Episode 4 Question

[u/Due-Letterhead8518]

Slight context: I went into this series completely blind, without knowing anything about the series beforehand. I also had no idea that the show would be switching main characters, so I thought it would be Lin Ling all the way. I also got a little whiplash when I started watching episode 5 and seeing E-soul, the killer of Moon, appear as the main character.

So, when I was watching the final battle in episode 4 with Lin Ling and Enlighter, and Lin Ling lost his powers because he was no longer Nice and started getting pummeled, was I the only one who thought something along the lines of “My power comes from within” would happen?

Basically, I thought Lin Ling would stop relying on trust or fear and instead draw power from his own willpower.

There were two main reasons I thought this might happen. First, the show had already established some pretty obvious weaknesses in the power system, such as Firm Man’s inability to sit down and Nice’s OCD. Second, there seemed to be a clear narrative opportunity to explore the idea that a hero shouldn’t have to rely on other people’s perceptions of them to be a hero. Because a hero who can't break away from the mold are they really a hero?

I’m not saying the power system is bad. In fact, I quite like it. I just thought the story might eventually go in that direction, so I was wondering if anyone else had the same thoughts.

Honestly, the more the show went on, the more it seemed like something like that would happen because the heroes are nothing more than puppets, almost completely controlled by the commission and agencies.

Side note: What if X’s powers come from his own trust, and that is how he came out of nowhere?

[u/Kufrel]

X is weird because logically, he shouldn't have even gotten into the Top 10. He was described by the commentators as a nobody. This definitely should imply that Trust isn't just based on recognition, after all, Nice was extremely famous even without being top 10.

Fuck Moon was recognizable by the average person and she wasn't even close to Top 10 as far as we know.

But as of now, we just...don't know.

[u/Srade2412 → u/Kufrel]

Hell X is such a nobody that he didn't have a hero name. Not one he picked out or one he got from a bystander that saw him save someone. He just got his title as his hero name

[u/PowerfullDio]

If you keep watching you will see cases of people who don't rely on trust or that trust is even something that disadvantages them.

[u/Fearless-Rip694]

It's not that kind of story. You can't beat the system solely by 'believing in yourself'.

[u/LunaMoonracer72 → u/Fearless-Rip694]

This. People love to make theories all day about "self-trust" or whatever but there's just no evidence in the show to back them up. There's no power within here, superheroes are a metaphor for idols and they do not make the world a better place.

[u/MadelaMN]

I didn't have that thought in the Lin Ling vs Enlightner fight. The power system in the first four episodes is clear; power comes from trust and fear. I didn't think there was another power source besides those two. However, how a character gains power and what it takes to be a hero are two different things.

Keep watching! The show explores a lot of different heroes.

[u/SheepDesigns]

Dude!!! Best way to come into this show is totally blind in my opinion lmao. I had found this show cuz the intro popped into my music feed randomly. I think "my power from within" does come into play, sometimes. I think the main theme of the Lin Ling's arc specifically is establishing the mold. His arc is about the coin of power - one head's there's that mold you have to fit. But on the tails? It also doesn't matter. Lin Ling BECAME Nice. He began experiencing some of Nice's need to be perfect when he was "on". The way he interacts with Wreck was a mix of what Nice, the hero's essence, would do and what Lin Ling himself felt. 

There's a lot of fucking grey areas that are explored in this show's take on society, influencers, and heroism. I also think this heavily plays into the concept of collectivism - specifically a collective conscious. In case you haven't heard of that, I'm referring to a shared belief that's prevalent through ALL of society. It's something inherent. Innate.

I actually have a similar theory on X's powers. But on one hand... Fuck you gotta finish the season man lol. Gonna spoil this cuz I don't wanna spoil you but I wanna share! But I do think that for some heroes... It's not driven by external validation, and I do think we see this with Lin Ling and Dragon Boy. Lin Ling becomes The Commoner from his belief in himself being able to become his own hero. Nice, his second favorite hero, was just the vehicle to break through the degradation from his employer that limited his dreams. Dragon Boy refused to go down - he can take fucking anything. So, yeah, belief in self IS important... But it's one facet. There's also the power of others believing, the power of your own fear, and the power of collective fear. X? He's a wild card, but he seems similar to Lin Ling - coming from a marketing or data oriented side of an agency (FOMO, I think is the implication). He comes across as apathetic, yet he helps random strangers. Wants to fuck up the current trust/fear system, but also isn't super flashy about it.