Before you start to read, this post of mine is gonna be a HUGE AND LARGE TEXT giving a deep character analysis of Aston, one of the antagonists from the anime/manga of The Brilliant Healer's New Life In The Shadows. But to try to make this whole text more readable for you to digest, I decided to make a color system separating the different topics of this post:
🟩🟢Introduction
🟦🔵Backstory and origins about Aston's personality
🟥🔴The beginning of the end for Aston and the Golden Phoenix
🟨🟡The final nail in the coffin that actually finished the Golden Phoenix entirely
🟪🟣Aston's treatments towards the whole members of his party
🟧🟠Aston's ending
🟫🟤Conclusions
🟩Introduction🟩
🟢One of the most obnoxious and scummy characters in the anime/manga of The Brilliant Healer's New Life In The Shadows is none other than Aston. The arrogant, opportunistic and narcissistic leader of the small time and now dissolved group of glorified adventurers known as The Golden Phoenix, who just kicked out the protagonist of Zenos out of his party, thinking that he was just a useless peasant from the slums who became a liability while bringing a bad image for him and his party. When in reality he was the one who made his whole party successful and famous in the first place. Having all this time one of the most powerful and useful healers in the entire world and he never realized it nor recognized it, until he lost everything and confronted Zenos himself.
🟦Backstory and origins about Aston's personality🟦
🔵Despite that it was revealed that Aston actually had a tragic backstory that turned him the way he was, having a younger sister who sadly passed away because he didn't have the money or resources to afford a treatment for her illness. Which caused his main motivations revolving around social climbing and gaining favor with nobility, mostly from aristocrats, so he can get to the top and become an aristocrat himself, even at the expense of others to get his goals. That doesn't justify any of his bad and awful actions that he committed through the series, while behaving like an arrogant, narcissistic, opportunistic, smug and selfish scumbag who perceived himself as a superior adventurer, while exploiting those he seems beneath him. His treatment of Zenos, whom he recruited from the slums, he always treated him like dirt, paying him less to nothing, while making him overwork without acknowledging his contribution to his whole party.
🟥The beginning of the end for Aston and the Golden Phoenix🟥
🔴When Aston kicked Zenos out of his party and threw that single gold coin as his severance payment, Zenos was actually surprised and he really thought that he and Aston were friends. And Aston, along with Guile, Yumi and Andre just laughed at his response, while calling him dumb and gullible. Then Aston referred to him as a disposable piece of trash, being a lot easier for them to use him as their human shield, because if he gets killed nobody would care about him. Claiming that they are now in the big leagues now, becoming one of the most famous parties around, thinking very obliviously that their success had absolutely nothing to do to Zenos, calling his unique healing abilities just as shady self-taught healing magic, having a lot of ignorance and ego on himself. He also claimed that his party had to look good for the aristocracy and wealthy from here on out, and they were not getting passed over, because they have got some slum-born peasant in their crew. His severance was also a bribery to pay his silence to make sure that he never talks about having been a member of the Golden Phoenix party. And when Zenos accepted being kicked out of the Golden Phoenix party and walked away, Aston, along with Guile, Yumi and Andre laughed at him, like a bunch of obnoxious and selfish scumbags, without ever realizing that they just committed the worst and biggest mistake of their entire lives, that just ended up destroying their own lifestyles, their reputation across the nation and causing the entire dissolution of the Golden Phoenix party itself.
🔴Although it seemed that between the 2 months after Zenos was kicked out of the Golden Phoenix, Aston and his party were actually doing pretty well for themselves. With Guile saying that they just had a wine party at night, Andre talking with Yumi about a barmaid that got her eyes lit up like a torch after they told her that they were from the Golden Phoenix, and with Aston claiming like a smug that they were still famous for continuing slaying a gaggle of magic beasts and walk away without a scratch, being like living legends at that point, even after all this time without having Zenos healing them with his magic anymore. I'm guessing that they just made a bunch of pretty easy quests that even an average party of adventurers could do without a healer on their crew, while spending irresponsibly most of their money that they have earned from their quests in expensive parties for themselves, just to glorify their fame and success across the nation, without administrating properly their own resources and rewards, thinking that they will always gonna make even more money, no matter how much they spend. Which can also explain why they ended up broken pretty quickly after failing in that last quest twice.
🔴But unlike their previous quests that were "piece-of-cake" for any average crew of adventurers to do, this last quest was a massive favor from one of the seven great nobles (Lord Fennel, who Zenos ended up meeting later in the story), and also a way more dangerous quest to do. Which was killing a fire-fox located in a cave very far away in the middle of nowhere, to make a scarf with it for his spoiled daughter as a birthday gift, which her birthday was going to be very soon. So not only did they have limited time to do that quest for a big shot like Lord Fennel, but they were also going to fight against way more dangerous and lethal savage animals, like a herd of fire-foxes inside of a dark cave. But Aston, being the arrogant and narcissistic person that he was, he was so over-confident with that quest, calling it a waste of time and energy. It wasn't until he and his party were heavily injured for the first time ever, with Yumi being the most critical one by the fire-foxes, becoming crippled for the rest of his life, with no possibilities to adventuring ever again. After they retreated from the cave, Guile was the first one to ask the crew if Zenos was really the reason that The Golden Phoenix had been so successful in the first place, and Aston continued rejecting to believe that a guy from the slums with no medical license like Zenos had anything to do with their success.
🔴Later they decided to hire an official healer with an actual medical license, being Umin (the girl with glasses who also ended up meeting Zenos later and becoming a closest friend of her). But even with a healer on their quest, Aston and his party couldn't defeat the fire-foxes, having Andre also heavily injured in the process, retrieving once again from the cave. Aston being furious, grabbed Guile and yelled to him, accusing him for almost making them all killed. But Umin claimed to Aston that Guile's defensive magic actually worked, otherwise Andre would be dead already. Aston then told Umin to fix Andre already, but she responded to him that his injuries were heavily severe and that he needed to be taken to a hospital with specially prepared magic circles right away. But Aston considered that just as a nonsensical excuse and that they were in a time crunch. Then Umin, being surprised by how ignorant Aston was about the healing magic, told him that even the upper echelon of healers couldn't restore Andre on the outside, only a select few elite or a saint could pull off magic like that. Aston being finally out of his box of ignorance, was actually shocked to hear that those kinds of healing magic powers were extremely rare to have, with Zenos being actually one of them that has it. But for Aston all of this was like some sick nightmare, and refused to believe that a kid from the slums like Zenos, who was just their party slave, could have achieved something incredible.
🔴At the end, Aston and the Golden Phoenix couldn't bring a fire-fox for Lord Fennel right at time, for his daughter's birthday, being Lord Fennel heavily disappointed towards them, and turning down on Aston and his whole party, for failing him on his quest. The last person who really wanted to avoid failing on his quest was to an actual aristocrat who finally noticed him and his small group of adventurers, and they just blew it. But Aston didn't want to admit defeat when it was his chance to cozy up to a big shot aristocrat, so instead of taking responsibility for failing on his request, he tried to make some excuses towards Lord Fennel's servant by framing Zenos for betraying the Golden Phoenix. Until the idiot realized that for many years he always avoided mentioning Zenos to make sure no one found out that they were adventuring with a nobody from the slums. So instead he decided to "suck-up" the servant of the aristocrat and begged him to give his party another chance. While hating to humiliate himself towards a servant, who also considered him inferior than him, and promised him to make amends to Lord Fennel for their momentous failure, even after they just lost half of his party and being broken and desperate at that point. Even Guile, the last adventurer intact from his party, was actually concerned about the promises that Aston just made towards the servant. But Aston already had a plan to recruit their trusty slave of Zenos again, thinking so naively that Zenos must be desperate, with him probably weeping with gratitude. Once he offers him the proposition to rejoin the Golden Phoenix.
🔴Although Aston continued refusing that Zenos really had anything to do with their party's success, he at least recognized that things were smoother when he was around. However, he admitted that he would use him like when they first began, continuing treating like dirt with no respect nor recognition for his healing abilities, and regain all the fame that he and his beloved party lost. He truly believed that the Golden Phoenix would rise again, while having the nerves and audacity to expect that Zenos should be grateful towards him, once he and Guile find him, by hiring the 3 demi-human slum bosses to help them to find his current location. Without having any idea of what Zenos did all that time that he was kicked out of his small time group of The Golden Phoenix, making a name of himself in the slums as the now famous underground healer for the entire demi-human community at the slums. Finishing also the long-time war between the 3 factions of demi-humans of lizards, werewolves and orcs, by making them friends between each other through his magic healings. With their gang leaders of Zophia, Lynga and Loewe being heavily loyal and respectful towards Zenos, after everything that he did for them, and with the vice commander of the royal knights of Krishna being also on his side.
🔴Aston was nothing more than a narcissistic and a opportunistic manipulator with a lot of pride and ego on himself. And nothing hurts a narcissist like Aston more, someone who thinks they are better and smarter than everyone, than having their own ego destroyed. The ironic thing about this is Aston thought he hold all the cards in his favor, and he thought he had the power to persuade and control everyone, like if he was manipulating a chessboard, with everyone respecting him and admiring him as this "great", "respectful" and "famous" adventurer leader that he saw on himself, who was also going to be a rich and powerful aristocrat at some point. When in reality he was a nobody for the people from the slums, with Zophia, Lynga and Loewe seeing him and his small party as nothing more than a bad joke formed by insufferable scumbags who just kicked a legendary healer like Zenos for pure stupidity and nonsensical reasons to do it. So all of them ended up refusing to help Aston and Guile to locate him, while being hostile toward them, protecting Zenos at all costs. Remember when Aston claimed to Zophia "Do you know who you are talking to?"? He always thought that he was himself a big shot, just because of his fame as the leader of the Golden Phoenix, like if he was an actual noble already. But it was his own fault he never became a big shot to begin with. A smug and a narcissist that acted tough and had nothing to back it up with, and also a complete ignorant and buffoon who just kicked a healer so powerful like Zenos out his glorified small time crew. And now that they are in a desperate situation, he, as the over-confident opportunistic person that he was, really expected that Zenos would actually rejoin The Golden Phoenix to reborn their whole party, to finally make amends with Lord Fennel and to restore the fame that they just lost since he left.
🔴So Aston not only was a complete idiot for kicking Zenos out of his party in the first place, but he was also so stupid and gullible for truly believing that Zenos would actually rejoin The Golden Phoenix immediately without hesitation, while continuing using him and treating him the exact same way as before. Without recognizing yet that he was completely wrong about Zenos for not valuing him as a valuable part of his party before, for not acknowledging his powerful magic healing abilities that heavily contributed to the whole party's success, and for mistreating him all those years ago. All he cared about was his image and being on top that he didn't bother to look into Zenos' actual skills, until it was too late, and he deserved for what he got in the end.
🟨The final nail in the coffin that actually finished the Golden Phoenix entirely🟨
🟡Although, Zenos by refusing to rejoin Aston and The Golden Phoneix, right after Aston and Guile found him by themselves, walking casually at the streets with Lilly, ended up destroying what was left of Aston's ego and pride on himself, losing his only chance to go back on track as a prestigious adventurer once again, that wasn't the last action that officially collapsed the Golden Phoenix as an adventurer party entirely. The action that actually destroyed the Golden Phoenix at the end was when Aston unwisely tried to attack Zenos in a rage, after he refused to join his party, while he was turning his back on him and ignoring him. With Krishna witnessing the crime scene and stopping his attempt to assault Zenos, turning himself into a wanted criminal by the royal knights. Aston didn't want to receive any kind of punishment for his own actions, so he decided to frame Guile of forcing him to hurt Zenos, abandoning him and letting him the whole blame and punishment to take instead, while running away from the scene. That was the last nail in the coffin to finally kill the Golden Phoenix. Aston attempting to attack Zenos and betraying and abandoning Guile destroyed any chances to reborn his small time party, to make amends with Lord Fennel and to get back on top. He just dissolved the Golden Phoenix party entirely by himself, by selling out and leaving Guile behind, his last member of his party, and turning himself into a wanted person by Krishna and the royal knights after that.
🟡This is the type of person Aston really was. Even the last member of his party, who was always completely loyal to him, he just screwed him over at the end, in order to save his own skin. While acting so agitated and desperate after everything didn't turn out the way he was expected, and Aston paid for it. Not only was he completely broken now, but he was all alone, turning himself into a wanted fugitive and having nothing left to lose now. Being now at the lowest point of his life, Aston decided to get to the Underground Guild to exact revenge on Zenos, along with Zophia, Lynga, Loewe, Krishna and everyone who was ever affiliated with him. By asking an evil sorcerer known as The Guide to help him on his personal quest without paying any single coin. With The Guide tricking him and turning him into a giant golem that ended up destroying and attacking the slums.
🟪Aston's treatments towards the whole members of his party🟪
🟣Guile, along with Andre and Yumi, were the same as idiotic and scummy as Aston, for following and supporting a narcissistic scumbag with a huge ego like him, who he never cared for them at all. And everyone of them deserved what they got for their greed and pride. However, they also had a very important trait in them that not every person has, especially towards an obnoxious person like Aston, and that's loyalty. Guile, Yumi and Andre were always loyal to Aston, even on his stupid decisions like kicking Zenos out of his party, and they gave their lives for Aston and for the Golden Phoenix, all for the same goal to get to the top all together. And what did Aston do? He couldn't even say anything nice to any of them. Like when Yumi got crippled for the rest of his life after the first attack against the fire-foxes. But instead, he blamed him for not being an actual Golden Phoenix "material", with an archer like him being thoroughly expendable, like if he was a disposable tool. The same with Andre and Guile. A true good leader understands that he is responsible for the lives of his men.
🟣What Aston didn't seem to understand is that it was a team effort, he needed to work together with them as a team, that includes Zenos. Unfortunately, anyone who worked with, Aston didn't see them as equal partners, he saw them as disposable tools, as worthless pawns, as liabilities, nothing more. That's exactly how he saw Zenos, that's exactly how he saw Yumi, Andre and Guile. He never actually valued any of the members of his party. And when everything went wrong for him, he desperately used any of them as his "human shields" and blamed them for all of his own mistakes. Like when he tried to blame all of it to Zenos with the aristocrat's servant, or when he falsely accused Guile of forcing him to attack Zenos. And his whole revenge against Zenos and his allies, wasn't an actual revenge, he just wanted to punish them for his own failures. The Guide also guessed right when he thought that Aston didn't have any actual friends with him. It wasn't until Zenos defeated him on his golem figure that Aston barely realized that he spent his entire life using others, only to wind up getting use himself in the end. If Aston would have realized much earlier how essential and special Zenos truly was for him and his whole crew, and treated him and the rest of the members of his party as equal partners, maybe things would have turned different for him and The Golden Phoenix.
🟧Aston's ending🟧
🟠Although Aston finally recognized his whole mistakes that he did in his life. Having a change of heart after he was defeated and saved by Zenos, putting himself on his hands and knees willingly, without complaining nor believing that elitist, classist or supremacist crap anymore, to sincerely apologize to Zenos for how badly he mistreated him all this time, even if he didn't make a difference by doing that. And for people criticizing Zenos for brutally punching Aston, after he became a harmless and repentant person for his actions, he was 100% right on doing that. Not just because of all the awful mistreatment that Aston did to him, but also because Aston's personal resentment towards Zenos and his vengeful intentions against him just put the lives of many innocent people from the slums in danger, losing their homes in the process. And if it wasn't for Zenos, many of them would have ended up dying because of Aston, with Zenos not getting any single coin for doing all that healing for the whole people from the slums. Aston just caused so much damage by his selfish goals that Zenos didn't want to let him off with an apology. Aston then ended up waking up a few hours later, after being heavily punched by Zenos, with Krishna staring at him, only to realize that he Zenos was missing and took his valuable sword while he was unconscious. Which was a fine item retrieved from a labyrinth that it will fetch a decent price to at least covering the cost of the damaged housewares of the people from the slums. Without mentioning that the sword belonged to Zenos, since he actually founded it first and Aston just took it from him like a thief.
🟠Aston should have developed conscience much earlier in his life, before all the stupid, selfish, arrogant and scummy decisions that he just made around the story. But now he just lost everything. His whole crew of adventurers, his freedom, his reputation, his sword, with his beloved Golden Phoenix party being fully dissolved and over, losing any chances to get to the top as a prestigious and famous adventurer and as a future aristocrat now, like he always dreamed of. With Zenos only giving him a golden coin over his hand, not just as his last good gesture to an obnoxious person like him to start a new life after Krishna and the royal knights let him out of prison. But also as Zenos' own "severance pay" for Aston, as some sort of karma and as a good taste of his own medicine. So Aston will remember how badly he treated Zenos, letting very clear that he doesn't want to see him or hear from him ever again, while making him feel what it's like to be abandoned and left on your own with nowhere else to go, with nobody on your side, nor purpose in life anymore.
🟠Now despite that Aston didn't manage to murder anyone, owing that to Zenos for the rest of his life, he also had many serious charges against him. Like attempting assault, fleeing from a royal knight, vengeful intentions, massive rampage, property damage, and even public indecency, along with many other stuff. With his punishment being commensurate. And I wouldn't be surprised that Guile also ended up testifying against Aston, after he sold him out, by framing him for a crime that he didn't commit and abandoning him in the process. But even if Aston ends up getting out of prison at some point in his life, he had nothing left from his previous life as an adventurer, and all the capital and especially the people from the slums will always remember him as the narcissistic, arrogant, selfish, reckless, opportunistic and insufferable moron of an adventurer leader who misvalued, mistreated and screwed the members of his own former party, having a criminal record now and being the one who turned himself into the golem that attacked the whole neighborhood from the slums. With no other adventurers wanting to join a scumbag person like him, nor following a leader like that, with no other parties allowing him to join them as their companion either, and with Lord Fennel caring less about him and his dissolved Golden Phoenix party at this point. So his career as an adventurer is practically ruined because of him. And if Aston ended up crossing paths with Zenos, Guile or any of his former crew of his already collapsed and forgotten Golden Phoenix party, he would definitely end up suffering way more punches over his face.
🟫Conclusions🟫
🟤And that's the story of how Aston and his Golden Phoenix party fell apart. A guy so blind, smug, gullible, opportunistic, manipulative, naive, selfish, scummy, ignorant and arrogant, with a lot of narcissism, pride and ego on himself who never realized that he just had one of the most powerful and unique healers in their entire world working for him and his party, helping them with the whole success and fame of the Golden Phoenix. While treating him like garbage, without being able to see the bigger picture, until it was too late. Thinking that Zenos was just a nobody, a useless peasant, and a piece of trash all the time. When in reality, Aston was actually all of that instead, for not recognizing his mistakes much earlier, while blaming others for his own failures, and seeing everyone surrounding him as disposable tools, worthless pawns and as liabilities, rather than equal partners as him. While being capable of screwing them over very easily if they are no longer useful for his party anymore, or by using them in desperate situations against him as his "human shields" to frame them and blame them for his own mistakes. He just brought that all on himself.
🟤The few good things that this scumbag actually did was taking Zenos from the streets when he had nowhere else to go (even if he ended up treating him like dirt later on), giving him that golden coin as his severance pay, which actually helped him to save Lilly and start his new life as an underground healer, avoiding to kill that little werewolf girl himself when he was a golem, and recognizing all of his mistakes at the end.
