#paripus

I honest to god believe that Basilio being the final party member of Metaphor: Refantazio, and being the Paripus representative of the team was the perfect choice. A lot of people are going to complain about the purposes of marketing and Catherina having the potential for an Archetype. Blah blah blah, I don’t care about that.

One of the key reasons why I’m ok with Catherina not being a party member is because I have seen the trailers. I already knew that Basilio was going to be the final party member. And I already knew Fidelio was going to die, by Louis’s hand no less.

But IMO, knowing this didn’t ruined the story for me. If anything, it’s the opposite feeling for me. When it comes Metaphor for me, they knew how to incorporate the plot points in the game to make the story points behind it make sense. And for me, this was that moment for me. It was the build up that made those scenes impactful to me.

You meet Basilio and his brother Fidelio not too long after the Tournament begins. They don’t do much besides that, but you at least meet them and are established to be Louis’ henchmen. From there, in Brilehaven, we get more context on who they are. But it’s really the Virga Island arc, my favorite arc in the game that they begin to become my goats.

When Fidelio questions the party’s loyalty to Louis after Glodell’s death, it was Basilio’s idea to follow Will and the others to Virga Island (which Louis ordered them to get the Lance of the Dragon God from there). This makes a huge difference to the story.

Because the things that separates Fidelio and Basilio from each other are established when the team fight the Sea Monster Human and afterwards. When Fidelio is about to enter Davy Jones Locker, Will comes to his rescue. Fidelio tries to shake it off and say it changes nothing, but Basilio has shown to be heavily affected by this.

When Will are captured by the Mustari after arriving to Virga Island, Basilio is already wanting to save them. While Fidelio only cares about saving Junah. Basilio understands that they will need help if they want to get the Lance. Fidelio on the other hand refuses to help Will and Co. until Junah has to yell at him to save them, less they fancy having a chance of getting the Lance alone.

And even after having established citizenship with Virga Island, Fidelio’s stubbornness still costs him. It’s revealed that the Human fight caused damage to Fidelio’s ankle, and it gets affected to a fatal degree. Basilio decides that his safety matters more than keeping an eye on the traitors and the Lance combined. After which, and knowing that the team plans on saving Eupha, Basilio isn’t against because they helped his brother Fidelio.

Keep in mind that Eupha is the priestess that is being sacrificed to the Dragon God >!the legend was bastardized by the way!<. Eupha is the younger sister to Edeni, after the team helped him recover, they ask the team to save Eupha, because he loves his sister. Basilio, knowing how much his brother means to him as much as the other way around, is not against the team saving Eupha. Junah says that Fidelio could learn a lot from Basilio.

This is the most crucial aspect about Basilio when it comes to Fidelio. Basilio (alongside Junah) acts as Fidelio’s moral compass. A lot of the choices and mindset that Basilio has actively helps everyone involved, his brother included. Whereas Fidelio’s actions are actively hurting himself and those around him. In the end, Will and the others get Drakodios as planned, but at the same time, they also gained Eupha as an ally after she has awoken to her Archetype. But even after all of that, Fidelio still believes there could have been a way leave Eupha behind. Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of the problems with Fidelio comes down to Louis’ influence over him. Basilio and Fidelio are both Paripus orphans forced to live on dirt just to survive. And one day, they would eventually be taken up Senate and Crown Theocracy to perform Igniter Experiments on them. It takes running into Saint Rella for the two of them to live another day and rise into the ranks to become Louis’ well known men.

From Fidelio’s POV, it was Louis who gave them everything. Food, shelter and wealth, respect among the other recruits of Louis, etc. But above all, a dream to chase after. A world where every tribe has the power to do anything to set their minds to. But as Basilio points out after the Mustari fight: “but what of those you can’t fend for themselves, like the folk you just helped?”

Fidelio does his best to be undeterred by Basilio’s words, but there is later truth from Battlin that reveals that the Paripus that went through the Igniter experiments the Magnus brothers did. Turns out, there are some that grow feral and turn into uncontrollable monsters. This is something that cost Heismay’s son’s life, and this is why he initially hated the Paripus, as well as his distain for the Magnus brothers, among other things (well get to that later).

So as the Dragon Festival is going on, Basilio comments on all of the things that were heard. This is another point to Basilio’s character (both as a person and as a character in the narrative), he is open to different perspectives. Realizing how important Rella’s role is in saving their lives, and Basilio begins to question if the world that Louis envisions and the worlds the brothers want are truly the same thing, more than that, a world they would be able to thrive in.

And to make matters even heavier, Fidelio had already guessed that Junah and the others are plotting to take Louis’s life. Drakodios has the power to disrupt the Royal Magic, hence why the team are even doing this in the first place. But when the thought of having to fight and kill Junah begins to run in the minds to the Magnus brothers, Basilio trembles at the thought, and despite not saying anything, Fidelio looks worried too.

So once we get to when Will and the others finally appear to have killed Louis, Fidelio is naturally not going to take it lying down, neither is Basilio. The party members try to explain about them trying to save the Prince from his curse, but he isn’t having any of it. But Eupha’s words to them about Louis’s actions and behavior begins to shake their beliefs.

- Eupha: When Louis talked about burning down my island, I thought I saw the shock and despair on your faces too.

We already actually have hints on Basilio and Fidelio having reservations about that. When Strohl, during the Soirée, talks to Louis about Halia, which is his home that was destroyed by a human, but no one came to help Strohl or anyone else. When Louis is asked if the rumors were true, Basilio and Fidelio, along with a few others are shocked to here this. With Louis telling the truth, and that he did it to “save the country.”

With Junah asking the bros if Louis was truly meant for them, as well as asking to join their team, Fidelio reacts calmly, but with uncertainty:

- Fidelio: Lady Junah… I guess you really were watchin’ out for us. More than we ever knew. I couldn’t protect Basilio when it mattered most. They put him through so much for their Igniter experiments, and… And now, protectin’ him is all I’ve got.

Fidelio storms off after his speech, but at least he took Junah’s words into consideration. Even making a Soirée themselves someday. This was the idea Basilio had when he and Fidelio reads Will’s Fantasy Novel. Something which Fidelio writes off as a dream being a dream. Only after Louis is removed does Fidelio see the possibility.

However, it is revealed the next day that Louis survived the battle. He uses the Drakodios that was meant to kill him to kill Forden, just as he planned. He survived because of Zorba, Forden undoubtedly deserved being shish kebabed, and Louis is not the one who cursed the Prince.

Everyone, and especially Del and Bas, are completely caught off guard by this. So now, they both have a choice, either to now associate themselves with Louis again, or just make a run for it while no one is watching. Either way, a choice was going to have to be made.

Louis threatens the lives of the Sanctist Church family that couldn’t escape the chaos in order to get Will and the others to reveal the location of the Prince. Will tries to step in to protect them, at the cost of his life no less. But then…

- Fidelio (running in with Basilio): Out of the way! (Shoves Will out of the way, an uses an Igniter with Basilio using his Axe as a shield to stop Louis’s attack)

Fidelio and Basilio, like Louis, both believed in power. And with it, you can use it to achieve anything you want in life. The question is, what does having power mean for them? Is it means to flaunt how awesome and dominating you are, or to protect those who can’t protect themselves? They found their answer in this moment.

Unfortunately, Louis, furious by their decision, uses his full power to overpower them. Just as Basilio seems to be another one of Louis’s stepping stones on his quest to reshape the country, he is pushed out of the way. When Basilio checks on his brother, he is seen fatally wounded by the attack. Fidelio gives his final words realizing that he was a fool and to protect Junah as he breathes his last.

One of my favorite things about Fidelio’s death is how a lot of characters played a role in that scene and what comes after. We see Will going out of his way to try and protect people, who are meant to hate him because he is an Elda shunned by the churches teaching, like a true king to be should. This moment hits even harder after >!the reveal that Will is the Prince, the prince who Fidelio talked crap about yesterday and blamed him for the countries’ problems!<.

Junah, being the catalyst for Fidelio’s character development, and having his final words to protect her. Fidelio had always loved Junah and the role she and Rella played in the lives of him and Basilio. And despite the arguments and mishaps, Junah truly cared about him and is heartbroken when he is on his last batteries.

For Eupha, despite not knowing Basilio or Fidelio for long, had expressed nothing but grace to them. Even before Basilio met Eupha, he wasn’t against saving her like Fidelio was, especially after the team saved his brother from dying (twice). Being the one to want to speak up about the truth of their actions. And as shown before, was the one who showed that deep down, they didn’t fully agree with Louis’ methods. And finally, when Basilio tries to rush off to fight Louis alone, Eupha spoke against it:

- Eupha: I will not let you die in vain! Your brother didn’t do this so you can get yourself killed. For now, please flee with us.

And finally, Heismay, who is the only person on Will’s team to have disdain towards a tribe of the Paripus. Because a Paripus is the one who killed his son, and this was a key thing that got him framed when we first hear about him. Heismay already had problems with the Paripus brothers, among other reasons, but when he sees Basilio grieving over his brother, just as he did with his son, something changed. He understood Basilio’s grief and understood the effect it had on someone, just as he did with >!Joanna, the one who framed him.!<

I know that this has been all about me glazing the Magnus brothers, but this is where I ask this question to fans of Catherina, especially ones who wished she was a party member. If Catherina was a party member, do you think that she would have had an emotional impact on this story and these characters the way Basilio and Fidelio did? Louis is one of the main reasons why having Basilio on this team feels earned IMO. Despite being a former enemy, Will and the others were more than willing to have him on the team.

Plus, during the other parts of the story, all of the plot points revolving around Basilio plays a role in the rest of the parts of the story. This includes the fight against Rella, it’s later revealed that he was in love with her, when Will and the others questioned Rella’s motives for cursing the Prince, Basilio correctly guesses that Rella did what she did to save Junah from Forden’s wrath.

Later on, regarding Louis, after the fight against Zorba, Basilio understood his motives. And having worked under Louis, Basilio and Fidelio both knew Zorba personally. It would make sense that he would be able to have a guess on why Zorba is so devoted to him. Speaking of which, Louis, it is Basilio that manages to break Louis’ calm and collected demeanor the moment he compared him to Forden.

Basilio’s words and actions throughout the story after he joins works because of his direct connection to Louis. Something that Catherina simply wouldn’t have from a narrative POV, even if she had joined Will and the others. And that’s not to say that Catherina being in the party would have necessarily been a bad thing, but look at everything that we have talked about with Basilio and Catherina, and tell me, if Catherina would have had the same narrative impact those two did.

Even the Awakening Basilio gets with the Berserker Archetype has it’s own special meaning that just wouldn’t have felt the same if it was Catherina as the party member over Basilio. Why? Because of this:

- Fidelio: Basilio. Sorry. From here on, you’re takin’ the lead.

- Basilio: But why? I can’t. Without you, I’m… Del, I only made it this far ‘cause I followed you…

- Fidelio: Hah, don’t give me that. You’re the strong one. Me, I never knew where I was goin’. Basilio. Protect the weak. Swear you’ll do it. Not for me, but for yourself. If you can do that, I’ll always be with you.

Later dialogue imply that Fidelio became the Magla that would awaken Basilio’s Archetype. That or Fidelio became the Berserker Archetype. This is also shown when the mysterious voice, as she has done before, awakens the Archetype within him. Fidelio is there with him, giving a fist bump, which Basilio accepts. Instead of awakening his Archetype in the midst of his rage or sorrow, he awakens it as he calmly accepts his brother’s gift and bids his brother farewell.

- Basilio: See ‘ya around, Del!

How can ANYONE see this moment and still would have preferred Catherina as a party member? It can come down to many things; Late Character Syndrome and not being able to finish his Bond in time? I can understand the sentiment, but I don’t agree with it. Because he’s a spoiler, he won’t be marketed enough? Eh, give it time, Late Arrival Spoilers have been a thing after all. And because Catherina is a Waifu? Yeah, if want to be cynical about it, that would be one of the more likely reasons.

Regardless of which, I have said my peace about this. I just don’t think Catherina’s story role wouldn’t have been as impactful to justify her being a party member over Basilio. And even with the argument that maybe Fidelio would have been the party member, but for me, all of the reasons stated above show why Fidelio had to die for the plot. Because he would have done for Basilio. Basilio had all of the traits that aligned with our heroes. And finally, this is personal for me, but I relate to Basilio more because I am a younger brother myself. Same with Junah and Eupha.

There is one final point I will make in favor of Catherina. She actually plays into the symbolism of Basilio’s final Archetype: Royal Berserker. The Archetype requires Basilio to master Destroyer (the Elite form of Berserker) and Martial Artist (the Elite form of Brawler). Both Archetypes are embodied by these two Paripus characters.

Both of them are characters that act as opposition for Will and the others before realizing the flaws of their methods. These leads them to support Will afterwards. And both seeking to stop their fellow tribesmen from crossing a line in their Bond episodes. Even if Catherina wasn’t a party member, she at least had symbolism to Basilio’s character. So there’s that.