Mkilbride wrote:Shirou is not noble at all. As others have stated, he himself has no reason why he does it. He's a blank slate. He's driven by the need to think HE has to, because of the fire.
That's in the beginning. But as the plot goes on, he himself also develops so that you can't put it all down to that great fire. It indeed has affected him a lot, but that's not everything. To give a simple example:
In the Heaven's Feel Route he chooses to protect Sakura, and that's certainly not because of the fire.
Or we have Heavens Feel Shirou, who will let hundreds die for the girl he loves. He's a bastard, either he saves everyone, or he lets everyone die. He doesn't try to find a middle grounds.
That's what makes him special. I mean... okay, these "middle grounds" aren't bad.
But what's wrong with such "extreme grounds"?
Why is it wrong in your opinion to try saving everyone (which of course is impossible) or saving the one you love no matter how high the price is?
His "Noble" idea, is merely he feels he has to, and if you feel you HAVE to do something, then it is not Noble.
If he did it out of the Kindness of his heart, then sure, he'd be noble. No, he's doing it out of a sense of duty, and being naive.
I think "duty" is too exaggerated, at least in the case of saving the girl he loves.
Furthermore, can you seriously say that you'd save the girl you love just out of KINDNESS? o__O"
Of course he FEELS he has to save her because he LOVES her.
The way you put it, it sounds like he should think "Oh, well... I ~could~ save some people because I somehow pity them. But if I don't manage to succeed, then it's fine, too".
With that attitude you won't be able to really do anything because you're not taking the things you're doing seriously.
Imagine something you'd like to accomplish in your life. Why do you want to do it? Certainly not just out of a whim and certainly you would pursue this aim of yours seriously (-> which will cause a feeling of having to succeed at it).
Shiki, on the other hand, he meets you in the middle ground. He's not going to go out of his way to help you, but if he can help, he'll help.
Yeah, that's fine, too. But that's not better than Shirou's ideals (and not worse, either).
There are certain things only Shiki-like people can do, and there are things only Shirou-like people can do.
The difference is, Shiki finds and stops trouble.
Shirou makes, escalates, and eventually stops trouble after the damage is already to great. All for his "Ego"
Well... mind explaining that a little more detailled with some examples? Otherwise I don't really get why you're thinking this...
Undream wrote:Protecting and overprotecting are not the same...
And shirou is certainly the latter
Well... I don't think you can generalize that. If you're speaking about Shirou from Fate, I'd mostly agree with you.
But as for the other two routes, I'd disagree.