Tales of the Abyss - Episode 26 (END) Discussion / Poll

[kujoe]

Originally Posted by yolin.shana

I thought the sidequests pointed to Luke >_>
The only thing that make us believe that the person can be Asch is that interview...

Those sidequests also show that Asch might be a possibility.

Spoiler for game, Big Bang cutscenes:

One scene comes to mind, wherein Dist and Jade are shown to be arguing about the Big Bang. Dist and Jade understand the Big Bang theory, but Jade says that perhaps Luke can overcome it to which Dist cries as impossible. Luke has proven Jade wrong before, so he hopes that Luke will prove him wrong again. It foreshadows a conflict of sorts in the ending.

The game also shows how a Big Bang occurs during a previous scene involving two cheagles of which one is a replica of the other. In this scene, the Big Bang takes place and the two cheagles merge with the original coming out of it alive. However, the ending throws a wrench into the whole thing, when for Luke and Asch it happens when the latter is already dead, so it's very open to speculation as to what really happens.

Personally, aside for the ending's focus on Tear's long wait, its emphasis on the left-handed position of the sword is enough to convince me that it's arguably hinting at Luke. It wouldn't have been emphasized for nothing after all. From a storytelling perspective, what is being shown speaks volumes louder than what is previously said, especially during possible reversals such as this. However for some, the game casts a little doubt on the ending due to an extra cut scene or two.

On the other hand, the theme song Karma, hints that Luke and Asch are indeed merged in the end. Then again, regardless if you think the person is Luke or Asch, the Big Bang is essentially described to be a merging of sorts anyway... albeit with the other's consciousness reduced to memories.

In the end, the creators want you to think whoever you think it is.

[yolin.shana]

Spoiler for big bang sidequest:

Luke has proven Jade wrong before, so he hopes that Luke will prove him wrong again.

Yes, and that's why I believe it hints at Luke, not Asch.

In the end, the creators want you to think whoever you think it is.

Yes, that's actually quite nice and not complicated at all. I don't get why people feel the need to argue and argue and argue on this topic =S

[Manic]

I am just trying to get through to you that even tho you think its Luke, i do as well, there's another majority of ppl who believe its asch and like kujoe/me have said there is enuff evidence in the game to support their belief. I think its reaching, but never the less I dont discount the possibility.

Its all left to personal preference

[Silent Jealousy]

i just finished watching it a while ago.
well, i think it wasn't as good as i expected, but it wasn't bad too.
because i expected a more tough battle, and it seems the last battle was a bit too easy.

cool, all of them used their special attack in the last battle, but how disappointed i was, because even until the last battle Luke didn't even use his special attack, and he didn't use any of his special attack too before. but, well, at least my fave character, Necromancer Jade always using his special attack.

many people discussing about was it Luke or Asch who came back in the ending. but i'm sure it was Luke,
because in the ending Tear asked "Why are you here?"
and he said, "This place has a nice view of Hod, besides, i promised, didn't i?"
because two years ago after the last battle, Luke made a promise with Tear that he wouldn't die and he would come back without fail. while Asch didn't promise anything. and before the last battle when Asch died, his fonon resides in Luke's body.

and for the last, actually, i expected a more dramatic reunion for Luke and Tear, and just the two of them without the others.

[Imrh]

I'm glad to see my favorite game turned out to be a decent anime.

Actually Tear didn't wait 2 years she waited for about half a year the entire adventure lasted for a year and half more or less. Though this is second hand information i got from gamefaqs there are a lot of inconsistencies between the anime and the game though.

The most accepted theory is that its Asch's body with Luke's soul. There is an inconsistency in the game where in the last scene the sword shifts positions from left handed to right handed back to left handed. The anime cleared this one up since it showed a left handed hold.

Asch can live given evidence in the anime but game wise thoroughly supports the Asch body Luke soul theory due certain side quests like the Contamination effect quest.

[yolin.shana]

I don't know what you saw on Gamefaqs, but the story lasted less than a year. So Tear did wait 2 years for Luke to come back.
(The hyperresonnance occured on ND2018 Rem-Decan 23, Luke became the Goodwill Ambassador on ND2018 Gnome-Decan 2 (aka 3 months after the start of the game), the "one month after Absorption Gate" was ND2018 Gnome-Redecan 28 (aka 8 months after the start of the game) and what came after that probably took much less time than what happened before fight at the Absorption Gate, since it was mostly fights with the God-Generals, and they had the Albiore.
The epilogue is on ND2020 Lorelei-Decan 48.)

[Darkurai]

My apologies for beating a dead horse, but something from a sidequest in the game points towards the ambiguity of the ending.

Spoiler for Game Sidequest and Ending Spoilers:

In Ortion Cavern, there's a Cheagle that a replica was made of. When you return, the replica is gone. Jade later speaks to the Cheagle (through the Sorcerer's Ring), and the Cheagle tells him that he once died, but then he came back to life and the replica was gone. I believe this was intentionally added to make the ending more ambiguous than it already was.

[Paladinoras]

Just finished the anime...late, I know, but I was busy...

Well, if it comes to the ending...

I believe it is Luke.

Like the Cheagle sidequest, the original came back to life, but the replica disappeared, right?

Then, it should apply vice-versa, if the original died first before the replica, then the replica will come back to life with the fonons of the original.

Sides, I believe that when Luke was examined at Belkend, the doctor stated that Luke was disappearing because the fonons binding his cells are breaking apart, due to a reaction with the original.

So when the original dies, and Luke starts to glow, it obviously means that Luke has become a real person, surpassing even the original, Van had stated that himself.

At the ending scene, Luke starts to glow and his hands start to be transparent and stuff, but in the end, the person who came back at the end of the episode reiterated LUKE's promise, and held the sword in a southpaw fashion.

Then, it cannot be Asch, simply cause both physically and mentally, it does not suit.

One can argue that Luke disappeared and fused into Asch, but Asch is already dead. One cannot bring back the dead. If Luke had disappeared, then eitherway, both will be gone and the body that appeared...is a...new one..?

Mentally, it is definitely Luke, it is his promise, and holding the sword in a southpaw fashion indicates that mentally, he is supposed to hold the sword like Luke.

But if anything, it is not purely Luke that resides in the body. When Asch died and his fonons got transferred to Luke, Luke himself stated that Asch resides within him too. That is neither ambiguous nor unclear, Asch is inside Luke, pure and simple. But it is Luke's consciousness that resides within the body.

So in the end, I think Episode 25 Luke is the one that came back. As in the Luke that has Asch inside of him, if that makes any sense.

And for why it took two years... I dunno. To gather enough seventh fonons? To wait until Luke/Asch's coming-of-age ceremony? Who knows.

[incube]

Originally Posted by ThoHell

It's the final boss! LOL, this series was wayyy to game like, especially the group fights and stuff. Anyways, didn't get what I had hope for. Same unsatisfying ending as the game. Sorry but it was so lame and boring, it just left one HUGE gap. So at the end Luke and Ash merged or something? Who came back at the end? The promise was that of Lukes, the voice was that of Ash, and his eyes looked like a soulless being......

I agree .... it kinda made me remember anime adaptation of ragnarok >.< I mean im used to the whole explanation before killing each other "thing" of animes but this series just took it too far -.- Instead of feeling sad or some kind of loss when someone died, it was kind of funny.... When those old scientist died (the reserchers killed by Van), i was like "WTF", there was no need to say those lines...just die already

[arkxkra]

it consider very good for the adaptation, love the ending, although already know what it look like. The "I love you" voice is so small(I know it will be like that), Tear should run to Luke and kiss and tell Luke (this what I feel during the time when I play the game).

Personally think the return is Luke, since the sword position is for left-handed (the come back Luke look so cool -.-'). Although his face and everything just look like Asch, it make sense because his body is disappear and Luke has fuse into Asch body during the releasing of Lorelei, and also the final promise that Luke made to his comrades, but Asch might still alive inside his body since Asch fonon has transfer into Luke body before dying.

The only complaint is the "love" is not enough, but still good, glad they have make this adaptation so well and not spoiled the original game .

[Reinako]

I wonder if I'm still allowed to post in this since the last post was a few months old.

But I do believe it is hinted at Luke also, most likely because the last few scenes did point out at Luke, especially the last few minutes, considering that everyone was happy to see that he had come back, including Jade. Jade was never really pleased with Asch in the first place, so I don't know if he would be so happy if it had been Asch. And considering he had offered his "left hand" to Luke, I think that Jade just instinctively knew it had been Luke because Luke did indeed, prove Jade wrong once before.

And the short conversation between Tear and Luke, "Why did you come back?" "I made a promise after all, didn't I?" I really do think that this was the largest hint pointing it out. But I understand it can be argued both ways, like when Asch had "flinched" for the brief moment.

But I think this episode was very lovely, and the series overall was just marvelous to watch.

[Intranetusa]

I'm very disappointed at the final boss.

And for some reason, the way they portrayed Jade in the anime had me thinking he was gonna be the final "hidden" boss at the end. (like how his sister said he became cruel after the professor's death, or how is objective is to obtain all 7 fon arts)

I'm very disappointed he wasn't the final antagonist... it would've been awesome if there was a plot twist and he was the final boss/puppet master controlling the strings at the end...

[anime lover zErO]

Hey everyone!! O.K, heres what i think. I think that in the end it was asch who absorbed luke but their minds are seperate yet the body is one, aschs body. Cuz if you pay attention to the part where lorelei merges with luke and asch, asch's left hand starts to move as luke dissapears(or merges with him) so id love it if you guys told me what you think of this deduction.