parallels of Gilgamesh as a savior
You know, Gil actually has a huge amount of parallels with Saber, Castoria, and Morgan, it's just that we only ever see him once his journey is complete so it doesn't feel as tragic. Not exactly the same of course, and Gil ends up better in the end than the others, however the origins are surprisingly similar, or at the very least mirror each other.
Destined saviors born with a purpose too great for any one person, so much pressure the majority of people couldn't handle it.
Like Castoria, Gil had no choice in becoming the wedge of heaven, his destiny was instilled upon him by the gods before he was born, and he was given the power of clairvoyant sight which showed him endless timelines in possibilities, many of them filled with destruction. Endless information, enough that according to Sheba's interlude, he had to learn how to suppress it. He sees the deaths of his loved ones before they come, as shown by how he nearly panicked when Siduri was about to go to her death in Babylonia.
However, like Morgan, Gilgamesh rejected his destiny, while simultaneously accepting it. The gods wanted him to crush humans under his heel, to prevent them from creating and discovering so humans would remain reliant on the gods forever. But Gil grew to love humans so much he decided to take their side instead, preventing the gods from holding onto their already slipping control. He decided he would become a guardian of humanity, the sole decider and protector of its fate. To do this, he could not grow close to humans, he had to cut himself off emotionally in order to be impartial. As mentioned in CCC, the only reason he was able to grow close to Enkidu and love them is because they were neither human nor god. At last, Gilgamesh had an equal he was able to relax around, someone who understood what it was like to be all alone in the world, the only creature of his kind. When Enkidu died, even after Gilgamesh went on his journey and became wise, his decision to never become close to anyone else remains firm. He is eternally isolated, unable to let himself let his guard down around anyone. Even when he grows attached to a human, like Hakuno, he cannot see them as an equal and be vulnerable around them, because he will always be the wedge of heaven.
Saber, meanwhile, willingly chose to be a savior. She had a choice, took it upon herself to give up companionship in order to take up the sword. She gained everything, then lost it and regretted it, cared for but still distant and not understood by anyone. It was only in her afterlife (or rather in an eternity of a split second right before her death), that she was able to find peace and companionship.
Gilgamesh had no choice in becoming the wedge of heaven, and was born completely alone and isolated. He gained love and companionship in his life, but lost that love. His country did not fall to ruin, and he remained proud. But he returned to being alone, and continued to be alone for all of time, even in his afterlife.
janainaart
kianamaiart
