A New Interpretation of Episode Ignis Chapter 3:2

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Ikkin

Warrior of Light
Oct 30, 2016
1,099
1,705
#1
I just came across a post on Reddit that suggested that Chapter 3 Verse 2 of Episode Ignis was intended to be a reflection of Ignis' own "what if" scenario, and it really got me thinking.

Why did Ignis think that leaving Noct unconscious in the middle of a war zone would turn out well? Because Ignis felt like Ardyn chose to leave on his own instead of being driven off by Ignis' canonical actions.

Why did Ignis think that Ravus would be allowed to transport Noct, Gladio, and Prompto to Zegnautus? Because he knew that Ardyn actually wanted Noct to gain the Crystal's power (and that Ravus was allowed to leave in canon).

Why did not!Luna keep telling Ignis about the dynamic that existed in canon? Because he couldn't ignore what he had learned about Noct's fate, even as he couldn't help but feel like he could have done something about it.

Why did Noct show up just in time and succeed in mastering his fate by refusing to accept Ignis' death? Because taking charge of fate by refusing to accept his only option is exactly what Ignis' what-if scenario is about.

Why did the game specifically avoid telling us what changed in Ignis' research and the team's fight with Ardyn that allowed Noct to survive? And why did the Starscourge seem to have not done as much damage? Because Ignis has absolutely no clue what could have been done to save Noct -- he just knows that "must have been" possible if he hadn't failed Noct, and he figures that that might have been reflected in a less-damaged world.

Every interpretation of Episode Ignis as a thing that might have actually happened is incoherent in one way or another... but it's a perfectly coherent expression of Ignis' guilt. He feels like he failed Noct by making a choice that just made things worse, so he wishes he'd done something different. Part of him understands, of course, that the choice he wishes he'd made is inherently selfish and basically just what Ravus was trying to do (hence his "I don't care what happens to the world!" line)... but he still can't help thinking that he could have saved Noct had he made a better choice.

TL;DR, Chapter 3 Verse 2 -- "Possibilities" -- is a manifestation of canon!Ignis' survivor's guilt in the face of Noct's death. And, insofar as that's what Chapter 3 Verse 2 is trying to convey, it makes perfect sense.