He had a plan and spent centuries executing it, he then went directly to Chaldea and lied to them (he did very little gaslighting btw) about himself and tons of the world to get them to do his bidding. He's calculating and charismatic, he's also just enjoyable to watch especially if you start to unravel his lies during earlier parts of the LB.
Also if you respect a villain less for doing evil actions, idk what to tell you.
His plan was using everyone around him as a tool and then attempt to kill them after they helped him reach his goal of getting rid of Morgan and Cernunnos. Oh, he did absolutely gaslight multiple characters, with Murian and Barghest being his biggest victims. He sicced the Fang Clan against the Wing Clan which traumatized Murian and made her obsessed with taking revenge at any cost. He brainwashed Barghest, forcing her to forget that she had eaten her lover all because he wanted her to transform at the right time (i.e. after Morgan's death). He pretended to be our ally and only after we did all the work by getting rid of every powerful force (Morgan, Woodwose, Cernunnos etc.), did he pop out of nowhere and reveal that he was in fact the big baddie and we were just his pawn.
You already said he is not meant to be sympathetic and is pretty much irredeemable, an irredeemable person does not deserve respect. Just like Askeladd/Griffith/Makishima, Oberon is a shitty person but a fascinating, unrepentant villain. Now you might think that I hate him, but I don't. He made LB6 entertaining, but the way his fans will disregard all the rampant atrocities he was involved with makes me genuinely wonder whether they actually like him because of his writing or because he looks like a tumblr boy (this isn't directed at you).
an irredeemable person does not deserve respect. Just like Askeladd/Griffith
I just fundamentally disagree. In fact I respect Askeladd, which isn't an uncommon opinion among Vinland fans. I even respect Griffith to a degree though definitely far less than Askeladd and Oberon. There's no reason you can't respect someone who's done fucked up stuff. Them even going so far as to do atrocities to reach their goal may even be the reason they're respected in the first place, that's definitely the case for Oberon.
He sicced the Fang Clan against the Wing Clan which traumatized Murian and made her obsessed with taking revenge at any cost
That's still not gaslighting, that's just him being an asshole. Barghest probably does fall under gaslighting even if it's memory manipulation but I can't think of anything else.
because he looks like a tumblr boy
His FA art is actually the reason Nasu made him so prominent, I wouldn't doubt a large number of his fans also just like how he looks.
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u/Eagle-Eyes- :Artoria: Jun 17 '25
Respect him for what? Gaslighting everyone and attempting to genocide PHH?