Kill Everyone To Save Everyone

When arguing Final Fantasy X with other people, I often bring up Seymour, who I honestly thought was an interesting villain. (he could have been done better though) FFX's detractors counter with the claim that "it's been done" with regards Seymour's goal of wiping out all life to end suffering.

I don't doubt this. No Final Fantasy game can be said to be some unique and original masterpiece of storytelling.

Even still, I can only think of a couple examples of Seymour's general motive and aspiration. Does anyone else know of any gaming examples that are like him? Is it really as overplayed as FFX haters like to make it out to be?

edited 30th Jul '13 10:37:46 AM by Nikkolas

I believe this is the kind of thing you're looking for?

Tales of Symphonia and Tales of The Abyss come to mind.

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I disagree regarding Tales of Symphonia. The Big Bad didn't want to put everyone out of their misery. Quite the opposite; he wanted everyone to *suffer*.

Home of CBR Rumbles-in-Exile: rumbles.fr.yuku.com

No, not suffering, exactly.

Creatures that no longer have an ability to feel or think can't exactly suffer.

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Would destroying a world to save a different world count?

Mega Man fanatic extraordinaire

That would fall under Final Solution.

Garland?

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The Tales of talk reminded me of Tales of Phantasia.
Y'know, since Dhaos' ultimate goal was just to revive his own world's tree.
You know. The one that's dead in Symphonia.

Mega Man fanatic extraordinaire

Mistakes were made.

I have a message from another time...

That's... an odd thing to name that trope.

Anyway, this kind of thing usually seems more common than it actually is. Mainly because it's a really simple motivation to give to a villain to try and make them seem deep.

Sometimes it actually works, though, but when it does the villain tends to have a bit more going for them.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."

Cyrus from Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum wants to remove suffering from the world by removing free will and emotion, or "spirit" as he puts it. Practically speaking, that's the same as killing everyone.

This is one of the possible endings of SMT 4. The player is the one doing it. And it's surprisingly attractive.

edited 2nd Aug '13 2:44:00 AM by lu127

why would you ever take that option though

Alt account of Angeldog 2437.

Ideally a hero would have no limit to the amount of human depravity he or she can witness before deciding that we're all better off dead. Practically, though...

how on earth did you get the impression Yggdrasil wanted everyone to suffer?

his goal was two-fold, and both explicit; save his sister, and to wipe out discrimination via turning everyone into emotionless angels. and then at the end, he is a tiny bit spiteful, but even then, his goal was stubbornly the same as before, only minus the save his sister part

yes, he caused a fuckton of suffering, but that wasnt his end goal. it was just a means to an end (saving his sister).

dont think he really counts as a "kill everyone to save everyone" kinda guy though, considering angel conversion doesnt technically kill a person. just their sense of individuality, and he doesnt really intend to save anyone but his sister.

i think Van counts though, considering his plan was to "save" mankind from their tendencies towards acting like mindless sheep and relying so heavily on prophecies, and he planned to do this via genocide and replacement via cloning.

whats with the tales of potholes? they aint workin.

edited 2nd Aug '13 4:51:34 AM by Tarsen

This was Grahf's primary motivation in Xenogears. now I think on it.

I guess this tends to overlap with Straw Nihilist.