The Sentimental Psycho

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So, Krieg is pretty unhinged.  If there were a crazy-off between him and Deadpool, I’m not sure who would win, but I think the whole world would lose.  Regardless, there is a soft and squishy center to the spikey flaming bundle of explosive insanity that is Krieg.  It’s small, and quiet, and it has a hard time getting out, but it’s there.

Krieg’s an awesome engine of destruction, that’s for sure.  But he’s definitely more of a guided engine than most of the other psychos on Pandora.  His “inner voice” reminds him that he would, in fact, take over and kill “them” if Krieg should ever take an innocent life.  While this inner voice (the remnants of Krieg’s former psyche) seems to sometimes frustrate Krieg with its insistence on relative peace (at least for Krieg’s allies,) Krieg does still seem to be influenced by his conscience.

Now, the thing about Pandora is, no one survives alone.  Sure, Krieg was making it for a while, but it wasn’t going to last for forever.  Even the other psychos band up with various outlaws and evil types to better ensure their own survival.  I think, even without his inner voice, Krieg innately senses this.  The inner voice would not have been able to break through and persuade him to join up with the Vault Hunters if he didn’t.

Oddly enough, as crazy and homicidal as Krieg is, he’s also very self-sacrificing.  He’s the only human character in the game that has talents based upon sacrificing himself for the team.  While the “kamikaze maniac” concept certainly fits his character well, Krieg’s willingness to sacrifice himself speaks volumes about his loyalty.  In the back of his crazy, twisted, blood-soaked mind, Krieg values having teammates to back him up, and he’s willing to throw himself in harm’s way for them (well, also because he enjoys a good slaughter.)

What can we take from this?  Well, obviously, we don’t want to foster any severe psychoses, or disassociative disorders.  We can, however, attempt to emulate this loyalty, and willingness to help others.

The Heart of a Tank

In his character spotlight, we classified Krieg as a Tank, specifically, a Juggernaut.  Now, the juggernaut class is characterized by relentless forward progress, massive damage output, and a general penchant for mayhem.  Victory at all costs.  However, juggernauts can, in the process, protect their allies by drawing fire upon themselves.

The tank is supposed to be the sturdiest member of the party.  If you identify as a tank, you probably see yourself as tough, resilient, and tenacious (or at least you aspire to be these things.)  Sometimes, rather than guarding your friends with a shield (metaphorical or otherwise,) it can, instead, be more useful to draw fire to yourself.  To be such a threat, both for your berserker fearlessness and your single-minded focus, that those who would bring harm to those around you have no choice but to deal with you first.

This is the kind of tank that Krieg most represents.  We have no way of knowing for sure how much of his reckless charging comes from his love for battle, and how much of it comes from a love for his teammates, but I think it’s safe to say it’s a mixture of both.  Yes, this goes for both his inner voice, and his more dominant surface personality.

A Meat Bicycle for Two

In the immortal words of a certain old man, it’s dangerous to go alone, both in video games and in life.  If a towering, muscular, axe-wielding psychopath needs teammates to help him succeed, chances are you do, too.  Yes, even if you identify as an introvert.  Humans need different levels of social interaction, sure, but we all need at least some to be healthy and happy.

The most successful vault hunters are the ones who can work together to bring down the big game.  Similarly, the most successful people in real life are the ones who know when they need to work with others, ask advice, and accept help.  Of course, you have to give to get, in life, and those kind of relationships need to go both ways.  I doubt Krieg would be charging into combat ahead of his teammates if they weren’t shooting the guys who were charging at him.

We are a communal species.  It’s how we’ve gotten where we are, and it’s how we’re going to get where we’re going.  I know it’s sometimes portrayed as sexy to be the lone wolf, but the reality is, it’s only by teaming up with like minded people that we ever get anything significant done.  Remember, if Krieg can do it, you absolutely can, too!

Speaking of which, looking for a place to hang with other like-minded people?  We happen to have a place for just that!

I hope you enjoyed our time with Krieg.  He’s a crazy dude,  but he’s pretty cool, too.  Maybe we’ll see him again sometime.  =D  On Thursday, we’ve got a special guest post coming up, so DEFINITELY check back for that!  We also have Q&A Tuesday going live on the Youtube channel tomorrow so there’s that as well.

Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace