It breaks my heart to say this, but Zack Snyder’s latest film, Rebel Moon, doesn’t actually break any new ground; it’s basic and something we’ve seen in tons of other films, including Star Wars. However, what Rebel Moon excels at is its characters; even though it failed to explore them in the first installment, it appears that these characters have some excellent and captivating backstories that anyone would love to know about. One such intriguing and captivating character, to be more precise, an antagonist, is Atticus Noble.
As soon as Rebel Moon began, we were introduced to what fear and oppression really meant in this universe. Rebel Moon told us about the motherworld, a kingdom that has seen the rise and fall of thousands of monarchs. The kingdom consumed and captured everything in their path, and when they ran out of empires to crumble, they marched their armies into the vastness of space and dominated every planet or galaxy they could find. This unchecked exploitation gave rise to a revolution after the king’s death, paving the way for Balisarius to take control of the kingdom and army. Atticus Noble was one of Balisarius’s trusted commanders, tasked with capturing Devra and Darrian Bloodaxe and annihilating any remaining shreds of the future revolution.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Atticus Kill Sindri?
At the start of the film, Atticus, in the empire’s King’s Gaze, arrives in the small village called Veldt and demands that the villagers pay him surplus to feed the hungry soldiers. In reality, Atticus was on a mission to capture or kill Devra and Darrian, rebels who had been attacking their supply ports. The mission took longer than expected, and as a result, the Motherworld army was low on supplies. Sindri, the leader or chief of the village, told him that they were starving themselves and could not provide any produce to him. However, the healthy men and women of the village cite a different story to Atticus. When he pressed further, Gunnar revealed that they tend to keep reserves in case of famine or drought. Atticus loses his cool and beats Sindri to death with the club he always carried around.
Rather than understanding their situation, Atticus made an example of Sindri, so no one would lie to him. Atticus had offered them three times the market value of their surplus, yet they still chose to lie to him. Atticus then demanded the villagers submit almost all of their harvest within ten days, or their village would be decimated. Atticus believed the only way he could keep people in check was with violence and bloodshed. His men were no different and were equally brutal.
Atticus was ambitious, just like his master Balisarius, who now controlled the motherworld as a regent. Atticus wanted the same and was looking for an opportunity for a promotion so he could be made senator. He was the commander of a platoon but had grown weary of it and wanted to dabble in politics and share a dialogue with those who made all the rules. The fastest way of doing that was to capture the rebels, who were a constant threat to Mother Earth’s dominance. Atticus was also in search of Arthelais, aka The Scargiver. If you didn’t pick up on it, Arthelais used to be Kora’s name when she served as the motherworld.
Is Atticus Human Or Hybrid?
Atticus learned from one of his captives that the insurgents are on the planet Sharaan, under the protection of a king known as Levitica. He was one of the few rulers who was sympathetic to the rebellion. He had his pilots chart a course to Sharaan, ravaged his kingdom, and brought Levitica to his knees. Atticus berated the king for betraying the motherworld and killed him just like he had murdered Sindri. From what it appeared, Atticus craved violence and committed genocide, all in the name of serving the empire. Perhaps this was Atticus’s means of grasping power, an attempt to exalt himself to the same level as his boss. Thanks to Kai, Atticus hit the jackpot when he captured not one but three of the most wanted fugitives in the galaxy: General Titus, Bloodaxe, and Kora, aka Arthelais. Had he been successful in holding them captive, Atticus surely would’ve been promoted to senator. The ensuing fight revealed to us that Atticus wasn’t entirely human but a hybrid. This explained how he managed to survive being stabbed, shot, and plummeting hundreds of meters from a hovering platform.
What’s Next For Atticus Noble?
So, will we be seeing more of Atticus in the second chapter of Rebel Moon? Yes! Obviously, we’re going to see more of Atticus, and he still has a long way to go. Atticus’s last fight with Kora didn’t exactly go as planned, and he suffered some serious injuries. He was carried to safety by his men, and the scientists of the motherworld, dressed in red garb, hooked him to multiple cords and sent his consciousness to a different world to meet Balisarius. Atticus proudly told his master that he had found the greatest traitor of the motherworld and would bring him Kora’s head if he wanted. Atticus hoped for praise but instead was slapped with a final warning that said if he failed to capture Kora, he would be publicly executed.
So, now we dare ask the big question: What’s next for Atticus Noble? Let’s put all the cards on the table, shall we? It had been cleared so far that Atticus wasn’t the kind of commander who would just accept his defeat, hang up his coat, and retire. He’s the kind who would rise again and again until he got what he wanted: Arthelais, aka Kora, aka The Scargiver. So, now that Atticus knows where Kora hangs her coat, he would send armies after her to capture her alive, as per his master’s orders. However, this won’t be as easy as last time because the villagers are now being trained by an erstwhile General Titus, whom Balisarius had himself called a military and tactical genius. The trailer for part two also showed scenes that suggest that the next part is going to cover all the unexplored streets of the saga, including Kora’s reasons for deserting the army. We would also learn how General Titus’s decision to surrender his arms cost him the lives of his men.
