*spoiler* What was the point of making Yda... *spoiler*

[HakkyounoTenshi]

Going back to OP's post. I think the writers had decided to go in that direction by the time they started working on ARR (never having played Legacy, I can't tell you anything about the characters in storyline then). I actually think revealing Yda to be Lyse works in a couple different ways (although I will admit I personally dislike Lyse as a character). If you look at it a certain way, a lot of Lyse's motivations come back to Yda.

Until the end of Stormblood Lyse has basically defined her life by Yda and her memory. Yda was a hero in the rebellion against the Mad King (I would assume she was AT LEAST 15 years old then since it's implied she played a significant part and wasn't just a child tagalong, so that would make her at least 10 years older than Lyse) and when Ala Mhigo fell to Garlamald and their father died, Yda managed to escape with Lyse to Sharlayan, and eventually became an Archon. She eventually also became part of the Ala Mhigan Resistance (Lyse tells you that she was caught trying to help people escape and was executed). When Lyse stepped into the role of Yda, it was a mixture of not knowing what she wanted to do with her life and wanting to keep her sister's name and legacy alive, as well as keeping morale up since Yda was considered a hero by the Ala Mhigans.

Even after Lysa put aside the role in a lot of ways she's still defined by Yda, and a lot of her character development is actually shifting away from that and finder herself. Lyse was five when she escaped Ala Mhigo and probably shouldn't have all that big of an attachment, but it was important to Yda. She scorns and berates the Domans when they don't want to rebel against their Garlean oppressors, Yda never stopped fighting the Garleans. She despises people who collaborate with the Garlean regime, Yda rebelled and the Garleans eventually killed her. In the last act of Stormblood, the red Ala Mhigan outfit Lyse wears was Yda's. Lyse says Yda wore it as often as as she could and Lyse wants Yda to be a part of Ala Mhigo's liberation. But by the end of Stormblood Lyse's decisions and actions seem to be based on what she's learned and experienced throughout Stormblood. She's not just acting out of Yda's memory anymore. it's subtle (and honestly poorly done) but it's there.

[daltonjl]

Thanks so much for all your responses. I think all of them have really helped me figure out what they might have been trying to do with her, so at the very least, I can appreciate their intentions with the character a lot more.

It's been a few weeks so I don't remember if someone said this already, but I absolutely love the idea of her character being parallel to Hien, Fordola, and Yotsuyu as the "inheritors" of the effects of the Garlean occupation from the previous generation, even if they did a poor job of writing her character.

It seems to me like Hien and Yotsuyu were supposed to represent the best and worst of the next generation, respectively, of what could come from the occupation; Hien was well-trained, educated, loved, and given all the right reasons and encouragement and support from his people to fight for his country when he came of age, while Yotsuyu was treated like absolute garbage and given all the right reasons to want to destroy her country when she came of age.

Lyse and Fordola seemed to be more grey compared to their Doman contemporaries. While Hien had his whole country, father, soldiers, retainers, etc. to elevate him and give him purpose and conviction, Lyse only had Yda, and I suppose that's why she seemed more lost and needed to find her way to becoming someone like Hien. I also suppose that's why she had so much doubt in herself throughout the journey; she doesn't have the support or upbringing that someone like Hien did to push her to be an amazingly qualified and understanding leader. On the other hand, while Yotsuyu had no love at all, Fordola had her parents and companions, and I suppose that was what stopped her from completely losing the good in her. There was enough light in her life to stop her from falling into an absolute abyss like Yotsuyu did.

When I think about things like this, it really helps me to justify her existence, see her place in the story, see how the threads might have been meant to converge...and see how poorly written she was. Very sad, but at the very least, I can see now that she had a place and that it could have been amazing.

Thanks again for all your input.