There is a trope in fiction where a character intentionally breaks the hearts of loved ones to protect them. Think Sanji from One piece leaving the Straw Hat team during the Whole Cake Island saga, or how Eren purposely ignored and even said hurtful things to Armin and Mikasa in the last season Attack on Titanbecause he doesn’t want to involve them in the bad things he is going to do.
Although there is logic behind this decision, it is still a bad decision. Because the more you try to push someone who genuinely loves or cares about you, the more they will try to figure out why you are doing this to them. This is exactly what happens in the aforementioned story of One Piece and Attack on Titan. That’s what happens in this episode, and probably the next.
Continuous rejection
In the final episode, Miorin conspires with Guel to defeat Suletta in an official match and strip her of the title of Lord, thus voiding their engagement. Since Suletta is too strong, Miorina has to cheat by adding a program that can instantly disable the Aerial system. At that time, Miorine betrays Suletta because she wants to protect her from Prospera, and the bloody way that she would survive Suletta.
In this episode, Suletta and her Earth House friends decided to visit Miorine. They want to explain to Miorina why she is cheating on Suletta. But before she gets a chance to see Miorin, Suletta meets Ariel and her mother. There, in the cockpit of Aerial, she learns the truth about Ericht Samaya and the fact that Suletta is nothing more than a clone of Eri.
In the midst of this stream of shocking truths, Ariel flies into space and catapults Suletta from the cockpit. In her cold, slurred voice, Eri said that she didn’t need Suletta anymore. And then Prospera appears and says the same thing. Aerial is powerful enough now that they don’t need Suletta anymore. Once again Suletta is betrayed and rejected by her loved ones. And just like last time, they also break her heart to protect her and allow her to have a better life. Meanwhile, Suletta cries endlessly in the middle of a vast empty space.
In the context of the story
Break the heart of a loved one in order to protect them, it is so counterintuitive. Because, as mentioned earlier, your loved ones will try to confront you about it and end up getting into the very things you want to protect them from. It’s better if you just be honest with them and try to find a good solution together, rather than deciding what’s best for them on your own without taking into account their thoughts and feelings on the matter.
Personal experiences aside, there’s a reason this trope persists in the world of fiction. This is a simple and clear way to create continuous conflict between the characters. Thanks to this, the viewer now has to think not only about the conflict with the antagonist, but also between the main characters. It also forces the audience to choose which side to root for. Is Miorine’s decision justified? Does Suletta deserve such treatment? Is Prospero too cruel to Suletta? Is it really better for Suletta’s future?
As you can see, one action is enough to introduce all these questions into our minds. A few lines of words are all we need to pick a side and review the relationship dynamics between the characters that should be part of the good guys. And when a true antagonist is finally thrown into the mix, the story instantly becomes much more complicated. So, as you can see, a lot can be achieved with one simple story.
The future for Suletta
At this point in history, Suletta Mercury really got rid of everything that is dear to her. She lost her dear first friend, she lost the first boyfriend who said he loved her, she lost the living machine that was always with her, and now she lost her mother, who was always her guide. All she had left were a few friends in the Earth House. So what’s in store for Suletta? What can her future be?
There are several different ways this story could develop. Suletta can go back into her shell and just live the life of an ordinary student with a broken heart. Or she could also try to break through to Miorini, or beg Prosper to take her back, to let her be a part of their lives again. Or we can also get a combination of the two. Suletta will do her best to continue her student life, but then something important will come up and either Miorin or Prospera will come to her and ask her to return to the pilot’s seat. In any case, the future looks pretty bleak for Suletta Mercury.