WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West.
Having the distinct traits of being mysterious, treacherous and pragmatic, Sylens is one of the most complex characters of the Horizon games. He’s an arrogant man with a lot of secrets who played a major role in HADES’ rise to power, but he has proven to be invaluable to Aloy on her quest. Without Sylens working as a quiet puppet master in the background, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West would be very different stories.
Despite his misdeeds and dismissive attitude, there is arguably a softer side to Sylens. Through his interactions with Aloy, it’s easy to see that he truly respects her. He is regularly impressed by her accomplishments, and though he may try to downplay his admiration, he shows her more courtesy and consideration than anyone else to which he speaks.
Sylens first became aware of Aloy when HADES issued a kill order on her. Interested in anything HADES would perceive as a threat, Sylens investigated and chose to aid Aloy. During Horizon Zero Dawn, he is often callous towards her and eager to use her to learn more about the Old Ones, but he eventually comes to respect her. He even apologizes to her for making cruel remarks about her origins. It’s the only time Sylens apologizes for the way he speaks, perhaps because Aloy called him out on his harshness and expressed to him how much his words stuck with her.
This is a rare moment wherein Sylens is uncharacteristically considerate of the way his words affect others. He even conveys hope that she finds someone waiting for her inside of the mountain, and not just machines and old files, despite being aware that this is an extremely slim possibility. In a touching moment, Sylens genuinely wishes for Aloy to find happiness and fulfillment.
Over the course of Horizon Forbidden West, Sylens’ plans are gradually unraveled. He didn’t have any sinister intent when he saved HADES at the end of Horizon Zero Dawn — he merely used the AI to get what he’s always after: knowledge. He finds a way to interrogate HADES and extract all of the information he can before allowing Aloy to finally destroy it once and for all. While Aloy takes great issue with his actions, Sylens insists that they were crucial to understanding the threats facing Earth and therefor justified. Even so, he doesn’t share the full truth with Aloy about the Far Zeniths and Nemesis.
On the surface, Sylens seems to have little regard for human lives. After all, his plan involves using Regalla and the Tenakth as sacrifices to keep the Far Zeniths busy. Sylens’s logic is cold, but practical; to him, the ends justify the means. Sacrificing the Tenakth is a small price to pay to save life on Earth. As expected, Aloy digs her heels in and refuses to use an entire tribe as cannon fodder. She proves Sylens wrong, finding an alternative that doesn’t require sacrificing lives. Even though Aloy’s plan results in HEPHAESTUS escaping to the cauldron network, Sylens is impressed. By following the advice of Rost and clinging to sentimentality, she was able to create a better outcome than Sylens would have.
By the end of Horizon Forbidden West, Sylens has no reason to stick around with Aloy and her friends. He has access to everything he wants with the APOLLO database, and a means of escaping Earth with the Zenith’s copy of GAIA. With the threat of Nemesis finally revealed, the most logical course of action is to take off into the stars and use GAIA to rebuild life elsewhere. He even offers a polite invitation to Aloy, who turns him down. After a moment of hesitation, Sylens appears to reconsider and walks back to Aloy’s side. Despite his ruthless and pragmatic approach to problem solving, Sylens chooses to stay on Earth (at least for a little while) to help combat Nemesis.
Throughout Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy repeatedly argues with Sylens. Where he sees a calculated, logical course of action in Sobeck’s death, Aloy sees an act of generosity. Where Sylens sees the ashes of the Alphas being scattered by the wind as meaningless, Aloy sees this as their return to the world that they died to create. He acts as Aloy’s foil; he is logical where she is emotional and calculating where she is empathetic.
It’s in Horizon Forbidden West when Aloy repeatedly proves to him that her way is better — that her compassionate nature gives her the determination to look for better solutions. She tells him, “If it seems impossible, look deeper and fight like you can win.” It isn’t a realistic and practical approach; it’s built on hope.
Because of that hope, Aloy is able to succeed in ways Sylens cannot, and perhaps that has inspired him. Sylens may be considering that his cold and calculating approach to problems has actually been limiting him. He used to consider emotional attachments to be a hindrance, yet Aloy has risen to each challenge and found success while embracing a softer touch. In this way, Aloy has forced Sylens to reconsider the value of hope.
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