Tower Of God is a doozy of a webtoon. Like, where else would you find the protagonist threatening their potential love interest? Of course, Baam only says he’ll kill Rachel, but still, that’s one hell of a statement to make towards one of the only people that ever felt like an ally. Of course, now we know that isn’t what actually went down, so what is the story here? Does Baam actually follow through with his words? 

Well, no. Baam does not kill Rachel in Tower Of God, but he does threaten her with it. And that is so wild to see, considering the whole reason that Twenty-Fifth Baam even entered the Tower was in search of Rachel, his best friend. But after the Deep-Sea Fish Herding test, Rachel betrayed Baam by pushing him off into the depths of the Tower. However, Baam survives and is forcibly enlisted into the FUG Organization. But it was Rachel’s treatment of Khun that put a halt in Baam’s feelings for her. Instead he confronts her, sparing her life but telling her to stay away. 

Which, I have to be honest with you, was fascinating to see happen. Like, from the start, Rachel was positioned as the heart of the story, the girl that Baam would eventually get as he is the clear hero of Tower Of God. Instead, we learn how misguided that notion was as time goes by and we realize that maybe, Rachel never really had any feelings for Baam at all. Maybe some cursory regard as a tool, but nothing that held her back.

In the end, she was so focused on her own goals, that she probably didn’t care who she stepped over to get them. Rachel is the curious case of an ally-turned-enemy, with a lot more stakes in the plot than your usual suspects for the same trope. Yet, it still caught most fans off guard. But was it foreshadowed from the start, that Baam would eventually threaten to kill Rachel? Let’s discuss that in another segment of Lore Analysis! 

Rachel: A Honey-Pot That Trapped Herself

So here’s the thing: Rachel isn’t just some one off character whose only purpose was to be a shallow love interest for Baam. The creator of the series, SIU, even admitted that Rachel is the female protagonist, as integral to the series as Baam himself. And there is a reason for that. 

Because while we, the readers, might view her as an antagonistic force, Rachel views herself as the heroine of her own story. And it’s not hard to see why. If Baam’s wish was to stay by Rachel’s side, that was of no importance to her. Because all Rachel ever wanted was to reach the top of the Tower and finally see the stars. Her fear of the darkness is what consumes her most, so her aim to see the light is understandable. 

And that’s it, that is her single minded focus for the entirety of the story. But yet, she is portrayed as this guiding light for Baam, his pathway through the dark. Firstly, she is the reason he ends up leaving the caves in the first place. SIU has stated before that their connection is so much deeper than we can perceive. Rachel is the only person that remembers Baam’s birthday, they are best friends. 

But envy ruins the best of relationships, and considering how Rachel was an Irregular, it’s not hard to see where her betrayal came from. The Tower never opened up for her, it opened for Baam. She just slipped in through the cracks, and fought tooth and nail to stay. In a way, her character is so relatable, and I think that’s what makes her so much more complex than a figurative honey-pot. She is there as a foil, but also stands out in her individuality.

Baam Doesn’t Kill Rachel (But He Came Close!)

Okay, so how does a relationship so deep get soured so fast? Well, that’s the thing: This betrayal between the two was a long time coming. Sure, Baam adored Rachel, but it felt a lot more one-sided than a true companionship between the two. And the signs of their bond fraying were there from the start. 

It was when Headon, the caretaker of the Tower, called Baam ‘a birth of a savior’ that we got our first proper glimpse at the jealousy that Rachel feels towards Baam. Even if they are friends, she resents how he is a supposed Chosen One™ while she is left to the side. But this also gave the Administrator of the First Floor an in with Rachel, making her more susceptible to Headon’s manipulation. 

And so, hungry for her own rise from the ashes, Rachel agreed to his insane conditions: either she falls back in the Hole herself, never to ascend again, or she pushes Baam off for a chance to meet the Tower of God, so to speak. The decision she makes is obvious, pushing Baam out of the bubble and leaving him to fall to his doom below. But of course, he survives only to be exploited by the FUG Organization. 

However, Baam’s breaking point was when she acted callously towards Khun Aguero Agnis, who is now a close friend of Baam’s. Rachel put Khun in a coma during the Hidden Floor arc, leading to Baam confronting her in disbelief, realizing that the person he cared for was now nothing more than an enemy. Rachel insists she was in the right for doing what she did, leading the two to fight, with Baam overpowering Rachel easily. 

For a while, it was touch and go for Rachel, as she realized that Baam could and just might very easily end her life at that moment. He spares her, of course, but not before telling her to stay away from his friends. Baam could kill Rachel, but he chose not to. Which, well, I guess that was the end of that. And any lingering romantic feelings that Baam had for Rachel, died then and there.

I mean, I’ve heard about enemies-to-lovers. But lovers-to-enemies? That’s a new one. Granted, they weren’t exactly together prior to the betrayal, but still. However, this does add some serious drama to Tower Of God, and I’ll be waiting to see how their relationship sorts itself out!