I FINALLY FOUND YOU - The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - 24

[@NicoB]

*hands over box of tissues You're gonna need this.

[@nothingburger69]

The best scene in the game imo

[@CrossTrash]

Ohhhh yeah

[@StarBornMichael]

YEESS I've been waiting for this.

[@shuylervangestel7882]

The scene we’ve all been waiting for!

[@zdoggzero6595]

Already with me, I have a cold anyways

[@jooko91]

Remember how at the very end of FC Joshua described his life with the Brights as a "wonderful dream", and how "all dreams must end at some point"? Now, the song that played during the latter half of the beach scene, after Estelle had broken through to Joshua and his eyes had life again? It's called The Dream Continues.

[@astraybright]

stop i've known the name of the song for years but never correlated those two points before and now i wanna cry

[@zdoggzero6595]

@@jooko91 ugggh….. just when you think this series’ writing and context can’t get any better

[@vitogunnhilder]

“Has the [Dream]… ended?” “Is that… true?” “And the [Dream] goes on…?”

[@SuperSupersoda]

As others have pointed out, the funniest thing about the meeting between Estelle and Weissman is that of all the questions Estelle could have chosen to ask first, the question she picks is the most Estelle (ie snarkiest) one: are you really a poor archeologist? Weissman's reply is quintessentially Weissman in every way: "No, I'm a rich archeologist."

[@passingdem0n303]

Loewe: There is too little darkness in you Estelle *Smug Estelle appears* Loewe: TOO MUCH DARKNESS! what the fuck WHY IS THERE SO MUCH OF IT?!

[@ddddirge]

@@passingdem0n303 Smug Estelle darkness is too much it absorbs every other darkness nearby

[@DMDude2000]

Kingdom Hearts is made of SMUG!!!

[@dirtybirdperson4020]

Renne doing the talking chest gag cause she knows thats Estlles thing honestly feels pretty damn canon

[@Barooth100]

yeah, it feels like something she'd do, calculating it would make Estelle feel more "at home" around them

[@burningprodigy]

Now you remember why Joshua subconsciously picked Karin as his fake maid name in FC

[@Just_An_AverageJoe]

21:04 weissmann: "feel free to request anything you need, but you'll be staying in your cabin." Estelle:"I would like joshua here." Weissman:"anything BUT that." Estelle:"how about a bunch of empty treasure chests in my cabin?" Weissman:"w-why?"

[@uchytjes10]

It was in that moment that Weissman learned the meaning of true fear.

[@sabbathb6548]

@@uchytjes10 The true fear from the being known only as Estelle. He knows what awaits him in Trails Hell.

[@aneonfoxtribute]

Honestly, I don't think anyone but Renne was even expecting Estelle to accept the offer to join. Weissman did it out of a sense of "Well hey, if it works it works, but it probably won't". Renne was the only one who was like "Yeah, Estelle's absolutely gonna join and be my big sister, and I'll teach her how to murder real good!"

[@stratfor140]

I mean, Joshua said what Weissman's true objective was in inviting Estelle at the end there: because with her on board, Joshua wouldn't be able to destroy the Glorious while he's away, and that's exactly what ends up happening.

[@salasy]

I definitely think if he wanted Weissman could have messed with estelle's head and make her evil they still wouldn't have made her an enforcer but with that they would have definitely forced joshua to rejoin them

[@stilldamaged3945]

@@salasy Well such was mentioned as being against the rules a few episodes back, all members must be willing. Weissman definitely could have done such physically but recruitment to the society has been established as being required to be voluntary by decree of the grandmaster.

[@salasy]

@@stilldamaged3945 only for enforcers, others members of the society can be in fact can be made to join eve not voluntarily

[@RukasuInoru]

So one interesting thing about Hamel: You could have found out about Hamel's existence all the way back in FC's FIRST chapter, though the window for it is *very* limited. There's two soldier NPCs at the top of Haken gate. Now if my memory doesn't fail me, the timing for this dialogue is right before you talk with Morgan (so before he throws you out in the first game), but after you gained access to his office, when you're first in Bose investigating the Sky Pirates (disclaimer: timing can be inaccurate, it's been a while). Anyways, one of the soldiers on top says this dialogue: "10 years ago, there used to be a village called Hamel that sat just beyond the border. I've heard that it could even be seen from here. It seems as though the village completely vanished during the Hundred Days War. However, since the Liberl Army never invaded the Empire's borders, I don't understand how that could've happened." So players could have known about Hamel's existence all the way back in FC Chapter 1, further than that, a player could also reasonably figure out (at least in part) Joshua's and Loewe's backstory, even if loosely, if they put together all the information given by NPCs, books and Joshua/Loewe themselves in FC. The first time I realized this truly blew me away.

[@doorto6152]

Everyone is talking about how wonderful and iconic the beach scene is. And rightfully so. It deserves all the praise and more. So I want to comment on something else in this episode that’s easy to overlook: Weissman. He truly is the absolute worst. Not just as a villain, but in the way he refuses to take accountability for his actions. He frames giving back Joshua’s memories as “releasing him from his service”, that he did Joshua “a favor”. And Estelle rightfully points out that’s bs. Weissman knew exactly what he was doing with Joshua. He doesn’t even have the guts to own it. In stark contrast to Estelle taking responsibility for her actions by using them as opportunities to grow, Weissman does the opposite. He will never learn. He can never empathize with someone else. He is everything Estelle is not. And that’s why, in a series that goes out of its way to give every. Single. Fucking. Character depth and complexity, a cartoonishly evil person like Weissman is the perfect big bad of this story.

[@Talisguy]

@@doorto6152 Yep. Also, he's like an internet troll. He will always move the goalposts to make the conversation some kind of victory for him or retain control over the situation. Estelle remembers him before he does his finger snap thing (and ruins his dramatic reveal with the organ because she remembers him as a dorky escort NPC?) It's worthy of some small regard, he supposes, even though it was totally a super weak block he put on her memories (given the lengths he went to to hide his importance, this is clearly bullshit.) He views every conversation (when he's not in character as Alba) as something to "win," and he'll do all the mental gymnastics he has to in order to make sure he always "wins" - if anyone gets one over on him, or deflates his aura of smug invincibility, or just makes a good point, he'll come up with some bullshit rationalisation to downplay it and say he was actually winning the whole time. So, he's a sadist (Loewe mentions Weissmann wiped Joshua's memories of everything about the society _except all of the murders he was made to commit,_ which is pointlessly cruel,) he's enormously smug, he's a giant hypocrite (everyone must join Ouroboros willingly, but he deliberately isolated Joshua from all the stabilising influences in his life and convinced him that he needed to leave the Brights for their own safety in an attempt to get him to rejoin, and still saw this as "voluntary") and he has the same approach to conversations as that one dickhead you got into an argument with in the KZbin comments who just would not take the L. ... It's a beautifully infuriating combo of traits. After maybe two scenes, you want to see him lose. _Hard._

[@Nexus_427]

*Estelle and Joshua let go from their passionate kiss* Estelle; Hey, Joshua, there’s one more thing I'd wanna ask. Joshua: Yes, Estelle? Estelle: ...where'd you get this outfit? Did you really go shopping after you left that night? Joshua: ... Estelle: And for that matter, do you know what happened with my old stuff? I had like 100k mira on me, you know! ....wait a minute- *Joshua runs back to the ship and flies off*

[@IsaacgotWestcooked]

A potential comment of the day material right here 😂

[@sabbathb6548]

Estelle: You going to give me my money? WHERE'S MY MONEY JOSHUA! I WANT MY MONEY!

[@Doctorrr_]

Joshua apparently spent it all on his new outfit 😭 Estelle ain't getting that shit back LOL.

[@themaskedfacade9939]

9:22 I wanna note how much I love this comment from Estelle. "So you're a victim of the society too." Estelle doesn't resent Renne at all. In fact, she views her as a victim. And really, why wouldn't she? This kid is like, what, 10? And she's part of this evil society killing people? And who knows how long she's even been a PART of this society? She really isn't any different from Joshua, groomed into this at a young age. Renne herself just doesn't seem to realize it yet. It's just kind of refreshing seeing this game realistically acknowledge the implications of a child being involved in all this.

[@kentstopme]

Yep, you almost forget, Joshua was like at the same age or even younger than Renne back when Joshua got recruited and even fought Estelle’s Dad at a young age before he got adopted. Estelle can see Renne is quite similar to Joshua so she also says “So you’re a victim TOO”

[@SpanishFly120]

Yeah, Renne's only 11 here (she's a year younger than Tita, who's 12), so considering Estelle is well, Estelle, there's no way Estelle would be resentful or hateful towards her. That's just not who Estelle is.

[@ddddirge]

Since Renne already knows Joshua and Joshua wasn't active in the society for 5 years then Renne probably already part of the society before 5 years ago If she's around 11-12 then she's already part of the society since she's 6-7 And Joshua only joined the society around 2-3 after Hamel incident (after being made a doll by Weissman) so he's around 8-9 when he joined, so Renne joined younger than Joshua

[@mDeeDee]

​@@ddddirge Seeing this timeline for Renne age hits like a punch to the gut. 🙃 I just want to give her a hug

[@Apolleh]

what I love about the beach scene is that it perfectly encompasses the core values of Estelle and Joshua, as well as how they face their shortcomings. Estelle is someone driven by emotion, she's very cheery and often runs head first into things. She will often follow her heart, especially in more urgent moments. Conversely this leaves her to come off as naive and sometime even reckless, to the point where her friends have to rein her in. We see this a few times during FC, but its predominately in SC where Estelle realizes she no longer has Joshua to do the thinking for her and has to improve herself. Even with competent companions like schera and agate, Estelle refuses to solely rely on her friends. Joshua on the other hand is someone driven by logic. In his own view he's basically a machine, intelligent and skilled yet cold. He's often the one who has to make the smart plays, even if that means he has to be the 'bad guy'. Yet its ironically Joshua's reliance on logic that becomes his own worst enemy. Despite what he says about not having a heart, Joshua has still come to consider Estelle one of his closest loved ones. And when he knows the society will do anything to bring him back, there is only one 'right' answer to protect Estelle. Its the only 'logical' answer. And he does it without shedding a tear, as any 'machine' would. What Joshua failed to realize is that cutting ties with Estelle was actually out of fear. He's afraid of her getting hurt, more specifically getting hurt *because of himself.* He simply rationalizes it as a logical choice rather than from the heart, to the point of denial. Yet its Estelle who realizes this, not the logic driven Joshua. Try as he might to deny it, Estelle refuses to let him ignore the truth. She pulls him from the darkness not with a carefully crafted speech, but rather by letting the words flow right from her heart. The same heart that Joshua fell in love with, saving him from himself and making his future Bright.

[@doorto6152]

It’s no coincidence the moment Joshua’s eyes regain their glow is the moment Estelle returns Karin’s harmonica. Joshua is an excellent portrayal of depression, ptsd, and trauma. Despite all of his badass assassin training, at his core, he’s a sweet little kid who never properly processed these traumatic emotions. That cry with Estelle was a decade of buried emotions finally come to light.

[@McCaroni_Sup]

Ironically, I think that despite Estelle's tomboyishness, she's a great example of how to write a strong female character whose strengths lie not in trying to emulate male physical strength, but in her feminine compassion and empathy. As you've described, Joshua is more logical, and Estelle more emotional. That's typically how men and women tend to operate in most cases, though of course it's also true that men have emotions and women logic in lesser proportions. At various points throughout FC and SC, it's clear that both Joshua and Estelle can embody these traits in excess. At first it was Joshua who had to restrain Estelle's emotional demeanor with his logical approach. In SC however, it becomes the opposite. Now Estelle has learned how to rein herself in. Now it's Estelle's turn to regulate Joshua's overly cold and logical demeanor by empathizing with and helping him deal with his emotions. That's what makes them a good pair - they're an embodiment of what makes both men and women necessary - how we complement each other and work together. And by learning to rein in the negative aspects of masculinity and femininity, they come out even stronger. I also think that Estelle's reliance on her companions demonstrates the balance between independence and comradeship. While she knows she has to rely on others to get things done, she also ultimately learns from her betters and becomes someone who can pull her own weight. True independence is impossible after all, since as humans we are social creatures who work better together. But at the same time, we have to be able to carry our fair share of the burden. You shouldn't expect to be able to accomplish everything on your own, but you shouldn't just be carried by others all the time. You should depend on others when necessary and be able to help others when they depend on you. That's true independence. Modern Western writers don't seem to understand these concepts. Namely that a.) Women's strength is mainly in compassion, and b.) True independence isn't about not having to rely on others, it's about being able to pull your own weight. Because of that, they tend to write hypercompetent, narcissistic Mary Sue girlbosses who have no compassion for others, and who "don't need no man". If a woman like that existed in real life, they would be unsuccessful in life because they fail to take advantage of humanity's greatest strength - our ability to work together. The truth is that men need women, and women need men. That doesn't make either of us weak. It makes us human.

[@Talisguy]

​@@McCaroni_Sup Funny you should say that, because she's actually a rare female example of a character type who's almost always male. Think about her personality at the start- she's exuberant, hyperactive, not dumb but a very poor student, impulsive, a big eater, loves to fight and is always ready to throw down for her friends. Think how many shonen leads have those same traits. She fits a very common character archetype in Japanese fiction that's almost always male. She actually started life as a male character and Joshua a female character, and one thing that helps them stand out is that while some things were changed, a lot of very gendered tropes were left untouched with them - Joshua is a cursed fairytale princess and Estelle is his knight in shining armour. That gender-swapped play in Jenis Academy wasn't there just for laughs.

[@dinotech3416]

Me seeing you say “ making his future bright “ … I see what you did there .. think it could get past me haha

[@Birthday888]

​@@McCaroni_Sup I mean, you're making it sound like men can't be compassionate and women can't be strong? Which is kinda funny cause Estelle checks off so many "Stock Shounen Hero" tropes which is almost exclusively a male archetype. I do agree that there are a lot of writers nowadays that fall into the trap of making their female characters too unempathetic and shun depending on others though. I've joked about this a lot with my friends, but the modern day "girlboss" is basically just a genderflipped "Macho Man" character from a cheesy action flick. Which is incredibly ironic XD. But yeah. I think having main characters being empathetic and needing to rely on others is a good writing tip in general, not just for writing female characters. Even if you're writing a "badass" character that takea care of most obstacles and threats by themselves, you can't really establish stakes unless you show what they *aren't* capable of doing by themselves.

[@MEGAmangaman]

Kinda surreal to see Nico react to this scene after more then half a decade of people asking him to play this series. Bask in this moment penguins. You've earned it.

[@Bull_1112]

It’s unbelievable how that the tragedy in Hamel snowballed into so many other main characters’ sadness. Lead to Estelle’s mother Lena and Agate’s sister Mischa to their deaths. Also Karen was the name Joshua used as a maid when they infiltrated the castle in FC

[@andrew_ray]

_That's_ why that name was familiar, then.

[@youjose7657]

The Hamel incident was the catalyst to SO many different things in the entire series in general. It's kinda crazy.

[@SJK9000]

I will say this, though. This is one rite of passage that teaches Trails players that attack food items are actually kinda broken.

[@jorntumrongwit9056]

Imagine if we could do that back in Persona P4 girls gonna be the best at dmg dealing

[@KoroCB]

​@@jorntumrongwit9056We don't need to make Yukiko more broken than she already is

[@ismailaldienrazi1236]

1:23:53 Estelle: I can feel my bond with Joshua has grown "I am thou... thou art I... The bond thy hast nurtured hath finally matured. The innermost power of the Death Arcana hath been set free. We now bestow upon thee... The ultimate form of the Death Arcana within thy self..." Joshua: wait what just happened. Estelle: Don't think about it too much, it's just that our bond has maxed out.

[@ddddirge]

Wow very long to finish that Social Link Need 5 years since their first meeting XD XD XD

[@deatheater6222]

And now Estelle is never gonna see Joshua again

[@elgronequequeriabailar]

Good job estelle! You can now create Alice, the strongest persona of the death arcana. Wo is basically renne, but blonde

[@deatheater6222]

@@elgronequequeriabailar que es ese nombre?

[@elgronequequeriabailar]

@@deatheater6222 había un banda de músicos argentinos llamada "les luthiers", la cual ya no existe más debido a que la mayoría de sus miembros están muertos. Saque el nombre de una de mis obras favoritas de ellos "el negro que quería bailar". Los recomiendo muchísimo son un cago de risa y todas sus obras están youtube

[@aneonfoxtribute]

Naturally. This is the one of the most iconic scenes in the series. Estelle and Joshua's reunion is one of THE scenes of the series. It's so fucking good. And not even just the scene on the beach. This entire section of the game is just iconic. The Hamel backstory, the escape from the ship, it's all just so perfect. This is true peak fiction right here.

[@aneonfoxtribute]

@@SuperSupersoda I'm not entirely sure who you mean. I'm caught up to Daybreak and I can't think of any characters affected as badly as Joshua and Loewe. Though this also isn't the place for that.

[@Barooth100]

@@aneonfoxtribute i only remember one more, from the later half of CS, that's all i'm gonna say and it's technically still too much

[@Kiproy90]

I just wanted to compliment Nico’s voice acting abilities. I felt like the voices were VERY well done especially towards the more emotional parts. It is always great to hear Nico voice characters, but something about this episode felt a tier above how well he normally does

[@wyldloganroth5303]

I really have to give Nico a lot of props for how he voiced Joshua in this episode. With the dead eyes, he was all serious and broody, typical aime cool guy. But now with the lights back in his eyes, Nico acted as if it were FC Joshua all over again, and i gotta say, that's some damn good voice acting. Full understanding of the assignment from top to bottom.

[@ridewild1956]

nico not remembering gilbert either is just pure we got him energy Edit: holy crap this blew up

[@MikeyCochran1516]

No one remembers the dude. Mans a joke villain and not threatening at all lol

[@Official_RetroMania]

Gilbert is a true LEGEND the true God of Trails Kiseki! You are just mortals you do not understand Gilbert's greatness! 🙌🏻🔥

[@Barooth100]

the Buggy of Trails, always failing upwards

[@andrewgreenwood9068]

Gilbert put all his points into persistence and it is not paying off

[@SpanishFly120]

@@Official_RetroMania You would dare compare Gilbert to The Great Anton? Lol.

[@crimsonstarfallen9226]

Finally, the scene every Trails fan was waiting for with bated breath. Ever since the first episode of FC, we all were anxiously waiting for it to come, why do you think people wanted SC to be the LP right after FC? The return and revenge of Gilbert, one of the most important scenes in the Trails series! He was THE real villain of the series, and the connecting tissue between all these games! Oh, yeah, Joshua's back too. Getting that Action 4 quartz is pretty exciting, I guess.

[@Farsinian]

Gilbert and Anton *are* the true protagonists of the Trails Series after all!

[@animewatcher102]

"Why dont they just kill Estelle?" I'm sure they are somewhat concerned about Cassius going "OROBOROUS!!!! ILL FOLLOW YOU TO THE ENDS IF THE EARTH!!!!"

[@DeniableWhistle]

"YOOOOOU CAN'T ESCAPE MEEEE!"

[@reginaldtorres28]

Yeah. And to be fair, almost no one except Loewe could handle getting smoke from daddy Cassius. An enraged Cassius would probably outright slaughter most of the enforcers AND their Anguis if it came to it.

[@KoroCB]

Cassius would take the sword again and that'd be curtains for... fuck, most of Ouroboros. If he can hold on to his mind, that is.

[@SpanishFly120]

Yeah...the amount that could handle that is...quite small.

[@saiyanfox7201]

If that happens, Daddy Cassius is gonna pull a "God of War" on Oroborous

[@albertsetiawanie5808]

*Gilbert reveal to be bad in FC Nico: I KNEW THIS GUY WAS EVIL *This episode Gilbert: you thought i was some random npc soldier… BUT IT WAS ME… GILBERT! Nico: who?

[@jamestatsumi7095]

Him and everybody else. I had no clue who that guy was when I played it.

[@VyraLove]

@@jamestatsumi7095 Same. Big same. I also was like 'who?'

[@Jason-wt2rx]

It's good to note that when Estelle said that "No ones looking. Cry as much as you want", the screen really became black like even the players can't see him crying. Really this entire scene was 1 of the best scenes of the Trails Series, maybe even the best! 😁

[@DeniableWhistle]

You know, I've always wondered if the guys in Ouroboros' engineering department started crying when Weissman put in a request for an Ominous Evil Organ Room in their new super battleship.

[@Talisguy]

They're probably used to it. Weissmann probably learned to play the organ specifically for moments like this, so I doubt it was the only weird request.

[@Zykestryke]

I love that room. It’s such overkill.

[@confusedgrandma2550]

Grandmaster: Weissman why do you need a 3rd of the Glorious's budget in one room. Weissman: Evil reasons... Grandmaster: Fine, do what you want.

[@StarBornMichael]

I genuinely want to say how I've felt about this game since seeing this episode. This entire let's play up to this point has been magical. I can say with absolute confidence that this might be one of your best Let's Play Nico. I'm also new to this, and I never even knew this gem existed. The emotions, the combat, the general story, the freaking evil murder penguins, which I almost think complete stabbed at you, but who's counting. The monsters, the villains, the factions across the world, and finally, the general lore behind everything. I think this entire world is absolutely wonderful. But I think you should continue this series. I am very much looking forward to this and the next episodes. I can't wait to see what. It happens next and the Third chapter of this fantastic series. Thank you Nico.

[@mehranskennedy9888]

So far no scene in the game showcased Estelle's character development from how she was in FC and the start of this game as well as the scene with Joshua on the beach From what she'd been saying at the start of this game you'd think she'd go all "you baka!" on his ass or try to literally beat some sense into him with her staff when she actually reunites with him yet she doesn't... instead she breaks down his fake "mask" in an incredibly gentle and understanding yet firm and logical way and stands by his side as tough as a boulder when he actually starts facing everything that happened to Hamel and his sister No wonder people think Estelle is an amazing protagonist!

[@hellosusmita7224]

Estelle is truly bestelle

[@Omeyrolx_theChessmaster]

13:49-13:56 Of course Alba/Weissmann would love last-minute plot twists, he himself WAS a last-minute plot twist in the previous game! XD

[@leonnarem7227]

You may have noticed that people were a little defensive of Estelle and Joshua as a pairing during FC, but that's mostly because they were thinking of this scene. If this doesn't turn a normal person into a shipper, I don't know what would.

[@siragon756]

I mean, I can think of a certain Sun Door in Sky the 3rd that could if someone is not entirely convinced

[@ZenoKnightShade]

41:21 That’s a blink and you’ll miss it reference to YS. One of the series supporting characters is called Dogi the Wall Crusher

[@Talisguy]

"Why is he doing this?" Well, like you said. He didn't expect her to remember the first time they met, so he wanted her first impression of him to be...this. He doesn't have to pretend to be a dorky, hapless archaeologist anymore. Now he gets to be a Bond villain. He's probably annoyed that she ruined the effect by remembering him.

[@TheIvoryDingo]

And honestly? Good. He doesn't deserve even a minor plan like that to work

[@blackdragoncyrus]

Weissmann: "Blast it, we kidnapped the dumbest one." Estelle: >=|

[@JerBear-og2qe]

btw, the reason they are getting so many turns before u is because certain actions determine how fast u can make your next move… here’s a small list: moving: quickest item: quickest (or quick i forgot) normal attack: medium casting (charge): depends on the spell (small spell = quick; large spell = a little longer) after cast= depending on the spell again attack craft: long buff craft: quick-ish to medium s-craft: super long increasing your speed helps this out tremendously! hope this helps cause you’ll probably have grueling fights later

[@bitze865]

at least later your not alone and dont have a timelimit^^ so that was really the only frustrating fight for me, especially on higher difficulties...ok, Jaeger Kurt at the start was bullshit too, because of how limited you were in your options/ressources^^

[@marchimarch8592]

"But, ultimately, you're still Estelle. That... makes me happier than I thought possible." In a sequence full of beautiful moments for any RPG, I think this might be my favorite: Joshua's face of pure elation as he accepts his one love is true. Joshua spent the majority of his life with zero self-worth. He completely disassociated when Karin died to save some semblance of his psyche, and became further detached as he essentially found new reasons to hate himself every day as a child soldier. This world hasn't invented therapy yet, so he never learned to cope with his ever-growing grief or guilt. He thought something had to be wrong WITH HIM to be reacting the way he did. How could he not even shed a tear while innocents are killed as collateral in bombs he set? He HAD to be some sort of psycho. He wouldn't even blame Weissmann, who "impressed" on him that he was just a machine who reduces everything to a cold calculation. OF COURSE he thinks that somehow he's the problem, as if he CHOSE this abuse. But then there is this one innocent little girl, unaware of any of his suffering, who literally drop kicks into his life and slowly forces him out of his shell. She is everything he wishes he could be. Naive, rambunctious, but sweet; lovable to everyone. "Normal" in every way he could imagine. That "beauty" brings light back to his long-dead eyes. She's that bright star in his night sky, a guiding light that reminds him what it is like. But that just makes him feel worse! He has the blood of countless like her on his hands. He's garbage next to her, only good for getting her dirty. The best he can do is try not to. He relearns to smile, but that only makes him feel even more twisted, hiding every screwed up thing he has done. He knows he should leave, but he shamelessly wants to keep dreaming he's "normal" too with her, so doesn't, so hates himself all the more. How could she stand next to this "stranger" who barged into her life, always putting up a fake smile? She's too good for HIS world. They go through puberty, and he knows what he feels is "wrong", but he still pines for her regardless. He turns down every girl in the village, all on the slim chance maybe she'll notice him someday, though he knows it's foolish to dream. She never does, of course; can't even take a hint from her friends about why he's leaving himself open. (though tbf, neither could a certain let's player at a certain farm in a certain first game) And the longer he stays with her, the more isolated he feels. But maybe it's better that way. If she discovered the devil smiles like an angel, this one reprieve from his miserable existence might end. So it goes on, just an endless cycle of self-loathing as he wavers between "selfish" wants and fear of revealing his "true" ugliness. But right from that night on the farm, Estelle had the answer. She admonished the person insulting the boy she loved more than anyone, himself. She knew all his positives he couldn't see in himself. He wasn't a monster, just a gentle soul sadly all too willing to do anything to protect those he cared about at his own expense. She just wished he wouldn't be his own worst enemy and bottle up his true feelings. If they spilled out, surely he would realize they weren't so bad! He takes comforts in that beautiful notion, but those lingering doubts remain for him, because she doesn't REALLY know everything. Then we reach this moment. With no more secrets or excuses to hide behind, no more "unknowns" up in the air, her same point finally hits him directly to the heart, unlocked the tears. He was "normal" too. He always was. And now he sees. Despite everything, he didn't "ruin" her, and she wasn't going to "leave" him. Estelle was and will always be his Estelle. That's all he needed to know. I pray every Joshua out there finds their Estelle. Someone who loves them unconditionally, supporting them, and always willing to give an outside perspective when they do what we do best: trick ourselves. What happened to you was not your fault, and don't think you have to push others away because of it. Find that light where you can be vulnerable, and maybe what it loves about you can tell you what to love about yourself. P.S. Obligatory f**k Weissmann. Hope Gehenna reserves a place for child-abusing ACTUAL monsters.

[@iz_pz8910]

Ever since I played this game, i cant get the scene out of my head where Kevin asked Estelle what she would even tell Joshua. And she proceeds to answer with, paraphrasing here, I dont know, but I'll know when I see him. And I felt that in the scene itself. She was pouring her heart out so genuinely. Love it. The writing is just insane.

[@mr_kibitzer]

"Greetings, Georg Weissmann from Trails in the Sky." "Hello, Louis Guiabern from Metaphor: ReFantazio." **Both fly off in their giant red airships**

[@MewFan15165]

There's always something that connects Nico's LPs

[@falimkirious2923]

Damn, I knew there was something that was giving me deja vu playing through metaphor, thanks. Can finally put a finger on it.

[@Doctorrr_]

I watched a video reviewing this game, and it made a great point that this game didn't go the route of "dangling" getting Joshua back until the very end. There's still story left to go and they can heal throughout it. Also that Gilbert boss fight, I was so damn determined to beat him without running out of time. After several tries I learned to get a very specific reaction of knocking, fainting, and freezing them with the only 3 food items I had, lol. So worth it, especially since every guide I looked up had Estelle use a skill I didn't have.

[@blackdragoncyrus]

Weissmann is so moustache-twirlingly evil, he's physically playing the bad guys' base theme on an organ, like he's Damon Gant or something. And of course, you know a scene from a series is so iconic that simply calling it "the beach scene" is enough for people to know what you're talking about.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

He’s not my favorite villain in this series but god dang does he work well. That piano scene made me laugh so hard but in a good way 🤣

[@Zephhi]

Yeah he's comically evil. I love him for that though. Still one of my favorites in the series due to how impactful he feels and how well hidden he is in FC

[@Talisguy]

Villains who are just flamboyantly evil like this are easy to screw up, but Weissmann is an all-timer for me. He's just so _punchable._ He's so secure in his position and so unashamed of being an evil bastard that he has a giant pipe organ room installed on his airship just so he can add his own evil soundtrack to scenes where he meets his enemies, and he's confident enough to turn his back to whoever he's meeting so he can finish his bitchin' organ solo before dramatically turning around. You begrudgingly respect his commitment to the bit while also being eager to see Estelle knock his teeth out.

[@andrew_ray]

Why _is_ villains playing the organ such a thing? Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, Dreyfus in the Pink Panther Strikes Again, (spoiler) in Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, now Weissman.

[@Talisguy]

@andrew_ray Possibly The Phantom of the Opera. I don't know for sure, but that seems a likely culprit. The story is over 100 years old, the villain broods by playing the organ, unlike a lot of examples this is justified in the story by him being a musical genius and full of angst about his rejection by society over his disfigured appearance, and also very emotionally immature...seems like a plausible patient zero for this trope.

[@caar6611]

I was waiting for this moment... Nico, finally reached the beach scene! This is a beloved scene for a reason and shows how Falcom's slow cooking writing can pay off. It feels so EARNED for both of them after everything that has happened and shows how Estelle has subtly grown throughout the first part of this game. From her breaking down at the start of the game to losing him to finally being able to reunite with him and reach him. She truly is Bestelle for a reason. And it's only up from here!

[@tuvillo]

These ceasefire moments where antagonists can just engage in conversation are perfect in this series. It really gives depth to antagonists without feeling off when they monologue in battle.

[@tuvillo]

Also, the music that plays when you escape kinda reminds me of Ace Attorney

[@sa7o3h15]

My favorite moment in Cold Steel 2 is the intermission in the middle of the game because of this.

[@coldDrive]

S-crafts have a massive self-imposed delay after using them. Meaning, if you s-craft, your turn will take a long time to come back. That's what was giving the mercs so many turns on some of your attempts.

[@danieldietz9065]

This chapter is one that stepped teen romance to new heights and reminded me why we want the archetypical stories in the first place. One variable few fictions can properly execute is time. Trails is one of few series that really slow cook their characters. Real relationships shine brightest through time together and overcoming struggle. Not thru a pretty first dance or love at first sight. This relationship felt so real, I can't buy the Estelle figure, without buying the Joshua one to put beside it! 😅 Logic be damned... Cheers to Estelle and Joshua for giving us one of the best crafted romances in fiction! ❤

[@SpanishFly120]

This entire section here really shows how great Estelle is as a character and how much she's grown. From her understanding that Renne's just as much of a victim of the Society as Joshua was (if not more), to her strengthening her resolve even after hearing the truth about Hamel, to her understanding Joshua's pain even when he himself didn't. It's great, and it's part of why we all love her.

[@jorntumrongwit9056]

This is it THE scene that got me into Trails fully Actually magical moment Also, despite all the goofy stuffs she says, her actual most well remembered line is when she's the most straight, when she really come out straight to help the person she cares about the most. Estelle, despite her bumbling throughout the games, despite being naive, managed to be able to get through to the matter of the truth about Joshua and be able to be there for him. She's always going to be the ray of sunshine that shines bright for everyone even if she isn't the most capable person. That is why she's the bestelle. And that's why Trails is one of my favorite series because they always knock it out of the park with character moments like this.

[@LordBlackshark]

Nico and Estelle: Mwahahaha, time to take revenge on Joshua for stealing all our shit last game. Joshua: I uh... I don't think that's a good idea. We still have the boss at the end of the chap- Nico and Estelle: SHUT UP JOSHUA! Campanella starting up the flying death machine in the background: Yeah Joshua, shut up. Joshua: sigh...Why do I even bother?

[@forestdragonslayer3172]

*Nico hands over a box of tissues* Me: "Screw the tissues. Gosh darn it, where are my Hajimes!?!"

[@Zephhi]

Dude I've been waiting for this since you started FC Genuinely one of the best scenes in the whole series. Whenever I think Sky SC, I think this. No matter how many times I rewatch it, I cry. It attests to how well the dialogue is written by giving a somewhat realistic depiction of how these two would interact. I love it compared to how I imagine most other games would handle it. Also the immediate second the music plays starts the waterworks for me

[@PhantomVizor777]

This is truly one of the greatest scenes in the entire series. It really shows how much Estelle has grown since FC's ending and thanks to those experiences, she was finally able to get through to Joshua.

[@aneonfoxtribute]

Yeah, Trails can get surprisingly dark sometimes. Way darker than you'd expect for this series. The Hamel story is the first real instance of that. You would think that this series would be super light hearted, but it fucking goes places sometimes.

[@nickknight8]

I’ve had many people be pulled in by the end of FC and go straight to SC. But usually around chapter 2 or 3 of SC, I found me and some of my friends take a break from trails and put it on the side for other things. I truly believe the beach scene is what cements trails as a favorite for people. It did for me and my friends, and caused us to binge with no breaks till we caught up. It’s so special

[@willthemost]

Probably my favorite thing about FC/SC is Estelle, truly an all time protagonist for me. Despite what she goes through, she doesn’t fundamentally change as a person. In FC she starts as kind of naive and not very worldly, often trying to see the good in people. It’d be easy to make an arc for her where she gets hardened by the world around her, but the game does something way more impressive and interesting by having her continue to believe in people and not compromise who she is, but her experience makes her able to switch from blind faith to actually being able to help people. We saw it on the ship in that one section with Olivier, we see it here with Joshua, and all of that growth happens because of what she went through. Her arc is almost subtle because she doesn’t have any major personality shifts, but it is SUPREMELY well written and leads to moments like this feeling incredibly earned and hitting so well.

[@Zakemaster]

Estelle never changes as a person. She just grows as a person.

[@IsaacgotWestcooked]

Weissmann: Would you like to join Ouroboros? Estelle: No. Weissmann: How about you Smug Estelle? Smug Estelle: YEEEEAHHHHHHHH!

[@OtakuD50]

Enforcer No. -1: Smug Estelle the Smug Estelle

[@ZenoKnightShade]

I MISS villains being so excessively theatrically evil that they do shit like play the pipe organ.

[@Apolleh]

as soon as I heard that organ i said to myself 'this mf better not be playing that' AND OF COURSE THE BASTARD WAS

[@dinotech3416]

For real… no matter what people say about ganon being an easy boss in oot I always get the chill listening to that organ on the way up haha

[@siragon756]

The funniest thing to me being that Weissmann actually has a canonical reason for why he can play the organ In other games it's just a "oh, they're just that cool and edgy" moment. Here, the joke is turned into backstory and characterization crumbs.

[@dinotech3416]

@@siragon756 wow that’s cool… also I find it funny that it did not need to be that complicating of a song .. but dude he was spitting bars!

[@scotsoulgem]

This is just one of those moments in gaming that as soon as I saw, I knew I was never going to forget. This was the moment I knew for sure I was in this series for the long term. That it was something special. Moments like that are rare, but when they come... wow. I love Estelle so much.

[@DeniableWhistle]

I have to say I really like your voices as Loewe and Weissman, they really add a lot to the scenes. Easily one of the highlights of this series.

[@BlueCrimson10]

Joshua: They have an army, Estelle. Estelle: We have a Zin, Joshua.

[@ZenoKnightShade]

Fun fact: Gilbert is ALSO voiced by Bryce Papenbrook

[@Zodia195]

Now all Nico needed to do is replace Gilbert's face with Nagito . . . .

[@uchytjes10]

This isn't my favorite scene in the series, but it is probably the best reunion scene I know of in fiction.

[@Luxinox16]

I think this is the first time Gilbert had voice lines (in battles). He has the same VA as Agate.

[@Builderguy2001]

BLORF

[@astraybright]

IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING YOU GUYS

[@ookamibr1918]

The character development of Estelle Bright is one to be studied by game writers and developers of this industry. Now with that aside you should take note that Death Scream is AWESOME to farm Shining Poms, all my party members had access to it by the end of the game. Joshua is a great character to clean maps full of enemies but Estelle still being better for bosses that doesn't call reinforcements or any sort of minions. And to wrap it up the music hits so hard when both Joshua and Estelle leave the ship and walk towards the sand on that beach. Falcom has ninjas ready to cut onions near every player reaching that cutscene, it's really something else that it was released so long ago and so little people had played it, but it's also so hard to recommend these games nowadays... We all can't wait for the remakes.

[@FlameOfUdun96]

I played these games with the voice acting patch and goddamn, they KILLED this scene. Could not have asked for a better reunion for these two. Also yeah, like most people, this is where I was FULLY on board with Estelle and Joshua as a couple, I mean how can you not be after that??

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

They aren’t my favorite couple in this series but they are still so cute

[@ACey96]

​@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE who is?

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@ACey96 Sky the third introduces two of them is all I’ll say!

[@joaocbcneto]

​@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICEhmm, are you perhaps a... (Sky the 3rd spoilers) Kevin and Ries enjoyer?

[@Joseph-vc7uk]

This is why speed quarts are a must, especially in Nightmare. the more turns the better.

[@sometwithtoomuchfreetim3842]

So Nico, one reason they got as many turns as they did (not to undersell how fast they are) is delay. Every action causes delay, s-crafts cause a fuckton of delay especially. This fight is bullshit though, I agree.

[@Erpy80]

I also think that Nico didn't have ANY action quartz equipped. Like at all. That probably didn't help. That's why using attack food (including the recipe you picked up a few minutes earlier) is the second best strategy for that battle. Items have low cooldown and that recipe did a truckload of damage. Best strategy is getting Silver Thorn on Estelle to confuse the jaegers and have them whack each other since each enemy turn causes the timer to tick down and when those turns are used to decrease enemy HP, that's the most efficient way to avoid running out of time.

[@randomttk6464]

@@Erpy80 Yeah having action and cast quartz is pretty much a mandatory for any trails game.

[@zhaoluyue1995]

1:27:25 And here is the biggest reason why the trail series (especially sky) is awesome. Character development, and falcom means it.

[@Doctorrr_]

It felt like seeing my daughter grow up as I was cheering when Estelle broke out from her room in the Glorious, lol.

[@yodastitch4227]

Remember when Kurt tells you "Real Jaegers wouldn't have been nearly as gentle" at the end of your training? Maybe he didn't meant for Gilbert specifically to prove him right, but that's still good foreshadowing.

[@EpicSubmarines]

It truly speaks to the magic of this series that Nico began FC not even knowing if he would enjoy the game to now, midway through SC, hyping the freak out over the eyes on sprites changing

[@Miyochii02]

FINALLY the beach scene. But also dang Nico's voice breaking when voicing the crying Joshua. I sure didn't expect that and added a different weight to the scene, thanks for that... Anyway, so much to unpack: I've previously mentioned in a comment on the Renne enforcer reveal vid, but Estelle prioritizes understanding. Remember when Renne was on top of the warehouse roof, already spilling some parts of her plan, Estelle was still like, 'Renne, I'll come get you, it's dangerous there." Plus during the talk in the guild, her perspective about Renne is different from the others. Her line to Renne in this vid makes so much sense too with all that. So it's really no wonder that she'd be able to reach Joshua this way. Also regarding Estelle joining Ouroboros. I feel like it's more of Weissman also just being twisted. Aside from Renne, seems no one's really that interested to get Estelle onboard (Aside from that talk with Loewe, he also reacted negatively to Weissman proposing the idea to Renne way back). It was just Weissman enjoying toying with people, giving Estelle limited options, luring Joshua out, etc. Besides, Weissman would likely be more amused to see someone as bubbly and noble like Estelle turn her back on the people and maybe even manipulate her. We already know that won't work but his mind's twisted so... Well those are my thoughts Another thing I really love is that when Estelle said she can cover his back now, we actually experience that in game too. We literally can catch up to Joshua's level. And all the tedious stuff we had to experience in the game, it feels more rewarding with that. I also have to say, Estelle and Weissman talking here... Notice how Weissman's terms and words are so similar to Joshua's during self-pity, or how he views himself as a puppet and stuff. You can really tell what kinda 'training' or 'tuning' Weissman did to him. It's really sad and twisted that way, so it's nice to see Estelle save Joshua from that since day one. Lastly, the beach scene will forever be iconic. IDK how many times I've watched and cried during this scene, but I always look forward to it whenever someone does a playthrough. It's just so good! Joshua's sprite changes, the light in his eyes, the variety of expressions he has, how he softened up to her after all that crying... Estelle's lines, it's so very her even at such a serious scene, plus the comedic and romantic stuff. Just so brilliant

[@twiliking1462]

This, THIS scene is what we've all been waiting for. All of Sky's sins can be forgiven, because it all built towards this beach scene, and it's everything we could ask for. From the dialogue, the music, even the fade to black, it's just perfect.

[@KingCyrus20]

Did you have Action quartz equipped for the Gilbert fight? I didn't see it at 48:12. It's definitely a must for getting more turns.

[@SuperSupersoda]

Also, a high level action quartz can really help with getting Death Scream, which is an insanely good crowd control art that can make that fight much easier.

[@kirua258]

@@SuperSupersoda I actually find Silver Thorn better for this, Death Scream have the disadvantage to have pretty low death Proc, while Silver Thorn is at 90% for confusion And seeing your ennemies hitting each other is never getting old! But Yeah, it's not the first time Nico's complaining about ennemies speed but him not getting action despite this was hillarious. But about Action, I don't think he had it equipped, since Estelle didn't when Nico swapped quartz. And he only had Action 1 in his inventory so ultimately, it wouldn't had any major impact for the fight. Let's just hope that this time, he'll see how good Action Quartz are and'll use them more from now on.

[@darkshadow3015]

This Gilbert fight is the whole reason people recommend against going to hard or higher difficulties because it's nearly impossible to win that fight if not with like the utmost prepping multiple hours ahead of the kidnapping. It is possible but I would say it more difficult to win then the final boss itself on harder difficulties.

[@jmporkbob]

Make your edgelord cry and he'll love you forever.

[@TailsPrower7]

I've been watching this series since episode 1 of FC, and since then I've been excited for you to reach this part. The wait was really worth it. What a great LP!

[@4rthChairmode]

Joshua : Estelle can you give me back my quartz .

[@SpanishFly120]

Nico swiping Joshua's Quartz because he expects him to take off, only for Joshua to actually stick around and wind up weak for the boss fight was actually pretty funny.

[@narukamiseta122]

The long awaited reunion. The entire sequence of events leading up to it was pretty good. From Estelle figuring out the stuff about Alba aka Weissman, to learning about more about Leowe, and by extension, Joshua's past, to the epic escape sequence. Then Estelle putting everything together and speaking calmy from the heart to talk some sense into him wrapped it all into a nice little bow. Leowe, Joshua, and Estelle are three of my favorite Sky characters and those scenes elevated them for me.

[@lazydude8904]

I may not like Weissman but man do i really like how "Look how evil I am" they made him lol. A dude speaking in riddles, plays an over the top organ, also a former member of the church. His face is so punch worthy from all his teeheee evil the game reminds you constantly. But yaaaay the duo is back. If I remember correctly, Im looking forward to a certain battle that just goes lol skill issue

[@yoshimario40]

Moments after the episode. Joshua: Hey where did all my orbments go? Estelle: *Whistling innocently*

[@SJK9000]

I'll never forgive Falcom for forcing me to admit that a pair of not-blood-related pseudo-siblings actually do make a good couple.

[@doorto6152]

@@SJK9000 took me a few years to get over the pseudo incest squick. But once I did, it really hit me how much chemistry they have and how it’s a well-written romance.

[@RaifSeverence]

And to this day, it's the only Canon romance in the series of its kind. The one in the next arc is brought up as a joke. The one in the following arc is a PLAYER CHOICE and not canon.

[@myy1008]

@@RaifSeverence can you not?

[@Soul_Devour]

Yo, he reads comments so could you avoid any spoilers in them?

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

@@RaifSeverence I mean, I don’t see the issue too much if the romance is still written well. Player choice doesn’t mean bad

[@tinkerlin8235]

Ah bestelle our beloved, back when joshua poured his heart put to her, her only reation was confusion ("what does that even mean?"). She wasn't mature enough to understand him. But now she's walked her path on her own and matured far beyond who she was at the end of FC. She's able to understand and speak to Joshua's heart properly while still being estelle to her core. The growth she goes through is some of the more organic I've seen. The aftershocks of hamel are going to continue through the series so keep it in mind. But I love that her first reaction from hearing it is "tell weissman thanks but no thanks"... truly an estelle answer Loewe would have made a hell of a bracer tho

[@colt1903]

Ever since I saw that scene of Alba playing the organ, every single time an organ or a piano or a violin or really any sort of orchestral instrument starts playing in these games by itself I just assume it's Alba in the background just out of sight going ham😂😂😂

[@themaskedfacade9939]

I don't know if anyone commented on this, but MASSIVE props to nico's voice work for Joshua in the beach scene. Jesus Christ the delivery was powerful.

[@riofernando9414]

Weissman using own voice for the ships AI is the most weissman thing and honestly i can see him doing that 😂

[@caramelkalin6696]

Beach scene is still in my top 10 moments of the entire series.

[@patrickbarnett121]

There is so much to talk about this episode. First, at the beginning of the series you mentioned how Kevin dressed similarly to Weissman, this makes sense now considering that both of them come from the church, this also explain why Kevin has the ability to restore memory loss caused by Weissman, since both techniques were likely passed down in the Septian Church. Second, Hamel's story is an absolute tragedy, been betrayed by your own country just to start an unjustified war, and after all the horrors the survivors have witnessed, they were told to never speak about it ever again, the survivors of Hamel never received justice and were completly forgotten in history. Fun fact Nico, there is a moment in chapter 1 in FC where Estelle finds a book that Joshua was reading named 'The Hundred Days War' at the end of it, says: 'Although no indemnification was made, an official apology was offered up by the imperial government as they expressed that they had, '...made a grievous error attributed to a tragic incident occurring within (their) borders.'' You somewhat point out that this was somehow related to Joshua's backstory. Another interesting detail, in the last chapter of FC, when Joshua is dressed as a maid he uses the name 'Karin', indicating that even when he lost his memories, the name of Karin remains in his head. Third, Estelle calling Renne a "victim" is more profound than one my thing, like sure, she is a kid a she doesn't know better, does she is a victim of her situation, but also, thinking of Renne as someone irredimable or purely evil would mean to reject the Joshua she knows And finally, the beach scene. Although there is a lot to talk about this scene, I wanted to highlight something in particular, in the previous chapter, Kevin asked Estelle what was she going to say to Joshua once they were reunited, Estelle told Kevin that she isn't sure, that the words don't come to her when she is just sitting around, so she will just let the words come out when she actually meet him. I find that moment to be pretty relatable, Estelle didn´t even understand the circumsances of Joshua, and their backgrounds, emotions and relationship are so complicated that you just can't expect to script a conversation like that and expect it to turn out well, so, when she finally understood Joshua's past and emotions, she let the words come out, because in that moment, there wasn´t anyone who understood Joshua better than her.

[@GD-Guren4946]

Hamel is the deepest moment in the story. The story with Erebonia and Liberl is built on events in Hamel and can trace it's origins to it.

[@zhaoluyue1995]

1:33:30 The whereabout of light... Actually, the song was named "Hoshi no Arika" or "The whereabout of stars". It is a song from Joshua to Estelle (the origin of the name of "Estelle" was "star", remember?), not the other way around. Joshua desired and searched for light in his heart. Instead, the light came to find him. 🥲

[@Talisguy]

God, Weissmann is such a prick. Loewe mentions that Weissmann wiped Joshua's mind of everything about Ouroboros _except the murders he was forced to commit._ He saddled an eleven year old boy with the memories of killing a whole bunch of people without even leaving him any context for why he did it. Did Joshua spend his entire time with the Brights thinking that he was a psychopath, that he just went around killing people for no reason? That's such a pointlessly sadistic thing to do. There's no _benefit_ to it. And the reveal's dropped so casually. This is just Tuesday for him. What an ass.

[@JyuRaposa]

Joshua: "Guess I'll be partnering with you Es... wait what are you doing Estelle?!" Estelle: "This is for stealing my money and quartz!"

[@Alexj96]

Im so happy we got here. Thank you Nico for playing this games, it really means a lot watching somebody with a channel as big as yours do this. I have not seen any comment mention this, so i would say it. They didnt really kiss, they were interrupted. I thought the same as you my first time playing it. It is made clear later. Also, as you have seen many times, Estelle is "the sun", she brings light to the people around here, how fitting that she brought back the light in Joshua's eyes, right?

[@zhaoluyue1995]

Obviously, Estelle won't be told all the reasons the society wanted her in it. She was only told the "benefit" she will gain for joining. The society will be rid of a lot of different roadblocks with their "plan". Her father is one of them, and will be heartbroken, probably lost his way again. Joshua is another obvious one. The bracer guild in a whole will be demoralized as well, and also lose another point of legitmacy when dealing with the society (there are also other things evolving the other branches of bracer's guild that I could not mention here).

[@amythelime]

Man this scene makes me cry every time.

[@Official_RetroMania]

I love that moment because Estelle clearly understands how Joshua feels and how he suppressed his emotions wanting to escape the guilt of blaming himself what happened to his older sister and Joshua deep inside also understands that Gilbert is the best character EVER! Gilbert is BACK BA-BY! And because of that this chapter/act is definitely 10/10 one! All hail Gilbert! 🙌🏻🙇🏻

[@SuperClucky]

This scene emphasizes Estelle as one of the most unique characters on a deeper level in that she's kind, but not nice in a way cool shonen protags or edgelords are. She will always show compassion to a meaningful extent in order to reach people and understand them, but she's never a pushover. In fact, she's memorable and beloved for the fact that she's both a positive beacon of hope and an impetuous shit talker who's always ready to scrap.

[@joaocbcneto]

I know people appreciate this about Estelle, but I find it kind of odd with the fandom that people get very confrontational about a different character in the series in (Cold steel 3-REVERIE character) Juna, her story and arc is different but a lot of her personality and reactions remind me of Estelle but viewed from a different POV. Well outside of the one section where she takes over as protag.

[@Redzeths]

Jaeger: We have you surrounded! Estelle: Maybe... BUT I HAVE THE POWER OF BAD COOKING AT MY SIDE Dead by meatball

[@Ruostetta]

As someone who never has played this game, I'm very impressed by how this game handles trauma. How it can refrain from speaking about the details of the assaults while being so frank about Joshua's dissociation, of how ''it feels like everything happened to someone else.'' I now understand that this game has amazing writing, because without experience or thorough research, portraying such hard topics can easily feel like just blatant torture p*rn or either that the topics are not treated with enough respect. I'm thankful that you decided to play these games, because I'm sure others like myself wouldn't have found this game series if it weren't for you. I suppose what we learned here, is keep trusting your picky penguins for game recommendations. These guys seem to have pretty good taste in video game!

[@IrfanFakhrianto]

moment so good it makes the previous 60 hours to get here feels like nothing

[@zeneck7387]

And there we go. At last, the tragedy of Hamel finally unfolds...

[@elgronequequeriabailar]

As a nice little detail, joshua no longer have "empty eyes" when he use "black fang". Unlike FC