Would Ys have served a bigger purpose in the story?

[Jericho]

There is no question that, with the continuation, there were a lot of plot points involving the side characters (Isma, Roderick, etc.) that just ended up being forgotten or abandoned. One thing that I was always curious about was the island that Roderick is from. We hear from him in Episode 255 that his nation is isolationist and does not like to dabble in the affairs of others. To me, Ys seems like the perfect place for Guts and his party to go to after Griffith's arrival in Skellig, rather than where they went to in the continuation (the United Kushan Front???) as it seems to make the most sense given that Roderick is from there and can easily house the entire group and provide sancuary, I also think him joining Gut's on the journey in the story was not just to marry Farnese. He would have had a bigger purpose than just the guy with the ship. My speculation for how things would have gone is:

Guts and Co leave Skellig, Roderick sails them to his island, and some political and family bickering ensues (we can assume Roderick didn't leave his island on the best terms, given what he says in 255). Afterwards, I do not know what the whole group would be doing, BUT I do think that Ys would be the perfect place for Roderick and Farnese to marry (assuming, of course, their relationship grows further and we see them interact more)

But what do you guys think? was Ys just an offhand mention by Miura, or was there a bigger role for it to play? hope my speculation didn't sound too much like fanfiction. I can't deny I have a bias towards the Sailing Prince

 

[Aazealh]

But what do you guys think? was Ys just an offhand mention by Miura, or was there a bigger role for it to play? hope my speculation didn't sound too much like fanfiction. I can't deny I have a bias towards the Sailing Prince

Haha, who doesn't like Roderick? But for my part, I don't think the main group would have gone there after Skellig. Roderick himself might have headed back home, but if so then that's where he and the others would have split up. Among the reasons why I think it doesn't make sense for everyone to go there is simply that it would have been kind of a detour, and I dont feel like it's what Miura had in the cards.

As for Roderick and Farnese marrying... Well first off, hold your horses there, they aren't even dating yet! Second, that's probably something more fitting of a passing mention in an epilogue. Sorry!

 

[Jericho]

Roderick himself might have headed back home, but if so then that's where he and the others would have split up.

Do you think their splitting off was a likely thing to happen? I think the obvious "new" side characters that stayed would be Isma and Roderick. Magnifico, and I do like him, would probably have died from a heart attack if they continued, so his leaving makes sense. But another thing I think could happen is Griffith, or at least his forces, following Guts to Ys and engaging him there. Or Ys could be another way to show the effects of Fantasia, and it would be interesting to see how an isolationist nation like Ys would react to such a change in the world, and maybe try to join Falconia in order to save the remaining population, or try to fight it.

As for Roderick and Farnese marrying... Well first off, hold your horses there, they aren't even dating yet!

That's why they're going there, of course! a nice change in atmosphere.

Second, that's probably something more fitting of a passing mention in an epilogue. Sorry!

Oh come on, at least a giant double spread showing the wedding would suffice!

 

[Aazealh]

Do you think their splitting off was a likely thing to happen? I think the obvious "new" side characters that stayed would be Isma and Roderick. Magnifico, and I do like him, would probably have died from a heart attack if they continued, so his leaving makes sense.

While I like Isma, I think her being fundamentally bound to the sea means she would have had to leave the group and join her people. Same for Roderick in a way. I don't see him traveling on foot to Falconia for example, what would be the point? He's a ship captain and you can bet he wouldn't abandon her for any woman, even Farnese. Lastly, if Magnifico had to leave, he wouldn't be leaving on his own. Going along with Roderick would make sense.

But another thing I think could happen is Griffith, or at least his forces, following Guts to Ys and engaging him there. Or Ys could be another way to show the effects of Fantasia, and it would be interesting to see how an isolationist nation like Ys would react to such a change in the world, and maybe try to join Falconia in order to save the remaining population, or try to fight it.

Thing is, I don't believe Griffith was going to be continuously hounding Guts around the world. Having a face off on Skellig makes sense because the boy went there to see mom and dad. But if we assume that problem would have been taken care of, then I imagine he'd have focused on building his empire. Besides, as you suggest, Ys would most likely be in ruins, same as the rest of the world. Roderick returning there to search for survivors and try to rally them makes sense, but for the main group? Not so much. And witnessing the effects of Fantasia could be done anywhere else.

Oh come on, at least a giant double spread showing the wedding would suffice!

If you want to believe it in your heart of hearts, who am I to deny you!

 

[Walter]

I never really expected to see Ys. We heard about other countries too, but the expectation was never that we'd see them all. It just grounds the world a little more.

I think what's significant about Ys is primarily that it's a seafaring nation, which perfectly suited the needs of the group at the time. But furthermore, it's independent. Roderick had no stakes in the previous conflict with the Holy See Alliance and the Kushan Empire. So when they drift away from the battlefield that Vritannis became, Roderick isn't abandoning his people. He's independent, too.

 

[mathstruggler]

Main problem is the Bakiraka hideout would be in the mainland, relatively close to what used to be Midland. That had to happen at some point. At the very least, the characters that would've eventually found Rickert & co. wouldn't have gone to Ys.

But even if they did, what interesting would have even be left to see there after Fantasia? Certainly not the significant human settlements that Roderick knew.

 

[Walter]

Main problem is the Bakiraka hideout would be in the mainland, relatively close to what used to be Midland. That had to happen at some point. At the very least, the characters that would've eventually found Rickert & co. wouldn't have gone to Ys.

We don't know exactly where it is, but not necessarily former Midland territory. I'd say it's somewhere on the continent within easy reach of the other countries. After all, they sold their skills out to others, too.

This will sound tangential, but it relates. Ever since we saw Fantasia erupt across the world, I'd been holding out hope that when the truth of the new world was finally shown to Guts, it'd be on the continent—somewhere that we got to see in a before:after capacity (like Vritannis, revisited). And they'd encounter other humans scavenging to survive in the new world. It's completely biased of me, but I didn't think that reveal would be as effective if we were shown a completely new place like Ys.

 

[Cyrus Jong]

I think there was going to be a significant splitting up of the group where certain characters team up and set off into different directions. Either voluntarily (like they all set off on separate missions to, say, help bring Falconia down), or through disastrous circumstance (like, say, Griffith does something that causes everyone to scatter all over the world, forcing them to go on their own separate adventures to regroup). To that end, it would make sense to bring Ys into the picture as one such place someone would end up in. I don't imagine Roderick would want to sit on his hands forever wondering what the state of his nation is after the Great Wave; sooner or later, he would want to sail there and lend whatever help he can. And even if there absolutely was no Ys left to return to, there would still have to be a significant number of people there who've hopped aboard her many ships and taken to the sea, which our heroes could have encountered.