Ever the romantic, Reinhard’s emotionally charged quest to dismantle the oppressive Empire and unite humanity was an unabated success. It’s difficult to point to a more accomplished individual in history – especially considering his markedly short life. Whether his actions constitute that of a hero is eternally up for debate, but there is no shortage of them to analyze for this purpose.
Regarding the good he achieved – there is a list a mile long. He swept away the corrupt old order, established equal rights for all citizens, and united humanity. It’s no secret that he was beloved by Imperial citizens at the time, who gleefully hailed him Kaiser – and it’s implied that conquered Alliance citizens came around to his rule rather quickly, thanks to his good government and fair implementation of the law.
As for the bad, it would be a disingenuous to have anything but the Westerland Massacre at the top of the list. Though Oberstein cleverly allowed himself to take the blame, Reinhard ultimately bears a good deal of responsibility for the millions killed by the mad Duke Braunschweig – a fact which haunts him for the remainder of his life. From a higher level, some of his actions were questionable, such as retaining the autocratic system that made the Empire such a dangerous entity in the first place, and refusing to invest much in the Empire’s future after his looming death.
Something worth pointing out, though, is his incredible luck. This is not to denigrate his genius per se, but it is difficult to claim he is quite on the level of Yang when looking at his track record. He found considerable favor as the brother of the Kaiser’s most favored concubine, who knowingly allowed him to plot his overthrow. He also found himself surrounded by highly competent subordinates like Kircheis, Hilda, and Oberstein, who steered him toward victory and kept his temper restrained in moments of crisis.
He can be looked at as something of a Napoleon figure – one of sweeping change and great popularity, but a potentially questionable legacy. His use of force and insistence on holding absolute power for himself may have paid off in his lifetime, but whether or not they were ultimately justified or wise is up for debate.