Sasuke talk.

[annwyd]

Because it's not like I haven't spammed you enough today.

Was discussing Sasuke with a friend of mine who's a more casual Naruto fan than I am (not that this is hard). Wound up doing some character analysis. I have enough Sasuke-fan friends on my flist that I might as well post it here.

Comments

[a_white_rain]

Sasuke has been warped into believing that true strength comes from hatred. And it isn't just that he believes this; it's that it forms the core of his fractured, damaged new worldview, because that's what his brother told him. His eventual redemption will come when he learns to understand that love and companionship makes him strong, not weak.
Which is why fandom can be so draining. People who hate Sasuke think that he's always going to be evil or that he's best a villain (never mind that Sasuke would be a terrible evil overlord.)

And then there are Sasuke fans who go on about how he'll be like Itachi and be cool and bad ass, forgetting a key part of his character is that he's not like Itachi at all. He wants to be, but he's pretty bad at it

[annwyd]

I actually think Sasuke would make an okay evil overlord, because he's smart (in his way) and charismatic. However, unless he's pushed into the situation, he wouldn't have the drive to be an evil overlord, because he's not inherently power-hungry. Even if he were pushed into that situation, he'd be an unstable evil overlord.

And honestly, I've mostly given up on fandom by this point. Sometimes it still pisses me off, but mostly I just roll my eyes and move on.

[a_white_rain]

I just have trouble seeing him being one without the right circumstances. There’s just no reason for Sasuke to follow Orochimaru’s footsteps when his only goal in life is to kill Itachi. He doesn’t want to rule the world or get knowledge. Although it wouldn’t take much for someone who knows how his mind works to push him in the wrong direction.

The biggest block on Sasuke being a good evil overlord is his lack of self-confidence and how easy he is to manipulate. The best evil overlords are able to manipulate people for their own gain. As it stands, the only time I can think of, of Sasuke manipulating anyone’s emotions was to cheer Sakura up for the chunin exam.

I just marvel at how people can think that Sasuke won’t be redeemed with how Naruto is obsessed with him. And, recent chapters point to the fact that Naruto’s goal in life (to become Hokage) won’t happen until he’s saved his friends. He doesn’t feel worthy of being Hokage with Sasuke being gone.

[heron_advocate]

Great read. :) I'm not really a Sasuke-fan (although he does rival Kankurou for hottest in 306), but having many Sasuke-fans on my FList gives me interesting insight. Thanks. :D