Someone said earlier the decision to bury hundreds of thousands of (non-soldier) people alive, came from the capital, not from Esdesese; that she was only following orders. (not that such would make her "neutral" in karmic alignment if it were the case) Can someone show me proof of this?
http://vatoto.com/read/_/118024/akame-ga-kill_v6_ch27_by_animum-mutare/19
There you have it.
Though like I've said... she's committed similar atrocities of her own volition, and seeing as she joined up with the Imperial Army to slaughter people, "just following orders" is an even worse rationalization in her case than it is in general.
Sure let me head to her personal chambers to collect some data. You guys are really funny, you ask for evidence in a manga, ok sir then have you seen a true sadist before? I assure you it's can see one just by the way he looks when hurting someone, Esdese has yet to show any visual signs, though as i said she will torture people if it brings more battles to be had, just like what she did to the rebels.
I actually don't see how the manga could have made it any clearer that she's a complete sadist.
But maybe this compilation will help: http://i.imgur.com/a2DX7Fo.jpg
(Edit: Haha, I fail reading comprehension... first scene with the dragon, I think it's already dead and she's just smirking as she gouges out the eyes.)
You all seem to Like protecting Seiryuu and saying Esdese is evil, but in all the info the autor gave about Esdese you forgot one simple truth.
Esdese is empty, neutral, she already said it before, she wants to use her strength and will follow any rule if it allows her to do it, she's anything but evil. All the killing and torturing is so she keeps on being called to the heavy work, she takes no pleasure in torturing, though she also has no other oppinion about it. The reason she commited so many war crimes is cause that's the way the world around her goes.
Tatsumi asked her once about her opinions on the current government and she said something like this, the strong has the right to rule and as such they can determine what is right. Her fixation on such an ideal is completely related to the tragedis surrounding her village's demise and her father's last words.
Should the balace change towards main characters side and they become the "Strong ones" i don't doubt she'd easily side with them, for that's what will keep her fighting, to Fight is her hobby and only passion.
Her philosophy is pretty simply "might makes right"
Though I'm... really not sure how you translate that into her not being evil. She's committed heinous acts, and for no purpose but enjoying them or furthering the Minister's despotic rule. "That's just the way the world works" indeed, but that doesn't make it right. And what's worse, is that she's not even committing said atrocities in the name of any noble end goal.
She joined the army to kill people, all but says it herself. Shit, even Admiral Akainu from One Piece is more understandable in this light than Esdese is; the man's a fanatic who butchers civilians, but seeing what some pirates are like you can't entirely dismiss his mission as evil, regardless of how he goes about it.
Her past? Yeah, that shaped who she is. But even before her tribe was slaughtered, her father thought she was wrong in the head. That environment only nurtured what was already there.
Now Seiryuu was created under the claims that evil should be punished (which is a good thing), however the ones who taught her what's justice are the evil ones. She was raised to be a pet dog of the corrupt government viewing their enemies as evil, she learned to take pride in killing evil ones. A psychopath by all means, Justice girl is a created villain she is a victim of circunstances but also a unredeemable villain. If only she had been raised by normal parents...
You what mate
Let me get this straight: Seryuu is an evil psychopath... because... she thinks she's working for the good guys but is actually working for the bad guys? Whereas... Esdese... who is working for the bad guys and very much knows it... isn't evil.
Don't get me wrong, Seryuu is an evil psycho. But she's better than Esdese. But not as sexy, cool, badass, whatever-else-Edses-fans-like-about-her, so she's the Nena Trinity to Esdese's Ali Al-Saachez. Just to repeat my example from earlier.
Edited by Fujita, 14 October 2013 - 02:21 PM.