"As power tends toward violent ends, I'll choose to give up nothing. 'Cause it's too late to be the hero and it's too late to see the truth. I'm exempt of absolution but it's never too late for you" - His only line on being beyond redemption with him claiming he values power above everything else anyway.
| “ | Bring the fire when they call you "traitor". If you're going down, they'll break as well. To the ones who don't deserve a savior, they've been ruined by the rebel yell. Take the suffering and plague away now, let the madness become the truth. 'Cause it's never too late for mercy when the red tides rise to you. | „ |
| ~ The Elder essentially saying if he dies everyone is going with him. |
Well it's been a while, but I have been wanting to do this candidate for a long time and it's by one of my favorite music artists: Aviators. This character comes from a story that takes over three albums for "The Bleeding Sun" universe: a world of godlike cyborgs, actual gods that came after a nuclear war caused by a cult leader. Now I will be using some info from both YouTube and Bandcamp summaries, some of these contradict or at least describe it differently.
What is the Work?[]
The songs take place in "The Bleeding Sun" a science fantasy story primarily in the remains Miami Florida, the world had suffered from a nuclear war that killed off most humanity and while the world is being rebuilt it is enslaved by a group of cybernetic demigods known as "The Ascended" that were created by a man known as The Elder.
Who is The Elder and what has he done?[]
The Elder is a man who before the nuclear was created a cult by preying on the fears of those who thought the world would end sometime soon, it is implied he had at that point some minor magic and promised he could secure their survival after a great cataclysm. As his cult started to grow, he started to encourage others to spread his word to others, as he tricked them into seeing him as their savior, he began to take advantage of his growing influence to gain more power in society. Little did his followers know in secret he was studying the occult in hopes of not only gaining more magical power but also immortality. As time went by, he started to neglect his followers and easily got frustrated when some started to question him, this was only further increased by the fact he hadn't been able to achieve any form of immortality. As some are implied to revolt, he helps start a genocidal holy war with this quickly developing into a nuclear war, The Elder is hoping that he'll be able to enslave the survivors to rule over. As the world is consumed in a nuclear fire The Elder is approached The Watcher, the strongest god of the setting. The Watcher confronts The Elder and due to desperation offers him a deal: The Watcher will give up his own soul and powers to The Elder which will grant him both immortality and godhood but only if The Elder promises to use it to save the survivors while rebuilding civilization for them. The Elder pretends to accept the deal but as soon as he gains the power decided to abuse it, The Watcher is forced to stay in his castle in limbo powerless.
With his now godlike power he uses it to create a group known as "The Ascended" who while implied weaker still have godlike power and are immortal, as their leader he starts to oppress the survivors and making them worship them as gods. Those who rebelled were killed but a resistance still fights against them and apparently were such a threat they recruited a young woman who would become known as The Hunter. The Elder could see the hate in her heart, believing he could use this to his advantage he offered her "godhood" by making her one of the Ascended if she agreed to protect them and be his newest enforcer. The Hunter agreed only to turn on him to liberate the people with the resistance, she is later joined by two other gods known as The Traveler and The Rogue. The Elder after finding this out gets paranoid as while he knew no mortal could ever beat him with these gods being the only threat to his plans to rule the world. As they are able to liberate some with The Hunter even killing The Ascended loyal to him, The Elder retreated and locked himself within his city for over a century with only people he knew were loyal all while corrupting others. At some point The Elder is given a prophecy by The Watcher telling him that because he betrayed their deal so long ago, he was doomed to die by the hands of The Hunter/Godhunter. Refusing to accept his fate The Elder tries to corrupt everyone he can to kill the heroes by playing on their fears. While doing that he brags and admits he plans to keep his full power hidden in hopes of killing his enemies once and for all. The specifics are vague on this final battle but a song that takes place after seems to indicate he was eventually killed.
Heinous Standard[]
His minions are given next to nothing just minor mentions of doing his orders in the summaries so lack any real characterization and individuality. The Hunter says she will kill those who are puppets serving him or try to do similar, this comes across as just a violent anti-hero that struggles later to find purpose due to her immortality and implied to go insane because of humanity making similar mistakes in the future. The Watcher is an enigmatic deity who is said to of tempted souls so they would join him in his "castle of ice" aka Limbo and implied to offer deals, thing is he clearly didn't approve of destroying all life and is very much hands off in most things. The Watcher not only had issues with that but implied to not fully understand humanity, judges the dead as it's his job yet offered even The Elder a chance at redemption while calling him out for endangering everything and killing billions through the nuclear war. In short the only competition for the story is cybernetic demigods who just follow orders who are implied Social Darwinists and a god that while he counts as a villain wanted to save humanity after The Elder set off all the events, The Watcher even implores The Elder to redeem himself, all while said The Watcher sacrificed his power to The Elder as he doesn't understand humanity enough to properly help them survive.
The Elder however easily stands out with flying colors given he corrupts people regularly, helped start a nuclear war just because he wanted to rule the remains of the world, betrayed his end of a deal for no reason despite being given everything he wanted and a chance to be forgiven by essentially what's implied the closest thing to Top God. All this because he decided that he rather be a godlike tyrant instead of using his new godhood for humanities sake. Even with his powers he just makes a dystopia that worships him while killing anyone who stands against him and only values his own life, every indication being that if he dies, he will try to take all life with him out of pure spite. The Watcher, a nigh-omniscient god, of all characters says his acts are the darkest he's seen throughout history to the point he had to intervene to avoid all life coming to an end.
Excuses and/or mitigating issues?[]
Alright two very minor things that don't hold up, but I'll address them first is sanity and second is feeling he's beyond redemption. Some songs including lines from The Watcher and others claim he's insane/consumed madness but ultimately not an issue. Thing is even taking this all at face value rather than simply insulting him: he knows outright what he does is wrong and doesn't care at all. When claiming he's beyond redemption he immediately says he will never let go of any power even as things turn violent while admitting he will never be a hero or a savior. He does mention a vision of ruling after he becomes immortal, the thing is it could be clairvoyance as it is implied he had some magic, that or could be simply him stating his end goals in a way to make it sound certain to keep his followers in line. It doesn't help while a god calls him as insane for this, he does actually achieve that goal by forcing it to be the god's only real option. So, did he have magic and clairvoyance? Maybe, it is also possible he was using metaphors or even just crazy but either way he is explicitly stated to have successfully gained both the immortality and godlike power he wanted. The fact he also understands morality to the point of even acknowledging he isn't a hero and rather just keep his power at cost makes this not disqualifying.
Now for the one I feel doesn't hold which tied into the other is him saying "I'm exempt of absolution but it's never too late for you", now in some cases this might indicate remorse but not here. Throughout the song he says it's too late for him to be the hero but also cursing those who called him out with him talking about how he's a godlike figure who is the only reason his city is still standing at all. He goes on to say he'll take everyone with him if he's got to die. The YouTube summary hints he even knows he could change but doesn't want to, when this song takes place really depends on what description as YouTubes hints before the deal with The Watcher while Bandcamp's states it after. As I said the YouTube one talks about him desperate for immortality while refusing to change, if we take that it means before the deal given after he already had immortality. According to Bandcamp's description he is writing to The Ascended when forced to question the possibility of his mortality which means after the deal. Bandcamp's summary even says he decides to convince his people to wipe out humanity or at least all those who didn't bow before him/"redeem" as it "might be the more merciful option" compared to the possibility of outliving him... sure.
In "A Castle on the Sea" The Watcher offers him everything he ever wanted and even a chance at redemption saying if he did help save humanity and rebuild civilization that he'd forgive him for everything including "The cities you burned" (the nuclear war which it explicitly is said to of killed billions in the summary) yet obviously he knowingly betrayed this deal something he addresses in the song "Godhunter". Keep in mind The Watcher didn't even say he couldn't rule just "live a legend to tell" and help build a better civilization, so yeah not remorseful. The Elder later just brags he "earned" his godhood just admitting that he fears death as he will go to Hell given who he betrayed. Outside that there is nothing at all, he is a man who was obsessed with immortality and godhood who even when given it in return for not being a tyrannical prick decided immediately after he got it to do it anyways as no one could stop him.
Verdict[]
Easy yes.