The Bizarre Lack of Development and Pathos Concerning Zenos [6.0 Spoilers]

[marrrow]

But with regard to specifically what this thread is about, I think we can make it work in the context of what I'm saying:

Over time the player base can let what happened marinate a bit more, and respect a bit more that, sure, Zenos was a lonely, pitiable man who for the most part lived a cold empty life and did horrible things trying to achieve selfish goals ... sure, he was a product of his environment; given the circumstances of his existence and his personal experiences, who else could he have been? ... but in the end he took the time to get what he wanted in an effective way and delivered a memorable moment on his way out the door.

He thought he was our friend in a twisted way. He tried to be a good friend in kind in a twisted way. The sum of all of those parts gives rise to a whole that I think does facilitate its own kind of compassion for him...in a twisted way. One as warped as he was.

But that's literally what the point of this thread is: that you shouldn't have to let Zenos marinate in your brain to understand his basic motivations, because that is not how any antagonist post-HW is treated. Why is Zenos the only antagonist who the player is not explicitly asked or expected to empathize with?

[Anonymoose]

Why is Zenos the only antagonist who the player is not explicitly asked or expected to empathize with?

Because every other antagonist saw themselves as the central good guy in a story full of purpose and meaning, so a scene where we fully see them as they see themselves - realizing why they were our villain and why they lost to us - is satisfying.

Zenos doesn't. He has no use for that moment. He doesn't care.

Would you be “happier” had I a “good reason monologue”? If my motives peroration met with your approval, would you no longer resent the outcome?

What meaning there is to be found in the petty vicissitudes of his existence must be gleaned by us and us alone.