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besiegedhunter · 1 year ago

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Projekt Red, strength and role within Rhodes.

So another Red analysis because I'm just so excited for her appearance in Season 2 of the anime!

This time analyzing Red's strength because it is not only extremely relevant to her character and history but because I found her position within Rhodes, especially at the launch of the game, to be extremely interesting.

So this'll be a bit long so under the cut.

Now I debated how I wanted to start this but how about the simple feats that we have seen from her since those are what most people should know and it's simply two.

During 6-11 Red ambushed Crownslayer and her squad, making easy work of them and ambushing Crownslayer when she attempted to get away.

In Il Siracusano, IS-ST-4 to be exact, Red assassinates Crownslayer's Mentor and Red's fellow Fang. Then when Crownslayer goes to attack her Red casually dodges and escapes.

Besides these two moments we don't see Red doing anything notable and while effortlessly dealing with Crownslayer is no small feat (she is a Fang and we don't see a single good moment of her) sadly both times Crownslayer couldn't do much because of how terrified she is of Red.

A fear that we know could knock mafiosos out in the case of Zaaro.

But see, this isn't what I think we should base Red's strength on. So how about something that's very telling?

I made a post about this but essentially: I went through every Operator's profile looking at their Combat Skill rating in their physical examination. Specifically I was seeing what Operators have an "Outstanding" which is the highest besides a rating that's immeasurable and only Chongyue has for Combat Skill.

Kal'tsit for example has immeasurable in Tactical Acumen and Skadi has it in Strength.

Of all 272 Operators only 8 (again besides Chongyue) have an "Outstanding" Combat Skill. They are:

Nearl the Radiant Knight

Mlynar

Hellagur

Qiubai

Gladiia

Ch'en

Lappland

Projekt Red

So Red is not only one of 8/272 Operators with an Outstanding Combat Skill but is in that group with those characters. Think about the Operators who didn't make that list and that Red is counted among them.

It's shocking but one other thing about Red being on this list I want to point out is that she's the one with the deepest roots to Rhodes on this list, having no other responsibilities and of them likely being the longest member, being raised by Kal'tsit and predating S.W.E.E.P.

Further to that is the fact that when the game launched only Lappland and Red were playable Operators. Which, Red being one of the few Operators with an "Outstanding" Combat skill especially prior to the Victoria arc gives us an interesting lens to look at Red's position within Rhodes Island.

So beginning with Red's files, present since launch where only her and Lappland had such a high Combat Skill rating. Her archive 1:

It makes a note of her behavior in combat, comparing it to other Operators but also saying that any mission needing her would be the most dangerous missions and that she even got a nickname for it. Something I can't remember any other Operator having (probably wrong.)

And to state again: at this time we didn't really know about the Elite Operators and only Red and Lappland had Outstanding Combat Skills.

Then throughout the Reunion arc Red is consistently trusted to guard Amiya, the leader of Rhodes Island, as well as being the only one that Kal'tsit takes with her to decrease the number of Reunion members within Lungmen during chapter 6.

Mind you that at this time Red is the only one accompanying both Amiya and Kal'tsit. No other person is required and she is the one they believe to be best suited to the job.

And oddly that's fair. Like no Operator who strictly is a part of Rhodes Island has the same Combat Skill rating as her. Even Sharp who is the same rarity, an Elite Operator and fought Degenbrecher, who I'd say is more skilled than Nearl, on equal footing when she wasn't using her best weapons and he only has an Excellent rating.

And while the Victoria arc and all we learn about Amiya and Kal'tsit would make the fact Red was chosen to accompany them was made more impressive, I also can't say they it means much with that further information.

Nevertheless, being one of 9/272 Operators with Outstanding or higher Combat Skill, the one chosen to accompany Amiya and Kal'tsit and an Operator who earned a nickname for her strength and a signal for a extremely dangerous mission-

Is a much better example of her strength than her clashes with Crownslayer ever could. In fact, if Red is on the level of Nearl, Mlynar, Qiubai and the lot and chosen for the most difficult missions, I have to wonder whether or not she could become an Elite Operator.

And maybe the only reason she isn't is because of her awful situation. Which gets us to the next segment: why she is so strong. Because Red's strength came at the cost of everything.

See Red was dragged into a game between the immortal wolves of Siracusa called the Signore dei Lupi by one of them called Grandma. This game is one where each Signore dei Lupi would raise a Fang to kill the other Fangs till only one remains and the last Fang's Signore dei Lupi becomes the Packleader.

We see with other Fangs like Bernado, Lunacub and Crownslayer's mentor that they can function fine. Teach or lead others. And to an extent that the Signore dei Lupi treat them alright, with Agnese loving Lunacub and Zaaro working alongside Bernado.

Red's Signore dei Lupi is not like that.

Grandma put Red through hell to make her strong. Didn't teach her basic human skills that'd help her survive in society or without guidance.

And so she has educational and social problems and cuts anything that gets close on top of Kal'tsit needing to help her learn to think for herself.

Grandma destroyed her just to make her strong and judging by how Zaaro was able to turn the Bellone family into the strongest mafia family in Siracusa, the Signore dei Lupi are very knowledgeable in making something strong.

Grandma just chose to ignore everything else.

And actually there's a bit of phrasing that Red uses in Operational Intelligence's After-class Homework vignette to Ifritthat I find quite interesting:

Red is very simple, blunt and black and white in her thinking and a lot of her terminology is tied up in how the Signore dei Lupi's phrase things. Calling her weapons "Fangs" for example and the use of Hunt and Wolves.

And as the Signore dei Lupi's game is decided by the strongest, this phrasing by Red is really interesting. Like her identity is that she's a wolf hunter. Her life's goal is hunting every single one down. It makes sense that this would bleed into her vocabulary and beliefs.

And yeah. She's a tremendously strong character who was made that way at the cost of everything else and who is recognized by her strength and maybe judges others based on strength.

That's the analysis.

But another thing I want to briefly mention is how similar she is to Nearl oddly enough. Like, not just that they're two extremely skilled warriors or both engaged in a tournament where traditionally only one can win and will be the strongest.

But that that their ties within Rhodes are quite deep, with Nearl being an instructor and squad leader and Red being all the things I've mentioned up to this point. But also that they joined Rhodes, not being able to return to their home and that one day they would have to return to finish things.

These thoughts being what inspired this post and thinking of Red in a similar light to Nearl before her Alter is really quite interesting. But anyway, with Red in Siracusa right now I'm excited to see her character and strength on full display.

And I hope that this was in the very least an interesting read.

Edit: I forgot that I wanted to discuss Lappland's strength to sort of understand how strong "Outstanding" combat skill means cause a lot of the other's are really big.

Like Nearl being a two time champion of the Kazimierz major that accepts warriors from outside of Kazimierz. Who beat Mlynar in a sword fight (with him not using arts) and Mlynar beating a Silverlance Pegasus captain when only eight ordinary ones could withstand any assault the Armourless Union could throw at them.

And Hellagur having fought alongside Patriot and commenting on how if not for Patriot then he would've died against those very same Silverlance Pegasus forces in Operational Intelligence.

Or Ch'en and Qiubai standing their own against Ya, an Feranmut, and on two occasions standing against Ya on their own. And Hellagur having fought alongside Patriot

Comparatively what we see from Lappland is rather ordinary but at the same time holds a weight of it's own. Like Lappland's family the Saluzzo's is really the strongest family in Siracusa. Both in terms of producing the strongest people but also as a family.

When Il Siracusano starts the Bellones got boosted by Zaaro and the Rossati's got their position through inheriting the Texas family's wealth. The Saluzzo's got their through sheer power, a historied power going back to the She-Wolf's time as Signore Sicily states they are the oldest family.

And we know the first families come from the Tribes of the She-Wolf's children.

And Lappland, even for a Saluzzo is considered an invincible monster by even her Father who killed his chosen assassin like it was nothing and held off Wallach and Demetri at the same time. Except "fought" isn't the right word because he didn't consider them worth killing and did it enough to leave.

Wallach being strong but not Texas level in the least.

And who could forget that Lappland fought a Signore dei Lupi to a standstill and was offered by Signora Sicily to be one of her Bocca al Lupo's who would be Siracusa's elite guard and by that point had already been an Enforcer for her for quite some time.

One notable example being that Lappland casually dealt with Gambino and Capone by herself without breaking a sweat and while Il Siracusano says she is equals with Texas, at the same time Lappland did win and is ranked as having high combat skill.

Like it's an impressive record and odds are we've not seen her at her strongest either since a lot of who is fought in Il Siracusano aren't that strong especially compared to Texas and Lappland.

Never forget that Demetri backed down at the sheer sight of Lappland then I believe he later fought Wallach?

But also one extra thing about Lappland is this line:

Which is definitely more of that fear that Red induces in Lupos and we see is powerful enough to weaken Crownslayer and as stated before, even knock people out so I don't think that this is an accurate statement. Especially at launch.

But if it stays relevant to Il Siracusano that's odd cause Lappland is depicted as being incredibly smart and with a mighty death wish in the event. Easily deducing things and putting together traps and showing no restraint.

Like Il Siracusano Lappland I don't know if she'd say something like this without having assessed whether she would "definitely" die or not. But two different points in the game's lifespan.

The proper end!

#arknights #projekt red #I hope my points got across well #cause I do think that #red being practically an elite operator #while at rhodes #is really curious #and a lot of curious things get overlooked #without the knowledge that #she is so oddly skilled #also random but #mlynar too has an outstanding in combat skill #and mobility??#I'm not even going to think about that

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