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Heroism & Despair; Two Sides of the Same Coin
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The Fuyuki City Fire, two men died during that fire only to be reborn anew moments later. These two would go on following their own polar opposite Idealism towards one another from the same starting point, Kiritsugu.
Shirou's similar to Kiritsugu in the aspect of losing everything. Young Kerry lost his home, father, and friend because of his inability to kill his best friend which inturn caused his town's destruction. After killing his father and his town being clear, he gets ready to leave.
Upon leaving Natalia asking him if he wants to get anything before they leave to which he wrongs with nothing. I interpreted this as Kiritsugu already lost everything during what took place so he has nothing take with him, but back to Shirou.
Shirou lost everything in the fire including his family, this defining moment is one of factors towards Shirou's obsession with being a hero tied with his Survivors Guilt. He's no longer the person he was before the fire, but remade into someone wishing to help save others.
Shirou subconsciously doesn't realize it what these words genuinely mean, you can't be a Hero & save others without a Villain. At the start of each route in F/SN when Shirou decides to join the war, upon exiting Kirei says "Yorokobe Shounen" or Rejoice, boy. Why does he say this?
He says his wish at last, will come true, but Shirou doesn't have a wish for the Grail. He has a different goal in mind of becoming a Hero of Justice and Kirei understood Shirou's desires as he's more then welcome to become the Villain.
Kotomine struggled to embrace his identity as a villain throughout his younger years. Attempted to distract himself with tasks to help suppress these ongoing desires later seeking out Kiritsugu, someone who on paper is similar in char to further help better understand himself.
It wasn't Kiritsugu, but rather Gilgamesh who helped Kirei understand his internal struggles of pleasure in other's agony. Gilgamesh finds Kirei's struggle to be a sort of entertainment and helps Kirei seek out his true self and embrace his own form of happiness, Despair.
Kiritsugu isn't the main factor in changing him, but he plays a role towards his char being driven in that direction. Curiosity turned to Interest, which leads him to Gilgamesh who can confront him on them. His first actual meeting with Kiritsugu isn't so grand.
After Kirei loses his duel to Kiritsugu, he dies momentarily only to be revived and make his wish to the Grail subconsciously. Which started the "Fuyuki Fire" causing Shirou's life to get destory, to be left dying in a fire until Kiritsugu saves his life.
Kirei is now reborn a new man, an evil man. Someone who doesn't reject what they truly are and seeks his own happiness, the pleasure of other's despair and struggles. Shirou becomes his opposite similar in regards to him as the broken and lost man, like Kirei past self.
Not knowing passion or happiness from anything in life, only guilt from living while others died around him. Until Kiritsugu's dream of a world where everyone can be saved aspires him so he can become the Hero of Justice that saves others in Kiritsugu's stead.
Five Years later, the two extremes meet and the Story of F/SN starts from there. Kirei is now satisfied knowing Emiya's spawn will carry out his Heroism and can now act on his evil desire while Shirou unknowingly has a Villain to further his ideals as a Hero of Justice.
That's the end of my thread.
Just wanted to talk about my favorite Protagonist to Antagonist dynamic. Gonna save the rest for after HFs 3 which would be better time to analyze this theme since it will be more relevant.
Just wanted to talk about my favorite Protagonist to Antagonist dynamic. Gonna save the rest for after HFs 3 which would be better time to analyze this theme since it will be more relevant.
