[Primus Inter Pares]

*shakes head*

You see, removing MORE characters from the game as Kishi said would really put a strain on the plot, it would have all fallen apart by the end of it, the fact that people *though* that she died adds to the plot, and so her return is unexpected (as other characters don't return). She is a good part of the plot after she returns, so I don't think it would have added anything, most likely made it worse.

The contrast with her coming back and certain characters not doing so also brings about a sense of injustice, which adds more to the dark feeling of the game while if she had died this wouldn't have come about.