Why is Wilson’s knowledge from his previous life important?

[Ekletia]

So, after a lot of thinking.....and finally being able to piece things together again......since every time a new important lore element comes up I end up re-thinking everything, and since we already know that Wilson was reincarnated (which is 100% confirmed), I’ve gathered my thoughts again and I’m writing them down.

I’m always a bit unsure where to start the whole discussion, but maybe I’ll start where I left off in my last post about this topic.

It can already be reinforced that Wilson wasn’t Cyclum, and thank you, Klei, for not leaving us with too many question marks about reincarnation. Honestly, what you’ve shared fits pretty well with what I was thinking...even though there might still be some points where you could prove me wrong.

I’m just trying to piece together the story you created. The future will decide whether I thought about it correctly or not.

1: Why can it be stated so confidently that Wilson was reincarnated?

Mostly it’s because of the masks and because everyone says that he is Wilson. In other words, Visionis was Wilson in the past.If anyone wonders how he can be Wilson Percival Higgsbury now, the answer is that Wilson is currently like a monster lasagna an incredibly layered character.

Let’s go through the chain of events. The fall of the ancient bug civilization happened a very long time ago, truly ages ago. In fact, I think when Elytra killed Visionis in the past, he almost certainly came back. (Since Wilson keeps returning now, it’s logical to think he did the same back then.)

But back then, he couldn’t prevent the fall, and everyone....including himself....turned into shadows. Then he reincarnated on Earth, not because he wanted a new life, but because he needed a physical body. - The same can be observed with Elytra, only he took Charlie’s body. - 

So the real question is: Why do both of them need a physical body, and what do they want to use it for? (This question is mostly for you, Klei.)

2: What signs might indicate that Wilson is suppressing this past/shadow part of himself?

Honestly, the best metaphor is a glass containing a black substance, representing how Wilson locks away this part of himself. Maxwell reacts to it a bit humorously, but he’s the only one who actually notices. Which makes sense, since he lived with the Shadows for so long and knows what they’re like.

I think many people might have noticed something about Wilson...that sometimes he’s terrified, unsure of what will happen next, and other times he throws himself into battle with a wide grin on his face. This could be a manifestation of that suppressed part of him. Just like when he was preparing the Meat Effigy, he wasn’t fully there mentally. He remembers doing it, but it’s like he wasn’t completely in control, and he feels ashamed afterward...especially of what he did in that state.

This could be the "Mad Daze", when his present and past selves suddenly surface. He’s there, but not fully. Does this mean he has another personality? Not really...it’s more like his old self is trying to integrate with the new, but the new isn’t letting it. It’s as if he’s constantly battling with himself. In the end, he just sits alone by the campfire, reflecting on what happened.

So, dear developers, you’ve already asked the question. My answer would be that I think the character will accept the truth. I’m curious to see in what form or how he’ll come to accept it. Because only with the knowledge of his past can Elytra be truly defeated.

3.Why isn’t Wilson actually on the chessboard?

 

Why isn’t a piece on the chessboard? Because it’s out of play. So why is Wilson currently out of play? It’s because he’s not whole yet—he hasn’t accepted his past, the fact that he has this side of himself.

Why am I bringing this up? Because it reminds me of the image of Wilson playing chess with Maxwell. At first, Maxwell always beat him, but once Wilson got to know him.....learned Maxwell’s moves....he was able to win, though it took time.

It’s the same with Elytra. If you know her moves, you can defeat her, if not, she defeats you. The same thing happened with Winona. Winona knew Charlie’s moves, not Elytra’s, because Charlie is locked away in her mind.

Regarding Wilson, one could also bring up texts that support the idea that he’s a reincarnated person. Anyone curious can read about it in my previous post...I didn’t want to repeat it here. This post was really meant to be a continuation of the last one.

So, a big thank you to everyone who read this! I’ve asked my questions and really thought a lot about these things, because I keep going over everything again and again whenever something new comes up.