Kaz Brekker's age is not an excuse for his actions
Ok, hear me out. I first read Six of Crows when I was 15, and I was deeply fascinated with Kaz's character. But over the years, I've noticed how people seem to view him differently from how he really was.
Kaz was unapologetically a horrible person with selfish motives, with sprinkles of decency when it came to Inej and the crows. Why are we acting as if he is Robin Hood?
Kaz willingly joined a criminal gang. He wasn't coerced. He could've just become an honest apprentice and come up with a clever plan over the years to take revenge on Pekka Rollins and Pekka Rollins only. Hell, he could've become chief of Stadwatch and cleaned up the Barrel. Instead, he became a murderer, a thief, blackmailed, cheated honest people out of their money, etc. How is that so different from what Pekka was doing? I'm sure people Kaz scammed had children too, who lost their future thanks to him. Inej calls Kaz Pekka's shadow for that very reason, because they are actually alike in their actions. Oh, but Kaz loves Inej...So what? Well Pekka loves his son.
It's also an interesting detail that we never see or hear Pekka do heinous things. He was the biggest Barrel boss yes, but we never hear about him raping and torturing women, murdering children, breaking a deal/promise he made, etc. So what makes him different from Kaz?
We also never hear the Sweet Shop being awful like the Menagerie. Obviously it was a brothel in the Barrel so it couldn't have been that good but Nina was planning to work there as a tailor, and she would've found out what the conditions were there beforehand. She only took Kaz's offer to join because his contract buying out time was shorter. Idk, I just think it's interesting that Pekka wasn't made out to be worse than other Barrel bosses.
The only line Kaz didn't cross was selling people for their bodies. But he did that because of his own trauma with touch, not morals. The only thing he can empathize with is being touched when it revolts you. The rest is free game.
And even after Kaz got his revenge on Pekka, he didn't stop being a criminal, he didn't leave the gang, he didn't stop being a murderer. He doesn't clean up the streets, he's not some vigilante who acts tough because he has to. He's not the Punisher or Daredevil. He isn't even sure why he is continuing to be a Barrel boss but he doesn't stop. His intentions and actions 99% of the time have always been and remain purely selfish.
As for how he treats the crows, the only friends he has and the only people he can really trust:
In Rule of Wolves, I get that he misses Jasper, but he is seriously interfering with his improvement. Jasper needs to settle into a steady life and learn not to live off adrenaline rush but Kaz keeps dragging him to go on criminal endeavors. And Jasper keeps being tempted and agreeing. Kaz could just get off his brooding arse and visit Jasper normally, him continuing to endanger Jasper is just selfish of him and it's a threat to Jasper's relationship with Wylan as well. Even if Jasper's condition has improved drastically, you don't wave around meth into recently recovered addict's face.
Let's not forget that Kaz doesn't give a shit about Grisha genocide. He's not some champion for the oppressed. In Crooked Kingdom, he kicks Nina off the job because she asked that they needed to evacuate Grisha out of Ketterdam. It was Inej who sided with her and refused to do her job unless Kaz agreed. That's how actual friends act, not Kaz. And for someone who "always settles the score", Kaz seemed to forget how much he and everyone else owed their lives to Nina. Kaz also saved their lives? No, Kaz was always supposed to get them out, that was his job. He actually screwed up with it and Nina had to take Jurda Parem.
3. The only real improvement is with Inej. who Kaz himself admits endured a lot of humiliation from him. Let's not forget he still literally bought her and had her murder people. Sure, he bought her contract out TWO YEARS LATER and supported her becoming a pirate...circumstances, circumstances, okay. Point is, he still has a long way to go just with Inej. As for becoming a better person? I don't even think it's in the cards for him. Realistically, one would start to wonder if one day their morals, or rather the lack of them, will seriously clash and Kaz will have to decide how many concessions he can make just for Inej and vice versa. But of course they're the ultimate cash cow for Leigh Bardugo so she'd never do that all the way.
I enjoy Kaz, I really do. He was my favourite character in SoC. But he is a piece of shit. Period. I sincerely hope that in future installments he'll improve somewhat somehow to some degree, instead of regressing. I don't expect miraculous change from him. (I'm lowkey afraid he'll get a banal ending though, like dying saving everyone or Inej with just one big selfless act.)
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romaincrisis
