What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Seiori]

Hermes was better as Fandango, fite me bub.

lol I agree at least he was honest in his actions.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Yes, because he's thousands, if not millions of years older, has had access to his whole memory, and knows where he stood, that he did everything he could, and can't fight anymore. Venat also could drop her facade of being Hydaelyn and become a mere human back. That's legit.



Hermes is a clinically depressed protagonist, not an antagonist, and that's the reason you can't love him, you just don't understand his concept.



Yes, if you read through your prism that forgets the characters are human and that your canon is not the canon.

The problem with Hermes imo is that he didn’t try to help himself. We see that there are other ancients who share his sentiments but as we help them they slowly resolve their issues and get stronger from it. It doesn’t seem like Hermes went out and tried to do the same for himself. Instead he wallowed in his own depression and sadness and ultimately became self destructive. In the end that’s nobody’s fault but his own and he is very much an antagonist, definitely didn’t deserve being put in the end credit artwork lol. Because of his “depression” countless civilizations were destroyed and suffered.

[Rulakir]

Hermes is a clinically depressed protagonist, not an antagonist, and that's the reason you can't love him, you just don't understand his concept.

While I vehemently disagree with every part of this sentence, after the deification of Venat it wouldn't surprise me. The two characters who make rejoinings look like child's play being depicted as noble and benevolent was something else.

[Lauront]

The problem with Hermes imo is that he didn’t try to help himself. We see that there are other ancients who share his sentiments but as we help them they slowly resolve their issues and get stronger from it. It doesn’t seem like Hermes went out and tried to do the same for himself. Instead he wallowed in his own depression and sadness and ultimately became self destructive. In the end that’s nobody’s fault but his own and he is very much an antagonist, definitely didn’t deserve being put in the end credit artwork lol. Because of his “depression” countless civilizations were destroyed and suffered.

And the creations he pretended to care so much about.

[ArcaviusGreyashe]

And that's why you and 8 other people hate EW : you don't understand depression and don't want to, you think sadness and depression are alike, and don't care if they're not the same because that's not how you want to view the world.

Hermes did try to help himself, as no one else was willing to help him, that's why he created meteion, but with his mind blurred by depression and self-hate, he made a bet that was rigged in his defavor, not because he wanted to, but because he couldn't do any better. Because depression does hinder the brain, you don't call it a sickness for no reason. And that bet eventually turned around to bite everyone, but that's not what he intended. Y'all should try to remember that when you want grey characters, it's not only "good guys that did bad things" but also "bad guys that actually were trying their best to do good".

Hermes wanted to find a reason to live, and teach it to others to bring them more satisfaction and happiness, that's all he tried to do. Then, during a depression peak, he hurt himself and tried to hurt the whole ancient world (that he hates for valid reasons he spends countless lines explaining) by judging them the same way they judge every other race. That's stupid, but that's just what depression does. He tried to do good, the most good he could. Even if that good involved suiciding his entire race.

[Theodric]

Each to their own, though I personally think it does a disservice to many people who have struggled with depression to try and gatekeep 'understanding it' behind a fictional entity that, quite frankly, wasn't exactly portrayed as a reasonable or rational individual.

Nor do I believe that every man, woman and child within a civilisation needs to be endangered to appease the bizarre whims of an individual such as Hermes.

[Skyborne]

I will empathize with the deerbirds rather than the ravenous red dogs that killed them, thanks. Much in the same way, I'll empathize with the sundered and unsundered who were killed in the Final Days. Now go eat a candy apple or something.

[Misutoraru]

And that's why you and 8 other people hate EW : you don't understand depression and don't want to, you think sadness and depression are alike, and don't care if they're not the same because that's not how you want to view the world.

Hermes did try to help himself, as no one else was willing to help him, that's why he created meteion, but with his mind blurred by depression and self-hate, he made a bet that was rigged in his defavor, not because he wanted to, but because he couldn't do any better. Because depression does hinder the brain, you don't call it a sickness for no reason. And that bet eventually turned around to bite everyone, but that's not what he intended. Y'all should try to remember that when you want grey characters, it's not only "good guys that did bad things" but also "bad guys that actually were trying their best to do good".

Hermes wanted to find a reason to live, and teach it to others to bring them more satisfaction and happiness, that's all he tried to do. Then, during a depression peak, he hurt himself and tried to hurt the whole ancient world (that he hates for valid reasons he spends countless lines explaining) by judging them the same way they judge every other race. That's stupid, but that's just what depression does. He tried to do good, the most good he could. Even if that good involved suiciding his entire race.

Being recover from depression and anxiety not long ago, I believe I understand how serious this illness could be

I remember losing interest in everything, questioning what lie ahead in future, frustrate about everything, and eventually hurting everyone who care and around.

Understanding him doesn't mean I would like him. I lose very good friends because how many "tantrum" I caused. My issue of Hermes is the cut scene after Ktisis Hyperboreia. Or to put it this way, I understand the pain he gone through but I could not keep up with the "shxt" he throwing. Using 1 map merely around 2 levels of content to develop a character that play an very important role in the biggest plot revealing is just not enough.

I found Venat share the same issue, I like her character, I like how her develop in Elpis, and when the cut scene showing her interaction with remaining ancients during the final day, I can understand her lose of hope in humanity. What I dislike, again Meterion and dynamis. Her frustration about her own kind trying to sacrifying more and more population just to bring back those old day, she see her people gone astray and I can understand why she choice of sundering there. However, the sundered so better interact with dynamis, and lack of choice to confront/disucss such matter after the Mother crystal trial feel very "force" by the writer.

Hermes is not the only thing I dislike in EW, I dislike the Emet-Selch in last map, I dislike the plot in the forum, I dislike how Scion portrait in the last map. I feel EW being rush to wrap up everything and many plot/characters lack deep development. I believe it would turn out more well receive if the writer use entire 6.X to develop the characters, the "twist" of Dynamis/Meterion plot. Like Emet-Selch, I hate him to the bone when he first introduce but the writer give time to developed this character and give us time to "digest" the backstory of him. Zenos came out as complete nutter in Stormblood, give enough development in ShB, and EW, he is still a evil characters I will never agree with but he feel more well developed

[Rulakir]

And that's why you and 8 other people hate EW : you don't understand depression and don't want to, you think sadness and depression are alike, and don't care if they're not the same because that's not how you want to view the world.

That is a Hell of an assumption to make. I have Major Depressive Disorder, I am intimately familiar with it having suffered with it for years. Hermes was not relatable to me at all nor did I resonate with any of the messaging throughout EW. It felt like someone's imagining of despair rather than anything from personal experience.

Frankly, it sounds like you projected your own thoughts and feelings onto Hermes, because my interpretation of his character is not even close to yours.

[ArcaviusGreyashe]

Frankly, it sounds like you projected your own thoughts and feelings onto Hermes, because my interpretation of his character is not even close to yours.

Even if that was the case (It is not, but we're not here to compare how depressive we are, are we now ?), why would you care ? People can relate to him, he is an example of depression, and the fact y'all had depression and don't relate to him has nothing to do with whatever.

Let me say something here : the fact you don't relate and have depression does not make it a bad depressive character. Again, it just shows you lack empathy. Because yes, there are different kind of depression, believe it or not. But I'm clearly talking to walls, so whatever, you guys know more about writing, mental disorders and whatnot. It's just pretty sad that people that suffer from depression don't even care enough about others to try and understand things when they are clearly explained. Have fun.