I genuinely feel that Mavuika is among the best written characters in the game, and I think a lot of the community's distaste for her is wildly misplaced. (Obvious Spoilers)
Mavuika is a lot of things and embodies quite a few tried-and-true tropes. She's the Pyro Archon, the embodiment of Natlan's collective will, a human who became a god (Yes, I know the distinction but in the human perspective), the legendary hero of an age long past returned to flesh and blood. She's designed to to be a larger-than-life character and a symbol to the indomitable human spirit; thus, she is portrayed as a perfectionist, the perfect leader, and the ultimate warrior. But the reality is that if a human were to be these things, they'd simply cease being human altogether. Humans are weak, not as strong as gods. Humans err and are never perfect. Mavuika is a human who became inhuman, and in doing so became contradictory. Rather, the story paints Mavuika as a consistent hypocrite both in behavior and in existence. Whether she realizes this or not, I don't wholly know, but the writing is too consistent in depicting her as such.
- The Power of Friendship for a Woman with No Friends:
In spite of the notion of the power of friendship and that in Natlan, "no one fights alone," Mavuika doesn't actually have any real friends in the present. You might say, "What do you mean? Everyone clearly loves her and has nothing but good things to say about her!", but I'm fairly certain I can say she doesn't have any meaningful connections with confidence.
"Oh, and feel free to call me Mavuika. It's what all my friends call me, and I like it that way."
As she says, all her friends call her that, but the reality is that the people who actually call her that are few and far between.
I think a lot of people might find the start of Act V a bit strange since it starts with the characters organizing a send off party, and to some it might feel like filler. What this part of the story is supposed to emphasize though is Mavuika's relationship with other characters, or rather, her lack of relationship to them. Technically, even this party was intended only for the Traveler, as even the social butterfly, Mualani, is shocked by the thought of inviting Mavuika, but ultimately still does so at the player's behest in the hopes of offering Mavuika a chance of relaxing. Only, she never relaxes despite what she may say at the end.
Throughout the quest, you see Mavuika instantly take charge of every and any situation you come across. She gives orders, comforts the characters who are sad and depreciated, and just generally starts Mom-ing them all as the "perfect leader" does. In each encounter, each character will, without fail, refer to Mavuika as "Archon" at least once and never by name. Writing wise, its very deliberate. By the end of them all, I was even wincing for her. These were the heroes she fought alongside, but to them, its very clear that Mavuika is the Archon and The Leader above all else. None of these characters are actual friends with her.
A bit later in the same quest, the characters talk about their respective dreams of their fallen comrades with Mavuika present. In this exchange, everyone shares. Everyone except Mavuika that is. At first, I simply thought she dreamt of no one, but as fate would have it, she actually dreamt of her sister Hine.
This is a consistent trait with Mavuika. She never shares more than she deems necessary, and in fact, actively avoids being overtly personal by hyper-focusing on her role as the Leader. Thus, when called on it by her sister, it makes her uncomfortable. Yet still she unites her people while speaking of bonds she herself does not have. She fights with the power of friendship, but has no real connections in the present. She is simultaneously the glue binding everyone together and an outsider looking in. Put simply, she's completely self-isolated.
Before I move on, I want to address the elephant in the room. There are actually two characters and only two that consistently address Mavuika by name: Xilonen and Citlali. If you have played Citlali's Tribe Quest, I don't think I need to get into why I don't consider Citlali as her friend since they're kinda birds of a feather without flying together. As for Xilonen, I genuinely could not find a single bit of dialogue where they related to one another outside of the "Mavuika asks Xilonen to do really hard tasks"-dynamic. Mavuika has faith in Xilonen's abilities, and Xilonen responds to that faith but in a sassy way. Not even their voice-over lines convey anything beyond this dynamic as they're also about Mavuika asking Xilonen to work. Also, Mavuika mentions something about a tabletop puzzle game in her lines, but I never found reference to any characters having played with her before. I assume its single player or she just plays by herself. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong here.
- Living for the Past and Future, but Never the Present.
In Mavuika's own words,
"The past, present, and future co-exist, and all are equally important."
So she says, but Mavuika is clearly shown as not someone who lives in the present. In fact, the quest she says this quote is very purposefully named "Past and Future" and leaves out "Present" to make it evident that the past and future is where her mind is at. To sort of elucidate my point, I want to call attention to the scenes featured in Acts II and IV where Mauvika slowly ascends her Spirit Temple-like area and reminisces upon the memories of her past connections.
Mavuika saying goodbye to her family.
These are all very well-framed, quiet and sentimental moments that Mavuika experiences, and she never shares them with any other character. Enshrined in these memories are the only real connections Mavuika actually has, those of her sister and family, her mentors, and her friends, all of whom are gone. What culminates at the top of the winding roads of memory is actually a memory that doesn't belong to her: that of Xbalanque making the deal with Ronova to obtain the Power of Death in the hopes that someday Natlan will triumph over the Abyss. Above her precious memories stands the longstanding duty of all Pyro Archons and the promise of a better future hinging upon her death. Thus, she carries her past with her, forgoes her present relationships, and instead lives solely to build a future for the rest of Natlan.
Hine: You never took time for yourself either, did you, Sis?
Mavuika: No, it wasn't necessary. Besides, I made my choice... And now, the end is near — be it the enemy's end, or my own.
Its a very classic story of self-sacrifice, and I feel its depicted very well in these scenes. What's interesting though is that Mavuika seems to have rectified with the fact that she has neglected her present. "The past, present, and future co-exist, and all are equally important," are her own words, yet she passes them to you as if her own words don't apply to herself. Its a lovely contradiction because its representative that she believes herself an afterthought.
"I chose to fight for a future that likely wouldn't include me — so I was prepared for that result. So, when that future actually arrived, I was at a loss..."
- "No One Fights Alone"... Except for Her.
I'm surprised more people don't acknowledge this. Mavuika constantly tries to handle everything by her lonesome when she can. Going to be reborn in the future and need 6 heroes? She does it alone. Traveler can't get his name in time for the final battle? She'll do it alone. In her eyes, she is the one to bear the brunt of the burden.
Lady, we're going to the same place, but you have a motorcycle. I ain't getting there first.
Even when the player does get their Name in time, she immediately suggests they split up even when you're going to the same place. You were to head to the objective immediately while she... Well, there are Abyss tumors she has to handle after all... Wouldn't want you there to slow her down... And this technically isn't wrong. By the time you arrive, she's already fighting on her own without waiting for you or meeting up first to talk strategy.
At this point, I have to talk about the traveler a bit. You, the player, are meant to exemplify what Mavuika is lacking. You are the one to form meaningful connections with the heroes through the their tribe quests, and you are the character who is actually wielding the power of friendship. While Mavuika sat meditating on her past and the future, the Traveler went around helping everyone and formed the present bonds she lacks. In Mavuika's gameplay segment, only her sister reveals herself to her, says her piece, and then leaves Mavuika as she walks away to fight alone again. In contrast to her, every important NPC and their mother comes out of the woodwork to help the Traveler fight as they make their way to the final boss. Even during the final battle, everyone calls out to you, never to Mauvika.
In practice though, the player is also meant to be the exception to Mavuika's BS. You (and technically Paimon) are the ones to consistently call her by name, thus are closer to being her friend. You are also the only one to directly fight alongside her, so at least she isn't alone this time. The story is framed so that the player is her sole complement.
When all is said and done, as the Traveler is amidst their 10 minute glazing parade, she quietly leaves to die. Just as she never shared her dream of her sister, she tells no one of her death. It was a burden she shared with no one, because Mavuika fights alone.
- The Pyro Archon but not Mavuika
Wanjiru: "I heard that the Pyro Archon inherits the knowledge stored in the Sacred Flame and apparently, it can change your personality... I can't help but feel a little worried."
Mavuika: "Worried that you won't be able to beat me in a wrestling match anymore?"
Wanjiru: Why would I be worried about that!? Ugh, never mind, clearly I'm just overthinking things. Why would you forget about me just because of some new job? Even if that job happens to be archon.
This is a bit of an open ended question that the writers seem to ask the readers. "How much of Mavuika is Mavuika?" There isn't really any obvious answer that the story provides. We never knew Mavuika as she was, and Mavuika is not one to share as she is. Because we're not privy to the entirety of Mauvika's past, its more of a "interpret how you wish"-type of deal. Despite this, I'd still say that her identities are fairly distinct.
Mavuika: "That is where we differ, Lord of the Night. You see all humans as the same, but I understand what it means to be a leader. A leader is swift and decisive in the face of reality. Someone capable of making the "right choice" even when there are no good options on the table. Sacrificing the remainder of my life to help Natlan overcome this crisis... That is the right choice. After all, leadership is built on the trust of ordinary people. Without them, there is no Archon. The people look to their leader to make the world a better place and stand up for them when it counts. For that reason, I must see my duty through to the very end."
Citlali: "But, what about you, Mavuika? You still haven't talked about what you want... Is it that unimportant to you?"
Mavuika: "It's not important, Citlali."
Throughout the AQ, Mavuika is kinda depicted as a "monster of logic and pride," but its never that hard to distinguish whether Mavuika is speaking as Mavuika or as the Pyro Archon. Its just that the identity consumes her leaving her impersonal and stripping her more human desires away. Nevertheless, you're still able to hear what Mavuika wants at least once, and its the only time she ever makes a truly personal request without any of the obfuscation. She wanted to be called Mavuika and to be your friend.
"Oh, and feel free to call me Mavuika. It's what all my friends call me, and I like it that way."
- Mavuika's Resolution as a Character
Not sure how much I want to say here because I don't think that Mavuika's arc is completely done yet. She still has the gnosis after all, and the Fatui still want it. Without it, she loses her identity as Pyro Archon and part of her contradictory nature. I'm still waiting to see how this resolves, but I think the trajectory of her story quest makes it pretty clear. Mavuika is to return to as she was, a human.
Xbalanque: "Dear Mavuika, our esteemed Archon, leader of our people. How have you been doing? We all miss you so. There are so many things we want to say to you, but if we really were to say them, they'd just be those simple, heartfelt words. The war is over, Mavuika. All our efforts had meaning, and all our struggles bore fruit. This is the fairest and most precious thing in the entire world. May you be happy in this era of peace. May you eat well, sleep well, always be full of energy, and never forget that we will always love you."
Xbalanque: Mavuika, my dear child. Though we have ascended to Archonhood, never forget that we are still human. Live as you please, in this age of peace you've forged with your own two hands.
I'm sure she'll still be plenty strong and what not, but she'll cease being the distant god-king that she is. No longer bearing Natlan's will, her will shall be her own. No longer living in the past, she must learn to live in the present. Her interactions with Iansan in her SQ show that she'll no longer neglect her present relationships, and Iansan uses her name to show this. At last, Mavuika can be Mavuika.
Mavuika: The long journey of the Pyro Archon has now come to an end. Together, we overcame darkness and death to accomplish something truly remarkable. As we celebrate your glory, allow me thank you once again — this time, just as "Mavuika." Thank you for the respect, understanding, and support every step of the way.
- Some Closing Thoughts
I like Mavuika if you couldn't tell, and was a bit surprised to find that a lot of people viewed her writing as negatively as they do. Unfortunately, I think this is because you kinda have to judge Mavuika not by what she does and says, but rather what she doesn't do and how the situation actually is. She's not as honest and forthright as she presents herself, so its a bit of an indirection that not many have the patience for.
The reason I thought a post like this was necessary is that there seems to be a lot of things getting thrown around that just muddy the waters surrounding Natlan as a whole. Overall, I felt that Natlan was comparable writing-wise to Sumeru and Fontaine. It certainly wasn't perfect, but Sumeru and Fontaine had just as many contrivances in my eyes. I had originally wanted to do an entire post on Natlan as a whole, but I realized I'd have too much to say. In my personal opinion, Natlan is the only country where I felt attached to the land as whole, but I understand that my experiences are relative.
If you also haven't noticed, I neglect talking about Capitano and his plans for Natlan vs the Pyro Archon's. That's because Capitano's plans are frankly so stupid that I am surprised anyone believes them to be the "realistic" approach. In my opinion, Capitano's writing as a whole is what drags Natlan's story down a peg, and I'd probably need another post to explain exactly why. I was pleasantly surprised by Mavuika's writing, but the opposite was true for Capitano. I just don't have much good to say about him and didn't feel like making a lengthy negative post. There are enough of those already.