Cecilia. Student of psychology and sociology

In my opinion, there are two victims in this story, and neither is Bear.

The first, of course, is the real Nikki, a woman whose body and autonomy were stolen because a man she trusted couldn't accept that she didn't love him romantically. She spends the entire film locked inside herself, conscious and helpless, watching the carnage unfold around her. The film gives us glimpses of her fighting back, desperate moments where she surfaces just long enough to beg Bear to end it. He refuses because he is offended that she would rather die than be with him. That line alone tells you everything about who Bear really is. By the end, Nikki's life is just destroyed.

The second victim is the wish entity Nikki herself. Despite her obsessive, then later murderous nature, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. She was created from the exact specifications of Bear's extreme wish: Nikki loves him more than anyone else in the world. But since real Nikki doesn't love Bear romantically and the wish seemingly can't manufacture romantic feelings in Nikki that didn't exist, it had to create a whole new Nikki to replace the original Nikki. A Nikki whose entire reason for existing is to love Bear unconditionally.

Throughout the film, the entity is doing exactly what it was made to do, pouring out total and desperate love and fixation on Bear and only Bear. But unfortunately for the entity, Bear is just grieving the absence of the real Nikki who he wanted to be in love with him, not the entity, and she slowly becomes conscious of all of this and basically starts glitching out. The wish entity knows she is not the real Nikki and she will never be the real Nikki. She is basically emotionally tormented by her own creation.

Always loved this take on Maul's psychology by Sage's Rain.

One thing I always liked about Maul in Clone Wars and even Rebels is that we got to see him as a deeply broken, vulnerable figure who seeks closure and connection for his trauma, rather than just a one-note sith of rage and manipulation.

Sounds more like Stockholm syndrome and trauma bond to me. A father-daughter relationship between these two is just unbelievable.

A father-daughter relationship, even in a dark story, involves:

- genuine care

- protection

- emotional safety

- mutual trust

- respect.

Maul provides none of this. No signs that Maul views her the same way.

(Sidious himself actually does this criteria to Anakin, to manipluate and groom him into his long term broken sith apprentice for decades. Personally, it would have been more interesting for Maul to be subtle and charm and less overt to manipluate Devon. It would make her heel turn in the finale feel more believable.)

What Devon experiences resembles more of coercive control and trauma bonding and survival‑based attachment.

-Devon is a rebellious, impressionable teenager who wants justice against the Empire, and Maul exploits that. He exploits her anger, her sense of injustice, and her misery, the same way Sidious once preyed on his.

- he isolates her through kidnapping and coercion from her master that she genuinely loves, and then through external circumstances of the Inquisitors forcing thrm to work together.

- he controls her environment

- he alternates cruelty with “kindness” like good advices and speeches and that tea ceremony scene and protection from Inquisitors.

- He removes her support system by getting Daki killed by Vader. He knew how important Daki was to Devon.

-Willingly to use the Force on her to control her mentally and physically and will lash out at her whenever she pushes back.

Savage was at least his brother and Ezra was just pure luck for Maul to get out way out of ruins. Vos was a clever crime lord he's been associated with. Qi'ra is a skilled fighter and strategist.

Devon just exists for the plot.

ROTJ Luke will always be my favorite.