Sumith Prasad
In Netflix’s space opera ‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver,’ the showdown between Kora/Arthelais and Admiral Atticus Noble ends with the former beheading the right-hand man of her father, Regent Balisarius. With the help of Gunnar, Kora fights Noble once again and this time, she decides against leaving her enemy’s dead body for the Imperium soldiers to collect. She destroys the King’s Gaze, only for the fallen dreadnought to become the tomb of the defeated general. Still, is Noble dead for good? The film ends with General Titus’ revelation that Princess Issa is alive, reminding us that death is beyond normal in the Motherworld! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Admiral Noble: Between Death and Immortality
In ‘Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire,’ the first film in the ‘Rebel Moon’ franchise, Kora kills Admiral Noble, only for him to resurrect after the Imperium’s soldiers recover his dead body. While the Motherworld’s “physicians” remove his scalp, his extraordinary brain is revealed, indicating that he may not even be a human being. He receives a second chance at life inside one of the cryo chambers in the King’s Gaze. However, it may not be easy for Balisarius to resurrect his trusted right-hand man again, especially since his corpse may not be recoverable. Kora wins her war against the Motherworld by destroying the dreadnought.
Even if Noble’s body remains haven’t been destroyed, the residents of Veldt are not expected to welcome any Imperium soldiers who arrive on the moon to pick up the pieces of his corpse. It is also doubtful whether Balisarius will be interested in sending another troop of his soldiers to pick up the body parts of the disgraced admiral. As ‘A Child of Fire’ concludes, Balisarius reminds Noble that he will publicly execute the admiral if he fails to eliminate the threat of the insurgency and bring Kora to the former. Since Noble fails to complete both missions and brings shame to the dictator’s name, the chances of Balisarius being interested in the admiral’s corpse are low.
Does that mean Noble is dead for good? Maybe not. Noble’s mechanical brain implies that the admiral is much more than another human. His human form can be a “cloth” worn by a superior consciousness with a hard drive as a brain. If the information in the hard drive is stored safely anywhere other than the King’s Gaze, Balisarius may give birth to a third version of his potent admiral. If that’s the case, such a consciousness can be described as immortal, and Noble is only a form the dictator can create repeatedly. Considering the conclusion of ‘The Scargiver,’ Balisarius may be tempted to give another life to the fallen admiral.
‘The Scargiver’ ends with Kora teaming up with Titus, Tarak, Millius, and Devra Bloodaxe to find and fight for Princess Issa. The King’s Gaze’s fall may have already alerted Balisarius to expect his adoptive daughter’s return with her associates. His preparations may also include giving birth to Noble’s third version to scare his enemies. Seeing Noble once again as a formidable threat will likely affect the mentality of Kora and her supporters. Knowing that they are up against an immortal and undefeatable entity may even partially kill the motivation that drives Kora and her company to find Issa.
By bringing back Noble from death, Balisarius may try to remove the black mark on his name. His warning to the admiral before his second death indicates that the dictator is concerned about the Senate’s perception of him. If the senators start to believe that Balisarius had been relying on a weak general to lead the Motherworld to limitless expansion, another coup may not even be a surprise. Thus, to not lose the senators’ trust in him, Balisarius may prefer Noble’s appearance beside him. Even if the senators have already learned about Noble’s death, by giving life to the admiral again, Balisarius can project himself as the “life-giver” and earn his compatriots’ trust and respect.
Noble’s survival ultimately depends on Balisarius’ next move against Kora and her army. If he feels like he needs a new face to defend him and his reign of the Motherworld, Noble will likely never see another dawn again. But if he considers Noble a tool to scare his enemies and display his inexplicable strengths, the admiral’s face will continue haunting Kora. The dictator may use such a face’s impact on his enemies to attack them psychologically. More than anyone, Balisarius knows how strong Kora is. He may have figured out that the best way to defeat her is to make her weak mentally or emotionally rather than in combat. If that’s the case, Noble may remain in his arsenal.
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