beta
Looking at deon's behavior and character from a psychological perspective, i think that's either ptsd from the traumatic experiences or he created an alter (dissociative identity disorder) as a way to cope. Growing up he was very convinces--rightfully so because of how the family treated him--thag he's not worth anything and he doesn't deserve love. Because of that the alter he made is somehow compensating for that, as such being a strong warrior despite him being somewhat scared.
And those moments where deon 'miraculously' avoids death and he just brushes it off, i guess it's a subtle way of showing how he can't comprehend the concerns of people around him for him because of how 'used' he is with abuse and violence. I have more theories thag i can't somehow put into words.