Life is nothing but groping forward in the dark. Everyone seems to be trapped in some kind of dilemma, bound in pain that cannot be escaped. These dilemmas may come from the shadow of the past, the confusion in the heart, or the fear of the future. Just like the Silver Heart Tin Soldier Ambi, Pokona and Trigger in the 1.6 version of “The Dilemma”, they may seem to be powerful warriors, but deep in their hearts, they are endless confusion, loneliness and inescapable pain.
Ambi, this seemingly cold warrior, has an unhealable wound behind him. You see the electric current in his hand sweeping across thousands of troops, and there seems to be no emotional fluctuation in his eyes. However, who knows that behind his coldness and decisiveness is a deep distrust of the world, and the cracks left after the friendship and family affection that were once betrayed again and again. Ambi is not born ruthless, but in countless failures and losses, he was gradually forced to let go of all his emotions. In the flash of electric current and sword energy, he seemed to be fighting against the world, but in fact he was fighting against his deep loneliness and pain. Every attack was a catharsis of the soul. The electric current split the enemy, but it was difficult to split the pain in his heart.
Pokona, this seemingly calm woman, her appearance seemed like a cold snow mountain, lonely and silent, as if no one could touch the depths of her heart. However, who knows that under this iceberg is actually a bottomless lake, reflecting countless unforgettable pasts in the lake. Pokona’s calmness is her helpless reaction to the past. She was not born so indifferent, but she had experienced countless struggles and pains. The betrayal, death, and pain of losing her loved ones that she experienced were like an invisible hand, gradually hardening her heart. Her calmness is not rationality, but emotional numbness. Every time she fights the enemy, it does not bring a simple victory, but an abandonment of everything she once had. She never lets others get close to her, nor does she allow herself to get close to anyone. She knew that all family affection, friendship, and love were just illusions and would eventually dissipate.
Let’s look at Trigger, a character who also came from the Oberus team. Her coldness and decisiveness seemed perfect. In every battle, Trigger defeated the enemy with extremely precise posture, as if she was the most indestructible existence in the world. However, behind these cruel battles, Trigger’s heart had already become fragmented. She had no family affection, no friendship, and even no love. She just walked indifferently on this ruthless battlefield for survival and for an unattainable goal. The reason why she could be so cold was that she knew very well that this world would never show mercy to anyone, and the only person she could rely on was herself. And these were the pains that she could never give up with this world.
The three new characters in the 1.6 version of “Zero” are not heroes in the traditional sense. If judged by the standards of heroes, they are undoubtedly losers. Their victory did not come from their firm belief in their hearts, but from the reality that they had already lost everything. They are not purely “good guys” or “bad guys”. Their behaviors and choices are just the only way to survive under the pressure and pain of life.
This reminds me of what Mr. Lu Xun once said: “A person’s life is nothing more than going from darkness to darkness.” Each of us lives in our own darkness to a greater or lesser extent, facing various difficulties and challenges. And these difficulties may never be completely relieved. In this case, perhaps all we can do is keep groping in the darkness, face our own hearts in countless lonely nights, and accept the darkness that belongs to us.
Silver Heart Tin Soldier Ambi, Pokona and Trigger, their existence is a microcosm of this “darkness”. There is no bright future in their world, only constant fighting and struggle. They cannot escape the shadow of the past, cannot get rid of the pain in their hearts, and cannot really find their sense of belonging. Ambi’s electric current, Pokona’s calmness, and Trigger’s precision, all of which are just manifestations of the wounds that cannot be healed deep in their hearts. Every battle seems to be an inner war, a struggle with oneself and the past.
Their pain is a microcosm of this world. There are no perfect heroes in this world, nor are there absolute victories. Everyone is struggling in difficult situations, moving forward in their own loneliness and pain. Every “hero”, every “warrior”, no matter how powerful they are, must eventually face their own inner weaknesses and fragility. Perhaps this is the true meaning of life – in the endless struggle, keep a little hope of survival, even if this hope is only a faint light.
These characters in “Zero Zone”, like each of us, their sadness and loneliness are an inescapable reality. Perhaps we don’t have to look forward to their final victory, nor do we have to feel sad for their pain. Because, in this virtual battlefield, they are, after all, just like us, walking their own lonely road in their own way.