Octopath Traveler holds a very special place in my heart and remains within the top ten range for being one of favorite video games ever made. It’s the first true RPG title I ever dabbled into and got me to care for a genre I normally wouldn’t be interested in. Its interesting cast of travelers, colorful world, masterful turn based combat, soundtrack, and respect for the past is what made it stand out to me. It owes a lot of its identity to existing titles, but introduces a couple of cool concepts and tricks to stand out on its own. Of course there are flaws with the game. The tedious amount of grinding so you can stand a chance against the next upcoming set of chapters. The game didn’t find a good way to connect all eight narratives together up until the end. The endgame dungeon is an over-challenging slog with terrible payoff. The stereotypical fantasy protagonists opened up some predictability within their plots, but personally I’d argue they did enough to avoid the expectations players would have. Octopath Traveler is a really difficult JRPG to recommend especially when other big titles like Persona 5 and Yakuza: Like A Dragon avoided some of the major flaws it had while also setting gold standards for the genre. However, I still love it for what it is. There’s enough charming features to redeem it, and even now it’s better than a lot of Triple A releases in the market. Octopath Traveler is a diamond in the rough, and I’ll continue defending this game. It’s not for everyone especially since it's a JRPG, but it’s certainly for me.
Recently they revealed a sequel in the works, which is set to be released early next year and this is something I wasn’t expecting. One of the most niche RPGs of the last decade got a sequel approved by Square Enix. The company who sends anything not named Final Fantasy out to die. To be fair though, Octopath Traveler sold more than 2.5 million copies which is a huge success for the team that made it and it’s one of Square Enix’s more recent properties. There’s a ton of other franchises they own that have been chained down in an abandoned shed and haven’t seen the light of day in years. There’s also the fact that the team who made Octopath Traveler also made Bravely Default and Triangle Strategy, which were also well received and rose in sales in time. Square Enix is also trying to push what they deem the HD2D style Octopath helped create as the recent remake of Live A Live utilized it and now one of the Dragon Quest games is being remade using this style as well. Octopath Traveler is getting the sequel, love, and attention it deserves. I’m a little worried about how the sequel is moving away from the medieval fantasy focus the first game had, but I’m glad they are introducing more variety with characters influenced from ancient Japan and the industrial era. Octopath Traveler 2 is now one of my most anticipated games for next year and hopefully it can live up to my expectations end up on my GOTY list.
Now, I’ve been rambling on about my love and appreciation for Octopath Traveler for quite a few sentences now. I don’t have to ramble on to you any further about why I think it’s heavily misunderstood, underrated, and excellent. I have a whole essay about it released two years back, so check that out instead if you want to know why I love it. No, we are not here today to discuss that purpose. Instead I am here to explore one of the narratives of the game. A lot of people argue the stories of Octopath Traveler are really cliche. That they are unoriginal and nothing to write home about. I do agree with the opinion that these stories aren’t entirely original, but I would disagree with the opinion that the stories are terrible. I think these stories are great. They present interesting characters, keep the audience engaged to see what happens next, and throw a couple twists to go against the tropes these types of character tropes would face. You have outliers like Olberic, who goes on this epic journey seeking revenge against a former friend but learns the way we defy honor differs and not every view of it has to be the same. He can create his own definition of honor and still remain a diligent, big hearted person. There’s Primrose who seeks revenge for her assassinated father, and her story kind of explores her place in the world and how she carries on her family name. That and her story somewhat explores the ideas of sex and how females are often looked down upon. These two stories are the high points of Octopath, but I think the best story this game has to offer aren’t these two. I think the greatest and most well developed story is the one that follows a little thief wearing a purple scarf.
Therion, the thief, the one with shackled hands. To a majority of people, Therion is often viewed as this arrogant boy. He’s rude, talks sassy, and doesn’t seem to act positively whenever he is socializing with people. He’s the meanest traveler amongst the gang, but there’s a good reason why he is the way he is. Why he isn’t comfortable or trust others in the way a majority of his comrades would. As Therion’s story and past unfolds we discover all the tragedies he had to face. That life didn’t give him joy or a happy life like some of these other characters. The writers say Therion’s tale is about finding freedom, but I think there is more to it. It’s not just about freedom, but being able to move on. To look past the flaws and problems found within you. To find the positive traits with people and life. To ignore what held you back in the past. Whether that was a terrible mistake you made, or in this case an abusive relationship. I will say this essay may dive into some really touchy topics. You could say I’m overanalyzing a simple story about a thief, and you are correct. I’m taking this to extreme territories, but I want to express what I saw in this story. Why I feel it’s the best story Octopath has to offer. Here we are. To explore the tale of a man who was shackled down and eventually built up the courage to stand up on his own. SPOILERS for Therion’s tale.
Grow Up the Hard Way
What separates Therion from the other travelers is that he doesn’t have much of a background to work with besides him being a thief and eventually getting into the thief gig. We aren’t told what class, society, or township he was part of or anyone he could be associated with besides the man he would ally himself with. This creates a bit of contrivance, but it actually allows the player to imagine where Therion could have come from. He has no family, has no household he can come back to, and unlike other characters where townships can easily recognize who they are no one really seems to to know or record Therion’s identity. He’s a wanderer, a stranger, and presumably he has no wealth to work with. He probably had no parents to take care of him during childhood and tossed out onto the streets since no one wanted him. I think this lack of parenthood or anyone willing to raise him properly is one of few contributing factors as to why he has a very snarky personality. No one was there to teach him common manners or courtesy, so he had to teach himself how to survive. He had to learn where to get food, wealth, shelter, and this lifestyle of seeking the necessities to survive is what led him to most likely becoming a thief. Thieves are often viewed as leeches of society, but in this case Therion had nowhere to truly go.
In a flashback we are shown a young Therion being arrested for his crimes. We aren’t exactly told what he did, but he is locked up in a cage with someone similarly dressed like him. He never met this man in his life, but he begins to see similarities between them. They are both thieves who came from nothing, they steal to survive, and they go thrown into a cage because the society that treats them like dirt hates the actions they take to get by. This man Therion is locked up and symbolizes who he could be. A thief with strength, high skill in trickery, and takes more than what he ever could. This is a man Therion can look up to and view as a mentor, a guardian, and above all someone that can be viewed as family. The man’s name is Darius and together they break out of the cage they are locked in. From here Therion would spend his younger and teenage years running around with Darius. They would travel from place to place. Stealing the finest riches and eating good grub at the tavern. The player isn’t told of what adventures the two thieves got into, but again this creates the player's imagination of how the thieves bonded. You’d think they would forever be friends, but there was something wrong with their relationship.
Therion respected what Darius had to teach and offer him, but the same couldn’t be said about the latter. We don’t know much about Darius. We know a lot about Therion because we are placed directly in his shoes and witness his memories through his eyes and mind. The only thing we know about Darius is that he was trustworthy at first and he looked after Therion for a long time. We don’t know what his personality was, because Therion was still getting to know him. He never got to see his bad side, and if he did it wasn’t directed towards him. As Therion spent more time with Darius he truly got to know the man for what he was. That he wasn’t the grand icon he could always look up to. We learn that when Darius first saw Therion he didn’t see a young boy who needed guidance. He saw a boy who was easy to deceive and whose talents can be used for his old personal gain. The boy has some innocence in him, so why not completely wash it away and transform it into an image you want instead? Corrupt this boy and transform him into a monster like you. We can all agree this type of relationship isn’t healthy, and it’s the one that is the hardest to spot. When you are the victim in this scenario you don’t know, but the person abusing you does. Therion was a tool and Darius would use this tool for years.
Therion eventually caught on to how Darius was treating him, and when he finally noticed this and attempted to stand up for himself that is when he was deceived. Darius beat him up and dragged him to a high cliff in the canyon region. He no longer had use of Therion as he picked up on his skills and gained new allies to aid in his mischief. Allies who could easily replace Therion from the start. More tools, and when those tools stop being useful Darius can always get another batch of them. Imagine being viewed as an object to someone. Sitting there, rotting away, and when you are useless to them they toss you out. Ignoring the emotions and damage inflicted upon you in the process. Darius throws Therion to his death. He lands hard onto the ground and loses an eye. Never to be able to see properly again. Therion struggles to walk properly, and slowly limps his way to town to find help. Yet, no one wants to help. Who would want to help a thief of all people? Someone who disobeys the law, harms others, and steals. Therion was out for himself and there was no one left he could trust. The broken relationship hurt him so badly that it altered the way he viewed people. It made him hate the world more. That no one would ever want to offer him aid ever.
To Wander Alone
In the present day, Therion is now a young man who wanders alone. Unlike his early days, not as many guards or law officials are on the pursuit for him. Plus he is no longer traveling in the infamous duo he was once a part of. He’s just another man in a world flooded with dozens of other civilians and creatures. His thieving days aren’t over though. That was what he was raised and taught to do of course. He makes his way to a small town known as Bolderfall where he is told of a lucious manor belonging to a family of nobles. The Ravus Manor, which houses a gem that has been passed down through generations. It’s the perfect treasure to look at and Therion knows exactly how to sneak in without the guards and dogs detecting him. He hops through an open window, sneaks through the halls without stepping into the light, and finally locates the room the treasure is tucked away in. The gem gleams in the light and is unlike anything Therion has seen. In fact, it confuses him at first and it gets more confusing when a servant of the manor appears and does not immediately attack him. The servant’s name is Heathcote, and he begins explaining the origins of the gem. The gem sitting in the middle of the room is the Dragonstone, and the Ravus family once possessed four of them. Unfortunately three of the stones have been stolen and they have been reclaimed by the thieves who got their hands on them.
Therion realizes this is a manor not worth messing with, but before he can escape the servant manages to slap an iron bangle on his arm. The mistress of the manor, Cordelia, appears and then explains to Therion he has been labeled with the Fool’s Bangle. Signaling to those who can comprehend what is written on it that he is a thief, failed to sneak away successfully, and that he is not someone to look up to. Not someone you should trust, care for, or get to know. Therion doesn’t want to label any of these terms, because he knows he is already the things listed. He is a thief, he is arrogant, he comes from dirt, and no one wants to be around him. Of course, these are all things he believed ever since Darius threw him off the cliff. After a long toxic relationship that taught him to be a terrible person finally ended. Cordelia isn’t angry though during all of this. Actually she talks calmly to Therion and treats him like a potential ally rather than a threat. She strikes a deal with the thief. She’ll give Therion the last known coordinates of where the Dragonstones lie, and she wants him to use his thief skills to retrieve one of the stones and bring it back. Now, this angers Therion even more because technically another person wants to take advantage of who he is and what he is capable of. He sees another abuser standing before him.
He is sent on his way and soon arrives at Noblecourt, where the first missing Dragonstone lies. A researcher named Orlick holds the stone, and isn’t willing to give it up to anybody. Therion learns that Orlick had a former partner, Barham, and that he could help Therion retrieve the stone from Orlick. Now this is where Therio starts to get personal help from those who aid him on his journey. Imagine these characters as psychologists or therapists. Not literally those things, but the help Therion needs to get better. Barham and Orlick were once good friends, but Orlick betrayed Barham as the loom and mysteries behind the Dragonstone captivated him. It made him throw out his friend when he no longer had use in him, and Barham felt betrayed as the only person he could look up to just tossed him aside and acted like it was nothing. One bit of information I learned from psychology is that group therapy can often be more helpful than individual therapy, because you are encountering someone similar to you. Talking to someone who has faced the same hardships, trauma, and is experiencing the same troubled emotions and thoughts as you. Therion encounters someone who was betrayed and left to rot like him, and it signals he isn’t alone in this scenario. Therion sneaks into Orlick’s house, steals the Dragonstone, beats Orlick and his men in a fight, and Barham comes at the last minute to talk to his friend. Reforging the bond they once shared as Therion returns to Ravus Manor to give the first Dragonstone back.
Therion gives the Dragonstone back to Cordelia and she is quite surprised. She thought Therion would have run off with the stone or not fulfill his promise at all, but he managed to do so and with that she orders Heathcote to remove the bangle from Therion’s arm. However, Therion isn’t willing to detach the bangle so soon. This is where Therion’s story gets weird, but at the same time it’s one of favorite moments in the game. Therion begins telling Cordelia why she shouldn’t remove the bangle from his arm. He says that he is a thief and that he should not be trusted. She always has a man who can hunt down the rest of the Dragonstones, and once she gets rid of him she’ll never find another opportunity to find the rest. Plus if she does let Therion go, who knows if he’ll betray her. Who knows if he’ll attempt to steal the Dragonstones again, find the other ones, or do something even worse. He says to keep the bangle on. To put restraints on him so that he may do the most rightful deed.
I believe this scene shows not only how other characters don’t trust Therion, but Therio doesn’t even trust himself. He is viewed as a thief, and he knows what the common definition of a thief is in his world. A dirty peasant, a criminal, and someone the world does not worship at all. Therion hates himself and what he is, but isn’t willing to show this to others. You can also connect this back to the relationship with Darius. Therion was thrown out because he was no longer of any use, and one view a person may have during this moment is that they did something wrong. That there is something with them. Therion grew the thought that he was a bad person when really he isn’t. I like this scene, because it’s one of the few times a protagonist is self conscious in this game. Therion has the choice to do something right for once, and instead of shying away from it he actually goes through with the choice and decides to make a good choice. Cordelia understands what Therion is trying to say and keeps the bangle on.
Moving On
Therion travels to the desert village of Wellsprings where he finds out the next Dragonstone is stashed in a secret black market outside of town. It’s about to be sold and if he doesn’t make it in time then the Dragonstone will be lost forever. He manages to sneak in and locate the stone, but just before he can nab it a group of thieves manage to obtain the stone first. He pursues these thieves, but just before he can nab the stone the leader appears. It’s a man Therion is familiar with, and he has come back from the past to haunt Therion. Darius, and he came more powerful than before. Darius taunts Therion and the bond they once had. How he is nothing without him and that the life he has now will not be mended. He’s even able to read the writing on the bangle and see Therion has been shamed for being the failure of a thief that he is now. Therion attempts to not lash out at Darius, and Darius sends his new follower out to cut Therion down. Gareth, who wears purple clothing that covers his face similar to Therion. I don’t know about you, but Gareth can symbolize what Therion would have been if he stuck around with Darius. If he never decided to stand up and stick by his side. That he could have been a more mature, stronger, and better thief at the risk of not learning to be his own individual. Gareth can also symbolize how replaceable Therion was, and Gareth already found an ally better than his former friend.
Therion defeats Gareth in a bloody battle, but loses the Dragonstone he was in pursuit of. He then returns to Ravus Manor and informs him of his failure. Not only failing to please the people who had faith in him, but failing to stand up to the man who has treated him like a terrible person all these years. Therion is just struggling right now. He doesn’t express the emotions, but deep down he is falling apart. Trying to not break out and realize everything he does is just a mess, much like himself. Cordelia still places faith in him, and Therion then departs to where Darius lies. In the mountain town of Northreach where Darius and his gang have taken absolute control. Garius’ men are basically the lawmen of Northreach, and they are mad with power as they see whatever they see and desire. This is when Therion starts to realize the consequences for if he stuck around with Darius. He would have risen in the ranks in life, but would they be respectable ranks? Would taking over an entire town really be worth it. Would striking pure fear into the inhabitants of this town feel right. Would serving under a man who basically became equivalent to a tyranny be worth it. There are worse villains than Darius in this game, but this whole scenario is enough to show how twisted the characters and world can become quickly.
Therion has to hide as Darius’ men search for him, and he manages to duck into a building where surprisingly Heathcote waits for him. He was sent to Northreach to not only aid Therion, but make sure he was safe when he stepped foot in the town. Heathcote is too tired to tread forward, but during the time they hide in the house Heathcote reveals his past to Therion. He too was a thief much like Therion. Young, naive, and stealing just to survive. He attempted to steal the Dragonstones as well, but was caught by the officials of the manor. Rather than be arrested he was put to work and made the servant of the manor. With his swordsmanship and skills he quickly became a faithful protector of Cordelia, and slowly their trust of each other grew. This signals two things to each other. Earlier I mentioned group therapy can be more effective than individual therapy, because you find people who are similar to you. Discovering you aren’t alone or the only one facing these struggles. Therion meets yet another person similar to him. A thief who struggled in life. He also realizes that even though Heathcote was stuck in a bad place he had the opportunity to change. To improve himself. To create a better position for him in life and redeem all the terrible actions he made in the past. To fix the problems within him. This is enough to motivate Therion to push forward and finish the promise he made from the beginning.
The confrontation with Darius commences, and again Therion is accused of being nothing. This time though Therion isn’t doubtful. He isn’t afraid, threatened, or sad. This time he doesn’t care. He knows that Darius is trying to bring him down to his level. Tell him that he can and could not do anything from the beginning. That he could never stand up for himself and try to find his own path. This then triggers the fight between two former friends. A once strong relationship. This is my favorite boss battle in the game, because the lines Therion shoots back at Darius shows how much he had developed over the course of his adventure. He tells Darius that he is something. That he is no longer his tool or shackled under his control. The shackles which hold Therion were no more and know he could be a free bird. Both from the prison that holds him tightly and the people that kept him under control. He tells Darius he will not become the man he wants him to be. The evil man that Darius ended up becoming himself.
Darius is defeated, and left to sit in his lair alone as Therion takes the Dragonstones that Darius had stolen. The ending to Therion’s story isn’t as happy as other travelers' stories. Darius sneaks away to his basement where he tries factoring out all the gold he stole. However, his minions then knock him and state their cut is due. They decided to betray Darius as well, and take away every bit of gold he had collected over the years. Darius is left there to sit alone. All his friends are either gone or dead, and there is no one left to take him in. Society doesn't have a man who is evil, twisted, and has bad intentions. He ended up like the boy he was locked up with years ago. He now knows what it is like to be Therion. We then cut back to Therion back at the manor. He returned all the Dragonstones and the shackle strapped onto him was released. Cordelia congratulates him on his endeavor and wishes him safe travels for wherever he goes next. We then see Therion leave Bolderfall behind. A new man and with optimism on his shoulders. He is no longer held down by the past. The abuse he faced and how he was taken advantage of is over.
“You Wrote About What?”
This entire essay has been spent delving into Therion’s story and why I think it’s so significant, but now a new question comes to mind. Why did I use a JRPG tale to talk about abuse and toxic relationships? Why did I choose abuse of all things, or at the very least choose a more mature story that addresses the subject matter much better like Silent Hill 3 or even Persona 5. Well first of all readers I wanted to explore a lesser known story that hasn’t been delved into dozens of times already, and second I think abuse is something dozens of people struggle to talk about. It’s hard to speak up when you don’t exactly know who to reveal this information to. You may find someone who contacts authority and either gets you out of the situation immediately or limits the amount of times abuse may occur. Maybe their actions didn’t actually help and the abuse still continues. Sometimes notifying someone of the abuse will make it worse, because word will start to go around and eventually it gets back to the abuser. The abuser becomes more upset and then punishes you for spreading word of their actions. You may tell someone of your abuse, but they aren’t willing to do anything at all because they are afraid of how it will affect them. Then you have those scenarios where the abuse ends, but the pain and suffering from it still lingers around with the victim. They endured so much trauma and distress that when they are finally free they don’t know what to do. They were never shown love or care during their life, and they are just left to wander the world by themselves. Without guidance or a house to return to.
That’s what I wanted to explore today with this deep story dive. The people, the victims, who endure a toxic relationship and are unable to move on even when it’s over. Like imaginary ghosts or shackles are still keeping them, and reminding them they aren’t in control of their lives. They “need someone” or “they are now nothing.” I’m here to say they are somebody. You are a human being much like the rest of us. There are still plenty of years left in your life to get yourself out of the hell you were stuck in. Climbing out of that hell will be hard, but eventually you will get out. You will persevere and find a new world worth exploring. You’ll take your first step onto these plains and from there life starts anew. You are free. Free to do whatever you please and change for the better. You aren’t being held down by shackles or controllers anymore. You aren’t a prisoner or servant being forced against your will to work. You have the free will to move on, and you had this ability from the very beginning. You made an attempt to move on, and that’s the greatest choice you ever made in your life. Yeah, that’s my essay. I hope you guys enjoyed reading through this because knowing how to explain this controversial idea was really tricky. Hope you all have a good day and stay safe in this vast world.
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