Poll: Who is worse; The Original, or the Imitator?

[Paragon Fury]

So I bring another moral debate to you today Escapists - once again courtesy of our friend Slyvanas Windrunner; but this time she is joined by the villain from a Fallout 4 expac - DiMA!

The question up for grabs this time is this;

Who is more evil - the original perpetrator, or someone who witnesses it and either continues the evil or starts it anew?

Basically - is someone who witnesses evil being done, but then continues that evil or starts it again the same or worse than the person/thing that did it the first time?

For our two examples;

Slyvanas Windrunner

Spoiler

Slyvanas, after seeing the horrors the Lich King inflicted using the Scourge, the Blight Plague and the corrupted Val'kyr and vowing revenge, immediately after defeating the Lich King turns around and takes command of the Val'kyr, using them to do her bidding and raise more souls from the fallen, encourages and actively deploys the Blight Plague and researches newer, more deadly and virulent forms of it and generally acts in such a manner than her nickname has become "The Lich Queen".

DiMA

Spoiler

DiMA is an escaped Institute Synth in the FO4 DLC Far Harbor. And in the span of one DLC, justifies the fears of the Institute, Minutemen and Brotherhood.

He actively replaces humans on the island with synths, manipulates the politics and people of multiple factions to his own ends and even tricks a young woman into believing she is a synth so she will serve him and the other synths (he tries it on the Sole Survivor too) - the exact kind of thing that the Minutemen and Brotherhood were against and feared would happen, and the same kinds of manipulation and deception that the Institute used.

For my personal opinion, I find the "successors" worse, because they've seen the evil first but choose to continue it.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Eh, I think the Original is usually worse because they're the first to think of doing the action. The imitator can be a decent copycat, and even go a little further, but the first time evil happens it means something.

Like who is more evil? Ith'Kal Vor of the Iron Talons Chapter who went renegade after a prolonged campaign at the edge of the Maelstrom, or Horus the Warmaster? Because as far as I can tell, everyone is always going to be compared to the original. So that must say something about the staying power of said action.

And surely after too many imitators, the action grows stale and mundane. Like if Windrunner was killed, and her Elven concubine A'Uh'La'A'A takes over, goes evil, dies, and is succeeded by her Orc Grand Vizier Urk Ur Ur UrHammer, who then proceeds to be a meanie-pants, it's not longer really of note. Its just sorta' what happens. Which it my mind makes it not a choice, just a natural thing. And evil isn't evil if there's no choice; its just sorta' what happens.

That's why I think the original is usually worse. Because they're always the first to choose.

 

[tippy2k2]

How in the world is one better or worse than the other?

Let's make it a bit more personal; who would you think is a worse person, someone who shoots you or someone else who shoots you because they saw someone else shoot you?

Maybe I'm not understanding the examples (I haven't played either of those games and I didn't read the Fallout one because I intend to play it) but if one person is a giant dick and someone else copies that, that doesn't make one less of a dick...

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

How in the world is one better or worse than the other?

Let's make it a bit more personal; who would you think is a worse person, someone who shoots you or someone else who shoots you because they saw someone else shoot you?

Maybe I'm not understanding the examples (I haven't played either of those games and I didn't read the Fallout one because I intend to play it) but if one person is a giant dick and someone else copies that, that doesn't make one less of a dick...

Yeah, but if the first bullet kills you and the second just puts another hole in you, I know which shooter I'd feel is the biggest dick.

 

[Mangod]

How in the world is one better or worse than the other?

Let's make it a bit more personal; who would you think is a worse person, someone who shoots you or someone else who shoots you because they saw someone else shoot you?

Maybe I'm not understanding the examples (I haven't played either of those games and I didn't read the Fallout one because I intend to play it) but if one person is a giant dick and someone else copies that, that doesn't make one less of a dick...

Yeah, but if the first bullet kills you and the second just puts another hole in you, I know which shooter I'd feel is the biggest dick.

I don't know; the guy who shoots you to kill you at least might have a cause. The guy who shoots you after you're already guaranted to die is just being a douche.

 

[Bobular]

True evil requires creativity, if your just copying someone/something else then your not truly being evil, your just being a fanboy[footnote]Though some will claim they are the most evil creatures of all[/footnote]. I don't believe an apprentice can surpass their master until they have created their own brand of evil.

 

[Thaluikhain]

On the one hand, if people keep doing evil things, then it just becomes the way things are.

On the other, little comfort to those at the receiving end.