A fandom whose toxicity is legendary is Dragon Age. I haven't had the pleasure of playing this game. Solas, so let's take Solas, he's a dark character and give him two paths, one in which he becomes lighter and another in which he embraces the dark side completely. And he's being rougher and more arrogant in his romance with Tav. Which makes sense from the fact that he's always been a narcissist and was held back by his lack of power, and now he's a Lord, the world's first living vampire.
In Solas' case it was one character, he stayed as he was. Astarion is one character who is divided into the light and dark paths. Astarion was originally a dark character. Although light path followers see this as his trauma and the aftermath of his trauma. Supporters of the dark path recognize the artbook and believe that such darkness is part of Astarion's nature. Given the fandom's sentiment towards the dark path, that it's not Evil Win, but because he could have gotten better and “grown” turns into a terrible tragedy of a personality. Evil character growth is also growth. An evil character can love. Evil characters are full of nuance. Astarion especially. Considering it's one character. So it's harder to find the safe space, you have to realize whether the author thinks you should put ash on your head and accept the suffering, the tragedy of the beautiful person he could have been, now not himself, dead... Or whether he's as fond of evil characters as you are and sees a lot of different traits in them, he's himself, and it's fun and interesting.
I wouldn't even say Astarion is getting any darker.
Getting darker and showing everything that's inside are different things. That's what I understood and felt. He was held back by his lack of power, his desire for protection, to be on a team (tadpole), what else does he need, so he helps, his self-esteem, he hated his status as a slave, even the fact that his tormentor took the sun away from him. So I don't see it as some sort of really changing him for the worse, I'm finally seeing all of his worst side. But since he's big and mean now all his gentle words are instantly taken as lies, manipulation, he could have gotten better, and since he didn't lost himself owari da
Everything AA does is an ultimatum lie and he's about to go insane starting to put trophy-Tav on stakes in a leash for misbehavior. I mean, so choosing the morally right path without ascension is easier and more pleasant reload when the other's choice is endless suffering on stakes.
