Final thoughts on Benny
As of right now, I'm at the final fight; and I've already set up my brujah Phyre to be the new Prince, so hopefully I get that ending.
Per my previous thoughts, I have some additions to make for a final conclusion. And regardless of what's in the game, I have ideas for my own headcanon(s) which I will save for a future fanfic. That is, unless I don't get that written before the Loose Cannon dlc comes out.
Anyway...theory time regarding Benny, my beloved asshole trash man. (spoilers ahead)
I still think all the Anarchs and Thinbloods who are not with Katsumi are Sabbat and working for Safia. And, I still believe that Benny was under the assumption that all Anarchs and Thinbloods period are Sabbat, and wanted them out of Seattle just for that reason. Thus, with that notion, I'm personally in the camp that Lou dominated Benny into going after all of the Anarchs and Thinbloods in Seattle, using his prejudice because it matched her own, for her own gain, and hers alone.
Considering how Max spoke about Benny...yeah, sure, Benny didn't like Anarchs and looked down his nose at Thinbloods, but I don't think it was Cambell's death that sparked his rampage. I think Lou used that as a tool to enact her own plot to avenge her childe and cleanse the city at the same time. Because, thinking about how Max mentions that Benny argued with Campbell, about how Campbell was too soft on the Anarchs, there is nothing said about Benny thinking the Anarchs should be taken out. Lou is the one who is said, by Ryong, to want the Anarchs removed from the city if she had her way. Max also says that after Campbell was dead, it's like Benny was free and nothing Max said mattered. That is sus. Max and Benny have a blood bond as Sire and Childe, so Benny wouldn't just brush off Max like that unless their bond was damaged beyond repair...or something or someone messed with it. Lou herself was already of the mind that all Anarchs and Thinbloods are Sabbat, and the thought of Campbell allegedly having been killed by them set her off. So she used Benny's existing prejudice and his loyalty to Campbell to act in her place since she wouldn't leave the Glacier at that time. And, Lou was confident in her safety despite the lack of security, as she's a strong kindred in her own right considering how she handled the Anarchs who initially tried to take her out.
I also question Benny's loyalty to Campbell... Of course, Benny may have just been submissive to kindred stronger than him and in positions of authority... But, what if he was dominated to hold loyalty to Campbell, by Campbell himself or Lou. However, that's neither here nor there...
Back to Lou and her plot...
To basically cover her tracks ahead of time, after first dominating Benny to take out the trash, so to speak, Lou further dominates Benny to dodge questions about his motivation with bullshit answers so it looks like he was acting on his own accord. That way, if things went smoothly, Lou could order a glorified slap on the wrist for the sheriff and make him be loyal to Ryong, until Lou herself was ready to take back the role of Prince then Benny would be made to be loyal to her. If things didn't go quite so smoothly, well, then the problem sheriff would get sent to the Underground as punishment (like what happened to Nyx).
TBH, I find it oddly interesting that during Phyre's talk with Benny before they fight there's a dialogue option to suggest that Benny is being compelled to do what he's been doing, and he responds with the line 'Cut the fake humanity crap... Everyone wants you to give a rat's ass. About their system, their problems, your own fuckin soul. I didn't become a monster to play by made up rules.' And Phyre counters with 'So you joined the Camarilla? The side of order and bureaucracy?' Benny, 'I chose a side who'd let me slap down the pathetic bums I'm told I oughta care about. But I ain't no Blue Blood's pet, and I sure as hell ain't wearing a muzzle. Leave that to toadies like you.'
If Phyre brings up that Max misses him, Benny gets embarrassed and coldly dismisses Max...
Perhaps that was just his asshole bravado, but to my mind, it really doesn't jive with what you learn later on through Fabien's memories. Like, despite their odd situation and differences of opinion, it seems that in his own way Benny cares about Max. He goes out of his way to the copycat Rebar Killer murder scene at their autoshop, which he didn't have to do as the police captain, just to see if Max is ok. If he truly didn't give a shit about Max and his ideologies, why do that? If he honestly didn't give a shit at all about Max, why not just kill him during the hunt? Cuz Benny certainly didn't have a problem with wanting to kill Phyre...
Likely a small part of him couldn't bring himself to kill his sire, but I digress. I very much think Lou, in her fucked up selfishness, did a number on Benny and it brought out the worst in him. Even Fabien was at a loss during Phyre's first encounter with him and thought Benny was not himself. Benny even says the phrase 'walks to heel' at the beginning of their talk. Lou is the only other character in the game who says that same phrase to Phyre... Everything in the present feels out of character for Benny, especially to suddenly turn his back on Max. Thus I feel Lou did him dirty to avenge Cambell, and further her own agenda. What really cements it for me personally: 1) Benny was with Lou at the Glacier before his rampage. 2) Lou is not preferable to the Brujah clan, to which Benny belongs. 3) Lou has motivation. Her overall endgame is to reclaim her position as Prince, and to do that she feels the need to clear the court of her rivals and anyone who'd get in her way, and Benny fits the bill in multiple ways.
Now, regarding Benny's possibly canon death...
If Phyre gives him to Katsumi, yeah, Benny definitely dies (or, we're made to believe). But when handed to Ryong, there's nothing regarding him being dead until Phyre comes across a bunch of papers and pictures while trying to meet up with Safia. Pictures of court members who'd been killed by this point (either by Sabbat or by Phyre) and those who are still targeted. Benny's picture is crossed out which leads you to think he's since been killed, which is then later seemingly confirmed by Max's eulogy note that is found with him in the Jungle. There's something off about that... If it's canon that Benny is indeed dead, why not provide actual, tangible, proof of his death in the same way that's done if he's given to Katsumi? You find a file that mentions photos of his brutalized corpse... Why not have a dialogue with Max about the eulogy and ask about what happened? How was it done, and by who? How did Max find out? Nope! Can't have that apparently. Unless the dlc addresses this, IMO, no body, no death. Shit, with the Katsumi route, it's possible that maybe Katsumi just has Benny beaten into torpor vs to final death, and then dumps him out in the open purposefully to be found by court affiliates to prove a point. Anarch or not, Katsumi is a smart brujah, I don't think she'd risk her own safety and the safety of her faction with a masquerade breach by leaving a truly dead kindred out where mortals would find it and autopsy it...not unless she was sure that other kindred would find that body first.
I mean, in my playthrough where I gave Benny to Ryong...out of every court member who's listed as dead later in the game during the 'A Kiss from Prospero' quest (save for Safia, who faked hers), Benny is the only one who's corpse you don't see in any way... You see how Fabien, Campbell, Willem, and Ysabella all die. You see how Nyx died in the underground. You see how Ryong eventually dies, then later Safia... But not Benny. Just a crossed out picture and a note.
I need a body, a picture of a body, or verbal proof of death from another character to make me believe that Benny is dead after giving him to Ryong. The game plays with the illusion of choice, and it's really annoying. Don't get me wrong, I love this game. It's been fun to play. But the illusion of choice is a glaring flaw.
In RPGs, choices get made that affect your character, their relationships, and the overall game play, etc. If some seemingly important choices ultimately don't matter--like sending Max to Silky just for him to end up with Katsumi, for example--it begs the question of why bother offering those choices to begin with. If there's a possibility of Benny surviving his interrogation with Ryong, there should be payoff with that. If he later dies afterward because of something else, show the proof of it in some meaningful way, because what so-called evidence is actually found really falls flat. With all that being said, I will definitely be taking liberties with Benny's fate. I love my asshole trash man and I want him back.
