If you thought it was a chapter, then I am sorry. But I felt like I needed to do this, because recently people had made pretty shallow judgements about each character in Re: Zero.
Again take my words as a grain of salt if you don't agree or have already formed very strict opinions on them, but I needed to unwind or else I won't be able to write chapters on Re: Zero anymore, it has been so exhausting to write chapters on my Re: Zero fanfics, I had even thought about dropping it a few times, you might laugh but insomnia and depression actually do mess up your ability to take toxicity or criticism that comes a lot strict and in a wrong tone, so I decided to take a break off.
Mostly because of the audience, though I do like when they hate or love some character which means they are invested in them, but likewise they come to judgement real quick like either they are most perfect saintly character or most evil character.
1) First I want to talk about Emilia, many people either end up empathizing with her so they justify all her actions, while others hate her so much.
In my perspective Emilia has received limited mental growth since her childhood. Add with trauma and limited world view, she is indeed naive and written to be an adorable character. Tappei actually changed her character from cool and knowing type to this mess in Arc 3, from what I see in the Story and his QNA, in fact he had changed a lot of characters.
Emilia's actions perfectly fit her character, but the thing is her actions can lead either to good or very bad outcomes.
Like forgiving many characters who caused so much pain to Subaru, considering that she doesn't knows about RBD, and our Subaru is messed up as well who supports her either way, her actions are based on her personality.
The only thing is that it doesn't makes her inexcusable for grave outcomes she caused. I do understand where she comes from, and it does so makes her smaller caused trouble excusable, but if she literally causes death of characters one way or another, it means she holds responsibility, which technically vanishes once world is reset and the only one she is responsible to is Subaru.
Only he had experienced them, but since our Subaru is forgiving, she seems to appear as naive character who is extremely incompetent of her actions.
However, in my view she is currently and somewhat incompetent ruler no doubt, but she is growing. Actually, she is more of a character inadequate for her role, which places more expectations on her.
Likewise, like any Re: Zero characters, depending on factors their actions can cause bad or good endings.
In my Pride if: Alternative it caused a bad outcome, due to him realizing how Satella looks before his mental growth.
Yes, I have a lot to talk about Arc 3, but let's go on that later on.
So if you saw that fanfic, remember 3rd POV in my fanfic actually either revolves around Supreme Narrator or Subaru in this case since he is Mc, we see around how he looks the world.
Her actions in the end resulted a bad outcome, coupled with how Roswaal who gives zero fucks about Emilia, since it's all about his Sensei and he is bad at communication like Subaru, we can see him lashing on Emilia, he is trying to control her.
Then we see Puck, yes Puck is a well written character, people forget he isn't human and his actions revolve around Emilia, he is a spirit with a different type of world view. His actions indeed are bad in my view point, but that's consistent with his character. Sometimes it may lead to good outcomes, maybe bad. But being consistent and morally wrong are two different thing.
Add these two, we saw Emilia's humiliation.
Then we got Beatrice who again is a spirit, we can see her point of view is very different. And that's the thing, Subaru accepts her even when he knows what she does is wrong, he accepts everyone whether their actions make bad or good results, he tries to understand them.
So again from Beatrice's view point, the only care she has regarding towards Subaru, her mother and somewhat towards Puck and Roswaal.
But Subaru took 1st priority her, so she lashed out on Emilia, and disregarded Puck. she was emotional, and so again we saw Emilia being humiliated.
But likewise in my Re: Zero fanfic: The Great Sage in many timelines Subaru helps her, because he knows she is inadequate for her position, and rather tries to increase her growth than give her a way off.
In Witch Hunter timeline, Zero, aka Subaru's alias in this fanfic, he gives Theresia to Emilia, because he knows about Roswaal and Emilia camp which is extremely chaotic.
Even Tappei has admitted that perhaps only Frederica has common sense.
So he just gives a mature character to guide her, even if it seemed a easy way off, it was also to somewhat to bind Roswaal and other chaotic groups evolved, also knowing how bad Puck can go if Emilia dies, it was also to prevent that.
We don't see him helping Emilia of 'The Final Boss in SinArchbishop of Pride' timeline, because here his actions mainly revolve around this other timeline Subaru, and Emilia's actions do cause a lot of problems, which while may be accepted for that timeline's Subaru, but isn't accepted by Zero.
So it will be better you judge her on timeline basis, rather than personally.
A character may suffer more or less depending on story, that doesn't justifies their suffering but likewise they do happen.
If I tried to justify everything, then there will be no point in writing any story, stories aren't to justify but rather what just happens and what we can learn from it and how interesting it is, depending on your tastes.
2) Next we come to Arc 3.
I see many people calling the Royal Candidates a total bitch or justifying their actions as completely right.
First about Crusch, I know where she came from and how her decision made towards not helping Subaru made sense.
The only thing that didn't made sense, was she had the ability to know that Subaru was speaking the truth. I know she could have understood that perhaps it was Subaru being a madman believing his own words true.
But she is a Royal Candidate here, she doesn't needs to send an entire army, she could still have sent scouts to verify the information first because that's what needed to be done in her position, a royal candidate running for throne, considering it actually revolved around villager's lives, looking it as if Subaru wanted it is very wrong.
Subaru doesn't even matters here, he has no proper relationship with her at this point. The only thing should have mattered the lives of the villagers, sending some scouts would have costed nothing.
So yes, she didn't made a perfect decision, she is only competent ruler by her and their people's standards.
But remember even Theresia died to Whale, so her losing to White Whale while having very less information is actually very consistent.
However no one knows about it other than the us, the readers. Maybe Subaru, but he has different considerations, so naturally it will be considered her win despite Subaru being the most important piece for the win.
But it's only in their perspective not ours.
However she showed consistent character recognizing Subaru when she realized he was worth more than anyone would have expected, though Tappei finished her off next, and now with Arc 10 we are catching her importance again even when her memories were erased.
Next is Anastasia, I don't have much to say about her, she has been consistent on what she does, she is a merchant and likewise I don't believe she would hadn't done dirty stuff to climb higher in her position, taking advantages of other is one of them, this is literally a very different world than ours, even here there is a sort of powerplay to climb up the ladder much less in that world.
She has been born in slums, and naturally only cares for a few people around her and others by their worth. She isn't even Nobility, so despite becoming a Royal Candidate, suddenly worrying for Lugunica's people wouldn't have made sense, yes same thing as Crusch applies to her as someone going for throne she could have put some effort, but unlike Crusch she didn't knew whether Subaru was speaking truth or not, so her actions made totally sense.
Julius is a different thing, but I can come on it later on.
But likewise, whatever she did made biggest sense out of anyone, at least for me.
Next comes Priscilla... and I need to be harsh on this woman.
First her character is totally consistent, she has been raised in Vollachia, even for the different world's standards people of that place have screw looses.
She is actually a good written character, in the sense of what she does basis on what she is supposed to be.
Her behaviour in Arc 3 towards Subaru was actually consistent and well written for her, but ethically it was wrong.
She essentially showed us abuse of power, taking advantage of Subaru's desperation to humiliate him.
From her viewpoint nothing was wrong in that, however if we consider modern standards she was an extreme, ethically wrong character.
If a person brainwashed to be a killer, kills someone then their character is consistent, but likewise ethically wrong.
Her way of testing Subaru was absolutely rubbish, if that was her motive.
But essentially she was trying to use her Vollachian common sense of respecting the strong in a place where common sense already differs(Lugunica), to a person who is from damn modern world.
So that can be called her flaws.
People also say stuff like that her being strong is luck, so she is justified in that, her keeping in her lands flourishing justifies her arrogance.
As a human to some extent it is true, but if she abuses some character due to her power randomly I don't think it can be justified.
In a theoretical situation if she had denied politely, and Subaru had pestered her arrogantly, then her insulting him would have been justified by any means or even killing him if he took the situation too far.
But basically she said Subaru to lick his feet, he wasn't greedy he was desperate, and when he tried to do she insulted him.
She was justified in the sense of her character, but not in her actions, atleast in our modern perspective.
It is saying since this guy rose from zero to a billionaire, he is justified in doing questionable stuff and being so arrogant that he just abuses other if they come for him for something, like denying politely doesn't exists or you need to show off your superiority.
If you say don't compare this real life situation to this, then please there is no point in discussing something, take it as just a fiction and everything plot and enjoy the journey, if you cannot challenge it to a real life situation, then treating discussion on fiction as serious is pointless, at least in my view point. Since you are justifying the logic of that stuff by that fictional logic, saying it was right, I don't see any point in it, since it is already justified by the world mechanics.
I am saying she was right in terms of her character, but against what she did towards Subaru was abusive and ethically wrong, heck most wrong out of any Royal Candidate TOWARDS Subaru.
So justifying it in our modern ethical sense is wrong, again she is a well written character and if you want to like her, then do like her. I even like her most out of all Royal Candidates, because I am pretty sure if you are worth in her eyes, then the situation will shift 180 degrees.
3) Next comes the Knights
They are hypocritical, except for Reinhardt I see them a lot worse, than perhaps they are.
Julius is the one who has literally 'Finest of Knights' in his name, so when we see him making poor judgement, it comes out as extreme.
Like every character, his depends on circumstances. He is finest of Knights by the Kingdom standards, but even those standards are not as perfect as ours, which despite being so worse is already thousand times better.
He seems to me a bit more inconsistent with his character, so I won't say much on him.
Like he literally considers himself paragon of virtue in terms of Knightly values and proceeds to do opposite by not answering to the words targeted towards Emilia during arc 3.
He did beats up Subaru to save him, but I still don't understand if he is supposed to be 'Finest', why he is not doing it better way.
Like I understand that you are unable to do everything perfect because of how flawed Kingdom operates, but calling yourself perfect than other is height of arrogance, somehow more arrogant than Priscilla.
If he did say that it was the only way to protect Subaru in his situation, and he does admits it doesn't adheres to Knightly values, it had been considered so right and made him appeared so heroic.
Since he is just saying he is doing the best he can, not admitting what he does has no wrongs, but like the best way it was possible to do it.
It is like your words are backed by empty promises.
So, personally I am a lot confused about this character, perhaps Tappei changed him because he didn't knew what to do initially? Like with Reinhardt?
Reinhardt failing to save Subaru in Arc 1, makes sense considering Tappei changed his character on the upcoming arcs.
He didn't even knew that Reinhardt was supposed to be like stronger than Satella and strongest being in Od Laguna, but when I write the story I do not consider Tappei's mistake here, only the implications of what had been made canon.
Like I cannot say in my story, 'Hey Reinhardt don't worry, it is Author's fault not yours, since it's fiction anyways'.
Next comes Felix, and well we know he hates every other Royal Candidate and their knights.
Felix is traumatized and his life revolves around Crusch, technically he won't take life of any innocent but if crusch is involved...
I think he just admitted it in the latest chapters of latest arc he hates them, not in the sense he will kill them or plan against them, rather in sense his world revolves around Crusch and he refuses to admit anything other than her.
He does have that healer's oath, but if he breaks it, and does questionable stuff then as long it is because of Crusch, then it's consistent.
As for Reinhardt, he is the best Knight out of three without a doubt, he has been most consistent in his characters and even his humble attitude makes him Finer than Finest of Knights, lol.
I have a lot to say about this character, but I am feeling a bit tired now.
THIS is also another important point, Characters do change. They are humans so emotional arcs, impacts, situations will change them accordingly.
Like if a Character who was previously too arrogant suddenly experiences something profound, then they can change into a humble character. We see it for Subaru and all the characters of Re: Zero, so they just need to be consistent until this change.
Tappei himself admits he had changed over 10 years, and even how he had considered his characters from the very beginning, the only thing not changing is his love for the Half-elf, because he is a man of sheer committment.
So nothing is fixed in stone.
The only thing that I think is stupid how a character does 180 degree after out of nowhere. Like I heard about Julius' ntr fanfic, and when I asked someone what prompted the change he said Julius just did it.
Like even if he had collapsed under emotional weight it would have made sense even if absurd, but basically a character who even if a bit inconsistent and hypocrite goes to this extreme is unexpected.
In such situations it either means we have been voided of character's reason for the change due to being in 3rd Pov, or the character just made 180 degree which is inconsistent.
Like a murderer became a saint after his latest murder out of nowhere, like nothing even serious happened, he just decided to become a saint.
That's whats called poor writing, I guess?
Thank you for being until here