#monado

I want to discuss something about Melia. This isn’t a character analysis, it’s more of a “character comparison.” I want to compare and contrast Melia to Metal Face, AKA Mumkhar. I came to this conclusion because of their coloration with Fiora, the most important on screen victim of the Faced Mechon’s claws. The thing that drove Shulk on the path of vengeance.

The main thing that I look to compare these characters comes down to one word: Jealousy. Mumkhar’s jealousy towards Dunban for being the Hero of the Homs; wielding the power of the Monado. Mumkhar’s lust for power and domination. These aspects of Mumkhar is what leads him to the choices he makes before and after becoming a Faced Mechon.

Mumkhar killed Shulk’s childhood friend and Dunban’s little sister Fiora out of spite. Spite against Fiora for attacking him, spite towards Dunban for one upping him, and to rub it in Shulk’s face that he is powerless even with the Monado. Leading them and Reyn on the path to revenge against the Faced Mechon (they don’t know it’s Mumkhar yet).

Now let’s look at Melia; Melia is someone who has been alone and isolated for most of her life. But despite being a High Entia Royal, she has thought of the safety of her people first before anyone else. And after they died, she swore to avenge them.

Shulk, being the kind guy that saved her, and was willing to help her through the pain of losing loved ones, helped her beat the Telethia. And after Shulk has helped Melia on numerous occasions, they clearly became close to each other. And then, the fated day of Prison Island came.

Just as the vision showed Shulk, Metal Face killed Melia’s father right before their eyes. Shulk uses the unshackled Monado to tear Metal Face to pieces. But just he is about to deliver the final blow, a white Faced Mechon: Face Nemesis stopped the attack. The identity of this person is none other than Fiora, now turned into a Faced Mechon.

Melia (and Sharla and Riki) only learned of Fiora’s existence after that moment and Shulk is in emotional turmoil on what to do next. Melia ponders if Fiora is “important” to Shulk. Despite Reyn’s oblivious, it’s pretty obvious she’s wondering if Fiora is more than just a friend to Shulk.

Even despite these lingering feelings, Melia is the one to encourage Shulk to go after her. Melia uses her experiences with her father to encourage Shulk to do what he feels is right. Egging on from Sharla aside, Melia was simply doing what she felt was right.

That right there is the main difference between Melia and Mumkhar. Melia, despite knowing that her newfound crush for Shulk will come to not, Melia puts others first and herself last. And this already shown to be in her character because of what she was willing to risk for her people and her country.

Mumkhar had only cared about himself and no one else. Mumkhar sought power solely for his gain, be it his Mechon powers or the power of the Monado. And we see the results; Fiora was nearly killed for it, while Melia’s father wasn’t nearly as lucky. And to top it all off, Mumkhar cares nothing for the damage that he caused.

Now, like with Shulk, Melia too, wishes to make Metal Face pay for his crimes. Once Metal Face shows up in Valak Mountain, Melia has nothing but contempt for him. However, things change during the final confrontation; where after Mumkhar is beaten and Dunban charges in for the killing blow, Shulk stops him.

- Dunban: Get out of my way, Shulk!

- Shulk: It’s Mumkhar! He’s not a Mechon!

- Dunban: Have you forgotten everything he’s done!? Where is your killer instinct!? Now is the time!

- Shulk: I hate him Dunban! For what he did to Fiora and the Emperor! So of course I want to get my revenge!

- Melia: Shulk.

After Shulk’s heartfelt speech, Dunban reluctantly lays down his arms. Unfortunately, Mumkhar had no intention of backing down. Despite Shulk’s warnings of his death in a vision, Mumkhar refused to heed his warnings. Leading him to fall to his death.

Despite their victory, Shulk, Dunban and Melia look on with melancholy in their eyes. Despite everything he had done to her and so many others, Melia couldn’t help but look sad. In the fallen arm, Melia’s heart to hearts with Dunban and Mechon Fiora both disclose Melia’s reaction towards this moment.

In her H2H with Fiora “overcoming the pain,” Melia comes to terms with that fact that no good comes from revenge. While some of the dialogue choices with Dunban in “Eternal Scars” imply that Mumkhar may have had a reason for his actions before his lust for the Monado and jealousy towards Dunban consumed.

Now back to what I said before with Melia and Mumkhar when comparing them: Melia’s greatest strength is her ability to overcome her personal, grief, pain and suffering for the sake of others. If Dunban’s H2H options with Melia are any indicator, Mumkhar is the EXACT opposite of this. And it led to most, albeit not all, of the tragedies that took place for most of the game.

And despite this being where Mumkhar’s role in the story ends, the aspects of Mumkhar’s character that led him to these choices is the main point of discussion here. His lust for the Monado and envy towards Dunban. If we look at this in the case of Melia, her struggles in the love triangle she inadvertently created is both her crush for Shulk and the jealousy she has for Fiora.

When Shulk and the others with Fiora reunite in the Machina village, Melia clearly is not pleased with Fiora but even still, she expresses happiness for Shulk. I honestly believe this whole situation could have been avoided had Sharla not tried to push Melia into an uncomfortable and unwinnable situation. As Melia clearly knew that Shulk and Fiora had a thing, and she just wanted Shulk to not be trapped in indecision on how to save Fiora.

Melia was always going to hide her feelings towards Shulk. And this because Melia understood how important Fiora was to Shulk, feelings or no feelings. As stated before, Melia puts other people first before herself. And keep in mind, she’s doing this for the main that did very same thing for because he didn’t want anyone suffering the way he did.

At the end of the day, Shulk and Melia only just met. While Fiora knows Shulk inside and out, and he knows how he can be when he is trapped in confusion and doubt. Which is best shown in the infamous scene many of us are all too familiar with.

Mumkhar’s desire for the Monado isn’t that much different from Melia’s crush with its current wielder. The same can be said with Mumkhar’s disdain for Dunban mirroring Melia’s jealousy towards her love rival in Dunban’s sister. Melia and Mumkhar aren’t too far apart from each other.

But again, this is where the difference between them comes into play, even if Mumkhar’s role in the story has long passed. In a similar vein to Shulk overcoming his hate towards Egil, Melia slowly overcomes her jealousy towards Fiora. And this is, ironically, in an outcome that is something Mumkhar would have delighted in.

After the events of Mechonis Core, Melia and Fiora have a conversation with one another. It is revealed that now that Zanza took Meyneth’s Monado after killing her. Meaning that Fiora’s body is soon to cease functioning. But Fiora continues onwards in hope that she can help Shulk fight Zanza to the end. Melia’s reaction to Fiora’s resolve?

- Melia: I am nothing compared to her. (She takes time to herself to think before smiling in relief)

Melia from this point forward has completely relinquished herself from the envy of Shulk and Fiora’s friendship. And it’s officially confirmed in Melia’s H2H with Sharla. Sharla, who also had lost Gadolt after only seeing her again and forced to fight him. Both Melia and Sharla had lost and are forced to let go of this fact and move on.

Now back to Mumkhar, had Melia chose to do anything to impede on this relationship, she would have been no better than Mumkhar. In fact, prior to that conversation, Melia has a conversation with the semi vegetable state Shulk. If you make the conversation go on long enough, he nearly kisses him, she stops and berates herself for it (Shulk already gave his “first kiss” to Fiora anyways if you want to be technical). But again, she overcame her lust and envy for Shulk and Envy and chooses to wish for their happiness.

Melia overcame the lust and envy that overtook Mumkhar. In doing so, she became the leader she was meant to be by the time of Future Connected. No longer shackled by what could have been. And I think a lot of people, especially Shulk/Melia shippers, can learn from this.