"Why is Rudy so disgusting"

I'm sure y'all have heard this time and time again. And i just wanted to give my take on this, why I think Rudy being disgusting is really important to the themes of the story.

MT is a critique of how hatred and disgust inhibit our ability to empathise with others and view perspectives different from ours.

This is orsteds curse of hatred. It's meant to represent the stigma outcasts face in society. How their traits, actions and nature is weaponised and used to further dehumanize them.

It perpetrates a self destructive cycle where the people most in need of help dont seek it in fear of being rejected by society. I remember when the author expressed in an interview he hoped that people would be receptive towards people like rudeus wanting to change, that sentiment was met with jokes and trolling.

What better way to critique that tendency than to write a character like rudeus who is designed to be unsettling and uncomfortable. That forces the readers to contest with their feelings and strive to better understand the other person?

There is a moment in Volume 15,after orsted annihilates Rudy where he tells him that Rudy has free will. That Rudy, being immune to the curse, is capable of making a decision no one else can.

Rudeus can see orsted for all that he is, good and bad. And in that moment of vulnerability, Rudy notices that orsteds throat is trembling. It's such an insignificant gesture, but it immediately humanises orsted, this all powerful immortal God, is actually an outcast seeking something more...

It's a call back to the start of the story, where Rudy tries to call out to nanahoshi but is unable to because of his vocal chords.

The fact that the series then becomes a story about orsted finding love and comradery, is really beautiful to me. And i really don't think their dynamic would hit nearly as hard if Rudy wasn't also disgusting and unlikable at the start.