Oh, you rang~? It’s okay, I’m not ready to let go either 8′D TRASH KING FOREVER!!
Gangrel loves, more than anything, to bother you while you work. Ever since the two of you started seeing more of each other, it seems that he’ll always find a way to show up just as you start to get your head into your plans. As it is, he’s just waltzed into your tent and started peering over your shoulder, humming and tsking without actually offering any commentary on what’s before you.
You don’t bother saying anything, knowing a response will spur him on. But soon his arms have snaked their way around your waist, and he’s planting numerous (very distracting) kisses on the back of your neck when you finally sigh and try to straighten up.
“Gangrel, I love you, but I need some peace and quiet to finish…wait–”
A really solid early-game antagonist!! I frankly probably haven’t analyzed him deeply enough to contend with you, a person who has him as your icon, but I think as a character he serves extremely well to help illustrate the long-standing tensions between Plegia and Ylisse due to the war, because no matter how much Chrom talks Emmeryn up for bringing peace, the religious war started by his father never really ended. Emm withdrew their troops, but just saying “haha sorry never mind!! let’s be friends” doesn’t work when it comes to religious crusades. People are still dead, towns are still destroyed, bitterness still exists. She only healed half of the hearts she needed to.
From what I understand, Gangrel is only Grimleal in name and isn’t an active believer or worshiper, which is fair because for all of his claim to fame as the “Mad King,” he seems pretty astute. Astute and incredibly violent, to be fair, but I think it’s worth mentioning that while Ylisse was suffering from all sorts of losses, Plegia is noted as having a huge amount of resources – partially due to how Gangrel chose to continue the war. In terms of tactics, using bandits, guerrilla fighters, and spies to continue the war while Emm attempts to build an era of peace means that Ylisse is specifically weakened as a whole when it finally comes time to bring the war to its true conclusion.
Of course, it’s hard to account for an elite band of anime protagonists.
I wouldn’t necessarily call Gangreal sympathetic, but I will say that I can understand how he’s gotten to where he is. He somehow rose from the slums to being the fuckin’ king, which makes me want to know how Plegian royality is established. It absolutely suggests that there is more room for social advancement in Plegia than Ylisse offers, at least. He’s someone who most likely lived through one of the most horrific wars of their era, only to have some sheltered child be like “haha nm” which would be so incredibly infuriating. His support conversations and DLC suggest that there’s a potential for change in him, or at least a potential for understanding.
Overall rating: surprisingly complex for an early-game antagonist, good motivation, cool design, fun dialog. I wish he had more supports so we could know more about him. I wanna know about Plegian culture.
SunnyCache 