HighCastle

xelestial:

You’re not wrong about that quote coming up on the rivalry path, but in either scenario, we all know the end result. I must agree it is a very grey area that depends on what one thinks love means. I suppose to me to love someone with all of your heart would mean you’d put them above everything else, but it’s a tough issue and one that requires a lot of thought.

“You’re the most important thing in my life. But some things matter more than my life.” When he said that, I both understood and yet was confused. It means yes, he loves Hawke more than his own life but that some things matter more than Hawke. If you loved someone with all your heart, wouldn’t that person be the single most important thing in the natural world? It’s a difficult question, one that probably doesn’t have a right answer. It’s really a personal thing. It also really hurt when he said “there is no one in Kirkwall I wouldn’t kill to see mages freed”. Even Hawke, Anders? I wondered. And I know it’s true, because he will fight you even at 100% friendship or rivalry if you let him go and side with the templars.

I felt very betrayed by him, because I didn’t understand why, if he loved Hawke, would he even be with her knowing that she could never be more important than his cause? Why would he be so selfish? Why, if Hawke moves on, is he so bitter? Wynne says love is selfish. Maybe, but I assume that true love would be unconditional and selfless as is humanly possible. I guess I wanted him to give more of himself that just wasn’t there. I am for some reason reminded of the quote “You’ve always tried to save me, but I was cursed before I met you.” I personally just believe Anders gave every bit of himself that was there to Hawke, but it wasn’t enough, not for me anyway. Anyway, nice to see different perspectives.

I want to address the bolded part first, because that was actually due to a bug in the game that’s subsequently been patched. Anders at 100% rivalry can be persuaded to fight with the templars. He then alludes to committing suicide afterwards because he can’t bring himself to live with what he’s done. Thus, his love/respect for Hawke can ultimately trump his cause…but it utterly destroys him too. It’s not a happy ending and honestly, I can say that I’ve never even been tempted to play this outcome or the rivalry path at all, not even for science.

Alright, that part out of the way. Anders on the rivalry path is a very different person from Anders on the friendship path. I wouldn’t say the depth of his emotions or love changes, but pretty much everything else about him is wildly different. On the friendship path, Hawke supports his cause and his ideals as well as his merger with Justice. Thus Anders is a more balanced person. He’s not conflicted all the time. He knows Hawke supports him and it’s that support which ultimately plays a role in what he does.

Anders on the rivalry path is in constant crisis. Everything Hawke tells him goes directly against what he believes and what Justice has told him. He is very much at war with himself, unable to accept who or what he is. While it would be much easier if he could just cut ties with Hawke to focus on himself, he can’t do it. His love keeps him there, tethered to the person who’s ultimately destroying him. On this path, I don’t look at it as Anders betraying Hawke. It’s the other way around. Hawke makes Anders go against his will, against his instincts, against his moral code. And it destroys Anders, completely decimates him. Hawke knew exactly who and what Anders was before the relationship began, and still attempted to “fix” Anders. Instead, these actions break him further.

(Source: impressioniste)