Maybe I’m just too biased because he’s my blorbo but I really don’t understand where the whole “Aziraphale is selfish” thing came from.
If there’s one thing about religion, it’s the glorification of selflessness; if there’s one thing about Aziraphale, it’s that he’s had religious guilt forever.
“If I’m in charge, I can make a difference.”
I feel like this line in the S2 finale gets overlooked a lot. Aziraphale isn’t choosing Heaven over Crowley, he’s choosing to try and change the very system that has caused a lot of the suffering they’ve witness throughout the show and the reason Crowley is a demon [despite him being kind in Aziraphale’s eyes].
And isn’t it the opposite of selfish? To not let yourself have everything you’ve built for yourself and loved for the past 6,000 years — in an attempt to improve life for everyone and prevent the end of the world? Hurting/fighting with Crowley was a tragic consequence (can’t think of a more accurate word atm) but I never thought of it as selfish. It was unavoidable, Crowley would — understandably — never rejoin Heaven.
If we’re going to talk about his faults, we should talk about how he has let his religious obligations and guilt dictate his words. He has said some hurtful things to Crowley throughout the years. But back to the S2 finale —
Aziraphale could never be content abandoning such an opportunity. Even though he’s going to be fucking miserable in Heaven and without his other half, he still went. He literally cannot resist the chance to do good, and not Heaven’s version of good, but the kind that actually cares for people.