#even though he was right about the octarians taking the zapfish i still think thats mainly due to octavio’s rule

[delightfuldevin]

People always point to the NA localization for the reason why Octarians are demonized, and I do agree to some extent that the localization ruined the perception of Octarians, but I think some people are affording a bit too much credit to Octavio.

The Octarians had it hard in the aftermath of the war, losing resources and being forced underground and all. But in the modern day, that’s not an issue anymore. Inklings don’t see Octarians as a threat anymore. Heck, most Inklings can’t even recognize an Octarian on sight. The Octarians could probably come up and expand Inkopolis to fit the growing population and the Inklings would welcome them without even thinking about it. Or even just found their own city next door.

So, why then are they still living the way they are? The only reason I can think of is Octavio ruling the way that he does on purpose. Maybe he’s just stuck in his ways and butthurt about his loss, or maybe there’s some other reason. But either way, I definitely think he purposefully feeds the Octarians the idea that coexistence is not possible. Because there’s no evidence that Inkling society as a whole believes otherwise.

I know we haven’t seen many adult Inklings, but if the kids are completely nonchalant about their supposed “enemies” then I can only assume their parents and schools aren’t teaching them otherwise. Or at the very least, the youth are questioning the older values, opening the path to progressive inclusivity. Maybe Cuttlefish’s generation is still hung up on the past, but it’s made very clear in game that his views do not line up with the majority and that he is generally seen as just an old man obsessed with a “war effort” that doesn’t really need to exist anymore.