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The Wrath of War
Jun
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War is the Nephilim of combat and conflict, and his personality reflects this soul of violence. However, this is not all that War is. His relentless charge of destruction is moderated and governed, and operates by a set of rules and a sense of honor. He’s an engine of destruction, yes, but he’s not an aimless engine of destruction. Let’s take a look at what makes the big guy tick.
The Love of War
War is not all rage and fury. He cares deeply for others. His brothers, his horse, and some of those he comes into contact with in his adventures. To earn his respect and admiration is to gain a powerful ally, one capable of standing against almost any foe. Even an unstoppable beast of war needs friends, allies, and companions.
It’s a pattern we see quite a lot with our more broody, angry characters here on Be a Game Character – the idea that no one person is an island, a one man army, or an emotionless monster. War is the personification of conflict, and even he has allies that stand beside him, and those that he cares about enough to fight for.
A Thirst for a Challenge
Like Akuma, War seems to relish finding those who can challenge him in combat. When facing the Champion Gladiator to regain Ruin, War actually kicks the Gladiator’s sword back to him after dismounting his foe. When fighting a young Uriel, War opts to knock her unconscious rather than kill her when he has a chance, remarking that she may prove a worthy challenge one day. He seems happiest when faced with a foe that may match him in strength and skill.
In life, we can choose to savor challenges, rather than run from them. When I was growing up, whenever I used to say, “I can’t…” in regards to completing a task, my parents would say, “Don’t say ‘I can’t,’ say, ‘it’s a challenge!'” While this was a bit infuriating to nine-year-old me, I’m now very glad they raised me with the mindset of “overcome the challenge in front of you, don’t give up just because it’s difficult.” Challenges are how we grow, and how we continue to improve ourselves.
Honor in Battle
In many ways, War is both the most headstrong horseman, and the most honorable. He regularly refuses to fight unarmed, or weakened foes. He dislikes deception, stealth, or trickery. He prefers the honesty of open combat, against foes fighting at their best. This goes beyond seeking a challenge, and into the realm of respect and honor, something that might seem strange coming from the avatar of War. Nevertheless, he doesn’t hesitate to end his foes with extreme prejudice in the heat of combat, and his honor doesn’t preclude him from all violence. He just wants to feel like it’s always a fair fight.
Now, in life, as we spoke in our previous post, The Ultimate Warrior, there is value in following your own code of conduct. In addition to building discipline and self-worth, it also demonstrates your integrity to those around you. People tend to value knowing where someone stands on a subject, and knowing what their personal code is. I’m not one to presume suggesting any such code or credo to you, but I do highly recommend coming up with your own code of honor, and living by it. Of course, in everyday life we don’t find ourselves in open combat all that often, but there are other situations where you can develop and apply your own code.
Dealing honorably and consistently with others is only a benefit in life. Doing the right thing is always the right thing.
Wrath
With all of the above observations there to temper this section, let’s get down to it. War is violent. War is unstoppable. War is ruthless. War is destructive. War is a living hammer, and to him every problem looks like a nail. His betrayal, imprisonment, and framing drive an unspeakable rage and desire for righteous judgement upon those who act against him (or his kinsmen.) He does not stop, he does not rest, and he gives no quarter to the enemies that stand in his way.
Above all else, if we are to become war, we must embody this hunger, this drive, and this inner fire. War is a carefully aimed, impeccably directed solid tungsten round moving at mach 4. Determination and drive are insufficient words to describe his unyielding mindset and extreme retributive power. The War Workout is about enforcing your unrelenting will upon the weight you are lifting. Obstacles in your life are just more weights to be lifted. Let strength be your guide.
Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome.
