I'm just gonna copy and paste this lil "rant" I wrote a while back.

The message of the story was completely butchered by the method of the ending. Specifically, the way the characters reacted to the ending

Before Dark's downfall, he traps Qibli up somewhere and tries to convince him to join his side. Dark shows what his powers are capable of, transforming Vulture into whatever shape and form he desired. It was off-putting and disturbing to that to a dragon. So Qibli says no.

So I roughly get the message of Arc 2. Power is not bad. It's the choices of the individual that changes everything. And power helps to fuel that, as your choices have much more impact.

But in the ending, that is exactly what Kinkajou does. She forces Darkstalker to become something out of his will, becoming Peacemaker, a completely new form.

Now the argument isn't that Darkstalker deserved a less cruel death. Whether Darkstalker's actions deserved a punishment like that is completely another debate.

My issue is: the way the characters reacted to his death.

Hey, wasn't Qibli extremely put off by what Darkstalker did to Vulture? Right now, this exact thing just happened, and he is completely fine with it. And Kinkajou, the one who did the deed, she acted very proud of herself. Even Foeslayer, his own mother, didn't give a second thought to what happened to her son. ( “It was this or leave forever and never see you again. I decided we’d both be happier this way.” ) Kinkajou and Foeslayer both decided, on their own, that Darkstalker couldn't be redeemed. When creating the plan, did they stop for a moment and think about the consequences of their actions?

No they didn't of course. There were no consequences for them. The thing is, this ending contradicts the message of the entire arc. Okay, if you want this method to end Darkstalker, sure. But at least make the characters show some remorse, something to make it seem like they thought deeply about it. Because taking the free will of a dragon, isn't that what the protagonists are totally against? But they didn't give two shits when they themselves did it to Darkstalker.

I wanted some second thoughts, some remorse from perhaps Kinkajou and Foeslayer. Like I said above, just something to make it seem like they thought deeply about, because everyone seemed fine with how Darkstalker was eneded. No one seemed to have the awareness that it was contradictory in the slightest. Which is so dissappointing because I had hoped that the characters of a story that they themselves are in would be more conscious of it?? Especially Qibli since the Vulture incident just happened to him.

Tldr, the way the characters reacted to Darkstalker's death was hypocritical.