Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-4141313-20190112144055/@comment-14909251-20190120000139

I got spoiled a bit on Adam having a scar on his face and was disappointed because I wanted him to be a blind swordsman. Turns out he just doesn't have good depth perception. However, when it was spoiled for me I didn't take a closer look at the image and it didn't catch my eye watching the episode either. But. . . Hoooolyyy shit. Now I reeaaaaaally don't want him to die in this Volume.

Seriously, probably the most annoying thing for me with Adam this whole time is that he never once interacted with Weiss. There was a slight chance in the Battle of Beacon and then a much better one in the Battle of Haven when he was literally just outside and within eyeshot of her. After this reveal with his scar I think it would be cheap and badly missing an opportunity to not have him interact with her, but they probably won't have an opportunity this Volume.

Like, how do you have a major antagonist with the letters of a major protagonist's family company burned into his face and then never have them run into each other ever? Don't think Adam has even mentioned the Schnees. Of all the things he has brought up against Blake, you would think somewhere around the top of his list would be "You are friends with the family who badly burned my face and blinded my left eye." Talk about the perfect ammunition for guilt-tripping, assuming Blake has seen him unmasked. Does he realize Blake is now friends with a member of the Schnee family? How would he not be aware?

Before this, though, I wasn't quite how they sure they could keep Adam alive, let alone pursue some kind of redemption arc. I had a few thoughts about him falling into the water and being recovered by somebody, but it wasn't clear how they would bring him back into the plot. Conveniently, being literally branded by the SDC provides an easy excuse. Some Atlesian folks in Argus might see the SDC brand and "return" him. Given he wore a mask, they may not realize his White Fang connection and just assume he is a runaway laborer.

My speculation is that the branding was a punishment. In fact, I kind of wonder if there is some significance to him saying, "I wouldn't have to be doing this if you just behaved!" Given Adam has been wearing that mask since before Ghira left the White Fang and his approximate age, he would had to have been branded when he was still in his teens if not earlier. If he was a laborer working in Dust mines then, well, that has all kinds of unsavory implications and if the branding was punishment for insubordinance or some other offense perhaps even just poor work then that really has some unsavory implications.

Suffice to say, I definitely want more about this and I don't think that will really happen without him sticking around longer.