i’ve taken a lot of things away from the maze runner books, as have most people. and most people take away that minho is a hot-headed sass machine (which he is), but the one thing about minho that’s really stuck in my head is that he’s insecure. at first it doesn’t doesn’t seem like it, he’s this tough guy who is the strongest and fastest of the gladers, keeper of the runners, like, that’s a big deal. but the moment he sees that thomas did better than him, didn’t run off and leave alby behind, faced a griever, all during his first time ever being in the maze, minho doubted himself. it wasn’t like in the movies where they worked together and minho just said thomas should be a runner. no, he legitimately no longer believed he was the best fit for keeper of the runners and told the others that thomas should be the new keeper. he saw that someone did better than him one (1) time and he immediately doubts himself and thinks that maybe he’s not as good as he and the others thought.
in the scorch trials, when they find their tattoos, minho’s says that he’s the leader. throughout the book he’s so fixated on being the leader. he’s the leader. no one else is the leader, it’s him, because it was meant to be. it’s tattooed on him for heavens sake. he has this feeling of purpose again and whenever someone questions that or tries to step up, he gets angry. minho lashes out and yells and fights because he doesn’t know how else to express how he’s feeling. he’s trying his hardest to believe in himself that when someone else doesn’t and starts questioning his direction of leadership, he starts feeling insecure again and covers it up with his sarcasm and hotheaded nature. then all of this happens just to find out that thomas was the real leader, since it was plastered all over the town, and i think seeing that really didn’t help minho believe in himself because, again, he thought he had a purpose and then got knocked down a peg by thomas.
HOWEVER: it’s really important for me to note that minho didn’t hate thomas for this. in the first book he saw the potential thomas had and stuck up for him. he wanted thomas to be the keeper, it was his idea. the other keepers were the ones who shut that down. and after finding out that thomas was the real leader, they didn’t have much time with him after that, thomas getting taken by wicked and then group b, and we don’t know what the other boys did but it’s safe to assume that minho was in charge when thomas wasn’t around. minho may have kept getting beaten out by thomas, but he still considered thomas a friend and would do anything to help him. he didn’t find thomas to be a threat. he didn’t have that typical ego check a lot of guys have in books/movies/whatever when another guy does better than them.
because of all of this, i think it’s really nice that when they make it to the safe haven/paradise in the very end, minho just,,, naturally takes over as the leader. these people trust him to lead and they’re in a position where leading isn’t going to be as stressful and painful as leading his friends through the scorch or running through the maze everyday. it’s a fresh start for everyone, but it’s definitely a fresh start for minho. for him to build on the self confidence he’s gained during the trilogy and flourish as a person. to get a handle on his temper. and i’m so proud of him for pushing through and continuing to do his best and help people despite the insecurities he might be facing on the inside.
