ok i talked about this on priv but the fact that ppl consistently criticize yaldabaoth for being a too “impersonal” or “detached” villain like he guided akira in everything he did for an entire year wdym

all the thieves have palace rulers that are personal - akira’s, as the protagonist, is the final boss who acted as a mentor and a facilitator for months before betraying him. ppl really don’t want to acknowledge yaldabaoth as a whole confidant tho

shido could be taken as this, but i view shido as goro’s (aborted) palace ruler rather than akira’s - akira didn’t know him prior and so he was not an authority figure that betrayed his trust. yaldabaoth imo is far more personal and hurts much more due to the bond they fostered

but i think due to yaldabaoth’s role as a game mechanic (as igor) and then into godlike villain makes him seem far more distant to akira than he actually is. honestly i think igor is the one authority figure akira started to trust...and he was punished for it