It’s time to take on the Black Baron and bring Penelope into the Cooper Gang. I’m sure he’ll be no pushover, but we always find a way to prevail. This time will be no different.
And afterward, Bentley has a proposal for another new recruit… one that even Sly has difficulty processing.
It is easy to discount Penelope and the Panda King both for the simple that they both bring in expertise that Bentley already brings to the table, remote-controlled vehicles and demolitions respectively. And while it’s not incorrect to make that comment, that criticism also ignores what both of these characters bring to the group dynamic.
Penelope highlights the tension that exists between Sly and Bentley, which will be tugged on closer to the end of the game. The game only points it in passing, but Bentley has grown more bold, courageous, and audacious with his plans and schemes. In many ways, he’s starting to come out of Sly’s shadow. And yet, seeing how Penelope swoons over Sly is a not-so-subtle reminder, that he’s still playing second-fiddle to his ally. It’s not enough to make him do anything rash, but it stings, and it does create a minor rift between them.
And the Panda King ties more into the game’s central theme of legacy and being weighed down by the past. It’s part of why we’ve seen so many other familiar faces like Dimitri and Muggshot as well. A major theme of this game is how history can easily weigh us down when we allow it to, or when we fail to move on. Sly and the Panda King are naturally distrustful of each other given their past. It’s kept the Panda King trapped in that moment, and only by accepting that they’re both had time to grow and change is he able to move on.
It’s easy to let history trap you, but you’re far better off learning from it and acknowledging it without letting it define you.
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