I'm confused as to the Bullet's Past... [SPOILERS]

[My name can't be thirtytwo chara]

So in the original timeline, the Bullet presumably failed in his task, or ran away or something, even though unlike all the other pasts he doesn't make a major choice.

If that's the case, why doesn't Cannon rule the Gungeon? Was he later usurped by someone else? Why does the Bullet want to change it then? And how did the Bullet get the true version of Blasphemy? Why does it conquer the dungeon rather than just walking through? Is that just what one needs to do to change the past?

How is he a traitor? Why does all it's title text act like he betrayed the Gungeon?

[King Yamato]

I guess the huge plot twist is that actually the Bullet WON his past before, differently from all the other gungeoneers. He's kind of meant to be that guy which is different.

The 'Traitor' bit is that first of all: He uses a sword. An actual sword. In the "GUN"geon. Every melee item in this game gives you curse, Blasphemy doesn't.
And second: The Bullet is a bullet kin. You kill bullet kins with The Bullet. He's betraying his own kind when you play as him.

"why doesn't Cannon rule the Gungeon?"
"And how did the Bullet get the true version of Blasphemy?"

Read above: The Bullet won his past before. That's why he has the upgraded Blasphemy he gets after killing Cannon.

That's the only real thing which makes sense and as for why you can go to his past... is just to re-live that moment of awesomeness.

Bullet is the true Gungeon hero.

[My name can't be thirtytwo chara]

But /why/ does he kill bullets!? Do they hate him for using a sword? What about the people celebrating at the end?

I do like your theory though, it's nice.

[King Yamato]

I don't like spawning theories so I just try to piece what I get from the game in order to make sense of it.

The only real 'reason' we see in story for The Bullet to be a playable character is that the player spares red-caped bullet kins (which might or might not be related to The Bullet) and from Agunim's ammonomicon page stating that he might return (I think?), so there are two answers:

First, non canon, practical answer: It's funny playing as a backwards character and interesting in a game sense that you have to play melee instead of guns. You also play as what would be 'the goomba' of the series.

Second, trying to see some plot there answer: The Bullet has defeated Cannon in the past, but after years of training (look at that badass boss fight mugshot) he learned Agunim was returning, so he goes on the Gungeon yet again to stop him.

In either case, those 5 red caped bullet kin you decide to spare might've been his allies or something. You could say they were the Bullet himself but he's too iconic with his sword and the caped kin use guns.

[My name can't be thirtytwo chara]

Yeah, I feel your direction.

[theunbalancedone]

I have my own theory about the bullet's past, though keep in mind that on it's own it doesn't explain how the Blasphemy gained it's power after if you go with this theory.

My theory is that originally, the Bullet failed in his quest to slay Canon or Agunim but somehow survived.

In the Ammonomican, the entries of Canon, Agunim and his shadow state that as long as he was in power, it was impossible to use The Gun to kill the past, and until you come along with The Bullet, it was true. However, once you use The Bullet to kill the past despite that, the Red Caped Bullet begins to appear. So the Bullet hero sought the gungeoneers out to find a way to change the past, thus he is truely the betrayer to his kind.

As for lack of evidence of Canon and his minions appearing before, well I figure he was mostly the leader of a 'heretical cult' among the bullets, but aside from creating the interferance around the effects of The Gun, he was never the Master of the Gungeon, and in fact if he lived anywhere it was connected to the Abbey of the True Gun, well off the beaten path.

As for how the Blasphemy got powered up despite his failure, well the Bullet had who knows how many years to find some alternate way to reforge the sword in the vague hope of one day defeating Canon.

[Index]

Maybe he defeated Cannon but Agunim managed to barely get away somehow. So he got the sword by defeating cannon but since Agunim survived, he knew Cannon might be revived yet again some day and that's why he had to go back to his past. He had to finish off both of them.