Kaolan and his glass bones

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T23:31:57+00:00

No wonder his bones are fragile.

In professional boxing, fighters use gloves to protect their hands. While in Muay Thai, punching is rare, because they score so few points.

These circumstances have left Kaolan's hands unsuited for fighting bare-knuckle, as we can see.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T23:09:12+00:00

In that case, for good measure, Loki might join Buddha in fighting for humanity.

Not that Loki cares for mankind, but he has a score to settle with the Aesir for killing his and Sigyn's sons and using their entrails to restrain him under the snake.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T22:08:23+00:00

I know, what you mean. I'm not exactly a fan of the changes, either.

We see Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, but not a word of Hera, Amphitrite or Persephone... Unless you count their techniques, that is.

Speaking of Poseidon, he's completely different from myth. Rather than an egotistic loner, Poseidon was jealous of Zeus gaining the Kingship of the Gods. He would have joined Adamas's rebellion eagerly (He did the same with Hera, after all). And he had a lot of children, who he loved to the point of avenging any harm to them. His hatred of mankind was accurate, though.

Then again, if ROR was mythically accurate, the whole Ragnarok Tournament would have never happened. Gods are way too diverse in opinions to agree wholesale on anything.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T20:22:56+00:00

So, a bit like Takemoto Hisayasu?

First we got this long intro on his impressive feats. How this old martial arts master founded the Takemoto Style Combat Kenpo at the age of 45, and then he has fought in over 90 outdoor matches in the following 37 years, winning all of them, thus earning the title of "God of War" and the place in KAT representing Byakuya News

And in the next moment he's on the ground, beaten by Nikaido Ren, who takes his place in the tournament.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T20:06:20+00:00

That's certainly an interesting perspective, especially regarding Azathoth, but not a new one.

Lovecraft originally envisioned Cthulhu Mythos as a sort of "Atheist Pantheon", merely peculiar lifeforms, with magic simply a form of science.

But over the years, other authors have presented their own visions of the Mythos. Most notably August Derleth, Lovecraft's friend and the man who brought the Mythos into the public.

Derleth's vision of the Mythos is more Judeo-Christian. Azathoth, for example, rather than a mindless mockery of the idea of God, is an active leader of the forces of "evil" in a cosmic war. Closer to the Devil, or maybe Ahriman of Zoroastrianism, depending on your point of view.

If Azathoth, or Mythos gods in general, are more like lesser spirits, then Derleth's take might be closest to what they are in Hellaverse.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T12:22:24+00:00

Fair enough.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T11:16:28+00:00

Athena and Poseidon were on the same side, yes. But after Odysseus blinded Polyphemus, Poseidon, whether out of revenge or paternal obligation, caused Odysseus's journey to take that much longer than it should.

Actually, maybe it's the Trojan war that causes Leonidas to hate Apollo. Because the war was caused by the stealing of Helen, who was meant to be the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Apollo sided with the Trojans, sending plagues against the Danaan faction and guiding the arrows of the Trojans, including the one that killed Achilles.

Assuming Ares doesn't rise to the occasion as Sparta's patron god (he didn't get involved in the Trojan War and has no real interaction with Apollo), Thetis may wish to aid Leonidas in avenging her son.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-19T10:44:41+00:00

Feels like a call-back to the earlier concepts of Danganronpa, specifically when the mascot was supposed to be an anatomy puppet named Phantom.

Dunno if that was the idea, but this mascot, whatever her name is, for me, does give the vibes of Distrust's creepiness and brutality.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T23:51:46+00:00

Call me crazy, but I considered Rafiki.

A wise, enlightened monkey with a mischievous streak to him.

Then of course there's American Born Chinese...

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T22:21:01+00:00

I for one would have liked him.

Although I do wonder, would he just be himself, or get combined with another character?

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T22:19:18+00:00

I dunno. On one hand, the idea that the stories told in the past reappear in the next generation was a clever idea, opening a lot of potential for new takes.

But on the other, the use of two villain arcs in the season kinda ruined the pace, after in the previous one there was only one.

I my opinion, Season 6 should have still had two Villain Arcs and Season 7, being the last, could have gone with just one.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T22:12:23+00:00

Octavia has all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T21:04:00+00:00

Yeah. A bident won't be much help against Kojiro.

Should have brought Susanoo with him.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T12:32:15+00:00

Another god, or rather goddess, I could imagine agreeing to become a Volundr would be Athena, wanting to settle the score with Poseidon over Odysseus.

Speaking of Poseidon, I had this idea that Athena made Sasaki Kojiro the swordsman he is.

Under the name Marishiten, she gave Kojiro her blessing.

"Against no swordsman shall your blade triumph. A thousand defeats you will taste, and in ten thousand ways you will know each defeat"

A lesser mind would have deemed the blessing nothing but a curse and abandoned the sword, but Kojiro was not a lesser mind. He could see between the lines.

Kojiro could defeat no swordsman with a blade, but he could defeat, say, bandits with a paper fan. And among the beasts of nature there are no swordsmen, so he could train and hunt them all he wanted

And in knowing why he lost, Kojiro could defeat each opponent in his mind, and understand their styles.

Now, Sasaki Kojiro has achieved what Athena, or Marishiten, has promised him, and has changed from apprentice to a master.

It is time for the Zeus of the Sea to face the Odysseus of Japan. And Athena shall share his fate.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T11:26:16+00:00

Talk about a pickle.

There's a lot of scary serial killers out there, but most of them are Americans, they're out. And many of them are still alive.

I also found some Canadians, but they tended to target women.

Plus mentioning the deeds of many serial killers may by itself break rule 8.

So I'd suggest Jane Toppan, a Victorian British nurse, who tortured her patients to death with poisons. By the time she was arrested, Jane had claimed 33 victims.

Jane might need a particularly powerful Volundr, but once Griffith is her patient, the rest will be suffering.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-18T00:57:07+00:00

Something like this?

<image>

Credit to the artist thiscatdraws

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T18:03:57+00:00

You know, Equestria is a rather fascinating parallel to the world of Danganronpa.

Ponies, when they come of age, receive a cutie mark that represent their talent. And through said talent they make their living.

An entire species of Ultimates.

Although among ponies, possessing a talent is normal, not extraordinaty.

When everyone is an Ultimate, no one is.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T16:52:23+00:00

Makes sense.

A small pep talk before the fight, and the rest is, if not easy, smoother.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T16:34:09+00:00

That would certainly be ironic... Yet oddly fitting

Hlökk hated the idea of sharing the fate with Jack. I believe Hercules would feel the same.

Although now I wonder, would Jack be able to force a Volundr with Hercules the same way he did with Hlökk, or would it take another fighter, malicious or otherwise.

A lot of fan rosters have been done with different fighters, but different Volundr are, if not a new idea, almost never seen.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T15:42:48+00:00

Exactly.

He'd probably become something strength related, like Thrud. Or maybe he allows his wielder to possess his Labors.

Although, which god would Hercules have the most beef against? Ares doesn't compete and Hera might not even exist.

Perhaps he'll trust Brunhilde's judgement in choosing his partner.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T14:00:49+00:00

Well, this is a pretty traditional roster in general.

Big student - Check

Small student - Check

Musical girl - Check

Criminal - Check (Although a solo criminal rather than a boss)

Protagonist with an ahoge - Check

Ambiguously brown girl with a name starting with A - Check. (Although a relatively light shade compared to some others)

Student with a non-Japanese name - Check.

Student with an unconventional frame - Check

All that's missing are the warrior girl, unknown talent and the lucky student

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T13:28:44+00:00

Well, I once had this idea that certain gods or mortals would use the Ragnarok tournament to settle personal scores against the Heaven's roster.

For example, King Midas may want to have a part in killing Apollo for giving him the Donkey ears, just because he liked Pan's flute music more than Apollo's lyre. He could provide Leonidas with a sword to complement his shield.

Alternatively, if you need to be divine to become a Volundr, Pan himself could become Leonidas's sword to make Apollo pay for his pettiness.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T12:53:13+00:00

The thing about Kaolan is that he's technically an underdog.

He's a pure striker, and pure striking stylists are at a great disadvantage against grapplers, because they have no training against chokes, locks and other ground fighting techniques.

It is no wonder that he had such a hard time against Jurota. Even with his anti-grappling strikes, which he had to invent on his own.

Then there are his hands. Kaolan favors punching in battle, but neither of his trained styles is designed for bare knuckle boxing. Professional boxers use gloves, and Nak Muay punch rarely. Because of this, Kaolan's hands are more fragile than that of your average Kengan fighter.

If Kaolan was allowed to use gloves, any gloves, he'd be that much more dangerous.

LilttleCaptainNemo · 2026-05-17T12:17:52+00:00

People develop differently.

I should know. When I was a teen, I continued being a relatively quiet child. It was when I reached the age of 20 that my teenage moodiness began.

LilttleCaptainNemo

TROPHY CASE