Scott Pilgrim has found himself in the spotlight once again, but lurking in the shadows is Scott’s darker half, Nega-Scott. The franchise spawned a movie, a video game and even a new anime from Netflix that will reunite the entire cast of the film. However, with a new adaptation, Scott’s ultimate enemy, Nega-Scott, will arrive once again, and could finally get a proper on-screen role as the series’ greatest antagonist.
Nega-Scott first appeared in the series’ fourth entry, Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, when Scott encountered him following a harrowing realization that Ramona’s ex, Roxie, actually spent the night at her apartment. He appeared again in the next novel, Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe, though only as a brief flash in the mirror. Finally, Scott confronted his twisted opposite in the final comic, Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour.
They fought a major duel, as Scott faced his most personal enemy ever. However, Nega-Scott was more than just a simple foe for Scott Pilgrim, as his existence harbored far deeper meaning.
Nega-Scott Represents All Of Scott Pilgrim’s Mistakes
Nega-Scott is exactly what he sounds like: a darker version of Scott, with glowing red eyes and muted gray skin. The most important aspect of Nega-Scott’s existence is that he’s really an extension of Scott himself. Every single mistake the protagonist made throughout the series – from him dating high-schooler Knives Chau to fill the hole in his heart left by Envy Adams, to cheating on Knives by dating Ramona – takes on a physical form in Nega-Scott. This crucial aspect of Scott Pilgrim shows that Scott’s entire journey to win Ramona’s heart has been rooted in toxicity, as he hurts people along the way despite having a “nice guy” demeanor.
However, when Kim Pines, his friend and former girlfriend, helps Scott come to terms with this mid-battle, he discovers the ultimate key to defeating Nega-Scott. Rather than fight his past, he accepts it. It’s a huge moment for his development, because it shows that he realizes what’s done is done, and that the best way forward is to learn from his mistakes, not fight them. In this way, Nega-Scott was more than just the endgame villain of the entire Scott Pilgrim series – he was a transformative antagonist, in the sense that Scott could only defeat him by becoming a better version of himself.
The Scott Pilgrim Movie Left Nega-Scott’s Important Symbolism Out
As many fans have pointed out, the 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Edgar Wright got Nega-Scott completely wrong. Rather than show Scott in the ultimate fight of his life, grappling with the mistakes that he made throughout his journey, the film relegates his dark opposite to a one-off joke, as they figure things out together off-screen. While amusing, it’s a staggering departure from Nega-Scott is as a character – and yet, this wasn’t necessarily the film’s fault. When Scott Pilgrim vs. the World released in theaters, O’Malley’s comics had not wrapped up yet, meaning that Wright didn’t know about the battle between Scott and Nega-Scott, or the meaning it held.
Rather than delay the film until all the books were released, a new ending featuring Nega-Scott was decided upon, and that’s what fans ultimately watched in theaters. Of course, it looks like Nega-Scott will finally get his chance to return soon. With the upcoming anime Scott Pilgrim Takes Off debuting on Netflix on November 17, the character could finally get the portrayal he deserves in the defining Scott Pilgrim adaptation. Nega-Scott is a terrific character, one that serves perfectly as Scott’s antithesis, and seeing him finally get a fitting adaptation would perfectly showcase why he outshines the evil exes as Scott Pilgrim‘s ultimate villain.
