Talk:King Runeard/@comment-26890711-20191123173928/@comment-39783717-20191207043728

Reply to 702085:

I do agree with you partially. While he did love his family, I can’t deny that, and it is also true that he disliked magic out of fear, he also wanted to commit genocide towards the Northuldra if they didn’t unite under his rule. He also killed their leader for absolutely no reason other than the fact that he questioned Runeard’s dam ideas. The whole point of him disliking magic was because he believed that the Northuldra’s connection to magic would make them realize that they could challenge Runeard’s kingship, and for that reason he wanted to kill the Northuldra. The only exception he made to not killing them was if they all surrender and submitted to Runeard’s rule. I know that deep down he cared about his family, but I also know that he let fear and greed become his moral compass, and because of that he caused so many problems in the future that forced his own grandchildren to stop and somewhat killed his son (because of the war, Iduna saved Agnarr and nature rewarded her heroic action by giving their daughter powers, and later in the future they set off to find out why only to be killed in a storm at sea). He also put his own kingdom in danger all because he wanted to destroy something that prevented him from fulfilling his own greedy needs, which shows just how much he is willing to sacrifice to get what he wants. I have always believed that violins have good deep down inside them because some people never truly hear their own side of the story and therefore just believe all villains are bad just, because!, but sometimes I have to accept that some villains just don’t have that much good in them. I never really believed in good or evil, but sometimes we do heroic things and sometimes we do evil things, and Runeard did more evil choices than good choices. I’m sorry, but I think it’s right to place Runeard in the villain category. I know he loved his family and his people, but at the same time he also feared of losing his power over them and desired to make the Northuldra fall under his rule or else he would kill them. Not even I think that those actions are redeemable.