The person behind the blue flame
I have been thinking about the characters from Valkyria Chronicles these past few days, and the dynamics of Welkin and Alicia, and Maximilian and Selvaria are fascinating. There seems to be some parallels between them, but in the end they differ. As a side note, like everything that I write, this is just on possible interpretation of the game and its story.
Alicia and Selvaria share a very similar background. During the course of the game, Alicia tells Welkin and the rest of the squad that she grew up in an orphanage.
She did not even know her real parents, and was convinced that she was alone. Selvaria also grew up mostly alone in a research facility, and she did not know or meet her real parents.
Welkin and Maximilian end up offering something similar to Alicia and Selveria. During the mission when Welkin and Alicia are stranded from the rest of the squad, Welkin tells Alicia that she has a family. Welkin himself, Isara and the rest of Squad 7 are Alicia´s family. While she might have grown up in a orphanage, she is not alone anymore. Maximilian also offers a place to belong for Selvaria.
He got Selvaria out of the facility where they experimented on her, and as Selvaria puts its, raised her to be a human before a Valkyria.
However Maximilian´s and Selvaria`s dynamic is a bit more complicated. While Maximilian might have treated Selvaria more as a human than a Valkyria, and he lets people from various backgrounds to join his cause, fundamentally the core thing Maximilian cares for, is the skill set and ability the individual possess. So I see that Maximilian views the people that surround him as tools, as means and ways in order to complete the goal he desires. If someone fails and became useless, Maximillian would discard them.
So in the end, I think Maximillian had interest more for Selvaria the “Valkyrur” because he found her abilities useful, than Selvaria Bless “the person”.
This is illustrated quite well when Maximillian asks Selvaria to use the final flame to strike against the Gallians. By activating the final attack and creating the colossal fire pillar that consumes a large area of land, Selvaria`s whole body is quite literally transformed into a weapon, into a tool that served the ends of Maximillian.
Selvaria`s final stand is also very interesting when compared to Alicia`s battle against Maximillian´s war machine. During the battle against Selvaria, she explains that she came here today to fight as a woman, not as a Valkyria. This could also be understood that she is fighting as Selvaria Bless the “person”.
So while the use of the final flame was probably planned from the beginning, I see Selvaria´s defeat here as a very symbolic one. In that battle “Selvaria Bless” dies, the “person” succumbs and she embraces her role as a living, literal weapon. Because as the game tells, that is what the Valkyria are at their core, weapons of war. Selvaria herself also says this during the dlc. As a Valkyria, her worth is determined by her ability to strike down her foes in the battlefield.
Now compared to Alicia, she is about to do something similar. Alicia is about to as well become a Valkyria, a living weapon which`s power will help to save Gallia and the people that are close to her. A weapon that lives for her cause, just like Selvaria did. Alicia beautifully illustrates this by saying:
I am Valkyria…not a woman. No… that life has ended. Alicia Melchiott is dead.
The scene following this moment illustrates to me the biggest difference between Maximilian and Welkin. If this was Maximilian, he would have likely let Alicia use the final flame, and sacrifice herself. After all what Maximilian cares about are the abilities the individual has, and what them can do for him. Welkin would likely never do something like this. Instead, Welkin cares more about the person who resides behind the blue Valkyria flame. Instead of Alicia the “Valkyria”, Welkin cares about Alicia “Melchiott”. He stops Alicia from creating the final flame and sacrificing her literal life, and her life as a normal person. Instead she reminds Alicia that there is a person behind the flame and red eyes, a person who is kind and wants to be a baker.
So as a contrast to Maximilian, Alicia´worth to Welkin is not tied to her role and power as Valkyrur.
Selvaria´s powers also harbors a paradoxical nature. They at the same time give her a place to belong, but also rob it. The reason why Maximilian became first interested about Selvaria was because of her powers. Her powers and talent are the reason why she could remain at Maximilian`s side. Selvaria has also stated that she uses the powers for Maximillian`s sake, and would pierce her chest again to activate it, if needed. However, her Valkyrur blood also isolates her from others. The other soldiers of the Empire fear her, and call her a witch. Johann comments during the dlc, that the General seems a bit lonely.
Selvaria and Alicia both have difficult relationship with their powers. Selvaria does not carry any Ragnaid, since its glow reminds her of the time she was at the facility, and Alicia finds it odd and scary how the people worship her after she awakens, and how that demolishes the normal life she envisioned.
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