Way too many words about Thancred.
My FC got to talking about the Scions a bit today and when the subject turned to Thancred and his radical change in personality between ARR and HW I ended up writing a whole essay about it so.. that's what this is. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I did not play 1.0 so my understanding of that version of the character comes entirely from watching youtube videos going over the story and cutscenes. Also all of this is just my own interpretations of the character based on how I was reading and reacting to him while playing.
Ok. So. First thing. I did not ever view the dynamic between Thancred and Minfilia as romantic. I think there for sure were some romantic undertones to his dynamic with Fhlaminn. But she remains entirely devoted to her dead husband and Thancred, I think, never attempted to pursue any kind of romance with her for the same reason he was always hesitant to actually claim Minfilia as a surrogate daughter. He doesn't feel like he deserves that because he still blames himself for both women losing the men who previously filled those roles in their lives.
And like.. he really does not have any reason to be doing that. When I first played through ARR with no prior knowledge of 1.0 I was left with the impression that Thancred must have been heavily involved in the whole goobbue incident. The planning and whatnot. But no. He just wasn't quick or strong or lucky enough to save every single person in the city when the beast broke loose. And he spent the 5 years between then and ARR carrying around the guilt for failing to meet the impossible standard he set for himself.
And goes on setting impossible standards for himself through ARR which is what gets him possessed by an ascian. Because he was busy beating himself up over not being able to be everywhere and help everyone at once. Again. And threw himself into just trying to carry all the weight alone extra hard and that's the state Lahabrea caught him in. And then he gets to carry the guilt for everything that was done with his body while he was shoved into the back of his own mind and puppeted around.
And yet, none of that managed to break Thancred. Because the guilt is something he's used to. And he can hide it behind a mask. Throw himself back into work with a vengeance and just push through it. Until the banquet. Where he tried to sacrifice himself to save Minfilia. And failed.
And I think that what actually caused him to break in Heavensward and Stormblood wasn't the guilt. It was anger. And not anger at himself this time. Which is another familiar and easily pushed down emotion. No. I think this time he was angry at Y'shtola - because the spell she employed to save his life is the same one that ended up also taking Minfilia off to join Hydaelen in the life stream. And he's angry at the WoL for not stopping Minfilia from turning and running back into it. And angry that the disability he suffered as a result of that spell prevented him from being part of the group that got to hear her reasons and try to talk her out of that choice. Or even just say a proper goodbye to her. And angry at Urianger for his part in the plot that pulled her off to the First and away from all of them for good.
And he knows that anger is unfair. And inappropriate. But he can't help feeling it. So he closes himself off. Pulls on a different kind of mask. makes himself the job and nothing else. For as long as it takes for him to start forgiving. And it's clear that it's the WoL he manages to forgive first. Sometime right after that anger finally boils over and lashes out and he punches Emmanellain in the face about it. It's the WoL he's able to go back to being kind of light and jokey with during the tournament.
I don't think forgiveness really came for the other people involved until he'd had yet another 5 years to cool down about it courtesy of Shadowbringers time wonkiness. And a surrogate daughter he had no choice but to let himself try to actually raise. And I do also have Many Opinions on his arc through Shadowbringers and into Endwalker and his relationship with Ryne but this is already too long so I will stop there.
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