#Hero of Ishval?''

[dailypearldoodles]

Day 534

Yup it's more fma au aha

Decided to go ahead with the idea that Pearl was given a Philosopher's Stone during Ishval, thus also gaining the title The Red Pearl Alchemist for a short time. The stone is returned after the war ends, but later she finds it again in the Fifth Laboratory with Gem

[mikeys-bike-slut]

This man had a chokehold on me for a good 16 years...

[valiantsilver]

what if the five sacrifices but they’re song lyrics

witch image - ghost // rachael - she wants revenge // nobody’s hero - black veil brides // body - mother mother // the foundations of decay - my chemical romance

[flameleads]

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐬 𝐀 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧?

you killed the hero, and you regret it

the sun was in your eyes. you lost sight of where you were going. you never expected to get this far, let alone succeed. this was supposed to change things for you, but now you've got this ache in your throat that makes you think that maybe you were wrong. you're still sitting here three hours later with the body of your hero in your arms, and all you can think is /what have i done/.

[sassydefendorflower]

There is such a power in FMA only telling Ed and Al's story.

By the end we can see glimpses of all the other people we met throughout the boys' journey, but for most of them the future in uncertain.

In a way it is a very... un-shounen ending. Because while, yes, Edward does get his happy ending (his brother, Winry, and a future in which he can be a happy and attentive father) for everyone else the future is uncertain. Oh, it is certainly hopeful - but it is not written in stone.

We know that Roy got a promotion, but Brigadier General is still three to four ranks away from becoming Führer and it is likely going to take years if it's going to work at all. And while Grumman is definitely not a Homunculus, he is still human - and FMA shows us again and again what horrors humanity is capable of. He's a moderate and on Mustang's side, but in the end we don't know how his and Hawkeye's story ends.

We don't know if they achieve their goal. If they ever end up paying for what they did in Ishval.

We know that Ling ends up becoming Emperor, and we know he has sworn to protect the Chen Clan. We don't know if his goal of creating peace between the warring clans of Xing will bear fruits. We don't know if his reign will be long and prosperous, and we don't know if he will ever find love - he is, after all, a man for whom duty comes first. Lan Fan and Mei are much the same.

We know Scar reclaimed his heritage - maybe even his title as a monk - and that he and Miles are in charge of rebuilding Ishval. We know Mustang has plans to end the occupation of the annexed country. We know there is hope for a people who had every reason to loose it. But we won't ever know what reparations were paid, what troubles were had, what hurdles almost destroyed them.

We know Winry will have friends in the future, and children. We can hope that her automail business becomes a success and that she fulfills all her dreams - we have reason to hope, her happiness is Ed's happiness after all, and we know he would do everything for her.

We see Al travel, and we see him and Ed share ideas and knowledge and dreams. We can imagine a world in which they live long lives and experience more adventures - but at the same time, their story is over.

FMA answers a lot of questions at the end, telling us that for now, everything is okay, our heroes saved the day, their friends (mostly) alive and well.

But it will never give us the ultimate happy end - it will never give us a "and now everyone is happy and everything is good". Oh, it comes close, because it offers us something else, something central to the themes of the story:

It offers us hope.

The hope that Roy and Riza will succeed, that Ling and Mei and Lan Fan will change the Imperial System, that Scar and Miles will create safety for their people, that Winry will be happy, and Amestris a country worth living for.

We will never know for sure, because it is not their story.

(and thank god for that - the possibility of failure is what makes the hope worth it)

(I'm sure Ed and his automail leg would agree)

[qs63]

Basque Grand might be the character who changes the most between FMA 03 and FMA manga. He appears so little on BH that I keep forgetting he's not supposed to be the unhinged villain we see in 03.

For context, in FMA 03 Grand is one of the masterminds of the Ishvalan War, he thinks little of people's lives (Amestrian or Ishvalan), he's the one that orders Roy to kill Winry's parents, and he's very critical of Marcoh leaving the military and tries to hunt him down.

Meanwhile, manga Grand is doing his best to protect lives, charging to the front to protect his subordinates, being pissed at the way they're using them as cannon fodder, and even trying to stop the war without further bloodshed. He takes a big personal risk by committing mutiny and killing his superior officer, all so that he can arrange for Supreme cleric Lowe to meet Bradley for peace negotiations.

Too bad Bradley stomped all over Lowe's and Grand's efforts.

Furthermore, he — not Mustang, not Armstrong — is the one to approach Ed after he gets his State Alchemist certificate and asks him: Did you know many State Alchemists quit after Ishval due to anguish? Which is short from him telling Ed to run because the title isn't worth the trauma.

He was obviously not happy with the Bradley administration, and seems to have fundamentally disagreed with the decisions taken during the war (enough to kill a superior officer to circumvent his orders). It's a shame we didn't see any of these scenes in BH.

His death at the hands of Scar was probably more detrimental than anything in the long run. It's extremely likely he would've sided with the "heroes" against the homunculi, considering his past decisions. They could have all benefitted from his abilities and experience during the Promised Day.

[memesmadefullmetal]

🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROY!!! 🎉

To celebrate, we’re asking you 🫵🏻 to choose your favourite nickname for our resident fire starter! 🔥

Vote for your favourite from the series, and let us know if we missed any notable ones! Or create your own in the tags and notes! 😉

(For example, Mod Hawkeye likes to call him soggy poncho man every so often, but dumbass works too 😌)

- Mod Mustang & Mod Hawkeye 🔥🦅

[chrysopoeias]

opinion posting about riza hawkeye/otp on something i see a lot around town but i disagree with.

Anyway. One thing I see more often than not is the idea that Hawkeye joined the military in order to chase after Mustang because she wanted to protect him. Or that she chased him while in love. But that is actually not true. I know ‘Because I have someone to protect’ is meemed into everyone’s head, but that was not her reason for joining the army. And it does not make sense either.

Like in a strategy guide to get Riza laid any% speedrun, what option is most logical?

1) Go completely no-contact with Mustang. Attend possibly multiple years of the military academy, likely in a different region from where he is. Get into a speciality that is wildly different from him. Git gud at that and then hope that maybe, if all the stars align her future boss will one day for some random reason put her in the proximity of this magic scientist she has not spoken to in years. And then ??? profit?

2) Literally just call Roy on his phone number, perhaps sent him a nice letter, or visit his address.

Sure, the first thing is what actually happened. But it's way too uncertain for that to have been planned. She did not need to be a soldier to be close to him. Roy was not a stranger to Riza, she had his current up to date contact info. He gave it to her on page/screen after her dad died. 

When she first sees Mustang in Ishval Hawkeye looks angered and shocked to see him. The first thing she says to him is ‘Do you remember me?’. These two had no contact at all between 1905 and 1908. Mustang got flame alchemy and skedaddled out of her life (even though he was supposed to look after her lmao) and Hawkeye also had clearly no intention of seeking him out when she could have done so easily. She did not join the army to protect him. And also, she says why she joined:

She wanted to improve the lives of the people of Amestris. So am I saying it had nothing to do with Mustang? Well no. Her reasons for joining the military are the same as his. 

She looked up to him. Here is this young man who has been to places beyond her sad little town and graduated from the military academy, he is a genius alchemist and must know what he’s talking about, right? That is on top of whatever their relationship was like before then, and whatever adoration she had for him already. She trusted him and thought his dreams were wonderful. Riza also wanted to believe in a peaceful future. Remember that they live in a totalitarian military dictatorship that has been in continued armed conflicts since the middle ages. There has never been a time of peace, ever, since the country was founded. And from the normie Amestrian point of view, they are just defending themselves from outside attacks. I believe that if Hawkeye and Mustang were sent to a border conflict instead of the civil war, they would have never questioned their government.

Anyway, Riza saw an opportunity to be useful with her own two hands, beyond being a walking notebook. Even if she could die in the process, it’d be worth to try. (And the military would also give her a salary after growing up in poverty and a place to live that is not the house she was abused in). She was a teenager with no family, no guidance, no idea what to make of herself. But this was something she could do. (She could have chosen many non-violent paths instead too, to be fair, but I digress).

And then it all went to shit obviously. You cannot become a sniper and never expect to kill. Selling your agency to the state means you can’t just play hero when you want to, you will be sent where ordered whether you like it or not, and forced to commit horrors or die a traitor. Believing the naive ideals of protecting her country was a mistake. Blindly admiring and trusting Mustang was a mistake. Smarter people than me can go expand on that.

But the ‘because there is someone I have to protect’ reason Hawkeye gives for being in the military is actually the reason why she stays. She could have gotten her diploma after Ishval and leave the military behind. But she chose not to.

She stays and will continue to kill because flame alchemy is her responsibility and she has created Mustang, all his kills are mentally hers. If she quits or kills herself while he does not, flame alchemy is still loose in the world outside her control. And just like Roy, she never fully gives up on her dream about protecting everyone. There must be a way to make all this worth it. There is still a way to change the country so future generations won’t have to go through what she did. She’s already doomed so she will take that responsibility so others won’t have to. She violently and fully clings to that.

If Mustang dies before doing anything positive for the world with their dreams and his abilities, all Hawkeye has done with her short life is cause destruction, murder and create a murderer, all the suffering would have been a waste. She cannot life with that guilt or continue the path alone, she will give up and kill herself. Especially in the scenario where she kills Roy herself, and with that her only hope.

There is no way out for them. But their murder-suicide pact was not planned for since they were young. They never intended to see each other again and spend their lives like this. You can blame dad for setting them up for failure.

[kimbleefucker]

Hey. I’m a mega fan of FMA and it is one of my top 4 anime of all times besides Naruto Shippuden, AOT and My Hero Academia. And my fav are Isaac Mcdougal, Edward, Roy and Kimblee. If can, can u elaborate me about Kimblee backstory and what’s he like before Ishval

Well we really don't know, it's never been revealed. My own thoughts are that he comes from a fairly respected family. I've always considered his family running a textile mill that provides the uniforms to the military, giving his name some respect in those circles.

Likely an only child with few to no friends, alchemy is an easy thing for him to fall into. Kimblee within canon believes that all alchemists are inherently self centered and posture themselves above God- to do so, you must first believe in a God to believe you're above it. I think hid family are fairly Orthodox Jews, but he is less spiritual and more cultural and his views on God fall in line with the Jewish practice of questioning God and any higher beings authority.

Kimblee is shown to have no service ribbons in Ishval while Roy already has a few, meaning Ishval is Kimblee's very first job. He also has no personal attachment to rank or military career. Thru this we can gleam that he likely did not attend the military academy nor did he become a state alchemist and a solider, but rather just an alchemist like Ed or Tucker for the resources and was then drafted into Ishval when Bradley signed the respective order to do so.

We also know that Kimblee is aware he is neurodivergent and actively chose to mask to pass the exam. To what extent is unknown however because we have seen the depth of the military corruption and know many of his views on things like, war or murder, would be big pros for them rather than cons. He's kind of a weird guy (read: very autistic and schizophrenic) so he is probably mostly masking his need to talk back or his specific delusions, to the best of his ability.

Because of this we know he is about the same age as Roy and Hughes (approx. 30 at time we see him at Briggs or so) so he's really spent most of his adult life in Prison being that he was there for 7 years.

Some people like to go crazy with it and say things lime "he's an orphan" "he killed his parents" "he had severe trauma" but I think all of that is missing the point that he is the way he is simply by birth and also, despite being abnormal, he is equally capable of normalcy and being jusy a regular person as well.

[yourwakingnightmares]

Roy Mustang is an amazing character, and a great example of what humans are capable of doing to survive.

So to start with, the big question is... Is Roy a good person? Can Roy be redeemed for what he did in Ishval? How can we look at what he did, and still think he’s a good man?

The answer is three-fold.

First, we have to understand the setting. Luckily for us, very, very few of us live in a military state, or even a police state. Unluckily for Roy, he does. The military runs Amestris. There’s very little Roy can actively do to avoid his fate, without getting everyone he loves killed... and for what? What difference will his dying a heroic death make? He’ll still be dead. His loved ones will still be dead. And someone else will come in, and the Ishvalans will still be dead.

Which ties into the second part: Roy has people he cares about. In a military state, anyone can be executed. Roy, being in Ishval, would be all too aware of how easy it is to declare someone an enemy of the state, and execute them. His aunt and his ‘sisters’ would be killed, and very few people would even bat an eye.

And lastly... Roy was raised in Amestris. One of the ways that dictatorships and police states work is by indoctrination. For Roy, up until that point? Amestris would’ve been absolutely in the right. He’s heard about the evil terrible people who want to destroy Amestris. He’s heard about the terrible things people will do to his people if left unchecked.

One of my grandmother’s best friends was a German immigrant we’ll call Sonja. Unfortunately, she’s been dead for nearly a decade now, but when I was in high school, she told me a story.

Her father was a proud German soldier. When the war started, he proudly served his country. But within a few years, whenever he would come home on leave, he would turn the picture of Hitler -kept on the mantle -around, so he didn’t have to look at it. And she told me she remembered being ashamed of her father; how could he do such a thing? It wasn’t until she was an adult, and the family had moved to America, that her father explained it to her.

He saw the concentration camps. He knew what was happening. And he knew what was happening to the Jews would happen to his family if he spoke out. He knew what would happen to his wife, three daughters, and two sons if he dared object to what was happening. The only thing he could do was turn around a picture, so he didn’t have to stare at the face of the man who controlled his fate.

Even knowing that he just doing what he had to do to keep his family safe, Sonja said her father lived with the guilt of that the rest of his life. That he was constantly donating money to synagogues, sending money to Jewish families in their neighborhood. When he was 49 years old, Sonja’s father committed suicide, unable to live with what he had done any longer.

Roy isn’t a ‘bad’ guy; he’s a guy doing whatever it takes to survive, and try and keep his family safe. It doesn’t make him a hero, to be sure. It doesn’t make him a good guy. It makes him a human being, put in a terrible position, doing the best he can to struggle through.

[actuallyidontgiveadamn]

Really out of nowhere but I rewatched some of fma03 eps and im gonna rant

I'm just so done with smiling politely saying that fma03 and fmab are both great sorry i cant anymore. Just no

So if you in love with fmab im warning you it probably won't be a good read for you, so feel free to ignore this, block me or idk read this and give it a thought

0. I really dont understand the glorification of manga over anime adaptations. Like people who are making the adaptation are not artists and creators themselves? What makes mangaka better than others and absolutely indisputable, seriously?

1. 'Oh no long introduction and fillers' that actually allowed for Hughes' character development before his death. Seriously if i mention his death among my homies I'll get lots of faces clearly going through some ptsd level flashbacks, it was that impactful. I still need to take a breather when im rewatching before diving into that ep.

2. Nina. Yet again got more time to grow on us and thus aquired higher trauma inducing levels.

3. Ishval massacre and aftermath are WAY MORE VISIBLE in fma03. First of all Ishvalans are depicted as human beings, and not some background, and we get lots more on their sufferings, raids on camps, racism towards them, etc etc etc

4. Scar. Oh boi how do i even go about this. So without raging much about that beefy obviously wrong dude who got 'sense' bitten into him and started working with the oppressing gov in fmab, we have a wronged and tormented survivor of a genocide, who was justified in his vengeance and rage, was depicted as an attractive person of color despite his antagonistic role and was seriously almost cheered on in his actions by the narrartive. His interactions with his people and his moral dilemmas made his character possibly the deepest and most thought out one in the series.

5. The Rockbell doctors being killed by their own government. That's a waaaaay more interesting and damning detail on our government affiliated protagonists than just dumping their murder on a delirious patient.

6. Homunculi had their own will and desires and a way more developed story arc that had a huge impact on protagonists' morals. Being created by the humans who were desperate to bring back their loved ones and both parties are getting tormented by it?? Characters strongly driven by their own goals and staggered by their relations to their creators vs some indifferent goons in fmab. Just compare Sloths and their impact on the stories and protags.

7. Final conflict being a fight with god and his intricate plans in fmab, versus final battle vs a selfish pretty much usual person who had thrown everyone under the bus in pursuit of immortality. Adds so much more desperation flavor. Suddenly your hero journey doesn't end in epic battle for the sake of the mankind, as you would like it to be. It's just to oppose one awful person with too much power and zero care about anyone else. That's raw and that's way more plausible and relatable in our mundane lives.

8. Overall darker tone and themes of the fma03.

9. MUSIC. I dont remember a single track from fmab, but i went really out of my way in my teenage years to find internet access and pirate fma soundtrack and cry listening to it

10. ART. Sorry but don't tell me fmabs flat colors are anything to 03's soft tones and lighting

So yeah sorry, but I'll take the dark and gritty tragedy over just another shounen with doubtful messages each and every time

[experimentalfma]

@oniric-multimuse-rp

"Hiya, Roy!" Hughes burst into his friend's tent without announcing himself, with far more energy than he ever really felt these days. The desert's scorching heat and the senseless slaughter of the Ishvalans could wear down even the most upbeat personalities. The fighting seemed to be over for the day, but the promise of more impending violence hung heavy in the air.

He dropped down heavily next to the alchemist and gave him the most convincing smile he could muster, though it never reached his eyes. "I heard some interesting news today. They're saying we're getting better rations tonight. Calling it a way to boost morale, if you can believe it." He shook his head. "As if the higher-ups actually think that means something. Anyway, why don't you come with me to get something? I'm sure you could use it after a long day."

Small talk. That's all it was, but whatever it took to get them through another day, no matter how inane or minor, was worthwhile. Besides, he knew Roy's involvement in the war had to be taking a toll on him with his newfound status as "the Hero of Ishval," and if anything he could at least try to distract him for a few brief moments.

[lanfan01]

WARNING: BLOOD!

I like the theme so i made 3 versions (see more for more ahaha)

Orchestra of the dead, 'Hero' of Ishval, An arm and a soul

Orchestra of the dead: Lust

(a concert to die for)

"Hero" of Ishval: Riza Hawkeye

(blood of war victims)

An arm and a soul: Lan Fan

(Lan Fan's arm, Fu's soul)

[flameleads]

There is a part of Roy that relishes how much power he has as the Flame Alchemist, what he can do, and that no one else can do it.

And he loathes it.

To understand this part of Roy Mustang, we have to go back to the Ishvalan War of Extermination. Roy was an effective State Alchemist during said war, later touted as the Hero of Ishval, a moniker he holds with disdain. Roy viewed his orders with disgust and horror, which he shared with both Maes Hughes and Riza Hawkeye more than once. During one of these conversations, Solf J. Kimblee happens to listen in and offer his insight, namely to Riza:

Riza, who is fresh out of the academy, freezes. The very thought is dreadful. How could Kimblee ask such a thing?

We do not see Maes respond to Kimblee in either the manga nor FMAB. Roy, however, is quick on his feet with a fight response:

In looking at this scene, we might think Roy's anger comes from a place purely to defend his friend. That would not be inaccurate as Roy cares deeply for Riza. Everything we know about Roy's character leads us to believe he would not sit idly by while someone he cares about is threatened or hurt. This war also has most people on edge. Such an emotional response is in the realm of normal.

But, it's not the only thing that bothered Roy here. Kimblee in this scene makes an excellent foil to Roy's fraying idealism and self-image. He runs almost completely opposite as he views his work as a State Alchemist as a job, which he takes satisfaction in. He also acknowledges what this war is and what they're doing, giving his famous speech that Riza eventually quotes back to Edward:

"Don't avert your eyes from death. Look straight ahead. Look squarely at the people you're killing. And don't forget them. Never... forget them. Because they won't forget you" (Chapter 60: In the Absence of God).

This entire confrontation between Kimblee and Roy forces the latter to come face-to-face with uncomfortable truths about himself and the war. The one that got him angry in the first place, though? There was a part of him that took pride in what he did on the battlefield. There was a part of him that enjoyed using his flame alchemy to kill.

Just like everything else, he compartmentalized that part of himself. It could never see the light of day again. Every time he used his flame alchemy after that, it was with the specific purpose of ensuring he and those around him survived---or, in the case of Fullmetal vs. Flame, it was for training purposes.

Flames of Vengeance, however, was the exception. The man who enjoyed using his flame alchemy to harm and kill came out then, and he was not quiet about it. Listen to and/or read how he speaks to Envy when he describes what he is doing with his alchemy. It is sadistic, and it is terrifying.

And, underneath all of the fury, there is pride.

In conclusion: Roy Mustang compartmentalizes almost every facet of himself in order to get ahead. This is just another part, one he hates, and it is perhaps one of the deadliest of all.

[scienceoftheidiot]

Hey, it's WIP wednesday!

Here is an excerpt from All the Hope's next chapter! I have been poking at Roy a lot lately, now it's Riza's turn to suffer shine !

I hope you'll like this little excerpt 😊

"How is it, being a woman soldier?" The older one, a skinny blonde with pale blue eyes, asked. "You were in Ishval, if I'm not mistaken?" Riza repressed a shudder. Roy would know what to answer. She did not. The woman looked eager, more than curious. Over time, after being there when Roy had met more and more of this type of people in situations like this, Riza had understood that while they were swimming in money and could get whatever they wanted, the wealthy women of Central or East city alike only lacked one thing: control over their own lives. Riza had chosen her path. What she had done with said freedom of choice was another matter. She didn't know if she was envious or pitied them. But back when she’d started understanding this, she was Roy’s shadow. Barely noticeable, maybe for them to the level of the waiters. A bodyguard. Not someone to gush about. Questions and remarks weren't directed at her, and she even took pleasure in witnessing Roy replying to such bold or stupid questions in a manner too fine for them to even comprehend he was sometimes mocking them. Riza wasn’t used to the attention being focused on her, and she hated it. Seeing them be so eager to talk about the war, especially during this event, made her feel slightly dizzy. She looked at the golden sequins on the thin and blonde older woman's otherwise pretty classical dress, the pink satin and long sleeves of the chubby younger one's, the abundance of jewellery, gold, silver, precious gems that shone a cruel gleam in the otherwise soft light of the ballroom. She swam in the smell of fine perfume — too much of it, did they pour the bottle on themselves? it didn’t help her dizziness — and she felt like she belonged to another species altogether. Make them cough up the money, Captain. "Yes, I was in Ishval." "Of course she was, Greta," the young brunette said immediately, saving Riza from having to develop. "Can't you see the medal? That one with light blue and white stripes. My brother has the same. But he was in communications," she waved her brother aside quickly. "This girl, Greta, she's the Hawk's Eye!" "The Hawk's Eye was a woman?!" "My, Greta, where were you? It was all over the news!" The brunette turned towards Riza. "You were such an inspiration for my little sister. She dreamed about being a hero like you. She even made a scene once so our parents had to buy her a little sniper costume. She was so cute!" Riza, nauseous, focused entirely on keeping a straight face. That, she was good at.

[bracketsoffear]

Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) "He's the Flame Alchemist - a military mage with a unique, unprecedentedly destructive ability to create fire on the scale of "destroying a few city blocks with a finger snap". Fire powers alone obviously do not make a Desolation Avatar, but this is absolutely not all he's got.

The Desolation's themes of pain, loss and destruction of potential are perhaps most evident in his relationship with his lifelong companion, Riza Hawkeye. He idealistically (to protect the people and to better the country in the future) enlisted in the military, and she was inspired to do the same. Flame alchemy was her father's treasured dangerous research that he tattooed onto her back, and that is how Roy learned it after her father's death - she metaphorically entrusted her back to him.

Then came the Ishvalan genocide - and he proved instrumental in it, implied to have the largest death toll even among other state alchemists with destructive powers, and earned the moniker "Hero of Ishval" - he's the poster child of Desolation in-universe. And genocide by an element, especially fire, is arguably the most Desolation thing to exist ever. Jude Perry's "blackened earth, the destructive agonizing heat of burning flesh and land scoured of life" is a line that could be lifted verbatim from a Roy-centric episode. And in a more individual fighting context, Roy also exemplifies Desolation's targeting nature - while he can spam fire, he also can and will target the most painful and important parts, torture and humiliate.

Coming back to Riza, who became a sniper and saw what Roy was capable of with the knowledge she trusted him with: after the war she begged him to burn off the tattoo on her back, so that there would at least be no more Flame Alchemists. Being forced to consider how you influenced your closest person and then having to hurt them unimaginably is a very Desolation moment. Finally, in their relationship after the war and during the series I can't not see the similarities between Roy and Agnes Montague, tensely attempting to do Things Normal People Do and usually romance-coded gestures but knowing he they could never be who they thought they could.

If I could, I would nominate the two of them as a single Avatar. But alas."

Dhwan!Master (Doctor Who) "Every incarnation of the Master is an angry, sadistic bastard to varying degrees, but Dhawan’s portrayal in particular makes clear that he is destroying things and killing people to hurt the Doctor first, and to further his ends second - save for when destruction is an end in and of itself. The previous incarnations of the Master all have ambitions of conquest, which requires something actually surviving to rule over in the end. Dhawan's Master, however, is deeply affected by a) the events leading up to his previous self's death, and b) numerous horrifying revelations about the nature of the Time Lords and of the Doctor. When the audience first meets him, he is already DEEP in a self-destructive spiral and only gets more unstable with each subsequent appearance, turning his rage outward all the while. He razes his home planet, draws out the reveals of his schemes to twist the knife for the Doctor, and eventually even tries to steal her very identity and being in order to tarnish her name and destroy every good thing she ever did. He hates himself and both loves and hates the Doctor on a deep, fundamental level, for things he wouldn't be able to change even if he were capable of letting go in the first place, so he leans ever harder upon his hatred for everything else in order to keep going."