Emet-Selch Is Not That Tragic

[MuseTraveller]

Do not forget that Zodiark tempered Emet. Consequently everything he did was driven at the core by Zodiark's will.

I feel like people are forgetting this part way too often.
Even if he wanted to embrace different route, even though he did try, he did eventually feel the disappoitnment and the desperate need to restore his people which was likely due to being tempered by Zodiark.
He even noted that - he and those who summoned Zodiark got tempered and everything and all they do and will do will be to restore Zodiark. So it's not farfetched to imagine every time he would sway from the goal, Zodiark would influence his will to get him back in line.
That part I do find quite tragic about him.

[Lersayil]

I feel like people are forgetting this part way too often.
Even if he wanted to embrace different route, even though he did try, he did eventually feel the disappoitnment and the desperate need to restore his people which was likely due to being tempered by Zodiark.
He even noted that - he and those who summoned Zodiark got tempered and everything and all they do and will do will be to restore Zodiark. So it's not farfetched to imagine every time he would sway from the goal, Zodiark would influence his will to get him back in line.
That part I do find quite tragic about him.

To be fair, our idea of what tempering is still very vague. We also have very little idea of what Zodiarks and Hydaelyns motivations are, if there are any. It's possible they are just mindless automatons that are doing their job based on pre-programmed tenets.