This section is supposed to
detail the Armor of Strata's abilities. I got sidetracked talking about
the power of the armor, so please bear with me. First, we know of his
special, arrow shockwave. And we know that while he's in space, his
armor creates a protective barrier. This barrier can also be created by
Rowen at will. He uses it to cushion his falling and to prevent injury
to himself and others. He uses it when Kayura drops him from the
clouds and again while in the Dynasty. I think that this protective
barrier is one reason they changed his virtue initially from knowledge
to life force (it makes more sense to have life force protect you
than...knowledge; even though knowing is half the battle). That aside,
I believe that the only limits to Rowen's armor are what he thinks are
limits. For him, it would simply be overcoming the challenges.
After fighting the assassin sun demon (who looked like predator in the opening), the Ronin realize that they cannot control the power of the White Armor. As awesome as it is, its destructive force is too much of a strain on all five guys. Each Ronin has a dream about how to harness and utilize the power of their armor which will in turn allow them to control the armor of inferno better.
Understand your limitations.
In his dreams, the Ancient tells Rowen to understand his limitations. Of the five guys, Rowen is the only one that seems to have an issue with actually being able to complete this task. If he does complete it, it is in a less obvious way than the others. On the other hand, there is an old say that the sky is the limit. In which case, are Rowen's limits only the ones he sets for himself? Does this mean that if he puts his mind to it, he can do absolutely anything? On his quest, Rowen achieves his success within minutes. He shoots an arrow shockwave to disperse a storm (something he is proud of). He understands what the Ancient had been trying to tell him and he is confident that he was able to achieve his task. Kayura later beats up on him, shows him that his power is nothing to her. But, his determination and stubborn pride gets him to Ryo - something she had not been expecting. I think that when Rowen puts his mind to something he becomes undefeatable. And for me, maybe that's what the Ancient had been trying to tell him. I wouldn't say he's any more powerful than the others. Just that with as much studying as he does he has a really good knowledge base and that gives him an edge in thinking of ways to get out of trouble (or get into trouble depending on his mood). Over all, I think that it is important for Rowen to understand what he's capable of (just as the others), but it's less obvious as to the conclusion he comes to.
I'll be honest though, I have a hard time understanding the
limitations of an armor that specializes in breathing in outer space
and has a quiver of unlimited golden arrows. Especially when it's
wielded by a boy that knows the history and mythology behind all of it. It's not about limitations, Ancient! It's about the fact that you gave
magic armor to a kid that spends all of his time reading and studying.
Do you honestly believe he'll have any limitations? Do you honestly
believe that he will not strive to go above and beyond and impress you? Really? Because as far as I can tell Rowen is confident in everything
he does. And if he doesn't succeed, he comes up with a new plan. He
will keep doing this until he succeeds. Perhaps, I think his only
limitation, is the idea that he needs to rely on the others more. So,
maybe his helping Ryo out is part of that. Maybe it's more about
understanding that for all his ideas there are limitations to the
amount of strain that can be put on another person to make them happen. Or maybe, just maybe, my star boy is awesome and I'm over thinking it.
Because hey! What fun would it be if it were all black and white and I
had to deal with things. Speculation and reflection are some of the
best parts of studying and if that's all I've got out of this mess
of thoughts article, I can be happy.
