Lucio Montgasson and The Need for Acknowledgement (A Mini Essay)

Lucio is a mess. He’s a big intellectual mess to disentangle. But as the other love interests, he leaves a trail of hints to his true feelings. Perhaps too obvious of a trail. Naturally, because Lucio craves attention. If the mystery is too hard, people will be demotivated to follow it.

Without using his route as a crutch too much, I believe everything Lucio does in the routes he’s an opposing force (i.e all routes except Portia’s and his own) is to satisfy the desire to be acknowledged. His most consistent actions that portray this need are his revival, Counthood, and his sponsored search for the cure.

Firstly, Lucio is shown in multiple routes to fear being forgotten, both from history and people’s minds. For example, in Nadia’s route, she threatens Lucio with erasing him from Vesuvian history, causing Lucio to rage. If this fear is interpreted as part of his self-worth being tied to external validation, it would motivate him to come back to life no matter what. Because being forgotten is one of his greatest fears. Thus, one way for Lucio to be remembered is to be important and influential, holding a position of power. Like being Count of a big city.

Secondly, The title of Count also served him to be acknowledged. If he was the most influential person in Vesuvia, he would receive a lot of attention. For example, being Count gave him the chance to throw the most lavish party Vesuvia sees the whole year, the Masquerade. It’s a celebration of his birthday i.e. Lucio’s existence. However, the Counthood also came with responsibilities Lucio did not want to deal with, ultimately causing the plague to swipe its deathly grasp across the city.

Lastly, Death terrifies Lucio because non-existence would cause people to eventually forget him. This is best illustrated in his fear of the Lazaret, Vesuvia’s testament of suffering. Whether Asra or Nadia makes a passing mention of this fear, it comes back as a relevant scene in Lucio’s route as well. Lucio needs to be alive to continue throwing parties and being the most well-known person in Vesuvia to satisfy his need. Being dead won’t give him what he wants. On the contrary, it will strip him from every possible means to fulfill that desire. Letting go of it is rarely a development his character takes. What makes Lucio tragic at best and pitiful at worst is his low chance of changing his ways, keenly illustrated in Muriel’s route.

In summary, Lucio’s main motivation across his life rests on his need to be acknowledged. It’s why he doesn’t want to die, why he comes back from the dead-of-sorts, and why the title of Count means so much to him. His attachment to life and the Counthood serve a sole purpose, and no matter who stands in his way, Lucio does everything in his power to reclaim them, no matter the consequences.