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Metaphor Refantazio: In-groups of the Resistance

Metaphor does the RPG thing where the party is close but there are definitely characters that are closer than others. However, they take this trope further. The tribal races actually guide the relationships that form. I wanted to analyze how the social classes are reflected in the various in-groups. (Major spoilers⚠️)

This is how Euchronia's tribal hierarchy looks along with the characters' tribe. I encircled the characters who were often grouped or developed together in the narrative:

(The protagonist is close with everyone but for the sake of this post I'm focusing on his relationship with Eupha. Explanation below)

1. Strohl, Hulkenberg, Grius

These 3 are from the upper class tribes, so they share a privileged upbringing. They have the strongest vendettas against Louis. He either ruined their lives or their sworn purpose, so they're united in vengeance as motivation. A notable similarity is how they are the most willing to sacrifice their lives for Will. Hulkenberg is willing to die for the prince, Grius DID die for him, and Strohl attempts to sacrifice himself for Will during the very first boss fight (without even knowing he's the prince).

As far as bonds go, Strohl + Grius form a quick bond of mutual respect. It's short-lived, but this makes him the only party member to be personally introduced to Grius' family before the assassination disaster.

Hulkenberg + Grius are friends from their time as the prince's bodyguards. She's the only one who calls him 'Alces' (that was actually his first wife's surname— Grius took her surname when they got married) to show how far back they go. She was willing to let zombie Grius kill her to reunite with the 'dead' prince, and he even facilitated her awakening.

Strohl + Hulkenberg are your designated trio besties for the rest of the game. They have the most screentime together since they're available early. In the epilogue, they crash our escape as a pair and reveal that they confided in each other only. They straight up didn't invite the others to join. Everyone else had to sneak onboard, Junah had to call them out for ditching lol

I think it's cool how the characters from the most privileged classes are the first to support Will despite him being from the lowest class. A deliberate choice from the writers, to show that their motives are pure

2. Hulkenberg and Neuras

Both Roussainte and Ishkia tribes are prominent in government and industrial fields, which is how they formed a bond in the first place. Hulkenberg and Neuras were close enough in the palace that they're familiar with each other's quirks and abilities. Neuras was also aware that she disappeared to look for the Prince. She also speaks less formally around him (insulting him, yeah, but in a familiar not-actually-threatening way rather than a genuine-hatred way). She's the one who gets him to join the party, making him the only member that was recruited without Will being involved.

3. Junah, Fidelio, Basilio

(Fidelio isn't officially in the party but I'm including him because he deserves to be and I love him) These three are notable because they have a friendship predating the game's events. I'd argue this group has the strongest interpersonal bond out of anyone in the party. They serve as the emotional core of the 2nd act. Junah was secretly working against Louis the whole time, yet she still felt genuine care for the boys. She's even willing to reveal their secret teleportation abilities just to save Fidelio's life.

Meanwhile, the Magnus brothers are her bodyguards but it's revealed that she's included in their vision of a happy ending. Fidelio's last words to his brother are telling him to protect Junah. Junah losing Rella is paralleled to Basilio losing Fidelio.

Nidia and Paripus are both at the bottom of the hierarchy for similar reasons. Both tribes have a history of being enslaved. Junah was sold into slavery as a kid before getting adopted by Rella's family. Basilio was used as a child experiment of the Sanctist church (they met Rella and potentially Junah this way). They also face harsh stereotypes. Nidia are slandered as deceitful liars while Paripus are slandered as hedonistic thugs banned from government. I think their shared pain, survival experiences, and love for their family were factors in their empathy for each other.

4. Eupha and Will

Though I'm not a fan of how the game sexualized their interactions to absurd degrees (or their chemistry in general but we all know Atlus is dogwater at writing romance plotlines lol), they were definitely pushed as the implied potential romance. Even if there's no actual dating mechanic in the game, it does make their bond a bit unique.

Their notable similarity is the way the church demonizes their tribes to push Sanctism. It's religion-oriented discrimination (as opposed to Nidia and Paripus who are demonized for stereotypes and historical enslavement). The Mustari are slandered as pagan and uncivilized, and their religion is desecrated. The Elda are labeled as demonic because they can wield magic freely. They both come from secluded safe havens: Virga Island is a Mustari-only region, while the Eldan Sanctum hides the surviving Elda tribe.

The writers trying to pair these two up is a choice with thematic weight behind it. A demonized Eldan boy and a demonized Mustari girl being the new King and Queen of the kingdom is interesting in concept. In the hands of better writers, it might have gotten good execution too. Unfortunately their interactions are stuck in lewd fanservice jail

5. Heismay, Fidelio, Basilio

This group is unique because they're defined by differences and tension rather than similarities.

Eugief are discriminated against due to their very different appearance making them 'unsettling'. Unlike the paripus, they CAN work in government but only discreetly. They tend to self-isolate because of their nature (Heismay says they have trouble making decisions), which is in contrast to the Paripus who are widespread and 'rash'.

Their differences can be seen in their funeral traditions. Eugief cremate their dead and bury the bones as a solemn ritual. Meanwhile, Paripus throw a festive party to celebrate their loved ones' memory.

If Paripus face the most government-sanctioned persecution, then the Eugief seem to be the biggest targets of manufactured hate crimes. Heismay's son was killed in a Paripus-led massacre (which was later revealed to be a riot orchestrated by the Sanctist church). Brigitta was blamed for the massacre of a Eugief village during her social link, also orchestrated by the Church.

Heismay and Basilio (+ Fidelio) start with an antagonistic relationship. Heismay initially resents Paripus because of the massacre, leading to a lot of players calling him 'the racist character' (way to simplify a nuanced situation, but what else do we expect from gamers). Heismay's prejudices eventually fade when he realizes that the church was pitting two discriminated races against each other. We can even see Heismay and Basilio hanging out in the epilogue and teasing each other on the gautlet runner, indicating that they've grown closer post-canon.

Of all the bonds, this is the one I wish got more screentime. Showing that you can overcome troubled history and ethnic conflicts. Letting go of prejudice and learning to appreciate cultural differences. Relating to each other through shared pain and a common cause. Becoming closer, not in spite of, but because of your differences.

Conclusion

Among the Resistance, people ended up forming the strongest bonds with those who share similar social experiences. This seems like a no-brainer, but this was almost NOT the case. There were features that got cut which could've made the group dynamic more uniform. For example, they originally had character dialogue when exploring dungeons, similar to miscellaneous Mementos dialogue from P5R. We don't know why exactly they cut those, but it makes the main story in-groups' bonds stand out more as a consequence.

I think it makes sense for the characters to open up easier to people they have a mutual understanding with. I'm surprised the writers took such a realistic approach to mixing different social classes/races in a group, but it's good commentary on why diversity is beneficial for everyone. The group might not have connected to the Magnus brothers without Junah, for example. Or Neuras wouldn't have joined them without Hulkenberg. Bonds facilitate new bonds, so reaching out is good.

But don't get it twisted: the entire group is close to each other. The ending is optimistic, implying they will continue to get closer as the story progresses and society changes. If there IS a sequel in the future, I hope we get to see the group on their journey again.

Bonus list of characters I thought would be grouped together but weren't so I hope the sequel happens and realizes their potential:

Hulkenberg + Junah (they baited us with Hulkenberg being a fangirl of her then never addressed it again)

Neuras + Heismay (both winged tribes but very different treatment)

Basilio + Eupha (both have protective older brothers and struggled with finding a purpose in life)

Metaphor Re:Fantazio Series: Eupha

Truly a girlie among the Top 10 most huggable creatures. Fought for my life on this one cause there's barely any reference for Drakodios anywhere 💖but I think she turned out really nice!

See you next post with one of the boys :)

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