The books

[Gri]

If you look at the books (I'm sure lots of people have noticed this) in the shop you can see that behind the colorful picture is a larger one of various characters. This picture corresponds with whom plays a larger than usual role in that part of the story. As you can see it's all the members of the Order - Belkar + Redcloak. So do you think the next part of the story will be largely about Belkar?

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Yes, because Belkar is about to die. Whether you love him or hate him, or think you've found a loophole in the Oracle's Prophesy, Death's Little Helper has less than a month (in comic time) left in this world.

[B.I.T.T.]

Yes, because Belkar is about to die. Whether you love him or hate him, or think you've found a loophole in the Oracle's Prophesy, Death's Little Helper has less than a month (in comic time) left in this world.

I just noticed how a lot of people seem to love announcing that.

[Mystic Muse]

I just noticed how a lot of people seem to love announcing that.

it's because of all the epileptic trees saying he'll live.

He is going to DIE he is going to STAY dead and there's NOTHING you can do about it. GET OVER IT ALREADY!:smallfurious: (not directed at you)

[ref]

He is going to DIE he is going to STAY dead and there's NOTHING you can do about it. GET OVER IT ALREADY!:smallfurious: (not directed at you)

Never before have truer word been spoken. Or typed, for that matter.

[Mystic Muse]

Never before have truer word been spoken. Or typed, for that matter.

thank you for the compliment.

(to his fans. This doesn't mean he'll be taken out of the strip entirely. At least you have that. Although he could be unmade by the snarl which would be nice.)

[Vemynal]

I'd personally like to see a section of Belkar in the underworld, kinda like what happened with Roy. I remember hearing someone mention that the giant said he'd like to do that at sometime or something on the matter.

And hey, if it *has* to interlock with plot somehow (a lot of greek tales have characters that have nothing to do with the plot anyways) theres always the IFCC and V's side plot that belkar could get involved with

[NerfTW]

it's because of all the epileptic trees saying he'll live.

He is going to DIE he is going to STAY dead and there's NOTHING you can do about it. GET OVER IT ALREADY!:smallfurious: (not directed at you)

I'm reminded of the person who was absolutely positive that Belkar was going to die fighting the Thieves Guild, and it was so obvious and removed any sense of surprise from the comic.

Strange how many times people have been completely wrong, especially when being belligerent.

Get over your own opinion as well. You have no idea he's going to stay dead until it happens. There are many valid theories that involve him staying in the strip as something that doesn't breath, like an undead creature. If you don't want to hear theories, don't read the threads, but don't be a jerk because you've already made up your mind.

[Sewblon]

thank you for the compliment.

(to his fans. This doesn't mean he'll be taken out of the strip entirely. At least you have that. Although he could be unmade by the snarl which would be nice.) I don't think the Snarl exits, at least not anymore.

[Kish]

You have no idea he's going to stay dead until it happens. There are many valid theories that involve him staying in the strip as something that doesn't breath, like an undead creature.
No. There aren't. There are many theories that hinge on ignoring part of what the Oracle said. No one's ever proposed one which doesn't involve "oh, not for the world doesn't mean anything" and keeps Belkar in the, ah, world.

[Mystic Muse]

yes I have made up my mind. made up my mind that Rich is a better writer than that. If Rich decides to make Belkar something doesn't have to breathe in order for him to continue adventuring with the party there wasn't really any point in ever having the prophecy in the first place. If somebody decides to animate Belkar's dead corpse as a zombie fine. He's not alive and he's not Belkar he's just a corpse. If Team evil brings him back as an undead to fight against the party then Rich should have had Belkar just betray the party. The theories I've heard so far seem like complete cop outs to me and that's why I'm a little irritated by them.


If you can find a good way to pull this off I'll stop complaining.

[Mystic Muse]

I don't think the Snarl exits, at least not anymore.

that or it doesn't destroy everything it encounters anymore. I'm just saying that it eating Belkar whole isn't impossible, just improbable.

[Moff Chumley]

There is no doubt in my mind that Belkar isn't going to leave the strip. The Giant is too fond of him, as he's stated somewhere. :smallconfused:

[Lissou]

There is no doubt in my mind that Belkar isn't going to leave the strip. The Giant is too fond of him, as he's stated somewhere. :smallconfused:

It's a good thing that dying and leaving the strip have little to do with each other, then.

[Mystic Muse]

It's a good thing that dying and leaving the strip have little to do with each other, then.

yeah. Here's the difference between dying and leaving the strip.

dying. Belkar is dead but can continue being in the strip. (Adventures in the abyss and such)

Leaving the strip. Belkar is real and we're all doomed.

[xanaphia]

There is no doubt in my mind that Belkar isn't going to leave the strip. The Giant is too fond of him, as he's stated somewhere. :smallconfused:


I remember hearing someone mention that the giant said he'd like to do that at sometime or something on the matter.


I love sourced arguments.

[Porthos]

I love sourced arguments.

Here ya go then. :smallsmile:


Interestingly, there was an odd swell of fans who thought that the Miko vs Belkar battle would (or should) end with Belkar's death.

<STUFF SNIPPED>

Well just so there's no misunderstanding: Belkar is a protagonist of OOTS, regardless of his alignment. The strip will continue to follow him even if he leaves the OOTS. Heck, if Miko had killed Belkar, we probably would have had a few strips showing Belkar in the Afterlife before he was brought back. (Aw, man, that would have been great ... sigh ... another opportunity missed.)

Now before anyone goes off running away with these quotes, a few things:

A) In the same book, Rich said that Miko would be a character throughout the OOTS storyline. And we all know how that turned out (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LyingCreator). :smalltongue:

B) Belkar wasn't as vicious evil then as he is now. If one reads the commentaries in DStP Belkar is described as a psychopath as opposed to being "simply" amoral in NCftPB.

This matters because the attitudes of the members of the rest of the OotS have changed when it comes to whether or not to bring back Belkar. At the time of NCftPB, it still was thinkable.

Now? Not so much. :smalltongue:

C) Rich might have gotten a lot of his Afterlife "fix" out of his system when he killed off Roy. Admittedly this is the weakest argument, and I can see a lot of reasons for Rich wanting to see what the Evil Side of the Street was like in his Afterlife.

Perhaps we will follow Belkar for a long time in "cut-scenes". Or perhaps we will for a while, but he will eventually fade into the background.

Who knows?

and finally..

D) Rich can always change his mind about what he is planning for his characters.

So what was an absolute statement waaaaaaay back in 2006 might not be as much of one in 2010. :smalltongue:

[Moff Chumley]

Yah, my source was from OtOotPC, so it may be a tad outdated. :smalltongue:

[Porthos]

Yah, my source was from OtOotPC, so it may be a tad outdated. :smalltongue:

You actually might be thinking of something else, or slightly misremembering. I say that because the only thing Rich has to say about Belkar in Origins is:


Do we really want to know why Belkar is so psychotic? For example. if I created a backstory where Belkar was emotionally scarred as a child, wouldn't his outrageous behavior become more sad than funny?

Which isn't exactly what you were thinking of. :smallwink:

[silversaraph]

Isn't the abyss considered a separate plane, not a "world"? I find it entirely plausible that Belkar will be consumed by the snarl, going into another "world" and yet the subject of many more jokes. Problem is Rich ALWAYS tries to pick the least likely outcome possible, and many before me have thought of this, so...

As for the original discussion, I had my own epiphany (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135326)thread recently, too.