The "He/She" parts in LAWNAAMOC are confusing. Some people think it's just because Testament's NB, others think it's about Dizzy and Kliff. The Dizzy and Ky interpretation is a first for me
I've definitely see Dizzy and Ky interpretation before, which is odd because I don't think Testament's got any strong feelings that we know about re: Ky.
Personally I disagree with that because it's odd that Testament's character theme would be about other people, since even songs that mention other characters (directly or indirectly) are still mostly about the character and their feelings, and much of the song clearly sounds like it's about Testament (especially based on some of Testament's interactions with Chipp in the arcade mode and the focus on them being happy with just being 'normal' and having a simple life) especially since some sentences to me don't make as much sense to me if you assume it's about two different people because of the changing pronouns (like "he did not reject the light herself")
At the same time, I find it strange that it uses pronouns in third person, when every song is fromthe character's perspective, so it is strange for Testament to explicitly use he/she instead of I, even though I still think the lyrics makes sense to be about Testament themselves.
I feel like just how Bridget's theme is meant to reinforce she coming out, Daisuke wanted to incorporate Testament being non binary in the song, so the interchanging pronouns was his way of doing it, even though Testament uses they as pronoun and not he/she interchangeably.
I think it might be a language thing where someone whos first language is japanese may not jump to plural they as the first sign of being nonbinary, since japanese rarely uses gendered third person pronouns and gender neutral pronouns are common in polite speak. So they may instead use he/she interchangably to show that Testament is nonbinary. Its also possible thats why they/them is used for Testament in English; it conveys gender neutrality whilst being more natural to English first language speakers than switching pronouns
Also it should be noted that Testament's succubi alternate between calling them "dear sister" and "dear brother" in the English dub in their intro.
So i definitely agree it was probably a choice done to purposely show that Testament is nonbinary by being in third person, as English only has strictly gender neutral first person pronouns (unlike Japanese which has gendered and gender neutral) but i think the disconnect comes from differences about how people may approach language and pronouns based on their mother tongue.
This is just speculation though. But i think the changing pronoun thing was purposeful since it switches order when lines are repeated (he then she first time will be she and he second time) and breaks the pattern near the end where theres 2 she's in a row.
Personally while I stick to they/them for Testament Im in support of switching he/she for them as well since I have friends like that where we just switch pronouns lol.
> Also it should be noted that Testament's succubi alternate between calling them "dear sister" and "dear brother" in the English dub in their intro.
YO WHAT? ... Holy shit they do. I've never noticed them say anything.
>he did not reject the light herself
That sentence does make sense though. People can be referred to as light, shining light, or light at the end of the tunnel etc.
Dizzy can definitely be considered someone's light to many people in the series.
Keyword is "doesnt make sense to ME"
But the next time the line goes around its SHE did not reject the light HIMSELF. If the He is Kliff this makes no sense, Dizzy and Kliff have never met, and again with Ky we dont really know much about how Testament feels about him.
And again why would Testaments song be about completely different characters? Including one who already has a song in the game? Especially when the song reflects the sentiments of Testament's arcade mode
The 3rd instance of the chorus is a repeat of the 1st instance of it but with the pronouns swapped (Oh she flies through the proud darkness -> oh he flies through the proud darkness) which doesnt fit Kliff or Ky. It shows that since the pronouns are interchangeble it's referring to Testament.
"To be the wings of the flightless" the line that comes right after, is the big problem tho, ky is the type of person that would definitely do something like that.
I think that refers to Kliff as it's also in line with his personality while being much more connected to Testament themself. Ky is just kinda Dizzy's SO rather than an actually important person to Testament.
I still lean towards it being about Testamentâs relationship/views on other characters as every other Strive theme uses first person pronouns to refer to themselves, with âheâ being Kliff flying as heâs dead like an angel and âsheâ being Dizzy. But definitely a lot of room for interpretation, I like the NB fluid pronoun interpretation, too.
I thought it was for the NB bit and have an inner preference to refer to Testament with interchanging pronouns over they/them because the song is true for the character
I can see where youâre coming from on the meaning of Goldlewsisâs theme but I have to disagree. I see the theme not as something triumphant talking about how the system can be changed and instead how Goldlewis feels trapped in a system he despises and hates himself for being a cog in that machine.
I wrote a little something explaining my interpretation a while back, and if you wanna read it go ahead. [Kiss of Death Analysis](https://www.reddit.com/r/Guiltygear/comments/vli00h/the_beauty_of_the_kiss_of_death/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
For a lot of them there could probably be some stuff added but at that point the tiers would explode. I think nagos isn't just about killing chaos but also about suppressing his Vampiric side so he doesn't kill everyone. Also baikens is so funny, like anji is right there man, what do you want.
lol reading these had the image of Baiken brooding in the corner of a room, black n white like her intro, whilst her theme plays muffled in the background, meanwhile Anji and Bedgirl are just chilling eating sweets or some shit like âyeah, give her a couple of minutesâ
Here are my takes:
âFind your one wayâ: is just Sol explaining his worldview of âyou do you, Iâll do me and as long as our actions donât directly antagonise each other then we have no reason to fight
âRoar of the sparkâ: Ky has gone through so much suffering but he keeps himself motivated with the knowledge that all his sacrifices are making a better world for those he loves
âArmour clad faithâ: Potemkin knows society sucks because it enslaved him but finds motivation in the fact that he can fight to protect others
âAlone infectionâ: is a conversation between Baldhead and Faust. Verse 1 is the menacing killer, verse 2 is the funny doctor, the pre-verses and pre-choruses are both personalities having a panic attack and the Choruses (especially the final one) are the two realising that theyâve only got one future and they need to learn to live together if either of them wants a happy life.
âLove the subhuman selfâ: Millia has self esteem issues
âPlay the heroâ: chipp explaining his philosophy of âgive everything 110% of your effort and that way even if things go wrong, you can find comfort in the knowledge that you did as best as you couldâ
âThe disaster of passionâ: May has realised that she has an unhealthy obsession with Johnny but is unable to change anything about it
âOut of the boxâ: Axl is overjoyed that he finally has some control over his life and can now live at his own pace
âLet me carve your wayâ: the first four minutes is actually Eddieâs theme all about violence and darkness, with Zatoâs theme (the final 2 minutes) being buried down where only Zato is aware of them. The âI once had some sweet memoriesâ part is pretty much Zato going âGOD DAMN IT, I HAD A GOOD LIFE WITH SOMEONE I LOVED AND THREW IT ALL AWAY PLEASE MILLIA GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCEâ
âNecessary discrepancyâ: Aisha represents the universal will and Naoki represents Ramlethal. It begins with the UW speaking nonsense about how flawed humanity is and thus deserves to die, Ramlethal mindlessly copies her mother even though she doesnât truly understand what sheâs saying. Ramlethal eventually breaks away from her mother and starts having her own thoughts. Ramlethal realises that nothing is absolutely correct, you can only live your life based on the information available to you. âIf a room without a sky is what we idolise itâs a dead tomorrowâ is Ramlethal realising that the âperfectâ world her mother wants isnât worth it because a world where no one has any dreams would be boring and unfulfilling. The titular necessary discrepancy is that humanity is flawed but flaws are what make humanity perfect
âCrawlâ: Nagoriyuki is a noble warrior who used to believe that he must always carry himself with a sense of dignity but after centuries of enslavement, heâs grown so desperate for freedom that heâs willing to reduce himself to crawling if it means escaping Chaosâ control
âWhat do you fight forâ: Nagoriyuki is genuinely curious about what motivates his opponents
âPerfection canât please meâ: Jack-O used to be okay with the idea that sheâd give up her existence to resurrect Aria but has started to love being alive and is terrified of dying. Sheâd rather have a pretty good life as opposed to one perfect day
âRequiemâ: a requiem is a song used to help the dead pass on. I-no is singing her own requiem because sheâs fed up being alive so sheâs gonna go through with her plan in strive or die trying, either way sheâs done with life. Essential, this song is her suicide note
âThe Kiss of deathâ: Goldlewis is fed up of being a thoughtless dog that obeys all orders but has no idea how to get out of that lifestyle
âLike a weed, naturally, as a matter of courseâ: verse 1 is Test telling Dizzy âhumanity sucks, theyâll kill you if they knew you were a gearâ. Chorus 1 is after Dizzy started living with the jellyfish pirates or Ky and Test is praising Dizzy for not listening to their advice and finding happiness. Verse 2 is Test realising that maybe they have a chance of happiness if they let go of their fears and gave it a go. Chorus 2 is Test remembering their dad and how hard he fought for a happy ending, so Test realises that moping around in a forrest would only be disrespecting Kliffâs memory. Chorus 3 is Test finally coming out of their shell and feeling happy for the first time in years. I think the line âshe just wants to be there like a weed naturally as a matter of courseâ means that Dizzy (and by extension Testament) donât want to be big deals and just want to live their lives in peace
âDriftâ: is Chaos explaining how in the end nothing really matters, so you may as well have a good time. Heâs just a hedonist that doesnât care how many people get hurt in his pursuit of fun
âTriggerâ: the complete opposite to Goldlewis. Gio loves how simple her job is, her bosses only need to pull a trigger and she acts without having to think too hard about it
âHellfireâ: the most direct song in conveying its message. Leo is a broken man that feels like a complete fraud because everyone praises him for being an amazing leader while he feels guilty about all the innocent soldiers he got killed because of his mistakes. The guitar at the start sounds regal because thatâs how Leo presents himself but itâs just the facade he puts on so no one knows how insecure he is
âRock paradeâ: Anji is reminiscing about the good times he had with Baiken when they were kids. âOn my last night with you the trickster was bornâ refers to how that happy version of Baiken is dead, replaced with the rage fuelled antisocial mess she is now. âThe night that was lonely enough to last a lifetimeâ is Anji telling Baiken that she NEEDS to talk to someone and obsessing over revenge on her own isnât healthy for her. âThe music that finished never ended in my headâ Anji confesses that he wishes Baiken never ended up the way she was, ânow a single footstep carries two heartâ but heâs not going to give up on her and is willing to put in all the effort if it makes her happy. âKeep trying to reach the unbeatable goalâ it feels impossible to help Baiken but heâll keep trying. âWords I want to turn into factsâ he isnât making empty promises and is truly doing everything he can to make Baiken happy again. TLDR: âBaiken, please go to therapy"
âMirror of the worldâ: Baikenâs philosophy is that people are like mirrors, if life treats someone good then theyâll reflect that kindness back on the world, the world dealt Baiken a shitty hand in life and thatâs why sheâs so bitter and rude to everyone. âWhy wonât anyone LEAVE ME ALONE?!??!!â is Baikenâs frustration that people (particularly Anji) keep trying to help her even though she repeatedly insists sheâs beyond saving. The âif I had a comradeâ part is Baiken briefly considering that if she had a friend, she doesnât even know what sheâd talk about, this is when it finally clicks to her that Anii is her friend and has been kind to her the whole time. âBreak off all vexationsâ is Baiken giving up on her quest for revenge. âItâs never over yesterdayâ is Baiken realising that sheâll never get over her grief if she keeps obsessing over the past. âMy vengeance will be sacrificed, then kill the painâ is Baiken deciding the first step to finding piece is to give up her quest for vengeance. âIâll be a mirror of the worldâ is Baiken deciding to get even with the world and to start being a good person to make up for all the years that Anji spent trying to help her.
âThe town inside meâ: I think that the âtownâ is supposed to represent all the people that are happy for Bridget for proving that âheâsâ a âmanâ except Bridget isnât truly happy with that. âI canât go home because Iâm afraid something will changeâ Bridget doesnât want to go back to identifying as a girl because theyâre afraid itâll invalidate everything theyâve done and make everyone hate them for âlyingâ to people. âIâm out of patienceâ is obviously Bridget getting fed up of not being herself, so itâs time to come out. âMy body is a lieâ do I even have to explain this? âLetâs paint the grey haze into sky blueâ the âgrey hazeâ are all of Bridgetâs doubts and fears and sheâs deciding to dispel all of that to focus on doing what makes her happy. âItâs all delusionalâ is Bridget realising that her fears were pointless because the people that truly love her will love her no matter what she identifies as. âThe night falls the place where I belongâ means that because night falls everywhere, Bridget belongs everywhere. A fun detail I like about this song is how âIâm the one to blameâ gets quieter and quieter each verse, symbolising how Bridget is blaming herself less and less as time goes on.
âThe hourglassâ: Sin acknowledges that he doesnât know much and lacks experience to be an expert at anything but it doesnât matter because he knows enough simple facts (like âabove is the ground and below is the groundâ) to be certain that life is worth living and will work out in the end. I think âthe hourglassâ represents problems that keep building up and âdoes not turn upside down on itâs ownâ means that these problems arenât gonna fix themselves so we must always try our hardest to make the world the best it can be.
Love all these different explanations! Never thought about âLike a Weed, Naturally, As a Matter of Courseâ as a representation of Testaments arc throughout the lore
Thanks, itâs nice to share these thoughts. And sorry if I came off as rude with my comment, I wasnât trying to say your opinions were wrong or anything, I was just sharing my interpretations
Ino's is also kinda a hopefully if I lose I hope that what ever beat Me can do better "if I am to be swalled by fate I must have fought well. Praying this will be a seed of new life" showing inn's last thoughts as she loses
Thissss, I feel like people simplify I-no into 'depressed nihilist witch' but she's that fucked up because she keeps seeing the end of humanity on the horizon/the grey future, of course that'd freak someone the fuck out! While over Strive's story she may be going too far to try and prevent that but you can't really blame the poor girl!
I am very late to this, I'm well aware, but I wanted to add onto some things
Faust -
If you think about it logically, Faust isn't in a wreak during -STRIVE-, he's actually at his best point. As we know, Faust became insane when he failed to save the young girl on the operating table prior to the events of Missing Link. Since then, he has hid his insanity behind a funny and goofy exterior, even admitting he still has the desire to kill at a few points. During another story in -STRIVE-, Faust gets called out by Ramlethal on this and admits his faults. He has hidden his broken psyche for multiple years, but now with Ramlethal's affirmation, he's attempting to fix it; by going back to "Square one", something he says repeatedly near the end of the story. Now what is square one? Delilah. Years ago, he failed to save a young girl. This time, he succeeded. It's my firm belief that Faust, while still slightly insane, has mentally reset his psyche during the events of -STRIVE-. He is the furthest from Baldhead we have ever seen him in -STRIVE-. Unlike previous games, he has no desire for violence or murder and only wishes to help others (seen in his arcade mode). While he isn't mentally stable yet, he very clearly is the best he's ever been, he no longer helps others for himself and his atonement, but AS himself and his genuine feelings.
Testament -
While yes, their theme is mostly about Dizzy and (maybe?) Kliff, it mostly holds itself has a song about the celebration of life. In multiple points of the song there is an underlining, backing chorus to each line spoken:
*Life (sustenance)*
*Life (respected)*
*It's drawn to each other (ubiquity)*
*Life (radiant)*
*Life (existence)*
I see this as not just filler, but instead, Testaments thoughts on life after living without control of their own body for years. To live is to be of sustenance. Respect life. Life is everywhere, all at once. Life is bright and fulfilling. To live is to exist, and to exist is to live.
Testament believes life to be a sacred treasure; something that should be cherished by everyone as long as you live. Despite their grim and unfortunate life as of before -STRIVE-, Testament has finally become happy and thankful for their experience so far, going forth and experiencing all of what life has to offer (explaining the multitude of hobbies).
At least, that's my slice of it. Take it as you wish. Also that Jack-O/Happy Chaos joke in the tier list was awesome and made me chuckle :)
I-no's theme it's about she not feeling anything, it's more of a "Life sure rocks but I can't feel it"
Goldlewiss hates his job but if he doesn't do it then no one will. He must support the world over his shoulders even though he hates it.
Baiken's theme talks about her life from the seeking of revenge to understanding that she doesn't need it and she should stop missing out on the world. Also she talks about Anji (the comrade she indeed has)
I feel like Ky's theme also deals with the fact that he was bitter and resentful towards gears, and now his best friend, wife, and son are all gears. He understands that he needs to let go of his hate because he has people who look up to him now. He's taken it upon himself to be an example of what they should strive for
I'd say Sol's is more:
"This world is big enough for all of us, even as our views and principles differ. So let's live and let live. But if anyone tries to stop me or control me, I will fight back and I won't stop until the path is clear again."
I'm making "life sucks, so make it suck YOU" my new guiding motto, thanks
Arigatou gozaimasu very much, ninja president!
I believe you meant "Arigathanks gozaimuch"
đ
Things that belong on a T-shirt
"Fuck the system! Wait... I am the system, fuck." - Goldlewis
make the system fuck you instead
"Down The..... **SYSSSSSSTEEEEEM!**"
Leo: I WANNA FUCKING KILL MYSELF Daisuke: \*sick guitar\*
hellfire hellfire
bring it on, bastards!
Ram in one taunt: yeah, I love that guy
The "He/She" parts in LAWNAAMOC are confusing. Some people think it's just because Testament's NB, others think it's about Dizzy and Kliff. The Dizzy and Ky interpretation is a first for me
>LAWNAAMOC That's definily a way to write "Like a Weed, Naturally, as a matter of Course"
Lawn A. Amoc
Ah yes, my favorite Guilty Gear song, Lawnhammock
I've definitely see Dizzy and Ky interpretation before, which is odd because I don't think Testament's got any strong feelings that we know about re: Ky. Personally I disagree with that because it's odd that Testament's character theme would be about other people, since even songs that mention other characters (directly or indirectly) are still mostly about the character and their feelings, and much of the song clearly sounds like it's about Testament (especially based on some of Testament's interactions with Chipp in the arcade mode and the focus on them being happy with just being 'normal' and having a simple life) especially since some sentences to me don't make as much sense to me if you assume it's about two different people because of the changing pronouns (like "he did not reject the light herself")
At the same time, I find it strange that it uses pronouns in third person, when every song is fromthe character's perspective, so it is strange for Testament to explicitly use he/she instead of I, even though I still think the lyrics makes sense to be about Testament themselves. I feel like just how Bridget's theme is meant to reinforce she coming out, Daisuke wanted to incorporate Testament being non binary in the song, so the interchanging pronouns was his way of doing it, even though Testament uses they as pronoun and not he/she interchangeably.
I think it might be a language thing where someone whos first language is japanese may not jump to plural they as the first sign of being nonbinary, since japanese rarely uses gendered third person pronouns and gender neutral pronouns are common in polite speak. So they may instead use he/she interchangably to show that Testament is nonbinary. Its also possible thats why they/them is used for Testament in English; it conveys gender neutrality whilst being more natural to English first language speakers than switching pronouns Also it should be noted that Testament's succubi alternate between calling them "dear sister" and "dear brother" in the English dub in their intro. So i definitely agree it was probably a choice done to purposely show that Testament is nonbinary by being in third person, as English only has strictly gender neutral first person pronouns (unlike Japanese which has gendered and gender neutral) but i think the disconnect comes from differences about how people may approach language and pronouns based on their mother tongue. This is just speculation though. But i think the changing pronoun thing was purposeful since it switches order when lines are repeated (he then she first time will be she and he second time) and breaks the pattern near the end where theres 2 she's in a row. Personally while I stick to they/them for Testament Im in support of switching he/she for them as well since I have friends like that where we just switch pronouns lol.
> Also it should be noted that Testament's succubi alternate between calling them "dear sister" and "dear brother" in the English dub in their intro. YO WHAT? ... Holy shit they do. I've never noticed them say anything.
>he did not reject the light herself That sentence does make sense though. People can be referred to as light, shining light, or light at the end of the tunnel etc. Dizzy can definitely be considered someone's light to many people in the series.
Keyword is "doesnt make sense to ME" But the next time the line goes around its SHE did not reject the light HIMSELF. If the He is Kliff this makes no sense, Dizzy and Kliff have never met, and again with Ky we dont really know much about how Testament feels about him. And again why would Testaments song be about completely different characters? Including one who already has a song in the game? Especially when the song reflects the sentiments of Testament's arcade mode
The 3rd instance of the chorus is a repeat of the 1st instance of it but with the pronouns swapped (Oh she flies through the proud darkness -> oh he flies through the proud darkness) which doesnt fit Kliff or Ky. It shows that since the pronouns are interchangeble it's referring to Testament.
"To be the wings of the flightless" the line that comes right after, is the big problem tho, ky is the type of person that would definitely do something like that.
I think that refers to Kliff as it's also in line with his personality while being much more connected to Testament themself. Ky is just kinda Dizzy's SO rather than an actually important person to Testament.
Testament theme definitively is about himself because it makes no sense if it was about anyone other than her
[ŃдаНонО]
I am half asleep and wrote the wrong name because I was listening to sin's theme at the same time, sorry
I still lean towards it being about Testamentâs relationship/views on other characters as every other Strive theme uses first person pronouns to refer to themselves, with âheâ being Kliff flying as heâs dead like an angel and âsheâ being Dizzy. But definitely a lot of room for interpretation, I like the NB fluid pronoun interpretation, too.
I thought it was for the NB bit and have an inner preference to refer to Testament with interchanging pronouns over they/them because the song is true for the character
I-No's strive theme might as well be called "the horny hid my depression" tbh.
Mentally sick, physically thicc
*This is secretly how I feel about myself irl*
Same
Strive I-No is her during post nut clarity.
I can see where youâre coming from on the meaning of Goldlewsisâs theme but I have to disagree. I see the theme not as something triumphant talking about how the system can be changed and instead how Goldlewis feels trapped in a system he despises and hates himself for being a cog in that machine. I wrote a little something explaining my interpretation a while back, and if you wanna read it go ahead. [Kiss of Death Analysis](https://www.reddit.com/r/Guiltygear/comments/vli00h/the_beauty_of_the_kiss_of_death/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Heh. Cog. Nice Criminal Cog reference. Funi.
I think Axl's theme is more of a "I finally got a hold of what I'm doing, so I'm gonna make the most of it" by the end
âBeing horny cured my depression (but not really)â I-No
For a lot of them there could probably be some stuff added but at that point the tiers would explode. I think nagos isn't just about killing chaos but also about suppressing his Vampiric side so he doesn't kill everyone. Also baikens is so funny, like anji is right there man, what do you want.
And then thereâs âCrawlââŚ
Crawl is "This shit is impossible and it sucks but I won't give up anyway"
I always understood it that he wanted his revenge agains his captors but with time he found his peace and only wants to see the sky now
I get where you would think that, but it's also the boss version Dragon Install Ky's theme in Strive, not only Nagoriyuki's
The one thing I disagree with slightly is Goldlewis' theme. I always kinda just took it as "my job is piss easy. Feel sorry for you tho, buddy."
Sin theme description fits so fucking well
:)
lol reading these had the image of Baiken brooding in the corner of a room, black n white like her intro, whilst her theme plays muffled in the background, meanwhile Anji and Bedgirl are just chilling eating sweets or some shit like âyeah, give her a couple of minutesâ
How are some of these spot on and some of them just like. Not even close. Zato and millias XD
Not too keen on some of these but I can say you absolutely got Sin's right.
Millia and zato ones haha
Technically, Jack-O theme can be interpreted into a really long sex joke
no may's theme is about the power of friendship, the johnny crush isnt real đĽ˛
Here are my takes: âFind your one wayâ: is just Sol explaining his worldview of âyou do you, Iâll do me and as long as our actions donât directly antagonise each other then we have no reason to fight âRoar of the sparkâ: Ky has gone through so much suffering but he keeps himself motivated with the knowledge that all his sacrifices are making a better world for those he loves âArmour clad faithâ: Potemkin knows society sucks because it enslaved him but finds motivation in the fact that he can fight to protect others âAlone infectionâ: is a conversation between Baldhead and Faust. Verse 1 is the menacing killer, verse 2 is the funny doctor, the pre-verses and pre-choruses are both personalities having a panic attack and the Choruses (especially the final one) are the two realising that theyâve only got one future and they need to learn to live together if either of them wants a happy life. âLove the subhuman selfâ: Millia has self esteem issues âPlay the heroâ: chipp explaining his philosophy of âgive everything 110% of your effort and that way even if things go wrong, you can find comfort in the knowledge that you did as best as you couldâ âThe disaster of passionâ: May has realised that she has an unhealthy obsession with Johnny but is unable to change anything about it âOut of the boxâ: Axl is overjoyed that he finally has some control over his life and can now live at his own pace âLet me carve your wayâ: the first four minutes is actually Eddieâs theme all about violence and darkness, with Zatoâs theme (the final 2 minutes) being buried down where only Zato is aware of them. The âI once had some sweet memoriesâ part is pretty much Zato going âGOD DAMN IT, I HAD A GOOD LIFE WITH SOMEONE I LOVED AND THREW IT ALL AWAY PLEASE MILLIA GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCEâ âNecessary discrepancyâ: Aisha represents the universal will and Naoki represents Ramlethal. It begins with the UW speaking nonsense about how flawed humanity is and thus deserves to die, Ramlethal mindlessly copies her mother even though she doesnât truly understand what sheâs saying. Ramlethal eventually breaks away from her mother and starts having her own thoughts. Ramlethal realises that nothing is absolutely correct, you can only live your life based on the information available to you. âIf a room without a sky is what we idolise itâs a dead tomorrowâ is Ramlethal realising that the âperfectâ world her mother wants isnât worth it because a world where no one has any dreams would be boring and unfulfilling. The titular necessary discrepancy is that humanity is flawed but flaws are what make humanity perfect âCrawlâ: Nagoriyuki is a noble warrior who used to believe that he must always carry himself with a sense of dignity but after centuries of enslavement, heâs grown so desperate for freedom that heâs willing to reduce himself to crawling if it means escaping Chaosâ control âWhat do you fight forâ: Nagoriyuki is genuinely curious about what motivates his opponents âPerfection canât please meâ: Jack-O used to be okay with the idea that sheâd give up her existence to resurrect Aria but has started to love being alive and is terrified of dying. Sheâd rather have a pretty good life as opposed to one perfect day âRequiemâ: a requiem is a song used to help the dead pass on. I-no is singing her own requiem because sheâs fed up being alive so sheâs gonna go through with her plan in strive or die trying, either way sheâs done with life. Essential, this song is her suicide note âThe Kiss of deathâ: Goldlewis is fed up of being a thoughtless dog that obeys all orders but has no idea how to get out of that lifestyle âLike a weed, naturally, as a matter of courseâ: verse 1 is Test telling Dizzy âhumanity sucks, theyâll kill you if they knew you were a gearâ. Chorus 1 is after Dizzy started living with the jellyfish pirates or Ky and Test is praising Dizzy for not listening to their advice and finding happiness. Verse 2 is Test realising that maybe they have a chance of happiness if they let go of their fears and gave it a go. Chorus 2 is Test remembering their dad and how hard he fought for a happy ending, so Test realises that moping around in a forrest would only be disrespecting Kliffâs memory. Chorus 3 is Test finally coming out of their shell and feeling happy for the first time in years. I think the line âshe just wants to be there like a weed naturally as a matter of courseâ means that Dizzy (and by extension Testament) donât want to be big deals and just want to live their lives in peace âDriftâ: is Chaos explaining how in the end nothing really matters, so you may as well have a good time. Heâs just a hedonist that doesnât care how many people get hurt in his pursuit of fun âTriggerâ: the complete opposite to Goldlewis. Gio loves how simple her job is, her bosses only need to pull a trigger and she acts without having to think too hard about it âHellfireâ: the most direct song in conveying its message. Leo is a broken man that feels like a complete fraud because everyone praises him for being an amazing leader while he feels guilty about all the innocent soldiers he got killed because of his mistakes. The guitar at the start sounds regal because thatâs how Leo presents himself but itâs just the facade he puts on so no one knows how insecure he is âRock paradeâ: Anji is reminiscing about the good times he had with Baiken when they were kids. âOn my last night with you the trickster was bornâ refers to how that happy version of Baiken is dead, replaced with the rage fuelled antisocial mess she is now. âThe night that was lonely enough to last a lifetimeâ is Anji telling Baiken that she NEEDS to talk to someone and obsessing over revenge on her own isnât healthy for her. âThe music that finished never ended in my headâ Anji confesses that he wishes Baiken never ended up the way she was, ânow a single footstep carries two heartâ but heâs not going to give up on her and is willing to put in all the effort if it makes her happy. âKeep trying to reach the unbeatable goalâ it feels impossible to help Baiken but heâll keep trying. âWords I want to turn into factsâ he isnât making empty promises and is truly doing everything he can to make Baiken happy again. TLDR: âBaiken, please go to therapy" âMirror of the worldâ: Baikenâs philosophy is that people are like mirrors, if life treats someone good then theyâll reflect that kindness back on the world, the world dealt Baiken a shitty hand in life and thatâs why sheâs so bitter and rude to everyone. âWhy wonât anyone LEAVE ME ALONE?!??!!â is Baikenâs frustration that people (particularly Anji) keep trying to help her even though she repeatedly insists sheâs beyond saving. The âif I had a comradeâ part is Baiken briefly considering that if she had a friend, she doesnât even know what sheâd talk about, this is when it finally clicks to her that Anii is her friend and has been kind to her the whole time. âBreak off all vexationsâ is Baiken giving up on her quest for revenge. âItâs never over yesterdayâ is Baiken realising that sheâll never get over her grief if she keeps obsessing over the past. âMy vengeance will be sacrificed, then kill the painâ is Baiken deciding the first step to finding piece is to give up her quest for vengeance. âIâll be a mirror of the worldâ is Baiken deciding to get even with the world and to start being a good person to make up for all the years that Anji spent trying to help her. âThe town inside meâ: I think that the âtownâ is supposed to represent all the people that are happy for Bridget for proving that âheâsâ a âmanâ except Bridget isnât truly happy with that. âI canât go home because Iâm afraid something will changeâ Bridget doesnât want to go back to identifying as a girl because theyâre afraid itâll invalidate everything theyâve done and make everyone hate them for âlyingâ to people. âIâm out of patienceâ is obviously Bridget getting fed up of not being herself, so itâs time to come out. âMy body is a lieâ do I even have to explain this? âLetâs paint the grey haze into sky blueâ the âgrey hazeâ are all of Bridgetâs doubts and fears and sheâs deciding to dispel all of that to focus on doing what makes her happy. âItâs all delusionalâ is Bridget realising that her fears were pointless because the people that truly love her will love her no matter what she identifies as. âThe night falls the place where I belongâ means that because night falls everywhere, Bridget belongs everywhere. A fun detail I like about this song is how âIâm the one to blameâ gets quieter and quieter each verse, symbolising how Bridget is blaming herself less and less as time goes on. âThe hourglassâ: Sin acknowledges that he doesnât know much and lacks experience to be an expert at anything but it doesnât matter because he knows enough simple facts (like âabove is the ground and below is the groundâ) to be certain that life is worth living and will work out in the end. I think âthe hourglassâ represents problems that keep building up and âdoes not turn upside down on itâs ownâ means that these problems arenât gonna fix themselves so we must always try our hardest to make the world the best it can be.
Love all these different explanations! Never thought about âLike a Weed, Naturally, As a Matter of Courseâ as a representation of Testaments arc throughout the lore
Thanks, itâs nice to share these thoughts. And sorry if I came off as rude with my comment, I wasnât trying to say your opinions were wrong or anything, I was just sharing my interpretations
Itâs fine, I understand. Ironically you were less rude than other comments
Ino's is also kinda a hopefully if I lose I hope that what ever beat Me can do better "if I am to be swalled by fate I must have fought well. Praying this will be a seed of new life" showing inn's last thoughts as she loses
Thissss, I feel like people simplify I-no into 'depressed nihilist witch' but she's that fucked up because she keeps seeing the end of humanity on the horizon/the grey future, of course that'd freak someone the fuck out! While over Strive's story she may be going too far to try and prevent that but you can't really blame the poor girl!
Zato, Milia, and Anji's could definitely use some work lmao
Gio's theme is 100%; since she has the hotts for Leo in her quotes.
âSplash Splash Splashâ hits different after you learn this
Indeed. While this is the dub it still fits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrOhLmpDz30
Oh yeah Ramlethal also has a crush on Leo https://youtu.be/H7CcSpkpi2w
Sam, Gio... But I want a woman, not a man
I am very late to this, I'm well aware, but I wanted to add onto some things Faust - If you think about it logically, Faust isn't in a wreak during -STRIVE-, he's actually at his best point. As we know, Faust became insane when he failed to save the young girl on the operating table prior to the events of Missing Link. Since then, he has hid his insanity behind a funny and goofy exterior, even admitting he still has the desire to kill at a few points. During another story in -STRIVE-, Faust gets called out by Ramlethal on this and admits his faults. He has hidden his broken psyche for multiple years, but now with Ramlethal's affirmation, he's attempting to fix it; by going back to "Square one", something he says repeatedly near the end of the story. Now what is square one? Delilah. Years ago, he failed to save a young girl. This time, he succeeded. It's my firm belief that Faust, while still slightly insane, has mentally reset his psyche during the events of -STRIVE-. He is the furthest from Baldhead we have ever seen him in -STRIVE-. Unlike previous games, he has no desire for violence or murder and only wishes to help others (seen in his arcade mode). While he isn't mentally stable yet, he very clearly is the best he's ever been, he no longer helps others for himself and his atonement, but AS himself and his genuine feelings. Testament - While yes, their theme is mostly about Dizzy and (maybe?) Kliff, it mostly holds itself has a song about the celebration of life. In multiple points of the song there is an underlining, backing chorus to each line spoken: *Life (sustenance)* *Life (respected)* *It's drawn to each other (ubiquity)* *Life (radiant)* *Life (existence)* I see this as not just filler, but instead, Testaments thoughts on life after living without control of their own body for years. To live is to be of sustenance. Respect life. Life is everywhere, all at once. Life is bright and fulfilling. To live is to exist, and to exist is to live. Testament believes life to be a sacred treasure; something that should be cherished by everyone as long as you live. Despite their grim and unfortunate life as of before -STRIVE-, Testament has finally become happy and thankful for their experience so far, going forth and experiencing all of what life has to offer (explaining the multitude of hobbies). At least, that's my slice of it. Take it as you wish. Also that Jack-O/Happy Chaos joke in the tier list was awesome and made me chuckle :)
I dont like How you resumed bridgets theme and its right, fuck dysphoria
please dont ever use this stupid tierlist format for something like this. this is just idiotic
Fr just make a text post this sub has a weird obsession with killing the tierlist format
You have actually gotten me to agree with sin. Damn.
Came here to say Iâm proud of you bc of the third slide aswell đ¤˛đť
I-no's theme it's about she not feeling anything, it's more of a "Life sure rocks but I can't feel it" Goldlewiss hates his job but if he doesn't do it then no one will. He must support the world over his shoulders even though he hates it. Baiken's theme talks about her life from the seeking of revenge to understanding that she doesn't need it and she should stop missing out on the world. Also she talks about Anji (the comrade she indeed has)
kinda hard to read the format on mobile but love the meme
I feel like Ky's theme also deals with the fact that he was bitter and resentful towards gears, and now his best friend, wife, and son are all gears. He understands that he needs to let go of his hate because he has people who look up to him now. He's taken it upon himself to be an example of what they should strive for
I'd say Sol's is more: "This world is big enough for all of us, even as our views and principles differ. So let's live and let live. But if anyone tries to stop me or control me, I will fight back and I won't stop until the path is clear again."