The scariest thing he can/could be called is The Reaper.

[MichaelLu2000]

Example 1

A: He has been feared and reported by many soldiers on the battlefield.

B: I know this guy. He's quite famous and has been mentioned in many reports. The HQ has given him several codenames. The scariest thing he can/could be called is the Reaper.

=>Both can and could are fine. "Can" means among the names that are already given, the Reaper is the scariest. "Could" means among the names that "might" be called, the Repaer is the scariest.

Example 2

A: These people are very superstitious. They will be terrified when they see Mike massacring their comrades with modern weapons.

B: Well, the scariest thing he could be called is probably the Reaper. (He might be called the Reaper when the battle begins, which is the scariest thing)

=>"Could" is better than "Can" here. it means the name that might be given to him during the next battle is "the Reaper." Using "can" would make it sound like he's already qualified for several nicknames.

Is my analysis correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

Example 1

A: He has been feared and reported by many soldiers on the battlefield.
B: I know this guy. He's quite famous and has been mentioned in many reports. The HQ has given him several codenames. The scariest thing he can/could be called is the Reaper.

=>Both can and could are fine. "Can" means among the names that are already given, the Reaper is the scariest. "Could" means among the names that "might" be called, the Reaper is the scariest.

Was "The Reaper" one of the codenames given by HQ? If so, neither "can" nor "could" is correct. It would be "The scariest thing he was called is ..." or "The scariest name for him was ...".

Example 2

A: These people are very superstitious. They will be terrified when they see Mike massacring their comrades with modern weapons.
B: Well, the scariest thing he could be called is probably the Reaper. (He might be called the Reaper when the battle begins, which is the scariest thing)

=>"Could" is better than "Can" here. it means the name that might be given to him during the next battle is "the Reaper." Using "can" would make it sound like he's already qualified for several nicknames.

I'd use "could" there too.

 

[MichaelLu2000]

Was "The Reaper" one of the codenames given by HQ? If so, neither "can" nor "could" is correct. It would be "The scariest thing he was called is ..." or "The scariest name for him was ...".

Yes. Reaper is one of the names given by the HQ, and therefore I think "can" works here as well as "could" Do you agree?

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes. Reaper is one of the names given by the HQ, and therefore I think "can" works here as well as "could" Do you agree?

No! I just told you that if he was actually given that name, both "can" and "could" are wrong. It's no longer hypothetical. It's fact. The scariest thing he was called (of all the codenames he was given) was "The Reaper".

 

[MichaelLu2000]

No! I just told you that if he was actually given that name, both "can" and "could" are wrong. It's no longer hypothetical. It's fact. The scariest thing he was called (of all the codenames he was given) was "The Reaper".

I don't think so. I just mean among the names it can be called, the worst one is the reaper. I also find this article.

Big Kitty Sparks Local Debate! - The Putnam County News & Recorder

It can be called many names: the puma, the cougar, the catamount – but can we call the mountain lion our neighbor? A photo was shared last week of a prowling big cat on the Philipstown Locals Facebook page. It was taken in Wappingers – just a hop, skip, and a jump north from Philipstown. The...

www.pcnr.com

It can be called many names: the puma, the cougar, the catamount

These are all the names that have been given, but the author still uses "can" here.

 

[5jj]

Also posted here: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/the-scariest-thing-he-can-could-be-called.4082007/