Rants on ToS characters 2

 

Sheena

 

I have dedicated more pages of The Swordsman and the Summoner to Sheena's feelings than those of any other character. So my comments will be brief:

 

Sheena is strong and vulnerable, caring and dedicated. Her psyche has been damaged by childhood trauma, i.e., the loss of a parental figure, made worse because she blames herself. These negative feelings, which should have been dispelled by caring adults, were instead worsened by neglect and, perhaps, failure to correct the cruelest people of all—children. Years of insults like "you killed my daddy!" whether stated or implied have made her an outcast among outcasts. Even before the tragedy with Volt, she would have felt like an outsider, struggling with abandonment issues and the uncertainties that often plague adopted children. She finds it difficult to develop meaningful relationships, but when she does develop them, her loyalty is unquestionable.

 

Her friendship with the Chosen's group, particularly with Lloyd, has given her life meaning. I refer you to the Sheena in Flanoir scene, wherein she tells him that, simply by watching him live his life so "earnestly," he has inspired her to realize that every life has purpose and it's all right just to be alive. It is no exaggeration to say that (depending on the path the player chooses in the game) Lloyd's friendship is the most important of her life.

 

Does she love him? I don't know. It is conceivable that she may be mistaking gratitude for love. He is the first man who accepted her for herself. Her giddiness, those little butterflies in her stomach, may have more to do with her own emerging self-esteem—genuine, not just bravado—than love. Had she grown up differently, i.e., without those abandonment issues, she might not love him, though she would no doubt still admire his compassion and bravery. Conversely, those qualities might just be enough. And they might be the real reason she loves him (or at least likes him) anyway. Especially since, after her village accepts her and elevates her to the position of chief, she no longer "needs" him for self-confidence.

 

As they say, love is a choice, not a feeling. And Sheena can choose to love Lloyd.

 

Her feelings toward Mizuho are a complex mixture of loyalty, desire to please (the whole village functions a great symbolic parental figure – Maybe Hillary was right, and it does take a village to raise a child. Wait. Did I actually say that?), gratitude, and resentment. Mizuho is the source of her greatest hurt and her greatest fulfillment. After finding her abandoned as a child, Mizuho turns around and abandons her to Meltokio. When they get her back (some of this is supposition), what's the first thing they do? They use her new talents in an attempt to benefit themselves, and when their plan backfires, they blame her. As thanks for her "failure," they send her right back to Meltokio, and the city sends her on a suicide mission alone to another world. All throughout this relationship, the village treats her as a bargaining chip to save its collective sorry hide. To the village's credit, it eventually recognizes Sheena's contribution and offers her the position of Successor. And all she had to do was a little thing like save two worlds from complete annihilation. A trifling thing, really.

 

Swordsman chapter 18 provides insight into some of her more negative emotions.

 

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Zelos

 

In brief, he suffers from childhood trauma (the murder of his mother by a half-elf which fueled the racism already ingrained in him by a society that promoted intolerance), Hollywood kid syndrome, malignant narcissism, and a sense of entitlement. He is the prototypical man who has everything and would give it all up for genuine friendship. I'm reminded of a poem by Edward Arlington Robinson:

 

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

 

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

 

And he was rich — yes, richer than a king —
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

 

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

 

Now, I'm not saying Zelos is ever suicidal (though it's not out of the realm of possibility that he might become that way). I am saying that his riches, his savoir faire with women, and his power have brought him no happiness. At one point in the game, before reuniting the worlds became the goal, he considers giving it all up and moving to Sylvarant (this was revealed in a Z skit).

 

He fears he will never find love, and if he does, he won't know whether the lady in question truly loves him or his money/prestige. That's why he's so intrigued with Sheena. She's the one woman who has shown no interest in him. She isn't impressed with money or looks or power. She's impressed by character. If he can win her heart, he will know she truly loves him.

 

Or she is simply a conquest he hasn't made. If he wins her heart, he will soon become bored and move on. Which is the true Zelos? He probably isn't sure himself.

 

As for why Sheena isn't interested in Zelos, if my earlier assertions about her character are true, she considers love to be something beautiful and unique, something not to be tossed about haphazardly, but to be cherished and presented to someone very special.

 

Maybe Zelos feels the same, and he just doesn't know how to express it. Giving his love to every girl in sight is a defense mechanism. Because, deep down, he hates himself, or at least hates the person he is.

 

Enter Lloyd.

 

Like Sheena, Lloyd isn't impressed by all Zelos's finery. Lloyd offers Zelos trust and genuine friendship. He meets betrayal with forgiveness, and presents Zelos with the opportunity to be a hero, to accomplish something worthwhile for once. Lloyd sees the good man Zelos can be and gives him the chance to bring him to the surface. For that, Zelos will always be grateful.