Unmarked spoilers ahead.
Pixy's Character Arc: The Fall of Solo Wing
Following is an overview of Solo Wing Pixy's character arc in Zero, using K.M. Weiland's Fall Arc model
of negative character arcs as the analysis framework.To begin, it is important to note that when we, as Cipher, first meet Pixy, he is heavily implied to be half-way through some kind of character arc already. He is a storied veteran worthy of his own moniker, and, as we discover much later, he comes from Belka. It can be inferred that he was a member of the Belkan Air Force himself, but appears to have left of his own accord and struck out as a mercenary. The fact that he continues to fly against his home country but only a soldier of fortune suggests a major disillusionment with organized armed forces at large, yet he is not yet ready to abandon military aviation.
- Act I (missions 1 to 11):
- Hook: Character believes the Lie. Being a side character, Pixy's character arc takes a backstage in the first half of the game. The Lie That Pixy Believes throughout missions 1 to 10 ("Mayhem") is that by fighting for the weaker side in a war (Ustio), he helps bring about a better peace, which is also his Want. His Ghost is never specified, but is implied to be whatever badness had happened to him in Belka that caused him to defect in the first place (judging by his lines in mission 11, he may have been witness to or even complicit in Belkan war crimes). Pixy's Need, which he refuses to recognize at this point, to quit military aviation altogether.
- Inciting Event: First hint that the Lie won't save or reward. Pixy's character arc in Zero is kicked off by the bombing of Hoffnung in mission 11 ("Inferno"). While he does his best to play the Knight in Sour Armor part in front of PJ, his post-mission monologue makes it clear his belief that he is fighting for the right cause is shattered.
- 1st Plot Point: The Lie is completely ineffective; character makes a move towards the Truth. After Hoffnung, Pixy seems to set his mind on ending his mercenary career, though he does not share his decision with Cipher.
- Act II (missions 12 to 15):
- 1st Pinch Point: Halfhearted attempts at the Truth are only half-effective. At the start of mission 12 ("Stage of Apocalypse"), a depressed Pixy tries to get away from the fighting by intentionally lagging behind, or perhaps he is already preparing his exit.
- Midpoint/2nd Plot Point: Character glimpses the Truth, rejects it, and embraces an even worse Lie. At the end of mission 12, Pixy is recruited by Joshua Bristow into A World With No Boundaries and betrays Cipher. Instead of his old Lie, "Fighting for the weak will stop the war", Pixy embraces Bristow's greater Lie: "Wiping out all nation states will end all wars."
- 2nd Pinch Point: The new Lie is effective, but destructive. This stages takes place entirely off-screen, from Cipher's perspective. As AWWNB ramps up its operations, culminating in the bombing of Valais Air Base in mission 15 ("Talon of Ruin"), Pixy likely perceives it as progress, despite all of the collateral damage.
- Act III (missions 16 to 18):
- 3rd Plot Point: Complete failure to gain either Want or Need. As the Allied nations gang up on AWWNB and launch an assault on the Avalon Dam, Pixy's Want (an end to all wars between nation states) is on the brink of failure. He also gives up on his Need by once again taking off to fly ADFX-02 Morgan in mission 17 ("Valley of Kings").
- Climax: Last ditch attempt to salvage Want. In the final mission ("Zero"), Pixy manually launches the V2 in one last bid to fulfill AWWNB's vision...
- Climatic Moment: Total destruction. ...but Cipher shoots his ADFX-02 down, disarms the V2, and destroys AWWNB for good.
- Resolution: Aftermath. Against his own expectations, Pixy survives and is nursed back to health by his countrymen. But while Larry Foulke the man, indeed, lives on, Solo Wing Pixy the ace pilot is dead, as Larry will never fly a fighter jet ever again. Ironically, his greatest failure ends up accidentally fulfilling his Need.
When Brett Thompson interviews him ten years later, Pixy is driven by a new Need to make sense of his actions during the Belkan War, specifically by understanding the concept of borders. He doesn't hold a grudge against Cipher and is, in fact, thankful to him for setting him on a better path in life.
