#i realized halfway through drafting this what my issue with that phrase is. 'lost potential' gives me gifted kid™️ flashbacks! lmao

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

I noticed the more mainstream fandom either hates buggy or they think he represents the lost potential. Do you agree with that statement? Why? And if so do you think narrative points out to him finally rising?

ah, mainstream fandom, who needs 'em!

that said, i do think there's something to the "lost potential" concept, though i wouldn't phrase it that way myself. rather, i'd say buggy represents another way of looking at the concept of freedom—because when individual choice is sacrosanct, that includes bad choices.

if people have true freedom, that includes the freedom to self-sabotage, to make choices not in your best interest. that includes the freedom to choose greed over friendship, or even safety over freedom.

so i guess you could consider buggy making those decisions a sort of lost/squandered potential, but idk, something about that phrasing rubs me the wrong way. who are we to claim we know the kind of man buggy could have been? the person who raised you doesn't determine the kind of person you'll become.

anyway, idk about the lost potential perspective leading to a buggy Good Ending, but i think my freedom of choice take certainly allows for it. all buggy has to do is be brave enough to make the harder, better choice. and then the harder, better choice that comes after that, and the one after that, and… you get the idea.