Belkar thinks he's Chaotic Good?

[Zmeoaice]

In the latest comic we see Belkar/Scruffy's happy ending. Apparently they did die (although it's unknown how) and is with Shojo and Scruffy. However, Belkar is evil, and knows he's evil. So why is he there?

It's possible that in his mind he's done enough "good" acts that he would be permitted into the CG afterlife, even if he is rotten inside. Belkar is dumb, so he might believe that he's eligible.

Or Belkar never died in his dream, and Shojo has been resurrected somehow. But his wake up line implies he thinks he's dead.

[rodneyAnonymous]

Or Belkar never died in his dream, and Shojo has been resurrected somehow.

I think that is way more probable than "Belkar thinks he is Chaotic Good". He is a dim bulb, but not that dim.

[CRtwenty]

he was under an illusion that explicitly smoothed over things like alignments and the laws of the multiverse. having him hanging out with Shojo either living or dead is well within its bounds, regardless of what he thinks of his alignment.

Also it's possible that in his dream Shojo's big brain created a swanky bachelor pad in Limbo for them.

[PebbleInTheSky]

Is it possible Belkar is just visiting temporarily? It seems like it should be possible if an evil adventuring party was able to invade Roy's afterlife.

[EmperorSarda]

The Illusion has nothing to do with alignment and everything to do with goals.

For example, Haley has been seeking out her Father, Elan has been concerned with his family, Roy has been concerned about beating Xykon and proving himself to his father. With a mix of other things.

But Belkar? What motivation have we ever seen beyond looking out for Scruffy? He has no enemy that has shown up, he has no driving goal, he is just there to kill. It doesn't matter who he kills, not does he have anyone specific that he wants to kill.

Hence why his vision has to do with Mr. Scruffy. Because this is the only thing that really drives him.

Shojo is there because Mr. Scruffy misses him, and Mr. Scruffy wants to be with Belkar. Hence why Belkar is included because any killing Belkar ever does is a small rampage.

So it has nothing to do with alignment and more to do with end goals. Belkar cared nothing for the goals of his teammates, and thus was not included in their vision. That is the only reason why. Aside from the fact that his teammates don't care about Mr. Scruffy either.

[Living Oxymoron]

Or Belkar never died in his dream, and Shojo has been resurrected somehow. But his wake up line implies he thinks he's dead.

I think that is way more probable than "Belkar thinks he is Chaotic Good". He is a dim bulb, but not that dim.

I don't think that Shojo would be ressurected in Belkar's dream. That would be incoherent, since Belkar was the only one to justify the unsuccessful attempts of ressurecting Shojo.

My opinion is that Haley tried to explain the effects of the spell, but she doesn't really know what the spell actually does. So she ignored the fact that everyone there, Belkar and Scruffy included, were sharing the same dream, in which Belkar died, and lived his afterlife with Scruffy and Shojo. And we should not forget the cat's feelings too, that I think to be the main reason to Shojo be in the dream. Thus, the last panel:
Yup. Definitely just my dream.

[rodneyAnonymous]

Not incoherent. Shojo didn't want to be resurrected by the Lawful Good Azurite High Priest. Maybe in Belkar's mind he'd accept a rez from someone else.

[KillianHawkeye]

Yeah, it is clearly Mr Scruffy's perfect world. He's got his old servant master to scratch his belly and his new one to make him tuna.

[EmperorSarda]

Not incoherent. Shojo didn't want to be resurrected by the Lawful Good Azurite High Priest. Maybe in Belkar's mind he'd accept a rez from someone else.

Or maybe, like how Durkon showed up as a non-vampire in the other illusion, Mr. Scruffy's desire to see his old owner is strong enough to bring him back with some flimsy justification to Belkar?

[ZarDaranth]

Yeah, it is clearly Mr Scruffy's perfect world. He's got his old servant master to scratch his belly and his new one to make him tuna.

The kitty does have swirly eyes after all. I think it's a combination of Belkar and Mr. Scruffy's dream, since Belkar is starting to realize that "Wacky Old Guy" had something good going there,and he is fairly one-dimensional (hurting things being the only thing he's good at).

[The Giant]

It's not the afterlife. It's Shojo's quarters, as previously seen in one of the bonus strips in War and XPs.

Belkar's dream was entirely separate from that of the rest of the Order, and he never died in his. Instead, he saw whatever improbable string of events would be required to justify Shojo's resurrection so that Mr. Scruffy could get tummy rubs, because that's what Mr. Scruffy wanted.

[WindStruck]

Also to try to answer the OP. Whether or not it's similar to an afterlife or not, don't most evil people fail to see how they are evil and always think they are in the right?

Well, except in Belkar's case, I think he knows he's evil and enjoys it. At least, that's how it was before his curse....

[An Enemy Spy]

Good and Evil are pretty clear cut in OOTS. If Belkar thought he was good, he wouldn't carry around a lead sheet to hide from paladins. Basically, the dream comes down to these three factors. Belkar loves cooking, Mr. Scruffy loves getting tummy rubs and eating tuna, and they both like Shojo.

[137beth]

Good and Evil are pretty clear cut in OOTS. If Belkar thought he was good, he wouldn't carry around a lead sheet to hide from paladins. Basically, the dream comes down to these three factors. Belkar loves cooking, Mr. Scruffy loves getting tummy rubs and eating tuna, and they both like Shojo.

Huh, and I though he wasn't carrying his lead sheet anymore. Since, ya know, character development

[EmperorSarda]

It's not the afterlife. It's Shojo's quarters, as previously seen in one of the bonus strips in War and XPs.

Belkar's dream was entirely separate from that of the rest of the Order, and he never died in his. Instead, he saw whatever improbable string of events would be required to justify Shojo's resurrection so that Mr. Scruffy could get tummy rubs, because that's what Mr. Scruffy wanted.

Thank you Giant for answering this. Thank you.

[dps]

Probably worth noting that the one thing besides hurting people that Belkar is good at is cooking.

[Closet_Skeleton]

I would assume that Belkar is only evil out of deep seated rage and hatred for the world. In a perfect dream world he therefore has no reason to be evil.

[Kish]

Belkar really has changed. Roy got everyone wanting to be a fighter, Haley got a massive pile of money...but Belkar didn't get anything for Belkar himself, just for Mr. Scruffy.

[Silverionmox]

Chaotic Good? No. Having a good time with your pals is thoroughly Neutral desire.

[Burner28]

Huh, and I though he wasn't carrying his lead sheet anymore. Since, ya know, character development

Yes, because becoming less Evil means that you are automatically Neutral, right? In order for Belkar to even qualify for redemption, he has to accept that all his previous Evil deeds were wrong, otherwise he is just in the same situation as Tarquin. I thought people would realise by now that just because one has a few loved ones, it doesn't mean that one cannot be Evil?

[Thrax]

It's not the afterlife. It's Shojo's quarters, as previously seen in one of the bonus strips in War and XPs.

Belkar's dream was entirely separate from that of the rest of the Order, and he never died in his. Instead, he saw whatever improbable string of events would be required to justify Shojo's resurrection so that Mr. Scruffy could get tummy rubs, because that's what Mr. Scruffy wanted.

Belkar's dream and the contrived reasons illusion made up for Shojo being back would be a cool bonus strip in the print book. Just saying. :D

[Katuko]

Huh, and I though he wasn't carrying his lead sheet anymore. Since, ya know, character development

He does not say anything that implies he left the sheet behind on purpose. In fact, he even asks the gladiator in front of him if he'd be so kind to yell "Smite Evil" when he attacks, presumably because Belkar would get some sadistic joy out of beating up a paladin (or at least a Miko stand-in). The whole arena prison thing also has Belkar explicitly take on the role of the local bully that everyone hates.

His character development is definitely there, but he's still rather antagonistic against people he does not care to impress. The Order gets him acting somewhat nice, while people who cross him such as Lou, Malack and random arena NPC #14 get a fight and belittling comments.

[Ghost Nappa]

I thought people would realise by now that just because one has a few loved ones, it doesn't mean that one cannot be Evil?

There's this little source of confusion: Belkar is a PC. From the perspective of a reader, it may be far easier to excuse Belkar given both his apparent and actual growth.

[Michaeler]

I tend to see Belkar as being addicted to evil. From time to time he seems like he is going to kick the habit out of concern for his nearest and dearest, but then something triggers a relapse and he falls right off the wagon and for a while stops trying to be anything but his darkest impulses. Most recently this occurred when he forced a kobold to eat cat feces as revenge.

It's possible that, with nobody provoking him (real or imagined) in the illusion of a perfect world, he was able to keep his darker nature in check and could have become any alignment at all. In reality ... not so much.

[sam79]

Belkar really has changed. Roy got everyone wanting to be a fighter, Haley got a massive pile of money...but Belkar didn't get anything for Belkar himself, just for Mr. Scruffy.

From the one glimpse of his fantasy we've seen, that's true. But I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the Belkster has his personal posse of kitchen bitches in the next room to [Insert culinary-based sexual innuendo here].

[NerdyKris]

Belkar really has changed. Roy got everyone wanting to be a fighter, Haley got a massive pile of money...but Belkar didn't get anything for Belkar himself, just for Mr. Scruffy.

He's been shown to love cooking many times. It's not unreasonable to believe that the improbable series of events also meant he decided to get a respectable job as a private chef instead of continuing to be a marauding lunatic.

[deworde]

For me, the clue is in the title. Mr Scruffy has dreams. He wants food and his tummy rubbed and to be surrounded by the servants he loves. But Belkar? Belkar is just impulses. His last dream (as in something he wanted enough to plan for) was losing Miko her paladin powers.
This is why Roy can control him, because Belkar doesn't care enough to oppose his control on general principles, only on whim. And that's why Mr Scruffy's dreams dominated their shared fantasy.

[sam79]

[H]e decided to get a respectable job as a private chef instead of continuing to be a marauding lunatic.

But why not "as well as", in place of "instead of"? In BelkarWorld, they're probably compatible.

[King of Nowhere]

But Belkar? Belkar is just impulses. His last dream (as in something he wanted enough to plan for) was losing Miko her paladin powers.
This is why Roy can control him, because Belkar doesn't care enough to oppose his control on general principles, only on whim. And that's why Mr Scruffy's dreams dominated their shared fantasy.

A few strips ago belkar mentioned almost puking to death "because you weren't there to keep me from doing something stupid".
So, I think Belkar is smart enough to realize that if he just follows his impulses bad things will happen to him, and is content to let roy be the voice of his missing foresight.

[Oko and Qailee]

I don't think his alignment is relevant.

Elan explained that the illusion gives everyone their hearts desire. Well Belkar apparent desires nothing more than to take care of Mr. Scruffy, and hes fine with doing it with Shojo.

Even is he's CE, the illusion is going to give him what he wants, not what he deserves, so in his fantasy world he ends up going to CG heaven.

Keep in mind Belkar is clearly moving closer and closer to CG from CE. He just wants to maintain his CE appearance for some reason.