User blog:DragonDude83/PE Proposal: Bellum (Manga)

I know what you’re thinking, "You’ve just proposed Bellum to be removed. Why are you proposing him back?" I’m not. I’ve proposed the video game version that lacked any moral agency and enough characterization. What I’m proposing to make it official is the manga version of Bellum. So let’s talk about Bellum (Manga).

Who is Bellum, and What Has He Done?
Just like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, he (I know I’ve previously referred to Bellum as an it) is the main antagonist of this manga. He is an evil entity that feeds off on dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of living beings on their life energy, and has plagued the World of the Ocean King for a long while, slowly killing his victims, with one of his victims being the Ocean King himself. The Ocean King’s life energy has been drained to the point where he’s a frail old man, and Bellum is still feeding on him.

Bellum would also lure others to the Ghost Ship with the promise of treasure, then he would drain his victims of their life energy, killing them. Through that method, he has claimed the lives of many, including Lindbeck’s crew, except Lindbeck, and Tetra whom Bellum turned into stone, while continuing to drain her of her life energy.

Bellum is also responsible for the loss of Celia’s memory, as he tore her soul apart through his constant feeding, stripping her of her status as the Spirit of Time and Courage. Bellum orders one of his minions, Crayk, to kill the spirit girl that holds her memories so Celia will never be whole again. Luckily, Link kills Crayk, and restores Celia to her whole self.

Link recovers Tetra from her stone state, and is preparing to forge the only weapon that can kill Bellum, the Phantom Sword. Bellum appears, possesses Lindbeck, and gives Link an ultimatum: either show in the Temple of the Ocean King and give him the Phantom Hourglass, a key component to making the Phantom Sword, or else he will kill Lindbeck.

Link shows up at the temple to give Bellum the Phantom Hourglass, but Bellum does not let Lindbeck go, and forces Lindbeck to fight Link, not caring if Link or Lindbeck dies, because he would eat up a lot of life energy from the loser.

It’s revealed that Lindbeck is fully aware that Bellum is forcing him to fight Link, and is powerless to stop him. He tries to kill himself so he can stop himself from trying to kill Link, which Bellum allows so he can reap up his life energy.

Fortunately, Link has forged the Phantom Sword with the help of Celia to critically wound Bellum forcing him out of Lindbeck’s body, preventing him from committing suicide. This also revives Tetra from her petrified state, and reverts the Ocean King back to his true self. Bellum was not finished, as he used his remaining strength to drag the Ocean King to the bottom of the ocean, but Link managed to land the killing blow on Bellum, and save the Ocean King.

Mitigating Factors
All we know of Bellum’s past is that he’s killed numerous people by draining their life energy, and that he hates the Ocean King for taking so long to die when he feeds on him. That’s it.

Unlike the video game version which portrayed him as a mindless beast that has to feed, this version has a moral agency. He is fully self aware and sapient, and actually has dialogue in the manga. He’s aware that he’s been killing innocent people, causing much suffering, and doesn’t care as long as he reaps up the life energy. He takes a sick pleasure in what he does, whether it’s killing innocent victims, making Lindbeck relive the time Bellum killed his crew right in front of him, possessing Lindbeck to the point of making him aware that he’s being forced to fight Link to the death, and taking sadistic glee when Lindbeck tries to kill himself.

The manga version of Bellum is given enough characterization to avoid being generic, and is made completely irredeemable, making him a sentient monster who does what he does because he enjoys it.

Heinousness
This is a standalone manga, so Bellum doesn’t set the standard, he is the standard.

With his M.O. being to drain his victims of their life energy until they die a slow death, he’s got quite the bodycount. For those who survive his sadistic appetite, their fates are not pleasant, with the Ocean King being a withered old man, Tetra turned to stone, and Celia losing her memory by having her soul torn apart. And of course, let’s not forget what he subjected Lindbeck to.

Final Verdict
That is an easy yes. This version is truly pure evil.