Re: your last line, I've chatted about this with some of my friends, and we've come to the conclusion that the majority of the characters in this game reflect different aspects of the protagonist's pain and identity. Little Death, however, seems like the protagonist's ex — or more accurately, the protagonist's remembrance of that ex. Between the clear reference to "la petite mort," the extent to which Little Death aggressively mocks and laughs at the protagonist, and the horrible monster Little Death turns into, it was painfully clear to me how much hurt and distress the protagonist associates with this character. The Lovedead City levels honestly feel like a reflection of how deeply wounding and traumatic major heartbreak can be, especially when you feel rejected or abandoned in the process. (This is something the lyrics of the game's soundtrack also explore.)

The end of the game, then, is ultimately the protagonist processing her grief and coming to terms with not only herself, but also the person she once loved so, so much — and healing her wild heart in the process.

All of that said, I don't think this is the "correct" way to interpret the game! I think that's part of the beauty of media — that we all get to interpret it through through the kaleidoscope of our own experiences.

@Jaylus
What a wonderful reply — thank you for sharing! (Also sorry that my garbage review, for some bizarre reason, gained some traction on this site. Your review of SWH is lovely!) I'm leaning toward that interpretation too.

Probably coincidentally, the prominent colors used for Little Death's stage look to me like non-binary pride flag colors, and once that thought entered my consciousness, I couldn't shake the rotten feeling that it was intended to be NB-phobic. Hopefully not the case! (The narration does use she/her to refer to Death in the beginning of the game, as far as I can tell, but NB-phobic people also use gendered pronouns for NB people LOL.) I feel bad even suggesting it, as it doesn't seem in line with the rest of the game. I agree with you — SWH is very poignant.
Thanks again for sharing your interpretation. : )

@kaeruk I really appreciated your review, particularly the sound/flash warning! And I did not immediately clock how similar Little Death's colors were to the non-binary flag — you're totally valid for pointing that out. I very much hope it's an accidental similarity 😅 I'm going to replay those levels tonight and see if anything else comes to mind. Cheers for the convo!