A Tribute To Ed

[Crazy Carl]

ed did die when nita and kit saw him again they were in timeheart temporaroly the flaming water gives it away.

[Onua Wingstar]

Ed showed a lot of Courage sacraficing himself for Nita.

But in a way he was following his nature to end distress.

The thought of dying distressed Nita. Ed ended that distress by taking her place willingly.

Whether or not it's accurate, that's a very interesting way of looking at it. I believe that deep down, perhaps Ed was distressed at the fact that he couldn't die, and he knew Nita was distressed at the fact that she was going to die, so he ended both cases at once.

I also believe he did it because Nita loved him, and in a way, he loved her back. Not a romantic love, or even a brotherly love, but the kind of love you feel when someone just tugs at your heart. (That was badly expressed...but do you know what I mean?) Their relationship (nicknames and all) was one of my favorite aspects of DW.

I'm not going to say this right, and it's going to sound wacked, but I think the nicknames they gave each other were a nice way of showing this relationship on the surface. I'm certain no one had ever called Ed by a nickname before. Maybe Ed realized that he was loved by someone (though he would never show it) and finally found that opportunity he was waiting for; not just to die but to die for someone who mattered.

[nitafan211]

Wow, Onua, that was exactly what I was going to type! Except you worded it a ton better than I could have.

I compleatly agree, I think Ed was finding out what it was to love someone. If not love then like.. He even said himself how he wasent happy being alone.

Shesh, Onua summed it up for me. Thats all I have to say.

[nitafan211]

I now name this topic keeled!

(sorry 'bout the one liner!)

[Nightvol: Lord of the Horde]

I certainly wish that Ed hadn't died, but in the end it was for the best. His character had been used up anyway, and if DD had continued with him he would just be a shell, unable to preoduce the same type of results.

[Ankaa]

I agree with Onua; I think that part--if not all--of the reason why Ed finally sacrificed himself was that he loved Nita. Maybe because...well, I don't know why exactly. Suffice to say Ed had found a time to die. He was ancient, and he died to save the life of a young human: a "sprat". I think this was the only thing he felt was worth dying for, or instead of: Nita, and what she stood for.

[Sibby]

I love Ed. He's such an awesome character. To have someone that cold and ruthless be a /good/ guy isn't something authors do everyday.

I agree with pretty much everything that's already been said here. Ed and Nita did share a kind of bond, not romanticly, or like siblings- just a bond. That was probebly the first time anyone had cared about Ed, and the first time he had cared back as well.

Ed killed himself for three reasons, I believe.

1. To allow Nita, his first and only friend, to live.
2. So that he could die. Immortality is no fun.
3. To save the ocean. I think Ed actually cared about the world. He didn't show it, and no one expected him to, but he cared. I mean, his entire job was to end pain! How much more caring can you get? Most may be upset by the way he ends pain, but would you rather those creatures live on in pain and unhappiness? His job was like uthenization (I can't spell. It's supposed be what its called when you put animals to sleep), only not as pretty and clean.

[Fox]

Maybe he thought it was the job of the strong to protect the weak, at that time Ed protected Nita who he considered weak. But your right, he loved Nita in his own way. He was a great chara, wonder what Shark replaced him?
Fox

[the_peridexis]

i miss Ed a lot! he was an ingenious character. you know how there are those ppl who belive everything should be cute and cuddly? well Ed kinda shows you that it isn't like that, but even though he'd tear you apart, he still had good in him.

[Dragon Writer]

Yeah, I kind of liked ed...I hated the idea of him eating nita, but I certainly liked ed.

[Phrediosa]

I anticipated that he would sacrifice himself in Nita's place as soon as he had that conversation with Nita about how he had lived so long without knowing what the 'other joys' were.

[trevbook]

Like, sorry for me thinking this, but I thought when I was first reading this, that like, ed was gong to start eating Nita, and he'd kill her and she would just come back in her human body or something. But I really liked ed when he first introduced himself. He was like, all, ooh, I am so big and scary, I could eat you (even though your a frickin whale) in one bite. But i really liked ed, and i hated how he died, but better him then Nita.

[Lelouche]

Yeah, Ed was a great character. Even though he was portrayed as a killing machine designed in every way to end life, I find myself fearing sharks a lot less now that I've read this book. It really made me think about how it's not really sharks' faults that they're so vicious.

I definitely think, like Onua and everyone else, that Ed was distressed and upset that he couldn't die or have a relationship with another, and that Nita was the first person, wizard, human, whale, shark, or otherwise, to have really bonded with him and tried to understand him. I hadn't really though of their nicknames for each other as anything special before reading this thread, but now it seems apt; they're sort of symbolic of Nita and Ed's relationship and its uniquness.

On the other hand, away from all the emotions, I really did like Ed for his calm, efficient attitude, and the way he rarely expressed emotion. It really wasn't his fault that he was designed to kill, and he was right when he said that you should put effort into what you do (I dunno if he actually said this, but I kinda remember something along those lines... maybe that you should love your work?...) For some reason, I keep thinking that he would be a really great chess player.

Anyway, those are all my opinions on Ed.

[smile]

here's to Ed

I love Ed. Really. He was dangerous, and a little scary, and Kit was certainly scared for Nita when they first met him. My signature has always had the Ed quote, from the start.

But I wasn't really ever scared of him... he was honest, and somehow more about ending pain. That was what he did, and he is still doing in Timeheart (though not really much pain in Timeheart).

Ed seems kind, as a shark, for a shark

I don't think my thoughts are cohesive about Ed, but... here's to Ed, the shark of the mastery, who ends pain, and is now loved...

[estar9821]

I was scared of Ed at first, but he was very philosophical. He had a new outlook on life. That's probably why I like these books so much, they provide so many outlooks on life!