The Psychology of Damien [spoilers]

[LogicalDash]

Damien needs your soul in order to become a demon king.

He tried to do that by eating you. He failed. Partly because Potsdam interrupted but also sort of because he was enjoying the moment too much to get the ritual done quickly. (You find this out by casting Spirit Echoes on the gym afterward.)

Now that you know his ritual requires you to DIE, he figures you won't try it again, and anyway, there's a much more FUN way to get your soul: marry you. Or at least, get you to accompany him to his demon kingdom, still alive and conscious, with your soul still inside your body.

He owns everything in that kingdom, as kings often do.* Now that you're in it, he has your soul. Mission accomplished.

He'll probably keep you alive! You're much more useful that way, and in any case he DOES love you, even as he's using you. For a demon--and for certain humans--that's not a contradiction. Using your loved ones to get what you want is a logical thing to do, and if he can keep you alive and happy, so much the better.

So yeah: he's a psycho jealous stalker demon king, who is forbidden to you for good reason, who is pretty cool in a complicated way, and he demands you for his bride, alive or dead.

A well-rounded character. Good show.

*OK, he's not the king YET, but I don't imagine it would be difficult to get his father to give him the new girl.

[biscuit]

...I can't believe I never cast that spell in the gym afterwards.

NOW I NEED TO REPLAY THIS GAME JUST FOR THAT.

[Crissa]

It's fairly realistic that sometimes, there's no happy ending.

You don't usually see that in a dating game, tho.

-Crissa

[Elosva]

i loved the damien path for a few simple reasons,

1) it was so obvious that you couldn't see it comeing, i mean everyone tryied to warn you and the signs were all there

2) it was unexpextedly twistedly romantic, evil no doubt, and in real life if a friend of mine got cought up with a guy like that id slap her right upside the head and tell her to wake the f*** up but still twistedly romantic in its own right

3) it gave in to no story conventions, i mean he out right tells you hes not going to change, hes going to still be an evil a**hole down the line


now heres how i see this going, damien's going to disapear for a while (maybe showing up now and again to romance his girl, and shell out some vengence if need be)

the lonelyness and feelings of betrayal at her friends will start to corupt her

her friends will keep trying to help her in there own way... she wont let them,

shell make "friends"in snake hall... none of them will be good for her

eventuly damien will come to power and come for her, shell jump right into his arms and become the (semi)evil demon queen



that is all you may comence screaming at me for saying this now now

[Oki]

Logical, that's incorrect. Damien wasn't too busy enjoying himself, it's clear upon the use of empathy and spirit echoes that he legitimately could not bring himself to do it. If you play as a girl who doesn't give him a chance and let him have your soul, he'll just kill you, end of story.

By not killing you, he loses. He's not a king of demons, he is instead an upstart who has a shot- but not the legacy he was meant to be. Not with servants and apprentices abound. Damien is not that man and by loving you he 'failed'. But he loves you, just cast empathy, he really does. In his own, really messed up way.

Hanako wrote this route very clearly: Damien is a twisted SOB who YOU DO ROMANCE. But it is not like you think it will be. He falls in love with you. But you may just learn he isn't the type you WANT to love you. I think even in the 'ideal' ring ending where you keep it a secret he is going to be an impulsive stalker boyfriend FOREVER. Just keep this in mind, he gave up everything to let you live. He stopped the flow, and escaped without Potsdam even touching him. He isn't lying. You'd be dead if he didn't love you. AND BOY IS HE GONNA FLAUNT THAT OVER YOU

"I gave up everything for you!"

"You mean you didn't murder me!"

"Exactly! You can't leave me! I gave it all up for you! Don't you dare let another man touch you!"

Daaamiiien ladies and gentlemen.

[Rozelliee]

Daaamiiien ladies and gentlemen.

Haha basically. Thank you Damien for repeatedly lying to, manipulating, hurting and trying to murder my character. But WAIT! I should forgive you because you didn't kill her- you only screwed with her life and her head and basically wrecked everything. So I guess you're a pretty nice guy!

In short, Damien's a warped, disillusioned abusive boyfriend.

But damn if Hanako doesn't write his route well enough that I want to see more of it in the next game.

[Oki]

Daaamiiien ladies and gentlemen.

Haha basically. Thank you Damien for repeatedly lying to, manipulating, hurting and trying to murder my character. But WAIT! I should forgive you because you didn't kill her- you only screwed with her life and her head and basically wrecked everything. So I guess you're a pretty nice guy!

In short, Damien's a warped, disillusioned abusive boyfriend.

But damn if Hanako doesn't write his route well enough that I want to see more of it in the next game.

I know! That's just it! This guy is so f up! I should hate him! But the way you take it, the clear "This guy is not healthy, no one thinks he's healthy" and how the only healthy route, if you can call it that, is to basically shove him away and refuse to publicly acknowledge him while still loving him. The whole point is like, shit, man, guys- he's so evil. WHY DID YOU ALL PUSH ME INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP BY NOT UNDERSTANDING MY NAIVETE AND NEED FOR INDEPENDENCE IN A WORLD I DID NOT UNDERSTAND

And what's even more fun is he knows he did wrong. He knows he's an awful awful guy and gives you many chances to back off. But he KNOWS in his crazy heart you love him, even if you don't! Because he has never been in love and once he realizes he is, he concludes you MUST be as well. If it's a love that could f up his life he concludes it must do the same to you.

I'm pretty sure MC's who successfully romance Damien think back to Angela and go "Wow I wish you had been right and I wasn't his true love! Hahahaha I'm gonna go cry now."