The Three of Them
I’ve meant to clarify about the original statement Justice made back just before she died in 2180 at Sol’s hand:
Most of the GG fanbase assume that when Justice said she wished the three of them could talk one last time, she was speaking with Aria Hale’s memories in mind, but that is not entirely correct.
By that time, most of her memories had either been scrambled or erased by the Universal Will, with what little that remained becoming the basis for Jack-O’Valentine’s creation much later on.
She never once referred to Sol as Frederick Bulsara, nor did she directly mention Asuka. Furthermore she had no knowledge of her true purpose in connection with the Scales of Juno, only somehow knowing that Sol was the Flame of Corruption.
No, from Justice’ perspective, she had only recently discovered that Sol Badguy was a Gear, not to mention one of many prospective Prototype Gears few knew existed. Most importantly of all, that Sol had betrayed Gearkind, and refused to obey her near-absolute Imperial Orders as the First Command Type Gear.
She referred to her creator as someone whom she loathed, and would spend most of her lifetime developing in to a deep Narcissist, trusting only in her own existence. This Narcissism later became a psychological trait that Ramlethal would inherit.
There is even further evidence of this due to Justice rejecting Jack-O’ during the events of Xrd Revelator, as even in her state of un-death, she was in full denial of her origins as a former Human. She absolutely could not accept herself as having been human once upon a time. That is literally how deep her Pride as a Command Type Gear ran within her, even as a biological weapon and warrior in her own past history.
It is much much later in Guilty Gear Strive that we learn that Aria had literally been psychologically “broken” over the course of her lifetime existing as Justice.
So then, what sort of deep traumas had she faced that would drive her in to full denial of her own humanity? Aria was already very much a reclusive individual in her past, that is the reason she could so easily connect with an anti-social cowardly introverted man such as Frederick was originally known to once be.
Certainly losing her memories was a core part of all this, but experiencing a lifetime of 100 years of bloodshed blamed on her own hands would most certainly impact her identity.
The way both Humans and Forbidden Beasts hunted her and her kind probably also exacerbated her emotions as well, driving her in to a corner.
Perhaps there was still a tiny glimmer of hope in the back of her mind that someone in the vast universe would one day accept her existence as a Gear, or perhaps she had long ago abandoned all considerations in her dedication to eradicate Humans.
Though even these darker unconsidered aspects of Aria’s personality traits were also inherited by the Original Valentine and Elphelt Valentine as well. Perhaps many aspects of Elphelt’s own personality are part of the reason she had a higher compatibility with Justice than her other sisters, even if Jack-O’ retained the highest compatibility.
In her final moments of life, Justice wished to see her creator and the other Prototype Gears created before her, even if she could never see the bright future her true purpose was meant to become.
Though it is for this very reason Sol Badguy swore an oath of revenge towards Asuka R. Kreutz, for the suffering Justice had endured, not yet knowing that she was his former lover, killed by his own hands.
History would also repeat itself when Sol was later forced to kill Valentine at Asuka’s behest, a history he was never supposed to undertake. A lost daughter in his family.
Perhaps it is also this untold history that will influence Unika in the upcoming events of Dual Rulers, it is hard to tell.
Regardless, the Aria whom we knew, and the Aria we never understood, human or otherwise, are key points in this narrative.
Justice is not the only Gear to forget her Humanity… of course a man like Happy Chaos has recently abandoned his Humanity as well… a chilling and cautionary tale of the dangers of indulging in Human Desires in excess.
Even Sol struggled for many years to remember he was once human. It took the efforts of Ky Kiske and Leo Whitefang and others, to bring back those considerations. It was Asuka who chose the heaviest burden for Sol’s sake, even if he had as much Guilt as Sol did.
Even Jack-O’ struggled with the burden of her own existence and purpose, but she would become her own person, despite Aria.
A long broken history, perhaps, but what Future will be built on the buried memories of someone like Justice?
We’ll have to wait and see!