[SoldierOfDarkness]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

The signs were always there for Flit. Not our fault you chose not to see it until now. As one person explained it before in a previous thread, Flit's getting old. His son and grandson are no longer willing to follow him down the path of wiping out their enemy, and his facing the twilight years of his lifespan soon. So chances are he's now going to do what he feels should be done himself, hence his more extreme views now. Finding out the truth behind Project Eden certainly didn't help the Vagans' cause in his eyes.

Uh for the record I was the one pointing out that he was getting old and that he was an old veteran with a hatred and that it didn't helped the Vagan's cause when he found out the truth. So thanks for bringing that up

The fact that Zeheart is going with it is just another nail in the coffin on whether or not they can be saved.

As for Kio... harder to explain. There's a lot of naivety going on there, of course, but my theory is that the whole understanding "trigger" came from Ezelcant himself, during his battle against Kio and the Gundam AGE-3. "Why do you not understand?! If you've been reborn... and appeared before me like this... Why do you not understand?!"

Kio couldn't understand. But I get the feeling because of words like this, he's now trying to not make that kind of mistake again, to try and understand his opponents so the fighting isn't necessary. Ezelcant was hyped up to him to be a horrible monster hellbent on the destruction of the people... and when Kio finally meets him face to face, and (from his viewpoint at the time) he's... not. He appears to be for all intents and purposes an old man who wants the best for his people and has to make the hard decision of going to war to make sure his people survive. Plus the kindness Ezelcant showed to Kio, allowing him to ease Lu's suffering, to stay in an actual room instead of a prison cell, etc.

Sure, Ezelcant really has gone off the deep end and showed himself to be far worse than he was on the surface, but Kio had the better-than-expected first impression of him. After learning the truth behind Project Eden, Kio likely sees Ezelcant not as some monster that lied to his face, etc, but as an old man driven mad over the loss of his son and the suffering of his people (which I suppose is somewhat reinforced by the history included in the EXA-DB fragment, I imagine an account of constant warfare the like would make a person lose faith in humanity as it stands). So I think this, combined with those last statements of him demanding to know why Kio couldn't understand Ezelcant is what drives Kio to find understanding with enemy Vagan pilots, so he doesn't make a perceived mistake like before.

As for Zeheart, I think we can thank the Mars Rays for him choosing to side with Ezelcant on Project Eden--namely, how Ezelcant says he doesn't want to be a dictator or a god to humanity, because hell, the Mars Rays are going to ensure that he can't before it comes to fruition and Ezelcant boths understands that and has accepted that (keep in mind that this is what I theorize Zeheart to be perceiving of the encounter). Add to Zeheart's previous ideals concerning Ezelcant, and Ezelcant telling him not to become a god but a guide for the people (similar to how Aeolia wanted the first Innovator to be, I suppose), Ezelcant convinced Zeheart that what he's doing, while a hard decision and one not to be taken lightly, is the right choice in the end.

The fact that you had to go over a lengthy essay about this and it's still not that great of an explanation (not your fault mind you) shows that the show failed in that department.