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Ares: Greek Mythology with a Consistent Twist

It is safe to say that I value consistency in the media I consume. Whether it be the shows I watch or the books I read, I would like my characters to grow and change in a realistic way without sacrificing their personalities for a plot. When creating a piece of media, it is important to keep certain aspects the same. But what happens if someone wants to interpret a character or world from another source entirely? 

Greek Mythology has been adapted again and again for hundreds of years. People all over the world enjoy the Greek Gods interacting and going on various adventures. I too enjoy these stories, and they inspired me to make my own interpretations. However, upon watching and reading others’ different versions, I found myself quite dissatisfied with one specific god: Ares, the Greek god of war and the most hated man on Olympus.

Too often, he is portrayed as a mindless brute who is shallow, angry, and arrogant. Now, I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with these interpretations, because that came directly from the myths. However, I want to take a little more than what is shown while, at the same time, not deviate from his given personality. It is possible, albeit hard. 

The first thing I had to start with was getting a good grasp of myths Ares is in. It was a difficult task to find myths that focused on him in a positive light, but they do exist. One myth includes him defending his daughter’s rapist and willing to go on trial for it. Several sources note that he respected his lover, Aphrodite, when the rest of the male gods saw her as nothing more than an object. 

With this in mind, it is appropriate to remember how his comrades saw him, and most importantly, his father, Zeus. Zeus was the king of the gods, and ruled over the heavens and the earth in mythology, so it’s safe to say that his word is gospel in their world. Unfortunately, he never had any kind words for his son. In fact, in Homer’s the Iliad, the King goes on a tirade directly toward Ares, telling him of how he hates him, and that he was the worst man on Olympus. Now, without any context, this would be a believable statement. 

This is important information that needs to be remembered when contextualizing a persona for Ares. His father does not seem to be fond of him, so that would make one feel hurt or angry. The conclusion of Zeus being a subpar father (at least to Ares) could also be drawn. With these ideas, realistic scenarios could be made up for Ares that are both unique and believable. Luckily, there is a certain comic that has done this very well.

Lore Olympus, a webcomic by Rachel Smythe, was made in 2018, and is proof that these Greek myths can take a certain twist to them while still remaining faithful enough. A prime example of this would be her depictions of Ares. Though he does not appear until Chapter 83, he appears with a literal crackle, attacking his father in defense of his mother. At this point, he is realistically shown to be violent and hotheaded, which is true based on ancient literature. However, now, there is added context, what with Ares’ anger being directed toward his father.  Based on what was said in the myths, this can be an accurate conclusion drawn, so his reaction to his parents in an argument isn’t out of place or inaccurate.

Another prominent focus of character for Ares is well after his introduction. He is at his girlfriend, Aphrodite’s home, playing with his son Storge’s hamster. In chapter 163, he is seen sitting on his couch, being attentive to something his son had been asking for since before Ares was even introduced. This part of his character might be hard to understand at first, but with context and digging deeper, it makes perfect sense. It is safe to say in modern terms that despite Ares’ behavior, Zeus can be considered to be abusive. In the myths, he very verbally expresses his disdain for Ares. So, it can also be considered that Ares would want to end the cycle of abuse and be a father that he never had to his children. This single panel of the comic shows how loving he can truly be when he’s away from his father and in a healthy environment. 

To sum things up, Ares is a complex god, just like the rest of his Olympian comrades. There is more than enough information about him in ancient literature to create a more nuanced rendition of his personality than before. It is true, he is a war god, one that even his own father hates. However, I know, and a lot of other people are starting to realize that he is capable of being seen as someone who is kind, attentive, and caring to those he loves. He can remain accurate, but there are several ways he - and by extension, the rest of the gods - can be twisted to a phenomenal character that can be loved by all.

Sources:

Smythe, Lore Olympus, (webcomic)

Homer, Iliad (ancient text)

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The Legend of Korra: Breaking Bending and a Beautiful World

I think it is safe to say that Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of, if not the greatest animated television series of all time. You could ask a multitude of people what their favorite part of the show was, and various answers are guaranteed to return. Maybe it was the deep mesmerizing worldbuilding that kept a viewer engaged. Or, it could be the lovable and compelling cast of characters viewers could easily relate to. And, it is safe to mention the themes the show presented about war, forgiveness, and growth that taught viewers valuable lessons that they are still applying to this day. Regardless of the reason, there is one unifying factor as to why all of those parts of the show are excellent, and that is because of the expert and meticulous writing. Praise must be due to Aaron Eshaz and his talented team for making such a tightly written and nearly flawless show.

Now, there should be no misconception. Aaron Eshaz is not the creator of the series. He is merely the head writer. The creators are two separate people, Mike DiMartino and Brian Konietzko. They certainly have a hand in the creation of their masterpiece, but it is important to acknowledge that the duo did not refine Avatar by themselves. No, without Eshaz and most of his team, another creation was made. Another series that is not regarded with nearly as much universal acclaim as their last. Together, the creators of Avatar made The Legend of Korra, airing on Nickelodeon in 2012. 

This particular show is not met with the same universal love that its predecessor receives. In fact, the community is quite divided on the synopsis on its quality. Some believe it to be just as good, or even better than the original. Others argue that it’s less than a fraction of the greatness of ATLA and refuse to call it a sequel. Unfortunately, my opinion on the series leans more towards the latter, and it is not due to blinding nostalgia. In fact, there are certain critical and fundamental changes and writing decisions that make the show flawed beyond repair, and as a result, pales in comparison to its predecessor. The Legend of Korra is a prime example of a story crumbling apart due to a failure of its creators sacrificing important worldbuilding for convenience. 

It is easy to start somewhere for an example, because one can be found at the very start of The Legend of Korra. In this scene, Korra, the main character, is seen bending three different elements as a child, proving that she is the next Avatar. On its own, the scene is cute and entertaining. However, when knowing the context and information that Avatar: The Last Airbender established, this scene breaks fundamental rules that were set for its universe. According to A:TLA, an Avatar is not supposed to know they’re the Avatar until they’re a teenager. Then, they learn the elements in an important cycle. All of this is ignored in Korra’s introduction, and it is baffling as to why this writing decision was made. 

In the show and creators’ defense, this could have been a creative choice to make Korra different and unique from the past Avatars. However, when doing this, Mike and Brian should have kept their world’s rules in mind. Kirk Hamilton, a journalist for Kotaku describes it as “The show chose to portray bending more as a magical power than a spiritual martial art.” This statement perfectly sums up the drastic difference in bending. Bending in A:TLA was not magic, it was a practiced art that was learned from the world’s nature. It is important to not forgo what was already there to maintain consistency. The show hasn’t even started, but The Legend of Korra is already showing little promise in it’s writing. And as the season continues, this specific issue remains to be a problem.

Later into the first season, the antagonist, Amon, is introduced. He is a “freedom fighter” who believes that non-benders deserve the same rights as benders. A main drive for him to equalize others is to take a bender’s ability to bend. He does this to strike fear into Korra and her friend group of benders. However, his immersion of a threat is shattered during the season finale. It is revealed that Amon is actually a waterbender who used blood bending (a rare and powerful subset of waterbending) to erase bending. 

Outside of the Avatar universe, this would have been an exciting twist. Unfortunately, that is not the case for TLOK, and for that this twist suffers. Hamilton calls Amon’s bending a “retcon” meaning that blood bending was not used as intended, and rewritten to fit the current narrative. In A:TLA, blood bending is only used during a full moon, and does not take one’s bending away. Hamilton’s remarks reflect that this change was both a failure in writing and a failure in consistency of the world that was built before. 

These examples are just from the first season, but they prove that DiMartino and Konietzko failed to understand the world they set their show in. On several occasions, the power system of bending was manipulated for an attempt to make a more exciting narrative. Because of these changes, the connection between A:TLA and TLOK hardly exists. There is no consistency, so it’s hard to enjoy new stories from the same universe when that can’t actually be true. My, and many others', loss of immersion in the show prove how important it is for a series to remain consistent within its world, even across different series. Changing anything important to the world’s structure is bound to weaken a series sequel, just as The Legend of Korra will always be second to its predecessor.

Source:

Hamilton, K. (2012, July 3). 5 ways The Legend of Korra Went Wrong. Kotaku. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://kotaku.com/5-ways-the-legend-of-korra-went-wrong-5923014.

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Lorien Legacies: The Fall of Nine

When I was in the 8th grade, I accidentally stumbled upon a book that a student left behind in the gym. I took it home and that book changed my life. It was Eragon by Christopher Paolini, and to this day, it is my favorite book series of all time. From that series I went through 

After that initial book addiction, I didn’t get invested into another book series for quite some time. I was stubborn and picky and truly believed that no other book series could possibly make me feel anything close to what Eragon did. I had to reason hard within myself that that was okay, and if something caught my eye, I should take a chance and try something new. So, I decided to try my luck and pick up a book I had eyed a few times in the bookstore. It was I Am Number Four, and was the first of seven in a long series.  

I read all seven books in around three months. And, more than a year later, I don’t regret my decision on spending around 80 dollars to buy all seven books. However, it is important to note that there was an obvious point in the series when the books took a turn for the worse, especially regarding my favorite character. 

Lorien Legacies is a story about a group of aliens on the run from an enemy group of aliens, leading them to hide on Earth. This journey turns into defending earth from those aliens, and along the way, learn about the importance of humanity and what makes Earth a  suitable home. There are a total of nine fugitive aliens, three of which are dead upon the opening of the series. My personal favorite is Nine, the biggest and physically strongest of the fugitives. 

From his very introduction, this character grabbed attention. He was wild, killing enemies and genuinely enjoying himself while doing so. At the point of his entrance in the series, no one else is as vulgar, shameless, aggressive, or intense. He’s a wonderful contrast to John, the main protagonist, who’s kind and sensitive to those around him. Not only does this make excellent character interactions of tension and arguments but it leads up to my favorite chapter in the series, where they finally face off against one another. 

This chapter in the third book puts Nine in his best light. Although he may appear rash and hot headed, when in battle, he is almost a different person entirely. The entire time, he has John on his toes, using his special staff and the city around them to his advantage. When fighting, he's perceptive and watchful, keeping track of everyone’s movements and surroundings. He wins the fight almost effortlessly, and that chapter alone proved that he was a lot smarter than he let on. 

His entertaining fight was not his only shining moment as a character. Towards the end of the third book, Nine and John have to stop at a gas station and stumble upon a group of innocent hitchhikers. While John wants to defuse this situation and move on, Nine willingly puts himself in a position to defend the youthful hitchhikers (page 286). Of course, when Nine wants to fight these people, it shows his recklessness and temper, but also puts his protectiveness on full display. He doesn’t know these people, but still wants to protect them from oppressors. Its a wonderful addition to his personality and proves that he’s more than just a crazed brute who likes to fight. Unfortunately, his character takes a complete turn around in the very next book of the series, and it’s not for the better.

In The Fall of Five, the next book in the series, there’s a new character added to the group. Five is also one of the alien fugitives, and is rescued by a smaller group in Arkansas. Immediately upon arrival, the entire group gets a strange feeling from him, what with him having never seen an enemy and defending the enemy aliens when asked about his background. 

Although Five’s character could use a good deconstruction, he is not the focus of my point. What I want to prioritize is how Nine treats him for the entirety of the book, and how it is detrimental to not only his own character, but another one entirely. Throughout the fourth book of the series, Nine harasses Five and treats him horribly. He pushes Five out of a chair, calls him names, and actively tries not to include him in group activities. 

From the example I used from the last book, a reader (like me) would believe that these traits were completely out of left field. While it can be argued that Nine was rather aggressive to John, he was never mean. There was not a single time when Nine called John a name, and when he did, it was for light teasing, and after they had spent some time together. Now in the next book, when Nine calls Five a hobbit (The Fall of Five, page 147), it’s mean spirited for no reason. This is a prime example of an inconsistency of his character, and it only gets worse. 

At the end of the book, the climax is at its peak and it’s revealed that Five is a spy for the enemy. This was heavily alluded to and a little predictable, but again, Five is not the issue (for now). The problem is Nine’s reaction to the situation and how it causes a prominent character to lose their lives for it. When Five is attempting to explain his reasoning, Nine only further pushes him over the edge, and eventually, tempers flare, and Eight, one of their comrades, dies (page 330). Now, Five didn’t simply try to kill everyone; he spared Eight at first because Eight was kind to him. Nine, however, was a bully toward Five the entire time they’ve known each other, all the way up until Eight was accidentally impaled. 

Where did my Nine go? The Nine from the third book and the Nine from the fourth book might as well be two different people. One is an arrogant and aggressive teenager with his heart in the right place. The Nine from the Fall of Five is nothing more than a bully, and without his antagonizing, an entire character could have been spared. This was an intentional choice by the writers, who manipulated a character’s personality in order to advance a plot point. It is a shame, Nine had potential to be an amazing character that could have had potential, but if there is no consistency in that character, then there can never be progression into greatness.

Sources: 

Lore, P. (2012). The Rise of Nine. Harper. 

Lore, P. (2014). The Fall of Five. Harper.