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A Needlessly Thorough Analysis of What Hardening Actually Means for Alistair
You can also read this analysis in a Google Doc if you find that format more palatable: here.
(I do recommend desktop for the comfiest viewing in either case, but both should be serviceable.)
Disclaimer: If critical discussion of a characterโs feelings, motivations, and reactions to certain in-game choices could be personally upsetting to you, maybe donโt read this. None of this analysis is me judging you/your choices as a player, I am simply looking through the lens of Alistairโs characterization and the in-universe consequences of choices. Of course this analysis will be colored by my own bias, itโs inevitable. I canโt realistically include every potentially relevant line of dialogue, but Iโm always happy to discuss if you think thereโs something crucial I left out.
Hardened Alistair is often described as learning to stand up for himself and becoming more assertive, but why? Is it an accurate assessment? Even Alistair himself reacts to the hardening dialogue by saying heโs going to start thinking for himself and looking out for himself more, so surely itโs trueโฆ right?
To the contrary, I would actually argue that hardened Alistair tends to put others before himself more than unhardened Alistair. Letโs start by looking at how he becomes hardened.
