Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-65.31.134.55-20130220155810/@comment-205.175.97.169-20151002101911

Really, there's a very good reason that, while Sam was an awesome character to meet and defeat, Armstrong's the final boss. Has everyone forgotten that Sam was originally a good guy and Mr. "Go After World Marshall For Great Justice and Stuff"? He only fell in with Desperado after all his efforts to kill Armstrong were in vain, and he got "hired" as a mercy. The beauty of facing Sam when you do is that this timing factors in to how Raiden develops in power (as he gets upgrades) and finds his purpose (all the story stuff of "you hold your sword back" and "all those cyborg cops had feelings, shame on you") as the story progresses. When Raiden faces Sam for the final time, they meet as foils and equals to each other before Raiden proves that he is ultimately better.

Thus, facing Armstrong at the end symbolizes how Raiden is even stronger than Sam and carrying on his original fight. Raiden has more upgrades and power than Sam did, and his specific resolve to protect the weak from exploitation (especially with Raiden taking it all personal what with how he was exploited by Solidus to be a child soldier) gives him a stronger resolve to stop Armstrong than just Sam's good intentions. It's all part of the symbolism in Raiden having to use Sam's sword to kill Armstrong. It's part of Raiden then saying that he's "not so sure" anymore about his "tool of justice" speech Sam previously mocked. With a figurative Zandatsu, Raiden has taken in Sam's "essence" to empower himself.

To summarize, Sam would have been a terrible final boss because (as has been said) he was never a mastermind of the plot, and because a ton of beautiful symbolism would have been thrown out the window with such a change. Honestly, I'm having to deny my tool of analysis its purpose over here in wanting to get down every possible nuance of the final fight, or we'd be here forever. Haven't even scratched why Armstrong as he is (a not-your-beltway-pansy senator on NANOMACHINES, SON) is a perfect fight against Raiden and in this game, as opposed to bosses like those in the other games. What I will say is that Rising has the best dang thematic end I've seen in a game for a long time. It all really does...

...Have to Be This Way.