I Need People To Be Aware That Dick Was An Absolute Menace To Criminals When He Was Robin, Ok? 

also i think about Crime Alley as both the physical source for bruce’s loss and also a sign of gotham’s renewal — leslie’s clinic as one example, or bruce’s dedication to social reform in park row. how after twenty years he is still tethered to the cinema, the alley, the gutters. he knows each brick by touch alone, in the dark he can find his way unaided. like the manor it is the foundation holding him upright. does he find comfort there for himself, knowing that he can always return?

but the graysons died in a field, in the ring. the ring is not stationary, it moves as haleys does. its sawdust floor is discarded after the show, its bleachers disassembled, the big top packed away for the next town, the next country, the next show. the graysons died at haleys, but it isn’t anywhere their son can return to. he can stand in the field, knee deep in grass, but the crowd will not be there, nor the tent nor the jugglers. he could travel the world and never truly find the place his parents died. the only way out is through.

I feel like Dick and Damian definitely do regard each other as father and son to a certain extent but in a way that is so tied to Bruce's "death" that they'll never actually say it. Damian will just keep referring to Dick as his Batman, a role that has only ever meant father to him, and Dick will refer to Damian as his Robin, a name that has only ever meant son.

Thank you so much for the lovely message @kayharts! Sakura and Suo are one of my fave duos in WBK as well, and there’s a lot that can be said about these two! I’m happy that my posts were able to provide the insight you needed.

To answer your question, this is actually something I’ve actually been meaning to make a writeup about, so your ask prompted me to actually make a post for it lol. But without further ado:

Sakura’s perspective of Suo

To start off, I’d like to say that Sakura hasn’t exactly regarded Suo on an individual level. He considers him as a part of his community alongside his other peers.

Sakura doesn’t have any of his internal dialogue that directly acknowledges Suo (as he did for Endo) or ‘impactful’ memories of him (like with Umemiya and Nirei) that shapes his development outside of Suo’s advice.

The only exception is this scene in Chapter 145, in which Sakura’s view on Suo is quite… convoluted, to say the least.

The reason why Sakura thinks that Suo is “full of crap” is because of how he constantly lies to mess with Sakura specifically (though Sakura hasn’t picked up on this). And yet, Sakura still believes every word Suo says…

This even bleeds into how Sakura addresses to Suo’s direct praise with apprehensiveness (though he does blush more at the words; you aren’t slick Sakura).

Coupled with the incessant teasing and the way Suo had treated Kanuma in Shishitoren, it’s no wonder why Sakura generalizes him as someone who “teases everyone at every chance he gets”. This isn’t remotely true; though Suo does tend to poke fun at others, his main victim is Sakura himself.

But then again, that scene in particular is just Sakura over-generalizing his classmates (you can tell that Sakura and Kiryu were not that close back then because his opinion on him is the only one that’s remotely positive) in order to juxtapose the fact that he believes that his peers are genuinely good people in the next page. Because despite the misconstrued perceptions Sakura has on their “flaws”, he still wants to protect and live alongside the people he cares about.

Additionally, I would like to tack on a big yet to the first two statements of this post. Wind Breaker’s (and Sakura’s, to that extent) story is far from over, and there is much potential for how his and Suo’s relationship can develop further [between a protagonist and deurotagonist]. For now, I’ll focus on what has been established in canon.

Circling back to Shishitoren, we see that Sakura says Suo has a rotten personality. In fact, he is the only one who openly criticizes Suo’s treatment.

Despite this, he doesn’t seem to harbor much resentment towards Suo. In fact, one can argue that Sakura is more so curious, given the fact he had the initiative to ask Nirei more about him (when he hadn’t done so for the other Furin students). Sakura also wanted to fight Suo despite the latter not provoking him, and Sakura not actively applying Umemiya’s advice (of fights being a conversation) at that point of the story.

Sakura is also shown (and not told) to trust Suo wholeheartedly.

Before Noroshi, Sakura lets his vice captain come up with a strategy, relying on him to do something he has no expertise in. Despite Sakura’s embarrassment, he’s come a long way from being so afraid to ask for help from others before.

Sakura also reluctantly agrees to work with Sugishita despite their animosity, because it was Suo’s idea.

Suo also points out his Achille’s heel while fighting. Despite Sakura’s initial apprehensiveness, he chooses to believe in Suo in the end.

Following Suo’s advice works out in Sakura’s favor when he fought alongside Sugishita, and even his fights after Noroshi.

There’s also this scene in Roppo where Sakura imitates one of Kanji’s moves; he uses Suo’s shoulder to support himself (when he can jump to that kind of height by himself easily) and kick at Endo’s face.

As for what you said in regards of Sakura knowing whether Suo is hiding something deeper or not, nothing has been explicitly confirmed as now. Until we get something [meaningful] from Sakura that directly addressees Suo as a character, we won’t really know. In any case, Sakura would most likely respect Suo’s boundaries and not pry into his business (especially if Suo’s advice to Sakura stems from shared experiences).

I can definitely see where your speculation is coming from, though. It’s inevitable at this point; I’m 99% sure that Sakura’s request to fight Suo in Shishitoren (and Suo’s declaration to do his best) foreshadows a future fight between them. Given how closed off the two are as you said, it would be the only way they can understand each other.

What's the role of suo character? He is considered as main character with nirei or as deuteragonist but I see he has no importance outside protecting nirei!. I don't understand the hype around his mysterious aura

I think probably what you're looking for is a more flashy fight/action centric series then! You'd probably enjoy all this time you're putting into sending anonymous asks about a show you don't see the appeal of more if you spent it instead on media you can enjoy! However, I will absolutely take this opportunity to gush about Suo you are giving me on a silver plate happily! So let's talk about why Suo is so fascinating narratively!

Labeling him as a deuteragonist is actually pretty spot on, to be honest. He is a character that sticks by the protagonist's side pretty consistently throughout the story. Suo as a character gives advice to Sakura about what will help him grow and achieve what he wants as class captain as well as provides an interesting combination of parallels as well as differences in perspectives compared to Sakura. Additionally, Sakura's presence draws forth the aspects of Suo's character that are likely to be developed within the story. Let's start with how Suo provides a difference in perspective for Sakura!

There is more strength in drive and ideals than in physical strength

Suo says it pretty clearly to Sakura before his match in the Shishitoren arc-

When he first met Sakura, it is very likely his first impression was 'ah, here's yet another brute who thinks he can beat others up and claim himself to be the strongest'. The same kind of person Sakura calls weak or lame himself. However, even Sakura's goal that he says to everyone in the beginning... kind of reflects this idea that physical strength gives you value. He judges Nirei because he can immediately tell Nirei isn't a fighter yet is a student at Furin, he thinks the only thing that is important is winning fights and making sure everyone knows they can't bend him under their will. Sakura thinks the only thing valuable about himself is his fighting ability/strength. But what is shown through his actions? That he protects those who can't defend themselves. That he is pissed off when someone enjoys causing others pain or suffering. Outside of the manga, when asked about what Suo's dream is, he says 'emancipation of slaves'. Right from the get-go he is challenging Sakura to start to think about what his purpose is when he fights. Because it's not really about just proving he's the strongest guy around. Why does this bleed so much into what Suo says to Sakura? Well, for Suo-

2. Empathy is the most important thing to possess

Suo is extremely good at understanding where other people are at emotionally/mentally. A LOT of his dialogue is trying to explain how a person might be feeling or encouraging others (rather forcefully at times haha) to try to demonstrate empathy themselves.

Suo is the calm to Sakura's storm. Except. Suo isn't actually the calm. Not in truth. This is part of why he is so intriguing as a character. It is also where Suo starts to actually parallel Sakura. Because Suo is-

Very Emotional

Incredibly so. The difference is, Sakura wears his heart on his sleeve. He doesn't hide how he feels or his inner thoughts at all because Sakura wants to be true to himself no matter what. It's hard for him, it is agonizing for him at times because of his bad prior experiences, but it is still something he tries to do at all times. Suo, however? Keeps those emotions hidden behind a "friendly" smile most of the time (to talk towards him being appealing- a lot of people like characters who put up fronts. I am included in this 'lot of people' lmaoo. I am such a sucker for a character who puts up a front to guard themselves or keep others at an arm's length).

But Suo gets angry. Incredibly so. He also judges others all the time. He's VERY opinionated, but he doesn't often state any of these opinions so directly. It's important to Suo that he upholds appearances and comes across as disciplined, calm, and collected. Sometimes though, he is anything but. Which is what we're shown in the Keel arc. Keel takes advantage of kind people who are just strong enough to be useful, but weak enough that they can be beaten into submission and manipulated. And that? Already pisses off Suo I'm sure. But then, on top of everything else, Suo is kept from running to the aid of someone he cares about. Someone who has such good drive, who also has a strong core but has some ways to go in being able to act on that drive. Suo is kept back from saving his friend and Nirei is beaten into unconsciousness. So what happens? Attempted murder. Suo's anger and frustration boils over. He hates these people. He hates seeing those he cares about and seeing those who can't defend themselves, broken. So he's going to put an end to it. To them. "Nice Guy" façade be damned. "The level headed one" be damned. And we get this look at Suo in a chapter literally titled "Extreme Emotions"

Which like, if you wanna talk about why his character garners a lot of hype, I think a large part of it is because of his aura when he's genuinely mad. It's the duality of it all.

I don't have as smooth of a transition for this one but what else does Suo do that Sakura absolutely does as well?

2. He keeps people at an arm's length; he doesn't like letting people in

This is also where Suo has a lot of duality, but here it makes him something of a hypocrite. He tells Sakura it's important to delegate and rely on others alongside Nirei. He pokes and prods Sakura to try to get him to open up to them. To not assume how others feel. But Suo doesn't show that himself. The ONLY thing Suo has honestly given about himself is that he has a mentor who taught him the 'hodge-podge' martial arts he uses as his fighting style. Everything else? Jokes, lies, dismissive words. Suo is hardly ever injured or dirtied in a fight because it isn't a conversation to him. He's the one doing the talking. He's the one teaching a lesson to the other person. The other person doesn't need to say anything to Suo. He's already pretty damn sure what kind of person they are. He doesn't eat with the others because he claims he is on a diet. It keeps him from participating in what is probably the BIGGEST symbolism/metaphor for personal connections in the story. Because Suo doesn't try to connect with others. He actively avoids it.

So uh, yeah! That's why I think people find Suo interesting and get hyped about when he's on screen/in chapter panels! I am sure there are other things that could be said, but I hope I could offer some insight!

(I’m allowing myself one rant for every 1,000 words I write. It’s partly self-motivation, but mainly it’s a preventative measure against how annoying my ZoLu brainworm is becoming.)

It is terrifying that I’ve been shipping ZoLu longer than some of y’all have been alive. I don’t recall how I got so old.

But I am glad for the chance to experience One Piece and ZoLu slowly through the years and view them from different stages of my own life. Because when I was a young adult, they were just silly boys who got along and matched each other’s crazy. Then I grew up, got married, and realized Zoro and Luffy’s CANONICAL relationship is actually one that I want to have with my own spouse. Allow me to rant explain:

Loyalty is, of course, probably the number one aspect of their relationship that all fans can agree on. Trust is possibly a second. You can’t have a long-lasting relationship of any type without either. Sure, they take it an extra EXTRA mile with all the almost-dying and you-and-me-versus-the-world shit, but the general point stands.

If you dive deeper, they’re also best friends. They enjoy the same crazy adventures, know when to let loose, share the same values, tease each other (without malice), support each other in their goals, and watch each other’s back. Their personalities might be different, but their friendship is SOLID.

Then you dive even DEEPER, and you realize they’re also PARTNERS. When one of them faces a tough challenge, the other will step in and help shoulder the burden (Duel with Mihawk; Usopp’s departure; and yes, it did in fact drive me insane when Luffy took a nap while fighting Kaido because Zoro was there to buy him time.) When Zoro wants to pursue something, Luffy fights for his freedom to go after it (duel with T-Bone). When Luffy needs a sanity check, Zoro is there to provide it, and Luffy ACTUALLY LISTENS! (Punk Hazard, you’ll always be famous.)

It sometimes baffles my mind how non-problematic Zoro and Luffy’s marriage relationship is. Although as Sanji points out in a recent chapter, Zoro does enable Luffy too much and that might not be great for their health, but hey, he just wants to spoil his captain with fun adventures, okay?!?

I guess the point of today’s rant is: if you’re gonna get hitched for life, I hope your relationship is as solid as the one between Luffy and Zoro.

[I really want to rant about the role of jealousy in ZoLu. Gotta write another 1,000 words! I’m pumped!]

honestly ra's a ghul would stab someone if they called dick grayson "nice funny but he's like a himbo" bc he is not gonna accept being defeated by someone others call a himbo. like if someone defeated me yall better acknowledge that it takes SKILL to defeat me stfu i will not take this disrespect–

today i am thinking about zoro and luffy both having two constantly depicted scars. one on their eye each and one on their chest each. so intrinsically intertwined they have matching mortal wounds.

and i know it’s silly, and coincidental, but i like to think it symbolises them understanding each other more and more as time passes.

zoro got his chest scar clambering and falling on the way to his dream, being defeated by mihawk so easily then swearing to never lose again. and luffy who got his chest scar clambering and falling in a different way. they understood ultimate defeat respectively, loss and something that hit, quite literally, over the heart. their chest scars are their most important reminders of strength, the need for it. and loss, the need to avoid it.

and then luffy, who’s eye scar is a self-inflicted wound as he tried to convince shanks he could be a pirate too- he was strong enough. and zoro who got his eye scar during the timeskip, in a way we still don’t completely know, in the height of his self loathing for not being strong enough. they both got the scars around their eyes for the future ahead of them, and in trying desperately to get there. luffy asking shanks to take him onboard, and zoro asking mihawk to train him. the scars around their eyes are ground zeroes, an ask, a plea, complete determination.

one piece started and zoro quickly learned to understand loss, knew loss, while luffy would learn loss so deeply in marineford. one piece started and luffy understood the need helpless desperation, growing up with shanks refusing him. and zoro learned that later, so horribly, after thriller bark turned into the sabaody incident turned into marineford where he couldn’t do anything.

zoro and luffy understand each other so completely, they’re soulmates. but there are still parts of themselves which are obscured, different, simply because they are two different people with two different histories. and those things that are missing come with age, experience or being together. they understand one another more each day, somehow that’s possible, and i think their scars are a good example of it. them learning things which they may not have understood before, connecting to parts of each other they may not have connected to before.

How do you feel about suo character? Do you feel his arc will start after kiryuu?!

Suo! my little shit! my favorite instigator!

jokes aside i love Suo! he's an incredibly interesting character and not just because we know jack and shit about him

he's a good foil to both Sakura and Nirei and i would love to study him under a microscope and all three of them play off each other So Well

Suo was really the one to break the ice when Sakura first arrived at Furin, which considering how Furin is probably wasn't really something that Sakura would've needed in the long run but it made things easier especially for Nirei's nerves

he does a lot of small things in the beginning (showing off how he can get people to accept his requests like he says himself side note love how both of these examples involve Sugi)

it's kind of funny in the way that Nirei's usually the first one to reach for Sakura (i talk about it more in my ramble here), Suo acts as the kind of bridge to allow Sakura to reach others or vice versa (others reaching to Sakura i mean)

during the grade captain vote, no one was speaking up to volunteer themselves or others and only when Suo volunteered Sakura did the others speak up to agree but also spoke highly about Sakura in the same vein or again going back to him breaking the ice with Sakura meeting the rest of 1-1

i love his relationship with both Sakura and Nirei (do not fucking separate this trio /hj) and how they both affect him

Suo's true emotions, hell possibly even his "real" self under all the masks he puts up, are brought out because of Sakura (his proclamation of taking the top spot and his clear, honest passion) and Nirei (running away from where Suo was protecting him so he could properly focus on the fight)

(anther side note i think this panel is one of the few times we've seen him lose his composure)

which actually kinda brings me to another point and it's a very small one but interesting nonetheless to me but it's the panel of Suo and Kaji training together

the matchup always intrigued me and im dying to know what the thought process was here (there's a fic that explores it here please im begging yall to check it out) esp going the route of both of them having smth that they want to hide (Kaji's berserker beast v Suo's merciless brutality) because they hate that particular version of themselves (though in Suo's case i dont think it's... hate but more like a general distain of it, not how one should properly act kind of thing) granted this is all hc'd territory so take it with a grain of salt

im certain that he envies / admires how Sakura and Nirei can be so open about who they are so authentically (and even push past their perceived limits) which im sure is what drew him to them to begin with (this goes into that beautifully) because whatever he went through has made it so he feels as though he cant be his authentic self

as for whether or not i think well get his arc after kiryuu... honestly i feel like his past might involve the Next Big Arc in a way? i know ive seen people speculate hes got connections with the yakuza and i could see that tbh

through my VERY CURSORY LOOK into leaving the yakuza, it doesnt... seem to be as a big a deal as i was expecting? if youve got a good relationship with the person you work under then its pretty easy for you to leave, though reintegrating with society is the hard part from there. i read that it is possible to just... kinda vanish too, though that wouldnt stop another member from tracking you down (and no fingers are being cut off)

if not a full blown yakuza, i could see Suo being part of a different gang and for one reason or another he left it so his former gang members track him down to either a. drag him back or b. punish him for leaving. not sure if his master would be part of said yakuza / generic gang or if his master is the one who got him out of there (which. hilarious if thats the case boy just went and joined another gang instead)

i dont know if his arc will start immediately after Kiryuu (i could see Nii-sensei throwing in a mini arc that leads into Suo's (like with Ito into Gravel)

whether or not it will though i love this silly lil guy! my craptastic gentleman son

I get winded by the fact that Dick and Damian fully expected to spend their foreseeable futures as Batman and Robin only for Bruce to come back and have them separate early. It was just a year but also it was spending every day and night together for a decade that just. Didn't come. Instead, Dick will tell Damian he wanted to adopt him and give him his parents' trapeze bar or Damian will feel threatened by Dick potentially having another child and try to hold onto him with all his might. It's a never ending game of chicken, both of them constantly flinching towards a future they'd already accepted, but being so insecure of what they mean to each other now that it didn't happen that they can only ever talk around it. It's clawing at someone you lost but they haven't left you. It's 'you belong to me in a way that you can never belong to anyone else but you're not mine'.

Do you think Sakura will get power up ? Yk his fights conclusion against top tiers are so disappointing> his opponents gave up or his friends help him .... They call him plot armor fighter on TikTok 😕

I'm going to be so real with you- no, I don't think Sakura is going to get a power up. At least, not in the way most anime series do it. Not in the way that people engaging with Wind Breaker as a fighting anime are hoping he will. The points in the story where people are training to get stronger are montages, depicted to show how everyone's putting everything into becoming strong enough to protect what's important to them, it's not about leveling up their fighting style or coming up with the one big move that's going to win them their next battle. Wind Breaker's just not that show, and it never has been. Sakura's climatic fights are never actually about him being stronger than the other person. Imma pull out that Kotoha panel from the very beginning, especially since Kotoha and Umemiya are the characters through which the fundamental points of the show are given to us.

So let's talk about Sakura's "disappointing" climatic fights. Yes, Sakura doesn't actually win these. His opponents concede. Why? BECAUSE FIGHTING SAKURA HAS MADE THEM REALIZE SOMETHING ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT CHANGES IN THAT MOMENT, and thus they no longer see a reason to keep fighting Sakura. Let's start with the first one, Togame Jo (🥰💖✨💕✨ Let it be known I LOVE TOGAME'S CHARACTER SO MUCH). Why Togame throws his fight against Sakura is definitely the one that's easier to understand. Togame has been trying to desperately keep Shishitoren together despite the fact that their leader was shattering into pieces for so long. He was feeding the words that would keep people in the group despite Choji's cut-throat new policy of "If you are weak, if you lose a fight, you're out. You're worthless and an obstacle to my dream of being free and having fun." Up until Choji's breaking point, the little guy was Shishitoren's sun. He was this shining bright light that could put a smile on any of the guys' faces and spoke so easily and freely about how they were all in this race together to become stronger and they would be the freest people in the world. Togame didn't want Shishitoren to lose that, to lose that Choji, so he tried to take the fall. He was new to being included into people's social groups, he was never as outgoing or lively as Choji. He could be the bad guy. He was okay with that.

He had to convince himself he was okay with that, and tied (up his hair) himself to that vow that he wouldn't give up on the sun. Going so far as to put tinted glasses on to convince himself that the old Choji was still there..... somewhere. But what happens during his fight with Sakura? Togame realizes what he did was wrong, and things were never going to get better continuing they way they were. He shouldn't have let Choji change who he was, he shouldn't have let Choji change the rules of their race for power and freedom, he shouldn't have just bowed his head in order to stay by Choji's side.

But, if he what he was doing was wrong... If what he was doing was only letting Choji continue to suffer, feeling confused and alone, then... why were doing this stupid tournament fight against Furin? Why would he fight to help Choji have claim over both Shishitoren AND Furin? That wasn't going make Choji happier. And Choji realizing getting Furin didn't change anything would only make his mental state worse too.

Togame's heart wasn't in the fight. He didn't want to do all of this anymore. He was realizing everything they were doing was wrong, and more than anything else he was just. so. tired. Of pretending to be someone he wasn't. Of trying so hard to keep the broken shards who were once his friends together through lies and cruelty. So he throws the match. He lets Sakura land the punch and then says he gives up and can't move anymore. And what was it that made Togame realize all of this?

Sakura's declaration that he would never let others bend or change who he is at the top of his lungs. Of course, Sakura's words come from his past experiences and having people repeatedly tell him he should cover up who he was. That he should be ashamed of things that Sakura couldn't change about himself. But Sakura's words and refusal to waver or falter resonated with Togame. Yes, Umemiya laughed that Sakura thought what he meant by 'have a conversation with your fists' meant Sakura would hear words coming out of his punches. What DID happen during the fight though, was they both exchanged what their beliefs were, and Sakura called Togame the fuck out for lying to himself. That his actions wasn't what he was preaching. He was calling him out for being delusional about what his actions were going to achieve. If Togame wasn't struggling with his inner turmoil and was actually fighting with his whole heart, his whole BEING in the fight, could he have won? YEAH, PROBABLY. Sakura at this point was just some poor freshman kid who has picked fights with guys randomly on the streets for a good portion of his life. But Sakura puts all of who he is in a fight, at this point in the story Sakura fights because he thinks his life depends on it. He truly believes that fighting is the only way he can find anything of worth within himself. It would have been impossible for Togame to fight with that amount of will. And THAT'S why Sakura won.

Now, let's talk about Sakura's fight with Endo. Right off the bat, yes- other characters (including TOGAME HIMSELF) comment on how much Sakura has grown in such little time when they are watching him fight Endo. But listen, you're going to have to trust me when I say I don't think what's really being said here is that Sakura's PHYSICAL STRENGTH is so much greater. Why is Sakura leagues above where he was when he fought with Togame? Because at that point Sakura was still fighting for himself. In his fight against Endo? Sakura isn't fighting for himself. He couldn't give a SHIT about himself (Which- 😭). He's fighting because with every fiber in his being, he desperately wants to protect and keep Furin standing. Everything they've done for him; the kindness and care that they've extended to him. Everything Umemiya's gone through and fought for to make sure that his hometown could be a place where everyone can feel welcomed and laugh and eat in good company; to make sure no one feels like it's them alone against the whole world. Sakura would rather DIE than see that Furin get destroyed.

Just like Togame, Endo isn't necessarily fighting for himself either. He's fighting so Takiishi, the person he loves and worships the ground he walks on, can be happy. The difference here? Takiishi doesn't really give Endo the time of day. Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say Takiishi doesn't care about Endo at all, he calls Endo by his name too at the end of the war, but the fact that he did so STUNNED Endo. Because Endo himself didn't think Takiishi gave two shits about him. But Endo had decided he was okay with that. Convinced himself that that didn't matter. He didn't love Takiishi for being kind or friendly. He thought Takiishi covered in blood and looking beautiful when fighting was hot (and I think there was also a feeling of kinship from Endo in recognizing they both felt so different and couldn't connect with other people in the world)

Endo feels ALONE in his love, even if he's with Takiishi physically. Even if he goes everywhere Takiishi goes and gives the man his whole being. Endo doesn't have a place he feels he belongs because he doesn't think he has been let into Takiishi's world, and that's the only place he wants to be. The Furin of the past too was very likely people who felt alone in the world. So they lashed out, picked fights with everyone, because they had similar frustrations and perspectives to Sakura when he first arrived to Makochi. So why does Endo throw his fight against Sakura? Because Sakura (to Endo's frustration because he was so close to convincing Sakura to leave Furin if it meant he and Takiishi would also leave. Withdrawing all the other fighters in the town wouldn't stop Takiishi from getting that fight with Umemiya at that point) decided, no, he would rather die than leave this little family he's been welcomed into. For whatever reason, everyone else decided Sakura was worthy and deserved to be a part of their family. He would hurt them more by deciding to stop fighting and just agree to leave Furin than he would by losing his fight against Endo. So what change did Sakura make in Endo? Well there was the fact that the way Sakura was fighting reminded Endo of Takiishi. But.... -

So what is so vastly different about Sakura fighting here than all the times Endo has watched Takiishi fight? You can see what it is reflected in Endo's eye in the page above. Why is Sakura fighting different here than when he first showed up and started fighting Endo? Because he realized in talking with Endo that HE is the threat against Furin. Not Takiishi. I think a part of Sakura was stressed about the fact that Takiishi was fighting Umemiya already on the roof. Sakura didn't know that this whole "war" idea, threatening the civilians of Makochi, pulling in so many people to beat down Furin and the town, ALL OF IT wasn't even about a conflict of ideals of what Furin should be. It was because ENDO wanted Takiishi to be able to fight Umemiya. That's it. There was NO REASON TO EVEN INVOLVE ANYONE ELSE. People were getting hurt, LIVES WERE IN DANGER, all because Endo thought it would be fun to go about it this way. Fun to tear apart Umemiya's dream project (also because Endo fucking loathes Umemiya). My point is, Sakura sole attention, sole reason for standing on his two feet is to STOP ENDO. Everything else has faded away into the background for Sakura. It is the OPPOSITE of what Endo feels from Takiishi. Endo has never been on the receiving end of such intense emotion from someone. Hilariously enough? This means technically Sakura's emotions got through to Endo. In a... twisted way, but Endo is a twisted, fucked up guy.

To Endo the only way he was going to win this fight was either killing Sakura or convincing Sakura to come with him and Takiishi. So Endo could keep Sakura with him. But Sakura wasn't going to stop when he couldn't fight anymore. He wasn't going to accept his physical limit, and he wasn't going to leave to come back another day and give Endo another euphoria-inducing fight. Endo is physically stronger than Sakura. If Wind Breaker was just about whoever is physically stronger in a fight winning, then yes, Endo would have won. But Endo didn't want to kill Sakura, because that would probably mean never again feeling someone capable of eventually being his equal in fighting and also directing that level of intense attention on him again.

Endo fell in love with Sakura. It's different than his love for Takiishi, and it's still fucked up and twisted, but ENDO DIDN'T WANT TO KILL SAKURA! And Sakura was either going to take down Endo or die trying. He would have kept fighting Endo until it killed him. But also, thematically, Sakura's resolve (a resolve that is backed by so many people, a resolve that proves he is not alone in the world) was never going to lose to Endo, who felt alone. Who was fighting for something alone.

I don't need Sakura to get a power up and win his fights with his physical strength. The entire point of Sakura in these big fights is to have a conversation with these people. To make a connection with them. Because no one is undeserving of personal connections. It's why even though Sakura (rightfully) thinks Endo is insane, he's still willing to be a friend to Endo. If Endo doesn't have someone who'll eat a meal with him, and he wants to hang out with Sakura? Then yeah, Sakura is going to accept Endo for who he is and sure, visit the guy to grab lunch or something, whatever. Because Sakura is adopting Umemiya's resolve, his perspective, and puts importance in making sure everyone can laugh and have a good meal with good company.