Is Light BAD?! - Theory (SPOILERS)

[Zatmaggot]

First off I should start by saying that I changed my name and avatar since I wanted it to match my YouTube. You may know me as "Zote the Mighty".

Sooo, let's get into it. I haven't ever been a theorist before or really gotten into lore until a bit recently. I've been looking into matters regarding both Ori games as I noticed a few key points that should be noted. Basically, I have a few reasons as to why The Light in Ori may actually be EVIL. I know this sounds quite crazy at first, but bare with me here.

Firstly, you should notice that the Corruption in Wotw actually comes from the Spirit Tree. So, does that mean the Spirit Tree is the cause of the corruption??? Now, at first this seems like little reason for the light to be evil, although when you ask yourself "Why would it need to create the corruption? What does that achieve and how does it benefit The Light?" You may actually find an answer. You see, the Light and the Spirit Trees are manipulating Nibel/Niwen so that they cannot exist without it. When a Spirit Tree is close to death, it begins radiating Corruption, and the only way to stop it is to have a Spirit sacrifice and become the next Spirit Tree, thus continuing the Light.

Ok, but is there a way to destroy this theory? Is it possible that The Light is actually still good after all? Well, if we look at Blind Forest there may be an answer. Thanks to someone named Zelder who commented on my Youtube video where I mention this theory, we may have some answers to all these questions. Maybe. So Zelder mentions that in BF the elements cannot exist without The Light, so maybe the light is good? Maybe the elements need Light to exist? I still don't think so. See, there is still the tree in Wotw. So could BF Spirit Tree be good and Wotw Tree be bad? Well, they are also both in the same cycle, or time loop if you prefer. (I'll cover the time loop later.) We are talking mainly about The Light, and both Spirit Trees are sort of intertwined with The Light. So I think that either both Spirit Trees are good, or both are bad. Another thing to note is that Kuro may have destroyed the Elements. Think about it, even if the Spirit Tree could destroy the elements, why would it? Destroying the elements would make it harder for Ori to restore the Light, the only thing that matters to The Spirit Trees and the Spirit race. If the elements were never destroyed then all Ori would have to do would be to pick up Sein, take them through the Spirit Caverns and the giver them to the Spirit Tree. Bum, pronto! So that means the Spirit Tree most likely was not responsible for the elements being destroyed, since that would only make things harder. This leaves two possible answers; Either the Light IS good, or Kuro destroyed the Elements to make things harder for the light. I think Kuro. Why? Again, like I mentioned earlier, both Spirit Trees are part of The Light, so if we are asking whether or not The Light is good, then we'd obviously need both Spirit Trees to be the same. Now another thing you could say is that the Spirit Tree in BF never emits Corruption. However, this is something that can be easily corrected as the Spirit Tree in BF is not dying and all it needs is Sein back. The Spirit Tree in Wotw needs a new spirit and will do anything to summon one. Even if it means the death of many. Moki, Gorlek and Owls. All for the selfish Spirits. So, if Kuro is the one destroying the light and destroying the elements, could she be trying to save the rest of Nibel? Shriek, too. Could Shriek be trying to save Niwen? Could it be possible that after ALL this time, the TRUE heroes were the Owls in both games, not Ori? Although I still think the Light could be bad, I doubt Shriek and Kuro knew the story behind it. You see, Shriek was said to have been destroying Moki villages and killing the residents that lived there. Also, I think Kuro may have just been trying to get revenge on her baby owls dying. Oh yeah, that also brings up those Baby Owls. If the Light is good, why would it kill innocent infant owls???

So, is Ori evil? I doubt it. I think that he (or she, if you prefer) was tricked, wrongly guided into surving The Light. Ori had good intentions, but was manipulated like all of Nibel and Niwen. Also, are Sein and Seir evil? I think not. You see, Sein and Seir live without the Light, suggesting they have no reason to be in control. Remember? In the first and second game, when the Light is dead, Sein and Seir live on. There is no reason to continue the Light if they can happily live without it. So who controls it? Ori. Ok, well, maybe not. I just said Ori was being tricked, and he probably was, tricked by himself. His own desires. He wanted to live forever. This suggests that he could be in a possible TIME LOOP. I mean, if Sein and Seir aren't responsible for the light than who is? If it is a time loop, it would be a way for Ori to live forever. "Wait! Ori means 'My Child!'! So if there is a time loop, why would the Spirit Tree call him that???" I said it already. I think Ori seems completely unaware that he is even in a time loop. But hey, that's just a theory... AN ORI THEORY!

Btw, if you want to check out my video or my channel where I discuss this stuff, Here's the video:

https://youtu.be/3xlxuxkhklg

Anyhow, thank you if you've read through this whole thing or even watched the video, I want to hear what you all have to say as well. This is sort of my first theory, so feel free to give me input as long as we keep it respectful. Again, Thanks.


-Zatmaggot

[RojoHero]

Writing Advice

When writing any kind of essay, you should avoid questions. Reason being that people read something like "So, does that mean the Spirit Tree is the cause of the corruption???" and go "no"... putting down your essay and not reading further. When arguing, you need to build your case and seemingly rhetorical questions like that just punch a bunch of holes in your own argument.

Maintain focus, If the question is "Is the Light secretly evil? - Yes" but we start talking about time loops and how the Light IS good but Kuro destroyed the elements a reader may, metaphorically, take a sip of coffee and wonder what drugs you're currently abusing ;)

Thoughts

It's a curious theory. I'll give the video a watch later and decide how I feel about it.

[Zatmaggot]

Originally posted by RojoHero:

Writing Advice

When writing any kind of essay, you should avoid questions. Reason being that people read something like "So, does that mean the Spirit Tree is the cause of the corruption???" and go "no"... putting down your essay and not reading further. When arguing, you need to build your case and seemingly rhetorical questions like that just punch a bunch of holes in your own argument.

Maintain focus, If the question is "Is the Light secretly evil? - Yes" but we start talking about time loops and how the Light IS good but Kuro destroyed the elements a reader may, metaphorically, take a sip of coffee and wonder what drugs you're currently abusing ;)

Thoughts

It's a curious theory. I'll give the video a watch later and decide how I feel about it.

Well you obviously didn't leave right away and you commented. I want to make people more aware of asking themselves questions. The goal of this is not only to get my opinion out there but also to get other people questioning things and making their own theories.
However, if you actually have some thoughts on the lore instead of on grading my theories, I would love to hear them.

[Melon]

Hey Zat (or Zote) I think this is an interesting theory. One point I wanted to contest was that the 2 lights are connected to each other via the same light. In the Windtorn Ruins, the Voice wisp says that its the same cycle across different lands, but follows it with different lights for different lands (something like that). This says that despite their similarities, Sein and Seir are two separate lights, meaning Seir could be wicked, but I don't think Sein is.

[Lynx]

I felt the light was especially sketchy in the first game. It threw a lot of deceptive foreshadowing in it's narrative that is pretty common for a lot of manipulative plot twisting characters. Sadly, I do not think it went anywhere enough. I feel this series is "what you see is what you get" and the "light" is nothing more than how nature is. Light isn't anymore bad than the darkness, but both take from one another to attain a balance. Kinda sucks though, given how even more sentient the beings are.

[Zatmaggot]

Originally posted by Lynx:

I felt the light was especially sketchy in the first game. It threw a lot of deceptive foreshadowing in it's narrative that is pretty common for a lot of manipulative plot twisting characters. Sadly, I do not think it went anywhere enough. I feel this series is "what you see is what you get" and the "light" is nothing more than how nature is. Light isn't anymore bad than the darkness, but both take from one another to attain a balance. Kinda sucks though, given how even more sentient the beings are.

True, however when do we see a source of darkness? The Spirit Trees emit light, however we never see a "darkness" in literal terms like light. The closest thing to darkness we see is the Corruption, but if the corruption is actually coming from the tree, then it's still caused by the light. There is no darkness, no balance in Niwen or Nibel, just the light, because the spirit trees are creating both light and corruption, there is no other powerful energy like the light for there to be a balance, suggesting that the light is evil, or at least too powerful as there is nothing to balance with it.

[Zatmaggot]

Originally posted by CallMeDeleto:

Hey Zat (or Zote) I think this is an interesting theory. One point I wanted to contest was that the 2 lights are connected to each other via the same light. In the Windtorn Ruins, the Voice wisp says that its the same cycle across different lands, but follows it with different lights for different lands (something like that). This says that despite their similarities, Sein and Seir are two separate lights, meaning Seir could be wicked, but I don't think Sein is.

Yes, very true and I like that idea. However, I already noted that Sein and Seir may actually not be connected to the light, they may be working for them, as they can still exist without the light in both games. So if they are not actually part of the light, even if one was evil and one was not, the Light may still be evil. I originally thought that Sein and Seir were continuing the Light so they could survive, but again, they can still survive without it, suggesting that they are only a means-to-an-end, and that they don't even need the light. You could say that Sein and Seir are actually just trying to keep the light as a way to protect themselves, however almost all the dangers in both lands are caused by the corruption the light caused, so there would be no point in bringing back the light if it was the one causing all the harm. So, why do Sein and Seir actually continue the Light if they don't need it? If they can live without the Light, why would they keep it around, why not just live a happy floating-orb life? Well, this may be where a possible "time loop" could come in. However, it's more of the idea that Ori could be reincarnating, going back in forth through spirit tree to tree spirit, and that it it is the same Ori the whole time, not a cycle, but a circle. This may seem like a crazy thought, and I'll cover it more later, but here is what I think. Ori is a very powerful being, and if he is in not a circle, he may actually be able to conrol the Light's full power if he is able to get out of the loop. This means Sein and Seir may not be able to fully destroy him, but are instead tricking him into a circle, to be weakened time and time again, keeping Ori from defeating them. Although this may sound really dumb, it all makes sense when you consider that this may be the only reason for Sein and Seir to continue the circle.

Please feel free to let me know what you think, I really appreciate the input. Also, I really don't mind if this theory get's destroyed by evidence or something, I really just want to test it and see if it is legit and if it could count as a real theory, or maybe even part of the story.

But hey that's just a theory...AN-

[Spirit]

i think the light isn´t inherently evil , its just the light
the reason why the owls were burned in blind forest was simple : the tree doesn´t even knew they existed in the first place , settung tragic events in motion that almost ended in a forest fire
neither is the dark inherently evil because in moras lair the darkness hurt ori because there was no counterpart , aka light to keep it in check
i think there is a little error in your thought , when ori is the only spirit then why do trees birth a multitute of them in each cycle ?
the answer may or may be not that simple but i think its because to see wich one will survive and is worthy of bearing the light in the next cycle , this one it was ori but we will never know wich spirit will bear it after ori

[Zatmaggot]

Originally posted by Spirit:

i think the light isn´t inherently evil , its just the light
the reason why the owls were burned in blind forest was simple : the tree doesn´t even knew they existed in the first place , settung tragic events in motion that almost ended in a forest fire
neither is the dark inherently evil because in moras lair the darkness hurt ori because there was no counterpart , aka light to keep it in check
i think there is a little error in your thought , when ori is the only spirit then why do trees birth a multitute of them in each cycle ?
the answer may or may be not that simple but i think its because to see wich one will survive and is worthy of bearing the light in the next cycle , this one it was ori but we will never know wich spirit will bear it after ori

Even if the owls didn't die from the light being evil, it still makes sense as to why it could be. It shows how the light does not think of the well-being of the other residence in Niwen/Nibel. The Light is almost always doing things to benefit itself, never really caring about what cost it has on the other creatures. So, howcome Ku doesnt die? Ku is always very close to Light, and does not die. This suggests the Light kept her alive in order to preserve itself, as she eventually is the one to take Ori to Niwen and therefore continue the Light. If not for the Light keeping Ku, there would have never been anymore Light in Niwen. What I meant when I said that the Light is evil because it kills infant owls, is that the Light acted without thinking about the cost it would have on the rest of the land, only wanting Ori back so they could continue their circle. Back to Ku. here is why I think that Ori may be in a time loop, being different than the other Spirits. I think that Ori is actually able to take full control of the Light, as you may be able to see in some of my other replies. You see, Ku is revived at the end. This time. however, not to benefit the Light, but because Ori wanted her to be alive. There, in that moment, he was able to take control of the light. I believe, as mad as it sounds, that Seir and Sein may actually be trapping Ori in this loop. This would be the only reason for them to keep the Light alive, as they dont need it to survive. They must continue this loop at all costs, or Ori could be free. Ori is the true master of the Light and is simply no longer in control, he has the potential, but that's not enough.

But hey, that's just a theory, a-

Ok that's getting old now lol.

[Spirit]

i believe you interpret something into the whole story that isnt there , especially the "loop" theory is something i cannot believe because sein stated that sol and eki (the 2 spirits from naru´s backstory in blind forest DE) already existed when the tree that spawned ori was still a sprout
there is still one question unanswered : how fast do spirit trees grow ?
naru was a small child when she encountered those 2 fluffy light bunnies and when she left her father she has matured and the tree in the background was already big and had tons of spirits like ori , so how is ori special ?
he/she is special because he/she was found by naru and raised by her and got a different view of the world as the rest of his/her kind

[Zatmaggot]

Originally posted by Spirit:

i believe you interpret something into the whole story that isnt there , especially the "loop" theory is something i cannot believe because sein stated that sol and eki (the 2 spirits from naru´s backstory in blind forest DE) already existed when the tree that spawned ori was still a sprout
there is still one question unanswered : how fast do spirit trees grow ?
naru was a small child when she encountered those 2 fluffy light bunnies and when she left her father she has matured and the tree in the background was already big and had tons of spirits like ori , so how is ori special ?
he/she is special because he/she was found by naru and raised by her and got a different view of the world as the rest of his/her kind

I already said why Ori is special. He is able to use the light to restore Ku. This is the first time in the story the Light does something out of a wish, out of good. Ori is the one who should be able to control the light, not Seir/Sein. Basically Ori is special as he is able to restore Ku and take control of the light, as no other spirit has.

[Spirit]

we have no clue what the spirits were capable of when they became trees before ori , this is the reason why i think every spirit is special in their own way
sol was able to create balls of light , tatsu was able to climb , another one was strong and could stomp and so on and so on
ori is just the culmination of all those abillities to fulfill his role in its world , it was just a coincidence that he was the last one in both games

[JesterVae]

I don't think good and evil apply here, honestly. It's just life.

The spirit tree grows when a spirit merges with the Light. The tree produces spirits and protects the area around it from the Decay. When the trees is old or damaged, it dies, so the light must merge with another spirit and form a new tree.

The Decay isn't evil, either. It just grows in the absence of a spirit tree, like mold.

As for the lives lost, things die every day. If the spirit tree isn't restored, everything dies or is corrupted. It's a simple choice. Ku is important to us, but to all life? Not so much.

[MMRBKane]

My apologies for commenting on an "old thread," but I should mention that someone else on Reddit made a similar theory that I agree with. (here's the theory: https://www.reddit.com/r/OriAndTheBlindForest/comments/fxm1hr/the_second_twist_to_oatbf_that_never_really_gets/?msclkid=e7bed2fbc1d511ecb8cc3c08c4e05143 )
Considering that both theories say some of the same things, they are completely in agreement.
In any case, what are my thoughts on this theory? Although the theory isn't clear, there isn't much evidence to support it, but the game's creator left the door open to a spin-off or prequel. It is possible that another Ori game will provide more evidence and may prove this theory to be accurate. Please feel free to comment on my "inclusion."

[Theschwa1313]

Oh my god… I knew the light was a jerk!

[Tenjou]

I doubt that the trees are producing the corruption themselves. It's most likely that the corruption is trying to infest the trees so that they cannot perform their duty of purifying the decay and corruption.

In regards to the light hurting the owls. The world seems to take on a system of Yin and Yang. Opposing forces (light/dark) which intrinsically harm each other when the two sides colide. Both the Owls and Naru's people are alligned with the darkness, which is why the light of Nibil harms the owls and why Naru's father feared for his daughter's safety when she tried to play with the tree sprites (ori's people).

But I suspect that Naru has been corrupted by the light, due to her constant exposure while tending to Nibil throughout her life. This might be why she does not have the common horns that both her mother and father possessed. The very horns that all creatures have when they become corrupted by the darkness. This could also explain why Kuro could not fly, and why her wing was deformed. As a creature of darkness, she had been injured or corrupted by the light.

This being said, Ori and his light could be a threat to both Kuro and Naru, assuming that their exposure to ori and the light did not give them some resistance to the light.

This being said, the two forces are neither good nor evil. But are more alligned with life, death. And together they represent rebirth.