[Repelsteeltju]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I don't think Yakomaru is a hero in any general sense. In other words, I definitely don't think that he's someone who's inherently heroic. He's quite the contrary in many ways, yes.

But, in a practical sense, he might yet end up a hero to his people. Or he admittedly might bring his people to complete ruination. Time will tell.


Keep in mind that, to me, being a hero to your people is simply a matter of bringing great, positive change to your people. I can see where Yakomaru's big gambits might pay off in the end. He's playing a very high stakes game of Risk. I think he'll probably win big or lose big, and that'll determine his place in history (and so far, he's winning so much it would make Charlie Sheen blush ). As the old saying goes "History is wrote by the victors".

The heroes of old were mighty selfish murderous assholes. Sure some of this can be attributed to changing morals. But really what defines them as heroes more so than their being POV characters might just be their being their own person even if the whole world and the gods themselves would stop at nothing to halt them in being them they persevere in living however the hell they want.

Yakomaru owns most definitions of 'hero' that do not involve being a demigod or being in an actual legend and aside from the Wikipedia article that states 'will for self sacrifice' as a characteristic of a hero. Though arguing that he's a hero is bound to end in a silly debate on semantics.

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

Triple R. I understand and I am certainly not saying that Squealer did not bring anything good to the queer rats. And I am sorry to bring godwin's law into this but you can argue that hitler also brought some good things to the Germans as well (not comparing Squealer to hitler so let's not go there lol).

Yes, yes you are comparing them! You're argument is basically:
Yakomaru did some good things for his people.
Adolf Hitler also did some good things for his people.
Hitler is no hero.
Therefore Yakomaru is no hero.
Either that or you're randomly pointing out that not everything Hitler was a holocaust which is true, probably, but completely irrelevant and tastless. You must know this to be a bollocks argument, you even mentioned Godwin, surely you know better than this.

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

Well somehow making me research this makes me finally want to go ahead and read Animal Farm

You should it's a very nice read, though the politics and manipulations are a lot more obvious than the ones in SSY. It kinda saddens me you brought this up though because I was --probably vainly-- hoping to be the first to notice this and jap about it on the internet, and now when I do... Ah it wasn't that opaque anyway.

You all mad? Yakomaru is the HERO destined to end decades of molerat slavery. He will tear those false gods from their pedestal, he and his people shall inherit the earth while simultaneously ending the corruption of the land caused by the overflowing uncontrolled cantuspowers of those who call themselves human.

Because really; shouldn't all intelligent individuals be given equal rights?

I really didn't think my original, tongue-in-cheek, baiting comment characterising Squealer as the biggest good in the SSY universe would spark this much discussion. That makes me happy. Aside from the argumentum ad Hitlerum, really don't... just don't.