Summary
Four years after the end of the first season, we finally get to see the second season ofTower of Godaspart of the Summer 2024 anime lineup.To commemorate this happy occasion, let’s talk about one of the most iconic and memorable characters in this series: the one and onlyRachel.
There are tons of bad things to say about this particular character, most of which have been said in a more unpleasant manner by the fans throughout the years, in many cases rightfully so. Let’s play devil’s advocate for a while though. Let’s look past the evil and stare right into Rachel’s essence as a character, because underneath that cold cast-iron heart, Rachel is actually a complex character with quite a few remarkable qualities. With that in mind, here are seven reasonswhy Rachel is a great character.
7She’s A Dream-Chaser
Her Actions Stem From a Desire To Chase Her Dream
A good character must have a reason behind their actions. More than that, they need to havesomething that determines the course of their actionsand the decisions that they make. They can’t be good for the sake of being good or bad just for the sake of being bad. There should be a reason why they are a hero or why they become a villain.
For Rachel,what motivates her the most is her dream to climb the tower in order to witness the mythical stars that adorn the vast night sky.She spends most of her life living in a dark place with barely any light. The story of the glittering stars that light up the sky, and the hope to see those stars someday, became the driving force behind her actions and decisions.
6She Possesses Unflinching Determination
She Will Pursue Her Dream No Matter What
Once a character has a solid and actionable goal or objectives, the next thing to do is take the steps to achieve that goal. There are numerous ways to go about this part of their development without compromising the integrity of the character.They can be brave,they can cower in fear, and they can even be nonchalant about the journey. One thing’s for sure, they need to push forward no matter what. Otherwise, there’s no story to tell.
As for Rachel, she is not a typical courageous character who can face any obstacles with a heart of steel. She is filled with insecurities and self-doubt, which we’ll talk about later, butshe is unflinching in her determination to make her dream come true.No matter how hard it may be, no matter what despicable thing she has to do, she will climb the tower.
5She’ll Take Ruthless Action
She Won’t Hesitate To Be Heartless When Necessary
One of the easiest and most obvious ways to develop a character is by forcing them to make a difficult decision. After all, different characters will react differently to the same problem, which enables the audience to understand how their brains work and discover their moral compass as well. For example, in a fight to the death, Naruto will try to understand and save the enemy as much as he can, while Sasuke won’t hesitate to kill his opponents.
In this regard, Rachel is similar to Sasuke.She is not afraid to be ruthlesswhen necessary. From taking advantage of her teammates to killing the person who loves her the most in this entire world, she won’t hesitate to do it all. If it means she can be one step closer to the top, Rachel will be the most ruthless living being that anyone has ever seen.
4She Has A Conflicted Heart
She Never Enjoys Committing Evil Acts
A great character is not only defined by their actions and decisions, but also by the impact those actions and decisions have on themselves. If they save somebody, how will they feel afterward? If they kill somebody, what is their state of mind after committing such an act? A lot of information can be conveyed through these small details and nuances.
Aftershe ruthlessly shoves Bam into the abyss,it’s easy to see that Rachel is not happy. She does that unforgivable thing for the sake of increasing her chances of getting to the top of the tower. It’s a ruthless decision, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy decision. Furthermore,it’s blatantly visible that her heart is conflicted. Everything would’ve been easier had Bam not followed her into the tower, but he did, and as a result she had to make that terrible decision, and it slowly but surely killed her soul from the inside.
3She Has Crippling Insecurities
She Realizes That Others Are Better Than Her
One of the most interesting traits that a character can possess is a duality between what they show on the outside and what they actually feel inside. A cheerful character can secretly suffer severe depression, a performer who is confident on stage is actually extremely shy in person, and a big brute who often gets into a brawl isactually a gentle giant,just to name a few examples of this interesting juxtaposition.
Rachel has this kind of duality as well. On the outside, she is a calm and confident girl who will take on any challenge that comes her way.On the inside, however, she suffers from crippling insecurities.She knows she is not the chosen one, she knows she is nothing more than a fragile girl in a place filled with powerful people, and she knows she is far from the smartest person in the room. Her desire to see the stars is so great that she forces herself to fake it until she makes it.
2She Faces Constant Self-Doubt
She Doubts Her Decisions All The Time
In real life, it’s hard to find people who always feel assured of their decisions. No matter how confident we might be, there will always be a small doubt in our mind, especially regarding whether we’ve made the right decisions. A good character mirrors real-life people, which means adding a dash of self-doubt to a character will further enhance their believability.
As mentioned in the previous entry, Rachel isacutely aware of her own limitations,which is the reason why she is so insecure.It doesn’t take long for self-doubt to grow out of her insecurities.As the story progresses, Rachel begins to doubt the course of her actions, the difficult decisions that she’s made, and even whether she is on the right path toward achieving her dream.
1She Is The Antithesis To Bam
She Is Everything That Bam Is Not
An antagonist is supposed to be a force that opposes the protagonist. As such, these two roles usually have opposing traits. Now that we can look back on the entire first season ofTower of God,it becomes clear as day thatRachel is indeed the polar opposite of Bam,which undoubtedly makes heran antagonist in this story.
Bam always thinks about other people first while Rachel always thinks about herself. Bam is physically gifted and is a prodigy at controlling Shinsu, while Rachel is no different from a regular person. Bam is a social magnet who can be friends with anybody, while Rachel is socially awkward and can hardly make any genuine bonds with other people. Those are just some of the most obvious examples of why Rachel is the antithesis of Bam.
A good storyteller will put a lot of effort into making sure their characters are as believable as possible,even if it is an evil character.This is pretty much the case for Rachel. She is a well-crafted villain, there’s no question about it. We can hate her all we want, but we must give credit where it’s due and acknowledge the fact that Rachel is indeed a great character.
