#rahst

[bonniemeetsclyde]

cuteee3eeeeee

you are cute

[ulario]

Rahst...

**Potential spoilers ahead...**

No matter how much I try to work with Rahst, he's still an enigma even to me.

Some of the happenings planned for the beginning of Intrepid Issue 4 had me really thinking about him again.  As I've stressed several times in the past, he's not "evil" and really isn't a "bad guy".  He's just an emotionally traumatized person who never learned empathy towards others.  He does some really twisted, dark things... especially in later issues (I'm not looking forward to writing issues 9-10), but at the same time he's the kind of person that one would actually feel sorry for knowing some of the things that he's gone through.  He's meant to be a very tragic figure.

That brings me to my current point...

Eventually giving him a chance at redemption.  I've always believed that deep inside of Rahst beats the heart of a hero.  A hero's heart that would rival even Aredon's and Trent's.  Given the right experiences, I could actually see Rahst eventually realizing what he's done and wanting to atone for his past sins.

If he did decide to turn his life around, it would be nearly impossible for the others to forgive him after some of his actions.  He'd have to go a long way to start earning the trust of the others.  They may learn to accept him, but I could never see his choices in life being completely forgiven.

IF I decide to go along this path, it won't happen for a loong time.  It wouldn't happen in the first ten issues, that's for sure. 

Maybe not even in the first 20. 

Maybe not ever.

It's just an idea that I've been playing around with lately.

[ulario]

A Few Notes on Rahst...

Ashley Lee is right... Tumblr makes a good notepad.

Okay, so John and I were talking about Rahst the other day.  Rahst has been the character that has baffled me since day one... writing a good hero is easy, but making a believable and memorable villain is very difficult. 

A few notes on him...

*  Even though he's a total bastard, I still love Rahst more then zombies love brains. 

*  My intention never was to make Rahst "pure evil".  In my mind, villains who do what they do simply because they're "evil" are a little boring, banal and unbelievable.

*  Part of the reason Rahst is the way he is because his father never paid any attention to him growing up.  His father was the CEO of a major corperation and never had time for his son.  His father would feel guilty for this and shower him with gifts. 

*  Rahst was never taught empathy towards other people, so he really doesn't understand how to treat others. 

*  He was probably beat up as a kid...

*  Someone who knew really his past would feel a little sorry for him if he didn't act like a complete douchebag and do some very despicable acts towards some of the other characters.

*  Most, if not all of his psychological issues stem from deeply rooted emotional problems he had as a kid.

*  Him and Aredon have one thing in common... they both didn't earn their high ranks through "conventional" means.  However, Aredon is still highly respected while other members of the Imperial Navy still treat Rahst like garbage because they feel he isn't deserving of his rank (which he isn't...)

*  He's jealous of the relationship that Aredon has with his friends and wishes he could have friends like that... although it's something he'd never admit to.  (Thanks to John for that idea)

*  HATES Aredon with a passion.

*  Hates Shae almost as much as he hates Aredon  (Who in their right mind could hate them two?  They're so adorable!)

*  I put waaay too much thought into this.  LOL.

*  It's a school night and it's 1 in the morning.  I really should go to bed, but I drank two cans of Red Bull so that probably won't happen anytime soon.

[ulario]

Rahst: The Space Bastard!

One of Intrepid's main antagonists.  Rahst isn't necessarily "evil"... he's just a spoiled brat who always has to get his way and doesn't care who he hurts to get it.  He is the leader of the Tao Guard, an elite squadron in the Imperial Navy that rivals the Imperial Suns.  Obviously, he is not on good terms with the Suns.  Especially Aredon and Shae.

He sees Aredon as a big, stupid brute that has no business leading an elite squadron.  He is jealous of Aredon's ranking and his friendship with Emperor Himnare, but will not admit to either.  He hates Shae because Shae has insulted him several times.  Shae and Rahst's mom's were friends when they were growing up, so Shae often calls Rahst by his mom's pet name for him, "Loveybooble".  Whenever Shae calls him this, it infuriates him.  Causing Rahst to fly into a complete rage.  Rahst would like nothing better then to get payback on either of them.

Both Shae and Aredon see Rahst as a whiny little prima donna that only got his high military rank through blackmail, trickery, and bribery (which is pretty much the truth!)

The suns mostly see Rahst as an annoyance and don't know what sort of treachery he is actually capable of.  This is something that the suns will learn the hard way...

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Fun Fact:  Rahst actually started as a character of mine for the Star Wars Galaxies MMORPG game.  He was my Imperial pilot in that game.  I just adapted him for my main story.  :)