Riven might oppose Swain's regime, but would she make friends with any Demacians to try and achieve her goals?
Seems like fanfictions depict her frequently as either amicable or outright friendly towards Demacians and even Ionians.
Overlord Forte6 votesRiven is a 'traditional Noxian', who firmly believes in 'might makes right', generally speaking. However, the duty of the superior is to reform and uplift the weak, to make them strong, such that they can be fought to create an even stronger person afterword. Slaughtering the weak is against this ethos, and there is probably some contention on using 'allied states' in war because that is not Noxus' own strength being used. I imagine the latter point might be a good philosophical argument for them.
Thus, it would make sense for Riven to be against the Demacians, especially if she opposes Demacian values - where they seem your more typical Germanic/English monarchy rule and all that entails for the citizenry. It would be more accurate to say Riven 'hates' Demacia and its way of life, not the people. The people are just the vessels that can be changed, but the ideology is what corrupts them. The same brush can be used for Ionia, really.
The core issue is that Riven isn't portrayed as a traditional Noxian, or a radical/believer of any kind. She's stuck in this pity-pot mode and 16 year old anime girl angst that buries most of the intrigue her character is based on.
Trylobyte1 votesThe core issue is that Riven isn't portrayed as a traditional Noxian, or a radical/believer of any kind. She's stuck in this pity-pot mode and 16 year old anime girl angst that buries most of the intrigue her character is based on.
This.
Riven is essentially a foil to Darius - Both have the same 'Might makes right' beliefs, both believe in 'Strength above all,' and both are professional soldiers who see nothing wrong with killing. Riven wouldn't get along with Demacia any better than Darius would (though Darius and Shyvana might find some common ground).
What differentiates them is how they reacted to hypocrisy.
Riven melted down just like her comrades, only her meltdown was mental rather than physical. That one very personal instance of betrayal was enough to break her. She couldn't believe that was possible and saw the corruption everywhere she looked rather than seeing it as an isolated incident she could potentially do something about. She ran away and began moping around in that cute little self-imposed pity-party that makes people want to hug her and adore her and fetishize her. Just remember, she's fighting for redemption, but the society whose eyes she seeks to redeem herself in isn't all sunshine and rainbows and the future she wants to build resembles Wolfenstein The New Order more than Equestria.
Darius, presented with the same situation, looked his commander in the eye, said 'Nope,' and gave him a fatal case of axe poisoning. He's willing to work within the system, take action against the problems he sees, and try to fix it from within. That's part of why he doesn't like Riven - Not only does he see her as a traitor but he sees her as a weak-willed pansy because she ran away from her problems rather than fighting them.
NeoJusteBelmont1 votesDidn't Darius have an opinion about Riven's incident? Saying somewhere along the line "Well, the strategy demoralized the Ionian forces so the soldiers dying there did not die in vain, they actually brought advantage for the Noxus."...
How does it link with what you explained above?
Criomhthann5 votesI don't know why people portray her the way they do. She is good as far as Social Darwinists go, but considering our moral values differ harshly such that they are insurmountably different that wouldn't mean much to us.
IIRC, one of her problems in previous lore was not that Noxus invaded Ionia. It was that Noxus engaged in mere slaughter rather than properly reforming the Ionian people. But what drove her away was not the use of Chemical weapons on either the Ionians nor her own. It was the origin of those weapons.
When Rivens forces were ambushed, they were practically doomed. The Ionian's had the advantages of surprise, position and numbers. Riven was going to die and she accepted that. It was completely consistent with her view. If the Ionians won, they did so of their own strength and they deserved to win. If Noxus won they would have done so by their own strength and deserved to win. But that's not what happened.
The weapons which were used in that battle were owned by and use by Zuanian forces. It was through their use that Noxus came out on top over the Ionians in that fight. And THAT was the unforgivable sin that drove her into a self-imposed Exile. Noxus had won the battle by relying not on their own strength, but on the strength of another. That was in her mind, when Noxus ceased to be; the new Noxus being some pretender that she could not fight for.
AbrahamBaconham2 votesThat, and a gratuitous amount of PTSD from watching her friends literally melt.
I don't think cooperation between Riven and a Demacian is totally out of the question; ideology is something of politics and armies. But when you get right down to people, just two humans trying to accomplish something, all those slogans and speeches seem lofty and disconnected from reality.
TerraRising3 votesYou can't rely on fan fiction writers. :)
As an "exile," I'm sure Riven would accept any help from any source. This would include Demacians, Ionians and other Noxians not loyal to Swain.
The real issue would be whether or not Riven would be welcomed by the aforementioned groups, given her membership in the Crimson Elite, one of Noxus's most prestigious military squads.
It's a very simplistic idea to have the enemy of my enemy instantly become my friend.
A Superb Villain1 votesI think Riven could accept anyone who can prove their worth, regardless of origin, much like traditional Noxus values; those with the will to succeed can, and should be respected for doing so.
GreenLore1 votesdoubt she is much of a fan of demacians or ionians. All this "lets help the weak" is probably not her thing,but she would probably respect their strongest warriors to some extent.
Whitakker1 votesI think Riven values strength above all else, even nationalities. I believe she could definitely respect Demacian champions for their feats on the battlefield, like Garen/J4/Xin. And despite what all the fanfic writers would have you believe, I don't think she'd take a shine to Lux. I'd imagine Riven views magic as a weak practice that people who must rely on other "crutches" besides their own personal fortitude cling to in order to maintain power. She might view Quinn in a positive light, as one who is able to survive on their own in the wilderness has to be unquestioningly tough.
Basically, if you've proven to the world (or the IoW, such as it is) that you're a competent warrior on your own merit, I think you'll have Riven's respect.
