New theory on Elan's happy ending

[Kaiisaxo]

For some reason yesterday I was just rereading some old strips when I stumbled upon the oracle's words: "for you at least..." then I started to think "what kind of ending would be happy for Elan and not truly happy for the rest?".

Then it (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HeroicSacrifice) hit (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GoOutWithASmile)me (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DiedHappilyEverAfter)

Basically somehow Elan will give his life, not to kill Xykon, but maybe in order to prevent the world from being destroyed, and will be unable to be raised as a result. This may or not be coupled with Haley dying too, but the overall result will be a world Elan will be happy with - including people starting to worship Banjo and probably going so far as redeeming and reforming his father and brother- while still being bittersweet for all of his friends. Of course Roy, V and Belkar (and Haley if she survives the whole ordeal) will go on to live long and fulfilling lives, but he will be always a missing piece, preventing them from being completely happy.

So, any thoughs?

[Kish]

The Oracle did not say, "For you but not the rest of your party." Elan, obsessed with story conventions as he is, is the least likely to parse "it's classically a sad ending but it makes me happy" as "it's a happy ending" of anyone in the comic.

[jidasfire]

It's possible. Elan's love of genre convention cause him to see the world in a very different way from others, so for him, dying in the right way could be a truly happy ending. However, it's been said in the book commentary that Elan's question was more Rich's way of letting the audience know that even if the story got rough at times, they should hang on because everything would be all right, more or less. If Elan died, it would most certainly be heartbreaking to the audience, not to mention the other characters and particularly Haley, who Elan probably wants to be happy the most. I would say that the two things we can be sure of, based on Elan's prophecy, are that both Roy and Haley will survive to the end, since he cares most about them.

[NerdyKris]

It means, probably, that Elan will be happy. And most likely, Haley will be alive. And I'd hope Roy.

But others could die. or have sad endings. Durkon is a vampire. Does he ever get redeemed, or does he continue on the path of evil after this is over? Does someone get unmade by the Snarl? Someone might die, leaving others sad.

Basically, as the commentary stated, it was mostly to reassure the readers that despite the horrible events coming up (the battle of Azure City, the one year split, etc), that the heroes are going to triumph in the end, because Elan wouldn't be happy if they didn't at least save the world. Even if every last one of them has to die to do it, that would be enough for Elan.

But hopefully it means he gets to live. Elan is my favorite. :smallfrown:

[ORione]

Maybe it's the Oracle who isn't getting a happy ending. Like, "Well, I don't think it's happy, but you would."

[BlackDragonKing]

It means, probably, that Elan will be happy. And most likely, Haley will be alive. And I'd hope Roy.

But others could die. or have sad endings. Durkon is a vampire. Does he ever get redeemed, or does he continue on the path of evil after this is over? Does someone get unmade by the Snarl? Someone might die, leaving others sad.

This might be entirely possible. At least half the order doesn't seem likely to have a happy ending to their personal stories.

We know sometime in the next few in-comic weeks, Belkar will die and take his "last breath- ever". He may persist in some manner, but we've entered this territory with Durkula now, so I'm wondering if Belkar's prophecy twist is that there isn't a twist; he just dies, after finally becoming something of a better person than he used to be.

Durkon's fate is likely to be an awfully troubling mess for him and for all of his old friends; raised or not, his ending is likely to be bittersweet at best.

V may save the world, but the consequences of casting Familicide will presumably haunt her for eternity, and even if V can somehow win Kyrie's forgiveness after all is said and done, she has a long, long and rocky road ahead of her, and I think it's all but guaranteed the best V can hope for is to find some measure of peace with that. :smallfrown:

[Synesthesy]

Or maybe, with a little meta-thinking, the Giant wanted to say that there will be an happy ending, but he didn't wantet to make people try to guess WHAT happy ending there will be. Don't saying for whom the happy ending will be (that it's different from saying "for someone in the Order there will be a bad ending") is the simpliest way to not telling us what happy ending will be - just that an happy ending will be.

[BlackDragonKing]

Or maybe, with a little meta-thinking, the Giant wanted to say that there will be an happy ending, but he didn't wantet to make people try to guess WHAT happy ending there will be. Don't saying for whom the happy ending will be (that it's different from saying "for someone in the Order there will be a bad ending") is the simpliest way to not telling us what happy ending will be - just that an happy ending will be.

This is most likely the answer. Despite what I previously pointed out that some characters are not looking at straightforward happy endings, I'd say the happy ending being from Elan's perspective precludes a number of really depressing things from being part of it, since Elan's not the type to consider it a happy ending if half his friends are dead or still in an awful, uncertain position when the quest is done.

[frighowler]

unfortunatly a happy ending for Elan could be anything.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0693.html

[skim172]

I think it's a possibility - if Elan is happy at the ending, then that's a happy ending. And if he's happy because he's sacrificing his life to save his friends, then that would also be his happy ending.

But as someone else said, that was likely thrown in there to assure readers this wouldn't turn into a dark, gritty killfest - not as a specific hint to how the story would play out.

[NerdyKris]

Here we go, I found the book. Had to pull it out of the boxes for moving. I cut a lot out of it, since I don't like reproducing too much of the commentary online. Just what's needed for the point.


In the course of Durkon and Belkar's prophesies, I had managed to drop hints about the potential deaths of two-thirds of my main cast and the most visible good-aligned NPC at that time! I was running the risk of the entire Order laboring under Damocles sword for the rest of the series, so I determined that Elan's answer would set the reader's mind at ease.

... (lots of interesting commentary) ...

Consider it my way of turning to the audience and saying "don't worry, folks! It might get scary for a while, but it will all work out in the end!".

[Synesthesy]

However, I have something to say: the happy ending is from Elan's point of view. Ok.

But we saw in the Fake Ending (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0887.html)(an Illusion that make peolpe watch what they really want) that, for Roy - Hayley - Elan the happy ending begin with Belkar's death.

Said that, I still think that there aren't enough information to try to guess the ending. But we can't ignore that an happy ending From Roy - Hayley - Elan point of view could have Belkar (and maybe Durkon) death.

[Alex12]

Fun fact: "happy ending" can be used as a euphemism for a sex act, though I'm pretty sure further description falls outside the forum rules.
Elan got his happy ending back when he and Haley hooked up.

[Tock Zipporah]

It doesn't make much sense from a storytelling perspective to have Elan die in a heroic sacrifice.

A) Durkon already did the "die with a smile on his face" trope, and it makes a LOT more sense for Durkon's character than it does for Elan's.

B) It makes more sense based on Elan's development to date for him to be the unlikely hero who saves the day after one of his more competent friends dies saving him.

C) Elan is the bard. He HAS to live so he can spread the tale of the Order of the Stick's Epic Adventure across the land after the quest is complete. That's the entire reason for a bard to JOIN such a quest to begin with.

[Kaiisaxo]

Very good points Tock. However I have an idea on C): of all people it would be very fitting V becomes that bard who live to tell the tale (you know as a way of acknowledging arcane power isn't the utlimate power and that power by it's own sake is not that important. Also a curious and heartwarming reversal of the early strips when Elan wanted to be wizard)

[Jay R]

I imagine that at the end , Elan and Haley are walking off hand-in hand. Belkar has died (we know that's coming), and Roy dies in the final battle, and in lieu of paradise, is given a picture of his father's face when Eugene first heard that Roy was going up but he wasn't.

On his way home with Haley, Elan complains that without his best buddy Roy, he didn't really get a happy ending. Haley tries to cheer him up, but Elan is inconsolable.

The final panel reveals that on the road in front of them, they are about to find a whistle.

[Bulldog Psion]

I imagine that at the end , Elan and Haley are walking off hand-in hand. Belkar has died (we know that's coming), and Roy dies in the final battle, and in lieu of paradise, is given a picture of his father's face when Eugene first heard that Roy was going up but he wasn't.

On his way home with Haley, Elan complains that without his best buddy Roy, he didn't really get a happy ending. Haley tries to cheer him up, but Elan is inconsolable.

The final panel reveals that on the road in front of them, they are about to find a whistle.

Genius, pure genius. :smallbiggrin: