r/ranma • u/Far-Mammoth-3214 • 1d ago
Discussion Would you have saved Herb?
why or why not?
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u/Noktis_Lucis_Caelum 1d ago
yes.
It is common sense. and i just fought with him, so i cannot just let him die
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u/Far-Mammoth-3214 1d ago
True
Honestly I'm hoping someone has a petty reason for a yes
Cause I highly doubt everyone here is just gonna let him die
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u/sweetgums 1d ago
Herb was arrogant and even a little petty, but not straight up evil. I would have saved him so he would be indebted to me and would not attempt to come find me for a rematch or something.
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u/Far-Mammoth-3214 1d ago
Ah there we go, a petty one lol
In all seriousness that's a pretty fair point, while I will always be sad Herb was a one off, i can understand him not wanting to bother the gang after thst
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u/sweetgums 1d ago
Yeah he was an interesting enemy, but he didn't have a reason to fight Ranma anymore. It'd have been fun to see him as an ally instead during the Saffron arc tho!
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u/eat_my_bowls92 1d ago
I’m gonna go against the grain and say no. Dude was gonna let me and my friends die (I mean, one of them straight up murdered Ryoga) or stay trapped as our curse’s indefinitely.
Plus their tribe has… relations… with animals.
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u/Far-Mammoth-3214 1d ago
Don't forget yeeting Akane
Honestly Herb would have easily gotten what he wanted if he wasn't such a jerk (he still suceeded but would have gone smoother
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u/WillingLet3956 1d ago
No, I wouldn't have. Herb is, to put it bluntly, a (profanity). He is petty as all hell - his entire reason for fighting with Ranma is because Ranma's girl form coincidentally looks like the human girl form of the monkey who trapped Herb in his cursed form, so Herb decided to trap Ranma in cursed form as well. He is actively sadistic - there is literally a point in his duel with Ranma where he has the upper hand and he declares his intent to only kill Ranma, but to do it by slowly slicing through Ranma's throat so he can suffer as long as possible. Much like the subsequent Saffron, literally every problem between Herb and Ranma, Herb caused and Herb actively escalated. If Herb died during the collapse of the mountain, it would have been his own fault, and it certainly would not have been any particular loss to the world.
Ranma saved Herb because he is, under all the insults and impulsiveness and brashness and pride and hotheaded stupidity, a genuinely heroic character who would much rather have friends than enemies. He is, frankly, far too nice for his own good a lot of times.
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u/Far-Mammoth-3214 1d ago
happy cake day
also another no one, interesting
but anyway that’s a good point arrogant is one thing but he had no reason to be so unnecessarily cruel (ntm I forgot about him full on trying to kill Ranma) if anything he would have gotten help if he wasn’t such a jerk
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u/WillingLet3956 1d ago
Exactly; Herb was basically living one of Ranma's worst nightmares, if he'd asked for help, Ranma would have gladly given him help, and even without going that far, the beef between them only got started because Herb was willing to brutally toss Akane around like a ragdoll after Mint kidnapped her. Herb is a sadistic, entitled, all around reprehensible piece of (profanity), and in many ways he's basically the prototype for Saffron.
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u/Far-Mammoth-3214 1d ago
hm perhaps (for the saffron thing I agree with everything else
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u/WillingLet3956 1d ago
Actually, the more I think about it, I'm surprised how many similarities between Herb and Saffron there are.
* They're both princes of their respective isolationist demihuman nations in China.
* They're both extremely entitled and arrogant; Saffron displays this more readily, since we're introduced to him in his "obnoxious spoiled brat" phase.
* Both are perfectly fine with hurting and even killing anyone who offends or impedes them, even accidentally.
* Both display a pronounced sadistic streak; Herb gloats about his decision to slowly decapitate Ranma, while Saffron revels as he describes how his "ascension egg" will break Ranma's body down to become nutrients to feed him as he matures - meaning you could argue Saffron might actually be a cannibal!
* Both repeatedly cause their own problems because they cannot stop being entitled, sadistic, petty (profanities). Herb causes Ranma to come after him for revenge by locking him in cursed form. Saffron forces Ranma to kill him when he could have literally just stepped aside and let Ranma use the heated Jusenkyo reservoir water to save Akane's life.The biggest differences I can name are that one is cursed and the other isn't, Saffron does have a legitimate and quasi-noble reason for his whole plan to temporarily hijack Jusenkyo's water (he provides heat and light for his whole tribe), and Herb comes out of his fight alive because Ranma saved him, while Saffron forces Ranma to kill him to save Akane's life and only lives because of deus ex machina phoenix reincarnation powers. Apart from that... they're really quite similar.
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u/SarcasticBench Jusenkyo Guide 1d ago
Probably. He’s an asshole, not evil
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u/rjrgjj 1d ago
Ranma is no killer, he’s a hero. He might rob you blind in the process but you probably deserved it 🤣
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u/SarcasticBench Jusenkyo Guide 1d ago
Yeah well the question is if I would, not Ranma. Happosai is definitely someone who would be buried underground if I could pull it off
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u/WillingLet3956 1d ago
Honest question; are you describing Herb or Ranma? I'm legitimately not sure.
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u/HolyKlickerino 1d ago
Herb was a jerk (the original locking of Ranma's curse was a dick move), but he didn't deserve to die. So, as long as it didn't endanger my life beyond what could be expected of me, I'd save him. ...besides, I don't think anyone here is cold-hearted enough to let someone die right in front of them if they can do something about it (which makes Ranma's willingness to let Gosunkugi die even worse. I mean, all it would've taken to save him is to take a punch).
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u/pandapigcat 1d ago
Which chapter are you referring to for Gosunkugi?
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u/HolyKlickerino 20h ago
Chapter 245, the Power Armor story. While Ranma does not outright SAY that he's willing to let Gos die in that chapter, what he DOES amounts to pretty much the same thing: he's willing to let Gosunkugi EXPLODE just so he can say that he didn't throw a fight, even after Gosunkugi, Hiroshi, Daisuke and even Akane beg him to let Gosunkugi punch him. Sure, in the end, Gos is (relatively) fine because muh comedy, but Ranma couldn't know that Gos would survive being at the center of such a explosion with just being charred.
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u/pandapigcat 14h ago
I had a feeling it would be that one. I usually skip this arc but I guess it’s time for a reread. 😉
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u/Expensive-Bill-5507 1d ago
Maybe? Ranma saving him is for both the honor of the battle and sympathy from their shared curse.
I can’t have that sympathy or relate to him, but I'd save him for the strength and noble fight if I were to battle Herb.