#//It's a good image of how he views Shido in that he'd have nothing if it weren't for Goro.

[kingspuppet]

Goro treats life like a game of chess in both the literal and figurative sense. It's a game where strategy and sacrifice is everything. Every move you make can either propel you forward or land devastating blows. And Goro uses this ideology to his advantage when trying to calculate the different outcomes and probabilities within his plans. He does whatever he can to make sure each option and piece on the board is accounted for with the utmost consideration, because any miscalculation could end in ruin –––– inevitably snatching away his victory. Due to this line of thinking, Goro isn't considering it all to be a single game or large board of chess. To him he's playing multiple games at once, and in each game Goro is viewed as different pieces on the board in the eyes of others. Shido is the king on this side of the board, and he presents Goro as a rook. He's the frontline defender to the conspiracy that hides behind the row of pawns as he's sent out to eliminate their targets. His actions are swift and direct, always solidified in his path with little to no deviation. He can't afford any missteps. But Goro also views himself as a knight. Only his movements as the knight are deceptive. He's able to angle himself to the place he pleases under the guise of protecting their king. Plays are made to sacrifice what is unnecessary and what will inevitably lead to an opening to their own king. But in reality Shido sees this and puts Goro on a pedestal of higher power when he's actually nothing more than a pawn. All of Shido's pieces are secretly pawns, and Goro is his most important and destructive one. He's a pawn that plays more than his role will ever allow and in the end it will leave Goro punished for it, completely wiping him from the game entirely. With his mask of the Detective Prince and his position when he joins the Thieves, he plays the role of a knight. He's willing to surpass who he needs to with unexpected twists and turns to get him to his end goal. It's an important piece. One that is highly regarded by those around them, but with enough leeway to show that he still has much to learn from both the Thieves and the cases he works on. When in reality he knows much more than he'll ever let on. He'll use his same position as the knight to leave the openings he needs so he can deal the final blow. This mindset stays relatively the same even when Maruki comes into the picture, but this time he immediately knows that Maruki pegs him as a pawn. To what extent, Goro isn't sure of that right away. But he persists as playing the role of the knight allowing him to weave his way through their enemies to protect the fragile pieces left on his board. The truth of the matter is, is that Goro plays almost every piece on the board to suit the tasks that need to be done. It's a complicated dance across the various games he plays as he tries to keep the balance in order to advance with each one and to make sure they flow harmoniously as he goes. But the one thing that's constant is that no matter what role Goro plays it's just another layer to protect what his true role is beneath it all. The queen ––– the most important piece on the board. The only piece that can play all of the roles at once and move freely. Everyone's so worried about the king playing figurehead in the back that they don't realize the queen's already begun their move towards victory, and that they'll do anything in their power to seize it.

#; Headcanon || Goro ♟️ #; Analysis || Goro ♟️ #//I really like the chess symbolism okay. #//But also the idea that Goro never views himself as the king I feel can also really fit his character. #//He'd view the king as nothing more than a distraction piece. Sure once it's seized that means victory. #//But at the same time the king can do nothing without the pieces around them. They can't protect or fight or make any of the big moves. #//It's a good image of how he views Shido in that he'd have nothing if it weren't for Goro. #//That they may be the supposed mastermind but in reality the power they hold is nothing but a farce.