Re: SkullKast: Episode 97
Khalamir said:
I never got the feeling that Laban was skeptical of Griffith. His statement at the state of the world when talking to Rickert wasn't aimed at Griffith in particular, and saying that he's still scared of the war demons doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't trust them.
We weren't saying Raban is skeptical of Griffith in particular. He has no reason to be (yet). But he comes across about as skeptical as one
could be regarding humanity's current predicament, given his position and obvious loyalty toward Griffith.
He and Owen have been the level-headed voice of reason since they were first introduced. So it seems obvious to me that of those who Miura has given a spotlight, Raban is one
capable of protesting when the time comes. Instead of someone like Foss, who would swallow whole-hog the notion of a glorious new probably-not-totally-human overlord, Raban talks wistfully about the old days, and with an apparent sense of gloom that Falconia is humanity's last bastion. And in this episode, he's the one who brings Mule back to reality on a) the safety net of souls b) human-apostle relations.
I can't imagine all of these reservations are adding up to a character who dies for Griffith's cause in the end. Instead, it's like Miura is preemptively distancing the character from this way of life.
What makes the idea of Griffith attacking Elfhlelm interesting to me is that it could end up making a large chunk of Griffith's followers disillusioned with him. What are his soldiers going to think when they're ordered to kill a bunch of harmless magical creatures who are just minding their own business? Griffith could just only take the demon army with him, but if news of his actions leaks anyway it could be disastrous for his reputation. I remember you once suggested that a dissident faction will form in Falconia at some point. This could be what starts it. Some may even try to abandon Falconia (that might not be the best idea, given the state of the world.)
The problem with this notion is that it'd be something Griffith should see coming a mile away. He's not someone who is going to be blind about how far to push his people. There'd be no reason to involve humans if he had any fear of consequence like that. Rather than simply making a bad leadership decision, I think any kind of seed for insurrection is going to have to come from the inside out, from a trusted source. Otherwise, why wouldn't he see it coming?
Maybe Laban will be one of them. And if he does, then I wonder what Owen would think. These two tend to agree on everything, so it would be interesting if a wedge were to be driven between them.
Yeah I think we had that exact discussion just last episode actually.
What you said about Sonia was Interesting, that she may start having doubts about Griffith after reading Guts and/or Casca's mind and seeing the eclipse, or if Griffith attacks Elfhelm. I thought she would stand with Griffith until the end, but now I'm not so sure.
Like I said on the show, I can't imagine Sonia remaining unmoved from her loyalty from the beginning of her character until the end of the story. That'd just be a boring character. She's completely invested in Griffith, to the point of it being an obvious character flaw. So where do you go with that? Force her to face the truth, because it would hurt her more than most. The fact that Miura has tied so many functions in Griffith's empire to her only solidifies this possibility in my mind. It's a foundation that's set up to fail. There are stakes for someone like her turning her back on Griffith eventually, and not nearly as many for other characters. That's just good drama.
I also think we'll see pseudo-apostles in Griffith's army at some point. ...But who would turn them? Locus? Rakshas? Maybe even Griffith himself?
It doesn't have to be a particular one, many apostles have that capability.
