[SPOILERS] Hermes is a hypocrite.

[Gemina]

"The creatures are a means of defense" is quite an utilitarian view of another being's life, isn't it? Why aren't those creatures lives worthy of living? Because Hermes deemed them less valuable than his answers? Regardless of wether you agree with that or not, Hermes had before manifested an extreme aversion to any loss of life. He almos had a breakdown over the death of a dangerous, uncontrolable beast. Yet, he backpaddled the moment it suited his needs. He did the exact same thing that he so despised on his peers.

And yes, at the point of KH he was beyond the point of no return, because he was beyond the point of no return when we met him. He had already sent dozens of artificial intelligences with unique, untested abilities into space without telling anyone. He wasn't all to sane to begin with. But what I find interesting is that his abandonment of his own ideals shows that, in the end, his pseudo-altruism wasn't much more than a facade. He was a lonely, conflicted man who really wanted something to live for, it didn't really matter what.

I think I have to point out I don't dislike Hermes as a character. He is very interesting as an antagonist. But I think its quite fascinating how much you can se the Fandaniel/Amon that already lived inside of him.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he isn't a hypocrite. The game outright tells you he is, especially when it is pointed out how much he clings to his own life despite his desires for the end; but he also points out himself how conflicted he is when he utters the words, but can't seem to find the truth in them. There is also a big contrast between the Hermes we see in tears when having to kill the flawed creations in Elpis, and the Amon who laughs at the irony of Emet Selch now wandering the underworld armed with the truth that would allow him to fight the final days, and the sundering after the fact, calling it a "folly". We see Fandaniel/Amon in several forms. From the beautiful Hermes, to the grotesque Amon; his descent came in stages.

When I talk about the point of no return, this is usually defined by an action and not a mindset. I don't think Hermes sent out the AI with the intention of learning the the universe is a giant cemetery of lost civilizations, and to engineer the final days. His intentions at that point were good, at least as far as I can tell. However, when he turned against his fellow man, and activated Kairos, that is when he was gone for good. His soul became damned at that point of time.

Your last comment is also very interesting, as it can refer to what Graha tells us in relation to the soul, and that even though each life is unique, there still remains certain defining characteristics tied to the soul. While this was referring to Hermes iirc, it most certainly applies to the WoL as well being the reincarnate of Azem. No one recognizes the behaviour of Azem in the WoL more than Emet because they exhibit the same personality traits that Azem had that would drive him batty.