A Comparison of Characters - Sword of the Stranger

There are many anime series that are set in a historical time and feature samurai. Stranger of the Sword is a fairly recent film of this type. The film is very good, filled with action, has nice animation (perhaps the colours could have been a bit more stark) and overall a well-rounded and well told story. The story seems rather archetypal with a rogue wandering samurai meeting a homeless orphaned boy and helps him in his time of need. Of course, like other samurai anime we find out the mysterious samurai that never resorts to violence is, in fact, the best swordsman around and is also the most virtuous. Thus it seems only appropriate that this samurai represents the values the film puts forward, like many other samurai flicks. In fact, the values that this film puts forward is most obvious through comparisons between other characters with our samurai, especially the antagonist.


Our main character Nanashi: http://www.zerochan.net/612204

Like most samurai, Nanashi shows all the virtues compared to his enemies, who display the polar vices. The first of these is trust and loyalty. Trust is a big theme within the movie, especially centred around the boy of the film and who he can trust and who he can't. Kotarou has major issues trusting anyone because, as we find out later in the film, he is an orphan who was taken by a monk and then transported to a foriegn land, from China to Japan. Then, shown at the start of the film, his new home, the village or temple he is staying at, is then burned down in an attempt from some Chinese soldiers to find him under the orders of the emperor. Kotarou escapes with his monk friend, who says to find him at another temple and gives him a jade tube as a tradable in case he needed it. Trust is thus understandably very hard for this boy. He is being hunted by soldiers in what is a foreign country for him. It is a great virtue then that this boy, Kotarou, is able to trust our samurai hero. The two initially agree on some sort of mercenary bodyguard escort arrangement for the jade cylinder. Kotarou thinks he cannot trust the samurai and constantly reminds him of their financial agreement and the fact his dog saved him in their previous encounter with the Ming. Kotarou even accuses his “employee” of running away or even looking for someone to buy him. We can see how his issues in trust stem from being sold into slavery. However as time goes on the boy realises more and more that he can trust the samurai, especially after his dog Tobimaru recovers and Nanashi gives him medicine to help this recovery process. At this point the boy realises he can truly trust his companion. Their relationship turns into one of friendship, from being one of an employer and his employee. At this time as well the idea of betrayal of trust comes to the fray. First the man who was giving the two accommodation, for money, goes into town to sell his crops. After being rejected and told his product was of a poor quality, he (with some help) reads a reward sign for a boy and a dog travelling together. The old man turns our protagonists in, but luckily they have already escaped, leaving a “Thank You” note. However, betrayal is more obvious and more important is when the monk, who the boy thought he could trust, betrays him. Nanashi is most notably contrasted with the monk Shouan, who helped Kotarou escape the village and is presumably the one who took him to Japan. The monk follows the orders of his superior and leads the boy of prophecy to the Ming waiting in the temple. Although the monk tries to absolve himself of guilt and blame, saying Nanashi would do the same. Nanashi still blames him, saying he still had a choice even if his superior ordered him to do so. Nanashi says he is worse than a dog (with Tobimaru another good example of loyalty in the film), and that the monk was not worthy of his holy sache, cutting it off him. The monk accepts this, committing suicide not too long afterwards. On the other hand Nanashi goes off and risks his life to save Kotarou, running beyond all endurance he shows how truly trustworthy he is. At the end of the film Nanashi, in the final exchange between himself and Luo Lang, is saved by the green stone the boy had given him for his services. This reminds us that he was doing all this for the boy; Nanashi did not help the boy for the sake of collecting some reward to sell, he did it out of trust. Thus when compared to others (other than Kotarou), particularly the monk who (physically and metaphorically) turned his back on the boy that trusted him, Nanashi shows how valuable trust is and how to be trustworthy.


The main relationship of trust: http://www.zerochan.net/612211

One of the main reasons this story becomes so interesting and is able to hold onto quite a few characters is that everyone seemingly has their own motives (even if some of these characters are fairly one dimensional). The theme of trust and betrayal is not just in relation to the boy but also in relation to leadership and following it. So whereas Nanashi showed he can be trustworthy and loyal, others show they are not, especially to their leader or political alliances. First the Japanese Lord often abuses and betrays his relationship with the Ming he aligns himself with. He captures one of their soldiers and has his subordinates torture him for information on the Chinese and why they came to his part of Asia. He then plans to take the boy for himself and make the Elixir of Immortality for his own purposes. This leads to the Lord in turn to being captured by the Chinese and used to try buy them time to complete their plan, as he is displayed in front of his troops to delay their attack. This is where further betrayal occurs. Itadori, the trainer and general of the Lord's army, backed by his second in command, then uses this force of the army, not to save his Lord, but to kill him and take over his status and position. We truly sense this as betrayal as the princess trusts him to save her father and the men of the army are shocked to see their master in such a state. The second in command, having been promised the hand of the daughter of the man he just murdered, convinces the men to join Itadori and himself afterwards. Thus the Chinese plan to delay the Japanese forces is undone by the Itadori's betrayal. So although others are disloyal to their leaders, Nanashi shows he is everything others are not to the boy. Thus loyalty and obeying others are not seen as one in the same. Kotarou does not really hold any power over Nanishi so it speaks of their relationship that such trust is held. Although it was based on a monetary-esque transaction, it became one based on friendship in the end, not some sort of servitude to be broken. It is interesting the only one who follows the orders of their superior, the monk, is seen as ultimately disloyal because he betrays the one who really deserves loyalty, the boy. We can also compare this to Nanashi's flashbacks, where he too was loyal to his superior in being ordered to kill the children of an opposing Lord. He regrets this and it leads him to becoming a ronin, a rogue samurai. Loyalty is seen as something based around virtues and values, rather than hierarchical superiority or political benefit. Thus the eldery Ming leader is somewhat correct when he says soldiers are disloyal, but this is only because they are part of a hierarchical relationship, not one of virtue and trust. This is what Nanashi embodies with his relationship with the boy. He shows the reasons for loyalty cannot be immoral or cannot be self serving, they must help the other.


This relationship is not based on a hierarchy: http://realcocker.deviantart.com/art/Sword-of-the-stranger-120856453

Largely intwined with his relationship to Kotarou (along with trust) are the samurai's virtues of compassion and willingness to stand up for the innocent. From what we learn about why the Chinese are chasing the boy down is that it has to do with the ritual they are trying to perform on behalf of the Emperor. In order to get the Elixir of Immortality, they must perform an obviously elaborate ritual that can only be completed by sacrificing a boy chosen by prophecy. Kotarou has therefore done nothing other than existing to warrant such treatment. Why should he rightfully be treated in such a manner having done nothing wrong? Nanashi obviously thinks he should not subjected to this. The samurai is willing to stand up against the Ming and has compassion on the lonesome boy. He is willing to fight all those that oppose his stance, who think the boy's purpose is to make the potion or who are not compassionate towards Kotarou. One of the reasons, I assume anyway, that the "unnamed" samurai protagonist is so compassionate to the innocent boy is presumably due the trauma of his past in war. He was a brilliant warrior in the past, as we hear from Itadori's conversations with his wife. However, he gave it all up after being ordered to kill the innocent children of a different fallen Japanese Lord. He followed his orders through and has been haunted by the event ever since. I would assume this is one reason he shows compassion to this child being hunted by grown men, well armed and trained in war. He wants to make up for the past and realises compassion must be shown to youth. Thus Nanashi does what he could not do before and turn on those who look to harm Kotarou. Nanishi's flashbacks show loyalty to his position in the military but how this sort of loyalty was wrong. He is confronted with this when the monk tries to justify how he gave Kotarou to the Ming, he says that he could not do anything else when his life is on the line. The monk then tells our protagonist how he will not save the boy as it means he himself will get killed in the process. It is here Nanishi realises he will stand up for the innocent, he will choose the right path this time. It all shows how loyalty and trust should be based on a mutual and virtuous relationship not on social ranking or any other type of hierachy. When it is based on rank nothing truly good comes from it. It also shows that a samurai is willing to hold their ideals above all else, even life, as Nanashi risks all to save his companion. The monk too realises this importance as he commits suicide, knowing he has broken the values he held true (the Buddhist values he tried to persuade his master with but ended up breaking himself). We feel much more sympathy for him after this, than the cowardly head monk who is captured by the Japanese soldiers, just as Nanashi feels compassion for the innocent boy Kotarou.


Nanashi is willing to fight to all other to protect the innocent Kotarou. http://inupii.deviantart.com/art/Sword-of-the-Stranger-406478247

This traumatic past event also had another large impact on Nanashi. This was that he generally viewed violence as immoral. He is usually reluctant to fight at all and especially to do so with his sword, as shown in his first fight when he only fights to defend the boy and does not unseath his sword. He even has a rope tied from the hilt of his sword to the sheath, so he cannot draw it. When asked about it by Kotarou he responds it is his “prayer” showing that he hopes he will never have to draw it again. One of the most striking displays of this pacifism is when he is goaded into fighting by the blonde warrior upon returning with a new saddle. During this scuffle Nanashi does not draw his sword or even try to strike his enemy. The struggle is visually compared to one between a fisherman and his potential catch, happening under the bridge the two warriors fight on. The blonde soldier is the fisherman and Nanashi the fish. As the fight ends without blood shed so too the fish escapes becoming a meal (with the line breaking). It is very illustrative of Nanashi's nature that he is compared to an animal unable to fight, only desiring to avoid conflict. The same happens when Nanashi and the boy are attacked by bandits, no one comes away seriously harmed, only the pride of the thieves are hurt. We should also notice that Itadori's wife assumes he must be kind and gentle for giving up war, after being told by the general of the warrior he knew in days gone by. Of course Nanashi does fight after eventually drawing his sword (what would a samurai movie be without any combat from the protagonist?). However, when he does unleash his ability on his enemies Nanashi first gives fair warning before leaving a trail of blood and corpses in his wake. Before this Nanashi has his final flashback in a pile of rubble in the climatic scenes. He realises violence in itself is not wrong, offensive violence is wrong. When teaching Kotarou to ride a horse, Nanashi is also asked if he will teach his pupil to fight with a sword. Before brushing off the subject Nanashi reveals he had thought, like Kotarou does at the time, fighting is used for the purpose of survival. However, being a soldier changed his view on violence, seeng it as something that could only bring destruction, death and despair. This would have especially been the case when he fought with people like Itadori who use violence to make their status match their dreams. But Nanashi realises he must use violence in order to save his friend. Violence itself is not evil, the motives behind it are often this way though. Compare him to all others we can see this is true: Itadori and his army fight for their own desires, the Ming fight for an immoral cause, whereas Nanashi fights to protect his innocent friend. We can definitely see the correct use of violence is Nanashi's.


Nanashi does eventually come back to seeing violence as a necessary means for some purposes: http://trixsr.deviantart.com/art/Sword-of-the-stranger-Nanashi-441777149

One much more novel and seemingly nuanced, aspect of a samurai's virtue is his view on drug taking and pleasure. Put simply he does not indulge use drugs or what the Chinese call “medicine”. At the end of the film, before his envitable battle with the blonde “demon”, Nanashi is offered to take some medicine to dull the pain he was feeling from previous fights. He declines, saying to numb pain is to numb the sensation of feeling alive. We could understand it just as one of many ways the red-headed samurai and the blonde warrior are contrasted but there seems to be more to this idea of drugtaking. I should note here that Itadori, another antithesis of our hero, did take the Chinese medicine into battle. If we just observe how those who take the drugs seem they obviously don't feel any pain. The Chinese warrior that was captured and tortured for information didn't even blink when burnt with a red hot metal pole. So too when the other Chinese soldiers fight they are impaled with arrows yet feel nothing, nor does the Chinese soldier who has his finger bitten off by Kotarou. The drugs perhaps seem addictive, with how the tortured man acts after the affects wear off but this could just be him wanting a release from the pain. I suggest we should see this all in contrast with Nanashi (as well as Kotarou) taking pleasure when riding on a horse at full speed. They say that they feel like they are flying and feel so alive. We can put this in stark contrast to when the last native Chinese warrior is killed with his own sword through his throat, yet he still staggers around looking for it. The message about drugs, when put in the contrast of Nanashi and his adversaries, is that while drugs can dull the pain, they also numb your sense between life and death. Nanashi is alive and feeling well with the simple pleasures, the wind rushing through his hair. The drug taking Ming are too numb to life to know that they are actually dying. Thus we can see that drugs may take away pain but also take away true life and true pleasure.

The Chinese Soldier who had a sword stuck in his throat: http://leseanthomas.tumblr.com/post/55811044078/sword-of-the-stranger-sketches-by-saito-tsunenori

Another quite new aspect of this samurai is his relationship with discrimination in the form of racism. The Chinese are generally treated with caution and fear mixed with a bit of hostility. The ordinary citizens of the town where they are staying just murmur about them and the nobles that the Lord has around him dislike their presence, questioning the need for their presence. We can imagine that they are threatened by their presence but there seems to be no sort of attempt to make friends with the Ming. Blonde hair, in quite a few anime, is used to indicate a character comes from the West and is foreign. And so the same goes for blonde warrior, Luo Lang, who is treated as something mystical, exotic and fearsome. The Japanese townsfolk call him a monster with blonde hair and blue eyes, adding he could make a fortune if put on show, not really something fitting to say about another human. So too after he throws a wooden sword at Luo Lang for no reason, Itadori makes a joke about Luo Lang's language when he comes to train with the Japanese. Another case is our protagonist. Although our main character, the samurai Nanashi appears to be Japanese, he is in fact a red-haired warrior and does not know his origins. All he knows is that he is in fact foreign to Japan, coming to the country on the back of some sort of shipwreck. He only dyes his hair black in order to blend in. He reveals this to the boy, who is also foreign (being from China) but actually takes a step back and for a very brief moment Kotarou distances himself from his savoir. Nanashi says how it is just easier to blend in rather than stand out, and presumably take abuse from others. Just as Luo Lang is called a blonde monster, Nanashi is called a red demon. The only time there is any sort of equality speech it is said by Itadori, but this only comes in a time of cruelty. When the initial tortures find it hard to get any progress from their Chinese captive, Itadori offers to have a go, saying that although his words were different he was still a human and could feel pain. This is definite an interesting line, but this topic is actually very underplayed from what it could have been. We could incorporate this with the Old Ming leader’s reaction to Luo Lang’s suggestion that they put their plan on hold for a couple of days if they cannot find the boy. Byakuran calls him a barbarian for suggesting they submit a false report to the Chinese emperor. Furthermore Luo Lang says he doesn't care about Chinese Taoist beliefs or the Emperor when he is asked about the argument the next day by his Chinese companion. It seems that the film suggests appearance and culture maybe difference, and this can cause offence or disagreement, but in the end we are all human. However, this is all not central enough to the storyline, so I would have liked to have seen more on how the creators treated the issue of racism in a film of historical Japan. The very little we get is interesting, but unfortunately doesn't really offer to much in terms of providing a moral compass for viewers, like the film does about violence or drug-taking. The film does not give any race, Japanese or Chinese, any moral superiority and the main character just seems to avoid the issue, choosing to hide his race rather than fight for his rights to be different and not be mocked for it. Maybe the film just shows race as something present in life, that is best just to avoid, but is not a means that gives any one person superiority over another. Everyone is equal in terms of morality so it is up to the individual to decide their own path.


The two prime examples of foreign people in the film: http://www.zerochan.net/612208

As we have seen Nanashi holds many idealistic values, some typical of a samurai and some slightly more novel or at least untouched by previous works. This being said all of these traits are emphasised when we compare our protagonist to the main antagonist of the film, the blonde swordsman, Luo Lang, who is fighting for the Chinese. Although this being said he does not truly fight for the emperor and for the Elixir of Immortality as he betrays the old Chinese leader of the expedition, killing him when he had run out of use for him and his cause. Like many others I have mentioned, he shows he is disloyal in relationships that are not based on his values. The blonde warrior, unlike Nanashi, is unlovable and cannot be trusted by his allies because he only values fighting. The blonde swordsman in fact fights for the sake of fighting and being the best, which he admits to Nanashi who he sees as his rival and the only good reason to stay in Japan. He seemingly loves to fight and wants to scrap whenever possible, as we see when draws his sword on Nanashi on the bridge (asking him to play) and joins in at his Japanese host's sparring facilities. Nanashi on the other hand does not like to fight and it is a big struggle for him whether to even draw his sword during the final battle. Fighting is not something to do for fun but has a real purpose, defending friends and the innocent. I noted before how during their first fight on the bridge, the blonde warrior is compared to the confrontational fisherman but Nanashi is compared to the passive and escaping fish. Nanashi has been scarred by war and has suffered in battles but the blonde fighter boasts he had never been hit before his fight with Nanashi. In other words, unlike Nanashi, Luo Lang has an unrealistic view of violence and one polarised compared to his rival. Luo Lang even challenges himself by fighting the leader of the ambush, at the start of the film, with his bare hands. So too the blonde warrior is also the film's main contrast for drug taking. After Nanashi gives his reasons for not accepting the offer of the painkilling drug, the blonde warrior takes his “medicine” anyway but admits his admiration for the stance. The contrast of these two warriors emphasises the themes and messages of loyalty and trust, the proper use of violence and drug-taking. So too these two also emphasise the theme of racism, little as it is, as these characters are the two foreign outsiders. What is notable about the two most skilled warriors of the film is how these two are the only two in the film with different coloured hair. Whereas Nanashi hides his red hair for ease and not wanting to be seen as different, the blonde haired, blue eyed enemy seemingly proudly keeps his foreign. He looks for the best swordsman in the world but in doing so mocks entire races, namely the Japanese and Chinese as inferior to himself. Simply put, they are the two main points of discrimination, as well as loyalty, trust and drug-taking.


The two most contrasted characters had to fight in the film's finale: http://paganflow.deviantart.com/art/Sword-of-the-Stranger-355729448

Before I finish this essay I would like to bring up one last topic of issue that Nanashi is actually not involved with. This is the idea of having immortality and how long life should be. This idea is mainly expressed through the comparison of the elderly Ming leader and his followers. They all work for the same goals, finding the boy and completing the ritual, however there is a difference of opinion between him and at least two of his followers about the Elixir and its value. The elderly Chinese leader, Byakuran sees the Elixir as a sort of hope for longer life now that he is facing death in the face. He is willing to go to any means for a glimmer of hope that he is able to give his Emperor the potion and in turn be granted with a small portion of it for himself. Others, mainly Lou Lang, doubt its plausibility, saying the boy's blood will not be any different if it is spilt on a different day, which angers the old man. The strongest of his Chinese warriors (excluding the blonde foreigner) is asked what he thinks of the Elixir. The Ming swordsman replies that he does not need anything like this, he does not want a long life, just a short one lived strongly. His old leader reveals that he thought the same but as he got older he realised he wanted to live longer and longer, so he now truly desires this Elixir. The blonde warrior Lou Lang also seems to hold the idea of glory above long life. When scolded for his betrayal, accused of stealing the Elixir from the emperor and using for himself, he kills denying such claims (as Luo Lang only wants a glorious fight with Nanashi, not to have him shot and killed instantly). The blonde warrior adds that the old leader has lived long enough, killing him then and there. Really this seems to boil down to a contrast of the pragmatism and realism (as realistic as one can be seeking an Elixir of Immortality) of the elderly against the idealism and valour of youth. The old, who are close to death, see life as far too short and want to extend it, whereas the young, for whom death is a place far away, are not worried by a long life, just a glorious one. So too this contrast is played out with their fighting styles. Byakuran fights for the end result, he shoots people, killing them almost instantly, with his gun. On the other hand Lou Lang wants a glorious fight with his sword. He is willing to fight the leader of the men who ambushed him at the very beginning without a sword. So too he offers Nanashi some medicine to help his wounds, wanting to fight the warrior at peak condition. Again it seems to be a matter or practical vs ideal. No one side is right but it is an interesting idea, again brought up with the contrasts of the characters within the film. I should also add that Luo Lang, when carrying the bound Kotarou off to his death, tells the boy that life is not long, that he should live to the fullest it while he can. This does just seem like a cliché, as it is, but we do view Byakuran as somewhat foregone; he does not seem entirely sane in his quest for longer life. We could thus take Luo Lang’s advice to the boy (and the other views he was on the side of) as genuine advice for the audience. It does seem to be that the film gives us the idea, through this debate of immortality, we should not be worried by extending our lives beyond limits but living our lives virtuously and as happily as possible. We even hear from Byakuran he has spend years chasing this potion, obviously in vain and presumably in not very good spirits. Immortality is obviously desirable, as the Japanese Lord's betrayal of the Ming shows, but we need only look at how complicated the ritual was (with chicken’s blood covering an enormous altar all made from a special kind of wood) to realise that our efforts could be better spent elsewhere, like being happy or living virtuously.


Luo Lang did not want immortality, only a glorious fight: http://www.zerochan.net/612207

In conclusion, Nanashi is like many other samurai in that he holds his ideals above all other things. Some of his ideals are very archetypal, such as trust, standing up for the innocent, compassion and pacifism (despite being the best fighter around). Although he has some more nuanced values as well, relating to drug-taking and potentially racism. His positive features are most often accentuated by how his rival, the blonde haired warrior, is seen in almost complete contrast to him. Luo Lang is the blonde Chinese mercenary who loves violence, takes drugs and looks out for himself only, and Nanashi is the outcast ronin who disguises his naturally red coloured hair, dislikes violence, sees drugs as bad and does all he can for his companions. The stranger of the sword is thus a samurai portrayed like many others, as the ideal sort of human. His many enemies are the bad examples with him as the shining light for exemplary behaviour throughout the film. As I pointed to before, we might expect that all the Japanese were portrayed as virtuous and the Chinese were the villians, but this is not the case as we see with Itadori's betrayal and drug-taking (as an example of Japanese vice). The only true example of a virtuous man is Nanashi, the red demon.



Nanashi is our only truly good example in the film: http://hallucination-walker.deviantart.com/art/Sword-of-the-Stranger-WP-169484030

The Politics of Third Earth: Part 3, Lion-O's Ideals and Values -Thundercats (2011)

The series actually connects itself to the real world through some of our political values. We must gather lessons from what Lion-O learnt in the first half of the series (http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-1-lion.html) and then how he is contrasted to other leaders, particular in the second half of the series (http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-2-lion.html) to find these values. Through this we can see that the Thundercats series presents itself, like the Book of Omens, as a guide to leading with "Sight Beyond Sight". The series theorises on how to lead well whilst keeping certain values in mind.

In the previous two posts I look at how Lion-O sets out of the shadow of his brother nd becomes an ideal leader. http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/214/8/6/thundercats_ho_by_farfie_kins-d42gvyq.jpg

First and most importantly is of course why we lead. As I have said pride is a big issue in terms of emotions. Connected to this is the idea we should not lead for our own sakes, we must remember the bigger picture. Pride blocks the bigger picture quite simply. We must lead for others; we must lead for the benefit of those whom we lead.. Too often it seems politics, throughout time and not just now, has been used as a time for personal promotion. We see how Lion-O learns to lead for his people from the Fishman Captain and how this is then contrasted to others like Vultaire or Grune. So personal promotion is not the goal of leading it is about the people. Nor should it be used as a way to be remembered. In fact Lion-O really questions his role as a leader, in the face of mortality, both of his deceased father and the Petalar Emrick, whose lifespan is just one day. He also questions his value as a leader with how kingdoms rise and falls throughout the ages. He is inspired by his friend Emrick though, who leads the Petalars onto a better life even though he will not get to see it himself. He asks if leading is just for hope, just for the illusion of a better life. However, as Emrick dies as his people escape the burning forest Lion-O is inspired and seemingly endowed with a new sense of worth. He sees the true value of leadership. He does it for the good of his people, for the now. Lion-O realises that there is no point in worrying about a time beyond your life because you cannot control it. You must try for the good of your people as much as you can control. It is not about the destination, leadership is not about what happens after you die, it is about the journey, it is about the decisions you make and the steps you take whilst you are in power that matter. Thus with the issue of pride that is throughout the series, and Emrick’s lesson, we should realise politics and leadership is not something for personal gain, but for those who we lead or govern.

Emerick was a teacher of Lion-O. http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/264/8/9/aceo___petalars_by_pandablubb-d4aiik2.jpg

Next racism and imperialism is a big topic in the series. Lion-O’s goal of mercy and teamwork means he wants to unite all the species together. He scolds other Cats throughout the series, like his companions in the first few episodes and then Pumyra later on, for the way they treat other species, namely Lizards, Rats and Dogs. One of Lion-O’s plans in fighting Mumm-Ra is to show leniency and mercy to his army so they don’t want to fight. Two notable examples of this are in the first episode towards a Lizard and, during their mission to save the cats, towards a small Rat. Both of these acts of mercy show their value as both help Lion-O, first, to escape after the fall of Thundera and then to fight the rat leader, Ratar-O. The original riot against Mumm-Ra, the one led by Leo, united the species gloriously. They did not fight for one specific race but all together for each other, under the flag of freedom. This idea of course became lost as we can see from the many opinions of the Lizards and Rats. He wants peace and equality between all lands. Similarly slavery is condemned when the Conquedor takes the Berbils and sells them for slaves. Quite simply the Thundercats attack the slaver and those who are buying the Berbils, and subsequently defend the robot bears when the others try to take revenge. This idea of imperialism and racism culminates with Lion-O’s choice not to take the Tech Stone from the Bird City, because it would needlessly endanger the lives of thousands. This is idea is most clear when Lion-O is confronted by the Prefect of the Bird City, Vultaire, who refuses to give Lion-O the Tech Stone because he fears the Cats will use it to hold power over the other species, not to help them. Lion-O, as we know but the Bird Prefect does not, is a kind king and he wants to help all species against Mumm-Ra. The whole issue of imperialism and racism is summed up in the second to last episode when the gang are flying up to the bird city. Lion-O looks down on all the countries of Third Earth and comments how they don’t seem divided by boundaries, that they all seem part of a whole. Thus racism and imperialism are seen as bad and inferior to equality and peace generally.

Lion-O and his team learn to be more lenient to other races than there more immediate forefathers. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/268/b/5/thunder_thunder_thunder_by_anaklusmos_riptide-d4axs75.jpg

As I said above, when we compare Lion-O to Mumm-Ra in the last few episodes a struggle of power versus compassion arises. This is a question of why one rules, is it for personal power or is it for peace and the good of their people. Obviously the latter is shown to be more virtuous and more righteous throughout the series. At the same time in fact compassion shows itself to be more worthwhile for the leader as well as those he leads. Politics is a very symbiotic relationship, especially in a democratic system. Although Thundera is in no way democratic, it is quite obviously monarchical, a king needs his people, he needs manpower behind him, to rule. This is shown with Lion-O’s strategy to take down the lizard army by getting battalion to desert Mumm-Ra and by how seriously Mumm-Ra takes this threat. However one’s followers will only follow them in so long as they get benefit out of it. Mumm-Ra’s army revolt because they have been and will be even further repressed under his command. The Fishmen show disloyalty to their captain who shows no concern for their well being. This idea is most fully played out in the main narrative by Ratar-O and his right-hand rat Mordax. Ratar-O is very abusive to his people, Mordax most of all. On the other hand Lion-O has mercy on Mordax, saying it is just as powerful as the sword, when Pumyra attacks the Mouse. Although in the short run the eye-patched mouse shows loyalty towards his king, this loyalty runs out as Ratar-O continues to physically and verbally abuse his second in command, treating him more like a slave than anything else. When the time comes for Mordax to choose to help Ratar-O or Lion-O, the mouse chooses Lion-O, giving him the Sword of Omens and this lets Lion-O defeat Ratar-O (just as Jaga had defeated Ratilla). Thus, just as leniency and mercy is repaid by the Lizards in the first few episodes it is repaid too by the mouse Mordax, who says he wonders why a foreign king treats him better than his own king ever had. Liono nicely sums up Ratar-O’s opinion saying his people are just slaves on the other side of the whip. Politics in the series, despite not being in a democratic land, is still show as a relationship where a leader needs his people even more than they need him. Loyalty, like respect (as Panthro says), is earned not demanded. So too Lion-O had to earn Pumyra’s respect and loyalty in the Pit by not fighting her back. He does not treat her badly but convinces her he is leading for the sake of the people, for her sake and this convinces her to follow him. It is also notable how Pumyra refers to Lion-O as her king, a word without any truly bad connotations, to Mumm-Ra as her master, implying she is his slave, and Ratar-O is called a tyrant, a violent abusive ruler. Politics is a game of loyalty, and how one leads or is at least perceived to lead is very important for their followers (and thus themselves at the same time).

Also Lion-O learns to rule with compassion and is met with loyalty, unlike Mumm-Ra. http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/327/e/b/thundercats_2011_by_donpapi-d4h3dwp.png

Morality is further promoted by the two kittens of the Thundercats. From a flashback we learn that WilyKat and WilyKit are the eldest of four children, and in order to help their family survive after the loss of their father, they runaway so there would be enough food for their mother and siblings. However, when they are in Thundera they must steal in order to survive starvation in the slums. However, WilyKat and WilyKit, in their experiences with Tookit, learn that virtue, namely honesty and integrity, is more important than personal gain, in particular wealth and luxurious living. They also moralise, when they are hunting with Cheetara and Panthro, about killing the family of Chib-Chibs and even save the Chib-Chibs from another predator. In return the Chib-Chibs lead the cats to other food. They basically question why others should die or be hurt so they can survive; that the argument a sacrifice of others for a “greater good” is flawed. Later they say stealing is wrong, notably when Tygra suggests taking the Tech Stone. However, they do not say being a vegetarian is necessary, but they firmly seem to believe killing is wrong, just like stealing. It seems they present that the idea is that unless something is absolutely necessary any immoral act that would harm others is wrong. They too present the idea life, of anyone of any species, over everything else, is important. This idea is also present by Lion-O when he refuses to fight Pumyra in the Pit (just as Panthro had previously run away to avoid fighting Dobo to the death). Although this is not power versus compassion the same kind of struggle is shown and the ideals and morality is placed over advancing oneself for their own gain. This is especially seen with the Bird Prefect Vultaire who is too often dishonest and changes side in the war many times. He betrays his people and the Thundercats save the Birds from certain death. We can see that dishonest leaders do not lead for the good of the people, they are concern only for number one, themselves.

The two kittens learn and even look to teach others about morality in their actions. http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/223/4/6/thundercats__lion_o_and_kitkat_by_farfie_kins-d46751s.jpg

But this leaves one more issue open, sacrifice. We have seen that throughout the series sacrificing others for your cause is wrong. Sacrificing the baby Tygra so the tiger clan could appease the ancient spirits (the same spirits that help Mumm-Ra) was the wrong way to cure the disease that affected them. That killing the Chib-Chibs to survive is wrong, just as killing others in the Pit is seen as barbaric and evil. However, where does this leave Panthro (and his first set of arms)? Panthro sacrifices his arms to trap Grune in the Astral Plane, just as Grune had sacrificed his own tooth to help himself and Panthro from Spidera. As an audience we don’t mourn Grune and the writers never really imply, through their characters that what Panthro did was in anyway wrong. I mean Panthro gets another set of arms very quickly and does very little suffering indeed. Another time of sacrifice is in fact praised beyond anything else. This is Lion-O sacrificing his soul in order to help his Thundercats, after he fails his fourth trial. In fact every time the Thundercats put their necks on the line, in terms of battle, to help others it is fine. It comes down to a matter of their goal, or their bigger picture. Grune does everything for his own ambitions as he wants to be king of the cats. Grune even looks to betray Mumm-Ra. On the other hand Panthro and Lion-O want to do this for the benefit of the Thundercats and the peoples of Third Earth generally. Their sacrifices are for selfless reasons, comparative to Grune, who in his sacrifice says he has further on the political ladder to climb. Thus it seems the self-sacrifice is to be praised of a leader or politician. It is alright to make your own sacrifices, just as WilyKat and WilyKit sacrificed their own livelihood for their family, as long it virtuously helps those who lead for (or as long it keeps the bigger picture in mind).

Even Grune shows self-sacrefice can be good, but unfortunately he doesn't understand the true purpose of politics. http://dannortonart.deviantart.com/art/Grune-the-Destroyer-Concept-290512889

Another more convoluted issue that is raised is that of environmentalism and technological advance. The environment is of course placed as something that is important and worth protecting. This is quite obvious from episode 11 named Forest of the Magi Oar. We learn that protecting a forest is a good thing but using it for your own means, as the Wood Forgers do, is bad. In fact it somewhat seems that Zig and his fellow Wood Forgers are a tad ignorant of what they are doing. They save they are protecting the environment but really they are destroying. So too many people in our world are ignorant of the ways they are destroying the environment. But why should we protect the environment? Obviously for our healthy, but also for that of other animals/species. The Pedlars, a woodland race almost beyond Lion-O’s comprehension, due to the way they age, would be destroyed if their forest was destroyed. Like in our world many other creatures, seemingly unrelated to us, would be killed if we cannot look after the environment. Destruction of the environment, even if you are trying to save it, is not in keeping with your bigger picture, not to mention it is sacrificing something living and necessary for life for some other “greater good”. Technology is naturally put in opposition to nature and natural things, such as during the Soul Sever episode, where it is used to unnaturally save his family. So the question of whether technology is good or bad is also raised. The bombs and war machines the lizards use are obviously bad, but at the same time the birds use technology for life and peace. Lion-O concludes, like any non-cognitive object in life, technology is neither good nor bad, it totally depends on how it is used, whether it be for destruction and power, or for the preservation of life.

The soul sever raises the question of technology's place in society. http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/152/5/b/soul_sever_concept_by_dingo107-d51xuxd.jpg

Thus I would argue that in fact the main story is just a way of giving us these messages and that the important artifacts of the story are just symbols for the values portrayed. The first Stone of Power is a symbol of looking at the bigger picture and Liono only gains it when he can truly look at the bigger picture. So too the second stone is representative of how and why we lead. It is parallel with the Star of Plundarr, the symbol of power vs compassion, and is in the city where personal pride is pit against communal good. In other words the struggle for the Tech Stone mirrors the struggle of leading for the correct reasons. Unfortunately Mumm-Ra wins, all too true of how in our world politicians that have self-serving motives win elections over those who truly desire the public good. What then is the Book of Omens? Well the book is a symbol for the series itself. The book is said to tell the history and the future. So too the series recounts Lion-O’s history as well as lessons for the future. Just after Lion-O gets the book he is put into a flashback by the book in order to learn lessons that will be relevant. In particular his history lesson teaches him about the power of cooperation between the species, the benefits of freedom and the true aims of leadership. This all helped Leo defeat Mumm-Ra in the first place. So just as the book gives Lion-O directions for achieving his goals, so too the series and history gives us directions on how to achieve our goals correctly. So only when Lion-O first learns to use his “Sight Beyond Sight” in episode 6 and after he has forsaken his pride and other emotions in episode 5, he is able to get the Book of Omens, showing he has learnt his lessons, but he needs to keep them in mind, as he still struggles with these later on in the series. 

The items and symbols of the series: http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/236/5/0/key_of_thundera__book_of_omens_by_risiavyle-d47j8tp.jpg

Thus many values are promoted. Most important of these are leading for ones people, not for themselves. Next is how imperialism and racism are wrong, but equality, peace and morality generally are right. Also self-sacrifice for others is fine, but sacrificing others for oneself is not. Next the environment should be protected, but technology is not necessarily bad, it is all about how it is used. This series wants us to learn these things, just as the Thundercats learn them from the Book of Omens. 

My favorite piece of art. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/300/4/c/happy_halloween_2012_by_reaperclamp-d5j5xle.jpg

The Politics of Third Earth: Part 2, Lion-O as an Ideal Leader -Thundercats (2011)

In the previous post (you can read it here: http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-1-lion.html) I described how Lion-O learnt from others and became an ideal leader after his Trials. Because Lion-O is basically a flawless leader with his second life, it is valuable to judge other leaders against the king of the Thundercats, considering up to this point Lion-O has learnt from others, such as the elephant Aten or the forest guardian Viragor, but now others will learn from him.

After his trials, Lion-O became an ideal leader, like his ancestors, and now should be compared to those lesss worthy. http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/040/2/e/king_leon_o_by_claymore__miria-d4p6zlj.jpg

First we could of course compare to his rival for the throne and adopted brother, Tygra. Straight after Lion-O proves himself as a leader Tygra gets his opportunity to become a leader of his own tiger clan. However, Tygra finds himself wanted (as well as the other leaders within the village) when it comes to pride. The tigers' pride (in relation to asking for help from the other cats) means a disease and then curse ravages the whole village. At the same time they lose sight of the bigger picture as they are willing to kill the baby Tygra in a “one life for many” deal with the ancient spirits. However, they realise that this would be counter-intuitive, killing for the sake of living, and Tygra too forgets his pride, showing humility by forgiving his father rather than holding him accountable for his mistakes. Even though the tigers themselves are not saved Tygra learns a valuable lesson just as Lion-O did. However, Tygra’s pride still pops up, for example he is easily baited by the Prefect of the bird city, but on the other hand Lion-O’s pride never seems to reappear. We should note how Lion-O learnt to forget his pride, but Tygra did not. 

Tygra, potential leader of the Tiger-clan, should be the first to be compared, as the two were rival throughout the first part. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/248/7/4/tygra_by_pm9402-d48y0pf.png

Pumyra is another cat who could learn a lot from Lion-O. She is full of anger due to the fall of Thundrea and how she saw Lion-O escape to fight another day but unknowingly did not save her when she was trapped under some rubble. Lion-O however tries to quell her anger, first by not fighting her in the Pit, which subsequently turns her anger into loyalty. Although she never really lets go of her anger and revenge as she always is prompting Lion-O to make decisions based on these feelings. Most notably she wants Lion-O to steal the Tech Stone, both because it is their goal and because she holds resentment towards the birds that had imprisoned her, shown by how she kidnaps and threatens the Prefect of the City. Now that Lion-O has let go of such emotions when it comes to leading the series needs some agent to put these kind of choices in front of Lion-O, and Pumyra is exactly this. Lion-O never indulges in these feelings and we see Pumyra’s flaw as Lion-O’s growth. At the same time we could see Pumyra’s character fault as Mumm-Ra’s. Just as the Thundercats will look to learn from Lion-O, Pumyra learnt from Mumm-Ra. She is in fact a dead cat having been raised to life by Mumm-Ra, how could she not be influenced by him? Her anger, obsession with power and revenge are all aspects of Mumm-Ra’s leadership. The only reason she follows him is also to exact revenge on the king that abandoned her. However, as stated, Pumyra’s man role is to show how Lion-O is now an ideal leader without feelings of anger, pride or revenge.

Pumyra, after her twist betrayal. http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/220/6/d/untitled_drawing_by_dingo107-d5aalyf.png

                               

Of course the one who Lion-O should be most compared to is really Pumyra’s master Mumm-Ra. Mumm-Ra is violent, merciless and absolutely power-hungry. He will do anything, absolutely anything to achieve his goals. The main distinction between himself and Lion-O (as well as Leo the first Thundercat) is the way in which each comes to power and how they look to use their power. Lion-O admittedly was given his power by inheritance but he proved his worthiness by going through his trials, both of his ancestor Leo and at his death. Mumm-Ra on the other hand seems to have been given power by evil ancient spirits and by the masses of soldier he uses to get the artifacts he uses to fight. Why they fight is the biggest difference of all. Lion-O fights for freedom, for peace and for equality amoungst all races. Although the Thundercats had not always upheld these values Leo held true, Lion-O is looking to make amends. We can see this especially with his treatment of the lizard army. Rather than fighting his people’s long time enemies he lets them go and tells them to just desert Mumm-Ra’s army and stay home. Mumm-Ra on the other hand has only one goal. This is domination of the universe for his sole benefit. He doesn’t care who or how many he has to step on or even kill to get to this position. The main example of this is when he is making the Sword of Plun-Darr. To do this he uses the material he gathers from destroying the star of Plun-Darr, despite being warned by his generals Leo and Panthera that doing so would end billions of lives (as the Star of Plun-Darr supported life on ten planets, three of which were inhabited by intelligent life). Mumm-Ra shows little concern for this and it is this that actually leads to the rebellion, led by Leo, against Mumm-Ra. Lion-O is put into the same situation when he is made to choose between Pumyra and the Sword of Plun-Darr, when he fights with Mumm-Ra after the fall of Ratar-O. Lion-O, rather than choosing the power of the evil sword, chooses to save his fellow cat. He leads for his people. This type of decision arises again, more obviously, when he is told by Pumyra to steal the Tech Stone, but refuses on the basis it will kill thousands as it keeps the birds’ city in the air. This contrast is then further developed into a contest between power and emotions. As I said before emotions, particularly anger and pride, can cloud judgement, however here emotions allow Lion-O to see and retain a strong grip upon the “bigger picture”. Compassion, it seems, allows Lion-O to remember what he is fighting for, the freedom and ultimately the lives of those on Third Earth. Thus Lion-O’s feelings and goals for leadership are in stark contrast to those of Mumm-Ra.

Mumm-Ra, is the polar opposite of Lion-O it seems. http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/213/e/b/mum_ra_2011_by_jazylh-d42cdww.jpg

It is also worthwhile to look at the generals Mumm-Ra surrounds himself with. First of course there is Slithe the lizard general, who basically acts as the right hand of Mumm-Ra. He destroys whatever it takes to catch Lion-O, such as the forest of the Petalars. He shows he is ruthless and sneaky and cares very little about his own people. Lion-O on the other hand shows concern for all races throughout the series. This is most notably done in the beginning of the series with two lizards and then again at the end of the series when he shows concern for the bird city. Then there is Grune, who looks to betray all those around him, Panthro, Claudus (the first king and Lion-O's father) and even Mumm-Ra himself, in order to fully advance his political position. Even as a lowly soldier he knew he wanted to be king and will do all that he can to be king. Lion-O never shows wavering loyalty to his people and is even willing to sacrifice his life for them (after his failed trials) and refuses to fight Pumyra (in the Pit), things Grune would never do. He is solely focussed on his own promotion, not helping others and this is why he seems so bad. 

Grune was willing to do whatever it was to get power. http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/073/2/f/thundercat_commission_by_njay-d4ss636.jpg

After Grune's death or entrapment Mumm-Ra gets two replacements, Addicus the monkey and the jackal Kaynar. Both show themselves to be likewise ruthless and even want to kill others just for fun, shown when they are being set free by Slithe they just want to kill those that imprisoned them rather than simply escape. Lion-O numerous times chooses just to escape and fight another day. In fact these generals were brought in to stop the lizard army’s desertion rate, not through good leadership, but through ruthlessly punishing those who did revolt. During their roles as generals they continue to lead through anger and revenge rather than compassion. Mumm-Ra’s generals, just like Mumm-Ra himself are starkly contrasted to Lion-O who is controls his pride after his trials and never acts on anger or revenge, especially when dealing with the birds and their Prefect. Thus Lion-O shows himself to be an ideal leader when compared to Mumm-Ra’s generals. Thus the things Lion-O learnt to do and to be as a leader are further reinforced to the audience when we look at comparing him to Mumm-Ra's generals.

Mumm-Ra's lizard general, Slithe, and one of newer mercenary generals, Addicus. http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/052/3/6/thundercats_concept_art_by_dingo107-d4qivsa.jpg

So too Lion-O seems ideal when compared to leaders from the second half of the series that are unrelated to Mumm-Ra. I could also include Zig, the Wood Forger, and the Fishman captain here too, but I feel above I have described how these two are used for Lion-O to learn from, rather than to compare Lion-O to. First an independent rival and enemy of the cats, the rat king Ratar-O. He has enslaved the Cats who escaped Thundera into mining into Mt. Plun-Darr, where the Sword of Plun-Darr was buried by Jaga. Not only does the Rat king (or rather tyrant) treat the Cats like slaves but he also treats his loyal rodent subjects the same way. Lion-O calls the other Rats and Mice slaves behind the whips and Ratar-O’s right-hand mouse Mordax says that Lion-O treats him better than Ratar-O ever did (after Lion-O shows him mercy but Ratar-O just whips him for obedience). This ultimately leads to Ratar-O’s downfall as Mordax shows loyalty to Lion-O, giving him the Sword of Omens, and shows why Lion-O is an ideal leader and Ratar-O is not: because a good leader shows mercy and compassion, not only to his own people but peoples of other leaders. Thus Lion-O and Ratar-O are polar opposites and Lion-O is seen as the right way to go. Likewise their reasons for leading are different. Ratar-O wants the Sword of Plun-Darr for the same reason as his ancestor who first found it, Ratilla. This is to dominate other nations and make Rats the master race. Lion-O however uses his sword to create peace and equality. Yet again the two leaders are seen as vastly different and we side with Lion-O.

Ratilla, Ratar-O's ancestor who found the sword of Plundarr. http://dragonforcer.deviantart.com/art/Ratilla-316401663

The other leader Lion-O should be compared to is the Prefect of the Bird City, Vultaire. Vultaire is seen as arrogant and dishonest from his manner of speech and actions towards the Thundercats, especially when they make a wager for the Tech Stone. Not only does he arrogantly think he will win (after he has given Tygra an inferior airship), Vultaire also refuses to give the Thundercats the Stone of Power when Tygra wins. He then treats the Thundercats as prisoners and only trusts them when it turns out to be his only hope of defending his city against the forces of Mumm-Ra. The Thundercats help the Birds but Vultaire betrays them, only looking out for his own neck, as he joins Mumm-Ra’s forces and helps them attack Lion-O. Vultaire’s dishonesty, constantly changing sides and generally immorality shows he is a bad leader. He is concerned with himself more than his people too, as all his actions leads to the city of his people falling to the ground, and he is not the one to save them, the Thundercats do. Lion-O on the other hand is very morally righteous, he objects to stealing the Stone of Power, to kidnapping and threatening Vultaire (this was done by Pumira of her own accord) and generally cares about those others around him. Vultaire is, like many others, seen as inferior to Lion-O mainly in terms of morality and how this relates to his leadership of his people. 

Vultaire, the Prefect of the bird city. http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/164/d/1/vultaire_by_dirgeyoucandanceto-d53bgmu.jpg

Thus Liono shows himself to be ideal even against those leaders that are not influenced by Mumm-Ra. Although none of the mentioned characters have to be lectured on the whole "Sight Beyond Sight" thing they all have flaws that Lion-O had to address in becoming a good leader. They are all blinded on leading properly, some by anger, others by pride and others just do not realise they must lead for the good of others. In my next post I will look at how we can connect this all with our politics. Read the next part here: http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-3-lion.html

The Politics of Third Earth: Part 1, Lion-O as a Prospective Leader -Thundercats (2011)

In 2011 Cartoon Network showed a reboot of the 80s classic Thundercats. This series tells of the struggles between the ThunderCats and the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra, following the destruction of their home, the kingdom of Thundera. To stop Mumm-Ra taking over the universe they must roam the planet Third Earth to find ancient powerful weapons. This series, because it was only given one season (26 episodes of the 52 planned), didn't tell a complete story. It thus only chronicles the growth of Lion-O from an adolescent lion into the great king of the Thundercats he will become. In the first episode Lion-O is told he must go through a rite of passage to become king. Throughout the episodes we can see how Lion-O feels inferior to his father, such as from Panthro’s comments in episode 5, and he feels he needs to prove himself. Also in the first two episodes we also see how he is inferior to his adopted older brother, the tiger Tygra and there is a great rivalry between them. Although he never does the actual rite of passage the following 20+ episodes really act like this for him, after his impromptu coronation in episode 2, and as a way for him to prove he deserves to be king despite the qualities of his older brother. In his development we also get potentially contradictory messages about how to lead but really it seems to be complex comments about leading and politics nowadays as well.

A more 80s inspired, stylised fanart. http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/230/1/8/mumm_ra_bustin_out_by_naldridge-d472qf8.jpg

One of the most important phrases throughout the season of Thundercats is “Sight Beyond Sight”. It refers to Lion-O being able to use the Sword of Omens as a mystical telescope to scout out his enemies and more importantly help him find the Book of Omens and Stones of Power, which he needs to defeat Mumm-Ra. However, in the first episode Jaga, the wise cleric, associates “Sight Beyond Sight” with the qualities of a good leader, not just some hallucinations or visions. It means that a leader should be able to lead with a clear view of all issues and then act accordingly. When Lion-O has troubles with his “Sight Beyond Sight” powers it is because he is not looking at the bigger picture. This happens numerous times. For example when Lion-O is looking for the Book of Omens, in episode 6, the sword fails to work. However. after Lion-O is given some guidance. the sword works and he finds a switch, which ultimately leads him to the Book. But this idea is presented  in more detail and more importantly when Lion-O is looking for the first Stone of Power. After the sword shows him it is in the elephant village, he cannot find the stone. He is told this is because he cannot see the bigger picture. This is illustrated when he kills the Wraiths, bugs that eat the elephants’ fruit, but doesn't realise their buzzing keeps away a bigger threat, in the form of a rock giant that could eat the village. He is told he cannot see the bigger consequences of his actions and he sees the sword as merely a tool or weapon (and thus his political position to get what he wants, Cheetara). He needs a larger perspective on his leadership in general. So he goes to the Forest of the Magi Oar, where again the sword fails, and Lion-O is again told to look at the bigger picture, this time by Zig the Wood Forger. After talking to the real forest guardian Viragor, he realises both the bigger picture and how this bigger picture is what he is fighting for. After learning his lesson Lion-O returns to the elephant village where he applies his new skills and knowledge, finds out where the Stone of Power is and then further applies what he has learned to find the stone in the Astral Plane, in episode 13, when both Tygra and Mumm-Ra could not. In this he learns his rivalry with Tygra is not the aim of his leadership,  but his (or rather their) real goal is to find the Stone and help their people and that Tygra is in fact on his side and really wants to help him, even when he questions Lion-O’s judgement. Likewise Lion-O learns, from his experience of the elephants, that having everything (all the fruit) and achieving this with violence is not important, survival and peace between species is more important. Thus the first half or so of the season was based on Lion-O learning how to lead whilst viewing the bigger picture and keeping this in mind.

Jaga introduces the idea of "Sight Beyond Sight". http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/221/2/a/jaga_jaga____by_njay-d45yz4c.png

However, at the same time Lion-O is told he must pay attention to the smaller details of tasks if he is to succeed. He cannot just focus on the bigger picture if he is to achieve it. This happens in episode 6 where he is trying too hard to look at the bigger picture. Cheetara tells him that if he looks too hard he will miss what is right in front of him. It means that in this episode, when they must go through a series of traps, they are almost killed numerous times. The details are important too. But what is more important, what is the show trying to say? Well the key to this whole argument is episode 3, the first episode where Lion-O is truly a king making the decisions for his people. In this he follows the bad example of the Fishman captain, Koinelius Tunar, who wants to kill the Ramlak because it destroyed his people’s lovely ocean oasis, drying it up into a desert sea. He focuses only on revenge and he is willing to sacrifice his crew in his pursuit of revenge. But when he does his he forgets the truly bigger picture. This is who exactly he was leading or fighting for. In episode three Lion-O realises that the captain was wrong in just wanting to kill the Ramlak and that he is really should have been working for his people, or those who he is leading, because he really should want to restore the Desert Sea for the livelihood of his people. Lion-O learns, from the bad example of the pirate captain, that there is no point in sacrificing his people’s interests (or rather their lives) for some goal, because you want to achieve this goal to help your crew. You are leading them for their benefit and it is all undone if they are killed in the process. The “bigger picture” is not the goal you want to achieve; it is in fact WHY you want to achieve this goal. So we must pay attention to the big picture, we must remember the big goal of politics, but we must not ignore the small details in the hopes of achieving this dream. In other words the bigger picture must be remembered and then the smaller details must be evaluated if they are achievable and in touch with this bigger goal. If we don’t have the bigger picture in mind the smaller details will be irrelevant.

Lion-O must learn how to use his sword his sword to conquer "Sight Beyond Sight". http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/084/a/2/lion_o_thunder_cats_by_valvicto4-d3cfhq0.png

Another example proves this. When he is in the Forest of the Magi Oar, episode 11, the Thundercats encounter the Wood Forgers, lead by a certain Zig, who saves them from “evil” spirits when the Sword of Omens fails to work. The Wood Forgers try to protect the forest through their paper based magic and proudly show the Thundercats their paper mill where they make thousands of pieces of paper in a day. They are then attacked by the “evil” monster bird known as Viragor. After his conversation with the bird and seeing the forest destroyed, Lion-O realises he is not truly putting the pieces of the puzzle together, just as he couldn't with Zig’s puzzle previously. Cheetara had earlier questioned if the forest could sustain the paper mill and then Lion-O confronts the Wood Forgers on their deforestation, saying how they have lost sight of the bigger picture, protecting the forest. How can they be protecting something they are destroying? The answer is that they are not. Zig says that some (trees) must suffer for the greater good, but this just proves he has lost sight of what the greater good really is, just as the pirate captain had. So we must find solutions to the problems, but in order to find the correct smaller steps in our large solution we must remember the why of the goal. Why do the Wood Forgers want to defeat Viragor? To protect the forest. Are their methods saving the forest? No, they are only destroying it. Viragor was in support of the Wood Forgers when they used dead branches on the forest floor to make paper, but in gaining power they became power hungry and lost sight of their true goal. So too we can explain why the Soul Sewer is evil and misguided in this way, he forgot the bigger picture. We can also say why sacrificing the baby Tygra would have been wrong for the mountainous Tiger clan, because he was part of who they were ultimately trying to protect. Their idea of one life for many does not hold up because their methods are not keeping in mind their “greater good”.

Lion-O must learn to be the best king he can. http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/086/6/c/at_your_service_majesty_by_claymore__miria-d4u6g27.jpg

As I said above, another part of the all important episode three lesson was how the captain showed nothing but anger in choosing revenge over anything else. Another part of Lion-O’s growth is how he views the relationship between his emotions and leadership. In particular Lion-O must suppress his aggressive emotions to be a good leader, as they can distract him from seeing the bigger picture and make him forget what or who he is truly leading for. He must especially contain his anger and revenge. In episode three he learns that anger and focussing on revenge is definitely a bad emotion to a leader, as it consumes the fishman captain and makes him lose sight of the bigger picture, the true goal of his mission. In fact more often than not Lion-O’s anger is connected to pride. In particular Tygra is able to make Lion-O angry, due to their intense rivalry and this makes Lion-O forget his true goals. This is evident during their struggles over the crown throughout the first half of the series. Lion-O’s pride is especially high because he is usually seen as inferior to Tygra at many times: first in their contest to ring the bell, both before their father’s death and then during his trials to return to life; in making military decisions, such as when they return to the elephant village and Tygra has a better idea in attacking the lizards; and just in terms of strength and mental fortitude, when they fight to ring the bell at the start and in the Astral Plane. In fact this whole political rivalry culminates with their fight in the Astral Plane, as Lion-O is in the mind of being betrayed (because he has been warned by the elephant Anet of this). In the place where thoughts become reality, a sword appears before Tygra and the two fight, agreeing to end their rival for the throne there and then, also having just learnt Tygra caused Lion-O to be trapped in a well as kids and then abandoned him (when Liono thought it was just an accident). Although Tygra wins their battle, it is put to an end in terms of politics when Tygra reveals he truly respects Lion-O and would never betray his brother and king. Just like when they were kids, Tygra never abandoned Lion-O, he just regretfully went to find help. The two realise their rivalry can only bring destruction upon themselves so they put it away, for the mean time. However, Lion-O’s pride returns even more viciously when, after they return from the Astral Plane, Tygra betrays Lion-O, by kissing Cheetara, the girl both of them had been vying for.

The rivalry between brothers caused Lion-O to lose his way. http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/292/5/f/knock_it_off_dad_by_reaperclamp-d5ic3xv.jpg

So why is Lion-O’s pride wrong? Often Lion-O’s pride actually leads to him wrongly questioning others ideas. This happens numerous times, for example when his pride towards Panthro leads him to attacking the mine, rather than waiting for night, and this backfires. In the most extreme case this pride actually led to paranoia and questioning everyone else’s motivation behind giving him alternate ideas. The main example of this is (after feeling betrayed by both Tygra and Cheetara with their kiss) Lion-O stubbornly goes up an exposed mountain cliff-face, to find the next Stone of Power, despite others telling him not to. This leads to an ambush by Mumm-Ra’s three generals, as predicted by Panthro, and ultimately Lion-O’s death as he falls off the mountain in the ambush. Although everything turns out well, the fact this happens leads to Lion-O’s trials to see if he is a worthy king, and the only part he falls in is his pride, namely towards his brother. Well basically pride, just like anger and revenge, clouds judgement. It causes Lion-O to make the wrong moves because he is doing things for the wrong reasons. In other words, Lion-O’s pride makes him lose sight of the bigger picture so his decisions are not carefully weighted enough for the good of his people; they are aimed at proving that he himself is a good leader, better than all others. In fact Lion-O’s pride (and this leads to his anger and revenge) is also caused by a deep undercurrent of feeling unworthy, which has been causes him to want to prove himself. His rivalry with Tygra has usually ended with him looking inferior. So too his feeling of unworthiness, when compared to his father Claudus by Panthro, who says his father was a true leader. Panthro subsequently reprimands Lion-O by saying respect must not be demanded of someone but should be earned. We must remember Lion-O’s coronation was done at the last possible second in a very quick manner by Jaga, as they escaped Thundera. So too in the Drifter episode Lion-O just feels the need to prove he and the Sword of Omens are better than all others, when he competes in the contest to cut a large rock. Hubris is shown throughout the town but Lion-O’s undercurrent of feeling unworthy is then reveals when he becomes too proud to walk away from the Duelist and ends up losing the Sword of Omens. 

So too the rivalry for love also made Lion-O lose his way. http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/268/a/9/thundercats_ho_2011_by_chuvi-d4aw4gj.jpg

In contrast to pride from feeling that they are lacking, a leader must have self-belief so that they don’t have to feel they need to prove themselves. They cannot be depressed and have no confidence in what they are doing. Lion-O expresses this side of a leader during his Trials in order to earn his second life. He says that some of the tasks, especially those set by Cheetara and Panthro are impossible, but they respond if he thinks that then the tasks will be impossible. He is taught (like in Emrick’s episode too) not to view anything as impossible and without hope, and that he should have confidence in his abilities. This of course culminates with Panthro’s trial where Panthro shows him that Lion-O is a great leader, and he need not be the strongest (nor faster than Cheetara) he just needs to lead with confidence. Like when he frees the lizards in the first two episodes, he is told to have faith in his ideals when others question him. In the Drifter episode Lion-O learns the leader does not have to be the strongest but must be have enough self-awareness to know their weaknesses and shortcomings to hide them or use them to their advantages. The analogy of the willow is used because, although it is not as strong as other pieces of wood, it is flexible enough to bind the other pieces of wood. This perspective helps him win the fight with the Duelist as he realises he is not as strong as the Duelist but compensates this with tactics. So Lion-O may not be the strongest, fastest, or most stealthy or wise but he needs to be like the willow and use his team to the best of their abilities. This is why he is able to overcome his trials after death. 

Lion-O must learn to use the talents and characteristics of his team to gain victory against the forces of Mumm-Ra. http://www.ckohler.net/offsite/Thundercats/epicFanArt.png

During the two episodes of The Trials of Lion-O is where Lion-O fully becomes the sort of ideal leader that he should be. In his first trial he is able to find the key off of WilyKit and WilyKat, because he uses smell rather than sight. Although this just seems like a fun way for him to get past the optical illusions created by the “real” WilyKit and WilyKat, it really just shows Lion-O’s experience with perspective. He is able to push past the illusions and find the truth, showing he can push past the distractions and understand the true goal and bigger picture of leadership. Lion-O’s second trial is beating Cheetara in a race through a maze. After getting over his confidence issues he uses a bird to fly over the maze and beats the very quick feline to the key. This symbolises a growth from his pride induced mistake that lead him to his trials. He learns to use teamwork in an innovative manner. He realises the power of teamwork and innovation is better than any individual's solo judgement and power. Next Lion-O is challenged by Panthro to a pseudo-sumo match. Again, after some confidence issues, Lion-O realises the true goal of his challenge as to show his qualities as a leader, rather than test him as an entity who is not strong or fast. He shows the confidence a leader needs and orders Panthro out of the ring, learning his lesson about how a leader must have self-belief to be successful. We should remember it was Panthro who scolded Lion-O previously for his pride, saying respect must be earned, not demanded or taken for granted. Subsequently Lion-O must prove that he is not too proud when he rematches Tygra in a bell ringing contest. When Liono loses, because he still holds this rival in him (due to the kiss between Cheetara and Tygra), Lion-O feels hugely regretful. He realises his pride has got the best of him, so he forsakes his soul in order to return and save his gang. He gives up all he has, he gives up his pride with his soul in the “ultimate” sacrifice for his people. Lion-O is thus rewarded when he is given his second life without having his soul taken. Thus Lion-O succeeds his trials, just as he had succeeded in taking on the role of Leo, the first and idealised king of the Thundercats, in a flashback. His second life is symbolic of him becoming the ideal leader against whom we can judge others. It is relevant these last two challenges of confidence and arrogance were within the palace, showing Lion-O was proving himself worthy of the throne with these. It is also relevant that during this time Tygra fails as a leader in his attempt to reclaim the Sword from Mumm-Ra and his generals, but when Lion-O returns he succeeds. Thus Lion-O finally surpasses his older brother. Lion-O also learns throughout this time both pride or rather arrogance is bad but he must still have confidence in his abilities.

One of Lion-O's first trials involved reenacting the deeds of his ancestor, Leo. http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/244/5/4/54961aae0b77e03a8a0814ae156eed72-d48jrga.jpg

You can read more about how Lion-O, rather than being shown as an inferior leader by comparison, is shown as the ideal one in the second half the Thundercats series. The second part to this essay is here: http://animevigil.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-politics-of-third-earth-part-2-lion.html