1- May represent Gill’s presence/power in some way
Fun detail, in Kolin’s profile
Likes Reading, butterflies, Gill
Dislikes Everything except Gill, soldiers, Urien, M. Bison
Seems definitely butterfly are associated with Gill in some way
In Nash nightmare(?) the butterfly goes to essentially activate the power of his forehead Illuminati gem, causing an explosion that save him/wake him up.
And of course the final scene where the butterfly goes to land on Gill’s blue hand
If we want take that Gill-only route only strange part will be the butterfly in Ryu’s clash with Necalli
But maybe can be seen as represent that Gill/Illuminati were in some way there (maybe Kolin was there with Gill’s butterfly?) witness Ryu’s fight to report back to Gill.
One detail of that scene is that glowing butterflies arrive on the place/are there at begin of the scene, before the fight start and Ryu activate his power
But
2- Another explanation may be that Ryu trained there during previous days, and released a bit of that kind of energy multiple times before the actual fight, attracting the butterflies in the area
In that case the butterfly that Ryu punch was used as way to show Ryu’s new supreme control on his power, blasting Necalli without hurt the butterfly kinda like the jojo frog scene
Even closer to that there’s that old Pride FC (wich Capcom was sponsor of) poster
wich is something Ryu does again at the end, thowing an huge hadouken that put out the fire but left unharmed Chun Li and the little girl
I think possibility is that these butterflies appear when they sense a particular type of ki, something that maybe Gill have often (hence Kolin’s love for butterflies) as his normal self, while Ryu reached for a moment with his Mu No Ken
Fun detail the butterfly touch both on the left hand
Both Gill’s Resurrection and Ryu’s MNK may work on similar kind of ki, both have focus on preserve life rather harm it
After all will not be first time different techniques/ways to channel ki obtain same results… see example Necalli sharing similarities with the SNH users
Butterfly being connected to life (or the end of it) essence itself may make sense, in japanese mythology
Japan perceives the butterfly to be a ‘soul of the living and the dead’, as a result of the popular belief that spirits of the dead take the form of a butterfly when on their journey to the other world and eternal life.
After Ryu’s big MNK punch Dhalsim appear and literally say Nec to fuck off as “his (Ryu’s) soul no longer a sacrifice for you to devour” implying something in Ryu’s soul just changed
Could be interessing notice that maybe even Dhalsim may have some kind of similar ki (due Yoga), that’s why not even transformed Necalli can defeat him in early ASF and the prophecy sequence require him to eat Ryu first
ps: for who played The Last Guardian, blue glowing butterflies being attracted by vital energy links also to
The butterflies are a strange addition to the story. If they were just symbolic (no physical presence or influence) then they likely represented “change” or “evolution”.
If they actually had a relevance to the story, they could represent Gill’s presence in the story in the same way the 3-Eyed Raven uses crows to extend his vision over the world in Game of Thrones.
The issue with the last point however is that Gill seemed surprised by Ryu defeating Bison, as if he was unaware of Ryu’s existence even. This makes me think that it is the former instead - purely symbolic for the viewer, has no bearing on the actual events of the story.
We also see the butterflies in Kolin’s character story.
In Kolin’s case we literally see “Helen”, a girl broken by war(caterpillar) to become (ice chrysalis) “Kolin”, the first and most loyal servant of World’s Saviour (butterfly)
Similar could be said of Ryu, that was definitely his chrysalis moment
Well, and of course Nash, who woke up in a stone sarcophagus as a new more powerful being
I don’t think butterflies are going to have any mayor role at all either, but i think they just made them up as a visual recognizable element that hint at the presence of a particular type of ki in SF lore, just like ever more demon traits slowly became elements of SNH (we seen it take ever more extreme shapes like Oni/Kage)
I guess we may see them again if next SF director keep in consideration SFV stuff
As alternative yes, your 3eye raven is more or less what i was guessing as a possibility talking abou Gill’s “presence”
Even bigger jump of guess could be if the butterfly that touched Ryu fist, is the same that at the end touch Gill’s hand
I would even welcome a Guest IN SF, if it was guaranteed to be good and fitting, SNK (and also Tekken) have so many good characters that i would welcome to get a slot… even more than some that actually got a slot in SFV
Problem is Guest in fighting games rarely are good and even more rarely are fitting
To be honest i trust the people that built SFV cast enough to think they could even do a good pick, but i’m not willing to take the risk LOL
Wait a sec, isn’t Gill’s insignia (the one on Kolin’s shoulder) vaguely butterfly shaped? I recall someone posting a composite image of her shoulder patch.
You can hate SFV all you want, i don’t personally care
Netcode/events are’nt things related to cast building and Guest-yes Guest-No, so idk what are you trying to say
SF is still popular franchise and V still sold millions keeping relevance in a long span of years -> plenty of VG/media brands could have liked get a slot in SFV, much lesser games got a guest
If SFV does’nt have one is because did’nt wanted one, and i can appreciate this specific trait (and hopefully the trend continue)
My2cent in a moment of desperation with her country destroyed/defeated, she seen in Gill a symbol she was familiar with and had value to her, something she associated with holy cause worth to fight/die for (something she was already doing for her nation)
She literally seen an angel (a symbol of Kiev) withwhole body colored like Kiev’s coat of arms Red-Blue colors, no shit she instant bought the Gill hype
Another little piece could also be the angel (Archangel Michael) in most of Kiev’s representation have a flaming sword in his right hand… Gill’s right hand can generate fire
Going biblical is fun she mistake him for some sort of Michael, the one who made the devil fall (A shadow fall?), when the devil himself is called Lucifer → the one who brings light, a name very tied with “Illuminati” literal meaning
Alex can end up be the true “SF Archangel Michael”, dude got the look too
That’s for real world inspiration, the scene itself was straight rip-off from Berserk (that one, and Ed’s farewell fight with Rog too)
Her motif is relatively strong to a butterfly, she also related to a secret organization with a mysterious past with a greater power and has knowledge beyond, Yet is very Ingrid like.
Going back to the butterfly to the analysis and in-depth in Shadow Falls
IN SFV shadow falls the butterfly appears on both Nash, Ryu and Helen as a symbol of breakthrough and evolution, SO I don’t think it is a symbol to solely represent the character of Kolin/Helen or Gill like what Luise Meyrick was suppose to represent in KOFMI2, Why? because it was not reference for any of them rest of SF3 and it appear in other cast without them being involve.
Since I believe butterfly common reference to be associated with evolution and change, I believe it’s a poor analogy to justify it is kolin/helen or even Gill’s sole symbol because of the name change and having ice powers, while ignoring the rest of the other appearance in other characters beyond what Gill’s and Urien’s perspective and vision. Kolin is more into ice.
“In Kolin’s case we literally see “Helen”, a girl broken by war(caterpillar) to become (ice chrysalis) “Kolin”, the first and most loyal servant of World’s Saviour (butterfly)”
-----mentioned by cestus
It’s false and wrong
WHY Is cestus claims towards Kolin or Gill symbol being butterfly is wrong? Here the answer.
Obviously how Gill address the event during that change of Kolin was about metamorphosis and change which what the butterfly did to the other cast including Ryu and Nash not just Kolin. It appears to everyone that was engaged to a certain change It’s not about loyalty or about the butterfly being Kolin symbol nor Gill is, Gill doesn’t even addressed it that it would be her symbol or his symbol.
The butterfly was just there
It’s more just a symbol used by most occult and secret brother hood to manipulate someone to be emotional invested on a cause because of recent change that happened to them like it is their path in life. It is common for humans tends to look in patterns and used symbol to justify meaning, while blindly confident with positivity,
I believe probably the butterfly also that it might be some sort of element that acts as a surveillance from an unknown entity that is probably unrevealed yet or It can also be not related to Gill or Urien but probably to someone else, because they didn’t address it and it’s appearance else where is questionable. Ryu was not part of the prophecy but the butterfly was there.
Ryu vs Necali is the huge contradictory to this, because Gill consider it as an error which he mentioned in the ending
Take note there are multiple butterflies in that whole fight scene.
So we can assume that the butterfly that appeared on Nash and Kolin are different from each other and not the same.
I believe that it is not mechanical and organic but more of a astral/mystical form since it can exist even in deep consciousness.
IF the case was: If it from someone else(not Gill or Urien) part of the secret society or other personality. In many corrupt mystical cult they used symbolism to manipulate people to believe that represent their cause, IT doesn’t mean that the symbol they used are the one they represent or their follower should expect, they just used it as for their followers to believe in it because of it’s association. They are not oblige to follow it but for their followers and unbeliever to build a thought around it because of it’s symbolic association. In-fact it’s one of the most used symbolism.
So organization like Gill’s if they were using the butterfly, They just probably using it to bring confidence to their subject and person of interest. To give them false hope or false sense of security and victory to be more faithful and loyal to their cause and interest for them believing to grant them some sort of greatness and transcendence.
I believe Gill and Urien are also manipulated to this cause since they were born to this environment of rank and power, not something they founded on their own. So it can be also a manipulative tool to manipulate them.
It resided in Gill’s hands in the ending before he change helen to kolin, then he speaks metaphors and phrases relating to change and growth to justify the recent occurrences, Yet It doesn’t mean it is his tool, but rather used often as a symbolism to motivate him(Gill) to create conclusion based on the symbol sent for him, despite the prophecy being different and an error occurred. The error is Ryu.
Take note again we only see one butterfly in this scene.
It shows that it’s not to monitor like in the Necali vs Ryu, but rather it show that is was there to sent a message to Gill that despite the errors. Gill should consider because of symbol that was sent for him. I believe it was sent to him to manipulate him and come up with some sort of realization, That it is to make conclusion and move forward then accept how the events had unfold despite the error.
They consider the event of Ryu defeat on Bison was an error not as expected and planned. which was mentioned in Hellen’s transformation in the ending credit scene where the butterfly that appears also in Ryu battle with Necali not in his battle with Bison. It confirm to be beyond the vision and understanding a both Gill and Urien, because of considering it an error.
The battle scene on Ryu SFV, where the butterfly also appears, which is beyond what Gill nor Urien is expectation and knowledge, not in their vision. Gill address this as an error not on expectation.
I can speculate there is somebody/someone else at work making sure everything is going accordance to his/her or someone else’s interest. That he/she used the butterfly to monitors the progress of Ryu and the development of secret society plans under Gill leadership of the secret society that is not part of Shadaloo and also the existence of this person is unknown to both Gill and Urien..
This is not even G, because G and Gill is aware of each others presence already. It’s like it’s probably someone that sent G or fooled G to make sure that everything is aligned to what she/he wants and it’s along with the plans of Gill.
I think too often people talk about selling millions of copies as a success while forgetting what happens with bad launches of games bought by millions of people
Really, you think Capcom themselves are above guest characters? They got plenty of out of place shit in the costumes and those are mostly their own franchises. I mean for Gill’s sake, look at this shit
SFV doesn’t have a guest because Capcom already burned a bunch of bridges with SNK (CvS2 marketing/profits), Namco, and even freaking Marvel/Disney. Your mysticism of Capcom caring about anything beyond short term profits, much less any kind of creative/artistic integrity with SFV just doesn’t hold up. You can certainly make the argument that SFV is better off for not doing guests, but being too inept to hold the trust of anyone other than nostalgia buyers or self-masturbatory pseudo-fans of the franchise is hardly what can be called “strength”.
