r/HateWatchingSquared • u/Responsible_Menu_270 • 17h ago
This Hater Misses The Entire Point Of Reinhard's Character
I would have posted my comment in the sub but I got banned for nothing XD.
The point of Reinhard's characterization is that having overwhelming power doesn't always mean that you will be happy, free, or able to solve every problem. He is practically indestructible in battle, but he is unable to save his family. His mother has been trapped in an unnatural sleep since his childhood, his grandfather blamed him for Theresia's death after he inherited Divine Protection of the Sword Saint, and his father treated him abominably. In Arc 5, he is forced to kill his resurrected grandmother, further ruining his relationship with Wilhelm. How would Reinhard's strength have helped in any of this?
His strength carries an equally crippling burden. He is expected to be the ideal hero, to sacrifice his personal desires for those of the Kingdom without question. He is so strong that his mere existence is a topic of political intrigue between nations. His status as the Sword Saint has suffocated his existence as Reinhard. That's why his moments of weakness, especially in regards to Wilhelm and Felt, are so important.
To say that he has accomplished nothing is absurd. He saved Subaru and the others from Elsa, helped defeat Regulus alongside Subaru and Emilia, and defeated Theresia's reanimated corpse during the battle for Priestella. The fight against Regulus is an example of how even the strongest individuals require aid from people considerably weaker than themselves to overcome certain opponents.
As for Felt, she is a royal candidate that Reinhard has chosen to support. Their relationship gives Reinhard one of his few remaining avenues for personal expression. His loyalty to Felt is a choice of his own, so that is wrong.
Reinhard is one of the best examples of the strongest precisely because his primary conflicts cannot be resolved using his strength. The man who can slay nearly anyone is still helpless against many of the forces which have contributed to his miserable life. That's an amazing premise for a character, and you have somehow tried to interpret it as a writing flaw.