Theory on Day of Destruction

[ThatGuy]

Let's also consider that Lavos may have inherited the intelligence of the humans, Mystics, and Reptites. Yet, as you said, Lavos may be too complex to even understand intelligence. It may also be that it's too simple, or dumb, but I find that highly unlikely for a creature so evolved as Lavos.

Having intelligence would suggest that Lavos' actions are malicious. However, the only times where it purposefully caused destruction were when it arrived on the planet and when it was ready to spawn, both of which are inevitable during its course of life. Everything else is in response to some other event to protect itself. So in all, I would agree with you that Lavos is not evil and is simply following its instincts to live.

is lavos so evolved? perhaps he was designed, in which case, it's something between an automated machine and, i dunno, housefly.

[ThatGuy]

I always just thought that 1999 just so happen to be the time period for Lavos hibernation to end.

What's interesting about Lavos attack on the world in 1999 A.D. is the fact that it's the first time that Lavos attacks without being provoked.

Every other time in the game Lavos had to be provoked. In both 12000 B.C. and 600 A.D. Lavos only appeared after someone did something to wake it up.

As far as Chrono Trigger's story goes I don't see Lavos as good or evil. Lavos is just going through it's life cycle. Which will cause the end of the world.

We the players who play the game see Lavos as evil because of the final outcome which is that Lavos will destroy the world if it's not destroyed.

I think the most interesting thing about Lavos is it's relationship with Queen Zeal in the Keystone timeline. Lavos clearly didn't like that Zeal woke it up in 12000 B.C. yet it lets her live on the Black Omen without taking hostile action against her.

On the first point- perhaps he was provoked. I have some theories, like humanity became advanced enough to find him, or perhaps someone actually did find him? Or maybe it's a space faring capability kind of thing? Or, does it count as provoked if Lavos, upon waking for whatever reason, seeks to destroy humanity and everything else, so to make the DNA it collected more precious.

On the second point- Did he let Zeal live? There's a pretty good argument to be made that that woman, like Janus said, was no longer Queen Zeal. Did he possess her, or just corrupt her like Saruman, or what? Dunno. Buuuut, I don't think he let her live, exactly.

[Daid]

Will Queen Zeal it's hard because we never really saw her character before influenced by lavos. I think that in her case it's both corruption by lavos, but also just her succumbing to her worst possible instincts. As far as I know the earthbound were never exactly treated well, even before lavos was discovered. So there is a good chance she was always capable of horrible things, but lavos drove her further into insanity and made those traits the sole defining thing.

But yeah, she might have been the nicest queen ever before lavos, and maybe a hope for reforming things. But it's really hard to say. The only real sources in game all point to her regime becoming more authoritarian, starting after the death of the king and escalating dramatically around the time lavos was discovered. But it seemed that authoritarian streak was always there to an extent...