What or Who Kills Belkar?

[RMcMurtry]

Only the Giant knows what will ultimately kill Belkar. Of course, maybe he hasn't decided yet. I thought there might be some fun speculation as to what finally does him in.

My first guess:
The Monster in the Darkness comes out of the dark to squish him.

[factotum]

Well, you've said yourself: we have no way of knowing this. We don't even have the slimmest of evidence on which to speculate, unlike most of the discussion points that come up.

[icastflare!]

my guess? A very very very ticked off Roy.

[B.I.T.T.]

This thread looks strangely familiar...

anyway me, personally, I'm not going to guess. Fact is I'm not even sure if he WILL die. In the words of Yoda "...always in motion is the future."

[crazedloon]

I think it is less of an actual death and more of a figurative death. The classic Belkar (Chaotic stupid) will die as he realizes he has much more depth of character than he has let on thus far. The first blow to him which has begun his death was his brush with actual death and his realization of character depth. Once the transformation has been complete I think we will have a Chaotic Neutral or even Good Belkar with wildly different viewpoints than the one who first got the fortune.

[Mastikator]

The rogue-lizard guy and the half dragon and the chancellor and Malack seem very powerful. Belkar may die to one of them.
Also it would be very much poetic justice if the chancellor did it.

[Shale]

Giant death squid.

[Starscream]

Professor Vaarsuvius.
In the Tomb of Horrors.
With the Explosive Runes spell.

[hihidude]

He dies some gruesome horrible death that involves him losng all of his limbs. Then, after a long time, the team decids that they need him and plan on resurecting him. Once they decide this and have everything that they need, they realize they are missing an eye or some other extremely small body part. They have a side-qust to find it. Belkar is brought back.They kill Xykon and everyone lives happily ever-after.

[Torick]

A kobold.

He'll be made into a hat.

[Kish]

A kobold.

He'll be made into a hat.
I like this one.

[Dark Matter]

I don't see why they do need him as opposed to say... O'Chul.

[ThePhantasm]

A kobold.

He'll be made into a hat.

:belkar: Stupid entirely justified comeuppance.

[Yendor]

He'll choke on his birthday cake.

[Dr.Epic]

I say it'll be...

:elan:

...because he can comment on how it's such a plot twist.

[Tulio d Bard]

Professor Vaarsuvius.
In the Tomb of Horrors.
With the Explosive Runes spell.

LOL

But I do prefer crazedloon's point of view. Haven't thought of that yet.

[Draconi Redfir]

Perhaps we will go down in a blaze of glory while fighting off half a million enemies all by himself while the rest of the order escape, possibly with an explosion going off at some point.


Then all attempts to resurrect him fail because he's having too much fun killing every resident of the underworld over and over and over and over.

I imagine that last bit ending up like the ending of the movie "the one", with him shouting about how awesome he is before getting attacked by even MORE enemies, whom he brutally slaughters.

[RMcMurtry]

Well, you've said yourself: we have no way of knowing this. We don't even have the slimmest of evidence on which to speculate, unlike most of the discussion points that come up.

Yes. Which is why speculating is fun, IMO. The only things we're tied to are the Oracle's prediction that he'll draw his last breath--ever--within a year and Roy's seven weeks statement. Precisely how he dies is up in the air. We can come up with preposterous ideas and play with them.

My next guess--Miko's ghost escapes whereever it is and comes back to finish what she couldn't accomplish in life.

[Mystic Muse]

I think it is less of an actual death and more of a figurative death. The classic Belkar (Chaotic stupid) will die as he realizes he has much more depth of character than he has let on thus far. The first blow to him which has begun his death was his brush with actual death and his realization of character depth. Once the transformation has been complete I think we will have a Chaotic Neutral or even Good Belkar with wildly different viewpoints than the one who first got the fortune.


Shouldn't bother funding his IRA
Should savor his next birthday cake.
Will take his last breath, ever, before the end of the year.

Those point to a much more literal than figurative death.

[crazedloon]

Shouldn't bother funding his IRA
Should savor his next birthday cake.
Will take his last breath, ever, before the end of the year.

Those point to a much more literal than figurative death.

those all could simply mean that he will not need an IRA because he will retire after a great haul of loot which feeds him for the rest of his life.

His next cake may be the last time he has one for his birthday (some people don't like cake) or maybe it will just be the best one for the rest of his life

and his last breath as evil Belkar still applies

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

O'Chul of course, it will be an awesome Belkar climax near the end of the comic, I think there should be a "He will knock 4 times and you will die." joke.

[Mystic Muse]

those all could simply mean that he will not need an IRA because he will retire after a great haul of loot which feeds him for the rest of his life.

His next cake may be the last time he has one for his birthday (some people don't like cake) or maybe it will just be the best one for the rest of his life

and his last breath as evil Belkar still applies

if he doesn't like cake he won't savor it.
"your pal isn't long for this world"(forgot that one initially)
And no his last breath as evil Belkar doesn't apply. That's a really cheap cop-out and Rich is better than that.

[Kish]

those all could simply mean that he will not need an IRA because he will retire after a great haul of loot which feeds him for the rest of his life.

His next cake may be the last time he has one for his birthday (some people don't like cake) or maybe it will just be the best one for the rest of his life

and his last breath as evil Belkar still applies
Twenty gold says Belkar's a goner.

[Draconi Redfir]

Twenty gold says Belkar's a goner.

add my 20 gold to this as well. he's as good as dead, dont know how, why, or when, but he is.

[Shatteredtower]

Definitely death by kobold, then served as a banquet's main course. To his annoyance, he'll be served overcooked.

[Onyavar]

add my 20 gold to this as well.

Don't know where to get 20 gold pieces from, but I also add them to the betting pool here. Maybe we can get 10.000 together and then spend them in a city on the Western Continent as soon as we win.

My bet on WHO now: O'Chul, as others pointed out and as the Giant already lampshaded. O will win against B in an awesome fight after B killed some innocent.
I have a very interesting picture in mind where some halflings observe the fight and believe Belkar is the good guy. They later mourn the brave hero and maybe start a cult to worship him. This becomes a huge religion later, and Belkar will be raised to be a God of War.

*sigh*
Just imagine the weirdness of a "paladin of Belkar" ... :smallbiggrin:

[NerfTW]

Yeah, while I think it might be something clever that gets around the "last breath" and "not long for this world" parts, especially given my current pet theories about the world inside the rift, simply being a change in personality or alignment is way too cheesy. Especially since The Giant has said that the "Do I get to kill any or all of the following" prophecy was a knock on the idea of misleading prophecies. (In the commentary for War and XPs)

It wouldn't make sense to have another misleading prophecy that twists the words so Belkar is still basically Belkar the still alive halfling on the same planet as the Order of the Stick.


My guess if it isn't a still clever but non misleading conclusion, he can't die until the end or very close to it. Even as a loose cannon he's still far too powerful to be left dead during the final fight. Even with the aid of any remaining Scribble members, Lien, O'chul, Hinjo, and V's master potentially.

[EvilRoeSlade]

He could always find a magic item that makes breathing unnecessary.

[Bongos]

Belkar kills himself?

[Turkish Delight]

Heart attack.

[Dr.Epic]

Has the Giant foreshadowed anything concerning this in bonus material in any of the books?

[Reynard]

Has the 'Belkar becomes Intelligent Undead' option been ruled out yet?

[waterpenguin43]

Into a rift and destroyed, I believe. He'll go into Girard's gate and die.

[NerfTW]

Nothings been ruled out, really. The only things we know are in the online strip, that:


"...say, the halfling shouldn't bother funding his IRA, I don't want it to influence anything."
And then:

"Well, I'm just thinking he should savor his next birthday cake."

And on the second visit, to Roy, who remembers this part:

"At any rate, your pal isn't long for this world, so I saw no reason not to have my fun where I could."
Then in green text prophecy mode:

"Belkar will draw his last breath -ever- before the end of this year."
With the side note that he means "in comic year".

He hasn't appeared in any bonus material, however there is mention in War and XPs Don't Split the Party that he will save Hinjo's life twice as the reason Scruffy likes him (and why Shojo let him out to fight) which may or may not have already occurred. It's unclear if that's a bonus hint or a better explanation for why Shojo let him out at all, since we now know the mark of justice can be removed.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

however there is mention in War and XPs that he will save Hinjo's life twice as the reason Scruffy likes him…
Uh, that’s Don’t Split the Party.

[Optimystik]

Has the 'Belkar becomes Intelligent Undead' option been ruled out yet?

It's possible, so long as he's not on "this world" when he becomes one.

[NerfTW]

Uh, that’s Don’t Split the Party.

Whups, fixed.

[Devigod]

I bet he'll be caught in between the fighting reanimated corpses of mega shark and giant octopus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Shark_Versus_Giant_Octopus) as they fight their timeless battle after getting reanimated by Xykon.

[Revanmal]

Belkar stays behind to give the escaping Order time to evade death, fending off wave after wave of evil minions by himself, his HP slowly being whittled away. With one last war-cry, he launches himself at the enemy's most powerful spellcaster, an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil who raises a violet veil. Belkar is flung into an alternate world, and his time in the Prime Material ends. He flies through the Far Plane, the chaotic energies twisting his body into that of a powerful Vampire Lord. He no longer needs to breath, and he is now legally dead, his retirement fund is now useless. The eldritch abominations in the Far Plane throw him through another portal at the stroke of Midnight on his birthday, and he lands on top of a giant blood-flavored cake, which he savors as the most delicious thing he's ever eaten.

He walks away, satisfied, to terrorize this new world he has found himself in.

Then a Flumph falls from the sky and crushes him.

[Draconi Redfir]

why is it so hard to beleive Belkar actually DIES and more importently: stays dead!?

[Haven]

why is it so hard to beleive Belkar actually DIES and more importently: stays dead!?

Wait! That's it! Maybe, just maybe, when the oracle said that Belkar should savor his next birthday cake, shouldn't fund his IRA, and that he'll draw his last breath before the end of the year, he meant that Belkar will die.

Radical theory, I know, but bear with me. You see, birthday cakes are enjoyed through being consumed, which is an action that requires chemical activity in the brain (producing the delicious sensation) as well as motor activity of the muscles around the mouth and jaw. In other words, life.
Birthdays themselves are also celebrations of life. So therefore, if Belkar is told to savor his next birthday cake, that hints—rather subtly, to be sure—that he may not receive another one, which symbolizes death in this comic (as Roy failed to notice or celebrate his birthday when he was dead).

IRAs are retirement funds. Now, one thing we know about the oracle is that he goes on TV Tropes, and is in fact the Giant's way of acknowledging it; you can tell by the fact that he lords over other characters his knowledge of time, an absolutely crystal clear Shout Out to the many "X is a time lord" theories. Therefore, he has a keen knowledge of the "retirony" trope, and hence, whenever he refers to retirement plans, he must in fact be thinking of death.Is this part better or worse now that it's certainly false? Probably better.

Now the breath clue is harder to decipher. Normally when we talk about drawing breath, of course, we're referring to the act of doodling a lung or winning a charity raffle on the elemental plane of Air. But my guess is that the oracle is using his powers of prophecy to look forward into the future to a point in time where it's common knowledge that breathing oxygenates the blood supply, therefore directly maintaining life, and hence "breath" is taken synecdochically for life. Therefore, the oracle is coining a unique and visceral evocation of death, a phrase that brings to mind the fact that Belkar's muscles and organs will cease to function, shut down, and eventually begin the process of necrosis, as the only blood that reaches them, is depleted of oxygen rather than enriched by it.

[Almaseti]

I think Belkar is going to accidentally pull a Heroic Sacrifice, thinking he has some way out of the situation and that it will get the party's guard down completely later on, but then he dies and can't be revived due to whatever.

[Draconi Redfir]

Wait! That's it! Maybe, just maybe, when the oracle said that Belkar should savor his next birthday cake, shouldn't fund his IRA, and that he'll draw his last breath before the end of the year, he meant that Belkar will die.

Radical theory, I know, but bear with me. You see, birthday cakes are enjoyed through being consumed, which is an action that requires chemical activity in the brain (producing the delicious sensation) as well as motor activity of the muscles around the mouth and jaw. In other words, life.
Birthdays themselves are also celebrations of life. So therefore, if Belkar is told to savor his next birthday cake, that hints—rather subtly, to be sure—that he may not receive another one, which symbolizes death in this comic (as Roy failed to notice or celebrate his birthday when he was dead).

IRAs are retirement funds. Now, one thing we know about the oracle is that he goes on TV Tropes, and is in fact the Giant's way of acknowledging it; you can tell by the fact that he lords over other characters his knowledge of time, an absolutely crystal clear Shout Out to the many "X is a time lord" theories. Therefore, he has a keen knowledge of the "retirony" trope, and hence, whenever he refers to retirement plans, he must in fact be thinking of death.Is this part better or worse now that it's certainly false? Probably better.

Now the breath clue is harder to decipher. Normally when we talk about drawing breath, of course, we're referring to the act of doodling a lung or winning a charity raffle on the elemental plane of Air. But my guess is that the oracle is using his powers of prophecy to look forward into the future to a point in time where it's common knowledge that breathing oxygenates the blood supply, therefore directly maintaining life, and hence "breath" is taken synecdochically for life. Therefore, the oracle is coining a unique and visceral evocation of death, a phrase that brings to mind the fact that Belkar's muscles and organs will cease to function, shut down, and eventually begin the process of necrosis, as the only blood that reaches them, is depleted of oxygen rather than enriched by it.



you my freind, have just won 5 internets. please enjoy responsibly.

[MartytheBioGuy]

My bet is on him being killed directly by the Snarl. It will hurt, he will die, and it WILL be permanent, like, even if the party wanted to res him, it wouldn't work. I'm as big a Belkar fan as anyone, but the Giant is too good of a writer to cheap out on something so clearly stated.

[JonestheSpy]

Everything Haven said.

Make that ten internets, and old Atari 5200 thrown in.

Okay, just to end the speculation once and for all, I'll come clean. My avatar is a two dimensional Terminator that will be killing Belkar in the near future. When you see a kobold that looks more like a Brian Froud illustration than a stick figure appearing in the strip, you'll know the hammer is about to come down.

Now let's get back to serious topics, like whether Haley is the half celestial draconic intitiate love child of Girard and Inkyrius.

[Mystic Muse]

Now let's get back to serious topics, like whether Haley is the half celestial draconic intitiate love child of Girard and Inkyrius.

you win an internet for making me laugh.:smallbiggrin:

[Nimrod's Son]

Is this part better or worse now that it's certainly false? Probably better.
Yes. Yes it is.

[Rebarth]

Death By Penguins!!!!!!

[SPoD]

Xykon, Redcloak, or The Snarl, during the Final Battle. Belkar is too integral to the party dynamics (as a source of interpersonal conflict) to die before the climax of the series, and it's trivially easy to cram a lot of adventuring into six weeks before then.

The Snarl is probably the best bet since there's not the lingering issue of whether or not someone could True Resurrect him 100 years down the line.

[Boogastreehouse]

Who Kills Belkar? Is it Inigo? Who!?!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/FujikoMine/Articles/grandpagrandson.jpg

[Mystic Muse]

Who Kills Belkar? Is it Inigo? Who!?!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/FujikoMine/Articles/grandpagrandson.jpg

"nobody kills him. He lives."

"you mean he wins? Geezus Rich why did you tell us this Story?:smalltongue:"

[TreesOfDeath]

Assuming it means Belkar CAN'T be ressurected, someone on team evil, followed by Tsukkio making him undead, or the Snarl, which seems to be the only thing in the comic that ouright destroys.

Alterntivly, it will be something no one could possibly have seen coming. Rich has showed he lovvvvesssss to do that, as demonstrated by today's comic

[The Pilgrim]

Well, I don't find it's compulsory that Belkar is killed in a no-resurrectable way. You know, it's not like any other member of the team would be interested in resurrecting him.

[Scarlet Knight]

Roy: "What are all these whores doing here?"
Jenny: "Belkar's havng a birthday orgy. As soon as they're all exhausted , we'll cut the cake."
Roy: "Where is he? We've got to hurry. "
Jenny: "In that pile of exhausted bodies."
Roy: "Where? I don't see him (oops, pardon me ladies) He's gone?"
The whores : "He's ascended. The sexy , shoeless god of war has ascended!
Oooohm"

:smallbiggrin:

[martinkou]

Belkar dies trying to save V, after the Empire of Blood's castle collapsed on him.


Roy: "What are all these whores doing here?"
Jenny: "Belkar's havng a birthday orgy. As soon as they're all exhausted , we'll cut the cake."
Roy: "Where is he? We've got to hurry. "
Jenny: "In that pile of exhausted bodies."
Roy: "Where? I don't see him (oops, pardon me ladies) He's gone?"
The whores : "He's ascended. The sexy , shoeless god of war has ascended!
Oooohm"

:smallbiggrin:

Alternative theory, Belkar died kissing a Succubus. His soul went to the Abyss for eternal (sexual) torture.

[RMcMurtry]

Belkar dies trying to save V, after the Empire of Blood's castle collapsed on him.



Alternative theory, Belkar died kissing a Succubus. His soul went to the Abyss for eternal (sexual) torture.

Belkar tries to seduce Sabine!

[zimmerwald1915]

Belkar tries to seduce Sabine!
Belkar succeeds in seducing Sabine, and is killed by a jealous Nale. Sabine then leaves Nale because she feels he's gotten too clingy.

[RMcMurtry]

Well, I don't find it's compulsory that Belkar is killed in a no-resurrectable way. You know, it's not like any other member of the team would be interested in resurrecting him.

True. also--if Hinjo, Lien, and O-Chul are waiting around, he might even refuse resurrection. They want to throw him in prison.

[styles1005]

A heart attack brought on by fear that he's going to die after Roy reveals the prophecy to him.

[derfenrirwolv]

O chul will gut him like a fish with his bare hands.

[Crusher99333]

I think it is less of an actual death and more of a figurative death. The classic Belkar (Chaotic stupid) will die as he realizes he has much more depth of character than he has let on thus far. The first blow to him which has begun his death was his brush with actual death and his realization of character depth. Once the transformation has been complete I think we will have a Chaotic Neutral or even Good Belkar with wildly different viewpoints than the one who first got the fortune.

This makes a lot of sense.

[Bongos]

Belkar will choke to death on his birthday cake just after he announces his retirement. As Elan says, announcing your retirement is a guarantee something bad will happen.

[DBear]

Belkar becomes tasty meat snack for the Empress of Blood :smalltongue:

[NerfTW]

This makes a lot of sense.

No, it really doesn't. Go back and read the statements in context. Why would Belkar need to savor his next birthday cake and not bother funding his IRA over a change of heart?

[RMcMurtry]

I have to disagree. The attempts to keep Belkar alive all seem to be desperate attempts to twist the Oracle's words to not mean what they normally do. Crazedloon's analysis makes sense only if you're ignoring or twisting the Giant's voice of foreshadowing. If any member of the Order is going to be left dead by the rest of the Order, it's Belkar. He's evil. He revels in it. His "new leaf" is pure ploy.

Next guess on Belkar's demise: Belkar gets in the way of Durkon and V's area effect spells.

[The Pilgrim]

Hilgya appears, kills Belkars, polymorfs back into a fat red dragon, eats his corpse.

[NerfTW]

I wouldn't call them all "desperate", although I agree the "change of heart" makes no sense at all, I'd say we're trying to think of what the prophecy means. While he has said he hates overly clever interpretations that are unsatisfying, Haley and V's prophecies both had clever twists. It's not an all or nothing proposition. You can be clever without pulling an explanation out of thin air. So far, only Roy has had a direct prophecy, with Belkar's initial prophecy being more of a send up of the whole idea with a direct conclusion.

So that's a 50/50 chance that it means specifically that he dies. Given that we now have some VERY large questions about the world within the rift, there are several ways it can pan out, since it now allows a new twist on the "not long for this world" part.

I don't think he'll die in this book, though. And certainly not soon. He's too powerful to leave dead while facing insurmountable odds.

As for being positive about the meaning of the prophecy, keep in mind what people have been "positive" about before. People predict Belkar's death every time there's a fight sequence. Some while insisting it's obvious and there's no mystery left to it. And yet he's still alive.

[Zolkabro]

O-chul will gut Belkar with his hands. (panel 7) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0666.html)

[Mystic Muse]

I wouldn't call them all "desperate", although I agree the "change of heart" makes no sense at all, I'd say we're trying to think of what the prophecy means. While he has said he hates overly clever interpretations that are unsatisfying, Haley and V's prophecies both had clever twists. It's not an all or nothing proposition. You can be clever without pulling an explanation out of thin air. So far, only Roy has had a direct prophecy, with Belkar's initial prophecy being more of a send up of the whole idea with a direct conclusion.

So that's a 50/50 chance that it means specifically that he dies. Given that we now have some VERY large questions about the world within the rift, there are several ways it can pan out, since it now allows a new twist on the "not long for this world" part.

I don't think he'll die in this book, though. And certainly not soon. He's too powerful to leave dead while facing insurmountable odds.

As for being positive about the meaning of the prophecy, keep in mind what people have been "positive" about before. People predict Belkar's death every time there's a fight sequence. Some while insisting it's obvious and there's no mystery left to it. And yet he's still alive.

Maybe he won't die but a lot of the ways that he'll live that have been stated are really implausible.

[Donald]

George Carlin's "Seven dirty words" . Never gets old.

[Steilos]

All things said and done, the oracle is a total jerk. A funny jerk, but a jerk nonetheless. Y'see, he never said how or when exactly in the year Belkar will die. Belkar will probably fight, murder, procreate and drink his way through the year quite happily until he anticlimactically chokes on a cucumber in the last few seconds of midnight before the year's up. Extra points if it's literally 5 seconds before the final clash with Xykon/Vaarsuvius/Snarl/Embroidery Club.

EDIT: Why was cucumber bolded...?

[Volthawk]

I think he will die (maybe, like people said, by O-chul), then get recruited by the IFCC.

[Bongos]

No, it really doesn't. Go back and read the statements in context. Why would Belkar need to savor his next birthday cake and not bother funding his IRA over a change of heart?

Belkar doesn't have a heart.

[RMcMurtry]

All things said and done, the oracle is a total jerk. A funny jerk, but a jerk nonetheless. Y'see, he never said how or when exactly in the year Belkar will die. Belkar will probably fight, murder, procreate and drink his way through the year quite happily until he anticlimactically chokes on a cucumber in the last few seconds of midnight before the year's up. Extra points if it's literally 5 seconds before the final clash with Xykon/Vaarsuvius/Snarl/Embroidery Club.

EDIT: Why was cucumber bolded...?

Yes, he's a jerk. Part of that seems to be an enjoyment of telling people unpalatable truths. And while he's never actually come out and said "Belkar will die", I don't think his statements on the matter support any other conclusion without wildly twisting, especially taken together.

[Hatman]

so the prophesy was that he drew his last breath not that he dies
i say he becomes a shoeless God of war

gods dont breath right?
and i get bonus points if he does it to fight the snarl

[RMcMurtry]

There are 4 statements, actually. All, as far as we know, true.

Shouldn't bother funding his IRA

Should really savor his next birthday cake

He's not long for this world

Will draw his last breath--ever--within the year (on the record, so Roy would remember it)


Taken together, all true--I don't think they support divine ascension, either. They support him being dead.

[Kish]

Whether or not Belkar becoming a god would fulfill the prophecy, I can think of approximately (number of characters in the comic-4) characters in the comic more likely to become gods than Belkar.

The four, if you were curious, being Xykon, Nale, Redcloak, and Belkar.

[Hatman]

Whether or not Belkar becoming a god would fulfill the prophecy, I can think of approximately (number of characters in the comic-4) characters in the comic more likely to become gods than Belkar.

The four, if you were curious, being Xykon, Nale, Redcloak, and Belkar.

what makes anyone else more likely to be a god?
god's are petty, vengeful, wrath filled beings who constantly bicker and fight with each other. the only other person like that is V

X is an abomination, so he's prolly out. Redcloak is more of a follower than a leader. Nale.... is... well he might work as an evil god, but he's got the whole twin thing going and i dont think he'd be a god without elan being one too, and elan already said he doesnt want into the pantheon

[dgnslyr]

The oracle's exact wording was that Belkar would draw his last breath. Knowing that the oracle is manipulative with words, there's probably some sort of double meaning. Alternatively, he could be telling the truth, and Belkar will die permanently.
If the first possibility is true, then Belkar might reach a state where he no longer needs to breathe; undead was my first thought, but I like the theory that he'll become recognized as SSGoW and become an actual god.
Alternatively, he might just die, but given how awesome Belkar is, the strip wouldn't run too long without his presence, so if he dies, it would have to be shortly before the comic concludes.
However, knowing that the strip won't go on long without his presence in some form, and that he may or may not die permanently, he might become some kind of spirit after his death and stick around the Order.

[factotum]

The oracle's exact wording was that Belkar would draw his last breath. Knowing that the oracle is manipulative with words, there's probably some sort of double meaning.

Only if you completely ignore the other two or three ways in which he implied Belkar was going to die (shouldn't fund his IRA, should savour his next birthday cake, etc).

[Rowsen]

I don't care what kills him as long as it's permanent. As in he's permanently dead. With the corpse rotting in the ground and the soul rotting in The Abyss.

[Kish]

what makes anyone else more likely to be a god?
They aren't nearly universally despised in the comic where they exist.

[Magicyop]

He's going to die. All evidence points to that. (The exception to this being if somehow they prove, through Belkar's example, that the Oracle is not always right, that Belkar's character development changed the future that the Oracle had foreseen.)

On the other hand, I don't think he will leave the series. He is a main character, so I expect he might come back in some form or another, such as an undead. If he does die - permanently, -then I expect it will be near the end of the series.

I think he is going to get a heroic death, possibly holding off a large legion of hobgoblins all by himself so that the other members of the order can escape.

[Gitman00]

Wait! That's it! Maybe, just maybe, when the oracle said that Belkar should savor his next birthday cake, shouldn't fund his IRA, and that he'll draw his last breath before the end of the year, he meant that Belkar will die.

Radical theory, I know, but bear with me. You see, birthday cakes are enjoyed through being consumed, which is an action that requires chemical activity in the brain (producing the delicious sensation) as well as motor activity of the muscles around the mouth and jaw. In other words, life.
Birthdays themselves are also celebrations of life. So therefore, if Belkar is told to savor his next birthday cake, that hints—rather subtly, to be sure—that he may not receive another one, which symbolizes death in this comic (as Roy failed to notice or celebrate his birthday when he was dead).

IRAs are retirement funds. Now, one thing we know about the oracle is that he goes on TV Tropes, and is in fact the Giant's way of acknowledging it; you can tell by the fact that he lords over other characters his knowledge of time, an absolutely crystal clear Shout Out to the many "X is a time lord" theories. Therefore, he has a keen knowledge of the "retirony" trope, and hence, whenever he refers to retirement plans, he must in fact be thinking of death.Is this part better or worse now that it's certainly false? Probably better.

Now the breath clue is harder to decipher. Normally when we talk about drawing breath, of course, we're referring to the act of doodling a lung or winning a charity raffle on the elemental plane of Air. But my guess is that the oracle is using his powers of prophecy to look forward into the future to a point in time where it's common knowledge that breathing oxygenates the blood supply, therefore directly maintaining life, and hence "breath" is taken synecdochically for life. Therefore, the oracle is coining a unique and visceral evocation of death, a phrase that brings to mind the fact that Belkar's muscles and organs will cease to function, shut down, and eventually begin the process of necrosis, as the only blood that reaches them, is depleted of oxygen rather than enriched by it.

You, sir, have made sarcasm into an art form. I bow to your prowess.

[Almaseti]

There are 4 statements, actually. All, as far as we know, true.

Shouldn't bother funding his IRA

Should really savor his next birthday cake

He's not long for this world

Will draw his last breath--ever--within the year (on the record, so Roy would remember it)


Taken together, all true--I don't think they support divine ascension, either. They support him being dead.

Y'know, without the "not long for this world" bit, I could buy him being turned into a free-willed undead, possibly by Tsukiko. But honestly, the Oracle probably couldn't have been much clearer.

[RMcMurtry]

so the prophesy was that he drew his last breath not that he dies
i say he becomes a shoeless God of war

gods dont breath right?
and i get bonus points if he does it to fight the snarl

I have no idea if gods breathe or not. I'd say the Giant alone can answer that question.

And even if they don't...divine ascension is still a huge stretch. Since it would leave him active, he might want an IRA against the other gods, and would savor every birthday cake.

[Hatman]

I have no idea if gods breathe or not. I'd say the Giant alone can answer that question.

And even if they don't...divine ascension is still a huge stretch. Since it would leave him active, he might want an IRA against the other gods, and would savor every birthday cake.

he wouldnt savor every birthday cake, he would savor every ascensionday cake :smalltongue: and gods tend to be too egotistical to believe that they could ever die/retire. also gods dont breath. im willing to bet like 30 internets on that. also gods arent on earth's plane, so he wouldnt be long for this world

[The Succubus]

I know exactly what or who kills Belkar. The Giant does.

[Nimrod's Son]

I know exactly what or who kills Belkar. The Giant does.
His genuine Evil Good Opposite, it would seem.

[Saveducks]

Robot alien nazi communist ninja assasins working for Bush

[Asta Kask]

Barney the Purple Singing Dinosaur kills him.

[GrumpyWizard]

I might have said Vaarsuvius earlier, but with his moral realisations of late, that might not be a likely scenario anymore.

Anyway, I really hope Belkar's death is meant firuatively. Belkar kicks ass.

[Chainer-]

V while possessed by the IFCC.

[doodthedud]

We can come up with preposterous ideas and play with them.

Isn't that 97% of forum posts anyways?


I kinda hope it's a vengeful Flumph

[Bongos]

Belkar's killer is..........Somebody in this very room!

[Mystic Muse]

Belkar's killer is..........Somebody in this very room!

*sharpens BFS (which is a Scythe in this case)*

huh what? No, I don't plan on doing anything why do you ask?

[ApeofLight]

Ha, you've all got it wrong!

Belkar doesn't actually die, he's the only one that gets away at the end.

[Asta Kask]

My 2 cps worth. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7466098&postcount=21)

[MonkeyBusiness]

Everyone kills Belkar. In turn. On the Orient Express.

Durkon plays Sean Connery's character. :durkon: "D'ye really think ah stabbed 'im twelve times, then stopped to clean mah peep?"

MBiz

[Stille_Nacht]

the trees get him

[icastflare!]

He is killed by the all mighty D20 of fate.

[MartytheBioGuy]

Belkar's killer is..........Somebody in this very room!

:smalleek: Is it I? :smalleek:

More seriously... When the Snarl gets him, I hope I get some sort of prize. Not from the Giant, though, since he hates precognitive fans...

[Procyonpi]

Belkar will obviously be killed by some random hooker.

[Shpadoinkle]

We don't know. We have no way of knowing.

My guess would be he suffocates under the weight of all these "ZOMGF U GIZE HAWZ BELKAR GUNNA DIE?!!!>!?1/1/?!?1!??!>!/1>!" threads.

[DreadArchon]

Smack-talks O-Chul while fighting Xykon and gets gutted by the MitD?

At any rate, I just hope he dies, stays dead, and does it significantly before the end of the comic.

That said, it would be cool if the Giant made the Order defeat Xykon at this gate and not get down to the final gate; "quarter-second to midnight" plot resolutions are so common, they're basically mandatory, and breaking that convention could be interesting.

[tcrudisi]

Into a rift and destroyed, I believe. He'll go into Girard's gate and die.

This, almost.

Belkar discovers at the end that he enjoys the Order and does an about-face in an absolutely shocking and hilarious way (he IS comedic gold) and decides to sacrifice himself to save the party. He jumps into the rift to combat Snarl, seeing as he is the SSGoW and thus the only person capable of defeating Snarl. I'll then combine this theory with one that someone else said, and halflings witnessed this act and form a cult around him. He then has his Paladins set up a castle where they can protect part of the seal.

I'm jesting, of course. Although there's no way of knowing, there could be so many fun ways that his death could occur.

[tcrudisi]

There are 4 statements, actually. All, as far as we know, true.

Shouldn't bother funding his IRA

Should really savor his next birthday cake

He's not long for this world

Will draw his last breath--ever--within the year (on the record, so Roy would remember it)


Taken together, all true--I don't think they support divine ascension, either. They support him being dead.

I dunno -- this could easily support divine ascension.

Doesn't need to breathe? Gods can easily do this.
Should savor his next birthday cake? Gods don't need to eat or breathe.
He's not long for this world? They don't live in the world, they live on another plane of existence.
Should not bother funding his IRA? Well, why would he? He won't need money when he's a god, he can just create it.

Yes, it implies that he will die but it could just as easily imply that he'll ascend. I'm skeptical that it would occur, but I'm also skeptical that he'll die. Really, I have no idea what will happen; I eagerly wait to see what happens. The Giant always surprises me.

[Maxios]

What if savoring his next birthday cake and not long of this world means maybe he becomes immortal and could head to the planet seen in the snarl-cut-gate looking thing near the tower that V's familiar was going to throw Xykon's phylactery in.
It makes perfect sense! Immortality and heading to another world. Note the oracle said THIS world, not the world.

[DreadArchon]

What if savoring his next birthday cake and not long of this world means maybe he becomes immortal and could head to the planet seen in the snarl-cut-gate looking thing near the tower that V's familiar was going to throw Xykon's phylactery in.
It makes perfect sense! Immortality and heading to another world. Note the oracle said THIS world, not the world.
Of course, the Snarl is more dangerous to gods...

[Herald Alberich]

Someone's gonna say it, so it may as well be me: Tarquin kills Belkar. Maybe when Roy and co. burst in to attempt a daring rescue a few strips from now.

[krossbow]

I also vote for Elan's father Killing him.


Though we can never rule out aunt judy. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0165.html)

[MartytheBioGuy]

This, almost.

I'll then combine this theory with one that someone else said, and halflings witnessed this act and form a cult around him. He then has his Paladins set up a castle where they can protect part of the seal.



My favorite part is the thought of Paladins of Belkar They would have to hate themselves, if they knew their deity's history!

[Boogastreehouse]

Nale.... is... well he might work as an evil god, but he's got the whole twin thing going and i dont think he'd be a god without elan being one too, and elan already said he doesnt want into the pantheon

Of course, Elan did support the whole Banjo getting a brother-rival (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0561.html) idea.

I'm convinced that the whole Banjo-thing is more than just a throwaway gag. The Banjo-becoming-a-"god" story is going to parallel/foreshadow a real character's ascension into godhood, or something along those lines.

Mark my words.

I don't know if Belkar will become a sexy-shoeless-god-of-war or not, but we're going to see an apotheosis before the strip is over, and Banjo is going to relate to it in some way.


Belkar's killer is..........Somebody in this very room!

http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/3/3f/Clue-rev7.jpg/600px-Clue-rev7.jpg

What do you mean... murder?