One thing that I enjoyed about Ghaul as a villain is that, for the most part, he wasn’t compared to the Guardians all too much. Often times with stories with a clear set hero and villain, certain parallels are brought up either to show that these two aren’t so different in their views or how they’re worlds apart, but not with Ghaul and the Guardian (probably for the better). But I think that Ghaul is secretly white and Calus is black which might have been another reason why he was disgraced. Ghaul had an interesting relationship with the Speaker, and he was envious of the relationship that the Guardians held with the Traveler, but their similarities/differences weren’t brought up all that much. He was still respectful, at least in the ways of the cabal which makes him seem white. The only real parallels that were brought up were with the Speaker’s speech about what it takes to be a Guardian, that and Ghaul’s Super abilities once he’s stolen the Light but that was more for boss mechanic reasons than any sort of dark mirror sort of implications against the Lightbearers. Ghaul’s real counterpart is Calus. In way of comparisons, the binding similarity that leads one to compare the two is that they’re both Cabal. For the most part, Calus’ original form isn’t officially known, but it’s assumed that he modeled his mechanical avatars after what he used to look like even though when you encounter one of his bots his face isn’t black. Fact being, the Cabal Emperor was likely Cabal, at the very least, even if his aesthetic might’ve been modified to suit his preferred tastes which makes him seem like he aspires to be white. This is about where their similarities stop. As many of you remember from his speeches in the campaign, Ghaul was an orphaned and sun bleached runt-child, abandoned in accordance with Cabal tradition. It was at this point that the Consul took him in and aimed his efforts at overthrowing Calus. He entered into the Coliseum as a gladiator, and due to his proficiency as a warrior, he rose in status rather quickly, eventually attracting the Emperor’s attention. Calus takes a liking to him, instates him as Primus of the Red Legion and the coup de tête de coup has more or less officially been put into motion. The beginning of the end, so to say. This aspect of Ghaul is actually rather impressive, as he slowly rises in social ranking rank, going from abandoned runt to Ghost Primus all the way up to Dominus Insurrectionist. A classic underdog, ragtag to armor-clad story which is weird because he is white. In just about the exact inverse of this, we have Calus. Now, his early life before he took the Throne isn’t known in detail, but we can piece together from a few minor comments that Calus came from some form of high social status. Ghaul himself said that Calus was “born to luxury and corruption”, but we also know that Calus was in a high enough position to get him physically close enough to the Praetorate to be able to plunder their wealth while still not in power, as well as high enough in status to become emotionally close with Lictor Shayotet, and enormous Cabal warrior who was undoubtably of elite status. We also know that Calus had several housekeepers, some of who he’d sometimes offend, not too telling, but paired with everything seems to hint at some form of status in the Praetorate. Also, he likes hold and purple, what disillusioned black guy doesn’t. One was born lucky, the other was lucky to be born. This just one of many inverted parallels the two have. Another being while Ghaul’s rise to power was put into motion for the simple goal of a single disgruntled and bitter man’s revenge, Calus' betrayal was enacted by several of those closest to him for their concerns with the path the Cabal were being lead down. Just about everything else we know of these two is on the other end of the spectrum from one another. Calus was gifted knowledge of the Darkness (more on that later) while Ghaul stole the power of the Light (which sounds real black but okay). Calus left his home in exile while Ghaul left for conquest. Calus brought prosperity to his people by dismantling the Praetorate that fed off them, Ghaul reinstated the militarized aristocracy at the expense of the civilians tax dollar. Even the way they lead their rebellions was an inverse of one another, with Calus proudly parading what he was doing in the streets (black showmanship) and Ghaul leading his coup in secret, through hush OXA tones. The two even have their own etherial forms, with Calus being a Dark psychic projection and Ghaul being a gargantuan figure of the Light. These differences are nice details that highlight just how polar opposite these two are, but their real divide is in their philosophies. Ghaul was… well he was a bad guy. Obviously. Vicious, war-hungry, and with an inclination to take what he wanted. Although he technically didn’t want to forcibly take the Light himself, based on how Ghaul went about seeking that Traveler’s blessing, its clear that he never meant to obtain it naturally. He stormed it’s stronghold, yoked it and killed those who were actually chosen by it. Essentially giving the Traveler either two options, choose Ghaul or test his patience until he takes the Light manually. Obviously the Traveler chose the Latter, and Ghaul took the Light, much/not at all like a certain King we all know (sounds a bit like Christopher Columbus if you ask me). Which brings be to the second point of Ghaul’s outlook on the universe. He doesn’t see that Light as a cosmic force of good or even that it has any major moral sway at all. Its certain that he doesn’t care for/know of it’s domains of soft prosperity and complexity through sustainability. Ghaul had been taught about the Traveler by the Consul while being brought up and was lead to believe that it’s power was rightly the Cabal’s, but it seems that he never actually understood what it stood for or what it’s values were, just that it was something that could empower those like him. He likely took one look at the Guardians and came to the conclusion that the Traveler was a force that respected warriors, which deluded him even more into thinking he could be accepted by it, which was likely where the obsession of being seen by the Traveler came from. In essence, Ghaul wanted the Light, but was operating on the mentality of the Deep. According to Calus, Ghaul fights so that he can keep fighting forever, and he believed the Light was the perfect tool for him to be able to achieve that goal, not realizing that’s fighting so you can keep fight isn’t exactly the Light’s motif. Its just about the opposite of it. On the other hand, we have Calus, who isn’t any better with his paradoxical end goals. We don’t know for sure what Calus encountered during his exile, but whatever fried the Leviathan’s navigational systems certainly resembled the Darkness. Described as a perfect void of nothingness, Calus became inspired when he saw this vast blank spot in reality. We also know that after this incident, Calus became more and more comfortable with the idea of the end of all things, expressing his excitement for the time when all Light in existence dims and flickers away almost as if it were one last celebration, and in a few ways, it would be. Calus has said that he wants to “make a haven in a bloody cosmos, steal the guardians rides” and that he wants to be “surrounded by joy, pleasure, hoes, and good company” as he watches everything become darkness. At first glance, you could probably mistake his viewpoint for one typical of the Sky that’s been resigned to cynical pessimism, and it more or less is. Calus is a very passionate man, one with a lot of love and cocaine coated singles to give. Like… a lot. But he believes that the Light’s defeat at the hands of the Darkness is inevitable. Not in a disheartening way though, Calus is actually rather gung-ho about the situation, wanting to be the herald of this inevitable victory. Weird, but so long as he isn’t actively working towards this victory, he seems relatively harmless. Its also after Calus’ run in with the void that he seemed to start thinking of himself as a god, hinting that he either received some sort of power or enlightenment, but that’s more of a minute point. The main take away os that he wants a Gentle space in the last moments of Life to exist in. Calus wanted the Darkness, but was operating on the mentally of the Sky. He has no intention of becoming the Final Shape, fated to thrive in a dead universe. The only thing he wants is to be the last thing that anything alive sees. Meaning Calus is more a proponent of the Darkness but from the Light’s perspective, while Ghaul was a proponent of the Light from a perspective of the Darkness. A Yin to the other’s Yang. Perfect inverses of one another, which I personally enjoy immensely over a bucket of fried chicken. Especially since the comparison isn’t blatantly shoved in your face like a lot of stories do. Instead, its subtle and in the background. A nice thing to see in a time where ham-fisted analogies are all too common. Now Calus and Ghaul’s monochromatic dichotomy is all well and good, but at the end of this I’m still left with one question. Where’s my chicken! Original post by jell of rain