OOTS #464 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

Moderator Note: If possible, try not to post any threads with spoilers for it in the title, as some people come to the message board before they know a new comic is up. We reserve the right to change any thread titles as a result. Thanks.

[Ganurath]

Perfection. All that needs to be said.

[One Skunk Todd]

Poor Miko. I didn't like her but I will cry for her regardless. She tried her best at the end.

[Lorde]

I will miss the girl.

P.S. The forums will explode.

[Sinsie]

Very well done comic today/tonight. I loved how you dropped hints here and there that she was dying, but I sorta didn't want to believe it. Until I saw her in two pieces.

I'll miss you Miko Miyazaki(sp?).

[arkham]

Well holy boop... That's about all I can say...

[The Extinguisher]

Did not see this coming at all. Kind of puts a snag in all those Miko-Blackguard theorists ideas, doesn't it?

Also, must I remind people, except on very rare occasions, no one important comes back to life.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

I can only think of two words: Hooooooooly SH*T!

[Genome]

Hmm, I wonder how Belkar's prophecy ties into these deaths.

[Hungry Kobold]

Wow. . . . :smalleek:


I really like the poetic justice. Undone by her own folly.

[Alysar]

........ whoa.

Incredible strip, Rich. Just incredible.

I have to wonder if we've seen the last of Miko.

[Carolyn]

I know this is gonna piss off every Miko fan on this board, but I'm gonna say it now:

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!
WHICH OLD WITCH?
THE WICKED WITCH!

Thank you. I'm good now.

[Commander Hayes]

Well, that was interesting. Shouldn't being cut in half have killed her instantly, though? Not that it wasn't a good comic, just a bit of a nitpick.

[TroyXavier]

Didn't think she'd bite it, but in the end, probably best for all involved including Miko. Very nice comic.

[Azzurus]

the end of that strip left me with the same response as the one preceding it.

oh my God....

[Eogan]

Damnit, Rich! You make me wish for her death in one strip, and then hope that she pulls through in the next.

I wonder if Roy is going to be there to escort her as well...

[Yechezkiel]

Christmas came early this year! And I got what I've always wanted!

[Madmal]

I feel conflicted...

to dance or not to dance

af if i dance, should i go for waltz or Mambo?

well, i think i require a partner for both....

[Matuse]

Not to put too fine a point on it...but...


HOLY DUNGBALLS.

I was not expecting that.

[Jefepato]

Appropriate.

[evnafets]

Nooooooo! Miko!
Ok, so she was a self-righteous witch, with a capital 'B'. But maybe given time...


Will she see Windstriker on the other side?
Will she see Roy on the other side?

[KennyRules]

Wow.
Felt a chill at the end there...
Can't say I liked her..at all..but damn if that wasn't what I was expecting.

[Wonton]

Whoa...
That's....
Gruesome. :smalleek:

Great comic!
I was genuinely surprised.


Well, that was interesting. Shouldn't being cut in half have killed her instantly, though? Not that it wasn't a good comic, just a bit of a nitpick.

Nah... didn't you see Blackhawk Down? :smallconfused:

Out of curiousity... has anyone noticed that recently, Rich's comics have grown a little more morbid?...
Just the past few... like the picture where it's the vultures and Roy that made me go :smalleek:, and now this...

[kirbsys]

I feel bad about asking for her to die now....

[EndgamerAzari]

Awww.... this might just make me cry. At least she gets to see her horsie again...

[Charity322]

Well Miko was really annoying me by the end, but I'm still happy that she'll be reunited with her horse. :smallsmile:

[Thorin]

Amazing...

Miko was torn apart from the comic; in several picies. I mea, in several ways :P

(Great job)

[Shott]

Yay! Finally!

[Zeb The Troll]

I honestly didn't expect such ... finality in her demise. I'm not sure I'd write her off just yet.

[RNG]

A grim end, although at least she gets to see her horse...

[Alysar]

Miko slices the throne in half. Twice, even.

The throne returns the favor.

[Nogard]

Does this mean no more Miko threads?!!?

Oh wow... thank the gods i sold all my MIKO stock!

[drkmirror]

Wow!

wow

That was art.

never thought it end that way...

[Bunny]

Shocking. It shouldn't be, because Miko's death is logical ... but the presentation is shocking. The suspense of the conversation, then panning down to see her bisected

I loved it. Well done.

I also loved that Soon was so gentle with her. That is how a true paladin should behave: with forgiveness and compassion. Miko did some terrible things, but Soon was kind to her as she died because he understood that revenge would be petty and the bald truth would do no good and cause pain. In fact, I think she was able to understand, for the first time, that her actions were not divinely guided because Soon explained her mistakes without judging her.

It seems she is not going to the Celestial Realms ... but Windstriker will visit her, which I found quite touching.

Thank you, Rich. That was beautiful.

Bunny

[ladysekhmetka]

Well, that was interesting. Shouldn't being cut in half have killed her instantly, though? Not that it wasn't a good comic, just a bit of a nitpick.

I imagine if the wound was cauterized, she could have had a few moments.


Man, I'd like to say that I didn't see that coming... I mean, she was in the freaking epicenter of the explosion...

[WhatIsGravity]

Miko the Paladin: Assembly required.

:tongue:

[Nerd-o-rama]

Huh.

Not what I was expecting. Here, I figured the situation was perfect fodder for an Evasion gag. But instead, we get a dead-serious farewell (albeit potentially temporary) to an important character.

Seriously, I bother to develop one theory in the last six months of this comic and it gets shot down on the next page.

[Isak]

All I can say...


WOOOOOOOOO SHE'S DEAD!

[Khaldan]

that was touching

[Aerysil]

Aww... :(

(...10 char limit...)

[Bitzeralisis]

Miko was just trying to do her duty all the time... she was a bit too obsessed with the paladin-fate-destiny-gods things though. What a sad episode.

A note (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html): now that Belkar has not caused the death of Windstriker or Miko, or Roy, he will cause the death of either Varrsarvius or the oracle guy.

[exxor]

That was sad. Farewell Miko!

[morbiczer]

Poor Miko.

I hope all the Miko haters are happy now.

[jmucchiello]

I was hoping she'd be around a bit longer. Ending to her story arc with Soon though was good.

[Eogan]

I know this is gonna piss off every Miko fan on this board, but I'm gonna say it now:

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!
WHICH OLD WITCH?
THE WICKED WITCH!

Thank you. I'm good now.

As much as Rich made me feel for her plight, I must admit that that song did pop into my head as I finished the comic. :smallwink:

[shaddy_24]

Bwaaaaa? That, she, he, Miko... died? No way! Oh, oh wow. The Giant rocks. It's that simple. He rocks. That was amazing. Soon talking to Miko like that really broke through to her. She finally understood the mistakes she made. She was able to see clearly. I heard that in No Cure the Giant said Miko was staying around to the end. Is this true, 'cause if it is then he really changed his mind on that. Oh wow. I can live with that.

[Ralfarius]

"Deeng dong, ze beetch ees dead!"

An excellent ending to a very influential character, both in and out of the comic. I think that being calmly explained as to where she messed up by the founder of her order was the perfect poignant touch. It's like she finally got it.

Also, to Commander Hayes:
Not necessarily. People can be surprisingly persistent when it comes to kicking the bucket, especially in a world where the rules state you're not dead until you reach -10 hit points. Seems likely that she was in shock, and therefore unresponsive to the prime material plane (i.e. unconscious) while she had her little going away chat.

[CapnBludd]

Knew she was dying, didn't expect the cut in half part, glad she didn't get redemption since she didn't deserve it. great strip

[Alex Knight]

Well, it looks like *someone* failed their save.

And yeah, Soon handled that like a true paladin. He was even sad for her.

[Little Raven]

Farewell, Miko. We'll miss your patented brand of insanity.

Dang. It's been a costly battle, and no mistake.

[WhatIsGravity]

The funeral service for Miko the Paladin will be held in one week's time. Please ensure that you test negative for Evil before visiting.

[Miraqariftsky]

nnNnnooOooOooOO!!!

Mmmiiikkkooooooo!

AAARRRGGGHH!

gasp.
pant.
pant.
huff.

Yes, Rich, this is one of the richest episodes you've made in a long while.

[Icewalker]

Wow, amazing.

I knew you'd pull it together. Now hopefully all the Miko threads will go away too!

This really is one of the best-written things I know of. So good...


In fact, now that I think about it, what with all the zealotry over Miko...This is probably the most epic moment in the strip to date.

[Yogi]

Well, she cuts Shojo in half, and now she dies after being torn in half. Karma's a pain, isn't it.

[delguidance]

Miko shows some charisma, elicits some pity, is propped up not unlike Darth Vader.

The throne is used for excellent dramatic irony.

Its a very private scene, just two people.

Ewww factor when you see the state of her.

Great comic.

[zad101]

Shouldn't being cut in half have killed her instantly, though?

No, because like all important NPC's Miko died at the speed of plot.

[Vladimir]

Poor Miko.

I hope all the Miko haters are happy now.

On behalf of Miko Haters everywhere...

Yes. Yes we are.

[Alkor Eldric]

:smalleek:

I hated Miko with a passion, but I found this comic absolutely HEARTBREAKING. omg Giant, why manipulate my emotions like this? This is a comic about stick figures, and I almost feel like crying. :smalltongue:

Poor Miko. I'm gonna miss her.

[Sky_Schemer]

Very poignant. A bittersweet way to end this arc.

[TheNovak]

I really, really, really, really need to stop making predictions.

Wow. Way to let her down gently, Soon...I think my response would have been more along the line of, "No, you f***ed up big time. See ya."

Great comic. Adios, Miko.

[Krytha]

OOOFFF!! Those last panels were a real killer (ha ha). I guess in the end, Miko was the little paladin that couldn't. I wonder what happens now?

[person]

I think it's a set up to have miko fight roy in heaven.
It makes sense to me.

[Toloran]

The funeral service for Miko the Paladin will be held in one week's time. Please ensure that you test negative for Evil before visiting.

I'm out then =\

So, My predictions:

Either
A.) Xykon takes her corpse and has Red Cloak reanimate her (mostly for amusement, probably standard animate dead rather then raise dead or similar).
B.) Belkar finds her corpse and throws a hissy fit over not being able to kill her himself (and probably stabs her corpse a few times).
C.) All of the above.

[Alysar]

Miko was just trying to do her duty all the time... she was a bit too obsessed with the paladin-fate-destiny-gods things though. What a sad episode.

A note (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html): now that Belkar has not caused the death of Windstriker or Miko, or Roy, he will cause the death of either Varrsarvius or the oracle guy.

It's a matter of debate whether Belkar caused Roy's death. He gave Roy the ring of jumping that allowed him to get onto Xykon's dragon.

[Zakama]

Holy... I mean, shoot... That hit me harder then Roy. I hated Miko but man...

[Alacar Leoricar]

Thank you.. thank you.. thank you.

This is.. something I've waited for ever since I met her.. :sniffle:

[MReav]

Does anyone else get the idea she's not going to the same place as Windstriker?

[MrGTST]

As much as I didnt like Miko that was just sad :smallfrown:

On a more positive note... hopefully this now means the Order of the Stick can now go find Roy and give him a hand (please :smalltongue: )

[Lerch]

Belkar needs to find the body so he can say...

Durkon "Did you find anything"

Belkar "I found that Miko was here...but then she split"

[harodotus]

Let me start by saying how pleased I am with the story Arc so far, i continued to be surprised by Miko and how things turned out, the only thing i correctly predicted was the Gate's destruction.

Ok, moving forward, since we've heard that Miko is around for the whole of the series, how does she come back? Clearly, if ever there was a spirit with uncompleted tasks before her its Miko. Her horse can even haunt with her.

So maybe she's gonna be some kind of positive (neutral?) ghost thingy, forced to wander the earth until she earns her redemption.

Imagine how annoyed Balkar will be when she can't be hurt by his weapons. Hilarity ensues...

Also: Bitzeralisis - I think the Oracle was right, I think Bekar already caused (indirectly) the death of Roy by lending him the ring knowing that he'd likely take an insane risk with it soloing Xyklon. I think that prophesy is complete and done for now.

-Harod

[Porthos]

You know, I'm not a Miko fan at all, but that was very, very sad. :smallfrown:

Oh sure, I'm quite sure that there will be a lot of rejoicing tonight. But not from me. Instead I will salute a hell of a death scene. In many ways, Miko was almost refelctive.... Well, reflective for Miko at any rate. For someone to dispassionately tell her of all her faults, and for it to be the founder of the Guard no less, was very powerful. As was Miko's, almost childlike questioning of him. It almost made me forgive Miko.

Almost. :smalltongue:

Instead what I saw was a moving and touching farewell to the comics most controversial character.

On a more Black Comedy note, it looks like Roy might just get an earful from both Eugene and Miko. So much for Resting in Peace. :smalltongue:

Congrats Rich and a superbly melancholy strip. :smallsmile:

10/10, easy. :smallcool:

[Lorde]

It's a matter of debate whether Belkar caused Roy's death. He gave Roy the ring of jumping that allowed him to get onto Xykon's dragon.

Belkar ISN'T half-butterfly

[Shadic]

She... She DIED!

Are we gonna see a Roy/Miko Celestial Realms comic? Will Miko realize that Roy was actually a do-gooder!?

SHE'S DEAD, YES!

[Cpt. Sqweky]

Wow... just, wow...

Totally did not see that coming.



Bravo.

[NeonRonin]

Well, as much as I wanted to join in on singing "Ding dong the b*&ch is dead", I'm finding that I just don't wanna do that now. I have to admit, my respect for Soon jumped up about 5 notches with the way he handled that, and I did start to get the sinking feeling when he talked about escorting her to her destination.

As much as Miko drove me absolutely bonkers, this was a mixed emotion ride for me. First I was laughing at it, then I started to feel bad about laughing.

I would like to retract the letter I wrote to Miko in an earlier thread, sending her train fare so she could go somewhere and drown herself. That seems to be in very bad taste now.

And at least she got the clue in the end... just a little too late, that's all.

G'bye, Miko.

[Jaguira]

I must admidt I never really liked Miko. The whole "needless killing of the sorcerer and her dad" thing started it off and it just continued on for quite a while... But there have honestly been times when I've hoped she'd succeed, such as when rode to Azure City to warn them about Xykon.

And hey, I'll be honest. Anyone who cares that much about their horse can't be all bad in my book. She really shone through in her last moments... Excellent job, Mr. Giant.

[holywhippet]

I have to wonder what Soon meant when he said they would usher Miko to her destination as well. Where exactly will she end up I wonder? Killing her liege lord was an evil act, but I would have thought her years of faithful duty as a paladin would balance that out at least. Heaven? Hell? Or someplace inbetween. It is worth noting that Soon said Windstriker would visit when he could - I wouldn't expect a celestial steed could get to any of the lower planes.

[Alex Kidd]

Wow. I mean really wow. Actually teared up a little. Now we just need to know what'll happen to Roy, where V is and see the OotS evacuate the city.

[Ra-Tiel]

The saying goes "you reap what you sow", and in this case it fits perfectly. Finally, Miko met her well deserved end. And the irony is really striking - to be killed by the thing she swore to protect with her life (and the one she destroyed in delusion).

I agree that Soon acted like a true paladin there. Yet I wonder about the state of Xycon, Redcloak, and O'Chul. :smallwink:

[Ridureyu]

You know, this was an incredibly well-done sendoff to a controversial character.

It kept her arrogance without adding stupidity (No anger at the gods, for example). It was actually sad (hard to do with her), an at the same time, well... not-so-sad. She'll probably resist any resurrection attempts because she's content in the afterlife, getting to see WIndstriker... or WILL SHE?

[Raxtenko]

Miko was just trying to do her duty all the time... she was a bit too obsessed with the paladin-fate-destiny-gods things though. What a sad episode.

A note (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html): now that Belkar has not caused the death of Windstriker or Miko, or Roy, he will cause the death of either Varrsarvius or the oracle guy.

Technically he did cause Roy to die...by baiting him to go get Xykon and giving him the Ring of Jumping. Well, if you look into it a bit deeply.

[Haruspex]

:smalleek: Tragic. I really like how gracious Soon was even up to his last moments on the Material Plane. He even spun the destruction of the Gate in the nicest way possible.

As for Miko, well, people make mistakes don't they? It just so happens that Miko's mistakes were the ones with the gravest consequences (not counting Elan of course). To the end she believed in what she was doing.

Windstriker will visit as much as he is able? Assuming Soon was being honest (he is a paladin after all) that might suggest that they won't be going to the same place, or else they could see each other all the time.

[Yogi]

Does anyone else get the idea she's not going to the same place as Windstriker?While Soon's words imply that Miko's not going to the Celestial Realm, it's someplace he can usher her to, and a place that Windstriker can visit, which means probably not the lower planes.

[Snipers_Promise]

I can't say i liked miko, but that still made me cry. A terrible end, but she is in a better place. Rich, I saulte you for making me cry over a comic.God Speed Miko, God Speed.

[Firest]

Kudos for making such an unpleasant character's death so poignant and dramatic.




A note (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html): now that Belkar has not caused the death of Windstriker or Miko, or Roy, he will cause the death of either Varrsarvius or the oracle guy.


Technically, Windstriker isn't dead. So if some other Paladin were to start summoning him, then Belker could still have a shot.

[TheNovak]

Does anyone else get the idea she's not going to the same place as Windstriker?

Yep, I thought that, too. Maybe the Teleporting Wizard will get to taxi Windstriker the afterlife around with Plane Shift?

Heh. Enjoy your stay in Mechanus, Miko. Hope you brought some Raid for all the giant ants.

[Fanatic-Templar]

Ah.

Two comics ago, I posted that I empathised with Miko for her destruction of the Gate, because I had done something very similar in a LARP once, and so I can understand that even with the best intentions and a brilliant mind like mine, someone can miss an important detail that turn everything sour.

Keeping that in mind, I'm not that surprised by Miko's death. My own experience ended with the loss of the souls of three of my friends, so I actually envy her her gentle passing. When you screw up, even for the best reasons, you must pay the consequences. Because that's what it is to be lawful good - you always pay the honest price. And even if her alignment has deviated from that ideal, at her core that is who she wishes to be.

I will say that the death scene was very well written, and that Soon handled himself very well, not at all as I might have expected from the Crayons of Time comics. Hopefully, where Miko's death will satisfy the haters, Soons behavious will show the people here that the Giant does not have it in for all Paladins.

[Ridureyu]

I think this was an excellent sendoff for Miko. It lacked crazy gimmicks, out of character moments, and may have been the only way for her to have a "positive" time at her death.

And she gets to see Windstriker again:smallsmile:

[Tibor]

Keep in mind for the people that are saying "Poor Miko" that Durkon will never see the Dwarven lands again only because she failed to deliver the reply to his message. Preventing Soon from ending the threat to the gates permanently aside, for Durkon alone this end was too good for her IMO.

[Unrepentant]

What struck me about reading this was that this was the first, in 464 comics, that didn't have the slightest bit of comedy in it. Unless someone can think of another example. I don't mean "wasn't funny". I mean "didn't even try to be funny in any way, shape or form".

Then I realized that Miko's last words were "I can live with that." Man, Rich, that is twisted.

[Snipers_Promise]

Technically he did cause Roy to die...by baiting him to go get Xykon and giving him the Ring of Jumping. Well, if you look into it a bit deeply.
Your looking to much into it.

[Porthos]

I didn't catch this the first time around, but Miko was bisected by the very throne she attacked. Talk about Poetic Justice!! :smalleek:

Now I'm sure this has already been noted, but with the forums melting down the way they are right now, I really can't tell. :smalltongue:

And you know what really touches me the most about this strip? The happiness in Soon's face when he tells Miko that she will be able to see Windstriker from time to time. It was like, "I'm sorry, but yes you have ruined your entire life, and countless others.... But I can give you a small piece of solace and good news: You'll still be able to see your Best Friend in the afterlife."

[chibibar]

wow.... just wow.....

It is kind sad in a way :(

[TRat]

I suspect that Miko and her horse aren't going to the same place, though whether that's due to moral worth or to the fact that one is an animal is unclear.

And I hope this leads to Miko meeting Roy and motivating him to get reincarnated!

[theKOT]

That was.... tremendous.

A fitting, moving, in-character end for Miko. I feel genuinely moved by this strip. I am glad Miko has died as it was the only end I could really see her character coming to, and while I will miss her a lot, I hope she remains dead. I had become a bit tired of her character, to be honest, and was dreading the thought of her chasing the OOTS on their journey to the gates. At the same time, I hope we get to see her when we see Roy in the afterlife.

Bravo. A perfect comic. I'm glad the Giant didn't throw a punchline in there just for a punchline's sake.

[Demented]

And you know what really touches me the most about this strip? The happiness in Soon's face when he tells Miko that she will be able to see Windstriker from time to time. It was like, "I'm sorry, but yes you have ruined your entire life, and countless others.... But I can give you a small piece of solace and good news: You'll still be able to see your Best Friend in the afterlife."

Soon: Exalted to the core.

Well, except when you make digs at his dead wife.

[Bitzeralisis]

It's a matter of debate whether Belkar caused Roy's death. He gave Roy the ring of jumping that allowed him to get onto Xykon's dragon.

I can't argue with that, though it may be too indirect to count. Note that Belkar never explicitly stated if the death had to be direct or not; however, Roy had proven that the oracle does not trick people (and as a result will not take Belkar's question as having the deaths needing to be indirect). Then again, the way the oracle answered Varrsarvius' question, you could say that he counted indirect deaths and etc. etc.

In conclusion, let's just say that most likely, Belkar's prophecy had already come true.

[Katroh]

. . . Bravo, Mr. Burlew, Bravo. Every time I'm convinced this comic is at its peak, it gets better. That there . . . that was art, stick-figure art, sure, but I mean art in the sense of storytelling. You know, that kind of art that makes you think. makes you sit down and think. Quietly. *Glares at the excited Miko-theory babbling in the corner*

Thanks for giving us all something to look forward to at midnight on a Monday. Tuesday. Whatever. This is the way webcomics ought to be.

[David Argall]

well...

Miko isn't absolutely written out of the story, but the ending fits all too well to allow any serious hope. Of course Roy is going to get raised, so it's not too impossible. But we have this big send-off page. It just gets ruined if she comes back.

But she was just such a useful character. The story will miss her even if none of the PCs do.

[silvadel]

Eep -- The way Soon worded that pretty much was an "I am sorry that the celestial realms lost ya lass..." It seems that she is going to be going somewhere less savory than the seven heavens for her afterlife... Probably not lawful good(neutral) either because then windstriker would have an easier time seeing her as opposed to whenever windstriker can....

[AkodoKoji]

Just the look on her face when she asked if she could be a paladin again was heartbreaking. And the way Rich somehow made a stick her look sadder and sadder as the frames continued. That was quite possible the best way for her to go. I'm a Mike fan and Im not even sure i want her to be ressurected.

[goldgecko4]

...wow... words fail me.... wow....

[PaladinFreak]

Unbelievable.

I have never liked Miko, but, I have to say that this comic really made me sad.

This is a good thing. I think that it is a major testament to Rich's storytelling abilities that I feel for a character, even one I didn't like very much (at all) enough to make me sad.

Incredible comic.

[Jannex]

Wow. I totally did not see that coming.

And, while I'll be the first to admit I never liked Miko, I'm sorry to see her go. This comic got tears out of me, for one reason: her final thought was of Windstriker. That earns Miko a point of respect in my eyes. For all the things she got wrong in her life, that one she got right.

My one prediction:

Regardless of whatever sick, twisted reasons he uses to justify it to himself, Belkar will miss her.

[Platinum_Mongoose]

WOW that rocked. Miko has always been one of my favorite characters, and that was an amazing sendoff.

[kirbsys]

I like Soon, apparently though he was suppossed to have been just as much of a jack ass in real life as Miko was, I think death has taught him something, because that is the way a Paladin should act. Paladins don't always have to be so self righteous. God Job Soon. You too Rich.

[NovaNightmare]

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!:smallbiggrin:

More dead people an deader people! The body count is getting a little high and jet...

[Xeticus]

Best Miko strip ever. I hated her as a character but she went out with a classy ending. Even if you're a huge Miko fan you have to admit Rich gave her a grand exit. Keep up the good work giant!


:biggrin:

[Gavin Sage]

Well I wasn't expecting such finality to that ending. But then dead isn't quite dead in D&D. And Soon is really a nice guy.

(On a side note this makes Belkar's prophecy having been fufilled with Roy all the more likely)

[Adrius]

Shocking. It shouldn't be, because Miko's death is logical ... but the presentation is shocking. The suspense of the conversation, then panning down to see her bisected

I loved it. Well done.

I also loved that Soon was so gentle with her. That is how a true paladin should behave: with forgiveness and compassion. Miko did some terrible things, but Soon was kind to her as she died because he understood that revenge would be petty and the bald truth would do no good and cause pain. In fact, I think she was able to understand, for the first time, that her actions were not divinely guided because Soon explained her mistakes without judging her.

It seems she is not going to the Celestial Realms ... but Windstriker will visit her, which I found quite touching.

Thank you, Rich. That was beautiful.

Bunny

I felt the same way. Miko.. she may have done terrible things but she was always trying to do what was right. Her sense of right was obviously skewed and she was blinded by her own .. sickness.

This comic shows Miko for what she really is, just a broken girl trying to do the right thing.

I think she had some semblance of clarity there in the end, like the sickness that had been clouding her mind was lifted, but it was too late for her.

RIP Miko.

[dish]

Beautiful comic. As has been said before Soon is a true paladin, and a compassionate mentor.
Indeed, it does seem unlikely that Miko is going to the same place as Windstriker, but I love that he'll be able to visit.

Question: if Miko's storyline is completely over, why did Soon explain about redemption in such depth?
It seems to suggest that she still has to work for her redemption - through ressurection? as a ghost? in the afterlife? Are any/all of these possible? And if they did happen, would it destroy the poignant death scene we've just been witness to?

[Haruki-kun]

HOLY CRAP!!!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED!!!!!!!!
OK, so pretty much everyone's dying........ What's left now?
Man, I was actually beginning to grow fond of her......

[jmucchiello]

I heard that in No Cure the Giant said Miko was staying around to the end.The best I can find in No Cure is that Miko will be around for awhile. Where does it say she'll be around Til the End?

I have to wonder what Soon meant when he said they would usher Miko to her destination as well. Where exactly will she end up I wonder? Killing her liege lord was an evil act, but I would have thought her years of faithful duty as a paladin would balance that out at least. Heaven? Hell? Or someplace inbetween. It is worth noting that Soon said Windstriker would visit when he could - I wouldn't expect a celestial steed could get to any of the lower planes.The D&D cosmology has more destinations for souls than Heaven and Hell. She could even still go to Heaven if she was still Lawful Good. One act of evil does strip her of her paladin powers but it does not necessarily make her Lawful Neutral or Evil. But the alignment of a dead character is certainly not worth discussing. She could end up in Celestia (the name for heaven), Arcadia, Mechanus, or Acheron (I doubt Hell is her destiny). Heck Bytopia and Elysium aren't out of the question.

[Catch]

Yes.

I knew Rich would come through in the end.

[Kioran]

This is......very good. Letting Miko die in such a way that is very dignified and moving - I actually got misty around the eyes. Thanks. As a Miko-apologist of the higher orders, I thank you.

[Behold_the_Void]

That was an amazing strip.

Bravo. Bravo.

[Laurellien]

Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead!!!

[thubby]

truly, the greatest tragedy is that she did not die a nobler death.

[Lord Zentei]

A great send off indeed. She went out with a blast, sacrificing herself in doing what she beleived was right. And her final moment was poignant and bittersweet: Soon, showing sympathy to her in death even though she could not follow him: her motivations were pure and true, for all her faults and sins. Alas she could not overcome them.

[knownaspirate]

yay!
dances

k. not really spoiler worthy but. . . . :)

[dogmac]

I called that one NOT AT ALL.

I'm in shock.

[Neol]

Yet another life fades into the slumber of death. A life filled with pride and honor , stuck down by the very force she sought to protect.

[kpenguin]

I feel so very sorry for Miko. Despite it all, she was a Good person and she truly thought she did right in the end. I feel that maybe she still has a chance at redemption. Call me a softie, but in the end, I really do want there to be peace for Miko.

[epalmer]

Oh wow... thank the gods i sold all my MIKO stock!


So, what is the deal with the stock. Is someone actually running an exchange or are people just making stuff up?

[Thexare Blademoon]

Miko slices the throne in half. Twice, even.

The throne returns the favor.
You win one slot machine for this post, full of coins. :smallbiggrin:

Unfortunately, every reel has a different set of pictures, so it never matches up. That's why it's still full. :smallamused:

[Breaon]

Damnit, Rich! You make me wish for her death in one strip, and then hope that she pulls through in the next.

I wonder if Roy is going to be there to escort her as well...

Why do I suspect :roy:'s and :miko:'s "destiny" in the post-life are intertwined...

[Wren]

now let us hope this death is permanent.

[Fuzzy_Juan]

heh...since she is still technically lawful good, she will likely go to the same place as Roy...

Ya know...I have a odd idea...

We have already seen an instance of one soul from an outer plane hijacking a spell and taking the place of the intended in Eugene...what if we see another case of that? Miko kinda did want to redeem herself, and she can't do that when she is dead...It has already been speculated by many that Miko and Roy will meet in the after life...

what if Miko hijacks Roy's raise dead/ressurection spell and comes back as Roy...I wonder if in that case Roy would come back in Miko's body with some help from the upper planes and/or Ceilia to guide him back.

[Ruruna]

Yeah I definitely think she and Windstriker are going to different places.

After all, Soon did say 'As much as he is able'

That said, totally unexpected. I thought she was going to gloat.

[Post]

...

All I can say is:

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!1

[Aris Katsaris]

Your looking to much into it.

Hardly. Back here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0460.html) the comic itself uses irony to indicate Roy's death was a result of his association with that "evil halfling".

The prophecy has already been fulfilled. Belkar caused Roy's death.

[fruityjanitor]

Wow. Poor Miko. I didn't expect Rich to make us feel so bad for her right before she died. Seeing as how she and Roy are the same alignment, I wouldn't be surprised to see them run into each other in the afterlife. Perhaps hijinx will ensue?

I liked (and was somewhat surprised about) how calm Soon was about the whole thing. It was like he was talking to a disobedient child who he was trying really hard to help.

Out of the Order, I bet Belkar will be the most upset about her demise (because he didn't get to do it of course). I wonder if Belkar will realize that he possibly fulfilled the Oracle's prophecy already by giving Roy the ring that he used to jump into the fight that would eventually kill him - I'm sure he would really hate to find out that that was the fulfillment of his prophecy. In any case, the only person left alive that Belkar asked about in his prophecy are V and the Oracle (who we will quite likely never see again) so V shoud probably watch her back extra hard from now. :smallsmile:

[Curunir]

This was one of the most moving things I have ever seen.
Miko has done a lot of stupid things in her life, but thay last comic... Talking with Soon and knowing she'll see her best friend: for me, this was her redemtion.

I wish you well, Miko. And I'll hope, you'll stay in the afterlife.

[Theragar]

Ding dong, the b**** is dead!

Great, let's just hope it stays that way.

[Ridureyu]

I feel so very sorry for Miko. Despite it all, she was a Good person and she truly thought she did right in the end. I feel that maybe she still has a chance at redemption. Call me a softie, but in the end, I really do want there to be peace for Miko.

Ah, but she still didn't admit any error. She just gave Shojo the -_- face.

[factotum]

I've made no secret of my dislike for Miko over the last few strips, but nonetheless, I genuinely felt sorry for her reading this. Unfortunately it seems it took total bisection to clear the fog from her mind...if only Soon and her had managed to have this conversation when she still had a chance of survival, who knows how it might have turned out?

Anyway, it's clear she is no longer purely Lawful Good, because she'd be going to the same place as Windstriker if so. Lawful Neutral, or somewhere between there and LG would be my guess.

[Dentarg]

And so she died...

Personally I find this more of a lesson to any other paladins out there who were following Miko's example. There's a difference between Lawful Good and Lawful "Stupid".

- Dentarg

[Waspinator]

Wow, I really did not see this coming.

Now, the big question is whether she STAYS dead.

[AkodoKoji]

Just the look on her face when she asked if she could be a paladin again was heartbreaking. And the way Rich somehow made a stick her look sadder and sadder as the frames continued. That was quite possible the best way for her to go. I'm a Mike fan and Im not even sure i want her to be ressurected.

[loque]

Ex-Paladin Killer!

[Alex Warlorn]

Damn.

















I guess her mount WAS her only friend.

[Lyc]

Well I can't dance, so can I sing? :smallbiggrin:

Well now she's dead, so I pray the hells her soul to keep
I think I'll be going, before Miko fans fold their arms and weep
I never thought for a moment that a sticks life could be so cheap
Cos now they'll finally put her in the ground
And I'll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down

(apologies to E. Costello "Tramp the Dirt down")

[Tleilaxu_Ghola]

All I gotta say is Hallelujah!

Best part o' my day, seeing Miko cut in half.

[Clamps]

Got me misty-eyed.

In a manly way.

Poor Miko. I think she got it in the end, but it was too little, too late.




"I can live with that. X_X" Heh.

[Midnight Lurker]

...I'm crying. There are actual honest-to-whoever tears running down my cheeks as we speak. :smallfrown:

For Miko.

Rich, I don't know whether to applaud you or send death threats.

Eh, I can do both.

[Liliedhe]

Well, I'm crying too. It was a wonderful scene, very moving. Soon is great and Hinjo is going to fill his shoes adequately, I hope. Miko finally understood, I think. But it was the point about Windstriker that really showed what Miko was all about... She was a very lonely child inside that armour, behind the shields of duty and righteousness, there was only a little girl who probably was very afraid. Afraid to fail, afraid to lose what little she still had, afraid to be unable to fulfill what was expected from her...

And everyone except Hinjo always pushed her away... I've always liked her, she was my favourite character in the OotS, and I hope we might see her again, but I wouldn't count on it. I just regret that none of the protagonists will ever know what we do know now.

[Calico]

All I can say is, Ding dong the witch is dead!


Poor Miko. I didn't like her but I will cry for her regardless. She tried her best at the end.

[Piedmon_Sama]

And Lo, The Internet Did Crack In Twain Anon!

[Tallarn]

That was unexpectedly touching.

[EvilJames]

I'm out then =\

So, My predictions:

Either
A.) Xykon takes her corpse and has Red Cloak reanimate her (mostly for amusement, probably standard animate dead rather then raise dead or similar).
B.) Belkar finds her corpse and throws a hissy fit over not being able to kill her himself (and probably stabs her corpse a few times).
C.) All of the above.

A slight nitpick but Raise Dead doesn't make undead it makes you alive again.


I must admidt I never really liked Miko. The whole "needless killing of the sorcerer and her dad" thing started it off and it just continued on for quite a while... But there have honestly been times when I've hoped she'd succeed, such as when rode to Azure City to warn them about Xykon. That wasn't a needless killing it was self defense (they were both armed and attacking when she killed them)


I still don't understand peoples obsession with wishing death on a character particularly when they wish thouraghly unsatisying ends to characters that aren't the bad guys just good guys who screwed up. (Do people wish death on you wheb you make a mistake?) and celebrating her death? it's not like she killed your puppy as a child, as has been said, she was nothing more than a confused child who wanted to do the right thing but kept screwing up because she really wasn't ready and didn't quite know what the right thing was.
Anyway, all in all a satisfying end for this character. I don't think Soon means that she is not going to the celestial realms, just that her horse will probobly be busy with a new paladin but it will visit her when it's not battling evil, but it could mean she is going to Arcadia rather than Mount Celestia (mechanus is unlikly she wasn't quite a modron yet and anything lower would just be silly)

[onasuma]

Any one thorght of roy and miko in haven? They're both lawful good after all.

[The Astrologist]

Well Miko can't be redeemed, but it seems she's been forgiven.


Any one thorght of roy and miko in haven? They're both lawful good after all.

I was under the impression Roy was LN.

[Atheist_Cleric]

Once again the Giant has left us flabbergasted with his choice of plot outcome. Its amazing that depite the fact that I really did hate Miko, this comic made me pity her. At least Soon was kind, that's something..but she doesnt get to go to paladin heaven. All I can say is that if possible, id like Miko and Roy to meet up for a strip or two in LG heaven...just to settle some things, maybe give Roy a chance to make her feel better. Or vice versa.

[Tiranasta]

Miko was just trying to do her duty all the time... she was a bit too obsessed with the paladin-fate-destiny-gods things though. What a sad episode.

A note (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html): now that Belkar has not caused the death of Windstriker or Miko, or Roy, he will cause the death of either Varrsarvius or the oracle guy.

Perhaps in lending Roy the ring that allowed him to jump on to Xykon's mount, Belkar fulfilled that by 'indirectly' killing Roy, as Roy would not have died had he not been given that ring.

[Chalcara]

FINALLY she's dead. That's such a relief. She even had a surprisingly fitting death scene. I just hope she stays dead, but I guess her influence will continue to be in the comic for quite a while.


Oh. And I'm REALLY impressed by Soon here. Doubt I'd have such a patience with her like he showed here.

[Peptuck]

Well Miko can't be redeemed, but it seems she's been forgiven.



I was under the impression Roy was LN.

He's repeatedly said, outright, that he is Lawful Good.

Now, that being said, Miko's final moments were friggin' awesome.

[EvilJames]

Well Miko can't be redeemed, but it seems she's been forgiven.



I was under the impression Roy was LN.

Nope he has always been LG it's been meantioned in the comic several times

Edit: Ninja'd

[Post]

I do really hope that this strip had nothing to do with the tide of 'I-won't-read-this-comic-if-Miko-lives'


meh, We really need to work out Miko's alignment. Soon basically told her 'Sorry, Lass, you ain't going to heaven.'

[pvande]

All I can say is that was one heavy comic. I was never a fan of Miko (and I most certainly wanted to slap some sense of perspective into her for the last half a dozen strips), yet to see her be so totally undone by Soon's (gentle!) criticism ... let's just say the bard in me is starting to mist up. A lot. Again.

Bravo as usual, Giant, for telling an incredible story in a way only you could - and thank you.

[Azarkon]

For those of you commenting on Belkar's phophacy (#331), I'd like to point out that the phrasing of his question was if he got to cause the death of any of the following. The answer may not be singular, Belkar just assumed it would be. Also, he didn't limit it to a final death, so he still has a shot at them if they come back. Not making a prediction, just pointing out the flexability of the answer to his question.

[Querzis]

Good comic, didnt expect her to be cut in two half. Anyway I cried for Roy but there is no way I'm crying for her. As a matter of fact I think I will go dance on her grave with others Miko haters.

Anyway, Soon was really such a good, gentle guy with her, now thats a REAL paladin! Seriously, even though I didnt read Start of Darkness I just cant sympathize with Redcloak anymore. O-chul, Hinjo and Soon are such great guys and I'm sure most of the random paladins who died were too...you cant judge a class on one crazy girl. Take that all those who said Rich hate paladins, he just hate self-rightous paladin but since there as only been one of those while all the others are saint, I'm actually starting to think he love that class.

[Estrosiath]

Awesome comic. Perfect end for Miko! And I guess Xykon should be happy he managed to destroy a powerful organization dedicated to the cause of good, although he did so rather incidentally...

[EvilJames]

I do really hope that this strip had nothing to do with the tide of 'I-won't-read-this-comic-if-Miko-lives'
QFT



meh, We really need to work out Miko's alignment. Soon basically told her 'Sorry, Lass, you ain't going to heaven.'
not necasserilly he said her horse would visit as often as it could, It's still a perfectly usable paladin horse Windstriker will likley be very busy.

[happyturtle]

Soon smiled when he spoke of Windstriker. I know he smiled during battle when he had the upper hand, but this was more of a human smile. That surprised me.

[Drascin]

Huh.

Not what I was expecting. Here, I figured the situation was perfect fodder for an Evasion gag. But instead, we get a dead-serious farewell (albeit potentially temporary) to an important character.

Seriously, I bother to develop one theory in the last six months of this comic and it gets shot down on the next page.

Yeah, same here. I kinda was expecting her next to the throne, unscathed, and saying something to the effect of "Made my save".


Does anyone else get the idea she's not going to the same place as Windstriker?

Of course. "He'll visit as much as he is able". That means they won't be together. Which also rules out her being next to Roy in the afterlife, which is sad. It would have been grade AA comedy. But Miko is heading straight to Mechanus, while Roy and Windstriker stay in Arcadia, if I still remember my planes. Well, maybe Roy will visit too :smalltongue:

[nerdman3000]

I was looking forward to seeing miko die, but not like this. This made me feel sorry for miko. It brought out the good in her. We saw that she was really just trying to do what was right... even if she was completely misguided. I no longer hate Miko, I feel empathy towards her now.
May she rest in peace.

[JoeKano]

Darn if that isnt some strength of will to last until she knows she will at least get to see her "friend" again. Misguided, stubborn, pigheaded and just plain wrong, but a will to move mountains.

Kay moving on...

Miko done, The Linear Guild off and running, Xykon and Red Cloak blasted out of the city, MITD still having his/her/its tea party, thats the legions of evil and misguidedness out fo the way . Except for the surviving Hobgoblins who got out from under the blast...

Roy dead, is there anybody who can resurrect him? Can durkon? Is Roys player ( If this was a campaign group going ) rolling a new character as we speak?

Will the Sexy Shoeless god of war get his Mark of Justice removed?Will Haley and Elan be able to retrieve their stash of gold and Banjo from their room? so many questioins when all I want is answers NOW!!!

[Sothicus]

I, for one, am glad Miko died. I am also glad she died well and with honor, as any samurai should.

[Ridureyu]

This strip also redeems and dispels any kind of "Paladin-hate" that the strip had going for it. Soon behaved in a truly commendable way.

[Justin_Bacon]

That has to be the biggest 180 I've done in awhile: Rich made me loathe Miko more than ever two strips ago, but in this strip he managed to make me feel sorry for her. I teared up on her last line.


... nice played, sir.

[Calico]

High Five! ..anyone?


I know this is gonna piss off every Miko fan on this board, but I'm gonna say it now:

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!
WHICH OLD WITCH?
THE WICKED WITCH!

Thank you. I'm good now.

[Setra]

Awesome.

I like Miko, I really do, so I can be happy about this. She died with honor, and in a way made herself more sympathetic.

[VariaVespasa]

Did not see this coming at all. Kind of puts a snag in all those Miko-Blackguard theorists ideas, doesn't it?

Also, must I remind people, except on very rare occasions, no one important comes back to life.

Nobody had even mentioned raise dead before your post- why did you feel the need, hmm? Careful, your psyche may be showing... :P

However, maybe she's not that important... :P

She may still be back. Hinjo may decide that she's needed, either for a specific task or for info and get her fixed up and depending on how Windstriker greets her, and how she processes her talk with Soon, she may be willing to come back, either to serve/atone, or seek proof/vengeance. Or, of course, originally to serve/atone and then go bat**** insane again and give us another shot at blackguard. :P

In any event, time will tell. :)

[Fsi-Dib]

I appear again, after being hidden for .. two years?

Only to express my eternal gratitude in killing this !"#¤%&/().

This day is now a whole lot better.

[Bilgore]

Will the Sexy Shoeless god of war get his Mark of Justice removed?

Also, does the Mark of Justice have any bearing on his current situation?

I mean, does a heap of rubble really qualify as an urban area?

[kpenguin]

Yeah, same here. I kinda was expecting her next to the throne, unscathed, and saying something to the effect of "Made my save".



Of course. "He'll visit as much as he is able". That means they won't be together. Which also rules out her being next to Roy in the afterlife, which is sad. It would have been grade AA comedy. But Miko is heading straight to Mechanus, while Roy and Windstriker stay in Arcadia, if I still remember my planes. Well, maybe Roy will visit too :smalltongue:

Mmmm... I'd actually say that Roy might go to Bytopia (Which is LG, but more G than L), Miko going to Arcadia (LG, more L than G), and Windstriker going to Celestia (because he's a paladin mount)

[Post]

High Five! ..anyone?

Sad moment? Comeon, 'Not for everyone', 'I can live with that'

How can you hate her after this?

[kunou126]

Miko annoyed the hell out of me. She was too self centered to be a paladin. Part of it isn't her fault. She was practically bred to be that way.

However, Miko was suprisingly humble in death.

But I do think she and Roy are destined for a meeting in the afterlife.

[Cute_Riolu]

A very melancholy comic, indeed. Great job, Giant. RIP, Miko Miyazaki.

[Justinian]

Raise Dead won't work either, because she's chopped in half.

:frown:

How high a level is Durkon again? Is the number at least 13? I hope so. >_<

[Luklan]

I never liked Miko. Still don't. It's a bit hard to not feel something though, after that scene. I'm happy she gets to see Windstriker again though :smallsmile:

Excellent job with the comic, Rich.

[Arkraiser]

I'm glad to see a paladin who falls from grace, but doesn't become a blackguard. The fallen paladin-to-blackguard route is so cliche, that it's nice to see a paladin who loses their powers and tries to repent and a blackguard who works his way up from fighter from time-to-time. Well done!

[Ink]

Noooooo!!! My MIKO stock!!

[Fluff]

Well, that was interesting. Shouldn't being cut in half have killed her instantly, though? Not that it wasn't a good comic, just a bit of a nitpick.

(Nope.)

Her lungs,heart and brain were all in the top half. In the short term, she had every-thing she needed to live.

(Except blood.)

I'm pretty sure she has a high Endurance score, judging(sp?) from how she took a blow from :mitd: and a flew all thay distance with-out getting any-thing more than a minor injury.

(How did :mitd: get there so fast any-way?)

Thus she would have been able to live on just a bit longer.

(*Stares at his...self?* When were you so smart any-way?)

[Lostboy]

So... now Roy is in the afterlife with Miko... and with his dad.
Yeeeeaah, I'm thinking that should be enough to motivate his soul back into his body, with or without the aid of a resurrection spell!

[TigerHunter]

This comic touched me. Miko's last request is to see her horse again. A friggin', goddamn horse. I can't imagine what it would be like to feel like all you had to live for was a promise you'd made long ago and a horse.

[battleburn]

Once again the Giant has left us flabbergasted with his choice of plot outcome. Its amazing that depite the fact that I really did hate Miko, this comic made me pity her. At least Soon was kind, that's something..but she doesnt get to go to paladin heaven. All I can say is that if possible, id like Miko and Roy to meet up for a strip or two in LG heaven...just to settle some things, maybe give Roy a chance to make her feel better. Or vice versa.

Same here. I didn't like Miko, but I really am sorry for her after this comic. I don't think they will meet in heaven. Not unless Miko redeemed within those few seconds that she lived.

Awesome, how Soon used his last moments on earth to tell Miko she was wrong after all. It left me wondering what Miko would do, would she admit being wrong to herself? It made the shock even larger. No chance for Miko to redeem herself. Once you are dead it is to late.

[Elurindel]

Oooh, that had to hurt! I mean, besides the enormous explosion and stuff. Being told by the very founder of the Sapphire Guard that she wasn't going to be a Paladin again. She must have felt a bit crushed by that. The comic mourns her passing.

[Swordguy]

Yeah, I know everyone else has come here and said this. I don't care. That's what this thread is for.

Mr. Burlew...Sir Giant...congratulations. THAT was a beautifully concluded story arc. You have achieved true stick poignance. Thank you.

[eilandesq]

Windstriker would presumably be able to visit her either in Arcadia or Mechanus--Miko would probably consider Arcadia a punishment (as none of her fellow paladins would be there and the lack of conflict would make for a rather dull existence), and Mechanus would be rather unpleasant for her. Either way, if a Resurrection beckons I would expect her to jump eagerly at another shot at redemption.

[adepali]

Probably the best one I've ever read :)
Perfect.

[TheLizzaard]

Don't think anyone's mentioned one part when declaring how Miko died humbly and with honor. Soon told her exactly what she did wrong and how she had not atoned for her actions.

Even when dying, she still wasn't able/willing to even admit she'd been wrong.

[Fenix]

Now that was sinister.

[jamroar]

Yeah, same here. I kinda was expecting her next to the throne, unscathed, and saying something to the effect of "Made my save".



Of course. "He'll visit as much as he is able". That means they won't be together. Which also rules out her being next to Roy in the afterlife, which is sad. It would have been grade AA comedy. But Miko is heading straight to Mechanus, while Roy and Windstriker stay in Arcadia, if I still remember my planes. Well, maybe Roy will visit too :smalltongue:

Well, if Elan's theology is correct, inhabitants of different alignment afterlives don't get to cross over to visit. I think it's more likely, as a celestial mount, Windstriker may have already reassigned to another paladin, or answering summons, or is busy doing whatever celestial animals do in their spare time.

[Mr Teufel]

Amazing job, Rich. An ending that seems to have satisfied the Miko haters and the Miko fans, which was something I thought I'd never see. And it was very touching too.

(... Pardon me, I've got something in my eye... :smallredface: )

An aside: Windstriker "will visit you as much as he is able" is not the only indicator that Miko is going somewhere else than Celestia. Soon says, "We are fading to the Celestial Realm. We will usher you to your destination as well." (Emphasis mine.) Implying that Miko's destination is different to Soon's.

[Porthos]

For all of the people speculating where Miko will end up in the afterlife, remember the fourth panel of today's strip. Soon Kim flat out tells Miko that she is not going to the same place as the rest of the Sapphire Guard.

Now that doesn't preclude a meeting with Roy (after all, she could end up in a Celestial version of a Waiting Room while they process her papers. :smalltongue: , but it does seem to preclude her from going to the "LG Paladin" resting place.

Thankfully for Miko, wherever she is going has Visiting Hours, so Windstriker will still be able to show up from time to time. :smallsmile:

[Kyjibo]

Wow, just wow

Well played Rich

RIP :miko:

[Grasilich]

Ding dong the witch is dead.

[Querzis]

Don't think anyone's mentioned one part when declaring how Miko died humbly and with honor. Soon told her exactly what she did wrong and how she had not atoned for her actions.

Even when dying, she still wasn't able/willing to even admit she'd been wrong.

Totally true, I dont know why so many people said that Miko was more likable in this comic, Soon was really likable and nice in this comic but, as far as I'm concerned, Miko was stubborn to the very end. Of course you can still feel sorry for her if you want but me I just feel energetic after reading this comic.

[Porthos]

Well, if Elan's theology is correct, inhabitants of different alignment afterlives don't get to cross over to visit. I think it's more likely, as a celestial mount, Windstriker may have already reassigned to another paladin, or answering summons, or is busy doing whatever celestial animals do in their spare time.

You know, when it comes to ranks in Knowledge (Cosmology), I think I will take Soon Kim's first hand experience over Elan's speculation. :smalltongue:

Anyway, in DnD proper (which may or may not have relevance to the comic), there is nothing stopping people from traveling from one Good Plane to another Good Plane. :smallsmile:

[Curunir]

I was looking forward to seeing miko die, but not like this. This made me feel sorry for miko. It brought out the good in her. We saw that she was really just trying to do what was right... even if she was completely misguided. I no longer hate Miko, I feel empathy towards her now.
May she rest in peace.


I second that.

[The_Hunting_Enemy]

Torn between saying 'yay' because I think it was about time, and I'm glad we'll be seeing less blue, and being kinda upset, because she seemed to finally understand it all. Pity.

You know what? This strip made me finally appriecitate Miko.

[Tricky]

(With apologies to Peter Gabriel...)

Oh, Miko. Miko! Miko-o-o, the chick is dead, the chick is dead.


I see that I'm not the only one who thinks Soon's comments don't bode well for her future in the afterlife. Windstriker will "visit" her "as much as he is able." Sounds like she's not in life for a celestial destination.

Seeing as she murdered her liege lord, and Soon makes it clear she has not redeemed herself, I suspect she's in for a warmer destination.

[EvilJames]

For all of the people speculating where Miko will end up in the afterlife, remember the fourth panel of today's strip. Soon Kim flat out tells Miko that she is not going to the same place as the rest of the Sapphire Guard.

Now that doesn't preclude a meeting with Roy (after all, she could end up in a Celestial version of a Waiting Room while they process her papers. :smalltongue: , but it does seem to preclude her from going to the "LG Paladin" resting place.

Thankfully for Miko, wherever she is going has Visiting Hours, so Windstriker will still be able to show up from time to time. :smallsmile:

He doesn't flat out tell her anything beyond that she was wrong and not going to be a paladin again(possibly because she got cut in half and is about to die)


I suspect she's in for a warmer destination.
Well arcadia is fairly sunny this time of year.

[gadren]

HAHAHAhahaha!

Wow, Rich! This has to be your funniest one yet! keep up the good work!

[Ithekro]

Arcadia sounds nice. Adventuring happens on it sometimes...depending on which Arcadia is being used. :smallsmile:

And the lonely girl gets to see her pony part of the time at least.

[Skippy]

I really hope she finds peace in the Afterlife, since it seems like in life she never got any...

These are my last words to Miko, the Fallen Palladin

I'm sorry you had to find out this way you were wrong... You could have been great... I never liked you, but now you're going to be six feet under, I gotta tell you... It was your own stubbornness that got you there. How I hope stubbornness could be erased from the world... It would be a better world that way.

Anyway, you stood for what you thought. You never bent, you never surrendered. That is to be congratulated. May the Gods take you to a restful place, you know you deserve it.

Let's hope there are more Mikos, more people willing to fight for the Greater Good even with their lives. Just let's hope they can see their own mistakes before they lose themselves...

[Dr'uun Unnh]

I thought that Miko was, well, an incredibly arrogant and annoying person, but found her death to be very sad. In fact, her death hit me harder than Roy's (and still would've been regardless of how many pieces she was in) because unlike Roy she had not been redeemed.

Maybe because I wasn't paying attention, I hoped that after her conversation with Soon, she'd be able to walk away a smarter person and atone. However, after seeing the last two panels, that appears to be less and less likely. :(

[Porthos]

Totally true, I dont know why so many people said that Miko was more likable in this comic, Soon was really likable and nice in this comic but, as far as I'm concerned, Miko was stubborn to the very end. Of course you can still feel sorry for her if you want but me I just feel energetic after reading this comic.

Because, for first time in a looong time, she didn't contradict someone when they told her she messed up. She didn't try to explain her actions when someone told her how badly she had gotten everything, and she didn't try to "weasel out" of her fate. Not once did she try to give any sort of defense for her actions. Also, for the first time she admitted to someone that she had actually Fallen (which is in itself a huge Psychological Breakthrough for her).

In fact, if you look at her expressions while Soon was talking to her, you can see the slight glimmer of comprehension dawn on her as she digests what he said. Finally, once she realized what Soon was saying, there were no grand speeches about her being special. There were no comments about her Grand Destiny for The 12 Gods. All she cared about was the closest (and possibly only) friend she had in her life: Windstriker.

The fact that she handled her death with such dignity and class (along with a possible realization of her mistakes) is part of what is resonating with people. Redemption worthy? No. But it is a sign of progress on her part. Sadly for Miko, the moment of realization came too late.

[Martok]

"Ding dong, the witch is dead...." Sorry, I couldn't help myself! :smallbiggrin:

Well I certainly won't claim I'll miss Miko, but I'll give the wench credit for getting a somewhat noble and worthy end. Perhaps in death she'll find the peace she obviously couldn't find in life.

[Aimbot]

How many strips 'til the rez?

Taking all bets.

[Beittil]

Poor :belkar:... he will never get to kill Windstriker now :(

[Porthos]

He doesn't flat out tell her anything beyond that she was wrong and not going to be a paladin again(possibly because she got cut in half and is about to die)

He says, "Even now, we are fading to the Celestial Realm. We will usher you to your destination as well."

That heavily implies that, wherever Miko is going, it ain't the same place as everyone else in the Guard. If it were, he would have said, "I will usher you there as well." :smallsmile:

[Shatteredtower]

I liked several things about this strip.

First, Miko had no complaints about this outcome. She didn't try to argue, never tried to blame anyone, and never once cursed her inability to bring Roy or Belkar to justice. She might not have gone looking for her death, but if that's what it was going to cost, so be it. And in the end, it means not being alone again.

Second, she did not fail Soon. In his eyes, Miko is still one of his children, still lawful and good. He didn't hesitate to point out what her hasty decision cost them, but he never once judged her for that. What she did was adequate under the circumstances -- unfortunate and ill-advised, but not wholly unreasonable. In a sense, her fall from paladinhood was the clue: twice now she has struck the throne, and twice fallen as a result of it.

Third, he didn't hesitate to tell her what she'd have needed to do to redeem herself -- and didn't trivialize it the way Hinjo did after her fall. Hinjo made it sound like a simple spellcasting, which robs a lot of meaning from the event. Soon made it clear that redemption was a much more precious thing, and not something everyone could find. That is the sort of thing Miko could respect.

Will she return? I would be very surprised if anyone tried to bring her back, but I wouldn't be surprised if she took that chance if offered it. I'm very curious who'd make the attempt for her and why, but I don't see it happening. I'm more than happy to be proven wrong, but will hardly feel let down if I'm right.

That's one other thing about the strip I like. Those of us who play the game often shrug off character death and fallen status as inconsequential, seeing both as conditions we can reverse with a spell -- or else turn to our advantage some other way, whether by having our characters become undead or blackguards. Roy's just got to wait out the raise dead -- and the recovery of his body, of course. Miko's passing carries a lot more meaning. She may never be worthy again, and she may never find the chance to try. Pathetic? No. I realize she was low on energy, but she never once tried to protest her fate. Instead, she spent her last moments seeking hope: in performing her duty, in restoring her honour, and finally, in being reunited with Windstriker.

Finally, I like how this much her death and Roy's contrast. Each died in service to an oath, one failing to stop Xykon, the other unnecessarily denying him his goal at the cost of allowing him to escape. Then again, Roy was going after a hated enemy in pursuit of his oath, while Miko turned from seeking one out in order to serve hers. Roy died looking to avoid his fate; Miko died embracing what she thought was hers. Both faced an explosion, but Miko was killed when the throne struck her, while Roy was killed by striking the ground.

The strip also impresses me because the title of strip #460 turns out to have been foreshadowing. Those last two panels interest me as well: viewed symbolically, she's turned her back on her vendetta to go meet the same fate as Roy.

Why, no, I'm not reading too much into this. :smallwink:

[Mef]

Congratulations, Mr. Burlew. Masterwork.

[zibeck]

I'm not crying over Miko dying. Honest.

Stupid stick-figure web-comic.

[Green Bean]

Giant, that was beautiful... :smallfrown:

[kreszantas]

Good Riddance, this is what happens to one who follows the letter of the law without understanding the underlying principle of the law, she still did not get it even when dying that she did boop up. She knew that Soon was there and still acted according to her own will not that of the 12 gods thus she finally paid for that behavior in a mortal death. I hope that she is NOT willing to come back to her body if a cleric decides to rez her. :smallyuk:

[Grasilich]

How many strips 'til the rez?

Taking all bets.

Who exactly would res her?

OotS? No way.

Hinjo and what's left of Azure City? Yeah, I somehow don't think Hinjo is anxious to see her come back.

Anyone else in the world? Errr I don't think so... Miko didn't have any friends, other than her horse. In order to be raised, I'm pretty sure you need at have someone in the world that wants you to come back. Maybe there's an exception to this, but I don't think she's ever coming back.

[Welf]

"i can live with that" - ist it already registered in the book of famous last words? :smalltongue:

[Serpentine]

i don't know whether this has been brought up already (I did a search, but it wasn't very useful), and if not it's probably gonna cause many gasps of disbelief at my ignorance, but...
Windstriker's dead? When did that happen?:smallconfused: Or will he just visit in the afterlife? Also, shouldn't he be an ordinary horse now?

[Yahoo_Serious]

Comic #464
Azure City under the gun
Everything was all screwed up
In throne room number one
Oh Miko, Miko, because Miko
Oh Miko, Miko, because Miko
Shojo Hinjo, Shojo Hinjo
-The b**** is dead

Though she tried to pray at night
Her armor it was gray
The Sapphire Guard is blue and white
And the Celestial Realms so far away
Oh Miko, Miko, because Miko
Oh Miko, Miko, because Miko
Shojo Hinjo, Shojo Hinjo
-The b**** is dead

You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
Property values won't go higher
Oh Miko, Miko, because Miko
Shojo Hinjo, Shojo Hinjo
-The b**** is dead

And the eyes of Miko are
crosses now
crosses now

[Rambi]

Well I didn't see that coming, that has to be a truly sad death, not only was Miko wrong and had to be told that, but she's not even going to the same afterlife and shes been bisected.

On the plus side nobody will be able to argue that shes not dead.

[Zeku]

I think it's fairly clear that she did not 'get it.' She simply accepted the finality of the great equalizer, death. In my mind, this was not something she was ever ignorant of, so I don't see a great transition taking place here.

Being slightly pro-Miko, this is exactly the component she was missing, a good knock to the head. (abdomen?) I forsee future developments for this character. But then, I also forsee Varsuvius going lawful evil, so who knows? For all considered, I hope her attitude does lighten up a bit.

"Redemption is not for everyone" says Soon. Well, Soon; not everyone wants redemption.

[Ink]

Now that I've calmed down somewhat over my stock, I must say that Miko's last moments were incredibly poignant and touching, and quite beautiful. Soon talking to Miko in her final seconds and her asking about Windstriker with her dying breath were very moving.

I think this comic is the saddest one yet, topping Roy's death and Elan's song. At least we knew Roy would come back sooner or later.

R.I.P. Miko Miyazaki.

PS: How anti-climactic would it be if someone came by and cast True Ressurection the next comic? Quite hilarious too. :smallwink:

[timbot]

So, who will Belkar kill? Not Miko or Windstriker. Most likely not Roy, even though he'll be rezzed soon. That leaves....V or the Oracle Of course, you could argue he killed Roy inadvertantly, but he will be very mad. Hm. Maybe killing Roy didn't fulfill his prophecy but he will think it did so he will be really mad and go kill the Oracle.

Also, I am glad Miko is dead, but why, Giant, did you make me feel sorry for her? Although, Shattered Tower did have a point.

[Mef]

How many strips 'til the rez?

Taking all bets.

Don't take it for granted.

In fact, I'd go out on a limb and say: "Rest assured that she's not coming back. Not as the same."

[Narkis]

A truelly touching ending for Miko, perhaps one that she didn't deserve. We also got to see how a true should paladin act. Kudos to the Giant for this. (And the joke at the end)

[Zaha]

So is there nobody else who thinks it's a one way ticket to the Nine Hells of Baator for Miko?

Oh, and the only thing about her death I'm not happy with is that she wasn't hung, drawn and quartered.

[Smoke_Rulz]

Now that the forums are working, I can post, woooo! 6 pages later, at any rate.

Ding dong, the witch is dead~~~ This is what my friend and I were hoping for. :D Big surprise and very sad way for her to go out, even though I do hate her quite badly.

My friend and I talked a little about what could happen later in the comic:

He thinks Roy and Miko will meet in the land of the dead somehow. I think that'd be awesome, just to see more of Roy's patented verbal destruction on someone I hate. Though I wonder how they could meet, since I figure they'd be in different places given that he's truly good while she is a fallen Paladin.

Then my friend tells me they'll meet in the afterlife's Waiting Room. And I laughed because that sounds -exactly- like something Rich would do. And I bet it'd be quite full thanks to all the casulties that came before Roy, which would mean he'd still be there waiting by the time Miko appeared.

[divine]

HAHAHAhahaha!

Wow, Rich! This has to be your funniest one yet! keep up the good work!

I must have missed something...


RIP Miko.

[Porthos]

i don't know whether this has been brought up already (I did a search, but it wasn't very useful), and if not it's probably gonna cause many gasps of disbelief at my ignorance, but...
Windstriker's dead? When did that happen?:smallconfused: Or will he just visit in the afterlife? Also, shouldn't he be an ordinary horse now?

Windstriker isn't dead. He is literally a Celestial Creature. He was born in "heaven" and when he is not helping Paladins in their adventures he sleeps, eats, and lives in "heaven".

Once a Paladin Falls, they can no longer summon their Celestial Mount, so Windstriker will stay in "heaven" unless he decides to help another Paladin some day. That's why Miko was asking if she could still see Windstriker. She knew that (barring redemption and atonement, that she would NEVER see Windstriker again while she was still alive. The fact that she would be able to see him from time to time in the afterlife obviously meant a great deal to her. :smallsmile:

[White Rook]

Ha! Finally!

Dear god please do not resurrect her.

[Nevrmore]

Guys, it's cool, all we need to do is find that one Miko statue and cast Stone to Flesh. All we have to hope for is that by the time we get to her, her head hasn't been eroded away by a stream.

[Porthos]

So is there nobody else who thinks it's a one way ticket to the Nine Hells of Baator for Miko?

Oh, and the only thing about her death I'm not happy with is that she wasn't hung, drawn and quartered.

I figure she's destined for Mechanicus (the plane of Pure Law) myself. Quite frankly she wasn't psycho long enough to qualify for Baator. :smalltongue:

[DrEaDnAuGhT]

i don't know whether this has been brought up already (I did a search, but it wasn't very useful), and if not it's probably gonna cause many gasps of disbelief at my ignorance, but...
Windstriker's dead? When did that happen?:smallconfused: Or will he just visit in the afterlife? Also, shouldn't he be an ordinary horse now?

Here's a little reading material to answer your questions...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/paladin.htm

[Shatteredtower]

He says, "Even now, we are fading to the Celestial Realm. We will usher you to your destination as well."

That heavily implies that, wherever Miko is going, it ain't the same place as everyone else in the Guard. If it were, he would have said, "I will usher you there as well." :smallsmile:"Well, we're heading to Seattle, but I guess we can drop you off in Spokane, since it's on the way and all."

The Celestial Realms are almost certainly a very big place. Miko can still be heading for the same general destination without achieving the same place of honour. If she's going to see Windstriker, it's because they'll share the same plane. It's not like he can shift between them on his own; he needs to be called.

[Senko]

I've got to say I've never really liked Miko that much but I've got to agree with the people who say this current strip really shows her as she is/was a broken lonely little guy just trying to live up to the expectations she thought people had of her. Glad she gets to see her horse occasionally in the afterlife and I'm inclined to agree she's more to the lawful side than the lawful good of paladins which is why she's going to a diffrerent destination than them. She really does come across as childlike in this comic which is probably why Soon got through to her. A metaphorical rebirth as it were showing in her simple approach to things "Did I do right, Can I be a paladin again, Can I see my pony?" Great now I've set myself crying over her sigh.

I wouldn't rule Hinjo resurecting her out either, as far as he can did finally start to come round. After escaping from jail in the confusion what did she do? She went to the throne room and stopped Xykan possibly wiping out a significant part of the invading force and maybe saving what was left of the city at the cost of her life. He might decide its worth the risk to resurect her and give her a chance to prove her changed status. Of course it would really be impressive if he tried and she turned it down.

As last words go "I can live with that." Really works well in my opinion showing that she has finally accepted things and is satisfied with her lot.

Incidently I would be entertained by the suggestion of Miko and Roy coming back in each others bodies even if its not going to happen.

[Albignome]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

When I saw this comic I just had to register.

Like many of you I hated Miko with a passion, but in retrospect I find myself looking through her Misguided Good eyes.

One thing has always bothered me about Miko's relationship to the Sapphire Guard. It clearly seems, that people around her(Hinjo and possibly others) thought Miko's view of the world was extremely unbending. Why is it that no one from the Guard took the time to maybe look past their dislike of her and TALK to her?

Or, failing that, it was Shojo's responsibility to raise her past the age of thirteen. You would think if she had issues, they might have worked them out before she rose to the most powerful Paladin of the Sapphire Guard. I would hope that joining such a prestigous order would require a detailed psychological workup.

[Smoke_Rulz]

Ahahaha, guys, I just realized something, and I might as well spoiler tag this:

Belkar's prophecy! If you forget the exchange:

Belkar: "Do I get to cause the death of any of the following: Miko, Miko's stupid horse, Roy, Vaarsuvius, or you?"
Oracle: "Yes."

Two of the people he's named have died: Roy and Miko. He gave Roy his Ring of Jumping and convinced him to leap up to the dragon... we all know how that ended. And, he has long since pissed Miko off to the point where she succumbed to furious zealotry and warped her views on both the Order & her own emporer, all of this leading to her fall from Paladin grace and ultimately, her death.

So guys, Belkar is 2 for 2! XD

[EvilJames]

I figure she's destined for Mechanicus (the plane of Pure Law) myself. Quite frankly she wasn't psycho long enough to qualify for Baator. :smalltongue:

She wasn't quite pure law yet either so if not Mount Celestia then Arcadia seems likely she could also just go someplace else within celestia rather than where the paladins hang out. (an infinite plain is a big place after all)

This is all assuming, of coarse, that the Ootsiverse uses the same cosmology as the D&D multiverse.

[kolvar]

sniff, never realy liked her, but this was touching.

[Archonic Energy]

Alas Poor Miko,
i hope she gets in death the peace she saught so hard in life.

anyway 3 gates down 2 to go...

[Kaliban]

I have to say this:
Mr Burlew, you are truly a Giant of storytelling.

[Serpentine]

Windstriker isn't dead. He is literally a Celestial Creature. He was born in "heaven" and when he is not helping Paladins in their adventures he sleeps, eats, and lives in "heaven".

Once a Paladin Falls, they can no longer summon their Celestial Mount, so Windstriker will stay in "heaven" unless he decides to help another Paladin some day. That's why Miko was asking if she could still see Windstriker. She knew that (barring redemption and atonement, that she would NEVER see Windstriker again while she was still alive. The fact that she would be able to see him from time to time in the afterlife obviously meant a great deal to her. :smallsmile:
Ah, of course, makes sense. Thankee.

[Fabio_MP]

Giant you are a master storyteller!

poor Miko, I feel sad for her

thank you

[Irbis]

Guys, it's cool, all we need to do is find that one Miko statue and cast Stone to Flesh. All we have to hope for is that by the time we get to her, her head hasn't been eroded away by a stream.

What statue? :smallconfused:

[Max_Sinister]

Can't say I liked Miko much, but RIP.

Note that Belkar neither killed her nor Roy.

[Suraht]

And in the end, she understands.

If she gets resurrected later, I hope she'll have spent more time with Soon beforehand. Just one brief conversation taught her so much, and she seemed to have listened to it, and take the wisdom offered to her.

[Vatharian]

BWAHAHAHAHAAA! At last! I've been waiting for this moment. I regret, that Belkar wasn't the one, who ended Miko's miserable life. No more idiot reasoning, no more screwing up everything. Now, when she's dead, I can say, that from the very beginning, I hated her. I hated to the fullest. She was the reason, that I started to hate blue color (my favourite, till recently). There, I can now say, that there is no other character, that I dislike in the comic now. I feel deeply relieved.

Thank you, Giant.

EDIT:
In some way Belkar is responsible for Roy's death: Ring of jumping.
EDIT 2:
She didn't have any chance NOT to listen to Soon, as she was incapable to move.