u/ExpensiveKangaroo911

So, I think it’s no doubt at this point that we all agree that the Nightmare Critters represent the Seven Deadly Sins. It’s become I think the their main trope as characters with what we specifically got from the games and what we currently know about them.

However, I have an opinion that I feel is an extremely hot take, mainly because I don’t know if anyone else has had this particular view when looking at the characters, but this is just my personal view on 3 of the members:

If you've seen my previous posts (As I've mentioned these characters already and the sins they embody), I've written each member as broken, trauma survivors who are still hurting and sad, hiding it behind greaser masks as a way to survive. They’re outcast whom the public looks at as “Bad Guys”, when in reality, they're a group of friends who just want to be accepted for who they are. (They're called the “Nightmare” critters, because they themselves were living in a literal nightmare at some point and needed help waking up, hence why the Smiling Critters accepted them and helped them find happiness and a place they belong)

Now, the ones I wanted to talk about were: Simon, Poe and Icky. Their sin placements aren’t what I see eye to eye with (The other 4, I agree with, and since I also represent the 9 circles, I include Badgy Bite, with her representing Violence and Baba representing Treachery), and I switched them around, with:

Simon - Wrath

Poe - Envy (Also representing Fraud)

And Icky - Pride (Also representing Hersey)

Now, the reason I've represented them as this is because Icky is known to be competitive, as Pride consists of competition, and many people portray him as him thinking he’s the best. While he pins the blame on others, that comes off more as an excuse to still look the best rather than being envious, as he doesn’t want to accept failure. Envy requires hatred and disdain, whereas Icky's not doing that, he’s simply believing nobody can compare to him, which definitely looks like pride to me.

Being that he lived in a toxic environment in my HC, where he wants to not be a failure to his mom, and now, to his friends. He doesn’t act prideful because he thinks he’s the best, it’s a facade because failure has led to problems, and he wants to just be good. He wants to prove he can be capable, he doesn’t want to fail those he loves and cares for. He wants to be good at something, and have confidence in himself, which is why he’s hides behind a pride mask, of looking like he’s the best in the room, when in reality, he has zero confidence and believes he’s a failure.

So it’s why he'd boast and flaunt, constantly insisting he’s “The best player”, not out of jealousy, but out of a need for validation from those he cares about that he’s worthy. So that’s why I've labeled him as Pride.

While Poe can get “Angry” at the littlest inconveniences, I've always seen it as quiet anger than raw explosive rage, and I personally don’t believe an emo fits the description of Wrath. They are a raven, which fits with the theme of darkness, and envy is a cold sin, which darkness aligns with coldness. But it’s also stated “They hate the sun”, which gives off envy more than anything.

See, Poe’s hatred of the sun and "cheery" things isn't just about being grumpy; I've tied it to xenophobia and being an outcast (Which is the tragedy of their backstory). Hating what others have (happiness, acceptance, "the light") because they were unfairly denied it is the definition of Envy. I deem them as the "calm" one who only feels irritation, which suggests a deep-seated, quiet resentment rather than explosive rage, which fits Envy perfectly. 

They “hated” (using that word, as they, like their fellow crew members, have changed) the sun, cheery things, and felt excluded from the light, overall preferring darkness, as I've written their character based on a tragic, envy story. Crashing out doesn't fit a bird who prefers the shadows. As I've stated, Envy is a cold sin, while Wrath is a hot sin. Poe’s calm, reactive grumpiness suggests they are "stewing" in their resentment of the sun. It’s a slow-burn sadness that fits them design-much better than explosive anger.

Poe is down and depressed, constantly looking down and sitting in the dark. They are mourning, wishing for them and their family to be brought from the darkness to the light, but the sunlight is barely touching them. Poe wants them and their family to be accepted.

See, I've specifically placed Simon in Wrath, as yes, while most see him as Pride and I can completely understand why, the canon mentions that he “Hides his true nature”, which to me, I've written as him being afraid to take the mask off and reveal his true self: A scared and hurt boy, who is suffering from rage that's still clinging to him. Despite from a royal family in my HC, he was abused and suffered physically (Having scars left on him) and mentally. He was the well-known and popular kid, and hid it under his “Colossal Jerk” persona, because he was afraid to show that he was going through pain everyday that no kid deserved.

See, wrath is associated with the color red, and is symbolized with fire. What animal is Simon? A fire-breathing dragon, who happens to be red. Others have also portrayed him as lashing out in anger and frustration when he’s challenged or pushed, and he’s rather explosive (Compared to what Poe is depicted as surprisingly calm in fan videos), and wrath easily fits a reactive person who fights. Being that Wrath is a hot sin, I feel it sits well with Simon, specifically since I've written him as someone who will fight to protect those he cares about.

Simon's true nature hidden is because: He's deeply holding back rage that is composed of sadness and pain from years of abuse. He tries to hide under a popularity mask and cool kid mask, when in truth, he doesn’t like being cruel. It’s the only way he's survived. So the arrogance and bravado aren’t the real sin — they’re armor.

It’s kinda why I write the Nightmare and Smiling Critters' arc together, as the Smiling Crew represent the light at the end of a dark tunnel, who lead the Nightmare Critters out, and help them fight the darkness and pain holding them down. It’s to show the Smiling Critters don’t judge, and that everyone to them deserves to be accepted.

But yeah, that’s just my take on the characters and their sin placements. Don’t know how everyone will react, but I just wanted to share my own take.

We're really putting a character who's just a bully most of the time?

How tf is he on the same level as Cackletta and Shadow Queen?

I refuse to believe he is somehow on the same moral scale of evil as Dr. Eggman and Conquest.

The wikis are becoming a hot mess, and at this rate, morality is just based on our opinions each. The wikis have been no help in dissecting the characters and I feel like they’re all over the place.

We're better off just having opinions on the characters than relying on the wikis, because they’re starting to become an unhelpful source.