{"id":197,"date":"2018-06-11T22:00:27","date_gmt":"2018-06-11T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biggestinjapan.com\/?p=197"},"modified":"2018-12-15T18:38:15","modified_gmt":"2018-12-15T09:38:15","slug":"valkyria-chronicles-4-explores-the-ethical-implications-of-the-atomic-bomb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biggestinjapan.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/11\/valkyria-chronicles-4-explores-the-ethical-implications-of-the-atomic-bomb\/","title":{"rendered":"Valkyria Chronicles 4<\/i> Explores the Ethical Implications of the Atomic Bomb"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>Valkyria Chronicles <\/span><\/i>series is a gripping piece of World War II historical fiction that puts a personal face on some of the darkest aspects of the war. The newest iteration, <\/span>Valkyria Chronicles 4<\/span><\/i>, even goes so far as to explore the morality and ethical implications of the war\u2019s most infamous creation: the atomic bomb.<\/span><\/p>\n

The key difference between the world of Valkyria Chronicles and our own is the existence of the mineral known as \u201cragnite.\u201d Ragnite is able to do everything from powering tanks to healing people\u2019s grievous injuries. It is the most useful item on the entire planet and one certainly worth fighting wars for.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Image source: \u30f4\u30a1\u30eb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u516c\u5f0f\u30a2\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30c8<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n

But adding a wrinkle to the whole situation is that, in the distant past, there was a race of people whose bodies absorbed and emitted ragnite energy: the Valkyria. With this ability, they wielded advanced weapons (that for all rights and purposes might as well be magic) and were nearly invincible on the battlefield.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time of <\/span>Valkyria Chronicles<\/span><\/i>, however, they are little more than legend\u2014and would likely be thought fictional if it weren\u2019t for the ruins of their once great civilization found all across Europa. But then the second Europa war begins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Image source: \u30f4\u30a1\u30eb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u516c\u5f0f\u30a2\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30c8<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n

The East Europan Imperial Alliance–which are basically the Nazis mixed with imperial Russia–start a war with the Atlantic Federation (the allies). Soon, the Empire also invades the small, neutral country of Gallia (which is basically Belgium) to gain control of its rich ragnite resources. Spearheading their army is Selvaria Bles, a Valkyria of legend armed with the weapons of the ancients–and only a rag-tag group of militia soldiers have any hope of stopping her. <\/span><\/p>\n

But as we learn throughout the series, Selvaria is not the only Valkyria to play a pivotal role in this alternate take on World War II.<\/span><\/p>\n

Within this setting, the series has explored several touchy subjects of the second world war. The first game dealt with concentration camps. The second was centered around extreme antisemitism. The third game focused on the dehumanizing hell of being in a penal unit. <\/span><\/p>\n

But even with this history I never imagined that <\/span>Valkyria Chronicles 4<\/span><\/i>, a Japanese game, would confront the ethical ramifications of Japan\u2019s most taboo subject: the Atomic bomb. <\/span><\/p>\n

**Major spoilers up to and including the end of the game to follow**<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"Image source: \u30f4\u30a1\u30eb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u516c\u5f0f\u30a2\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30c8<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n

Valkyria Chronicles 4<\/span><\/i> is the story of EZ platoon, a ranger squad in the Atlantic Federation army made up mostly of Gallian volunteers. To protect their home, they begin an ambitious campaign to press the imperial forces back far past Gallia and strike at the capital of the Empire itself (aka the <\/span>Valkyria Chronicles<\/span><\/i> world\u2019s version of Moscow). But while they are at the center of many early victories, they are stopped by the same thing that stopped both Napoleon and Hitler in our world: the Russian winter. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, unlike the winter those two faced, this one has a more supernatural origin as it is brought about early by the enigmatic \u201cBlizzard Witch\u201d–a Valkyria of such power that she can destroy entire armies in a single attack. And with an elite tank unit and countless infantry soldiers to back her up, the allies find themselves completely unequipped for the battle that they face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Image source: \u30f4\u30a1\u30eb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u516c\u5f0f\u30a2\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30c8<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n

With the army lost (and EZ platoon only surviving because they were late to the battle), our heroes find themselves rescued by a trio of prototype battleships. These ships are the \u201cPlan-B\u201d in case the land invasion failed. Far more powerful than any other ships of the era and able to sail through even a frozen ocean, they are capable of taking EZ squad to the gates of the Imperial capital itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

The reason the ships are so powerful, however, isn\u2019t because of some type of new, top-secret ragnite reactor as is originally claimed. Rather, it\u2019s because in the core of the reactor is a young child Valkyria whose power is being harnessed to drive the ship. In other words, it is this world\u2019s version of a nuclear reactor–though with an admittedly horrible twist. And if you can build a nuclear reactor, you can also build a nuclear bomb.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Image source: \u30f4\u30a1\u30eb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u516c\u5f0f\u30a2\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30c8<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the real plan–though EZ squad itself is ignorant of that fact for most of the game. One of the ships will beach itself on the streets of the capital and then set the reactor to self-destruct. The resulting explosion will wipe out not only the entire city but the royal family and much of the governmental structure as well. By cutting off the head of the snake, the war will end–along with the Empire\u2019s ability to make war in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not that easy in execution. Over the course of their journey north, two of the battleships are lost, leaving only the Centurion–which sustains major damage to its reactor. It\u2019s during this time that the crew befriend Angelica, an amnesiac war orphan (who is, of course, the Valkyria child from the reactor). Eventually, she steps willingly back into the reactor to save her new friends. She is even willing to be the core of the bomb if it ends the war and stops the need for those like herself and her friends from being used as tools in a bloody war.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, in the end, the plan is a success, the Centurion sits beached in the middle of the capitol and the enemy forces have been scattered by EZ squad. The only ones left on board are Angelica (in the reactor), Claude (the commander of EZ squad), and Riley (Angelica\u2019s big sister figure and Claude\u2019s love interest). Thus to end the war, all Claude has to do is pull a switch–killing himself, an innocent child, the woman he loves, and the population of the capital. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Image source: \u30f4\u30a1\u30eb\u30ad\u30e5\u30ea\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u516c\u5f0f\u30a2\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30c8<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n

Through Claude, we see first hand the struggles of a man trying to deal with the ethical ramifications of what he is supposed to do. It weighs on him and there is no easy answer to be found.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, like Angelica, he does the black arithmetic and knows that more will die in the war if he doesn\u2019t pull the switch–and more innocent children like Angelica will be used as tools by both sides. So he decides to activate the bomb.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, just before he pulls the lever, a message comes over the city\u2019s loudspeaker system: a ceasefire between the Federation and the Empire has been reached. <\/span><\/p>\n

The war is over.<\/span><\/p>\n