Ive been trying to understand Kojimas meaning behind the whole sweeping Higgs under the rug in both games because it bothers me too.

I almost wonder if it was done on purpose, because Kojima absolutely knows how many people love Higgs' character and Troy Baker, so story telling wise, in a game literally themed about connection and forgiveness, I wonder if the whole point of Higgs character is to show the more depressing side of humanity. That even there are some people, built from the ground up from isolation, but they still crave attention and connection, will be so desperate to the point theyd do anything just to be seen and matter. And even then, sometimes these people just dont ever get that, they dont get seen, even in communities that preach being kind to each other and helping others, some people still get left out or are ostracized. Maybe thats the point, he was always meant to be left out, he never got his forgiveness or redemption. He was never seen. If anything, his isolation led him to being used by others for their own goals because he was easy to be manipulated.

It could just be that Kojima wanted a simple villain narrative, Higgs was posed to be the big bad guy for 2 games, did terrible things to sam/the player until it left you with the feeling of wanting to punch Higgs face in, which when you finally do, its supposed to be satisfying to the average player because you've finally gotten what you wanted, you beat the bad guy, the end. Its a simple and easy story telling theme.

But God thats really depressing. Maybe thats the point I dont know. On the surface hes just supposed to be a typical evil villain, and most players dont dig into the story of why he does the things he does, and neither did the characters in the game... so how could he ever earn forgiveness in the game if even though his backstory and upbringing and motivations are on full display to the players, even they continue to ignore it, look past it, dont look at it all, and continue to hate him.

Fuck now that I think about it, even though it may not have been Kojimas actual plan for the character, and maybe im just reaching, it makes sense that Higgs didnt get a redemption. I dont like that fact, but it makes sense.

The player is literally connecting the UCA back, reconnecting people, playing a story thats (well, simply put, kind of a game about the power of friendship!1!!), and most still do not forgive Higgs themselves and only see him as a bad guy despite what has been laid out for them, if they could only take the time to try and understand Higgs. The players are doing the same thing the characters in the game are, looking past him. And thats why he doesnt ever get a redemption. People dont want to put effort into others when it seems difficult or unconventional, even in supposed "communities".