(ShB/EW SPOILERS) Why do people like Emet-Selch?

[Melethron123]

genuine question. the guy spends all his time talking about how his race is so perfect and wonderful and every other race is evil malformed subhumans and society would be perfect if only his race existed... as far as I've seen he's just fantasy h****r with a little bit of sass

the nail in the coffin for me was the cutscene in the cave where i immediately thought "well if they went as far as blowing up the planet they probably had a very compelling reason to do so" but emet was like "they did it just because they thought zodiark was ugly." without even considering there might have been something else going on... possibly related to the world-ending event that just happened

as a femboy appreciator, i can understand being so desperate for hythlodaeus that he'd commit several genocides to get him back, but at least be honest instead of the whole "i wanna kill everyone to make the world better" thing...

[Atelier-Bagur]

I think my biggest pet peeve is how he both acknowledges but strongly denies our existence. To him the unsundered arent valued as life, even though he boasts about "breaking bread" and "suffering" alongside us. My whole argument against him was theres nothing wrong with us fighting for our own existence, fighting for the fact that we still live.

Hes still a fun villain and character for sure but find it odd that people give him such a hard pass on his angle.

[MikkoAkure]

The internet has always had an odd obsession with fictional villains that have sad backstories. Nothing new here.

If most of the Emet enjoyers saw him irl coming their way as he appears in the game, they'd probably cross to the other side of the street.

[RukoBoshi]

Because he doesn't actually believe that our races deserves to die. It's the lie he tell himself to justify the atrocities he have to commit to bring back the ancients.

[Atelier-Bagur]

Although I will SAY, he does actually take the time and effort to observe and walk with us during our time at the First because in the back of his mind he wanted to be proven wrong (because he was getting tired of carrying his personal burdens) which is very rare for villains to be genuine about.

But my point still stands against his views and actions. He's still a scumbag so whatever.

[SannaR]

Because he doesn't actually believe that our races deserves to die. It's the lie he tell himself to justify the atrocities he have to commit to bring back the ancients.

This so much. The man wants for his role to end. He wants to be proven wrong about the sundered. It's just his ego, pride, and grief holds him in their captivity. So much that he askes in his own way the person who's inherited the soul of a friend to help him finally get that retirement nap. Then there's the bitterness he has towards Hydelean and said friends choice prior to the summoning of Zodiark. When your fellow unsundered either went mad or felt forgetting everything he must have felt he had to carry the burden of not losing his idea of self and the reason(s) why they're wanting to do the rejoinings.

[Raven2014]

Because he has reasons, regardless of what's that reason is. That give him more depth than 90% of the game/movie villain who are just delusional, power thirsty maniac.

But! Remember we're born into this word as someone on Haedylyn team, and as such our view will be inherently bias. Pretty much any and everything you can say about Emer-Setch, you can say it toward Haedalyn if you are born an ancient, up to and including the genocide claim. And the narrative affirm this and many occasions, such as:

- After sundering the world, Venat said she "had birth a world of death and suffering".
- When you meet Haedalyn at the end, she said there is "no justification" for her action.


There is no good nor evil between them, and hero or villain depend on which side of the coin you look at. Rather, they are both just sinners who walk the path they believe will lead to the greater good, even if it means commit unspeakable evil on the way.

[FireMage]

Because he doesn't actually believe that our races deserves to die. It's the lie he tell himself to justify the atrocities he have to commit to bring back the ancients.

There's literally billions of dead people that speak otherwise

[Rokke]

but at least be honest instead of the whole "i wanna kill everyone to make the world better" thing...

Him lying to himself about that is kind of a character defining trait.

[RukoBoshi]

There's literally billions of dead people that speak otherwise

Well yeah, and guess what, we also killed a lot of people. Even got rightfully blamed by garleans for it in Endwalker.

Every side feels like they are justified in what they do, and the means they used to achieve their goal often requires killing a certain amount of people.

But that doesn't mean we can't emphasize with people doing these terrible acts. Nidhogg is an horrible being but i do feel bad about his sister being betrayed and consumed by their allies.
Doesn't mean i'm not gonna put him down like the mad dog he is, but i like having compelling justifications for their actions.