[yrthwyndandfyre]

Now this is a discussion! For my money, the Anarchs are not formally about Anarchy, as mentioned above, and more about simply opposition to authority from any number of different sources. In this manner, they are very similar to those who call themselves 'outlaws' without the understanding that it *was* a punishment. By being sentenced to live outside the law, 'outlaws' also no longer enjoyed the protection of the law. Consequently, they were free game for anybody with a grudge and a weapon.

There are a number of flavors of 'outlaws' among the anarchs. Nines, while opposed to authority from the 'ruling class' as it were, nonetheless elects to lead the anarchs, possibly without his own conscious volition. Thus, he himself becomes one of the authority figures he finds so distasteful.

Jack may be closest to a true anarch, in that he's just out to 'spoil the soup', as it were, perhaps for no better reason that it can be spoiled. On the other hand, Jack may be the ultimate dictator: One who loves to run things, but wishes to protect himself by subterfuge a la an illuminatus. He appears to obey no rules except those imposed by biology and survival - and himself.

Skelter is simply anti-authoritarian. He doesn't object to the rules - he simply doesn't like them being imposed on him from an external source.

Damsel loves to have control, but doesn't like to be seen as a legitmate controlling influence, so she goes the way of the bully: enforcing her will by intimidation and brute force and probably consoling herself that she is not actually imposing an order of her own choosing.

The true anarch, though, is Bishop Vick, who, through conscious decision and act, wishes to *impose* chaos, regardless of who is affected, how, or why. He seeks no control or power and may be the one character who actually welcomes your victory over him, being as how it demonstrates that he himself is not immune to the chaos he creates. That makes him the most dangerous of the lot, of course, because he no longer has cause to fear anything.