In my Disgaea Review & Love in Disgaea posts I stated how Laharl does have a kindness in his heart despite claiming he's an evil overlord all the time. Only, after playing Etna mode I realized how powerful the story was in the subtle ways it showcased that.

WARNING: Etna Mode SPOILERS!

"Does being a noble or a commoner, or even a demon or an angel really matter?"

Etna, The Heartless Queen

Etna mode starts the same way Main Mode starts: Etna tries to wake the prince up. Except that this time, she accidentally kills him while trying to do that. That changes the story route.

Like in Laharl's story, Etna's goal is still getting her memories back. Unlike when she was with him though, this time she's willing to do anything for that goal.

Etna sets up a fake Laharl and goes on enemy crushing spree. In her process she became a space detective, made an angel stand still in one place for days & overworked her Prinnies! (Well, she always did the last one.)

Lahral's Hidden Kindness, Etna's Lack of Empathy

Laharl always seemed concerned on appearing Evil to those around him in the main mode. Etna only seemed concerned on having fun. She doesn't care about how others see her.

In one main story chapter: Laharl was going to kill one of his enemies. He stopped when he saw that said enemy have a son and spared them.

In Etna mode. She encountered the same guy. She mercilessly made him and his son her slaves. Comparing the same scenes and their lines as they both order their Prinnies to steal the money from the guy. Take in mind that Flonne was present in both scenes:

Laharl: "All right start taking the good stuff!! but make sure to leave some behind for them."

Flonne heard Laharl say this in the main mode timeline. She was glad that Laharl has a bit of kindness in him. Took it as a proof that Demons have feelings. That became the reason she stayed in the netherworld with the party.

In Etna Mode's Timeline:

Etna: "I really don't care whether you starve to death or not."

Flonne in this timeline believed that Etna was a space detective, but was told by a mysterious voice that Etna is actually the overlord. After she witnessed Etna's cruelty, Flonne became convinced of that, and she one of the antagonists of Etna Mode after this.

Lahral & Etna's Respect For The King

While he doesn't admit it, Laharl loved his father. Etna's loyalty to him remained intact even after her memories was stolen. In the whole netherworld there's no character that won't tell you how great the late overlord was.

To unlock Etna's mode you have to see Etna's Journal from the main game. The early entries of the Journal are about Etna's stolen memories. But after she regains her memories. She finally starts to remember a promise she made with the king.

King Krichevskoy was a kind man. Some of Etna's interactions with Laharl prove that she wants him to be like his father. Even though she doesn't care about kindness herself.

In her mode, Etna doesn't have Laharl. That makes her show her true colors. A cruel and scheming demon. If the late overlord isn't here, she's free to do what she pleases.

Etna's Mixed Feelings on Laharl

Etna's personality is actually deep under the scheming surface. Etna is 160 years older than Laharl. She was his father's vassal even before he met his mother. Her Journal entries show how much she loved the king.

In her Journal entry "Hatred," she remembers when the king first met his wife. How jealous she was of her. How much she hated Laharl, because he was born from a human mother.

"I made a promise to the King... The King worried about the Prince until the very end...
I hated the Prince... I envied the Prince...
But, that was my promise to the King... I must keep my word..."

-- Etna's Journal "The Promise"

I loved to experience the difference in Etna's treatment toward Flonne between Main mode & Etna's mode. Just because Laharl isn't there. It made an amazing "What if?" scenario~

Conclusion

Laharl and Etna are both different types of ant-villains. Laharl being closer to an anti-hero and Etna is closer to a true neutral character. While Etna is more cruel in her Mode, both stories have positive themes overall, and both are balanced with silly elements. For a game that boasts hundreds of hours in gameplay, Disgaea does have interesting characters to make you care!!

What do you think?

This article is a complete revision. The original was published on STEEM in 2018. (Also on Hive.)