Victory makes it all worthwhile

“I have sacrified everything. For this battle. But, victory makes it all worthwhile”

This powerful line, uttered by Demon King Vearn in “Dragon Quest: Adventure of Dai”, resonated with me deeply when I first encountered it at eight years old. It was the first thing that sprang to mind whenever I recalled the manga. Only recently, after watching the anime, that I begin to understand the feeling that reaction.

For those unfamiliar with the manga, this happens during the final battle between the Demon King Vearn, having waited thousands of years for the power of Gods to wane and amassing enough of strength to conquer the Human Realm, and the Dragon Knight Dai, our hero. He has just transformed into his Beast form, abandoning his immortal body, after being overpowered by Dai, who sacrified his sanity to transform into the Majin form.

Vearn’s statement can be interpreted in a couple of ways. Firstly, it signifies a profound shift: the Demon King has finally acknowledged Dai as his equal. Previously, any praise Vearn offered felt condescending, like a compliment from a master to their promising student. But in this moment, facing an opponent who has pushed him to his absolute limit, Vearn’s words (and actions) admit a stark reality: he cannot win without making a sacrifice on par with his adversary’s.

Secondly, and perhaps more compellingly, Vearn’s sacrifice speaks to a deeply wounded pride. Even if he were to win this battle, what would that “victory” truly mean? His new, mortal form is a significant downgrade from his previous immortality. His reign, once envisioned as eternal, would now be fleeting—mere minutes in his long, thousands-years existence. Can that truly be called a triumph?

Consider how cunning and patient Vearn had been. Vearn had always counselled his subordinate, Hadlar, that true victory often lay in strategic retreat and long-term planning. The most logical path to ultimate conquest would have been to flee, recover, and outlive Dai, who was, after all, half-human. With the Dragon Knight’s lineage naturally weakening over time, Vearn’s chances would have only improved.

So why did he choose to win the battle at the potential cost of the war? I believe that after millennia of unshakeable confidence, Vearn experienced something new: fear. This unfamiliar emotion, instilled by a hero he initially underestimated, dealt a devastating blow to his pride. This fear and wounded pride festered into anger - anger at Dai for inspiring such an emotion, and anger at himself for succumbing to it, for being pushed so far by a “child.”

His all-consuming sacrifice, then, becomes less about strategic victory and more about a desperate reaffirmation of his strength, a defiant roar against his own perceived weakness, and perhaps, a form of self-punishment.

Why does this fictional moment matter? Because, if we’re honest, many of us have walked in Vearn’s shoes. We’ve let pride and anger dictate our actions, choosing to “win” a minor battle at the expense of a greater, more meaningful victory. We’ve sacrificed things we hold dear - relationships, opportunities, principles - all to achieve a small triumph that momentarily soothes our ego or reaffirms our self-worth.

But as Vearn’s story tragically illustrates, acting rashly on intense emotions doesn’t guarantee the desired outcome. He still lost. Perhaps if Vearn had paused to truly experience his anger and understand its origins - the fear, the wounded sense of self - his judgment might not have been so clouded. When we don’t stop to reflect on why we feel such powerful emotions, we risk not only the larger ‘war’ but also the very ‘small victory’ we impulsively chase.

So, if “victory makes it all worthwhile”, then the first battleground we must master is within ourselves. Acknowledging our limits, choosing our engagements wisely, and defining what victory truly means for us - these all require a clear mind. To achieve that clarity, especially when emotions surge, the essential step is that pause for self-reflection. As the ancient general Sun Tzu so aptly put it:

“Understand yourselves, understand your enemies and you will win all battles.”