One thing I wished FO4 had taken more time to point out (assuming it occurred to them) that Arthur Maxson and Shaun are basically the same kind of person.
They weren't raised by parents or individual parental figures. They were raised by an organization specifically to eventually be in charge of that organization. Owen Lyons is kind of a parental figure for Maxson but it was still on behalf of an organization. They weren't taken in by a parent who loved and wanted them for the sake of them. They were taken in to serve a function.
Because of this, they have a very warped moral compass and untapped egos. They're both narcissistic and feel entitled to the Commonwealth and are willing to kill whoever stands in the way of their vision (which is everyone). Shaun actively wants to wipe
There's also a certain level of tragedy around them. This wasn't something that they chose. It was done to them at a very young age before they could speak for themselves. There was no way they were ever going to become decent people.
They both remind me of Anakin Skywalker: they're both tragic figures but they're still both villains.
I think the irony of Maxson's line about Danse: "it wasn't born from the womb of a loving mother like you and me, it was created in a lab" really should be pointed out more.
Danse is my favorite companion because, yes he has a lot of flaws, but is basically exactly the kind of leader Maxson wishes he was and it's because Danse has a way larger capacity for empathy than Maxson does. (Also I don't think Danse necessarily wants to be in a leadership position. It just came naturally.)
Speaking of comparing and contrasting personalities, I think Danse and Preston are a lot more alike than is obvious at first glance. They're both idealists. They don't seek out positions of power, but when shit hits the fan they're the ones who step up and take lead. In Danse's case, it just happens to have a more official title than Preston does. They're both loyal and altruistic. While they both have their shortcomings, overall they both have all the qualities you want in a leader.
Danse even respects the Minutemen on some level. His main critique is that they're too disorganized. Preston doesn't mind sharing the Commonwealth with the Brotherhood provided they play nice. Danse is fine letting the Minute Men do their thing so long as they don't get in the Brotherhood's way.
"Commonwealth belongs to everyone, Danse". That's a line that could be interpreted in a lot of ways. The initial way is as a word of caution, which is how Danse took it. A "you stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours" mentality. Preston, being the kind of person he is, probably also meant it as "you're welcome here, too, if you'll just chill out". It's like there's a mutual respect, but they don't quite see eye to eye. (which would probably be an easy problem to solve if they spent enough time around each other).
Food supply is a constant issue on the Brotherhood. Teagan gives out radiant quests for you to basically steal crops from settlements. Preston would probably happily just give the BoS their surplus if they just asked.
Danse respects the Minutemen but thinks they're disorganized. Imagine if he had the Brotherhood help the Minutemen set up security and logistics and let the people sort things out themselves.
Danse has been out in the field. He'd just had a horrific mission where he lost four men. He's a seasoned veteran. He'd probably exercise a great deal of caution with what he sent his soldiers out to do. Why put them in unnecessary danger? He'd probably be happy to just focus on helping with the feral ghouls, super mutants, and raiders while the settlers focused on farming, (which would create surplus crops that would benefit the Brotherhood.)
I get the feeling that if things were swapped and both were in charge of their respective organizations, it would be a much more cooperative and mutually beneficial arrangement. It might have even been the best-case scenario for the Commonwealth.
The flipside to that is it would only work because the both of them have the personality types to make it work. The moment you get another leader in their position that's motivated by their own self interest, that arrangement would fall apart. There would have to be a lot of work done to ensure checks and balances.
I think there's a lot more to be said about the themes of cooperation and leadership in FO4.
