alchemy stars certainly has ranges to its villains mainly because the big threat of the Eclipse have only had a handful of their leaders revealed and most of their actual villainy comes from the world building surrounding them rather than an actual Villain doing anything, whereas all the other non eclipse villains are either cartoonishly evil or straight up capitalist old men
but schummer really stands out so well in my opinion because her greatest motivation wasn't even a lust for power but pure bitterness. Literally everything schummer did was entirely motivated by her need to be important, not in a 'holier than thou' way but rather she was sick of being told her entire life that she just had to accept her weakness. in a society of people whose main superpower was communication she was born without it, and instead of having people actively try to support her she was either left to her own devices, ignored outright or even attempted to be killed. no matter what she did she was never accepted, and even after doing everything she could to survive her own people who shunned her still called her a monster for it. schummer didn't want aviduz because it was the strongest battle collosus, it was because it was her childhood dream to fly it and she was told her entire life she would never be good enough for it. schummer doesnt kill mendel because they were enemies but because after schummer tried to take him with her to safety the first time he decided that he would take his chances rather than be with a monster. the one teacher who was even remotely curteous to her, she tried to save from the slaughter and watched as he chose to die instead of going with her. literally every action schummer takes as a villain isnt motivated by a grand plan to take over the world or destroy it, its pure bitter resentment and childish anger, and it WORKS
navi in having seen her memories didn't even hold that bitterness against her and flat out admits that they don't care that she turned herself into a monster for revenge or survival, but simply can't understand why she would then go on to kill the rest of their people. But schummer isn't receptive to any of navi's words because in her eyes navi is genuinely blessed. even if they never knew their people navi still had people who care about them fully and truly, and even if navi may be weak as a caelestite they are still supported in every way that matters. schummer focused entirely on navi as a fighter because everyone in her life focused on Her psychic abilities as a measure of worth, and in being lacking she wasnt deemed worthy of their attention or love. She is entirely jealous of navi for being so loved and even more bitter that it doesn't matter how much power she gets, how strong she becomes, how much more she alters and mutates herself, she still isnt and would never be good enough.
schummer absolutely got what she deserved at the end but she works so well as an antagonist because at the same time you really cant help but feel that she was (almost) entirely justified in everything because she was right about everything she said: she fully points out that the caelestites are only peaceful because if they had power alongside their psychic abilities then they would try to conquer the planet (which we know from ch12-14 is true in the distant past), she has no qualms messing up lumopolis because she knows that its a cesspool of corruption where nobles do nothing but trample on the weak and pray, and she knows full well that illumina has no lines it wont cross for the sake of its goals like her which is why she sees them as hypocrites for calling her evil.
schummer is a genuine standout arc 1 villain and honestly i wouldnt be surprised if she comes back in some way
jacobvanloon
areudirty
2087
snowghoul
stormborns
