No one claimed she was a saint. But again, she does essentially warn you multiple times that she's going to test you. Does that excuse her actions? Fuck no! But by no means is she pure evil, I don't think anyone objectively is minus MAYBE some of the monsters, hard to tell if it's just an instinctual take over or what the primary goal is, anyway, to clarify just for arguments sake:
Primary Point.
A. As far as we know, she "technically" murdered a middle school class. Was that the full story? Fuck no, we're taking the account of someone who didn't even witness the event in the first place. All we know is that Ella and Chelsie were the only survivors. For all we know, she fought a monster, was attacked, or maybe she was even trying to defend someone (though I doubt it). What we do know is that she knew ahead of time, but that's not to say that's all to the story, especially considering powers were new to her at the time. She could've very well had a completely different inner moral compass at the time.
B. Yes, she did let Valravn loose, but again, H.E.R.O isn't this "Neutral Party" either. Deus is affiliated with them and literally POWERS HIM UP amidst a mass murder. At least Ella had the courtesy to just let monsters do what they were going to do anyway, and managed to keep it locked up as long as she did instead of doing the opposite (preventing it's capture Deus). Or H.E.R.O LETTING Valravn murder more cops just to prove a god damn point, and showcase their newfound (forced) propaganda.
C. The Minyaks are everyone's fault. Ella was quite literally minding her own business and Alexis decided to fucking ANNIHILATE the city center and knock the god damn pills all over the place. Ella even mentions that wasn't her plan to begin with (spreading the pills) and she's not the only source of them to begin with.
1. Yeah no, you're right about the Mafia thing I believe, and while we don't know her reasoning for outright killing you for too much progress, she doesn't do it by Mother. I'm assuming your referring to after you "beat" fuck her? Pretty sure she takes you to Mother as a progression check of sorts, and a fucking Unknown Saitama Monster comes out of no where and fucking obliterates Mother. It wasn't a malicious thing, she's fucking petrified during the ordeal.
2. The Frat party Kenny conundrum. Like I said, she constantly hammers in tests and getting stronger. What did you think was going to happen? A director to come in and go, "lights, camera, and... challenge!"? This is more of an MC fault if anything, if I just saw 2 Monsters nearly kill me in a park, and the woman who orchestrated it warned me about what's to come, just based on the first point, I wouldn't have even THOUGHT about being near friends or god forbid going to a Frat Party. Tabs on everything sure, but acting like the world didn't just happen is naive, and Ella is constantly referencing that and trying to push you out of it. H.E.R.O even mentions that Monster attacks are getting more frequent, and that most Superhumans we're going to be rounded up and the world was going to change soon anyway. I don't see how getting a head start is a bad thing. From the shit we've seen so far, Ella has been more than hand holding us with these challenges, our first contract with H.E.R.O nearly gets us, and the entire united military killed on national television. All that being said, yes it's still fucked up, but yet again, no one said she was a saint.
3. The Klaus event was all over the place like you said. I think she mentions knowing about it, and even offered to help, but alas. I remember H.E.R.O having their hands in it, the police, etc. Even if no one was involved, it seemed like it was going to happen anyways. Now in the case of her killing us for progress, you're right, but we still don't know the full story as to why that is, not that it justifies it...
4. No comment. Except let's be real, Jake was a bit of a power hungry cunt, even before his toying, for someone so smart, he sure was fucking stupid.
5. No comment there either. But again yeah, Deryl turned into a fucking cunt. There was no influence after he practically burned us alive for the sake of jealousy.
6. I find it to be the opposite. I don't think H.E.R.O fully knows what they are doing. There may be individuals like Deus and Xanthe that are more capable than they seem, but that's just it, they're individuals. The group itself is a toxic cesspool of The Boys, save for a few pillars who have to listen to other pillars just to keep the peace. Members sneaking behind their backs to destroy their goals. A council already showing they need 6 braincells to rub together in order to form a collective individual goal or thought, the list goes on. With Ella, which was my point in the first place, she's easier to read. Just one person, pretty up front with what she wants, be it ethical or otherwise. And it's true, she did train us up for us, if she didn't throw those tests at us what do you think would've happened? The world is constantly changing, and I'm questioning if even our friends will be safe with the amount of monsters popping up, and H.E.R.O's blatant disregard for anything that doesn't fit their own agendas. I think in real life, a kill or be killed learning exercise for this scenario is far better than the WEAK ASS 99% of the H.E.R.O members still dicking around in case of god forbid a monster hits HQ.
7. Another test obviously, or it could be a part of her plan. The first words out of their mouths is H.E.R.O being a bunch of fucking wimps, nothing to do with the MC at all. My gander is she's here to recruit, maybe show Superhumans that they can be free to do whatever the fuck they want instead of being leashed by a corrupt organization. Either way, if you haven't already figured out Ella, or the MC hasn't for that matter you're already too far gone. But again, that was my point, we know Ella to an extent.
I get that, she isn't a saint, no one claimed otherwise. And this little white knight reply isn't hate towards you either Drako. As a finisher, I wanted to point out that while she isn't a saint, she isn't evil either, just selfish.
I feel I should remind people that she runs an orphanage. Not out of public persuasion, or science experimentation, but as I see it, love. She was orphaned herself, so I think some level of herself is still there. She gets visibly angry at the fact that the homeless man threatens the children, and even eats with them. She doesn't have to do that, she didn't have to move them into a new fancy place (and it's not her base because that's in the cave, though it MAY be used for something else). I just really don't think she's all that evil, I think she was forced into a bad scenario, with a prior bad situation, and with her newfound powers; she did what any rational person would do, took advantage of it. She could've let Chelsie go with the rest of the Middle School class, she could've left us alone and we would've eventually seen our friends or ourself get killed, she also could've gone about it friendlier but alas, this new world isn't a psychology class.
Those are just my thoughts on the matter, if you can hate Ella you can damn well hate/distrust H.E.R.O or anyone else close to you for that matter. Fuckin Jake and Deryl at their base corruption showed us that, regardless of influence; though it didn't help. Trust is a bit more broad to me than just handing over the god damn driver seat. I didn't say to hand over your credit card information, I wouldn't even do that for my parents, nor any other rational person, but I still trust them. I don't know what do y'all think?
