#rewrite project

-Lyoko warriors keep their powers in the real world as a side effect of the super computer

-Aelita isnt a human and instead stays as a digital character brought to life (in my rewrite Franz Hoppers actual daughter dies and in his grief he makes a digital copy which leads to a whole thing with aelitas mother ratting him out to the government)

-Characters get a new outfit every season just because its something I prefer

-More explanations for the super computer and Lyoko

-More of a pg 13 feel

-William ends up a warrior after hes freed from xanas control and his clone doesn't get murdered

Mustafa comes back from Edirne after 3 years. He hasn’t seen anyone from his family other than his mother during this time. Meanwhile, Suleiman, Hurrem, and their children have become their own little family—a tight unit. The children are too young to know about the fratricide law, so they are carefree. Mustafa feels excluded from this, like he’s lost his place in his own family, and begins to grow resentful and fearful. He starts regretting his decision to leave.

His identity is built around the idea that he is the next sultan, and this starts to profoundly affect his relationship with his brothers—especially Mehmet, who is now growing out of childhood and is Suleiman's favorite. Mustafa and Mehmet are still close, but a rivalry begins to grow between them. Mustafa starts to feel threatened by Mehmet’s increasing prominence and ease within their father’s orbit, while Mehmet begins to sense that Mustafa no longer sees him as his dear little brother, but as a future rival. This shifting dynamic creates both sadness and tension in both of them, but they try to hide it from each other

Craving validation and his father’s admiration, this is where he truly starts going out of his way to impress the janissaries and important statesmen, notably during the campaign they go to together, oblivious to how this actually makes Suleiman more and more wary of him. During the campaign, we see him making reckless decisions to play the hero, but it’s not portrayed in the positive light the show usually uses for these kinds of moments.

During his confrontation scene with Hurrem, where he tells her she ruined his childhood, she tells him that if that’s how he feels, he should go say it to his father—after all, he’s the one who chose her. She rightly calls out the fact that he’s too scared to confront Suleiman and is scapegoating her, and that deepens his resentment toward her. That said, I don’t want him to be evil, so he does express discomfort and empathy when he sees that her face has been burnt, and it leads to a rare nice moment between them

Mustafa would actually be very enthusiastic about the marriage with Aybige, regardless of his personal feelings toward Efsun, since it would allow him to gain the support of the Crimean Khans and make him more powerful. He doesn’t concern himself with what Aybige thinks about it, which illustrates his selfishness and gives more weight to Aybige’s motivation to run away from the wedding. She never actually agrees to it either (I hate the trope of a woman who feels scorned marrying another out of spite), and it’s essentially imposed on her. We can also make a point about how wives are expected to be faithful, but he's still allowed to have his harem, something that makes Aybige deeply uncomfortable. Also explore the fact that foreign princesses that became legal wives of sultan were not supposed to bear children, with Aybige feeling conflicted about it (she does not necessarily want kids but doesn't like the idea of not having a choice)

Mustafa is very happy when Suleiman makes Hurrem apologize to him, it’s the highlight of his week (rare instance of validation from his father), and he rubs it in her face more than once, which only makes Hurrem more resentful of him. Their rivalry starts amping up a bit

We do NOT get Cihangir falling ill right after Hurrem poisons Mustafa because I DESPISE the writers’ insinuation here, it would be two separate storyline, happening at different times.

During Suleiman’s illness, Mustafa is a lot more conflicted about what to do. He’s in a state of confusion, torn between his mother’s pressure and his ambition and his fears and love for his father. His siblings are still children, and the idea of killing them repulses him, but at the same time he wonders if he truly has a choice. He is not okay—his scenes here are very Hamlet-like in my mind

Mustafa is actually furious when Aybige and Bali Bey escape. Hurrem has the news spread throughout the palace and beyond, and he feels humiliated and wants revenge. He treats Aybige badly, saying some cruel things to her, and then has Bali Bey executed (which is how I get rid of this man yeah Mustafa!!), idea inspired by Credit : The Bali Bey idea was inspired by a comment from El_Coco_005_on Reddit

He also hoped that being ruthless would garner his father’s approval, and while he is actually right that Suleiman would have done the same thing, Suleiman’s hypocritical ass is pissed that his son killed his loyal servant and resents him for it. But if he hadn't done it, Suleiman would have thought Mustafa was weak, so he couldn’t really win here.

The Efsun storyline stays the same.

Mustafa’s revenge on Hurrem doesn’t end with that one setup where he makes her fear for her children (which remains a highlight of his character); it turns into a full-fledged rivalry where both try to hurt each other. Notably, Mustafa continues to try and use her children in this rivalry, but at some point, little Selim notices and starts distancing himself from him. Mehmet is also uncomfortable with some of Mustafa’s insinuations about his mother.

Fatma would not be his second favorite because she would already be dead, but I do find it interesting to have him choose a favorite who hates Hurrem. I would pick one who wasn’t involved in something as drastic as burning Hurrem’s face, but one of the concubines who made life difficult for her in the harem and is close to his mother

I actually think it would be interesting if Mahidevran sought Mustafa’s help during her financial difficulties, and he decides to borrow money from other sources—like important families who want to please the future ruler. Since Mustafa still has to be trusted enough to be sent to Manisa, I would make Ibrahim clean up his mess after him, so his father doesn't learn about his implication

This is where we start making Mustafa’s entitlement to the throne an actual central theme of his character. The moment where he tells his little brothers he will become the sultan, even though they all technically have the same right to it as he does, and Suleiman looks visibly disturbed, has always been interesting to me and deserves more exploration. It also callbacks to some of his very fist scenes as a little boy (ex : "am I not the owner of this palace?" in S1E1). It especially evokes a central conflict between father and son: Mustafa thinks the throne is something that is owed to him simply by virtue of being the eldest prince, while Suleiman thinks it’s something you have to earn and fight for

He develops a love-hate relationship with his father where he at the same idolizes him and resents him. He lights up when Suleiman shows him the faintest of approval, and spirals when he is cold/suspicious towards him.

Mustafa in this season ends up being trapped in contradictions: raised by his mother to believe he was destined for greatness, yet never affirmed by the one person whose approval he craves most. Idolized by the janissaries, statesmen, and his mother as the future of the empire, he internalizes the myth of the perfect heir, yet at the same time can’t help feeling deep down unworthy of the pedestal he’s been placed on. This leads to anxiety, imposter syndrome, and reckless behavior to prove he deserves the pedestal.

He begins to chase validation desperately, seeking greatness through acts of bravery and calculated alliances, oblivious to how this only deepens Suleiman’s mistrust. His sense of self is fractured: he is simultaneously overpraised for existing and never good enough for the one person whose opinion truly matters, so he struggles to define himself and doesn’t feel grounded.

Wrote something on this to flesh out Lord Lefford and the early Westerlands theater. This is an expansion of the short thing I had on the Battle of Cannibal Pass earlier. Let me know what you think.

Lord Jason Lannister had assembled his mighty host at Casterly Rock, and - having remarked that “the gold dragon has no truer friend than his brother lion” - marched along the River Road to attack the rebellious Riverlords. The Riverlands was notoriously divided even after Daemon Targaryen marched against the Brackens at the Burning Mill, and Jason believed that the surest path to success would be to break the Riverlanders early, eroding Rhaenyra’s support on the continent. While many in the Lannister host were wary of engaging the Rogue Prince upon his fearsome Blood Wyrm, Daemon soon turned his attention back to the east. The Riverlords thereafter began to expect an attack and consolidated their forces in lines, the closest being near the Golden Tooth, where the Westerlander advantage in manpower would have a lessened effect. The Lannister advance was slowed by the intense heat, rumored to be as hot as any on record despite the approach of autumn, which ignited brush fires throughout the wooded Riverlands. Yet for the Westerlander troops, their morale was reported to be at an all-time high, as they outnumbered their prospective foes at least two-to-one. When battle was joined, the chivalry of the West charged the Riverlander infantry, splitting their lines in twain and scattering them “as waves on the surf” wrote Robert Kayce, who had previously been Lord Jason’s squire, but whose abysmal prowess with the sword relegated him to the role of Lord Jason’s chronicler and whose tales form our most complete account of this theater.

Yet while the Riverlander lines did break, Lord Jason elected to keep pursuit, urged on to strike at the nobles in the rear. During this pursuit, a common-born man named Pate of Longleaf took a fallen spear from one of Lord Piper’s routed retinue and drove the point through Lord Jason’s gorget with such force that Pate snapped the haft of his weapon in two places. Pate was already famous among the Longleaf populace for his great strength - it was said that he could straighten a horseshoe with his bare hands - and had come to the attention of his local lord, who offered him the position of squire to his younger brother. Unkind rumors suggested that Pate’s churlish speech and feats of strength were a source of rude entertainment among the riverlords, and that they had earned him the position of squire, and Mushroom spoke that the real reason for his appointment was that he “put horses to shame, and pleasured Lady and Lord Smallwood both.” Yet now, Pate was exalted for slaying Lord Jason, and shortly after the battle, he was knighted with the castle-forged blade he had taken from Lord Jason’s body. The survivors of the Golden Tooth were in great adoration of Pate’s feat, and they heeded his command to withdraw east to the land of Lords Chambers and Piper, who would provide support

With the death of Lord Jason Lannister, the command of the Westerlander contingent fell into question. There was no Lannister to lead them: Jason’s sons - the new Lord Lancel and his younger brother Leo - were boys of nine and seven, and his only brother Ser Tyland was still serving in King’s Landing. Of the knights in the Westerlander host, Ser Adrian Tarbeck was a close friend of Lord Jason, and in times when Westerlander levies were called upon, Lord Jason oft selected Ser Adrian to command his center. The two had, according to Ser Adrian, declared themselves sworn brothers as a testament to their firm friendship, and Jason had even spoken of wedding his sister to Ser Adrian. This claim could not be verified by any contemporary observer (and Lady Jacquetta was eventually wed to Lord Prester), but the friendship between Lord Jason and Ser Adrian has been well-documented among multiple chroniclers and maesters. Ser Adrian asserted that he should take command “until such time as His Grace names a new Warden”.

Lord Lyman Lefford, however, fiercely contested this declaration. The Lord of Golden Tooth had been young during the long reign of the Old King, and had taken command after his father had died in a most embarrassing fashion. To hear the singers, the corpulent Lord Gerwin had his lordly seat crack from his weight, and his head struck his table, breaking his neck instantly. However, according to the records of House Lefford compiled by Maester Myles, Lord Gerwin was determined to have died of overexertion of the heart, and had fallen over dead at his table at his second dinner. Regardless, the jeers spurred by this humiliation was said to have inspired Lord Lyman, in his youth, to acts of reckless bravado in an attempt to prove the strength of House Lefford. When King Jaehaerys had expanded the River Road from Riverrun to Casterly Rock, merchant caravans and tax wagons often found themselves preyed upon by mountain bandits, who used the cave systems and high ridges adjoining the road to ambush their targets. Lord Lyman immediately pronounced that he would “roust these rats from their warrens” and launched a punitive expedition against them. His retinue in their fine castle-forged steel were tremendously successful, but in his final push he overextended himself and took a wound just below the groin in his left thigh, which troubled him to the end of his days. Lord Lyman walked slowly, but was still able to ride though it vexed him greatly. Afterwards, Lord Lefford was known to be a cautious commander who desired to use his cavalry upon the flanks to prevent overextension.

Lord Lyman argued that he was the oldest lord present, and that Ser Adrian was unfit for senior command. Ser Adrian was also a mere knight, only a cousin to old Lord Tarbeck, not blessed to order lords into battle without a direct appointment from Ser Tyland or the recently-widowed Lady Johanna, regent for her son. While Ser Adrian defended himself admirably, the one barb that he could not refute was that it had been he who helped urge Lord Jason on his charge, and that shame was his to bear. Cowed, the assembled lords and knights shouted ayes for Lord Lyman. Both men, it is said, were courteous to each other after, with Ser Adrian being offered command of the van in consolation.

In truth, the wily Lord Lefford was perhaps the best choice for the theater. Lord Blackwood’s levies had hoped to march quickly to reinforce the men at the Golden Tooth. In their haste, they had neglected to use their outriders fully, and old Lord Lefford was quick to take advantage. On the River Road, where the foothills of the Golden Tooth and the woods of the western Riverlands mix to make the road troublesome, the Westerlanders descended upon the Blackwood army that had recently been victorious at Stone Hedge and slew seven in ten men. The singers now refer to that battlefield as Cannibal Pass, for the ravens that were said to feast upon Blackwood noble and peasant alike, including proud Lord Lucas, whose lordship passed to his young son and heir, Benjicot.

Idk if you take requests but if you do, I’d love to see your take on Mahidevran next. Almost every adaption has Mahi acting like her main issue with Hurrem is that Hurrem somehow magically stole Suleiman away when it reality Hurrem’s (literal) never before seen rise, Suleiman’s devotion/monogamy and willingness to break customs, and the plethora of sons were a genuine threat to her and Mustafa. Also would love to see more Mahidevran actively raising Mustafa to be the sehezade that was considered almost universally to be the perfect heir to the throne. I feel like besides a few scenes where she offers him great advice, that he promptly ignores, the show has more of Ibrahim molding Mustafa into this great man which I didn’t necessarily mind. However I honestly didn’t really begin to like Mahidevran as a character until she and Mustafa left and came back and it was clear she was done with Suleiman and wholeheartedly focused on Mustafa and I wish they had done it earlier.

Also, will you be including historical figures and events in the show to make it more historically accurate or is this re-write simply going through and fixing the issues you had with show? Completely fine either way. What you’ve done so far is amazing and I can’t wait to see what else you have in store

Thank you so much !

At this point the rewrite are mostly about fixing the issues I had with the show yeah, notably when it comes to their takes on certain characters.

As for Mahidevran, I hadn't really thought about it because I think she was overall a fairly well-written character despite me not being a fan of her but you make a good point that she's always portrayed as a scorned woman, when in reality, Suleiman and her would have ceased to be intimate years before Hurrem came into the picture. Also Suleiman had two sons that were older than Mustafa and died in 1520, so Mustafa was the only son for only a very brief period and for a while Mahidevran was probably not as proeminent as the mothers of Mahmud and Murad. So if I could rewrite the whole series I would definitely approach that differently. Like she was the mother of a prince but they were two others, then suddenly she finds herself as the mother of the sole prince, but soon after Hurrem gives birth to Mehmed, which she would watch with attention but really starts getting worried when it becomes clear that Hurrem is different and she sees how Suleiman singles her out. She would still be bitter because that has to hurt (why her and not me?) but mostly fearful about her power.

Also something I would definitely change is the weird amount of plot armor Mahidevran gets on certain occasion that makes absolutely no sense, the prime example is her poisoning a pregnant Hurrem at Suleiman's table and Valide and Ibrahim and even Suleiman to a certain extent shrugging it off, that's bad writing. I would still keep the poison plot but make Mahidevran smarter about it so people don't find out

I find adult Mehmet very bland and underdeveloped as a character (not helped by the fact that they hired a model who can’t act to play him). While I have a pretty clear idea of how I would rewrite characters like Mustafa, Bayezid, Mihrimah, and Cihangir, I always struggled to come up with something for Mehmet.

After a lot of thinking, I decided that if I could rewrite Mehmet, I would make him a mini-Suleiman, someone who is brilliant, competent, charismatic, loves poetry, is brave and very ambitious, but also cold, prideful, manipulative, and with a cruel streak. Perhaps even colder and more manipulative than his father.

But he’s also smart enough to play the part of the unambitious, dutiful, completely obedient son, so he doesn’t get in trouble like Mustafa. This, as well as their similarities, would explain why Suleiman favored him so much. In his final years, as Mehmet grows older and more confident in Manisa, Suleiman would start to become uneasy about his son’s ambitions. But Mehmet’s sudden death at a young age would erase all of that and lead Suleiman to idealize him to an extreme degree, which would strain his relationship with his remaining sons, especially Mustafa and Bayezid.

His relationship with Hurrem would also be different. She would baby him less and be more upfront about his responsibilities. They would often clash, as Mehmet wouldn’t always listen and would sometimes lie to or try to manipulate her. She would worry about what his ambitions could mean for her other sons, but she would also love him fiercely because she sees a lot of his father in him.

I also read a novel in which he had health issues, and I would include that. He’s a brave prince who’s good at military affairs, but he has recurring health problems that hold him back, and he resents that.

I would have him and Mustafa develop a “frenemies” type of relationship, in the sense that they both love and appreciate each other and are quite close, but they’re also very competitive, especially when it comes to pleasing their father.

I would keep him and Mihrimah close and confidants but also make them partners in crime.

I would write a closer relationship between him and Selim, where they openly discuss things like the fratricide issue that seriously worries Selim. Sometimes Mehmet would look down on him for his lack of discipline. His death would deeply affect Selim, especially as he suspects foul play. This would kickstart Selim’s obsession with winning the throne to survive.

His relationship with Bayezid would be more confrontational. Bayezid would resent him for being their father’s favorite, and Mehmet would look down on him for his impulsiveness and lack of foresight.

I would have Mehmet wrestle a lot with the issue of fratricide, since Hurrem essentially tasks him with ending it by sparing his full brothers. He would want to honor that, but at the same time, he wouldn’t be sure it’s possible, and it would become something that quietly obsesses him. He is very ambitious and doesn’t want to be held back by the fear of being dethroned in favor of one of his brothers

I would keep his death as being the result of Mahidevran’s scheme because since they are obviously going to adapt the (unproven) rumour that Hurrem framed Mustafa, you might as well level the fields. 

Mustafa’s first act as a regent: Bekhir Agha’s Execution

Bekhir Agha is a corrupt official who extorts from shopkeepers. He is the only one who doesn’t praise Mustafa and is mindful of the existence of other heirs. His enemies denounce him and Mustafa decides to execute him. However, while he is guilty of corruption, he is no more than others who remain in power because they praise Mustafa. Mustafa is being willfully blind to their actions because they stroke his ego, and Bekhir’s disdain for Mustafa is the real reason he is singled out. This execution reflects Mustafa’s prioritization of loyalty over impartiality. 

The regency 

Mustafa requests to join the military campaign rather than stay as regent. Suleiman thinks he’s ungrateful and suspects that he wants to bolster his popularity with the army, but Hatice reassures him of Mustafa’s loyalty. Mustafa occupies the Privy Chamber during Suleiman’s absence, which he was not entitled to. When Suleiman learns this, he is annoyed by Mustafa’s presumptuousness.  During his regency, Mustafa encourages Hatice to reconcile with Ibrahim, because Ibrahim is very valuable to him politically, putting aside his aunt’s dignity. When Hurrem proposes putting Nigar and Ibrahim on trial for adultery, Mustafa blocks the move, and it is indeed portrayed as a political decision (as it was in the show, but it should be explored more). 

Meeting with Barbarosa 

Barbarossa is portrayed realistically, with his background as a war criminal and human trafficker acknowledged, making Mustafa’s closeness to him reflect rather poorly on his morals. Mustafa’s passionate speech to him about how they should try and conquer America is framed as childish and delusional and disconnected from the geopolitical realities of the Ottoman Empire (the Ottomans lacked transoceanic naval capabilities and strategic incentive to attempt such a conquest). Though he praises the idea, Barbarosa is amused, and privately notes the veiled criticism at Suleiman’s “lack of ambition” in Mustafa’s speech. 

During his regency, he doesn’t exactly shine by his intelligence but since he is willing to be generous to important people to seek their approval and because Mehmet Günsür would be allowed to make full use of his charm, he is viewed positively. Suleiman is not impressed but not disappointed. 

Helena 

Helena is portrayed as lively, witty and humorous (a bit like a young Hurrem actually), without the “not like other girls” angle. She is engaged to Abas Agha, an older man she doesn’t love, but who is not comically evil like in the show, and is more of a decent man and good to her. He is also a Christian. Mustafa lying to her about his identity, leading her on and seducing her, are portrayed more negatively and not as a simple “romantic game”. Also, since if I had my way, neither the Isabella or Huricihan romance would exist, this would be where we explore the cases of how men can have an entire harem but still want more, they want what they can’t have. Helena does end up falling for him, but he leaves for Istanbul. She gets married during his regency. Mustafa is distraught by this. After a discussion with Tascali, he decides to order Helena to be taken to the harem. They justify the kidnapping of a married woman by declaring that her husband has abandoned her (Abas is on a business trip), which is grounds for divorce (it’s very flimsy of course). When she learns that the prince is Mustafa, she is not happy but shocked and feels betrayed in the worst way. The man she thought she loved lied to her the whole time about everything, and has turned her into his slave. She becomes withdrawn and despondent in the harem. Mustafa, disappointed that she is no longer the vivacious girl he met as a free woman, grows cold toward her. All the girls are hostile towards her, and she suffers greatly, but Mustafa doesn’t help her. 

When Suleiman learns about the whole affair, he is furious and points out that even if Helena weren’t married, it would still be illegal to take her as a slave as she is an Ottoman subject and has a right to their protection. He orders him to send her away. As an act of rebellion and wanting to imitate his father, who married Hurrem against all odds, Mustafa considers marrying her but ultimately backs down after speaking with Ibrahim. She is quietly sent away.

Abas Agha 

His story is framed more tragically. His wife was stolen from him, and when he dared to attempt to sue Mustafa for it, he was intimidated, beaten, and his business sabotaged. His decision to try and kill Mustafa is portrayed more as desperation and justified than simple pettiness. 

Relationship with Mehmed 

When Mustafa and Mehmet meet again in Manisa, Mehmed is now starting to become a rather talented young man, and is highly favored by their father. Mustafa is very jealous of this. Their interactions are tense. Mehmed telling him about the dream is a deliberate act to hurt him and it works. They later have a tense conversation about fratricide, and it ends with unresolved tension. When Mehmed is shot, Suleiman immediately suspects Mustafa. Mustafa is hurt by this and desperately wants to prove his innocence, but privately confronts dark thoughts about Mehmed’s possible death and what he would gain from it. Mehmed did not intentionally try to protect Mustafa and was shot from the back, he starts suspecting that Mustafa may have indeed been behind it all, and their relationship cools even more. When Mehmed learns it was Abas Agha behind it and Mustafa was indeed to target, he feels guilty, but remains uneasy about his relationship with his older brother. 

The spy plot

Remains the same. 

Mustafa’s first child 

Since Fatma would be dead, we introduce a new mother for baby Suleiman, a concubine close to Mahidevran, called Badegul. She also has a bitter one-sided rivalry with Helena and is cruel towards her, and Mustafa doesn’t care much about her. When their baby dies and Mustafa suspects Hurrem, he is full of rage and wants revenge. This loss intensifies his rivalry with Hurrem and her sons. His bitterness is exacerbated by the fact that Hurrem’s spy killed herself without denouncing Hurrem. He feels that the world is unfair to him. He wants revenge but doesn’t know how to get it, and that frustrates him. Much like Fatma, Badegul succumbs to madness. Mustafa and Mahidevran’s decision to send her away showcases a lack of empathy against someone who just lost a child and is representative of her loss in status. She commits suicide.

Governance in Manisa 

Mustafa is not completely incompetent, but he makes mistakes. He tends to spend excessively, notably on public events to win the people’s favor, which makes him popular but isn’t sustainable on a long-term basis. He has lingering issues with the treasury, as he just spends too much and doesn’t collect enough money. He also tends to appoint and favor sycophants and to ignore experienced and wise advisors when he doesn’t like what they have to say. He isn’t very good at controlling his men (he tends to be too lenient towards the people he likes), which leads to some abuses in his government. His charisma also plays an important role in his popularity. Suleiman rebukes him for these errors when he visits him, which hurts him deeply. 

Relationship with Ibrahim