Potatocis vs Frankus, the human factor

What makes Frankus a more relatable character than Potatocis? Is it environment or nuturing? Nature is not a factor because Frankus is another version of Potatocis therefore, Nurture wins out over Nature because the two Emperors are very different. Technically, they should be the same but something made Frankus more relatable, enjoyable and approachable.

I believe that environment does play a roll in a more general sense. Although both were created with the same purpose in mind, Frankus has the advantage of not having to war immediately with Ps. I believe that this may have slightly modified behaviour but it, by no means, made Frankus more human. His more relatable personality and more likeable traits are most likely from a combination of factors. The first being upbringing.

Potatocis' upbringing was mostly focused on eliminating the threat to his people. He was born to die, as he himself said. He was created in a time of war and unrest. This would create a hardened character by necessity. Although we can assume he loved his people, it was rarely apparent. Frankus came to power immediately after the threat of Ps was seemingly eliminated which would put him in a more relaxed atmosphere of hope. Once in a while, a more firm Frankus does appear but most of the time, when there is no threat, he is softer.

Secondly, Frankus had the advantage of being raised by a strong independant woman who genuinely cared for the new Emperor. This constant show of kindness would make him want to be kind, at least towards her. As she was showing him compassion, he was learning it and integrating it into his personality. Potatocis was treated as a mere tool, a weapon who was not allowed to show emotion and was often left alone to fend for himself as he grew older. His whole identity revolved around the purpose of his creation.

Another possibility that could have made Frankus more human is the fact that, contrary to Potatocis, Frankus does not have to worry about the loyalty of the people who surround him every day. These people have been kind and honest, even telling him the truth when they knew he would not accept their help. They have stood beside him and held him up when he showed fear privately and cared for him. They have shown compassion and a will to help. This has caused a mirroring effect which has become much stronger in recent days. Frankus has created relationships with certain people that did not exist with Potatocis and this has given him the advantage. Frankus will have more support from others because of these relationships and his show of vulnerability which make him more human and more relatable than Potatocis.

Although Potatocis did not stand alone for the final battle against PS, he knew that some of the peolple who were helping, we're doing so only for their own gain. The reason Potatocis gained the support of Mia was because he had shown her his vulnerability. Although Potatocis was ashamed by his actions, he decided to open up and share them with her. The fact that he did so also showed that he was just as human as everyone else but he himself, stopped himself from showing it. If this event had not taken place, her motives would have been much different. In seeing the vulnerability, she gave him a chance to be better

Another point which helps Frankus be more relatable is trust in relationships. Potatocis never really trusted anyone except Empress Samirah. Proof is even apparent right before he died when he said to Mia: I hope you won't betray me. Of course, Potatocis was betrayed many times so he did have a reason to entertain the possibility. One of the first moments, when Frankus took power, Mia opened her mind and asked him to look. That was a very important moment in that relationship because there is no way memories can lie. There were moments where it would have been easier to lie, she chose to tell the truth because of respect. Whenever he seemed slightly concerned about loyalty, she would give him her memories or let him in on her plans. This difference of behaviour on her part, also made him less paranoid and more trusting.

On a more psychological level, Potatocis is at a severe disadvantage. Psychology shows that physical pain and trauma can cause a shift in personality. Usually the person experiencing this will either close themselves and pull away from society. They may seem distant, cold and easy to anger, especially if the pain is hidden or invisible. This is the case with Potatocis. With the severity of the damage and having to stand up and fight for the Republic, there would be a sense of bitterness and a cold detachment. Only very few people could reach behind that wall that he has created to protect himself. Frankus is relatively undamaged therefore he has not had to deal with the distress and angst of constant and severe pain, nor does he have to hide his true self. Also, having a better support network is all at his advantage. We can only hope that his support network will not fail in the future because of short tempers.
Potatocis also created as tool, a weapon. He was never meant to be an individual let alone a son. Let's discuss here the emotional damage this can cause to a person. Potatocis was capable of feeling but, because he was never assigned the social role of son or even individual by his "creator" he would not have any emotional attachment. When one's social role is tool of war or weapon, one does not think as oneself as having any value. The indoctrinated role would be one of weapon therefore, whatever he did would have to increase his value as a mortally dangerous being. His entire existence was geared to eliminating the threats to the Empire, but, he does have emotions. Most of those emotions would be geared toward making his creator proud and successful missions. Anything else was of no importance to him, until he met Samirah. This would have created a small hole in his armor. He now knew what it felt like to be an individual and not just a weapon to be used. This change is subtle and occurs over time. Frankus has the advantage of having a father, who was not very present but who seemed to care for him as an individual. Although, he sometimes falls back on his purpose in life being his mission, he is much more emotionally intelligent than Potatocis. This can be seen in many examples including when he opens up to Mia and tells her how important she is to him. He also has the advantage of having a very caring mother who sees  him as a son and not as a tool. Sometimes, he needs a reminder that his purpose can be something other than being a tool or a weapon by the relationships that he values.
Potatocis has also faced a lot of loss in his  lifetime. The fact that some of his brothers went missing and others turned to the forces of chaos has had a real impact on his psyche. He must always keep himself in check because he knows that, if his brothers turned, he could also easily turn. This causes him to be more guarded. Auto evaluation is a must. The loss of his brothers to the forces of Chaos, death and disappearances would have negatively impacted him. This would have caused him to be more paranoid, always thinking that the forces of chaos are after him and creating self doubt. The advantage goes to Frankus here because he is much younger and has not experienced betrayal and this type of loss first hand. Although he has learned the history and the events of the past, he was not personally involved. The distance between himself and the events give him the chance to believe in himself and others and o trust that, perhaps, there is good in this world and, although he must realize the threat of the forces of Chaos, he does not become paranoid. Although introspection and caution are important. he understands that not everyone is against him and knows he can rely on a certain number of people for loyalty. He also knows that if he starts to stray, he will be put back in check.

Potatocis was also faced with trickery on a daily basis, even from the people he trusted at one time whereas Frankus has yet to experience this as an Emperor. Although a certain level of mistrust is healthy for an Emperor, Frankus has become completely unguarded in his relationships but, when he sees an action that could lead to betrayal, he builds his wall back up until the loyalty of the person is proved. in order to get ahead of this, Mia immediately lets him read her mind or informs him of whatever she is working on before any suspicions can arise. She understands that he can revert to not trusting someone easily therefore she is willing to share certain personal things to keep the trust unbroken.

In conclusion, nurture and personal experience have created an Emperor who is more human than the previous, although Potatocis had begun to find his humanity and his role as an individual, he only found trust in the last few moments of his life. Frankus started his role as Emperor in a very different manner than Potatocis which gave him a chance to achieve individuality and humanity much faster than Potatocis. His support system and relationships is what gave him the advantage over Potatocis for him to be more relatable if this s a good thing remains to be seen. I believe that it is an advantage for Frankus to be able to feel like a person instead of a tool and weapon because, although he is more human, he is fully capable of reverting to the guarded Emperor when it becomes necessary.

-Mia Pallas