He's all brainwashed into being a killing machine, and acts robotic, I guess you could say. Then when the missiles start flying he retreads back into being afraid, where as all the other brainwashed kids are picking up guns and shooting as they are running. Then after the battle is over, he goes back to being robotic again.
shareSo what you're actually saying then is that Dia was a multi-faceted character rather than just being one-dimensionsal.
shareDamn those confused, and manipulated developing young minds! They are just so unpredictable! When your blood-lusting warlord demands you kill your own people in cold blood well then you damn well better do it!
I forget what I'm saying when the phone rings in the middle of my sentence, what do you think a Hind combat chopper would do reining in hellfire?
I can pretty much guarantee that Dia never saw any real combat until the mercs attacked the rebel camp. Child soldiers in such conflicts are typically used for raiding villages for new recruits, supplies, etc. Or for guard duty. They do not fight other soldiers. The only people Dia had ever 'fought' were unarmed civilians fleeing for their lives. The minute the 'enemy' starting shooting at him, he was afraid. I did not find this out of character. His commanders taught him that he was a badass, but he'd never fought an enemy that fought back.
shareI agree completely. Dia was never trained in combat. When facing opponents with firepower, he is helpless and afraid - like the child he really is. He was only trained to kill/harrass people who couldn't defend themselves.
It also makes sense on another level: If the RUF had trained their child soldiers to combat other soldiers, there would be an increased risk for the child soldiers turning against themselves.
LOLOLOLOLOL
shareDamn those confused, and manipulated developing young minds! They are just so unpredictable! When your blood-lusting warlord demands you kill your own people in cold blood well then you damn well better do it!