You know how Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Ep. 12 “Keep Marching On Instead of Running Off” ended in a slightly disturbing and somewhat bloody smile from Suletta Mercury herself? I’m sure more than one viewer ended up slightly creeped out by that. However, if you think about it in hindsight, it’s not actually all that disturbing. Sure, maybe it’s a little bit disturbing. But there’s a reason why Suletta was smiling like that. A reason that doesn’t involve her being a psychopath or a brainwashed soldier like some people claim.

Warning: spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Ep. 12 “Keep Marching On Instead of Running Off” below. If you want to see Suletta’s bloody smile for yourself, then stop here and come back once you’ve finished being as traumatized as Miorine was. You can watch this anime in its current entirety (including the episode in question) only on Crunchyroll.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Ep. 12 “Keep Marching On Instead of Running Off” ~ Context

There was a lot of setup before the epic fight here.

To give you all some background context for this: the scene in question takes place right at the end of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Ep. 12 “Keep Marching On Instead of Running Off”. Suletta had been separated from Miorine by airlock doors, and had made her way to Plant Quetta’s mobile suit hangar. Unfortunately, Dawn of Fold mercenaries had already made their way to the hangar, and were shooting anyone they saw. The mercenaries were just about to discover Suletta’s hiding place and shoot her as well, only for Prospera Mercury (AKA: Elnora Samaya) to save her daughter via some very accurate pistol shots.

Suletta is understandable shocked that her mother had murdered someone so casually. However, Prospera explained her reasoning to Suletta, and convinced her of the need to sometimes murder to save someone’s life. This turns into a rousing speech in which Prospera convinces Suletta to pilot Aerial against the Dawn of Fold Gundams in order to save the life of the people she cares about. Specifically: Miorine in particular.

Thus Suletta gets into Aerial to fight the terrorists threatening her loved ones. And just in time to stop one of the Earth Witches too as she entered the hangar in her own Gundam.

Why Context is Important

Anyone reminded of that scene from Spy x Family, but played for drama?

That’s when we come to the scene above. The scene starts with a Dawn of Fold mercenary, who was left behind in the sudden retreat from Plant Quetta following the arrival of a reinforcing rescue fleet, about to kill Delling and Miorine along with him. All apparently in a final act of revenge. It turns out to be his final mistake. Suletta, seeing the threat to the girl she loves, reacted instantly and slammed Aerial’s multi-ton hand right down on that mercenary. The effect is very similar to what happens when you crush a bug on a wall. Just imagine that for a human instead, and splattering Miorine’s face with fresh warm blood to boot.

Suletta then hastily climbs down from Aerial, slipping and falling in the blood puddle made by the very much former mercenary. She then smiles at the sight of Miorine, and offers a hand to her. Unfortunately, that same hand is the hand she used to push herself up from the floor, and so it’s covered in blood. A shocked Miorine calls Suletta a murderer, and definitely does not take that hand. Unfortunately, that’s the end of that scene and of this cours of the anime in general. We have to wait until the next cours to find out how Suletta took that accusation.

Suletta’s Bloody Smile: Why It’s Not as Disturbing as It Looks

Suletta Murders In Cold Blood | Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury thumbnail image.
Really, it isn’t. Not entirely disturbing, at least.

Think about it this way: Suletta has just resolved to kill to defend her loved ones. She sees an armed terrorist about her murder her beloved Miorine. So her action to kill the Dawn of Fold mercenary is a perfectly natural action on her part.

As for Suletta’s smiling at Miorine, and extending a blood-soaked hand to her? Well, think about it: Suletta only now has had a chance to get a good look at Miorine in person. She can now confirm with her own two eyes that Miorine is safe and unharmed, and isn’t in any danger. Why shouldn’t she be smiling at that? Thus her smile, despite the scene, is actually perfectly normal for her to have.

Yes, Suletta is ignoring the blood soaking her hand. And yes, she’s also ignoring the fact that she just straight-up murdered someone. However, we have seen Suletta hyperfocus on things before over the course of the anime, especially during Gundam fights. It’s very much possible that she’s in a similar hyperfocus state at the moment. Only this time, her hyperfocus is on Miorine’s safety. She’s literally ignoring everything and everyone else to focus on Miorine’s well-being. It’s not a symptom of psychopathy. It’s proof of how much Suletta cares about her bride. So yes, it actually makes sense for Suletta to be smiling at that moment. It may be creepy, but it’s not due to psychopathy on her part.

As for arguments that Prospera brainwashed Suletta into this state of mind? Keep in mind that Prospera’s words sounded absolutely nothing like she was activating a brainwashed state like with the Winter Soldier. It just sounded like she was giving a motivational speech to Suletta, and said speech had a perfectly reasonable train of logic that the audience can follow. If you’re going to argue that constituted brainwashing, then by logic, every motivational speech in existence is brainwashing. Your mileage may vary here, but that’s my opinion on the matter.

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