Did Belthasar mindfuck Serge

[Echo]

I don't really like how Belthasar used Serge as a tool to free Schala. And I don't really see how Serge is okay with it.

I mean, his father Wazuki was turned by FATE multiple times until he was completely gone, and in the end, he ends up fighting Serge. This wouldn't be too bad if Belthasar wasn't responsible for it.

He keeps appearing, talking about his grand plans, and acting like FATE is an existence not connected to him, but in reality, he's the one who came up with that crazy scheme. Just think about how many people he killed, how many sadness he created, by making Chronopolis and FATE and using them. Wazuki, Miguel, Robo, hell entire Dinopolis + Dragonians and Dragon God, they all died for the sole purpose of freeing Schala.

Not that Schala shouldn't have been freed, but I'm just baffled by how many sacrifices were made in order for it to happen.

What do you think? Couldn't there have been a simpler way, without sacrificing other lives?

[ZeaLitY]

Yes, there probably was a simpler way. It's a very ethically-gray part of Chrono Cross. But this is why Belthasar is a megalomaniacal badass. We played this to full effect in Crimson Echoes, showing his god-complex emerging.

[Echo]

Yeah, I know, I loved the little convo he and Gaspar had in Chronopolis

But yeah... He really is that. On the one hand it's really badass, how he could plan all that stuff out. But on the other hand, it's pretty bizarre all the things he pulled. I wasn't really satisfied how he got handled in Cross, I mean they never spoke out to him or something or tried to blame him. I'm glad that was shown in Crimson Echoes, though.

[utunnels]

That is why Serge isn't supported to know the plan early.
If I was Serge, I will kill Belthasar without hesitate if I know his plan...

 

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

But knowing what was at stake, don't you think Serge would be more willing to do his part? I mean, space-time itself was at stake - the very nature of existence. I feel that it was moreso an issue of having a wide viewpoint - the big picture. Essentially, knowing that I was going to save the Universe itself (but wouldn't be strong enough until I went through Heaven and Hell), I may be slightly more inclined to agree to take drastic measures to ensure the Universe's survival.

[LavosFan]

After Lavos was defeated, he was possibly sent to the Darkness Beyond Time. There, he intercepted Schala, who came in from the Ocean Palace Incident; he then merged with her to form a new being, the Time Devourer, capable of consuming all space-time at maturity. Belthasar planned every event in the game so that Serge could get his hands on the Chrono Cross artifact and destroy the Time Devourer.

Schala is pretty and all, but I think Belthasar realized  there was more at stake than just a pretty face.

[utunnels]

Hmm, but for a normal man(not speaking a saint), if he knows what happened to his father and who caused that, what do you think he will do?
That is why he never told Serge about Wazuki until Crono told him on Opassa Beach -- which makes me suspect that those "ghosts" were also created by him instead of the planet.
 

[Echo]

After Lavos was defeated, he was possibly sent to the Darkness Beyond Time. There, he intercepted Schala, who came in from the Ocean Palace Incident; he then merged with her to form a new being, the Time Devourer, capable of consuming all space-time at maturity. Belthasar planned every event in the game so that Serge could get his hands on the Chrono Cross artifact and destroy the Time Devourer.

Schala is pretty and all, but I think Belthasar realized  there was more at stake than just a pretty face.

It seems to me on the surface he told everyone he did it because the world's in danger, but personally I think he cared most about saving Schala. Think about it, you can kill the Time Devourer without saving Schala, thus without having to go through ALL the trouble to finally obtain the Chrono Cross. The only thing you'd need is a Time Egg to get to the DBT. That's why I think he cared more about saving Schala then killing the Time Devourer.

Also, in Crimson Echoes he says he'll come up with an elaborate plan just to save her... But being a fangame I don't know if we can consider that canon.

I mean, if you really put it down there, it would be like this.

"Hello, you have two options to save the world:"

"- Take this Time Egg and go kill the Time Devourer"
"- Go through a long chain of events involving Chronopolis, FATE, a Dragon God and an ancient Reptite city, the sacrifice of hundreds of people, and many innocent deaths including your own father and your best friend's father, to get the Chrono Cross to save the girl AND kill the Time Devourer"

Not sure which one I would pick.

[tuxedojacob]

Although the sacrifices were many - the alternative (having the Time Devourer completely consume everything) seems a lot worse.

And it might have sounded like a good idea to someone who was a little off his nut anyway : P  so perhaps it wasn't so much an ethical choice as it was a test of mental stability?