<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bester:
<font color=yellow>The 3 members of The One (as they appear after each transformation) represent the migration of the Minbari soul...</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
I would see it the opposite way... /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif For me, the soul stuff is just a metaphor for ideas, ways of thinking and ways of seeing the world.
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Sinclair only became Minbari in body, but had a Human mind (aside from the influences he picked up along the way) and hence resembled a Human soul among the Minbari. He introduced numerous Human ideas to the Minbari civilisation. His physical change had only one reason. To make him acceptable.
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Delenn hardly became a hybrid. She became as Human as possible. Otherwise conflicting biologies would have made living impossible. Just like with Valen, her genes changed. But her mind (or soul, if you prefer) remained Minbari, aside from the influences she picked up along the way.
She interacted with Humans (up to marrying one) and involved them in the Rangers. Helped ending the Shadow wars and creating the Alliance. Given that she profoundly influenced what became of the galaxy... we can say she introduced Minbari ways to many civilisations, including but not limited to Humans. Doing that, she also learned the ways of other civilisations, and seemed quite eager to introduce them to her own people.
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Sheridan. While I can understand the other parallels, the "non-corporeal" claim from Bester confuses me. Non-corporeal? In which manner did he exhibit such properties? He seemed quite a real and material person to me, and remained quite Human from birth to death.
He simply realized he had choices and made them wisely enough to help creating a better future. Transformations were only a means, a means of gaining quick acceptance among alien cultures. Sheridan had no need for that. He never needed to move into a completely alien culture. By the time he and Delenn moved to Minbar, he had gained respect and acceptance in other ways.
Thus he remained Human in body, but bodies are irrelevant. He had an open mind, and this allowed making good choices. In fact he achieved, together with Delenn, something which few could dream of.
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<font color=yellow>Instead of trying to interpret the "One" as something supernatural, I much prefer to consider them people. Because it makes this excellent story about them more meaningful.</font color=yellow> I prefer to imagine a story with no souls, no supernatural, no fate aside from quirks of time and space. Simply people and choices. Good choices can create a future, bad choices can destroy it.
Quite naturally, others can imagine the same story in the way they prefer.