#suoh cotw

So I want to make a post about Suoh and his relationship to power. Before he was chosen as leader of the people of the Mud Whale, Suoh was always a kind and compassionate boy. He was also popular among the civilians, thus it is only natural that he was promoted as chief. In addition to that, you’d think that electing a pacifism-driven man would be an excellent choice.

In general, Suoh’s policies are effective and value the well-being of others which are important qualities. He is critical of violence and resists it until there is no other way, but preaches self-defence and straight-forward attack initiatives when his people itself is threatened (ex: the attack on Skylos).

He will try to defend a position and find an agreement with words, displaying his good manners, adopting a composed face and actively listening. However, if the needs of the citizens and himself are not being met, Suoh will go out of his way to get it and drop the formalities away. Fiercely attached to the Whale’s values, Suoh does not tolerate losing their independence nor adapting to rules he judges unethical. But, despite cherishing their old traditions, Suoh does not lean towards the conservative side but rather accepts and finds the best in new perspectives. As a leader, he is forgiving for the sake of his people, sometimes even if that forgiveness goes against his feelings. This way of deciding things goes to show how much he strives to maintain peace and guarantee a thriving environment.

Suoh’s highly praised qualities can quickly transform into his biggest shortcomings, however. His stubbornness and honesty often results in him being mistreated and taken advantage of against ill-disposed adversaries (see the arrival at Amonlogia). And while both his gentleness and the fact he is open to discussion on decision-making proves he is a good leader, it also indicates how Suoh processes unsettling emotions; by bottling everything up. Regarding one’s personal life, it is not always the healthiest way, but, as a leader, it can actually do more damage than one would expect it to in the first place. In the manga, we saw Suoh’s first few outbursts of anger and to be truthful, they were quite scary. Now we know the young leader was partially playing tyrant, but another part of him sounded extremely genuine and emotive. For now, we have yet to see what comes next but who knows what could occur under stressful events for Suoh. Standing up for the greater good without care for your population’s voice is questionable.

Those risky behaviours combine with the fact that Suoh is the first leader who’s been elected at such a young age, Suoh being only 18. Him, still feeling like a child at core but having to take responsability quickly might have shaken him. Also, it is not to forget that he was elected under terrifying circumstances, where his people were brutally killed, a heavy matter for such a young man and a matter none of his ancestors have had to address. This makes Suoh’s election worrisome, both because as a leader he hasn’t had the time to get used to the profession, but also as a person, has forced him to outgrow the child he was and be exposed to a kind of violence which has been devastating.

Last but not least, I want to point out Commander Shuan’s remark while the squad went to initiate pourparlers with Orca. Shuan is quite the atypical character and has the tendency to misjudge people and say cruel things. I don’t know if he can be trusted on these words but I think they are far from unimportant.

“You brought me there because you can’t bring yourself to do it. Because you want to see me kill him under your very eyes. You still haven’t gotten over Sami’s death, haven’t you?!”

I wouldn’t be surprised if those words held some truth to a certain extent, despite Suoh defending himself against it. It is something I’ve noticed and which has had me uneasy a few times. From an external point of view, Suoh never really seemed affected by Sami’s death or rather, got over it suspiciously rapidly. As the story focuses on Chakuro, we get a focus on his journey through grief. But Suoh, who is nevertheless a main character, never has these kind of moments. Had Suoh been ruminating all this time a sort of revenge and been having thoughts of hurting the assassin of his sister, it wouldn’t come unexpected.

So, here’s my theory. I believe we might witness in the next future volumes, maybe a change of heart from Suoh. After all, this constant bottling up and unresolved grief have to expressed and heard and felt one day or another. Suoh is not an exception to that rule and he might either get more authoritarian in the future and/or let Orca know the pain and sadness he still feels in some ways which certainly won’t be nor delicate nor kind. It also would be interesting to see Suoh become the very tyrant he despises, going from that angelic-godlike figure to a twisted, bellicose figure. Great character. I love him.