Howdy!
I thought about doing my own personal take on a completely unoriginal and already seen topic, just for giving my piece of mind about the infamous Terra-Aqua-Ventus Trio.
Often we see discussion about them, considering a lot of people thought they were poorly mixed together, while others liked them a lot: now, while you CAN like them, tastes follow no rules, I just wanted to demonstrate how I think they are really not a good team and how their own individual badassness does not translate into teamwork.
Obviously it's my PERSONAL take, and I understand disagreement.
Many sees not only a great friendship, but even love between the BbS protagonists; I am no one to judge (I personally feel Terra and Aqua are shipped just cause they are the standard male and the standard female of the game), but let's see at least the friendship part.
- Let's start with the most important thing: the background.
Ventus, ok, we at least saw when and how he met Terra and Aqua; but what about the two of them? Were they inhabitants of the same world or different ones? (meaning, they grew up together or only met via Eraqus?)
Were they even scouted in the same period? What if Terra was with Eraqus since birth, and Aqua arrived a few years after?
They might seem pointless questions, but they are not: they're actually useful to determine how far the trust bond goes between them. What Terra says and does might change a lot depending if he was talking about his childhood frined, his "Sora" or "Kairi", or a rival student with a 6-7 years relationship.
This could even change the notorious "Terra getting salty over Aqua spying on him": was he just being an edgy moron, or maybe there wasn't anything that proved Aqua was never gonna betray him? That she wouldn't forget her friends after becoming a Master? Who knows, we surely can't tell.
And the game doing very little to how they interact with each other on the daily really doesn't help.
- Moving along, the Mark of Mastery, a life-changing event: one of them passes, the other doesn't. In both cases a truly important event: what are the best friends doing? Each one in a separate location, minding his own businesses!
Obviously I don't expect Terra to go find the others, and he did ask to be left alone: but they seriously left him just cause he said that?
Aqua, did she really wait all along for Eraqus without even seeing the others? That's commendable, don't get me wrong, but hardly...friendly.
And the Aqua-Ventus friendship doesn't have the shadow of an excuse, obviously. They really didn't care.
And if they did some of that off-screen, is just like Terra and Aqua's past: doesn't count.
Terra then leaves while completely ignoring Ventus.
- Terra meets Aqua at the Castle of Dreams: they're alone, without anyone else, in a foreign world; aaaaand... they talk about job and their dream which Luxu knows how many times they retell already. Wow.
Ok, Ventus escaped, a big deal yes, after that... they look like some boring office co-workers, sorry.
Aqua will then meet Ven at Enchatned Domionion, and without even wondering why he escaped, she just tells him to go home. He, in a similar blind as a mule manner, refuses on the premise of vague words about Terra.
- The big meeting at Radiant Garden: a nice way for them to let their hair down for a moment... aaaand they're screaming and attacking each other. Great.
Terra has wronged and he knows, he kinda sorta endangered on of the seven purest hearts, kind of a big deal, and yet he still feels like the victim there.
Aqua is no better: Terra accuses her of spying and she doesn't say anything because she CAN'T say anything: she did spy on him, and when reunited with him she didn't hesitate to make him uncomfortable with her allusions. Again, following orders is commendable, but not always a sign of friendship.
Terra commands Ventus to go back (yeah, because the boy who disobeyed Eraqus and already refused once will DEFINITELY listen to you now), ultimately leaves like the saltiest of babies.
Ventus then accuses Aqua of letting the title of Master going to her head: he's not wrong, but that doesn't make him less stubborn and immature.
See, that's the thing. It might be a little insulting to them, but I feel that's just the truth.
Ventus didn't even try to share his worries with the others, running away and breaking rules. And it did bring troubles.
Terra became deaf to reason in order tgo protect his stupid pride. And it did bring troubles.
Aqua... she might not realize that herself, but she thought she was better. She (and Terra) sees Ventus as a child, doesn't entrust him with anything. She then doesn't trust Terra, automatically assuming his way was wrong.
The supposedly wisest of the trio failed to put herself in their shoes, to truly understand her comrades: the consequence to that? She actually firmly believes she's already right from the start.
I think they are friends and care about each other, make no mistake: but they are awful friends.
Each one of them thinks he/she should shoulder also the otehr two's share of problem, cause he/she's the only one capable of solving them.
And they inevitably fail, oth on the emotional side and the fighting side.
- Let's see the final battle.
Terra literally blocks Ventus and rushes ahead alone. He gets shown the door-well, the ground.
Then all three of them gets distracted by looking at the other and getting hit themselves in the process.
Ventus sees Terra on top and immediately rushes in to help him, getting freezed in the process (that will prove to be the source of a lot of complications, such as forcing Aqua to be at his side all the time).
Terra sees this and he too rushes in, failing to notice Vanitas and the Keyblade incoming.
Aqua gets provoked by Braig, Te4rra gets provoked by Xehanort, Ventus by Vanitas, congratulations everyone.
Aqua ALSO gets distracted by looking at Ven, failing to notice Vanitas and getting struck down.
Remember Riku and Sora versus Xemnas? THAT was teamwork. They fought alongside the other one, not for the other one, and sacrificed only when necessary, giving an opening for the other one.
Terra, Aqua and Ventus are awesome and strong. They also could really complement each other, given how different they are. But, having this mindset constantly on "___ IS IN DANGER, MUST PROTECT" ultimately does no good to them, severly weaking them.
So no, Aqua, you do NOT make a great team. You COULD.
I thought about doing my own personal take on a completely unoriginal and already seen topic, just for giving my piece of mind about the infamous Terra-Aqua-Ventus Trio.
Often we see discussion about them, considering a lot of people thought they were poorly mixed together, while others liked them a lot: now, while you CAN like them, tastes follow no rules, I just wanted to demonstrate how I think they are really not a good team and how their own individual badassness does not translate into teamwork.
Obviously it's my PERSONAL take, and I understand disagreement.
Many sees not only a great friendship, but even love between the BbS protagonists; I am no one to judge (I personally feel Terra and Aqua are shipped just cause they are the standard male and the standard female of the game), but let's see at least the friendship part.
- Let's start with the most important thing: the background.
Ventus, ok, we at least saw when and how he met Terra and Aqua; but what about the two of them? Were they inhabitants of the same world or different ones? (meaning, they grew up together or only met via Eraqus?)
Were they even scouted in the same period? What if Terra was with Eraqus since birth, and Aqua arrived a few years after?
They might seem pointless questions, but they are not: they're actually useful to determine how far the trust bond goes between them. What Terra says and does might change a lot depending if he was talking about his childhood frined, his "Sora" or "Kairi", or a rival student with a 6-7 years relationship.
This could even change the notorious "Terra getting salty over Aqua spying on him": was he just being an edgy moron, or maybe there wasn't anything that proved Aqua was never gonna betray him? That she wouldn't forget her friends after becoming a Master? Who knows, we surely can't tell.
And the game doing very little to how they interact with each other on the daily really doesn't help.
- Moving along, the Mark of Mastery, a life-changing event: one of them passes, the other doesn't. In both cases a truly important event: what are the best friends doing? Each one in a separate location, minding his own businesses!
Obviously I don't expect Terra to go find the others, and he did ask to be left alone: but they seriously left him just cause he said that?
Aqua, did she really wait all along for Eraqus without even seeing the others? That's commendable, don't get me wrong, but hardly...friendly.
And the Aqua-Ventus friendship doesn't have the shadow of an excuse, obviously. They really didn't care.
And if they did some of that off-screen, is just like Terra and Aqua's past: doesn't count.
Terra then leaves while completely ignoring Ventus.
- Terra meets Aqua at the Castle of Dreams: they're alone, without anyone else, in a foreign world; aaaaand... they talk about job and their dream which Luxu knows how many times they retell already. Wow.
Ok, Ventus escaped, a big deal yes, after that... they look like some boring office co-workers, sorry.
Aqua will then meet Ven at Enchatned Domionion, and without even wondering why he escaped, she just tells him to go home. He, in a similar blind as a mule manner, refuses on the premise of vague words about Terra.
- The big meeting at Radiant Garden: a nice way for them to let their hair down for a moment... aaaand they're screaming and attacking each other. Great.
Terra has wronged and he knows, he kinda sorta endangered on of the seven purest hearts, kind of a big deal, and yet he still feels like the victim there.
Aqua is no better: Terra accuses her of spying and she doesn't say anything because she CAN'T say anything: she did spy on him, and when reunited with him she didn't hesitate to make him uncomfortable with her allusions. Again, following orders is commendable, but not always a sign of friendship.
Terra commands Ventus to go back (yeah, because the boy who disobeyed Eraqus and already refused once will DEFINITELY listen to you now), ultimately leaves like the saltiest of babies.
Ventus then accuses Aqua of letting the title of Master going to her head: he's not wrong, but that doesn't make him less stubborn and immature.
See, that's the thing. It might be a little insulting to them, but I feel that's just the truth.
Ventus didn't even try to share his worries with the others, running away and breaking rules. And it did bring troubles.
Terra became deaf to reason in order tgo protect his stupid pride. And it did bring troubles.
Aqua... she might not realize that herself, but she thought she was better. She (and Terra) sees Ventus as a child, doesn't entrust him with anything. She then doesn't trust Terra, automatically assuming his way was wrong.
The supposedly wisest of the trio failed to put herself in their shoes, to truly understand her comrades: the consequence to that? She actually firmly believes she's already right from the start.
I think they are friends and care about each other, make no mistake: but they are awful friends.
Each one of them thinks he/she should shoulder also the otehr two's share of problem, cause he/she's the only one capable of solving them.
And they inevitably fail, oth on the emotional side and the fighting side.
- Let's see the final battle.
Terra literally blocks Ventus and rushes ahead alone. He gets shown the door-well, the ground.
Then all three of them gets distracted by looking at the other and getting hit themselves in the process.
Ventus sees Terra on top and immediately rushes in to help him, getting freezed in the process (that will prove to be the source of a lot of complications, such as forcing Aqua to be at his side all the time).
Terra sees this and he too rushes in, failing to notice Vanitas and the Keyblade incoming.
Aqua gets provoked by Braig, Te4rra gets provoked by Xehanort, Ventus by Vanitas, congratulations everyone.
Aqua ALSO gets distracted by looking at Ven, failing to notice Vanitas and getting struck down.
Remember Riku and Sora versus Xemnas? THAT was teamwork. They fought alongside the other one, not for the other one, and sacrificed only when necessary, giving an opening for the other one.
Terra, Aqua and Ventus are awesome and strong. They also could really complement each other, given how different they are. But, having this mindset constantly on "___ IS IN DANGER, MUST PROTECT" ultimately does no good to them, severly weaking them.
So no, Aqua, you do NOT make a great team. You COULD.