Rukyo's Ethical Crossroads: Justice, Mercy, Truth, and Loyalty

In the case of Rukyo, he had two major ethical dilemmas that he was forced to face in his lifetime. The first was when he came into contact with the man that caused the burning of his home planet. He was fighting with the Leruican Army when he recognized the face of one of his opponents. Rukyo knew that he was a skilled fighter and could defeat and kill this man easily in combat but he also knew that the proper punishment for this man should be determined in the Leruican court system.

The dilemma in this case is justice vs. mercy.

Rukyo could kill this man and serve him justice in his own eyes or he could turn him into the authorities and in a way show him mercy. There is no punishment for Rukyo either way. The reward for killing him immediately is that instant satisfaction. The satisfaction that you get when you give to someone what you think they deserve.

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The reward for turning the man in is the deep inner satisfaction you gain from doing the right thing. The problem is that from the first scenario there is a known outcome. And the outcome is that the man is dead. Rukyo knows that he was punished for his crimes.

The second scenario has an unknown outcome. If Rukyo turns him in then he doesn’t know what will happen to him. For all Rukyo knows he will be set free. So Rukyo decides to approach him and fight and Rukyo defeats him in battle.

The guy burned his home planet so Rukyo defeated him in battle. Justice is served but Rukyo is not completely satisfied in his revenge. The reason is because he didn’t go through the proper process. He never got any recognition for his good deed. In the end he felt a little empty because even though he knew he did the right thing, he was the only one.

Read more: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied Meaning

He learned that justice is empty if there is no recognition for it. The second scenario Rukyo finds himself in-between his master from Delitor and the ruling officials. His master had committed a crime that Rukyo had witnessed. There was going to be a trial to determine the fate of the master. So the dilemma is between truth vs. loyalty. Should Rukyo tell the truth and doom his master or should he be loyal and save the one that he loves. The rewards and consequences are very clear to see. It’s a decision between saving and losing a loved one. But saving his master comes with a price.

The price is telling a lie and therefore losing a little part of his character. Rukyo loves his Master and so he chooses to lie. Honestly, he doesn’t feel that bad about it either. He justifies his actions with his love. And he learned something about himself. He would rather be a loving person over a truthful one. Someone who knows Rukyo can tell that he is the oldest child. He displays all the symptoms according to Adler. He is motivated, independent, and strong. Some would call him a natural born leader. If something needs to be done, he is he first to volunteer.

When he was a child, he was always in charge of his brothers. Rukyo told them what to do and they obeyed. Now his superiors have put him over several people in the army. You can tell that he has a strong sense of purpose and destiny. Rukyo is also an excellent student. He doesn’t like to read much but he is the first to learn a new maneuver. He is also tri-lingual. He has learned language during his journey with several of the armies that he has served. He is also very concerned with achievement. He hopes to be a general someday. All of these thing point toward him being the first born in his family.