vil schoenheit is one of the most misunderstood characters in twst, mostly because people reduce his entire overblot to jealousy. “he was jealous of neige” is the take you see everywhere. but that interpretation completely ignores what vil’s character has actually been about from the beginning
vil was never jealous of neige’s beauty or individuality
those two have always embodied completely different ideals. neige represents a very effortless, storybook kind of charm. soft, innocent, natural. vil never tried to imitate that, and he never wanted to. vil’s beauty is something he builds. it’s intentional, disciplined, cultivated. every aspect of it is something he shaped through effort and control
vil has always pursued the version of beauty that speaks to him. he doesn’t want to become neige. he wants to reach the heights neige reached as himself
that distinction matters a lot
vil doesn’t want someone else’s crown. he wants to earn recognition as vil schoenheit. his goal has never been to replace neige as a person. his goal is to stand on the same stage and finally be acknowledged as the fairest one of all in his own right
and even that goal gets misunderstood
people think vil’s obsession with beauty is shallow, like it’s purely about appearance. but the game repeatedly shows that his definition of beauty goes far beyond looks. to vil, beauty is a philosophy. it’s discipline. it’s the way you carry yourself, the way you think, the way you treat others, the way you grow
beauty is the totality of a person
that’s why vil constantly pushes himself to improve in every possible area. acting, posture, fitness, etiquette, intellect. he treats self-improvement as a lifestyle because in his mind beauty isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you cultivate through effort
and that connects directly to his real dream
vil doesn’t just want to be “the fairest one of all.” that title is only a means to an end. what he truly wants is the opportunity to stay on stage until the very end of the story. he wants to be the hero for once
because his entire life he has been told, implicitly and explicitly, that something about him makes him suited for villains
as a child actor he was constantly typecast. people looked at him and decided what role he belonged in before he even had the chance to prove himself otherwise. villains suited his appearance. villains suited his aura. villains suited the image people projected onto him
so vil internalized a simple but painful logic
if villains are associated with ugliness and heroes with beauty, then the only way to escape that box is to become so beautiful that no one can deny it
that’s why he spent years pushing himself harder and harder
he wasn’t trying to become someone else. he was trying to prove that the person he already was deserved a different role
but effort doesn’t always translate to recognition
and that’s the real source of vil’s frustration. he dedicated his entire life to becoming the best possible version of himself. constant discipline. constant work. constant self-improvement. and yet the roles never changed. the narrative around him never changed
meanwhile neige, from vil’s perspective, seems to achieve the hero role effortlessly. neige is talented, yes, but the world also naturally embraces him as the protagonist type. the fairytale prince. the golden boy
so while vil exhausts himself perfecting every detail, neige walks naturally into the position vil has been fighting for his entire life
that’s discouraging in a way people often underestimate
because vil’s story isn’t just about typecasting. it’s about pouring everything you have into becoming better and still being told it isn’t enough
and this is where the biggest misunderstanding about his overblot appears
vil didn’t overblot because he was jealous of neige
he overblotted because he realized he had become ugly
not physically ugly, but morally
when vil decided to poison neige, he crossed a line he had spent his entire life refusing to cross. vil hates cutting corners. it’s one of his strongest personal principles. success should come from effort and merit, not sabotage
but in that moment of desperation, after years of trying and still failing to achieve his dream, he was willing to do exactly that
and the instant he recognizes what he’s about to do, he’s disgusted with himself
that realization is what breaks him
because if beauty is something that exists in the body, the mind, and the soul, then committing an act like that makes him the very thing he spent his life trying to prove he wasn’t
so when he overblots, it isn’t rage or jealousy driving him
shame that after all his discipline, all his principles, all his efforts to become someone worthy of the hero’s role, he still ended up acting exactly like the villain the world always said he was
that’s why his breakdown is so painful to watch. not only is it the collapse of ambition, but also the collapse of identity
vil believed that if he worked hard enough he could rewrite the narrative that defined him
and in one moment of desperation, he convinced himself he had proven that narrative right all along
that’s why reducing his overblot to simple jealousy does his character such a disservice
vil schoenheit isn’t a jealous rival
he’s someone who spent his entire life trying to become worthy of a dream, only to believe at his lowest moment that he had turned into the very thing he feared most
and honestly, when you look at the way he treats others throughout the game, it becomes even clearer that he’s far from cruel. vil pushes people hard, yes, but it comes from the same philosophy he applies to himself. he believes people should strive to become the best versions of themselves
he respects effort. he admires growth. he hates wasted potential
vil doesn’t demand perfection from others because he’s arrogant
he demands it because he knows how much work it takes to reach it
and that’s why comparing the boys’ overblots like it’s some kind of competition always feels wrong
it’s not about who suffered more
it’s about the fact that every single one of them reached a breaking point where the pressure, expectations, and pain they carried finally became too heavy to hold alone
vil’s story is simply one version of that
a story about ambition, identity, and the terrifying moment when someone realizes they might have become the villain in their own story
(longer post today because I skipped my classes to write about this beautiful man)
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