Skaia is the real villain of Homestuck.

[Darth_Energon]

Or it may not as benevolent as some people may think.

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[thorondraco]

A statement thta john made always comes to mind when i think of Skaia.

He once said his power over the narrative can make things appear like they have always been that way. Even though he ultimate changed things. Something i htink some people overlook.

Skaia, or whatever is behind its existence, can easily make it appear that it always existed. Even if it had to have a starting point lost to time.

[calamityCons]

I always interpreted the Skaian vs Prospitian war to be one reflecting the attitudes anyone might have to learning that their destiny sucks. Derse sees destiny and fucking despises it, refuses to let this endless cycle of ripping kids away from their homes and realities into Skaia/The Game's bullshit relentless maw, while Prospit decides to make the process as fun and painless as possible because it's going to happen even if they try to stop it.

This is why I found Homestuck's 4th act extremely compelling, because Act 4 was when we started to get a taste of "maybe this isn't actually okay," with Davesprite and Terezi killing John. I found it super engaging and I wanted to see whether Doc Scratch and his manipulative destiny fate bullshit would win out or if the kids would find a way to kick destiny/Skaia in the face and let them the fuck out. It's pretty clear to me that Skaia is just a cosmic entity who wants to continue to exist, and to do that it must do things it doesn't even register as being immoral and bad. The kids are also cosmic entities who want to continue to exist. They are naturally in conflict.

[thorondraco]

I always interpreted the Skaian vs Prospitian war to be one reflecting the attitudes anyone might have to learning that their destiny sucks. Derse sees destiny and fucking despises it, refuses to let this endless cycle of ripping kids away from their homes and realities into Skaia/The Game's bullshit relentless maw, while Prospit decides to make the process as fun and painless as possible because it's going to happen even if they try to stop it.

This is why I found Homestuck's 4th act extremely compelling, because Act 4 was when we started to get a taste of "maybe this isn't actually okay," with Davesprite and Terezi killing John. I found it super engaging and I wanted to see whether Doc Scratch and his manipulative destiny fate bullshit would win out or if the kids would find a way to kick destiny/Skaia in the face and let them the fuck out. It's pretty clear to me that Skaia is just a cosmic entity who wants to continue to exist, and to do that it must do things it doesn't even register as being immoral and bad. The kids are also cosmic entities who want to continue to exist. They are naturally in conflict.

Without Skaia there won't be more frogs and more realities. A planet sacrificed to generate octillions of lives and planets. But is this the actual order of reality? or a device someone is using to seize control over the Void for their own purposes.

Perhaps the dersites are right and destiny IS bullshit. in the sense that destiny is being decided by other beings and not the players of the game. Being who are in fact not greater than the kids they puppet to their cause.

[JakeMorph]

Skaia only has power over one thing.

[rookie1978]

Realistic answer : Skaia is just written as a plot device so Hussie can write off coincidences and lazy writing as 'skaia wills it' the same as 'the force wills it' is used in Star Wars.

In-universe answer : Skaia and by extension Sburb/Sgrub has no true creator as even the Horrorterrors (akin to Cthulhu-like outer gods of immeasurable power) can sometimes be bound within the game's logic, and thus Skaia is more likened to the god figure of the Homestuck universe, no matter if your actually in the game or not since Skaia has proven it doesn't care about time or logic and things will happen anyway. Saying Skaia is a villain because it lets bad things happen in the game is like saying God is the real villain of christianity because he hasn't came down to Earth and stopped all the wars. Skaia is an incomprehensible being that may or may not be alive and in the end is just a bunch of things happening because they happen. There's no real moral dichotomy to Skaia, so Skaia simply CANNOT be 'good or bad'. It just is, and it will be, seemingly forever.

[thorondraco]

Realistic answer : Skaia is just written as a plot device so Hussie can write off coincidences and lazy writing as 'skaia wills it' the same as 'the force wills it' is used in Star Wars.

In-universe answer : Skaia and by extension Sburb/Sgrub has no true creator as even the Horrorterrors (akin to Cthulhu-like outer gods of immeasurable power) can sometimes be bound within the game's logic, and thus Skaia is more likened to the god figure of the Homestuck universe, no matter if your actually in the game or not since Skaia has proven it doesn't care about time or logic and things will happen anyway. Saying Skaia is a villain because it lets bad things happen in the game is like saying God is the real villain of christianity because he hasn't came down to Earth and stopped all the wars. Skaia is an incomprehensible being that may or may not be alive and in the end is just a bunch of things happening because they happen. There's no real moral dichotomy to Skaia, so Skaia simply CANNOT be 'good or bad'. It just is, and it will be, seemingly forever.

There is one issue to that idea.

Whose to say its always existed? Because the power over narrative holds a dark secret.

The power can make it appear as if what is happening was always going to happen. Skaia makes it appear as if this system always has existed and will exist. Because it can create the illusion that it always has, and make it seem like it always has.

both John and now Dirk have said as much.

[MorganMustDie]

broke: Skaia represents puberty/destiny/other dumb cliche shit

woke: Skaia represents being thrust into a world that "works" without a satisfactory explanation. Looking for guidance or advice for how to survive in this world only leads you to more questions, heartbreak, and confusion. You are expected to fall in line, to do as the invisible hand tells you. Prospit and Derse might be representative of a moral conflict, a cognitive dissonance, an "angel and devil upon the shoulder." The first tells you to go along with it, you'll be better off if you don't fight it. The second says fuck that, kick the system's ass, wreck its shit. But of course, if Derse wins, do you get your universe? Do you get your reward? If you don't follow the whims of the world you're thrust into, what benefit do you gain other than the illusion of righteousness? Skaia rewards you for following its rules, and for being a good little god and obeying its orders. Fighting for your own free will gets you nowhere.

As a coming of age story, this is a very cool and artistic way to depict what it feels like being thrust into an adult world that has rules, regulations, and just "works" without ever being given much of an explanation for why it works.