Sun Tzu and Anime: Gods' Games We Play Character Analysis
Sun Tzu and Anime: Kami wa Game ni Ueteiru Character Analysis
Spring is here in full force, so let's enjoy the transition with more of Sun Tzu's exceptional wisdom rating anime's greatest.
As a quick refresher, here's how the rating system works. Sun Tzu cited Five Essential Factors to be Mastered for Victory: Morality, Weather, Terrain, Good Leadership, and Preparation. All under consideration can receive 0-10 points in each category. However, he also cited Five Fatal Failings of Leadership: Recklessness, Cowardice, A Hasty Temper (Anger for simplicity), Delicacy of Honor (DOH), and Caring Too Much About the Troops (Over-caring). All under consideration can lose 0-10 points in each category. At the end, the scores are tallied, and the results reveal how effective a character is in Sun Tzu's eyes, with the best aiming for 40 or better.
This time, we're checking out a recent title: the primary cast from Gods' Games We Play. As always, to keep things fair, we'll analyze them in the order they were formally introduced.
Advertisement
Character Analysis: Leoleshea
Gods' Games We Play: Leoleshea
Gods' Games We Play: Leoleshea
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 7 | She's got a good heart and is very protective of her friends, yet can be selfish, namely over her primary goal: clearing the Gods' Games so she can return to the Heavens. |
| Weather | 10 | Thanks to her strength, magic, and keen senses, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 5 | She's very capable due to her agility, but got careless while playing hide-and-seek…and got frozen in an iceberg. Worse, she's also very clumsy, particularly in the Labyrinth. |
| Good Leadership | 6 | She's very potent, especially when defending her friends or silencing naysayers, yet her rogue tendencies leave her jumping between follower and lone wolf. |
| Preparation | 8 | She's got some good tactical skills, especially when facing Titan and Ouroboros, plus can shuffle cards to where she can draw a Straight Flush (poker's highest hand type) on the first pass. However, she somehow didn't know transitioning to Earth was a one-way trip. |
| Total | 36 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -9 | Major red flag. She often underestimates foes, most infamously Grimoire, and is extremely impulsive when she's angry or annoyed, like when she pummeled the Apostles trash-talking the Gods. |
| Cowardice | -2 | She froze when Fay confronted her over her escapades, but that was a lone exception. |
| Anger | -8 | Serious red flag. She's got a violent temper, plus is easily triggered, most commonly by those who insult her friends, although she also flared up while interrogating Fay. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -8 | Serious red flag. She's extremely cocky, something that's never truly tempered despite several close calls; she's also very vain, namely over Pearl's more feminine physique. |
| Over-caring | -4 | She cares very deeply for her friends, something that slowly grows over time, and is very possessive of Fay. |
| Total | -31 |
Final Assessment
Score: 5 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Fay Theophilis
Gods' Games We Play: Fay Theophilis
Gods' Games We Play: Fay Theophilis
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 9 | He's a wonderful person and loyal friend, plus he loves playing games because they're fun versus plain winning. Unfortunately, he sometimes gets a tad blunt, such as when he famously yelled at Anubis in the Labyrinth, "I've found your greatest weakness: you're stupid!" |
| Weather | 10 | Thanks to his keen eye, experience, and senses, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 7 | He's very capable, although he sometimes gets caught off-guard, like when he nearly got flattened by Titan, as well as when he inadvertently tripped several traps in the Labyrinth. |
| Good Leadership | 8 | He's an amazing strategist and gifted party leader, particularly with deception and coordination, although he did go rogue when trying to find his childhood BFF. |
| Preparation | 9 | He's a skilled planner, has a photographic memory, and knows many tricks, but still sometimes wings things. |
| Total | 43 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -6 | He often underestimates foes, and can be impulsive over his childhood BFF, given how he famously spent six months trying to track her down after receiving a tip. |
| Cowardice | -3 | He gets a tad nervous here and there, but not enough to worry. |
| Anger | -3 | He's got a slight temper, yet not enough to worry here either. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -7 | Slight red flag. He's very cocky, something that stays consistent regardless of his situation; he even uses his attitude as a weapon in the series' second half. |
| Over-caring | -7 | Slight red flag. He only has one wish—to find his childhood BFF—should he finish the Games; he's also very protective of his friends, like when he deliberately sacrificed three wins to both reinstate Nel and so his whole team could clear the Games together. |
| Total | -26 |
Final Assessment
Score: 17 (Great potential, yet deeply flawed)
Character Analysis: Ouroboros
Gods' Games We Play: Ouroboros
Gods' Games We Play: Ouroboros
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 3 | She's got a few good points, yet is extremely selfish, especially when it comes to replaying Fay and maintaining her undefeated streak, the latter courtesy of her visiting Grimoire prior to rechallenging him. |
| Weather | 10 | Thanks to her strength, magic, and keen eye, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 7 | She's extremely potent, given her speed and agility, but isn't always very observant, something that badly cost her against Fay and in the Labyrinth. |
| Good Leadership | 3 | She's got some initiative, like when she gave Fay a gem so he could re-challenge her, yet is ultimately more lone wolf than leader. |
| Preparation | 5 | She very thoroughly designed her game, but mostly wings everything else. |
| Total | 28 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -10 | Epic red flag. She completely underestimated Fay, and is extremely impulsive, particularly in her yearning to replay him. Worse, she's very impatient, hence her relentless pursuit of Fay starting around the series' midpoint. |
| Cowardice | -2 | She's a tad shy in the Labyrinth's pool, yet not enough to worry. |
| Anger | -8 | Serious red flag. She's a hothead, plus easily triggered when she's annoyed, like when she famously obliterated two giant Labyrinth monsters for "interrupting" her. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -9 | Major red flag. She's extremely cocky, as well as highly vain, issues that slowly worsen as the series goes along, and even got her booted from the Labyrinth for her over-the-top behavior. |
| Over-caring | -10 | Epic red flag. She's obsessed with Fay, so much so she literally smashed her way into the Labyrinth—and opted to help him finish—because she wanted to replay him now. |
| Total | -39 |
Final Assessment
Score: -11 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Miranda
Gods' Games We Play: Miranda
Gods' Games We Play: Miranda
Advertisement
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 6 | She's a good person and great mentor, but her drive to win the Gods' Games often makes her go overboard, particularly when it comes to preserving Fay. |
| Weather | 4 | She's okay, yet isn't always very observant, considering how she (like most others) couldn't figure out how to defeat Ouroboros despite numerous televised bouts. |
| Terrain | 7 | She's very familiar with the various city networks and Gates, yet sometimes gets caught off-guard, like when she couldn't get Leoleshea a local booking due to her and Fay's continual success. |
| Good Leadership | 6 | She's very organized and good at coordinating Apostles, but often goes rogue when it comes to Fay's success, such as when she tried to stop him from risking his wins to reinstate Nel. |
| Preparation | 7 | She's well-versed in local events and data gathering, but wasn't the least bit ready for Leoleshea's presence or fussiness. |
| Total | 30 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -5 | She often underestimates Fay, and can be careless when she's nervous or annoyed, like when she panicked after Leoleshea manipulated the latter into revealing he was there to spy on her. |
| Cowardice | -5 | She's a tad edgy at times, plus completely freaked out when Apostles kept getting dragged into Anubis' Labyrinth. |
| Anger | -5 | She's got a slow-burn temper, although it takes a lot to make her snap, most infamously when Leoleshea woke her in the middle of the night with questions about team size. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -3 | She's a tad vain, but not enough to worry. |
| Over-caring | -7 | Slight red flag. She worries about Fay's odds of clearing the Games, and she's also concerned about Leoleshea's attitude/antics. |
| Total | -25 |
Final Assessment
Score: 5 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Pearl Diamond
Gods' Games We Play: Pearl Diamond
Gods' Games We Play: Pearl Diamond
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 8 | She's extremely sweet, especially when giving cute nicknames to in-game foes or techniques. However, she's got a slight selfish streak, like when she famously spent a year's salary on a bed. |
| Weather | 5 | She's okay, but not always very observant, particularly during the Ouroboros and Mahtma events, where she overreacted to falling through the sky and desert heat, respectively. |
| Terrain | 6 | She's capable thanks to her teleportation skill, yet is very clumsy, something that badly cost her team due to all the traps she kept tripping in the Labyrinth. |
| Good Leadership | 3 | She's got potential, such as when she organized the swimming in the Labyrinth, but is ultimately more follower than leader. |
| Preparation | 4 | She's got a few good moments, like when prepping for the match against Dax, yet mostly wings everything else. |
| Total | 26 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -10 | Epic red flag. She constantly underestimates others, especially foes, and is an extremely impulsive eater when she's nervous, most infamously when she let Fay and Leoleshea treat her to a parfait while recruiting her…only to unconsciously eat 35 parfaits. |
| Cowardice | -5 | She's painfully shy and indecisive, so much so that, following an accident with her first team, she tried to quit the Games. Thankfully, time and success tempered such, hence the lower rating. |
| Anger | -3 | She's got a slight temper, yet not enough to worry. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -6 | She's pretty vain, and even gets a tad cocky over time, a factor that backfired when she didn't get any attention after facing Dax. |
| Over-caring | -5 | She's very close to her teammates, plus adores cute animals/foes, something that badly cost her against Mahtma and in the Labyrinth. |
| Total | -29 |
Final Assessment
Score: -3 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Nel Reckless
Gods' Games We Play: Nel Reckless
Gods' Games We Play: Nel Reckless
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 9 | She's a wonderful person and loyal friend, although she can occasionally be selfish, namely regarding her adoration of Fay. |
| Weather | 10 | Due to her training, skill, and strength, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 8 | She's highly capable due to her speed and agility, yet can be careless, like when she stopped a car from running her down…only to accidentally knock it over in the process. |
| Good Leadership | 3 | She's got some good skills, such as when she made the bet with Dax, but is ultimately more follower than leader. |
| Preparation | 7 | She's well-trained and has a keen tactical sense, yet still wings some things, like when she kept trying to stop Anubis' monsters' skills in the Labyrinth. |
| Total | 37 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -7 | Slight red flag. She often underestimates others and is very impulsive, most famously when she witnessed Fay defeating Ouroboros…and chose to devote her life to him. |
| Cowardice | -5 | She's very indecisive at first, something that cost her the match with Grimoire, but experience soon emboldens her, hence the lower rating. |
| Anger | -2 | She's got a slight temper, yet not enough to worry. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -3 | She's a tad vain, mostly when comparing her figure to Pearl, but not enough to worry here either. |
| Over-caring | -10 | Epic red flag. Her devotion to "Master Fay" borders on fanatical, so much so he initially thought she was crazy, then made it worse when she stalked him through her hometown. |
| Total | -27 |
Final Assessment
Score: 10 (Great potential, yet deeply flawed)
Character Analysis: Dax Scimitar
Gods' Games We Play: Dax Scimitar
Gods' Games We Play: Dax Scimitar
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 5 | He's a good person at heart, yet has a deep selfish streak, namely over his self-proclaimed rivalry with Fay. |
| Weather | 10 | Thanks to his strength, magic, and agility, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 7 | He's got a keen eye, but often gets caught off-guard, most infamously during the match with Fay and Pearl. |
| Good Leadership | 5 | He's got good strategic potential, yet his rogue tendencies and clumsy delegation skills make him more lone wolf than leader. |
| Preparation | 5 | He's a good planner and is very clever, like when he solved the dice puzzle in the Labyrinth, but often wings most other things. |
| Total | 32 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -8 | Serious red flag. He constantly underestimates Fay and his teammates, especially when Nel made the bet with him prior to the Simulation match; he's also extremely careless, something that badly cost him against Mahtma. |
| Cowardice | 0 | He's very bold, so no worries here. |
| Anger | -3 | He's got a slight temper, yet not enough to worry. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -8 | Serious red flag. He's very cocky, plus highly vain, considering he runs a podcast where cameras/adoring fans watch him eating lunch in various restaurants. |
| Over-caring | -7 | Slight red flag. He's obsessed with defeating Fay, something which ultimately drives a wedge between him and his teammates. |
| Total | -26 |
Final Assessment
Score: 6 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Kelritch Shee
Gods' Games We Play: Kelritch Shee
Gods' Games We Play: Kelritch Shee
Advertisement
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Morality | 8 | She's a great person and loyal companion, although she sometimes gets caustic over Dax's paying more attention to Fay than her. |
| Weather | 10 | Due to her magic, speed, and strength, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 5 | She's very agile, yet isn't very observant, a flaw that badly cost her in the Simulation match, then later when she nearly got obliterated by Mahtma's forces. |
| Good Leadership | 4 | She's got potential, given how she helped coordinate actions in the Labyrinth, but is ultimately more follower than leader. |
| Preparation | 5 | She's a good planner and can adapt to circumstances quickly, yet usually winds up winging things, particularly in the series' latter half. |
| Total | 32 |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Recklessness | -9 | Major red flag. She constantly underestimates Dax's obsession with Fay, and can be very impulsive with the former, namely when secretly watching him during his podcasts. |
| Cowardice | -4 | She's a tad insecure, and still has trouble confessing her feelings to Dax. |
| Anger | -5 | She's got a slow-burn temper, one that's constantly stoked in matches, although she never really snaps. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -5 | She's very cocky at first, but experience tempers some of that, hence the lower rating. |
| Over-caring | -7 | Slight red flag. She's infatuated with Dax, despite her denials, hence her constantly trying to impress him. |
| Total | -30 |
Final Assessment
Score: 2 (Nightmare scenario)
Reviewing the Results
This cast was quite the roller coaster: exceptional capabilities full of great potential, all of which were subsequently crippled for numerous reasons. Thankfully, some of these flaws are slowly vanishing as the cast learns from their mistakes…which harkens back to what's been said all along: follow Sun Tzu, and you'll win; ignore him, and you'll lose.
Gods' Games We Play Characters: Victory Factors Analysis
| Character | Morality | Weather | Terrain | Leadership | Preparation | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leoleshea | 7 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 36 |
| Fay | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 43 |
| Ouroboros | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 28 |
| Miranda | 6 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 30 |
| Pearl | 8 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 26 |
| Nel | 9 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 37 |
| Dax | 5 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 32 |
| Kelritch | 8 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 32 |
Gods' Games We Play Characters: Fatal Failings Analysis
| Character | Recklessness | Cowardice | Anger | DOH | Over-caring | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leoleshea | -9 | -2 | -8 | -8 | -4 | -31 |
| Fay | -6 | -3 | -3 | -7 | -7 | -26 |
| Ouroboros | -10 | -2 | -8 | -9 | -10 | -39 |
| Miranda | -5 | -5 | -5 | -3 | -7 | -25 |
| Pearl | -10 | -5 | -3 | -6 | -5 | -29 |
| Nel | -7 | -5 | -2 | -3 | -10 | -27 |
| Dax | -8 | 0 | -3 | -8 | -7 | -26 |
| Kelritch | -9 | -4 | -5 | -5 | -7 | -30 |
Gods' Games We Play Characters: Final Scores
| Character | Final Score | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Leoleshea | 5 | Nightmare scenario |
| Fay | 17 | Great potential, yet deeply flawed |
| Ouroboros | -11 | Nightmare scenario |
| Miranda | 5 | Nightmare scenario |
| Pearl | -3 | Nightmare scenario |
| Nel | 10 | Great potential, yet deeply flawed |
| Dax | 6 | Nightmare scenario |
| Kelritch | 2 | Nightmare scenario |
Article by:Andrew Nickerson
Andrew's originally from Massachusetts, and has studied military history/tactics/strategy for almost 30 years. He has a BA in History (English minor) from UMASS Lowell and JD from Mass. School of Law. He can be found on Twitter (@AndrewNickers19) daily, analyzing characters via Sun Tzu.
Fun Fact: Andrew's a huge fan of anime music. He particularly recommends Crescent Love (Brighter than the Dawning Blue), Dream Riser (Girls Und Panzer), and the fight theme to Zoids: New Century.