#this is also why when people were like “noooo the sword caused nibelheim” my jaw dropped lmao

[rosy-crow]

While I’m rewatching this chapter, I actually have to say I felt really bad about Masamune, dude. It’s hard not to see the parallels he has with Sephiroth even though his story is his own.

Alissa frames him as the real monster, saying he was seduced by the sword too…and maybe he was? But initially, after he forged it, it wasn’t his choice to go and start the Robio village conflict.

The villagers lost their minds because the sword is cursed One Ring style, I guess (likely something related to Jenova, considering Masamune was suddenly possessed to forge it).

But still, the conflict started with an act of betrayal. The people Masamune served turned on him and tried to steal his masterwork. They even broke into his home. It sounds like they went animalistic over it, fighting each other and all.

But here, I think Masamune has agency! Bro might even have regret.

It’s like he loses faith in his people and that’s when he starts killing them. Again, paralleling Sephiroth’s story a lil bit…

I like how it sounds like there was a choice here and maybe Masamune took the darker path out of hatred or anger over being swarmed and attacked by his neighbors after serving them and creating the weapons they would need to survive in the creepy environment they were in.

Yeah okay, the sword was maybe stirring up the worst in these people, but their drive to get claim it was greed, right? They wanted more than what Masamune had already given them. They wanted HIS own precious belonging and creation.

It’s like a material parallel to Sephiroth and Shinra, which is pretty damn cool sdjfjdj.

Masamune became a murderer and destroyed his own home after he watched his fellow man sink into animalistic greed and violence, targeting his life’s work and service. He killed them and they killed each other. There was evil on both sides in the Robio tragedy.

Sephiroth’s story is darker because he chooses to go well beyond the destruction of his own home, but knowing the context and build-up, knowing how he came to view humanity as a whole as his enemy, we know why he chose what he did.

It’s twisted and evil, but what I like is how both his story and Masamune’s story have these little hints about why exactly both turned on their fellow man. I won’t be surprised if Jenova is behind the scenes stirring shit up like a demon whispering in people’s ears, but there’s enough room for agency too!!

Masamune also wanted to find someone to inherit the sword last chapter too. Maybe bro just wants peace now or something idk.