After you destroy the machine, he shows up in his flying ship, and you fight that, destroying it and sending it into the volcano. Monica, in her rage over her father's death, jumps on WHILE THE SHIP IS CRASHING, and Gaspard knocks her out, meaning Max has to venture down to the bottom on his own to rescue Monica. It's there that he finds Gaspard, and the two face off.

And then Gaspard asks Max why he fights.

Max, at this point, has found out where his mother is, and needs to fight Gaspard to protect her. He scoffs, and let's out a line that is nothing short of funny out of context:

"I had a mother, too, just like everyone else!"

No, seriously, I laughed when I first heard that. Nothing about that is not funny! ...but he doesn't stop. He keeps going.

Gaspard's father wasn't a human. Because of this, when his father died, the townsfolk of their home chased out him and his mother. So, him and his mother were forced to live on the streets, stealing food just to survive.

And then Gaspard's mother got sick.

The video I've embedded has the whole scene, but I've started it at where Gaspard's mother got sick, because I can't do it justice with words alone. If the embed time doesn't work, skip to 4:54.



"You must find something you want to protect. Even if it takes your whole life..." That was her last request of Gaspard before passing on. And in that moment, Gaspard hit his Despair Event Horizon. He saw her blood on Humanity's hands, and chose to become Griffon's right hand.

And yet...

Reviewing his own memories makes Gaspard realize something: none of this is what his mother asked of him. And in that moment, he makes his decision: he throws his sword down, and says "You must continue your journey. You mustn't give up now. [...] Farewell..." And walks away.

My favorite part about this turn is what he doesn't do. He doesn't ask them for forgiveness. He doesn't ask to join them. He says "I won't stop you anymore." It never makes you question why he did what he did before if this was in him; he admits that he has done nothing right. And he doesn't try to atone; he accepts what he's done, and moves on.

Griffon then forces him to fight you one last time.

After the fight, you then see him reunite with his mother, and he starts telling the story of his journey. And his Mother says the words that make me cry every time I hear them.

"You found it, Gaspard... You managed to find it..."

This is the moment you realize that he did finally do exactly what his mother asked. He found something worth trying to protect.

He found Max and Monica.