Achilles's Fighting style and why it was so unique and ferocious (A headcanon/analysis)
Seriously I remember talking in the past about how Achilles has something of non-human about him more likely linked to nature and beastly behavior even his purity being almost what you would see to animals than humans.
He was trained to be as pure as nature itself
And the same ruthless if he had to
Achilles's education seems to be separated to two things; his mental and his physical strength:
The mental and spiritual depth seems to be nourished clearly with human ideals and values to their idealistic degree. He is being taught nobility of spirit and true honor in life and how he needs to fight in a straightforward way while learning all other arts such as music and singing to settle down the soul and balance it to the physical activity.
However his physical training is a different story
Focused on speed, stealth and power, Achilles no doubt had trained to every occasion that one needed to know (so also to gain the title of "The Best of Greeks" in the process). Chiron having trained him for every technique from early childhood and even encouraging him to have the natural world around him as a guidance and in future sources Achilles even was to take in the speed and strength of wild animals like lions and hunted in nature.
This actually leads me to believe that Achilles developed his battle style through moves and aspects of animal nature.
Through observation to the natural world around him; he would observe animal movements as he hunted; boars, lions or wolves as they hunt, fish as they swim in the river, deer, goats and others as they run and balance themselves on the rocks, snakes on the speed of their bite.
Through observation he would add animal movements to his fighting style;
He would thrust his spear fast like a snake striking
He would move his shield with the circular movement of a boar striking
He would run to an opponent like a lion striking its pray
He would run with the light speed of a horse or a deer
He would sharply turn his head around in battle like hares would check their environment while they make an open field traverse
He would slither in the water like fish ride the stream
He would glide like the birds of prey he observes overhead
Every single one of the known battle techniques he was taught he would enrich with movements of animals he saw in nature. Even the way he reserves breath in battle or how he releases battle cries and roars or hisses he would be inspired by lions or snakes.
All this animalistic behavior would of course be manifested (in a bad way) when he is furious and lost in his anger (see my other random post that I got inspired by an Avatar scene)
I think this is the reason why Achilles was so unique in his battle techniques but also his whole presence at war; because he invoked his own battle style the movements of animals and creatures of nature or even natural phenomena around him like movements of the wind and others. His eyes also trained in nature far more efficiently than the average warrior training at training fields.
The perfect combination of nature and humanity; animals and humans that no one ever could learn how to properly face! That is only till later when this balance crumbles under his fury that people see the depth of his that he had before and how it was now reduced in his fury but also became deadlier
I know this is more a series of headcanons more than actually proven data (apart from those mentioned) but it makes so much sense in my head! And honestly I think Achilles was definitely shaped by nature around him and that potential should not be thrown away!
I also want to thank @pelideswhore for reminding me of this idea that I wanted to post for weeks now with this latest post
