Add’s Characterizations
I read fanfic, like any average fandom member, and I’ve noticed a trend in fics that have all three Add paths in them where Mastermind and Diabolic Esper’s characterizations are given more thought than Lunatic Psyker’s. I’m not saying the two of them don’t deserve that thought cuz they do. But more often than not I see Lunatic Psyker being characterized as relatively mindless brawn that is also an asshole. And its like… theres a difference between tsundere and asshole first of. And so many people (not just in the Elsword fandom but that’s what this blog is dedicated to) mistake the two. Tsunderes are inherently shy. And they hide that shyness and vulnerability with a tough exterior. Nowhere in there does it say being an asshole is required. Yes, most commonly, tsundere characters are shown to be abrasive and even violent. But if you pay attention to Add’s characterization he’s actually not that loud or abrasive. He’s one of the few examples I’ve seen of a quiet tsundere. Aisha is the loud abrasive rude tsundere. Lunatic Psyker is not. All of his “abrasiveness” is in snarky quips. And he’s shown to be more likely to full on DISMISS whatever he did or said. Both when given praise and when called out. When Lu praises him in Elysion he says it was “nothing special” and when Eve zaps him in Elysion, if I remember correctly, he says he was “just saying”. Both of those statements are dismissive in nature. Nowhere do we actually see him do the usual tsundere things. Nor do we see it taken to the extreme extents common in most anime. Also, Lunatic Psyker is not shown to lash out physically almost at all, even at times where Raven had to actually hold Elsword back. Add isn’t visibly riled up most times and even if he is, it doesn’t last long. He redirects himself very well to more pressing matters. And that’s where I don’t get Lunatic Psyker’s brawn characterization (that and Mastermind is the one that has the higher physical attack stat). He does fight with his body (I was going to say fists but he also has multiple skills where he kicks people) as opposed to the other two, but that shouldn’t equate to brawn. And it certainly isn’t mindless. If you want mindless destruction, that’s Diabolic Esper. He’s the one that’s beyond the point of thinking things through at all. Lunatic Psyker does think things through, it just isn’t that much when compared to Mastermind. His plans are more of a framework and he figures out the details based on the situation he finds himself in. Those details are also (very much unlike Mastermind) prone to change if the situation calls for it. Just because Lunatic Psyker thinks differently from Mastermind doesn’t mean he deserves to be characterized as mindless. He thinks. Just on the fly rather than ahead of time.
Another thing is that Mastermind is often characterized as the most empathetic Add in those stories. I often see Mastermind written as the one running interference or patching things up after Lunatic Psyker messed everything up cuz he (usually) said something awful. The problem with that is Mastermind is too focused on perfection and himself. Add already had an inflated ego and the only way for Mastermind to have expanded on that ego (since he is described as the most arrogant Add path) was to take it to the point of being narcissistic. The number 1 trait that differentiates a narcissist from a person with an inflated ego is a lack of empathy and consideration for others. So I find it a quite bit implausible to view/characterize him as the most empathetic Add. Don’t get me wrong. I completely understand how and why Mastermind got to the point that he did. But if any Add is an actual asshole, it’s probably him. And Diabolic Esper is the one more prone to mindless destruction. I’m also not saying that Lunatic Psyker would be any good at running interference or patching things up nor am I saying he wouldn’t fuck something up cuz he said something awful. He completely would. I do not doubt that at all. Social ineptitude is a general Add trait. Lunatic Psyker is in no way an exception. What upsets me is his social ineptitude is all he’s reduced to, with a nice side of punching everything that frustrates him. While often times Mastermind and Diabolic Esper are not reduced nearly to the extent he is. Their problems are more Mastermind is often given traits that don’t fit within his path’s story and Diabolic Esper is often infantalized (which is a whole other issue and he isn’t the only one it happens to in the slightest). Both Mastermind and Diabolic Esper also often get more of a pass, narratively speaking, for their behavior than Lunatic Psyker. I don’t live in any of these author’s heads, but my current assumption is that it’s because of the reasons they have for doing the things they do. Their reasons are more obvious in their path’s stories than Lunatic Psyker’s and so they get their behavior excused more often.
I’m not trying to tell anybody they’re writing the characters wrong. I’ve noticed Add especially seems to be a comfort character for a lot of people. He certainly is for me. And I really did try to keep this as non-judgmental as possible because I’m just looking at the characterizations I often see and sharing why I, personally, won’t use those characterizations in my own stories. At the same time, I won’t stop reading stories anytime soon either. A characterization I personally won’t use when creating my own content is not an entire turn-off from a fic for me.
Arise, LP mains, arise
The thing with stereotypes is they’re often wrong and mischaracterized LOL there’s people that enjoy the LP tsundere uguu nonsense, and that’s okay for them and their consumers.
There’s people that want MM to be Mr. Fix-It and that’s okay for them and their consumers.
It’s weird, but people like to project themselves onto their favorite character and brandish it as canon, and that’s okay for them and their consumers. I did this too so I can understand, but looking back on it, I cringe.
People forget there’s (what could be called) the minority that doesn’t. I, too, never understood the tropes and stereotypes associated with Adds specifically.
Especially the LP one. Always the LP one. I never understood why he was dumbed down to a brute that was all brawn and no brains when he is literally Still Add and considered a genius. But it’s because stereotypes and tropes (and deeper things that I’d rather not go into LOL)
