Just had a brainwave about the Usui forest incident: Forest of illusions. Lady Butterfly uses illusion techniques. Was Owl intending to train Wolf to fight against specifically her more competently from a very young age, in case he ever had reason to want to get rid of Lady Butterfly? How far back do this dude's schemes go?
Not that that excuses the general "training strategy" in the slightest. as you said it is just cruel.
I hadn't thought about the bandits in the misty woods too deeply before, but I think you might be onto something with that theory about Wolf's amnesia. The game implies that illusion techniques produce different visions in the recipient, though it's unclear how much of that is down to the practitioner sculpting what the victims see and how much of it comes from the victims themselves. Inosuke Nogami (who hands you snap seeds prior to fighting Lady Butterfly) appears to have blinded himself in response to whatever the illusions showed him, Kuro in Hirata 1 appears unaware of the fire and calls for his parents. Wolf sees people trying to attack him, and they break his focus with perilous attacks and making it harder to lock on to Butterfly herself. So I would absolutely buy that the illusions created by the mist noble could be shaped in part by the eye of the beholder. (And regardless of whether or not fromsoft intended that to be the case, I think it's more fun to read meaning into details like that.)
Vigorously shaking your hand re: Wolf's general characterization and also the icon thing, I am extremely tempted to also make my icon Wolf at this point. I have been rotating this game and specifically Wolf in my mind since I started playing it like a month and a half ago, and I can tell this is gonna stick for a LONG time lmao. (Also is the aro flag in the background of your icon implying an aro Wolf headcanon? Because if so, HELL YEAH ME TOO)
Purification ending... I have complex thoughts on all the endings, tbh, but, to attempt to be brief about them. All of them are narratively satisfying and imply different equally fascinating things about Wolf's character arc, imo. Of the four, I would say I like Return best, then Purification, then Shura, then Severance. When ranking them by how objectively positive I think the ending is for the characters and the world, swap Shura and Severance around.
HOWEVER, even though Owl (Father) isn't a gameplay-required fight for the Return ending, it is a narrative-necessary inclusion for me to place Return above Purification. I like getting the closure about what happened at the estate, but more than that, it means Wolf is faced with the choice to permanently "give [his] life to keep [his master] safe" and he instead decides to look for another option. Wolf's character growth is driven by both breaking away from the iron code and learning to recognize his own humanity. The Return ending really needs that symbolic fight with the Owl within and Wolf getting a chance to actively place value on his own continued existence (rather than it just being a passive fact that he is still alive, with the alternate path unknown to him) to feel it's most complete and pack the most emotional punch.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Owl meant it in case he ever wanted to kill Lady Butterfly. He is willing to aid the Interior Ministry in order to further his own goals, despite them being a colonial force, so it would also make sense for him to plan something if his own desires require turning against one of his allies. Personally, I assumed it was a joint effort between Lady Butterfly and Owl because she was one of his mentors in shinobi techniques; why not have his training involve illusion technique at a young age?
And yeah, it is very fun to read into details and ascribe meaning to them that may not have been intended, but aren't disproven either. Whether or not the game meant the illusions the Mist Noble created to have a double meaning, there is backing behind it being something that can be shaped by someone's perception and not just what the illusion user intends (like how Lady Butterfly's illusion technique made different characters see different things, as you said).
And yes, the aromantic flag in my icon is an aromantic Wolf headcanon! Honestly, with romance being not at all important to the game I ended up just seeing all characters as not really valuing romance and some flavour of aromantic, but also I like Wolf and will project my orientation onto him, especially when romance wouldn't be good for his character at the point of his growth and arc he is at in the game, even if you go for Return ending. Also, from experience, this game will not leave your mind. It has been at least 2 years since my first playthrough of Sekiro, and it is always at the back of my mind.
I also agree and share your ending ranking. They are all very interesting in their own ways. Even Shura ending, while an objectively bad ending, is a really well written ending. It's narratively unsatisfying, but in an intentional way. It doesn't make you feel good and it isn't supposed to; it showcases what Wolf can become if he doesn't choose his own path in life as a result of Owl's upbringing of him.
I do also really believe that Father's Bell Charm is something almost necessary for Return ending. It isn't truly necessary, so I can believe in Wolf seeking an alternative better to Immortal Severence that doesn't require his death without confronting that, but it would make that a significantly easier path to take. By confronting the reality of what happened, he can start to realise the truth of who is father really is and how he has never been loved and only seen as a weapon, and even though I believe he doesn't realise it in full (because it would be very difficult to unlearn his upbringing and conflate the version of Owl that exists in his mind with the one in reality), confronting that would make it easier for him to start to truly value his personhood, and thus life, more. It's not something easy to unlearn, but through placing more value on himself he can start to actively desire a better path he will survive, and, incidentally, one that will result in him more fully realising the truth of his upbringing and of Owl.
Hi hello it is I, I am that rambling anon. I will be so real I was only on anon because I didn't expect we would start hucking several thousand word essays at each other, but I'm very glad that we are, this is fun.
I have fought Inner Father (wicked good fight btw) and that remnant... I had to just sit staring at that for a while just to digest it. As if everything else stated outright or just implied about Wolf's upbringing wasn't enough to pile on the poor dude. Being left to die in the forest of hallucinations as a kid. We're calling that training. It's like every time we kill Owl he's got to get one last shot in as he dies so we can't be too happy about winning lmao. God.
You know what, I've joked about the Terror status before, because it is kind of silly that if you get a little too scared you immediately die. But now I'm thinking about the fact that terror is mostly dealt out by ghosts and illusions, and this feels just a little related to that particular detail about Wolf's backstory. Just a bit. Maybe our guy has a little bit of ghost trauma. I feel bad for jokin about that now.
But on the note of the Usui forest incident, returning briefly to the rice quest again: The description on the rice balls Kuro gives Wolf is "Once when the Wolf was starving, his father wordlessly handed him a rice ball. It was astoundingly delicious. This one is sure to taste just as good." I can't imagine that happened when Owl first picked Wolf up off the battlefield, he was too busy slicing a child's face in that cutscene. So it must have happened later. And the only way I can read this given that time frame is that Wolf was left to fend for himself regularly even after Owl ostensibly started caring for him. But the way this description is phrased and the context it appears in... This is framed like it's a fond memory for Wolf, you know, Kuro being nice to him reminded him of a time his dad was nice to him. Even Wolf's happy memories are objectively sad. Like what the fuck.
I really appreciate that this game lets you play out the cool fantasy of being this badass shinobi who's whole existence is dedicated to the blade and the shadows, but at the same time, it gives you these glimpses into what the life of that kind of character would have to look like and how utterly nonfunctional they would have to be in every other area in order to get that way. Without the slow reveal of a mountain of past abuse Wolf would fall totally flat as a character. Without Wolf genuinely being cool as hell the gameplay would not exist or be nearly as fun. It's such a smart writing choice, perfect way to structure a protagonist for this game.
(It also is why the purification ending destroyed me emotionally. Wolf deserves to get a chance to figure out how to be a person. He doesn't deserve to die for good like that.)
(None of this changes the fact that I want to reach into my computer screen and strangle Owl though)
I also wasn't expecting to write several thousand words in response, but I am also glad it happened. It's been a fun exchange with you, no-longer-anon!
I also had to take a moment after unlocking the Inner Father Remnant because that changes... so much. It isn't as if his upbringing wasn't awful before this knowledge, with the Lady Butterfly Remnant confirming that part of his training was battles (not even sparring), but it really drives home just how awful it was and how traumatic it would be. It's one thing to learn shinobi techniques through battle - it's somewhat logical, even if it isn't good in the slightest - but this is just cruel. There were surely better ways for Wolf to have learned whatever that experience taught him than being left to die.
Adding onto terror being associated with ghosts and illusions, the illusions seen in the forest before Mibu Village are the same bandits enemies found in Hirata Estate. This is most likely just asset reuse, since it's a small part of the game and it doesn't make sense to introduce brand new enemies just for that, but it is also something interesting to think about, especially when Wolf doesn't remember the full truth of what happened that night at Hirata Estate. Perhaps the illusions created by the Fountainhead Noble there are based on those bandits because of the unremembered yet still unaddressed trauma, even if the more likely case is just reusing those enemies. And honestly, considering he was a fucking child when he was abandoned and expected to die to the illusions in Usui Forest, it would make sense for there to be some sort of trauma born from that. That seems like an appropriate reaction for a child to have.
And yeah, Inner Father Remnant also adds onto the Sweet Rice Ball description in the worst way. Even before that it's something very bittersweet, and this just makes it worse. It's messed up even before that for him to have a fond memory of... being given food when starving. Not only is that something that should be a normal response, he shouldn't have been left to starve in the first place. It's really fucked up that a memory he has of his father being nice to him was just a basic kindness anyone should provide. And when you compare this to being left - and expected - to die, this is nice, so it makes sense it is something remembered fondly. It was already easily believable even before that, given everything learned about Owl throughout the game, but it is so much more believable that he was regularly left on his own. It's so fucked!
I also really love the depth Wolf is given while still appearing to be a cool as fuck shinobi. He initially appears as simply that; he is obedient, stoic, and incredibly capable in a fight. The feel of the combat and the deathblow mechanic add onto that appearance. But it isn't all he is, and the game is made better for that. While he appears that way in combat, it isn't really the case when he starts to interact with people. His stoic, unspeaking nature becomes something awkward, his obedience isn't just obedience, but subservience. He can't even answer the Sculptor when asked his name. The game turns him from a stereotypical stoic, silent protagonist into someone who only knows how to function independently in combat. And all that is before information on his past is discovered, and certainly before the rooftop encounter with Owl.
It's honestly a great way to approach a character who could have so easily be just another of those silent, stoic warriors. He was made to be a weapon and every other basic life skill was neglected, which is why he initially appears that way. It's also part of why I love Kuro asking what Wolf thinks in the game, because he isn't used to that. It's nothing special, it's just the type of person Kuro is, but it allows for Wolf to start to speak his mind and shows such a sudden change demeanor from the start of the game.
Honestly I have very mixed opinions on Purification ending. It's ultimately one of the better endings, it's far better than Immortal Severance (and infinitely better than Shura), but Wolf really does deserve to live. It's a very bittersweet ending to me. He has so little experience in being anything other than a weapon that he should get the chance to live on and learn how to be more than that, but then on the other hand he's giving Kuro the chance to lead a normal life, a life that Wolf never had himself. I'll still do Return/Dragon's Homecoming over it, but it's such a mix of emotions. It's great. I'm content to have only done it once for the achievement, but it's still great.
We can strangle Owl through our computer screens together. It's what he deserves.
I have spent time analyzing the height difference between Wolf and Kuro and somehow never connected that to Owl vs Wolf! Wait hold on that's gonna fuck me up so much more than it already did.
Kuro is a child and Wolf is a lot taller than he is because of that. But outside of active combat situations, Wolf always makes it a point to kneel when talking to him - and yes this is a sign of respect from retainer to lord, but it also puts Wolf's height below Kuro's, even if only temporarily. He is physically below Kuro's standing. There's a lot wrapped up in that, not least of which is how thoroughly Wolf has been conditioned to view himself as a tool moreso than a person. Fromsoft draws your attention to that aspect of the gesture in the very first cutscene of Kuro and Wolf together; Kuro is reaching a hand out to Wolf, and Wolf bows and lowers his head, and Kuro just sort of... stalls. Clenches his hands to fists for a second before resigning himself to addressing Wolf formally. Kuro wants to greet Wolf like an old friend and Wolf doesn't even acknowledge that as a possibility. It's not even really a question of whether he thinks he deserves it or not, I think it just genuinely doesn't occur to him at that point in the story that he's anything other than a weapon to be pointed at a target.
Which is why a single moment that's not even in a formal cutscene fucks me up, and that moment is the conversation with Kuro immediately after the Genichiro fight. Wolf initially refuses to help Kuro sever immortality (which, that dialogue "choice" is an entire other paragraph of analysis) and as Kuro is insisting that this is the right thing to do and saying that Wolf has already sacrificed way too much for him, he kneels down too, and in doing so he forcibly puts them back on even footing.
Wolf tries to create the same gap between him and Kuro that exists between him and Owl - in height, in power, in who's opinions matter - and Kuro actively refuses to let Wolf do that. Kuro kneeling in that moment is so important for visually reinforcing the differences in how he and Owl think of and treat Wolf.
And re: analysing the dialogue lines... Oh I have so many thoughts about the dialogue lines, especially the ones in combat and for losing the fight.
Like first of all you mentioned his crocodile tears prior to the fight - I'm PISSED about that one personally because this comes right after Owl belittles Wolf for showing compassion. He puts Wolf down for having a heart and then immediately tries to use that as another manipulation tool; won't you show compassion for your poor wounded father, look how upset you've made me! And when emotional manipulation doesn't work, why not physical violence, that's the clear next step in getting someone to listen to you! Sure!
And that's not even the end of it! He does that same combo MID FIGHT! You get the first deathblow on him and he does that pretend surrender, begging Wolf to spare him, and then if Wolf shows any compassion i.e. approaches instead of continuing to attack, he calls Wolf a fool for it and retorts with more violence.
Nearly every line Owl speaks to Wolf takes a shot at him in one way or another. Even in the Shura ending where Wolf does listen to Owl (briefly), Owl is STILL DOING IT. Wolf takes down Isshin Ashina, only one of the most feared people in the entire goddamn country, and the first words out of Owl's mouth are "That took a while… but it was well worth the wait." That took a while. THAT TOOK A WHILE?? Shura ending makes my skin crawl but at least Wolf gets to backstab Owl in it and Owl is terrified instead of smug for once.
Man okay I haven't even gotten to the dialogue when you die yet. I have a lot of thoughts about how the Hirata memories work and what they represent but the dialogue for when the different versions of Owl defeat you are so fascinating to me. I view Owl Father as a sort of... I don't think that's necessarily what all Owl was capable of in life. Hirata happened only 3 years ago, Owl was not that much younger, I don't think this is a Sword Saint situation where it's Owl in his prime. I interpret Owl Father as being more about how Wolf sees Owl. To him, Owl is this legendary figure capable of incredible feats Wolf could not hope to match. There's several reasons why but a big one is just that I like framing the Hirata revisit as being about Wolf confronting and overcoming the lingering influence Owl still has on Wolf's life and decisions even after his death.
And keeping that in mind - look at the defeat dialogue. Owl in real life, if he defeats Wolf, mostly sounds disappointed. "No more than a stray dog after all." Compare that to the Owl of memory; "Good riddance… starving wolf." There's so much more bite to that. Good riddance. Wolf was a burden his father is glad to be relieved of. And specifically calling him a starving wolf as a last shot at him, when it's canonical that Owl has let Wolf nearly starve to death before. If we're saying that Owl Father is at least partially what Wolf has made Owl into internally, that is... We're several layers deep, we're looking at how Wolf thinks Owl sees him and a little bit of how Wolf himself feels about that. Maybe it's a stretch but it reads to me like Wolf trying to figure out why Owl would kill him at Hirata, and the answer he comes up with is that he must have failed Owl in some way.
God and the starving thing. I know Wolf is typically smaller than enemies for gameplay reasons, it's for improving clarity of enemy animations so you can react to them. But do you ever think about how Wolf is an adult man in Japan who either doesn't know how to cook rice or doesn't think to do so and what that says about how Owl raised him? You ever think about how him being so short compared to most people in Ashina might be in part because his growth was stunted from malnourishment. I love the rice for Kuro quest, it's really adorable, it's kinad funny, but it's so fucking sad too.
(I'm sorry about your wrist also, hope that recovers quickly!)
First of all. I'm apologising for how long I'm making this. I didn't intend on this being as long as it is when I started writing. And then I accidentally spent 3 hours writing this response. I'm putting it under a cut so people can choose whether to see my 18 paragraph long response. Whoops? I'm not actually sorry though. If you follow me you should read this btw, even if you haven't played Sekiro.
Also, anon, absolutely no pressure, but if you feel comfortable getting off anon, with how many words we have exchanged about just one aspect of this wonderful game, you're welcome to. Again, no obligation :)
I'm so glad I infected you with thinking about the height difference, because it is such a simple way of mirroring the dynamic Wolf has with both Owl and Kuro, but it says so much. The height difference with Owl never changes; not when Wolf was a child and not when he was an adult. Through the Iron Code and Wolf's abusive upbringing, Owl has installed himself to be the most important figure in Wolf's life and as someone he must obey no matter what, and the height difference makes you feel it; Wolf is always smaller, always less important.
Which makes the height difference with Kuro so different. Wolf has been raised to see himself as simply a tool and weapon for others to use, and it's not even something he sees as negative or a thing he deserves - it is simply a fact of his existence. At the start of the game, he bows to Kuro and lowers his head despite Kuro reaching out a hand to him. Kuro is someone who has always seen him as an equal, but Wolf can only see himself as Kuro's shinobi, as someone to be used, despite Kuro having never seen or treated him in this way. Even without knowing anything about their dynamic this cutscene immediately destroyed me in my first playthrough. Kuro wants to treat Wolf as the equal he is, but is forced to treat him with an air of authority because Wolf does not see himself as an equal - and not even in a bad way, to him it is simply reality.
So Kuro putting himself at Wolf's level following the Genichiro fight is something so good, and it also fucks me up. Wolf still sees himself as the tool and the weapon he was raised to be, and as such he cannot choose to help Kuro, because that would mean to break the Iron Code and the duty his father placed on him. He cannot see himself as the equal that Kuro sees him as, and Kuro kneels, putting himself on Wolf's level despite that. He insists on marking himself as Wolf's equal, even if Wolf cannot see it himself. And not only does Kuro kneel, he bows to Wolf when requesting his help in severing the immortal ties. And while Wolf obeys because Kuro asked him to do this, it still does so much to show how different their dynamic is from Wolf and Owl's, even if you don't see much of Wolf's dynamic with Owl until later in the game.
It's something that makes Owl's treatment of Wolf so much more insidious, because Owl is the only major character in the game to treat Wolf as the tool he believes himself to be. Kuro goes out of his way to treat Wolf as an equal - kneeling and bowing to him, asking for what Wolf things - but he isn't the only character who does that. It might be the one that stands out the most because of how Kuro does this despite the power he holds over Wolf, but every other major character Wolf interacts with treats him as just another person. At least, every major character other than Owl.
It makes Owl's treatment of Wolf stand out so much. Up to this point, Wolf is the only character who sees himself as a weapon. No one treats him like that. And seeing how Owl talks to Wolf makes it obvious why Wolf sees himself as that. We see with Kuro how Wolf is able to speak his mind, but Owl doesn't allow that. Whenever he does speak, Owl turns the conversation to be about what he wants, about how the power of the Dragon's Heritage has to be his and ordering Wolf to forsake Kuro so he can achieve that desire.
And yeah, the fake crying from Owl ALSO pissed me off. That cutscene is honestly what cemented Sekiro as my favourite game. He calls Wolf's compassion "a miserable display", and then attempts to manipulate that so Wolf will remain the weapon Owl wants him to be. And it's something so infuriating, especially because, just like you said, he does that in the middle of the fight. He refuses to let Wolf be anything other than the weapon he was made to be, and it's disgusting. Not only does he attempt to manipulate Wolf before the fight, but he does it in the fight he started because he cannot simply let Wolf choose his own path in life. It's something so fucking despicable!
It's such a good way of showing that Owl is an abuser without stating it. His fucking manipulation tactic before the fight is so fucking disgusting, because just like you said he manipulates Wolf's compassion to try to make Wolf change his mind by making it about him and how Wolf must consider how he feels about his command not being obeyed.
I'm going to use this as an excuse to mention the line if you die once in the Great Shinobi Owl fight ("The parent is absolute. Their will must be obeyed! ...yet I'm detecting some insubordination."). Not only does he have different dialogue lines for each time you die while able to resurrect, he is reciting the Iron Code, but following it up by being demeaning to Wolf. All of them are awful, but it's so angering that he label's Wolf actually deciding what he does with his life rather than letting it be nothing more than obeying the Iron Code as insubordination. It does follow the definition of insubordination, but it is Wolf choosing to escape his abuse rather than remaining in it, even if he doesn't realise he was abused. Owl refuses to let that happen, refuses to let Wolf be more than what he wants Wolf to be, and demeans him for that desire.
Which is a perfect segway into mentioning Shura ending! From a narrative perspective, it's such a good ending. Can I do it more than the one time I did it in order to 100% the game on Steam? No! But it's narratively good! It shows what Wolf will become if he doesn't escape from that abuse, if he cannot see himself as more than the weapon he was made to be. He becomes a weapon that wields himself. He refuses to simply obey Owl, but he is still nothing more than what he was made to be because, in this ending, he cannot see himself as more than that weapon.
Honestly, I didn't even realise Owl's dialogue in the Shura ending demeans Wolf until now because I was too busy thinking about the rest of the ending so thanks for pointing that out. Even when Wolf obeys him and does what he asks, Owl still treats him that way. Even after killing fucking Isshin. While Owl isn't capable of being a nice person, you'd think that his response would be something other than that, even if it isn't remotely nice, because this is fucking Isshin we are talking about. Even when he is not in his prime, even when he is actively dying, the Interior Ministry still fears him enough to not invade Ashina. Owl will always treat him in exactly the same way, it doesn't matter if Wolf remains a weapon or chooses to be more than that. It isn't something surprising, but it really does emphasise just the type of person Owl is.
And to go to the Owl (Father) fight at Hirata Estate, I also don't see it as something entirely true. I do believe they fought each other there, simply because Owl is an awful enough person to where I can see it happening, but that it is ultimately still a memory. Wolf unfortunately does care for his father, and his recollection of how the fight actually happened would likely be coloured by that. The Memory from that fight states that "the foster father confronted in old memories was a man in his prime", and I also suspect that is more how Wolf sees Owl rather than how he actually is, especially with the Inner Father fight existing, which shows that Wolf sees Owl as stronger and more capable than he actually is. I also agree that it is symbolism of Wolf confronting his father and getting over some of the influence Owl still holds over him. Not entirely, simply because Inner Father does exist, which shows that Wolf still holds him in respect to see him as stronger than he was, but still symbolic of that.
And the defeat lines really do play into that. I do believe the Owl (Father) fight still happened, and the defeat line in that fight really does make me angry, but I am uncertain on whether I believe him saying that. Because on the one hand, this is Owl, and considering he intended Wolf to die that night, and stay dead, I believe that it is something in character for him to say; Wolf is a weapon for him to use and discard, saying good riddance when he is discarding said weapon wouldn't be out of place. But this fight is also Wolf realising that his father was the one to have killed him and dealing with all the emotional turmoil that would bring. It wouldn't be wrong to interpret that as something Wolf thinks rather than what was actually said, like you point out. This is the man who raised him, someone he unfortunately cares about, and he has to deal with knowing that his father killed him and meant for him to die, so why wouldn't this be what he thought Owl would say, rather than what was actually said? Why else would his father have intended on his permanent death?
Regardless of how true you believe the Father's Bell Charm memory to be, it's still something very interesting and says a lot about Wolf and Owl's dynamic no matter how you interpret it. If you see it as entirely true, it cements how awful Owl is, while still establishing the emotional impact it has on Wolf. If you see it as more memory than true, or as an entirely made up memory, it shows an inner turmoil as Wolf grapples with the love he has for his father and the reality of Owl intending him to permanently die.
AND I THINK ABOUT HOW WOLF DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO COOK RICE ALL THE TIME. It is meant to be a little bit funny, but if you actually think about it says so fucking much about his upbringing; Wolf was raised to be a weapon at the expense of everything else. He was to be deferent to Owl, so he was denied something as simple as that. Firstly, a weapon has no use for cooking, and secondly, if he were to have desired to leave this life and his father behind it would ensure he cannot. It's a method of ensuring control over Wolf in every way. And I have no doubt that it has influenced his growth, considering he has let Wolf starve before.
And, to add on to how fucked up his upbringing was that it's heavily implied he doesn't know how to cook rice, I have to bring up the Inner Father Remnant. I've mentioned it in this response, so I'm going to use it as my closer.
Before even getting to what is written on the Remnant, I love that the Memory and Remnant for Inner Father isn't remotely respectful to him like the Memory and Remnants for Inner Genichiro and Inner Isshin. These are characters that Wolf respects, and so he sees them as stronger than they actually are, but the game isn't respectful to Owl. It's a great way of establishing that Wolf still respects and cares for his father (unfortunately) without painting him as a better person as he is.
And the description of the Remnant for Inner Father doubles down on Owl being awful. And it is so fucked up. It shows that, from the very start, Owl has only valued Wolf as a weapon, not a person. In case you haven't done the fight or don't have a screenshot at hand, it says the following: "Owl once abandoned the young Wolf in Usui Forest, expecting him to fend against the illusions, likely never to return. Only in victory would he recognise the boy as his son. In this way, and in this way alone, he raised the Wolf as his own."
It shows that Owl has only ever valued Wolf as a weapon. He would only be accepted as his son if he survived being abandoned in a fucking illusion filled forest to die as a child. And he was fully expecting Wolf to get lost in there and die, if not to the illusions themselves to dehydration or starvation or anything else that can befall a child alone in a forest he knows nothing about. Acceptance as his son was contingent on victory, and it establishes that as the most important thing; what use is a weapon that cannot win his battles? Owl would've just left him abandoned there if he hadn't found his way out, because this is apparently a normal thing to do with a child you found in a warzone. He sucks and I love that the game never tries to paint him as someone who doesn't, especially when they are capable of making awful parents who are complex, without being any less awful (both as parents and people).
Hello its meee that same anon again reacting to that last answer because YOU GET IT THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO THAT CUTSCENE LIKE
That's not the only time in the game Wolf turns his back to potential threats in cutscenes. Right after the Geni fight he doesn't know who's side Emma is on, but when she tells Wolf she means him no harm, he believes her to the point he's willing to turn his back to her when she notices something behind him. Big show of trust, taking all his focus off of her on her good word!
With Owl it's... Wolf turning his back is twofold, it's rejecting Owl's code, and it's also that trust display again except this time it's not a statement, it's a question. It's "can I trust you?" And Owl's answer is.. pretty clear. ...Threefold actually it's also a mirror moment to the end of the first Hirata visit when Owl actually does stab Wolf in the back.
People sometimes point out Wolf's hand movements in his cutscenes with Genichiro to analyze his state of mind. That's why Wolf's hands shaking as he fends off Owl gets me. Wolf rarely shows his emotions on his face, but his hands *always* betray something of his state of mind. Is it anger here? Is it fear? Both, maybe?
And the fact that Owl is just so damn tall... Wolf looks like a child beside him and you cannot tell me that wasn't intentional. Owl towers over Wolf just as much as he did when Wolf *actually was* a child. There is so much to unpack there wrt how Wolf sees Owl and the past and continuing abuse/manipulativeness of their dynamic.
Every single cutscene in the game is like this, I swear. I could talk about the implications of every single shot for paragraphs.
There is so much to hate about Owl and I'm glad we have the reflections so I can beat the shit out of him whenever I want to
HI AGAIN ANON.
Yeah, turning his back to Lady Emma after the Genichiro fight is a really big display of trust, especially because later dialogue reveals that he knows she is trained to use a sword, whether or not he knows it at this time. She hasn't done anything for Wolf not to take her at her word, but it was still a very vulnerable position to be in, especially with how close they were; if he was wrong, there wouldn't be much time for him to react. It's a very subtle way of establishing how willing he is to trust people.
And it makes Owl's attempted backstab so much worse. He is turning his back on the path made for him, yes, but making himself so vulnerable shows that he still wants to trust his father. Owl doesn't deserve it, but Wolf still wants to, and unlike with Lady Emma he cannot be trusted. His willingness to trust his father was misplaced, and the subtle shaking of his hands shows the state of mind it puts in him. It is less exertion and more a mind that is uncertain of what to think because how exactly are you going to feel in this scenario?
And yeah, it is a mirror to Hirata Estate! Just like then, Wolf's back is turned to Owl, and his father uses that opportunity to literally backstab him. It also makes Wolf blocking that attack hit so much harder, because he doesn't even remember his father being the one who killed him at this point in the game; he wants to trust his father, and for a reason he doesn't remember knows he won't be able to.
ALSO THE HEIGHT THING FUCKS ME UP. I literally analysed the height difference between him and Owl vs him and Kuro for a friend powerpoint night. It fucks me up. As both a child and an adult, Owl is a towering figure, a towering presence. Wolf feels so small in comparison, and it perfectly represents how much control Owl has in - and over - Wolf's life, that as long as Owl is in it, he is the one in control of it, not Wolf. And while Owl towers over Wolf, Kuro is at an equal level to him. It is such a subtle way of showing how different their dynamics with Wolf is. While Owl controls Wolf's life, and sees him only as tool to be used, Kuro makes himself Wolf's equal and values and invites his input, even when he could hold significantly more power over Wolf like Owl does.
The game does such a good job at showing that Owl is an abuser despite never actually calling him one. There's more explicit things like Owl's fake crying to manipulate Wolf into changing his mind (and attempting to backstab him when he doesn't), how Owl doesn't let Wolf speak his mind in the conversation prior to that, and then there's things that are as simple as a height difference that never seems to change. There's his dialogue lines, which do a great job at showing how Owl sees Wolf, especially with how awful the ones in his fights are. And then there's the Inner Father remnant lore, which is fucked up to say the least!
Also yeah, the reflections are great. It's wonderful fighting him whenever the urge strikes me. Beating up Owl has become a part of my Father's Day tradition because he deserves it.
Same anon from 5 minutes ago - idk if this is a detail you have noticed/had pointed out to you but as a fellow Owl hater and victim of Wolf brainrot I feel compelled to point out. In that cutscene after choosing to forsake the iron code, when Wolf blocks Owl's attempted backstab? Wolf's arms are *shaking,* just a little bit.
The implications. The implications not just in how much physical force Owl is putting into that attack but in how Wolf is reacting internally to that moment. I have brainworms about these specific three seconds of cutscene help
NO NO YEAH I GET YOU. It's a very short cutscene but there is SO much there.
Even being able to block the attempted backstab reveals what he is thinking internally. He had already turned to leave, he was completely vulnerable, but he still blocked that. He has both the instinct and knowledge to know that he couldn't leave his back turned to his own father. A father that he thought was dead until he saw Owl on that roof, not very long before Owl attempted that.
This cutscene, the conversation before, says so much about their dynamic and not in a good way. His father faked his death, and didn't even give Wolf a moment to truly process that. He attempted to manipulate Wolf into staying the obedient tool he was made to that, and when that failed attempted to kill Wolf, leading to a fight causing his own death. All because Owl couldn't accept Wolf choosing his own path and staying loyal to Kuro - someone who actually cares for him - over obeying the Iron Code.
And Wolf would have so much going on internally. Seeing his father who he thought was dead, a father that he unfortunately loves, and yet knowing that Owl wouldn't take the opening to leave, and that turning away was leaving himself vulnerable, that he wasn't safe turning his back to Owl and that he would be forced to kill the father he loves that he just found out was alive.
It's such a good cutscene. I love it. I'm going to beat Owl to death with a metal bat.
Hello I'm just drifting by as I dig around this hellsite for fanart and gifs and I'd like to thank you for your sekiro-posting because that game has me in a fucking chokehold right now I apologize in advance if I end up reblogging half your blog in the next 24 hours
There is absolutely no need to apologise. Despite how little I reblog anything from the main tag (I keep forgetting to check it), this game has had me in a chokehold for 2 years so I understand completely. Let yourself be consumed by the Sekiro chokehold.
The BEST trope is when a character tells another “let’s run away together, we can leave all of this behind and start a new life somewhere” and gets rejected. And then the rest of the tragedy unfolds
Remember when Toronto mayor Rob Ford was caught on video smoking crack with a bunch of Bloods and even posed for pics with them and then refused to step down as mayor
I honestly think this is the funniest pic in the history of political scandals
Autism Representation written by an allistic: My name is John Autism and I like the designated autistic interests
unintentionally autistic character written by the creator who hasn't really thought about whether or not theyre autistic: I wish I could be human like the way everyone else is but I know they can tell I'm not. And I know they're right
To be quite honest with you all I do think that aro/ace-spectrum fans in fandoms where people are desperately inventing crossover ships and humanizing non-human characters in order to have a conventionally attractive guy to ship the main character with, instead of possibly having to enjoy a story with no romance in it, have the right to refer to everyone else as cowards.
they're not "dating" they're not "a couple" they're intrinsically connected and intertwined with each other for eternity. they're bound together like the stars. get with the program
titsay
tangentwithtanner
snowghoul
2087
jacobvanloon
kianamaiart
ellievsbear
