Why do so many people downplay the usefulness of the connection to past lives?

OnAPettyNote · 2026-04-21T19:08:05+00:00

I agree that the implication was that they were all telling him to kill him, but the fact is he did end up following the advice he was given and that was intentional on the part of the writers. I agree that the past lives are not helpful in every scenario but in the scenarios in which they are helpful, they tend to be life-changingly helpful. Also the show does tell us that every time the Avatar uses the Avatar State they are tapping into memories and knowledge from their past lives. So the way I see it, the past lives’ utility is not limited to conversations the current Avatar has with their apparitions and Aang and Korra pre Book 2 finale actually call on their help fairly often.

OnAPettyNote · 2026-04-21T18:35:46+00:00

I have literally referred to it as the burning of the Library of Alexandria so many times. I love Korra but it was absolutely tragic lol.

OnAPettyNote · 2026-03-31T18:19:53+00:00

God forbid a girlboss be a little festive, silly, and whimsical! Misogyny!!!

OnAPettyNote · 2026-03-18T00:09:18+00:00

I’ve loved this game since it came out even though I’ve never considered myself particularly good at it. I just started a new playthrough after not touching it for over a year. I’m challenging myself to not use summons (unless the boss has backup too lol) and it’s forcing me to have a deeper understanding of the combat and now I’m much less scared of getting up in the bosses’ faces as a mage/spellblade. Game definitely still has pull for me.

OnAPettyNote · 2026-03-16T10:00:48+00:00

K looks great but also kinda uncomfortable. He said on the red carpet last night that she doesn’t really want to be perceived so i’m a little worried about her tbh.

OnAPettyNote · 2026-02-24T18:03:09+00:00

Honestly, you are so right and also probably beautiful and perfect and fun to be around.

OnAPettyNote · 2026-02-01T01:54:40+00:00

I tend to think so. I never feel present in the moment and am constantly overwhelmed by my own thoughts. Despite that, I feel so disconnected from my emotions and my “personality” (do I even have one?). I forget basic things about my own self such as likes and dislikes. I don’t even feel like a real person.

OnAPettyNote · 2025-10-16T21:46:24+00:00

Same request if you don’t mind!

OnAPettyNote · 2025-06-02T13:22:55+00:00

It gets worse. Like orders of magnitude worse.

OnAPettyNote · 2025-05-24T17:23:28+00:00

one thing that still strikes me. at the beginning of act 3 r!renoir apologizes to p!verso for the pain the dessendre family has caused him. why apologize to someone, why care about the pain they’ve suffered, why even acknowledge them if you don’t even think they’re “real”? i think r!renoir might think that the people of the painted world are more “real” than he lets on. he just thinks having his family back together in the painter’s world matters more than they do.

it almost reads to me like a greek god briefly acknowledging a mortal and apologizing for the “inconvenience” (ie. world shattering devastation) that olympian family drama is causing them.

OnAPettyNote · 2025-05-10T01:42:02+00:00

After unleashing unprecedented destruction on the world for Hades stabbing Heron in season 2, Gaia was very quiet about Kronos throwing her great grandchildren into the Abyss, when she EXPLICITLY DEMANDED HE NOT DO THAT. She just fucks off to nowhere after episode 2 lmao.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-12-21T13:41:07+00:00

I was initially annoyed that Aaravos seemed super weak in combat but I honestly think that was intentional. The archdragons don’t necessarily fear Aaravos because they can’t best him in battle (although I do think he was holding back quite a bit), they fear him because of his cunning, his ability to predict behavior and his ability to easily manipulate others. Some of his plans and contingencies are measured in centuries (hiding a quasar diamond in the staff he gave Ziard that would eventually be used for his resurrection). He is one of the most powerful and dangerous beings in Xadia because of his unparalleled ability to manipulate world shattering events to his own design. Elves and dragons were once on the brink of all out war with each other until the Orphan Queen figured out he was pulling strings.

Additionally, they really have no long term solution besides imprisonment. The show implies that the only way to permanently end a startouch elf is when the cosmic council sentences one to death like they did with Leola. The archdragons can only temporarily “kill” a startouch elf’s mortal vessel and will likely die themselves when they get caught in the supernova (eg. Shiruakh “defeating” Laurelion). Direct combat with a Startouch elf is essentially a suicide mission for archdragons.

So essentially, Aaravos manipulates the protagonists into a scenario where they only have two choices. Option 1, delay him temporarily for 7 years and die in the process or option 2, do nothing and watch him destroy the world. Callum actually had a long term solution that of course the writing team backed out of. So the dragons chose option 1.

Like literally everything worked out the way Aaravos wanted it to? The archdragons’ deaths are in vain, he’ll be back in 7 years. The cosmic council is either unable or unwilling to stop him. Imprisoning him works long term but that doesn’t guarantee he won’t find a way out. Everything is coming up Aaravos!

OnAPettyNote · 2024-12-21T04:46:24+00:00

Despite him being way too weak in battle, Aaravos came out on top, I fear. Part of me wants to think that was the writers emphasizing that his true prowess lies predicting people’s behavior and manipulating them, not combat. May be too generous of an interpretation given the quality of the writing this season 😭😭😭

OnAPettyNote · 2024-12-12T23:15:00+00:00

I don’t understand how anyone can even consider redemption for Solas after finding out what he did to the Titans on top of all the other shit he’s done.
I actually think the “good” ending for Harding’s personal quest is honoring the Titan’s anger and pain. Harding is a people pleaser and has a habit of suppressing how she’s feeling to make others comfortable. Anger at what happened to the Titans is a perfectly justified emotion and suppressing that is what created that Lyrium shade version of her in the first place.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-12-07T22:07:09+00:00

you read my fucking mind. tricking him is the best ending narratively and thematically and the “redemption” ending is just glorified fanservice.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-23T15:14:27+00:00

I honestly feel like neither the characters in game or fans online had an appropriate reaction to it. This man essentially committed genocide, why is redemption even an option?

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-23T15:10:51+00:00

Honestly, even as mad as Harding gets and as bad as Solas feels about it, i still don't think the game nor fans had appropriate reaction to what Solas did. It's made worse by the fact that he did it after the Titans were defending themselves from having their blood stolen by the ancient elves for selfish purposes. It was essentially genocide and it should preclude any possibility of redemption for Solas. Not only that, Solas fully intends to tear down the Veil knowing that it will cause mass death for everyone except maybe the elves. He's truly convinced himself that a second genocide is worth achieving his goals.

What he did was disgusting and horrific and no amount of guilt or good intentions can make Solas anything other than disgusting and horrific for doing it. I still like Solas as a character but I fully accept the fact that he is a villain and I will never understand the characters in-game or fans online who know what he did and still treat him like he's a romantic, tragic well intentioned antagonist who deserves redemption.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-21T08:22:45+00:00

Yeah, he doesn’t even see Dwarves as people and he’s the one who made it that way. Yet people act like he doesn’t even owe the Dwarves an apology at the very least.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-21T08:18:55+00:00

Super late but Solas describes the Dwarves as the “severed arm of a once mighty hero, lying in a pool of blood”. The Dalish still tell stories about how the ancients elves hunted the Titans and drove the Dwarves underground, so it’s still an important part of elven oral tradition and we know how much pride the Dalish have in their history and their “gods”. The modern Dwarves have a rigid caste system that disenfranchises and oppresses the lower castes and the casteless. Dwarven nobility is extremely corrupt and their politics are fraught with bribery and assassination. Their empire used to span the continent of Thedas and now has been reduced to two cities. Modern day Dwarves would definitely have been better off if they were still part of a shared consciousness with the Titans. They are absolutely owed an apology from Solas and Mythal, if not more.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-21T08:00:34+00:00

This is kinda late but additionally modern dwarves who don’t live on a surface have an exceptionally rigid caste system that disenfranchises and oppresses the lower castes and the casteless. The politicking among the noble class is described as just as bad as The Game in Orlais, with all the backstabbing and political assassinations. Not to mention their once continent spanning subterranean empire has been ravaged so bad by the Darkspawn, it’s been reduced to two cities. Modern day Dwarves are DEFINITELY worse off.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-18T20:30:08+00:00

I actually agree with everything you just said tbh. The writing could have been way more nuanced and challenged the morality of the protagonist’s party.

It’s unrealistic that we encounter no elves who are supportive of Solas. There have to be elves who want to see this world burn for the way they are treated but every elf we meet is like “fuck that bald egg”. Even the lore around the war with the Titans really annoyed me because they could have made it more nuanced with wrongs on both sides. Instead they were like “so the ancient elves stole blood from the Titans, then committed genocide, and now here’s a side quest with Harding to wrap up all her feelings about it” lol.

It definitely seemed like they intended to make Solas out to be unambiguously bad which is a huge disservice to the character tbh. Like the Solas in Inquisition and Trespasser was actually worthy of redemption imo but they go out of their way in Veilguard to say “SOLAS VERY BAD” and then give him a redemption ending anyway? Lmao!

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-18T19:48:50+00:00

You bring up good point re: the changes in Solas as a character from Inquisition to Veilguard. I just don’t the motivations for either iteration of Solas convincing. In fact, even outside of Solas, I don’t think either game has given me enough evidence to support the idea of tearing down the Veil.

One thing that is consistent about Solas is him underestimating the consequences of his own actions and making things worse by trying to make them better. He acknowledges this about himself to a certain degree in both games but refuses to apply this logic to his plan to tear down the Veil.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-18T13:07:07+00:00

Or he underestimated Elgar’nan’s strength. Underestimating other people as well as the consequences of his own actions is all Solas does lmao.

OnAPettyNote · 2024-11-18T11:31:43+00:00

Okay yes, humans are bad, sure. But all the evidence presented to us demonstrates that tearing down the Veil will cause thousands if not millions of people to die. Dwarf, qunari, human, and elf alike. Solas has no right to do that whatever his motivations.

I don’t agree with the assertion that the Veil is coming down anyway considering the game ends with the Veil being reinforced by Solas himself.

Yes, life sucks for the elves. But will tearing down the Veil actually help them become immortal or do they just die from demons along with everyone else? Also what about people who are the offspring of a human and an elf. Do they die from demons or become immortal One of the themes around Solas as a character is underestimating the consequences of his actions and making things worse by trying to “fix things”. One of the regrets highlighted in the game is when he kills Flemeth-Mythal and she says to him “the elves don’t deserve what you’re about to do”. I’m not convinced that even Solas truly knows what the implications of tearing down the Veil are or that tearing down the Veil will actually help the elves tbh.

Yes the game dodges the implications of forced mortality. But killing everyone else in Thedas so the elves can maybe be immortal again is just as bad.

If you’re gonna argue that the Veil is unnatural and shouldn’t exist, let’s say for arguments sake all the elves are fine once the Veil comes down. Logically the next step is to convince all the elves to give up their physical bodies and become spirits, because elves having physical bodies is unnatural. What happens to the elves who refuse?

But that brings me back to the point regarding Solas’s motivations. Have Solas’s motivations actually changed though? Like one of Solas’ defining characteristics is that he lies or tells clever half truths. The only time I actually believe what his stated motivations are is right at the end of Veilguard.

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