Okay. So. Bael :) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH
He's SUCH a neat character. Oml. I honestly. Did not expect to get attached to him based off what we saw from trailers and such, but I would say the turning point for me was probably his fight with Aunor in the beginning.
Watching it for the first time was more "ooh cool battle", but rewatching it after the campaign makes the little things he does so interesting?? If that's the word. It just feels like you can see the cogs turning in his head while he fights.
Him watching to make sure the engine was Stasis'd before actually charging into the fight.
Blocking Aunor's swing and just staring where the blades are connected for a second in an "oh i actually stopped it" moment then focusing back on the battle as a whole again.
And ofc just this part where he kills out of anger. THIS was the one that had me intrigued when I first saw it, because. Hey. I thought this guy was going to be a brooding, serious type. I didn't expect him to throw a tantrum after losing one fight. So it WAS funny at first but also leaning towards "Okay, so what's his deal there and WHY was that his reaction. Give answers please."
A lot of his dialogue is fun in hindsight, as well. He's not as experienced with this whole thing, so (to me at least), it sounds like he's trying to make people believe him to be more intimidating or more powerful than he is (including himself). Especially in the cutscene where Nightfall's used on Mars.
I'm most likely just biased because we see he's actually not as powerful as he leads himself on to be, but it does feel like trying to assert some power or authority. Or he's just got some flair. Either's fun.
All possibly because he now sees "being the Weapon" as his purpose, and y'know. Wanting someone to be proud/appreciative of his efforts, and wanting to prove his worth and the worth of his actions.
Especially with his dad not seeming to care enough to leave his work and not agreeing with Bael's plans.
Of course, he's not the Weapon. Yet maybe, just maybe, if he keeps telling himself that he has to serve VI, if he keeps saying the pain will be worth it, it'll be worth it.
I meeeean, it's gotta be worth it. Yeah??? Sure.
But there's also GREEEEAT stuff with YW and him about the role of "Weapon". Specifically this,
Like. I think this could line up well with how he views the Traveler and Guardians(?)
^that sums up the Weapon relationship as a whole pretty well tho. Thank you, Eris.
Also fire. There seems to be a couple of things to do with fire/Solar being something that he goes against—outwardly, with wielding Stasis, the fight with Aunor, his rezzed mother using Solar—and possibly internally, with VI being like "a fire inside him". Poor dude can't escape, even if it's with his own choices.
There's a decent amount of other stuff that i would add, but i'd wanna find more dialogue examples for it (I somehow didn't record any of the conversation where he asks if he really isn't supposed to be the Weapon and I'm really annoyed abt that, so if anyone has it and wants to tag it on then 🙇♂️). So.
That's all, pr sure. Hard to collect my my thoughts with a headache but! Think i did alr ☝️ Have this itty Bael as a thanks for reading my thoughts on him <3
