the hero's journey

my heart never sleeps

One of the really great things about the .hack Conglomerate is that the characters are carried through several different forms of media. Instead of a single game or film, the viewer is allowed to really meet the characters. This goes double for series hero Haseo. Like any good dynamic lead, he changes, adapts, and evolves from a very unheroic young lad into a true hero. I'd like to follow that development here, while discussing how his personality and outlook shift as his role in the story does.

In the beginning...

Judging by events in Rebirth, Haseo was actually a little optimistic during the First Login. He was willing to let IYOTEN and Asta show him around The World; if not, he certainly didn't have the guts to say no. After their initial betrayal, the immediate aftermath is devastating to Haseo's personality. It can be assumed it didn't radically shift his outlook or anything, but it did increase his wariness and cynicism toward the game. This makes sense, considering it's inferred that he was a loner in the Real World, too.

However, I'd like to point out that at no time did Haseo quit. Yes, he talked about it -- for good reason, even. The game does seem stupid after the first day. If anything, it's an exercise in pointless human contact: putting yourself at risk every day, letting some moron who can't graduate high school ruin your game for their jollies. Frankly, I'd have a hard time coming back, too.

The Search for the Key of Twilight

But that all changes when Haseo meets the Twilight Brigade. Ovan and Shino, in particular, give Haseo a reason to exist in The World. Maybe he felt he didn't have that reason in reality, or maybe he was subconsciously being called to stay in the game: either way, it's enough to keep him around. Oh, he's still apathetic and cynical. He and Tabby have a sort of friendship, but he mostly ignores her, or tells her to stop bothering him. He and Sakisaka rarely get along (too many grumps in the kitchen), and after Haseo is blamed for leaking information to TaN, he willingly leaves the Brigade. He still doesn't believe in The World; at this point, it's still "just some stupid game" that he sticks around for Shino and, perhaps, the mysterious Ovan.

But he also comes back when they need him. He may act like a self-centered, "I'm way too bored for this" kid, but it is, partially, an act. Deep down, he cares. And also, presumably, just likes a good fight: he fearlessly faces TaN's ambush for the Brigade, and even persuades Gord with his determination. We could actually mark that incident down as one of the first times Haseo shows that he can lead and change people.

When Shino is PKed by Tri-Edge, Haseo reacts with a teen boy's grief: over-the-top, perhaps a little melodramatic, but completely passionate. He's lost the one person who stayed beside him, and what's more, the one person who confessed to needing him. Again, Haseo needs a purpose. Ovan and Shino repeatedly told him that the Brigade needed him; after Ovan's disappearance, Shino needed him beside her. He reacted like any good white knight: he would protect her, because that's where he was needed. Unfortunately, he could not protect her against Tri-Edge, and as her PC body dissolved in his arms, he was genuinely struck by his failure. This tragedy spurred him on to become the Terror of Death.

The Terror of Death

After Shino is PKed by Tri-Edge, Haseo becomes the Terror of Death. He forgets everything but his goal of bringing Shino back, and states over and over again that Shino is the only important person in his life. While I do suspect that there's a teen boy's crush hidden in his motivation, I think that deep down Haseo is wracked with guilt. Shino's mom accusing him of knowing something about the tragedy was the final straw for the poor boy, and soon he was completely over the edge as he searched for his redemption and power.

Even though Haseo is a bit loony during this period, we can applaud his determination and focus. These are good traits for a leader to have. Of course, the cons outweigh the pros here, but can we blame a young boy's grief-stricken decisions?

Haseo never accepts anyone's help. Despite several people struggling to aid Haseo for both his and Shino's sake, he refuses to let anyone else get involved -- and usually doesn't notice their efforts anyway. Is this stubborn pride, or an inability to play with others? A bit of both, I think, but I do tend to chalk it up to his own trouble relating to people. Above all, Haseo can stand on his own. He's impatient to boot, which means he doesn't believe he has the luxury of involving others who might "slow him down". He just doesn't see the point in accepting help. Again, I have a hard time blaming him here, particularly considering his mental state at the time.

After the Forest of Pain event, a quest in which Haseo persevered due to sheer determination (and a little healing help from Saburo), Haseo officially becomes the Terror of Death. He hunts Pkers for information on Tri-Edge and brutally fights off 100 of them during an ambush. He still doesn't pay attention to those who are helping him from the sidelines, which does make him a very self-centered young man. But remember, his ultimate goal is to save someone else: does this mean he selfishly wants her to return to him, or is he genuinely driven to awaken her for her own sake? I believe the latter, but it is open to interpretation.

Near the end of this period, Saburo confronts Haseo a final time, telling him that "You're not straight anymore; you're twisted". This is a very good summary of Haseo's descent into guilt-driven lunacy.

Level 133 --> Level 1

Being Data Drained by Tri-Edge certainly does set Haseo back a good ways. In the anime, he shows a little more acceptance of it; the game, he resolves himself to his fate, but immediately begins working toward leveling up again. Haseo respects himself most when he is strong and capable of protecting others and getting the job done. Not quite so self-centered, eh?

In fact, it is during this period that he's forced to work with others, such as the guild Canard and Project G.U. He reacts to both with extreme abrasiveness, but he never lets them or himself wallow in his own fate. Oh no, Haseo is immediately determined to get his power back and save Shino. I definitely respect that. There's nothing more irritating than a hero who wallows.

Haseo decides to use Canard and G.U. for his own ends. At times he can play the nice guy for his own benefit, such as trying to convince Atoli to fight in the Arena beside him, but more often than not he treats them like he sees them: tools. He's sarcastic, snippy, confrontational. He's not all anti-hero here, though. He shows genuine kindness to Bo, and accepts being Canard's guildmaster, despite his internal protests. He still has a sense of duty.

I personally believe that this period clearly shows that how Haseo sees himself is radically different from his actual self. He views himself as a focused dark knight, someone who can accomplish everything on his own and just doesn't care about anyone else. This is a bold-faced lie he's telling himself. Part coping mechanism, it gives Haseo a reason to not care about others and lose them again, just like Shino and Ovan. If he doesn't get close to people, how can they hurt him? In fact, at one point he comments on how he doesn't want to get close to anyone just to get hurt again. This facade is just that: a facade. Deep down, Haseo is actually a very caring individual, prone to bouts of guilt whenever his temper gets the better of him. Oh sure, he tries to pretend he doesn't care, but a simple scolding from Silabus and a few tears from Atoli can make him uncomfortable enough to apologize.

The Arena and G.U. force Haseo to learn to work with others. He is finally placed in a situation where he can't rely on his own strength to get him through. It is also around this time that he learns about the existence of Skeith. He takes being "special" with ease, and immediately decides to use the epitaph for his own advantage. And he does for a while, going so far as to let Skeith take control. That's when he learns that he can't just protect everybody by throwing some punches; oh no, he has to learn to control himself, too. Being "special" comes with a price. Haseo works to temper his aggressiveness here and partially succeeds.

We see a few other interesting character traits about Haseo during this period. For one, he "hates people who look down on others" -- perhaps a bit hypocritically, but it does indicate his true nature. He tries to hide his intellectual side by refusing to answer Atoli's question about his handle. He's a "cool" guy, and people respond to this with a mix of admiration and "you stupid kid". I can't really blame them there. Perhaps most tellingly, after winning at the Arena he advises Atoli not to rub their victory in the opposing team's face. When she says that losing hurts, Haseo tells her that "The more times you lose the sweeter the victory will taste." How true, particularly in The World. Even now he knows 1. not to hurt others feelings for no good reason and 2. determination to keep going will do more for you than having the prize handed to you. If you keep believing you'll win and keep trying, eventually you will. Haseo has a lot of self-respect and a touch of class to him.

The Ultimate Betrayal

Just as Haseo is learning to let people in, he finds out the truth about Ovan and Tri-Edge. It briefly deters him, but soon he's back to fighting with more determination than ever. Meanwhile, his people skills are improving, and as the list of victims go up he finds himself fighting for more than Shino. He's beginning to assume a leadership role among the group. The strategist that lurks beneath his hot-headed retorts begins to show. It's interesting to note that when he first met Pi near the beginning of Rebirth, he easily saw through her bluff about Moon Tree being on their way. He's always been a smart boy and quick to call a fraud (well, in most cases). Judging by his initial treatment of Atoli, G.U., and Canard, he clearly has some grasp on tactical maneuvers and how to play people. However, during this period, he chooses to stop "playing" everyone and focus on using their strengths combined with his to save The World. That still doesn't stop him from disliking those who continue to do so, such as Sakaki and Yata. Still, in the latter's case, Haseo keeps their uneasy agreement in place to focus on the bigger picture. Unlike Kuhn, who has trouble accepting Yata's methods, Haseo shrewdly understands the need for them. It doesn't make him happy and he's quick to tell Yata so, but he also sees a bigger picture.

However, he does not suffer the blind worship of Sakaki. Haseo is no fool about these things, and he immediately calls Sakaki for what he is: a fraud. This leads to an enemy, but even as Sakaki uses more and more of his power to ruin Haseo, the rogue never stops fighting him. Why? Because it's the right thing to do. Haseo respects confidence and the ability to make decisions for yourself. Sakaki's followers offend him with their blind devotion. Can you blame Haseo for wanting to free them from their own delusions? What good is someone if they can't make their own choices and believe what they truly believe? How can they expect to survive if they can't find their own strength to do so?

The Arena was his first instance of leadership on a larger scale, the Moon Tree invasion his second. After that it's full-blown leader time, particularly in Yata's absence. Pi takes a tactical role, Kuhn a support status, but Haseo is the one they all turn to at the end of the day. Even Yata eventually gives himself over to Haseo, advising on their next moves but letting Haseo act on them. This evolution is even physically shown when Haseo assumes his Xth form.

The Rebirth

Despite his feelings for him, Haseo pursues and destroys Ovan. He begins to understand Ovan's reasoning and desire to die, and accepts his own role as the vanquisher of Corbenik. Despite the betrayal, he retains enough humanity to mourn for Ovan. He even tries to protect Aina, the person Ovan loved the most.

When Cubia strikes, Haseo doesn't react with "OH NO, NOT AGAIN!" or refuse to help. He fully becomes the hero, leading The World -- his friends, the players, and more -- to victory.

In the end...

Shino awakens and Haseo goes to see her. While at the Cathedral, Atoli shows up and is distraught to see Haseo with her. She leaves. Shino calmly gives Haseo a choice: stay with her and find Ovan -- "just the two of us" -- or follow Atoli.

In this sense, I believe the choice is larger than Atoli vs Shino. Shino is giving Haseo a path back to his "old life", the one he fought so hard for during his journey. Atoli represents his new, evolved life. So it's more than which girl will he follow: it's which life will he choose?

He chooses to stay with all of his friends.

And so...

Haseo is a complicated character who undergoes radical -- yet believable -- changes. An apathetic loner, he blossoms into a true leader. He never stops fighting and he never quits. He's starts blindly aggressive, but he learns to temper and shape it into a weapon of its own. He learns to respect others and appreciate things he once could not. He makes friends and enemies, but finds joy in the interaction.

In the end, he finds his place in The World.

Backward Forward A part of Windy-Days.net