Does Xykon care about Redcloak?

[Supreme Evil]

I think that the answer is yes, definitely more than his other minions. he has gone out of his way to save Redcloak at least twice, here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0370.html) and here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0462.html). He did not have to and he could have just left Redcloak to die. In the second one he could have just grabbed his phylactery and ran but he didn't. He even got Redcloak healed here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0465.html). That is proof that Xykon does care about Redcloak at least somewhat.

[Project_Mayhem]

SoD suggests maybe not that much. However, I guess they have been through a lot together since then. Dunno

[Kurald Galain]

I don't think Xykon is capable of caring for anyone save himself.

[MBV]

I think Xykon doesn't view Redcloak as a friend, but more as a means to an end, he needs him for the Plan.

Also, Redcloak is a powerful cleric, do you know how hard it is to come by powerful clerics? I wouldn't want to lose mine (yes, I have my own, he is called Bob) unless he betrays me, or I get really, really bored

[Jensik]

Based on Start of Darkness, I'd say he doesn't care about Redcloak, only what Redcloak can do for him.

[SlightlyEvil]

Redcloak is useful to Xykon, nothing more or less. He is powerful, understands the Plan (see SoD), and is guaranteed to be loyal, since if he betrays Xykon, then he killed his brother for nothing. Xykon has every reason to keep him alive, if for no other reason than he doesn't actually know how to exploit the gates' power.

Also, the examples of Xykon saving Redcloak are tenuous at best. In 370 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0370.html), he stops the fight because the entertainment potential of watching Redcloak get beaten up is becoming outweighed by the possibility of Redcloak dying, and Raise Deads don't come cheap. In 462 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0462.html), he isn't sending Redcloak away to save him, he's trying to save himself. If Redcloak goes down, then his phylactery is vulnerable.

Basically, Xykon only cares about Redcloak's role in his scheme for world domination, nothing more.

[the_tick_rules]

Based on Start of Darkness, I'd say he doesn't care about Redcloak, only what Redcloak can do for him.

i'll second that

[FoE]

I'll note two things:

1) In Strip #369, he stood by and watched Redcloak get clobbered by Miko for his own amusement.
2) In Strip #462, he went to help Redcloak out of self-preservation, not out of loyalty.

[Tal9922]

Rereading those strips, why does Miko lament "NO! Not again!" When in a forcecage? When was the last time she was in such a situation?

[Yendor]

She was stopped just as she was about to smite the evil guy? Last time would be here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0285.html).

[sun_tzu]

Rereading those strips, why does Miko lament "NO! Not again!" When in a forcecage? When was the last time she was in such a situation?

When she was about to finish off Belkar, then the OOTS intervened and Shojo ordered her not to kill them.
Another situation where she had the villain beat, and he was saved at the last moment.

[Kish]

I would say Xykon cares about Redcloak as much as he's capable of caring about anyone besides himself, which is very little.

[Free Hand]

Actually for 370 I believe he also stopped the fight because he lost his bet on how quickly Redcloak would get killed.

[The Extinguisher]

While they won't be preforming and musical number duets anytime soon, I think they wouldn't be adverse a roadtrip together for entertainment purposes.

On an unrealted note, an Oots musical would be really awesome.

[Supreme Evil]

I think that while in SoD, Xykon didn't care about Redcloak much, they have been together long enough to start being on more friendly terms with each other. Take this example from a recent strip (paraphrasing):
:redcloak: Hey, I'm gonna go sink their last boat, wanna come?
:xykon: Nah
:redcloak: OK, back in a few.

[factotum]

I don't see how that conversation indicates any sort of friendliness...heck, I've seen more friendly exchanges in business meetings between people who've never met before!

[Penquin47]

:xykon: "Hey Redcloak... we really had a shot at the prize there for a minute, didn't we?"
:redcloak: "Yeah. Yeah we did."

That had me believing they were friends. Of course, I then got SoD, and, well... not so much.

[Paragon Badger]

:xykon: "Hey Redcloak... we really had a shot at the prize there for a minute, didn't we?"
:redcloak: "Yeah. Yeah we did."

That had me believing they were friends. Of course, I then got SoD, and, well... not so much.

I'd say that they were both more interested in achieving said prize than eachother. :smalltongue:

Xyklon probably cares as much about Redcloak as Redcloak cares about Xyklon. :smalltongue:

[Raider]

This is just further evidence of Xykon's eventualy alignment change to lawful good. Hey it could happen

[FoE]

:xykon: "Hey Redcloak... we really had a shot at the prize there for a minute, didn't we?"
:redcloak: "Yeah. Yeah we did."

That had me believing they were friends. Of course, I then got SoD, and, well... not so much.

The only reason Xykon hasn't killed Redcloak is because he knows the rituals to control the Snarl (or at least he thinks he does). But I would hazard a guess that, after spending decades together, Xykon probably has a passing fondness for Redcloak, in so much that he will kill other goblins if he needs a chuckle before he kills Redcloak. That said, he has no problem verbally or physically abusing Redcloak for his entertainment (ie. watching Miko kick the crap out of him at the watchtower).

[Yubari]

Hey, Redcloak had the audacity to tell Xykon when to intercede. Who's working for who here?

No seriously, though, SoD made it pretty clear that Xykon and Redcloak got together because their interests coincided. As long as that remains the case, any evidence that they actually care about one another will be inconclusive. This is because it can be argued that they are, first and foremost, supporting an ally. Not a friend.

That said ... I think they're somewhat closer than "passing fondness" might suggest. If you look at the progression of their day-to-day working relationship, certain patterns emerge. In the early comics, Redcloak was pretty tentative and reserved. After carrying his master around in the phylactery for a while, though, he actually started teasing him a little. Xykon responded with contempt and sarcasm, but he seemed both surprised and amused when Redcloak held his ground. Since then, the fact that Redcloak is the closest thing Xykon has to an equal seems to have crept up on them both. I don't think Xykon ever consciously admitted that Redcloak is the best friend he has, but from what we saw of his life in SoD, this would seem to be the case. Conversely, Xykon is all Redcloak has left. These extenuating circumstances could form the basis for an unlikely friendship.

[Prince_Rohan]

Read my Signature....any questions?

[Yubari]

Gaah! I certainly do not see it. Tension yes, in varying quantities. But sexual anything between those two? Not so much.