

Leo: What are you waiting for? I'm not helpless, even in this position. I could kill you right now with a spell. Make your move.

Corrin: No...

Leo: Why? What's wrong with you?

Corrin: Me? What's wrong with you? Why haven't you cast your spell?

Then he admits he never hated Corrin, even after they went to Hoshido (bold mine). There's no mention of betrayed trust, only conflicting loyalties (between Corrin and the Nohrian royals):

Leo: I never hated you. Not...not ever. I was jealous at times, sure. You were always Xander's favorite. And Camilla...she always doted on you so...

Corrin: I understand. There's no need to say anything more. But, Leo...please. Please join us, Brother! Help us put an end to this war.

Leo: You're asking me to betray my father. And Xander. And everyone else... How can I do that? I can't hurt my siblings! I won't do it!

That looks a whole lot like "using the trust fostered between Corrin and Leo to sway him to their side" (or at least, away from the opposing side) to me.

***

I should of also specified chapter 13 as well so my apologies for that but I don't think you're reading in between the lines enough like note at the end when Leo says, "You're asking me to betray my father. And Xander. And everyone else... How can I do that? I can't hurt my siblings! I won't do it!" now this line is interesting because essentially he's saying he will not do the very thing Corrin did because he doesn't want to betray the people he's known for all his life. Corrin, however, did just that and stood firm with that decision which is why they failed to truly convince Leo in chapter 13. Note how in chapter 13 Corrin is almost able to convince Camilla by choosing not to kill her thus proving to her that she is still the same Corrin she once knew and loved. This only fails because Leo intervenes as he is still stuck in the mindset that Corrin is a traitor and refuses to listen to them on that front. It is only after Corrin defeats Leo and proves to him that they both indeed still love and trust each other that they are able to succeed in swaying their brother to their way of thinking. That's the only reason it works in chapter 18 because they are able to prove that trust is still there. That's the idea anyway.

25 minutes ago, Seafarer said:

As for the rest, that's the point. Corrin changes a bit during the prologue section, then doesn't change on BR/RV. The change from "Garon is my daddy and everything is good" to "Garon is suspicious and worthy of mistrust" doesn't take place in BR, but in C5. I suppose I should have clarified what I meant by BR!Corrin.

I mean yeah that is the point and my point is that if that's the point then it's not bad. If anything that's good writing it gets across that point. Like you don't go into a wendy's and expect a fine dining experience because nobody goes into wendy's looking for a fine dining experience. that's not the point as to why Wendy's exists so why complain? If that's the point then that's the point. Like if a scene in a movie tries to make you feel sad and you feel sad when you watch it then the scene did it's job. It made you feel sad and that was the point so I don't see any reason to complain about that. 

30 minutes ago, Seafarer said:

I look forward to seeing your thoughts on Revelation.

Thanks and I really do appreciate the feedback no matter how harsh I can about it at times. It really has given me a lot to think about and I appreciate that.

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On 7/18/2019 at 6:38 AM, Nickdos said:

>to it’s very lackluster villains

Are you the kind of fool that thinks Garon is a bad character?

> From its characters acting like idiots

There is nothing wrong with characters making mistakes.

>and out of character

That's not true at all, what are you talking about?

>to its lack of world building

But there is tons, as long as you play the whole game and not just one route.

Garon isn’t a bad character, he’s a terrible character.

Nothing wrong with characters making mistakes that make sense.  Plenty wrong whith characters getting artificially dumbed down to move the plot forward.

And there is no world building.

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  • 2 months later...

Part 4: Familial Trust

Spoiler

A burdened heart sinks into the ground

A veil falls away without a sound

Not day nor night, wrong nor right

For truth and peace you fight

 

Sing with me a song of silence and blood

The rain falls, but can’t wash away the mud

Within my ancient heart dwells madness and pride

Can no one hear my cry

 

 

Once again you look down at the water’s surface and see the distorted truth it reflects. However, you know that truth to be nothing but a lie, a deception. You know something is hidden underneath the water’s surface. You’ve tried to grasp at it from the water’s surface before both from above and within. From above, you were only able to see a distorted image of the truth that the water reflected. However, it was nothing more than a distorted reflection. So when you reached your hand down below, you grasped at nothing but a lie. From within, You saw nothing but darkness and while you were able to see something, it was too far from where you were to see clearly. It was too far out of your reach to truly grasp. The truth exists below the water’s surface not above it now within it. The water’s surface merely reflects a distorted image of what is beneath. The truth lies beneath the water’s surface. But from staying on the water’s surface, you are too far away from it to see it clearly. You should not trust the darkness that the water reflects for it is nothing but a lie that obscures the real truth underneath. You shouldn’t trust in the surface to allow you to see the truth underneath. The only way to find that truth is to dive below the water’s surface and see it with your own eyes. Not within light or dark but rather in the combination and absence of both.

 

Revelation’s story acts as a sort of culmination of the two paths Corrin had walked previously. It is hear to dispel the contradictions present within Corrin’s character that existed when she had chosen to side with Nohr or Hoshido. So in order to figure out how Corrin is absolved of those contradictions in revelations, we must first reflect on the source of those contradictions from birthright and conquest.

 

Let’s first start with a small analysis of Corrin’s character. Corrin as a character is extremely naive and idealistic due to her sheltered upbringing within the nohrian fortress. She’s a kind and trusting soul that wants to view the world and the beauty it has to offer. She places a lot of trust and faith into her family to help her learn, grow, and experience the world. However, the truth of the matter is that the people she knew as her family had lied to her about almost everything. The world, as it is now, is an ugly place full of war, deception, and cruelty. It is not the beautiful place she dreamed of. Corrin, in her disbelief, refuses to believe this truth and still wants to cling to the trust and love that she had with her nohrian siblings. However, Her hoshidian siblings make a good case and there is truth in what they have to say. It’s those ideas of truth and trust that are emphasized greatly throughout each of the paths Corrin walks. I’ve talked about how each story plays into the idea of deception and trying to find the objective truth at length in the previous analysis. So here, I would like to tackle the other major theme that I’ve only briefly touched on before and that’s the idea of familial trust and how that trust can lead to bias which clouds the truth.

 

As I have said before, Corrin is very trusting by nature almost always to a detrimental degree. The first six chapters of the game takes this blind naive trust and splits it in two. She’s torn between the two families that which she has reason to trust. The family that raised her and the family that she was born to(or so they claim). Both sides claim to be Corrin’s real family and that she should trust them and not the other. It’s in the decision of chapter six where we find our contradiction. Corrin has no reason not to trust either side and in a way both are lying to her. But at the same time, there’s a kernel of truth. Corrin wants to trust both sides and find a peaceful resolution to all this bloodshed. The naive belief that she doesn’t need to fight against anyone is essentially the core of what her character stands for. However, to side with one family over the other would mean to side against the other. Both sets of siblings in this instance are playing to Corrin’s biases on who to trust. Nohr plays into the blind trust she had for them because of the bonds they hold together. Hoshido plays into blind distrust because Nohr lied to her. Both try to play up a bias either for themselves or against the other. Hoshido has a bias against Nohr while Nohr has a bias for itself. To side with one or the other would be to accept that bias. Corrin yearns for the truth of where she belongs. And to find the truth, one must be clear of bias, so they can be objective. Again, to side with Nohr or Hoshido would be to accept bias which causes her to be unable to see the truth before her eyes. She can’t find the truth because she’s blinded by bias.

 

However, in that moment, she only has two choices; both of which are incorrect. Though that’s only if you’re looking at the surface of the situation, looking at the issue with a black and white lines. Neither side is correct nor are they entirely wrong either. The water’s surface reflects two opposing answers to the same question and both are incorrect. It’s when you look past the surface and dive below that you are able to find the truth which leads us nicely into the story of revelations.

 

Chapters six through seventeen of revelations serve as a sort of test of Corrin’s character to be absolved of bias. On the surface there are only two options. Corrin must either side with Hoshido or Nohr. However, there is a third answer, a third option, a third path and that is to reject both which she does. She refuses to side with one family over the other as she considers them both her real family. She accepts and trusts them both, citing the same reasons they gave to her. She will not go against the years she spent with her nohrian siblings by siding with Hoshido, nor will she go against the wishes of her blood related mother by siding with Nohr. In doing this, Corrin is forced to reject both options presented to her. She refuses to side with one or the other in favor of the truth. However, because both sides are biased against each other, they fail to see the truth. They fail to see that third option and blame the other of treachery. This idea is once again brought up in chapter 13 where both Ryouma and Xander fail to see the true culprits behind the attack on Cyrkensia, and resort to blaming each other. They are so caught up in their own preconceived notion of there only being two options that they fail to see the truth. They are blinded by their own biases and the distorted truth which the water’s surface reflects. They only see what’s on the surface on which only two kingdoms exist. However, that’s not true, there is a third kingdom obscured and hidden beneath the water’s surface and that’s where the truth lies. Corrin and Azura know this and they know the truth because they have absolved themselves of bias. Therefore, they are able to see the true culprits behind the attack.

 

Before I talk about what happens after chapter 13, I wanna take a moment and talk about the chapters that preceded it. And in order to do that, we must take a moment to talk about Azura. Azura is an interesting character within this story. I touched on her briefly within the prologue section of this analysis but not too much in my analysis of Birthright or Conquest. Azura within this story, as mentioned before, is a physical representation of truth or rather a kernel of truth within a sea of lies and distrust. In every path Azura is portrayed as the one person Corrin can truly trust without much in the way of negative consequence. She exists within the story to guide Corrin towards the truth and the right path which contrasts with Xander and Ryoma. Let’s take a moment and go back to the chapter six choice. As stated earlier, the arguments made by each side is an attempt to get Corrin to trust them over the other side by using some form of bias. Each side claims they can lead Corrin towards the answers she seeks so long as she trusts them and not the other side. Azura is not like this. Azura will side with Corrin regardless of the choice she makes. Again, Corrin is the one person she can trust and vice versa. She even directly states this when you recruit her in conquest. The reason for this is because Azura is, again, a representation of the truth(Well Valla as a whole really). The objective truth is free from bias. It doesn’t reveal itself unless it is actively sought out. Azura does not try to persuade Corrin towards one path or the other. She simply follows the flow of the gray waves that Corrin creates along her chosen path. Corrin only sees a kernel of truth along her chosen path thanks to Azura. Azura is the one that allows Corrin to see the truth behind Garon in conquest. It is through her that Corrin is able to get closer to Takumi and build trust. It is through trusting Azura that Corrin is able to get out of tough situations like the one in fort dragonfall. The idea of trusting in Azura is emphasized most in revelations where Corrin refuses to trust Nohr and Hoshido in favor of the truth. Corrin chooses to trust in herself and the truth and by extension Azura. Corrin has to put faith in Azura if she wants to find the truth. This is made most evident in the beginning of chapter 7 where Azura takes Corrin and Jakob(or Felicia) to the bottomless canyon in response to Nohr and Hoshido turning against them. Corrin and Jakob are hesitant to jump at first but choose to trust in Azura anyway. Corrin trusts that Azura will give her the answers she seeks and well she’s correct. In trusting Azura, Corrin jumps down the bottomless canyon and finds out the truth.

 

This moment brings us back to the idea of bias and trust that this story heavily wants to focus on. Corrin was unable to see this truth simply because they were clouded by bias. She fell into the biases of either Nohr or Hoshido. In revelations, it’s a bit different because she chose to side with neither. It’s because she’s absolved herself of that bias that she is able to look beneath the surface level bias in order to grasp the truth hidden beneath. A truth that when uncovered can stop the fighting raging along the water’s surface above. However, she can’t speak the truth of Valla beyond its borders due to Anankos’s curse. So, Corrin must try to gather allies without being able to speak the truth. She must rely on the trust she has with her family and building trust with others in order to get them on her side. This is pretty much the whole of what the first half of revelations is about. Every character that joins her joins either because they trust her blindly(or she is presented as the more trustworthy option compared to who they are already aligned with) anyway or she proves her trustworthiness through her actions.

 

Chapter 8 begins with Corrin and co. going to Fort Jinya to try and sway the Hoshidian army to their side. As expected, though, they are met with resistance in the form of Yukimura, Saizo, and Orochi who refuse to trust Corrin no matter what she has to say. They believe Corrin has come to destroy Hoshido because she decided not to side with them in chapter six. In their eyes Corrin is a traitor for not choosing their side. They don’t listen to what she has to say because they’re so caught up with their own twisted idea of the truth. For not choosing their side, they twist the truth to suit their own biases that anyone who doesn’t side with them is an enemy. Yukimura even says:

 

Ugh... Helping you means turning against Hoshido. And you say I must do this to help Hoshido? I don't believe you. How can I trust someone who has turned against everything I love?”

 

Because obviously just Corrin hasn’t sided with Hoshido, it must mean that she’s aligned with Nohr which is incorrect. Saizo even attempts to sacrifice himself because he’s so deep-seated in his belief that Corrin is the enemy without even listening to what she has to say. However, just before things can get too out of hand, Kaze and Sakura show up to stop them. Kaze and Sakura vouch for Corrin’s innocence. Corrin helped save Kaze’s life when he was a prisoner of Nohr which is the reason he cites for why he trusts Corrin. Sakura trusts Corrin out of longing. She doesn’t want to believe Corrin(the sibling she spent so far apart from) would have malicious intent. She calls Corrin a kind person and even cites the fact that Corrin didn’t kill anyone. She chooses to believe in Corrin because of her kind heart and because they are family. It’s due to this trust that Corrin has built with the both of them that they decide to join her. Yukimura and Saizo raise objections but ultimately put faith in their judgement. Once again playing into that idea of foundational and familial trust. Saizo trusts Kaze because they’re brothers and Yukimura trusts Sakura because he’s known her for so long. Through this string of trust, Corrin is able to gain several new allies not only in Kaze and Sakura but also in Sakura’s retainers.

 

Chapter 9 of revelations plays out no differently than chapter 8 of birthright in that they get into trouble with the wind tribe due to Iago’s trickery. Rinkah steps in to vouch for Corrin for the same reasons Kaze did. This leads to the wind tribe chieftain wanting to test Corrin for her trustworthiness. Corrin passes the test and gains their trust and new allies in the form of Rinkah and Hayato. Chapter 10 continues this trend of utilizing to trust, though in this instance, it is by far the weakest especially considering who is recruited here. The chapter certainly starts off strong with Corrin and co. being able to see through Zola’s deception and promptly deal with him in order to rescue Izana and Takumi(as well as his retainers). This in turn wins the trust of Izana who is willing to help Corrin along her path as foretold by his divine prophecies. However, Takumi is not so easily swayed. He even says that he cannot bring himself to trust someone who won’t side with their homeland which again furthers that idea of bias that was brought up in chapters six and eight. It is only due to Izana’s heavy insistence and even death that convinces him to join Corrin. Takumi trusts in Izana’s dying words so he trusts in Corrin. It’s by far the most disappointing instance of this theme especially when you consider Takumi being the one recruited here. The character who’s entire arc centers around his duelstic trust of Corrin. The character who was driven to insanity because of the feelings of betrayal he felt when Corrin chose to side with Nohr. I don’t think I need to explain why this portion of the story lacks nuance.

 

Regardless, the instances of this theme are done rather well, such as with Saizo in chapter 11. This chapter plays out similarly to chapter 10 of birthright though in a somewhat different context(the context being reminiscent of how a similar event takes place in conquest). It starts off with Corrin stumbling across one of Saizo’s signal fires which is used to warn allies that it’s too dangerous and that they should stay away. However, Corrin being Corrin decides to jump in anyway for the sake of helping out and securing new allies. They rush into help and meet up with Saizo, Orochi, and Reina. During the battle, Corrin cna speak with Saizo where they have the following exchange:

 

     Corrin: Saizo, are you all right?

     Saizo: Corrin? What are you doing here?!

     Corrin: We came to help you. That was your smoke signal we saw, right?

     Saizo: It was, but... That wasn't a distress signal!

     Corrin: Yes, I know. Kaze told us it was meant as a warning. But there is no way I'd just abandon you to the enemy. To me, you're a valuable ally.

     Saizo: You'd knowingly risk yourself just to help us? Hrmph. Very well—you've beaten me. No traitor would behave as you have. Lady Sakura must have been right about your motivations. Let us fight together.

     Corrin: I won't let you down, Saizo. Thank you for joining us!

     Saizo: There is no time to waste. One of our allies, a ninja named Kagero, is being held captive. She was supposed to locate Lord Ryoma and return to us. We have to save her.

     Corrin: We'll do everything we can to help.

     Saizo: Thank you. I'll let my allies know that we will be fighting together.

Note the moment when Saizo says “You’d knowingly risk yourself just to help us? hrmph . Very well-you’ve beaten. No traitor would act as you have”. The most interesting part about this moment when you compare it to a similar moment that happens in chapter 17 of conquest where Corrin also chooses to help Saizo out of a tough situation. However, there he says something different.

 

Saizo: ...Perhaps so, Corrin. In any case, Kagero and my men are alive thanks to you. You also helped me to finally avenge my father's death. For that...I thank you. But do not let our temporary truce fool you. When next we meet, it will be as enemies. At that time, I will not hesitate to take your life.

 

 

In this instance he still views Corrin as an enemy because she sided with Nohr. She may have helped him but well they fight on opposite sides of the war so they can’t be allies. In revelations, however, Corrin has absolved herself of the bias that comes with choosing to side with Nohr over Hoshido so Saizo is more willing to trust her. He’s more willing to believe her in this instance because she hasn’t sided with or against anyone as well as the faith he already has in other characters she’s recruited. Through her trust in Saizo, she is also able to gain the trust of Orochi, Reina, and Kagero.

 

From here, We move on to chapter 12 where we start seeing Nohr begin to make their move. After defeating Camilla and Flora, Camilla laments her failure and pleads for death seeing as how she’s gonna die anyway at the hands of Garon for her failure. Corrin, understandably, rejects that idea in favor of offering that Camilla join her instead to which Camilla accepts. Besides the obvious reason, She also states that she chooses to trust Corrin simply because she can see the same innocence in her eyes that she saw when they were younger. To Camilla, Corrin is still the same Corrin she knew and it is due to that fact that she accepts her as family once again. She trusts Corrin because they are Family. The same is true of Elise in chapter 14 where she runs away from home to join Corrin because she doesn’t want to believe that Corrin or Camilla are, in her own words, capable of anything bad. They’re her family. She should trust them and that is her belief. This brings us back to chapter 13 where Xander and Ryoma refuse to trust Corrin despite the familial ties. The narrative, of course, views this mindset as wrong. You should trust your family regardless of anything because they are your family and you should by their side no matter what. Scarlet even implies this to Ryoma at the end of chapter 13. The end of chapter 13 is a somewhat interesting one. It’s the second chapter where Corrin is finally able to somewhat get through to Xander and Ryoma. Though, Xander is a bit more stubborn and brushes her off. Ryoma, on the other hand, is a bit more willing to listen thanks to the trust he already has with Takumi, Sakura, and his retainers who have joined Corrin already. That combined with Scarlet’s words, Ryoma begins to consider joining Corrin. Xander begins to think similarly once he sees that his father has completely lost himself and orders him and Leo to destroy both Hoshido and Nohr.

 

This idea of forging trust to gain new allies comes to its climax at in the following chapters 15, 16, and 17. Chapter 15 is a pretty obvious one. Corrin meets with the rainbow sage and is rewarded with a ‘power up’ to the Yato for the trust she was able to forge within others to get this far, though it’s still incomplete which is something I’ll get to later. Chapters 16 and 17 are where this theme of trust comes to its climax(or the first one anyway). Ryoma and Hinoka discuss Corrin’s words and what she sets out to do. They self-reflect on why they mistrusted her to begin with. Hinoka says she felt betrayed when Corrin refused to choose a side. After all the years they spent apart, they are finally able to reunite only for Corrin to leave so soon after. Hinoka, understandably, felt betrayed because of this and couldn’t come to terms with the fact that Corrin decided not side with them. Ryoma feels similarly though his reason has another layer to it. Ryoma had a jealousy for Corrin’s leadership skills even when they were younger. He suspects this jealousy had something to do with his current mistrust and the reason he couldn’t save her when she was originally kidnapped. However, now that he’s had a chance to reflect and listen to Corrin, He and Hinoka put those feelings of betrayal behind them. They decide to help Corrin because she is family. It’s the best way to make up for all the lost time they spent apart. They decide to trust her and thus head for the bottomless canyon. They decide to put their faith in Corrin and help her battle their way to the bottomless canyon. Xander and Leo do the same after they witness their father going crazy. Xander fights for Nohr no one else. He fights on behalf of his nation and everything he does is in service to keeping that nation safe. Garon has proven to be distrustful and a danger to the nation he vows to protect. If he can’t trust his own father, then the only other person he can trust to help defend Nohr are his siblings who have chosen to side with Corrin. He and Leo after witnessing the truth of Corrin’s words decide to put their faith in her to protect Nohr. Corrin has proven her herself capable of their faith. Without the threat of her own bias, she is able to eliminate the bias of others in order to gain their trust and bring them together. Corrin chose to reject both sides but in doing so she also accepts both sides. In trusting in herself and everyone equally, she brings them together in mutual trust. Both sides of the argument have equal merit. Both Nohr and Hoshido are her family because they are both related to her in some way either through bond, blood, or mother. They are all family and should trust each other and be there for one another. This is a lesson Corrin couldn’t grasp in Birthright or Conquest. In birthright, she fails to believe in the foundation of trust that she already had with her nohrian siblings. In conquest, she fails to build trust with her Hoshidan siblings which is what drove Takumi to madness. In revelations, she is able to both rely on pre-established trust as well as build trust in others to put their faith in her. Through trust, she is able to amass allies to help her towards finding the truth. However, trust alone will not get her very far. In the coming chapters that rust will be tested and Corrin must find a way to keep that trust despite the wall of deception before her.

Yeah sorry for the delay on this one. I've been what with three houses, school, and other general life stuff. However, I haven't forgotten about this project and here's the first half of my revelations analysis. I think this one is pretty good. It's better than my conquest one anyway because that one was rushed but I took my time with this one and it shows.

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Good write up. I never considered Fates' writing to be completely irredeemable but I also never thought it was actually good either. I think you've convinced me that the writing, thematically at least, is decent enough. I especially enjoyed your thoughts on Corrin's betrayal to their own ideals and how that contradiction makes siding with Hoshido or Nohr always wrong. I'm glad that Revelations actually has some thematic backup as a route and isn't just the fanservice 'no one dies and everyone lives happily ever after' side of the story. I look forward to your Revelations P. 2 analysis and possibly a rewrite to your Conquest analysis if you're up for it. I'm especially interested in your thoughts on the Hidden Truths trio.

 

However, one of my main problems with Fates is how the second generation is thrown in without any regard to the plot or theme. In your analysis, it seems like almost every character has some relation to the theme but I can't find that connection with the second generation, not even the main character's child. Do you think there is a way to involve these children with the themes of Fates or is the disconnect between the second generation and the rest of the game just too strong?

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On 7/16/2019 at 5:28 PM, Ottservia said:

The opening dialogue of this chapter is split between your two “Families” which the game has built up both as people Corrin can trust.

Actually Hoshido seems more trustworthy then Nohr at that point, but Corrin says " I know what the Nohrian kingdom has done to Hoshido is unforgivable... And I know now that these are not my brothers and sisters by birth... Yet even still, I must side with them. My heart won’t allow me to do otherwise. " So Corrin acknowledges Nohr's lies and evil, but accepts it anyway because Corrin cares more about the Nohrian family then the Hoshidan family.

 

You said:

"Someone who may reveal to her the answer and truth she so desperately seeks. Azura within this story is supposed to act as a kernel of truth within an ocean of lies and deception."

Yet Azura deceives Corrin in two of the paths.

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4 minutes ago, Fates-Blade said:

You said:

"Someone who may reveal to her the answer and truth she so desperately seeks. Azura within this story is supposed to act as a kernel of truth within an ocean of lies and deception."

Yet Azura deceives Corrin in two of the paths.

Interesting, I can see where you can make that argument in regards to Conquest but in birthright I don't really see it. Would you mind elaborating?

6 minutes ago, Fates-Blade said:

Actually Hoshido seems more trustworthy then Nohr at that point, but Corrin says " I know what the Nohrian kingdom has done to Hoshido is unforgivable... And I know now that these are not my brothers and sisters by birth... Yet even still, I must side with them. My heart won’t allow me to do otherwise. " So Corrin acknowledges Nohr's lies and evil, but accepts it anyway because Corrin cares more about the Nohrian family then the Hoshidan family.

which goes with my point in that both families are ones that Corrin can "trust" in that she has reason to join both sides and thus her heart is split in two as the lyrics say.

On 12/28/2019 at 1:41 PM, Quiyonce said:

I'm especially interested in your thoughts on the Hidden Truths trio.

I think you know my thoughts on of them already if my time on these forums hasn't it made that obvious enough but as for my full thoughts on the trio in regards to how they fit into the narrative, I'm just gonna say it's a little underwhelming for now.

On 12/28/2019 at 1:41 PM, Quiyonce said:

However, one of my main problems with Fates is how the second generation is thrown in without any regard to the plot or theme. In your analysis, it seems like almost every character has some relation to the theme but I can't find that connection with the second generation, not even the main character's child. Do you think there is a way to involve these children with the themes of Fates or is the disconnect between the second generation and the rest of the game just too strong?

The kids are weird but I do think there is a way to fit them into the story thematically. Heirs of fate does a good job of doing that but otherwise it's definitely possible they're sort of an extension of the theme of familial trust present within this story. I haven't read all their supports yet but you can kind of see this with characters like Dwyer, Forrest, Soleil, Kiragi, Asugi, and Shiro(I think?). Cause all those kids(except for Soleil and Kiragi to some degree) have something of a strenuous relationship with their parents due to being thrown in the deeprealms for most of their lives and in that sense they can't really trust one another. I dunno, I'll have to read more of their supports. 

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5 minutes ago, Ottservia said:

Interesting, I can see where you can make that argument in regards to Conquest but in birthright I don't really see it. Would you mind elaborating?

which goes with my point in that both families are ones that Corrin can "trust" in that she has reason to join both sides and thus her heart is split in two as the lyrics say.

I think you know my thoughts on of them already if my time on these forums hasn't it made that obvious enough but as for my full thoughts on the trio in regards to how they fit into the narrative, I'm just gonna say it's a little underwhelming for now.

The kids are weird but I do think there is a way to fit them into the story thematically. Heirs of fate does a good job of doing that but otherwise it's definitely possible they're sort of an extension of the theme of familial trust present within this story. I haven't read all their supports yet but you can kind of see this with characters like Dwyer, Forrest, Soleil, Kiragi, Asugi, and Shiro(I think?). Cause all those kids(except for Soleil and Kiragi to some degree) have something of a strenuous relationship with their parents due to being thrown in the deeprealms for most of their lives and in that sense they can't really trust one another. I dunno, I'll have to read more of their supports. 

In Birthright, Azura doesn't tell Corrin about Anankos, or Valla even though she knew about it. It's (oddly or not so oddly) like she couldn't tell Corrin (I say that because of Ancient Text 0: "A dragon neither white nor black sang three songs of prophecy so someday his soul might be released"), like all the paths had to happen, and Azura was only there to support Corrin through the paths he/she chose all the way down to Revelation.

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8 minutes ago, Fates-Blade said:

In Birthright, Azura doesn't tell Corrin about Anankos, or Valla even though she knew about it. It's (oddly or not so oddly) like she couldn't tell Corrin (I say that because of Ancient Text 0: "A dragon neither white nor black sang three songs of prophecy so someday his soul might be released"), like all the paths had to happen, and Azura was only there to support Corrin through the paths he/she chose all the way down to Revelation.

She didn't tell Corrin anything in Birthright because she quite literally couldn't cause y'know valla curse though I do see what you mean. I'll be honest I could've done a better job explaining Azura's thematic role in the story better because I wouldn't necessarily say she's a complete representation of the truth but more so an obscured fragment of it. Like you said, she's more a guiding light if nothing else. I just didn't know how else to word it in my analysis.

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On 7/16/2019 at 5:28 PM, Ottservia said:

However, after remembering Ganglari and the incident in chapter 5, Corrin is finally able to wipe away those deceptions. She is able to wipe away the waking dreams before her. She is finally able to see a glimpse of the truth that she once saw below the water’s surface. In doing so, she is finally able to wake up and defeat Garon for good. In Garon’s defeat, the water’s surface becomes more clear and she is better able to see the truth that lies beneath the water’s surface. It may not be much but it is more than what she could see before. It is this glimpse of the truth that prompts further investigation into the water’s dark surface.

I don't see what the glimpse of truth was in that seen, even though Xander does say " What do you think Father's true intentions for you are? " it's soon revealed he was talking about whether or not Garon wanted to kill or help Corrin. Also I find 3 unexplained things important to understand the song that has not (I guess,) been confirmed by IS.: 1. Does all three paths happen or just one? 2. What is the very beginning cutscene about? 3. Is there three Corrin's and three Azuras?

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1 minute ago, Fates-Blade said:

I don't see what the glimpse of truth was in that seen, even though Xander does say " What do you think Father's true intentions for you are? " it's soon revealed he was talking about whether or not Garon wanted to kill or help Corrin.

and that's what I'm talking about that Garon wanted to kill Corrin and that Garon isn't necessarily himself by the end of the chapter.

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You said:

"This isn’t to say that the path of Birthright was entirely meaningless nor was the reason as to why Corrin chose that path. In the end Corrin may not have discovered the full truth but they were at least able to feel it, to get a glimpse of it. This is shown in the endgame chapter where Corrin is pulled into a limbo-like dream after taking an almost killing blow from Garon’s “true form”. In the dream Corrin is back in the nohrian fortress with Lilith and Flora with Elise and Xander joining shortly after."

I don't see how that scene speaks of a possessed Garon at all (which is evidence of the true path, getting a glimpse of it, since the one behind it all possessed him), strangely FE:Fates' plot believes that Garon is human until his final moments.

(Thanks for the analysis by the way, it's very nice.)

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11 hours ago, Fates-Blade said:

I don't see how that scene speaks of a possessed Garon at all (which is evidence of the true path, getting a glimpse of it, since the one behind it all possessed him), strangely FE:Fates' plot believes that Garon is human until his final moments.

What I mean when I said that was that was in that dream Corrin is reverted back to the mental state she had before she learned that Garon was lying to her. She still believes Garon is her father in that instance but then when Xander asks " What do you think Father's true intentions for you are? " She snaps out of it. She realizes that Garon isn't her father and has deceived her all her life. A lesson that extends to the idea that Garon isn't himself but rather an empty husk being puppeteered which is hinted at when he is defeated. This idea then extends to conquest where Corrin tries to relay that idea to her Nohrian siblings. Does that make sense?

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12 hours ago, Ottservia said:

What I mean when I said that was that was in that dream Corrin is reverted back to the mental state she had before she learned that Garon was lying to her. She still believes Garon is her father in that instance but then when Xander asks " What do you think Father's true intentions for you are? " She snaps out of it. She realizes that Garon isn't her father and has deceived her all her life. A lesson that extends to the idea that Garon isn't himself but rather an empty husk being puppeteered which is hinted at when he is defeated.

The point of that part of the scene is to remind Corrin who Garon is to them, Corrin being deceived by Garon doesn't connect with/extend to the idea of him being an empty husk, Xander also deceived Corrin all their lives and there was no idea he could be an empty husk.

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22 hours ago, Fates-Blade said:

The point of that part of the scene is to remind Corrin who Garon is to them, Corrin being deceived by Garon doesn't connect with/extend to the idea of him being an empty husk, Xander also deceived Corrin all their lives and there was no idea he could be an empty husk.

In a way it can. Like you said, the point of the scene is to remind Corrin of Garon is to them and that is a horrible man hell bent on the destruction of everything she knows and not a father figure that she was once deceived into seeing him as. Garon lied to her all her life as did the other nohrian siblings. However, the Nohr royals do in fact care for Corrin. Garon does not and that's really what that scene is for if that makes sense. If Garon was truly a father figure to Corrin then he would have cared for her in some way but he doesn't in fact, it's very much so the opposite. It extends to the idea of Garon being an empty husk because it shows he doesn't really care for any of his kids and if he was the true Garon he would at least somewhat anyway which is an idea further expanded upon in conquest

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1 hour ago, Ottservia said:

Garon lied to her all her life as did the other nohrian siblings. However, the Nohr royals do in fact care for Corrin. Garon does not and that's really what that scene is for if that makes sense. If Garon was truly a father figure to Corrin then he would have cared for her in some way but he doesn't in fact, it's very much so the opposite. It extends to the idea of Garon being an empty husk because it shows he doesn't really care for any of his kids and if he was the true Garon he would at least somewhat anyway which is an idea further expanded upon in conquest

...The scene doesn't hint at or extend to Garon being a husk, even the Nohrian children and Corrin believe Garon is still alive just not well, even if he treated his children like pawns, the only chance you get to have a hint at the true path is Garon's last words.

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6 minutes ago, Fates-Blade said:

...The scene doesn't hint at or extend to Garon being a husk, even the Nohrian children and Corrin believe Garon is still alive just not well, even if he treated his children like pawns, the only chance you get to have a hint at the true path is Garon's last words.

And that’s what I mean. In realizing that Garon doesn’t care for them, Corrin is able to pull herself out of that hallucinogenic dream and see the truth for what it is. She is able to get up and defeat Garon because she remembers why she was fighting him in the first place. Why she chose this path to begin with, it was because she saw a glimmer of truth along that path. In defeating Garon, she is able to get a peak at the truth but not all of it.

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16 hours ago, Ottservia said:

She is able to get up and defeat Garon because she remembers why she was fighting him in the first place. Why she chose this path to begin with, it was because she saw a glimmer of truth along that path. In defeating Garon, she is able to get a peak at the truth but not all of it.

Did Corrin choose the path because Corrin thought they saw a glimmer of truth/Valla? Or was Corrin just blindly thinking Garon was the one behind it all until his/it's final words?

I think Corrin chose the Birthright path because Corrin thought Garon was the true enemy of the world, and didn't have a clue about the true enemy, nothing and nobody gave them a hint, even Azura [with her curse didn't cause Corrin to question where it came from because they're resolute in their thinking], until Garon's last words brought Valla too light, it wasn't because Corrin saw a glimmer of truth/Valla down the path. As I said before I think Corrin in Birthright is very resolute/single-minded, which is why they may have not even considered that there was another enemy at work, like how Corrin does in Conquest, where Corrin is more willing to care for another explanation of what happened to Garon instead of "he's just evil all of a sudden" the path begins giving hints earlier in the story, (and then Azura doesn't mention Anankos for unconfirmed reasons that seems like a plot convenience, but IS didn't flesh the story out so no way to know now, but the fact that she didn't when she could have tells me IS may have had an explanation, they just decided not to tell the players).

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20 hours ago, Fates-Blade said:

Did Corrin choose the path because Corrin thought they saw a glimmer of truth/Valla? Or was Corrin just blindly thinking Garon was the one behind it all until his/it's final words?

It's the ladder

20 hours ago, Fates-Blade said:

I think Corrin chose the Birthright path because Corrin thought Garon was the true enemy of the world, and didn't have a clue about the true enemy, nothing and nobody gave them a hint, even Azura [with her curse didn't cause Corrin to question where it came from because they're resolute in their thinking], until Garon's last words brought Valla too light, it wasn't because Corrin saw a glimmer of truth/Valla down the path. As I said before I think Corrin in Birthright is very resolute/single-minded, which is why they may have not even considered that there was another enemy at work, like how Corrin does in Conquest, where Corrin is more willing to care for another explanation of what happened to Garon instead of "he's just evil all of a sudden" the path begins giving hints earlier in the story, (and then Azura doesn't mention Anankos for unconfirmed reasons that seems like a plot convenience, but IS didn't flesh the story out so no way to know now, but the fact that she didn't when she could have tells me IS may have had an explanation, they just decided not to tell the players).

And I agree with almost everything said here.

Bold: yeah that is the weakest aspect of conquests story because of all the inconsistencies it brings up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Part 4(maybe Finale): Trust and Betrayal

Spoiler

The second half of revelations acts a sort of antithesis to the first. The first several chapters center around the idea of building trust and having faith in one’s familial ties and pre-established trust. The second half of this story, meanwhile, focuses on testing that trust and the belief that is found within doubt. As said before, Corrin is very naive and trusting by nature. It is that very trusting spirit that has allowed her to unite her two families on opposite ends of the conflict against a common enemy. The story makes a point of this several times. Corrin is the binding light of trust and belief that holds everyone together. She wants to believe and have faith in everyone no matter who they are. However, for as much of a strength this naive faith is, it is also Corrin’s greatest flaw as Xander himself points out in chapter 20. Much like Birthright and Conquest, the next several chapters of this story seek to bring to light the flaws in Corrin’s blind trust. We first see this with Anthony. From the moment you meet him, it’s plainly obvious that Anthony is, at least somewhat, suspicious. Valla, unlike every other kingdom we’ve seen up to this point, is empty and desolate. It’s strange and other wordly without a single living being in sight. The only things here are spirits of the dead controlled by Anankos. Then there’s Anthony, a supposed escapee from a prison camp controlled by Anankos. Corrin and co. first find him being hunted down by Vallite soldiers to which they rescue him. He gives his story and offers to help guide them to Anankos’s castle. At this point other than the fact that Anthony is quite literally the only living thing they’ve seen in this land, he doesn’t come off as very suspicious so for now they trust him. Corrin trusts him to lead them to their goal. A mistake as the following chapters make it plainly obvious to everyone that Anthony is going to betray them what with him leading them over a shaky bridge. It’s due to this that Xander tells Corrin to be cautious of Anthony and to keep in mind that while trust is good; it’s also good to be suspicious of others who would take advantage of that trust. Anthony does just in the following chapter when he asks to Corrin alone where he plans to assassinate her. However, Corrin is not so easily fooled and leaves a warning behind to let the others know if it was a trap or not. She understood Xander’s warning and became suspicious of Anthony in that respect. She wanted to trust and believe him but she knew better than to fall for deception as she did in birthright time and time again. It’s due to having faith in Xander’s warning and in the rest of her allies that she is able to triumph and see through Anthony’s deception. This idea of toying with Corrin’s naive trust is something Anankos does throughout the next several chapters.

 

The first of which being with Arete. While not specifically for Corrin’s trust, it plays into that idea of familial trust as she is Azura’s mother. Azura is fully aware that the being before her is not her mother but rather a puppet of Anankos using her mother’s body and voice. Even so, The idea of having to fight someone you’ve grown to love and trust throughout your life is a heartbreaking experience. Azura has to put those feelings aside and trust in the idea that the thing in front of her is not her mother and therefore must be mistrusted. It is only through that they are able to defeat Arete and free her from Anankos’s control. In her last moments, Arete finally remembers Azura and wants to see her one last time. Although she hesitates at first, Azura ultimately decides to believe she is telling the truth and that her mother has truly been freed. This idea of having to fight those you trust is further cemented in the following chapters with Mikoto, Sumeragi, and Gunter. Sumeragi is really just a repeat of what happens with Arete in that a parent must have faith in their child. Mikoto is the far more interesting one. Mikoto offers to help you through the maze that is Anankos’s castle. Corrin, of course, doesn’t believe her and decides to strike her down out of mistrust due to Mikoto being a puppet of Anankos. However, she hesitates as Mikoto doesn’t fight back. Corrin cannot bring herself to distrust her own mother despite the fact that she is still a servant of Anankos. Mikoto again offers to help which Corrin takes this time and decides to trust her. This is also shown within the gameplay of the map in question where Mikoto helps guide you through the correct path. She tells you the blue doors are safe while the red ones will only alert the enemy. This holds true for the first two doors which builds trust in the player. The final door, however, Mikoto changes her tune and says that the safe door this time is the red one. Here the player must make a choice to either trust her or not. You have reason to do both but you don’t know which one is the correct one. You just have to put faith in your own judgement to make the right choice something that brings back a similar feeling to chapter six. If the player chooses to trust Mikoto’s words, they are wrong because they refused to put faith in their own judgement. They simply blindly trusted Mikoto to tell them the truth and had no faith in their own judgement. If the player chooses to distrust Mikoto, then they are rewarded because they didn’t blindly trust her and used their own judgement to figure out the correct path. This idea is similar to the one found in chapter six. Corrin is presented with two opposing options on who to trust in order to find the answers she’s looking for. As we’ve established, both options are wrong and it’s only when Corrin trusts in herself and her own judgement that she is able to find the right path. She chose to reject both sides. She chose to trust in Azura and that is what lead her down the path of revelation and the truth she’s been seeking.

This idea of choosing who to trust and having faith in one’s own judgement to find belief within doubt comes to its climax in chapter 26. Before landing in Valla, Corrin and Scarlet were attacked by a Vallite soldier as they fell from the bottomless canyon. This event plants seeds of doubt within the group as they suspect a spy/traitor is among them. Of course, Corrin refuses to doubt any single one of her allies as it is the faith she’s had in them that has gotten her this far. However, this proves detrimental as the army is attacked as soon as they enter the throne room of Anankos’s castle. The assailant is not Anankos but rather the traitor that has been with them the entire time. Through some deductive reasoning, Corrin is able to reveal that the traitor is Gunter. A revelation that hits her pretty hard. Corrin knew Gunter all her life as he was a sort of father figure to her. He practically raised Corrin in that fortress. All those years they spent together fostered a bond of trust between them. To have someone she thought she could have complete faith in this entire time suddenly betray trust, it certainly a pretty hopeless feeling. It puts out the idea that if you can’t trust someone who you’ve trusted and known all your life then can anyone really be trusted. Is it wrong to trust anyone at all for fear of being betrayed and lied to by them? This is the core of what Gunter taunts Corrin with as they fight. However, Corrin does not waver. She chooses to have faith that she can save him or that the ‘real’ Gunter she’s grown to trust is still in there. She chooses to have faith in her allies and herself despite those hopeless feelings. It is that unwavering and naive belief that allows her to get through to Gunter and save him. She reminds him of all the years they spent together and bond of trust that they fostered which results in Gunter able to shake off Anankos’s control.

 

With all of that dealt with, let’s talk about the silent dragon, Anankos. As far as villains are concerned, fates isn’t great with them. They’re either almost completely irrelevant(like Iago and Hans) or good but lacking in proper development(i.e. Garon). I won’t say Anankos is an exception to this trend but overall he is rather interesting in regards to how he fits into this story. Anankos is known as the silent dragon. He is an ancient dragon that once assisted humans in the creation of the kingdom of Valla. It was his blood and power that allowed the land to prosper and grow. He loved humans with all his heart and put his faith in them. He trusted them just as much as they trusted him and in that trust they were able to create the kingdom of valla. But as with most dragons in the series, Anankos is susceptible to degeneration. Anankos, himself, became well aware of this so he entrusted a song along with a piece of his dragonstone to Valla’s royal family. In doing this, he would hope that one day they would stop him from going completely mad. However, in his rage, Anankos destroyed a great forest and it was that single act of mindless destruction that caused the people of valla to turn on him. The people of the land that he helped build. The people he once trusted and loved all betrayed him only after a single act that was out of his control. With these thoughts, he isolated himself. But in one last act of rage and weakness, he killed his one true friend, the vallite king. The one person in this world that still trusted him, put their faith in him, believed in him. In his madness, he betrayed that trust and it drove him to insanity. It was this moment that sparked Anankos’s descent into the mad dragon that we see at the end of the game. Anankos is a character that feels betrayed. He trusted humans with his power to help them grow and prosper and in return, all they do is try to slay him after a single act of violence. He placed his faith in them and how do they repay their benefactors? Not with praise or trust in return but rather betrayal. It is for this reason that Anankos hates humanity for he feels ignored by them. He feels humans are ungrateful for the things he’s done for them. He can’t trust humans. Because the one time he did, they only betrayed him in return. In all of these events he felt isolated and alone. He was suffering and no one could hear his cries because of how little they trusted him. This feeling of betrayal that Anankos extends to how he goes about destroying Hoshido and Nohr. He uses Garon as a puppet to lie and mask the truth about Nohr in order to breed distrust and bias against them. No one hoshido can trust Nohr due to their reputation. A reputation created Garon. In breeding distrust and bias between the two nations, he enacts a senseless war that threatens to destroy them.

 

He feels humans are distrustful by nature and are only able to see what’s on the surface. Humans are quick to jump to conclusions and let their bias obscure their view of the truth. We see this in the other two paths as well as chapter 13. Hoshido is quick to blame Nohr for everything solely based on their reputation without looking deeper beyond the surface. This in turn is reflected in Corrin’s character along birthright’s story. She is too quick to blame Garon for all the problems in this world and neglects to look beyond the surface of deception. Her bias blinds her to the truth. In conquest, her bias towards the family that raised her disallows her to see the problems that Garon causes for Nohr(at first anyway). In revelations this is different because Corrin has absolved herself of bias. She doesn’t fall into the traps that Anankos expects her to. She is able to breed trust between the royal families of both nations despite Anankos’s efforts to prevent that very thing. That very trust is represented with the Omega Yato otherwise known as the seal of flames or fire emblem. The yato is only able to unlock its true form because she placed her trust in both of her royal siblings as they also are able to place their trust in her. When the Yato would transform before, it was incomplete because she was only able to gain the full trust of one side. In conquest, she relied on the trust with her Nohrian siblings that she’s fostered for so long in order to obtain the grim Yato. In birthright, she is able to build trust with her hoshidian siblings to obtain the blazing Yato. It is her trust she shares with both Hoshido and Nohr that grants her the power to defeat Anankos. By not giving into despair and not giving into distrust, she is able to triumph. And that’s what fates’s story is about in the end. The idea of trust and that you should trust and believe in the people you care about no matter what. Believe in them just as much as they believe in you and together you can find the truth. Trust in them and yourself to help you look past the water’s surface.

@Quiyonce @Seafarer @Dayni @Fates-Blade @PeaceRibbon

Edited by Ottservia
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You did a very good job on the analysis, thanks for releasing the next part! But:

On 1/11/2020 at 6:56 PM, Ottservia said:

This holds true for the first two doors which builds trust in the player. The final door, however, Mikoto changes her tune and says that the safe door this time is the red one. Here the player must make a choice to either trust her or not. You have reason to do both but you don’t know which one is the correct one. You just have to put faith in your own judgement to make the right choice something that brings back a similar feeling to chapter six. If the player chooses to trust Mikoto’s words, they are wrong because they refused to put faith in their own judgement. They simply blindly trusted Mikoto to tell them the truth and had no faith in their own judgement. If the player chooses to distrust Mikoto, then they are rewarded because they didn’t blindly trust her and used their own judgement to figure out the correct path. This idea is similar to the one found in chapter six. Corrin is presented with two opposing options on who to trust in order to find the answers she’s looking for.

I don't see how players could not have had faith in their judgment, what the players likely gathered was "Mikoto has told me the truth up till this point, so she seems trust worthy."

their was no, hint, that she was lying to you, Azura who is the guide/assitant of the paths oddly didn't say anything, or didn't have a feeling you shouldn't trust Mikoto and, choose the red door, also the Blue door didn't glow or anything as a hint, there wasn't two sensible options, unlike CH6.

Edited by Fates-Blade
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