Something I really find interesting about Sark is how he acts/ talks. He’s a pretty direct guy (being a commander and all), and almost all his scenes are him talking down other programs, except with MCP.
When he talks to MCP, there’s the obvious power dynamic with MCP in control, and Sark underneath him. However, Sark is both comfortable and distressed around him. He knows how powerful he is under him, enjoying the control he has over others with MCPs influence, but he doesn’t fully have the same mindset at MCP. When he first talks to MCP, it’s pretty casual. Sark even gloats about wanting more challenging programs when MCP tells Sark about a new recruit for Sark to torment.
When he is told about Flynn, there’s a change in ego. When he knows about Flynn being a user, he’s practically astonished by MCPs power and the thought of a user even existing in the Grid. He knows the power of a user, since he says that users created him and MCP and hesitates. “What if I can’t?” He asks, but he is given an order, not a choice. He’s threatened by MCP.
If you ask me, Sark being MCPs Second in Comand makes him very arrogant, especially when he knows he because of how good he has it compared to other programs. But when talking to MCP, he’s constantly reminded of what his place his constantly reminding him to only be MCPs puppet. It’s in a way mimicking Sarks user counterpart.
But I don’t feel Sark really wanted that kind of responsibility, kinda like his own user. They are both underneath MCP, except Ed Dillinger (Sarks user) had a choice, but was blackmailed into staying and was far too deep to stop. Sark, however, was pretty much made to be under MCPs control. His only choices were either follow his commands, or derez
I feel like the one line that most showed his true self was when he told Tron how they could have made a good team because, yeah he could have. They are both essentially protection programs, Sark being a commanding program made to protect only MCP, and Tron being made to protect other programs and users. I feel that’s why Tron sees Sark as a less than, since he was made to protect so much more compared to Sark protecting MCP when the MCP never needed protection in the first place.
Anyway ramble over
oh, that’s a fascinating analysis!