Ian Is Right About Elan

[NENAD]

Elan's just been putting on a show of Obfuscating Stupidity this whole time while he slowly moves himself to be in control of a gate, and setting it up so that it's the only gate left once he has it. He'll defeat the Order of the Stick and Xykon and the Linear Guild and achieve world domination, just as planned.

Okay. Probably not. But personally, I think it would be awesome.

[SPoD]

You posted a thread to posit a theory that even you don't believe in?

[Xykeb Zraliv]

Uhh... Is this supposed to be a joke thread or what? I don't even understand what the point here is. Like is this supposed to be funny or just plain ridiculous?

[NENAD]

And? I thought it was an interesting possibility regardless of its small odds of being correct.

[Piedmon_Sama]

That swerve would be pretty cool but about 100% too dark for OOTS.

[Gift Jeraff]

I think people who bought Elan-themed merchandise would want their money back.

[Kish]

How exactly would this be a good idea in any way?

[G-Man Graves]

Elan went and tipped his hand in this latest strip. He knew that the bluff potion only worked for things that aren't true. With this knowledge, he tried to capitalize on the momentary advantage presented by getting Haley to put aside Ian's suspicions, which are true. He is actually an evil genius.

[Grendus]

He didn't register as evil under Miko's detect evil, and while Undetectable Alignment is a bard spell, by RAW it would cause an No Reading. So he would be at worst chaotic neutral.

More likely, this goes along with Haley being Half-Celestial as one of those completely out there fan theories. Elan is nothing more or less than he appears to be - dim witted but pure of heart.

[Marsala]

It might be a good gag for him to go on an evil rant about how he fooled everyone when they reach the last gate, only to reveal that he was only kidding in the last panel.

[Dr.Epic]

You posted a thread to posit a theory that even you don't believe in?

Welcome to the internet.

[doodthedud]

I don't see how this thread is that out of place on these forums. I mean it is a theory that is completely far-fetched and makes absolutely no sense at all.

I thought it was funny >.>

[Faramir]

Well of course! What would be a happier ending that ending up in control of the entire world?


Note that I don't believe it either but agree that it's a fun theory to pursue.

Obviously he helped Roy gather a group of adventurers in order to defeat Xykon - one of his main possible rivals - while worming his way into the good graces of a powerful arcane caster and a powerful divine caster (V and Durkon).

[King of Nowhere]

When the oracle said the ending would be happy, he added "for you, at least".
That strongly implies the ending will not be happy for someone else. And what better endding that would be happy for elan but not for someone else that Elan ruling the world?
Elan has been preparing for this ever since his childhood. Everything he did was a fabrication. Even his tougths were a fabrication, because he knew the readers can read tougth balloons. It's all a big conspiracy, you know.
The ultimate goal is to force the gods to not intervene when the aliens will conquer the world. And the government of the united states knows everything.

[Kish]

When the oracle said the ending would be happy, he added "for you, at least".
That strongly implies the ending will not be happy for someone else.

It won't be happy for Xykon, for starters.

[ChowGuy]

When the oracle said the ending would be happy, he added "for you, at least".
That strongly implies the ending will not be happy for someone else.

It won't be happy for Xykon, for starters.

More likely it just means it won't be happy for the Oracle.

Cuz ya'know, I can see a ticked off Xykon killing and soul-binding him when he doesn't get the answer he wants.

[factotum]

Nice theory, but it falls down on the point that Elan is still the same lovable doofus we see the rest of the time even when he's demonstrably alone and with no-one but us, the readers, watching (e.g. when he's at Therkla's graveside). For that matter, why would he need to hide his true nature in all the scenes where he's alone with Tarquin?

[Faramir]

Nice theory, but it falls down on the point that Elan is still the same lovable doofus we see the rest of the time even when he's demonstrably alone and with no-one but us, the readers, watching (e.g. when he's at Therkla's graveside). For that matter, why would he need to hide his true nature in all the scenes where he's alone with Tarquin?

Well, duh! He is well aware of how often the 4th wall is broken and, fiendish mastermind that he is, plans accordingly. And you don't think he's really working for Tarquin do you? He's only out for himself. His cunning plan has already gotten Tarquin to agree to be overthrown by him! It doesn't get much better than that.

[deimos3428]

And? I thought it was an interesting possibility regardless of its small odds of being correct.

Impossible odds? Oh no!

[Delusion]

So THATS why he is trying to correct people to follow Banjo. Because if enough people worship him, his divine power will be high enough to cast the divine portion of the gate ritual for Elan.

Makes perfect sense.

[Thoughtbot360]

Time to kill this thread in one fell swoop. Our forecast for this webcomic has clear skies and a 0% chance of Evil Elans in any form whatsoever.

Look guys, its beyond impossibility that Elan is an evil genius. Even if we could work out a motive, there isn't much reason to go to so much trouble to save Haley during the Story arc when Nale was impersonating him.

He even cried in his cell at Cliffport, when there was nobody around even paying attention. The Prison guards were *not* going to be moved to let him out of the cell and they would not remember the crocodile tears anyway, and Thog had too much ADD to notice. And nobody was useful enough to go to the effort of implanting in their minds any sob story. The only explanation is that Elan was not putting on a performance at all and was really overcome with fear for what Nale would do to Haley and Co.

Now this doesn't *entirely* invalidate that he is an evil schemer, he just really does love Haley and wants to make certain she survives to become his dark queen of the damned when he takes over the world. The trouble with that is that the concept is so completely twisted that to write it would alienate most the audience and probably WARP THE MIND OF THE AUTHOR HIMSELF. *Ahem*

After all, he also risked his life over the Flame-message slaves who were already dead. If pappy didn't want Elan to live so he could kill him in a more romantic way, that would have been the end of any schemes he had going. That Father-Son Pun battle is not what sinister puppetmasters do, its what Griffindors do.

Seriously, Elan just works better as a good guy who's actually really as derpy as he appears.

[King of Nowhere]

Seem those are good points, but instead they retort against you. In fact, what is the chance that Elan is evil, given all those circumkstances? Extremely unlikely, you would say? IT's probably one in a million.
Don't you see it? One in a million! Another evidence that this is true!

By the way, Thoughtbot360, what makes you believe that we are even remotely serious when suggesting those ridiculous "theories"?

[Faramir]

Seem those are good points, but instead they retort against you. In fact, what is the chance that Elan is evil, given all those circumkstances? Extremely unlikely, you would say? IT's probably one in a million.
Don't you see it? One in a million! Another evidence that this is true!

By the way, Thoughtbot360, what makes you believe that we are even remotely serious when suggesting those ridiculous "theories"?

Thanks KoN, both your points are good ones :)

But ThoughtBot is also correct in pointing out that Elan really does love Haley. Which just gives him another reason for his ruse, he doesn't want to let her know the truth until after they're safely married.

[MoonCat]

If some people are actually going to believe this, I'll never forgive you NENAD.

[Faramir]

Of course if Elan is as Chaotic Evil as he seems then perhaps he feels that if he can't rule the world he wants to destroy it instead. That would explain why he went out of his way to destroy Dorukan's gate. Alternatively he just wants the last gate destroyed on his death thereby avoiding an eternity in the lower planes as punishment for his evil deeds.

[Handsome Pete]

C'mon, threads like these are exactly what the internet is for. It's mental masturbation. "What if Elan is evil?" "What if Belkar isn't?" "What if V's prophecy hasn't come true yet?"

And like actual masturbation, it doesn't accomplish anything, and you don't have to look if it's not your thing.

[grimbold]

that would be twisted convoluted and stupid
just like oots
this would be awesome

[IronWilliam]

I'm just not seeing it. Elan's just to happy, goofy, and dumb for this to work. Besides, if that were true why would he have pun-duled Tarquin when there was nobody else around?

[faustin]

In Tarot, Elan would be represented as the Fool. His extreme chaotic nature makes him as dangerous or powerless according with circunstances (aka the Plot).

[snikrept]

The oracle implies that Elan is the only one who is assured a happy ending. This must be because Elan conquers the world using the Gates and crushes everyone else beneath his iron boot!