I just had a completely random thought and (at my own risk) I just want to drop it without thinking too much and see what people say for the fun of it.
I think Lyon and Riev as characters are basically Darth Vader and Palpatine if their roles as master and apprentice were reversed.
Lyon, like Vader (which also means Anakin), is a dark side user wit immense potential who still has good in him despite doing terrible things. And Riev straight up seems like who Palpatine would be if he was okay with being 2nd place and didn’t have to hide his true nature all the time.
Yeah, I think it makes sense, since normally Riev would be the one pulling all the strings since most characters of his archetype (Gharnef) are like this, but this time it’s Lyon who has the higher authority over him.
Still, Riev is the most evil out of the two, and was the one to actively worship Fomortis, while Lyon didn’t really until what happened in the events of the game.
Although, a straighter example for Darth Vader would be Orson, since he also has that lost fiance element, and was on Frelia’s side before betraying them.
This is a fascinating idea! Riev and Lyon insofar as they share somewhat of a master and apprentice dynamic somewhat resembling Palpatine and Vader. However, the similarities in their individual characters break down under scrutiny.
For example, Riev’s core motivation appears to be the resurrection and subsequent proliferation of Formortis through worship as some kind of ultimate evil. Whereas Palpatine, not content to be second to anyone or anything seeks total dominion over The Force. For Riev this would be equivalent to wanting to siphon enough power from Formortis to destroy him, then take his place himself.
Palpatine is a fairly faithless character, and Riev’s power is characterized by the strength of his faith; in Formortis and in Lyon by extension.
Lyon on the other hand is constantly anxious. He is self-conscious about his frail health, his unrequited love for Eirika, and his perceived unworthiness as the next ruler of Grado. Much of what motivates him throughout the story is him scrambling offscreen to compensate for his shortcomings. Whereas Anakin/Vader is extremely confident in his abilities and station. Anakin’s downfall is driven by what he perceived as his preeminent worthiness and what he as the chosen one deserved, whereas Lyon is driven by the opposite.
If there could be a strong similarity between Lyon and Vader, it is that their actions are both influenced by their strong emotions of love and fear in particular. Vader is captured by Palpatine’s influence through the promise of saving his wife. Lyon is made similar promises by Formortis, a cure for the illness that afflicts Vigarde, the salvation of his countrymen from a pending disaster, etc. Another similarity is the deference for prophecy and visions both of them exhibit. Anakin/Vader is convinced he is the chosen one(he is). And Lyon is absolutely certain that disaster will befall Grado unless he takes action. The Jedi try not to take a lot of stock in prophecy and visions, and it would be standard for them to suspend their attachments and just allow disaster to happen. Both Lyon and Anakin/Vader both reject this approach in their respective universes. And are proactive agents in largely reactive worlds and are thereby driven to compromise their souls, selecting the lesser of two evils.
As for their dynamic, I suppose Riev could be using Lyon as a tool/means-to-an-end to get revenge on Rausten the way Palpatine used Vader as a weapon to keep the empire in line. But Lyon seems to allow him to operate with a level of autonomy that Vader was never afforded, and I doubt Vader would ever allow Palpatine to, given the opportunity. Though as their personalities and motivations have a limited amount in common, I don’t think the strength of the proposed dynamic is substantial.
For example, Riev’s core motivation appears to be the resurrection and subsequent proliferation of Formortis through worship as some kind of ultimate evil. Whereas Palpatine, not content to be second to anyone or anything seeks total dominion over The Force. For Riev this would be equivalent to wanting to siphon enough power from Formortis to destroy him, then take his place himself.
…This sounds like an amazing premise for a What-If sequel where Riev escapes death in Darkling Woods and Formortis actually wins against Eirika and Ephraim but finds out the hard way that Riev is less loyal, more powerful, and more prepared than anyone expected
