Did Ei fight Raiden Shogun for 500 years?
At first glance, the notion that the Raiden Shogun puppet battled the Electro Archon Ei for 500 years seems fanciful. And indeed, there exists no evidence that such a continuous, physical confrontation occurred over multiple centuries. However, a deeper look reveals that while the clash itself was recent, the ideals these two figures represent have long been at odds. Their divine duel signals a pivotal moment in the Archon‘s personal journey.
Two Sides of One Coin
To analyze this fabled fight, one must first understand Ei and the Raiden Shogun represent two diverging aspects of Inazuma‘s ruler. Ei is the god herself – the supreme deity who presides over the land and won her title in the Archon War at the dawn of recorded history.
By contrast, the Raiden Shogun is Ei‘s familiar – a puppet forged 500 years ago to uphold a single-minded commitment to Eternity. While Ei retreated inward to concentrate on this Eternity, her puppet managed the daily governance of Inazuma and enforced the Sakoku Decree.
In mythic terms, Ei represents Inazuma‘s ambitious hopes while the Shogun symbolizes Ei‘s increasing isolation and fixation on Eternity. Only recently did these diverging aspects come to a head.
The Divine Duel
Ei and the Raiden Shogun finally clashed during the Traveler‘s bid to free Inazuma from the Vision Hunt Decree. Seeking to sever Ei‘s connection to the plane, the Shogun battled Ei within the inner consciousness Makoto constructed to preserve herself.
As Ei‘s sword met the Shogun‘s blade, one can see this as a manifestation of the internal struggle between Ei‘s love for her nation and her obsession with Eternity. By overcoming her puppet in Makoto‘s domain, Ei reconnected with the outside world and with her responsibilities as Inazuma‘s ruler.
Thus this mythic battle, though confined to a spiritual realm, signals a pivotal step forward in Ei‘s character arc. She turns away from the extreme isolation symbolized by her cold puppet, embracing her identity as the god of Ambition.
Lessons from Japanese Myth
Ei‘s journey evokes Japanese stories examining the relationship between mighty gods and ordinary humans. Her focus on ambition echoes the lore of Okuninushi – the Shinto deity of nation-building who answers the hopes of ancient Japan.
Likewise, the Raiden Shogun‘s fanatical pursuit of eternity mirrors the buddhist concept of Gongen – wrathful Shinto gods who exile themselves until they rediscover compassion.
One can interpret Ei‘s battle with her puppet as her rejecting the wrathful arrogance of godhood. By reconnecting with humanity despite her power, she returns to the virtues that make her worthy of veneration.
Looking to the Future
The fact that Ei‘s ideals only clashed with her puppet‘s recently explains the misconception around their 500-year battle. But the true significance lies in what their long-awaited clash represents from a story standpoint.
It signals Ei stepping back from the brink of godly arrogance and choosing to walk in step with mortal ambitions again. Having overcome her harshest critic – the aspect of herself focused solely on Eternity – she is ready to guide Inazuma into its next era.
So while Ei and the Raiden Shogun did not fight for five centuries, they represent competing ideas within Inazuma‘s Archon that defined her recent character arc. Their mythic battle sets the stage for Ei‘s reign over a more hopeful and connected nation moving forward. It also continues her thematic journey of discovering the right balance between divine aspirations and mortal hopes – an endeavour as timeworn as the oldest myths.
