why is toroko a hero?

Being nice does not make you a hero.

Being nice makes you nice.

 

Yay for Socrates! Such amazing logic! Wow!

 

Being nice does not make you a hero.

Hmm... well

...if no one is nice to you, and then one person sticks up for you, even against their own...
I think Sue might think of Toroko as a hero to her. I mean she even gave up that odd fish pendant, that "looks like it has been treasured for years" to Toroko as thanks. There must be significance there.

Also, perhaps without King and Toroko there would be no "Mimiga" Village for Quote to find. King continued to lead the Mimigas as best he could. And Toroko was integral for King's determination. (Only six Mimigas left and they are still trying to protect the village?)
Being the sister to Arthur, a Mimiga that was a "true hero to the Mimigas"; she probably was their last bit of hope. You might think they would have lost all hope when Arthur died, but King, Jack and Toroko seemed to keep the village running. Maybe because of their friendship.

But, looking at this from a non-hero angle. It was Toroko and King's death that really spurred me on as a player. Up until that point, I think I thought of the adventure as a happy-go-lucky mishap, to maybe... find the way out of the cave.
Sure there was plenty of foreshadow in the dialogues as you approach King and Toroko's demise about wars and stuff... But, actions speak louder than words!

If Misery had asked you to join them in the beginning after seeing you fight Balrog, you might have said (YES). But, after they took out Toroko, they crossed the line...

Lastly, I always thought QUOTE was the one who carved out the hero statues... Out of the original evil statues. Sort of like what you see in cartoons. [BAM BAM BAM] There... much better!

Why wouldn't the hero be sue or kazuma or booster?

Well, kazuma didn't do anything heroic that I remember... He was important, but at that point in time he hadn't done anything except escape. (Afterwards he DOES catch the falling Sue, and that's pretty sweet; but that happened later than the statue room part)
Booster... uh... He doesn't really do anything heroic, except supply the hero with important tools and information. How often are the scientists, gunsmiths or swordsmiths who make the heroes' tools called a hero? Not often!

As for Sue...

Sue's only objective is to get off this stinkin' island!

Toroko at least tried her best to defend someone. And King tried his best to save her.
Booster didn't organize the gang to go... find the flowers, he sent the scout robot to do his work!
Kazuma wouldn't dare fight monsters...
Sue eh... she's relying on you!

 

But, after they took out Toroko, they crossed the line...

Victim doesn't mean hero either I agree that it was an important an emotional moment, but she didn't choose to die - she was forcefed crazy flowers and then you killed her.

However, I do agree with your point on Toroko being a personal hero, a hero to the Mimigas. She stood up for what she believed was right, and acted as a glue to their village. I don't think I really saw it that way before.

Ultimately, though, I guess the main question is "what makes a hero?". Does quote deserve to have a hero statue? I wouldn't think so, but evidently the game does. Perhaps the statues are not of heroes (is it ever explicitly mentioned that they are?) but rather those who caused pivotal changes in the direction of the story, or perhaps those who the player has an emotional bond with (assuming they aren't a sociopath).

 

Well then, i guess those statues weren't hero's at all,
but toroko deserves a statue for standing up for justice and being your first bond breaking character, falling victim to red flowers.

possibly put there to warn the player that not all is gonna go peacefully.
and that if your not careful more friends can die?

 

Does quote deserve to have a hero statue? I wouldn't think so, but evidently the game does. Perhaps the statues are not of heroes (is it ever explicitly mentioned that they are?) but rather those who caused pivotal changes in the direction of the story, or perhaps those who the player has an emotional bond with (assuming they aren't a sociopath).

I thought Quote was a "true hero" with the whole Red Demon bit.

But Shimmy, what if Quote goes through the easy Last Cave and doesn't fight the Red Demon?

Well then, Quote isn't a statue, as you can only look at the statues and not "resculpturize" them.

But Shimmy... *a loud crash is heard*

So with that out of the way, any other questions?

 

Well obviously pixel intended quote to be a hero (by bringing in the red demon blobbity blah), however, what things has quote done that make him intriniscally a hero?

 

Well to be fair, by the time you see the statues, Quote has potential to be a hero, in what, a few minutes? (Unless you don't count saving an entire civilization as making you a hero.) Maybe it was the magic-ness of the island that knew he would succeed or something like that...

 

Quote's a hero, because he chose to go on and find the chamber, rather than escape the island with Kazuma. Also, when faced with the choice, he wanted to spare Sue, rather than destroy the core.

King's a hero, because he gave his life to fighting and opposing the Doctor.

Curly's a hero, because she chose to protect the Colons and was willing to give up her life to save Quote.

Toroko's a hero, because no one else on the island is as qualified as her. Sue? She just wants to escape the island, just like Kazuma. The only other candidate is Ms Sakamoto.

 

Toroko's a hero, because no one else on the island is as qualified as her.

What do you mean by qualified?

 

Am I the only one reading the title "Why did Toroko an hero?"
Or is it just me?

 

Just you. All I see wrong is the lack of capitalization.

 

Am I the only one reading the title "Why did Toroko an hero?"
Or is it just me?

every time

 

It’s Quote that carves those statues, with weaponry at that. That doesn’t necessarily mean “heroes” In the view of everyone in the game, but could mean people that influenced him the most, and/or needs a memorial for sacrifice, e.g. king.

That doesn’t explain why Toroko is there very well, although there is a reason I can think of. She was the only mimiga he knew and that he saw become enraged, and killed by him. I think it’s more of personal thing, a reminder, than a list of heroes.

 

...I never actually made the connection that Quote was physically carving the statues, I always treated it as a little easter egg.
Thank you sir, you have changed the way I look at Cave Story.

 

What do you mean by qualified?

Suitable. A potential candidate. There aren't too many characters, after all.

 

...I never actually made the connection that Quote was physically carving the statues, I always treated it as a little easter egg.
Thank you sir, you have changed the way I look at Cave Story.

I second every last word of this, 'specially in regards to Toroko and her death. Can be even more impactful if you consider the timing; the -whole damn island is falling to its doom- and he still finds the time to pay his proper tributes (although carving himself would be a little narcissistic in that regard).

 

pERSONNALLY, WHEN i WAS FIRST GOING TO THE sAND zONE, i WAS LIKE, OH LOOK, iM GONNA STOP THE BAD DUDE IN HERE. bUT WHEN i GOT TO THE STOREHOUSE AND FOUND THEY HAD SUCCEEDED, i WAS LIKE, YAY! MORE GAMEPLAY! BUT WHEN THEY MADE ME KILL TOROKO, THAT WAS WHEN I GOT INTO THE GAME. SO MAYBE THAT'S why Quote recarves one of those statues in Toroko's image, because her death is what made him be driven to defeat the Doctor.
EDIT:*facepalm* oops i somehow had caps lock on through half of that

 

I always felt that the choice of characters was for the emotional impact on the player. Remember, the game isn't meant to be played by it's characters. It's meant to be played by you/us/me.

Anyway
Toroko and King are the only characters that die in the good ending (I'm pretty sure). I for one spent a lot of time trying to get them to not die when I first started playing. I'm supposed to be the Hero! I've got to save these guys!

So yeah, I effectively agree that it acts as a memorial to those characters, and possibly to provoke this exact contemplation of the place of their deaths in the story.

It helps to juxtapose the bitter taste in my mouth that the normal ending gives.