#it's still canon なの

[ryuuseirune]

Unfortunately this seems to be a mistranslation, 自閉的 (introvertedness) and 自閉症 (autism) are two distinct things. You'll see in the screenshot that though the words are similar it's 2 different kanji at the end. (Source: Me, a Japanese autistic person. I just submitted a written report on my autism to the Tokyo Bureau of Immigration in Japanese.)

Fortunately, this is still really funny and he is now autistic in my mind. Cyrus autism beam

edit: yes it's entirely possible for 自閉的 to mean autistic (in fact that's its more common meaning recently) but the game was made in the 2000s so without context it's not necessarily 100%. however I'm simply choosing to believe gf meant he’s autistic even if I'm wrong because I want to

DIVERSITY WIN!

The evil team leader attempting to harness the powers of time and space to recreate the world without emotions is autistic!

[yuurei20]

If it’s alright of me to ask , is there any examples of yuu/prefect having any canon details about them ? such as their height being pointed out by characters or if they are psychically weak/strong?if not that’s alright I’m jus curious :) since I remember a line from Crowley saying they looked “effeminate “?

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 🦐

I found multiple sources ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ) that all agree that Crowley seems to mumble a line with no subtitles in Chapter 7 of the prologue about the prefect seeming "effeminate"!

(the subtitles say only "But..." and then ブツブツ, for "mumbling")

While the sources above do not all report the exact same wording (it is difficult to make out what he is saying), it is generally agreed the dialogue is something similar to the following:

「ま、どう見てもこのか弱さは猛獣使いでも、猛獣にパックリとやられてしまいそうな…なんだか少し女性的な感じ…」

"Well, no matter how you look at it, with this frailty, even if they are a beast tamer, they look like they'd be gobbled up in one bite by a beast…a somewhat, slightly effeminate impression…"

For their height, we know that Floyd considers them to be small!

And Grim says that their legs are shorter than Vil's!

Note: this is only for the game-prefect! We know very much what manga prefect look like as we have seen them. The symbolism behind their names has been explained here.

(screenshots from Square Enix's official website: Yuuken | Yuuka | Yuuta )

The novel's Yuuya's physical appearance has been described here.

For non-physical-appearance details the prefect has the option of being either very poor at playing instruments or being adept at playing the flute and/or bugle!

Neither option seems to have any impact on the story, so the prefect being not being able to play flutes/bugles and being able to play flutes/bugles are both technically canon!

And the prefect also canonically knows the holiday "Tanabata"!

It is interesting that both dialogue choices mention Tanabata. The prefect not knowing what Tanabata is is not an option 📝

They also have the option of knowing what American football is! (though the characters in the game do not) 📝

And is this maybe all that has been specified in game? 🧐

Other things get into theory territory! I have seen many ideas in many places (the prefect is maybe a shape-shifting demon? The Chernobog? Will'O the wisps Fae? They don't know who Mickey mouse is, so how they can be from present-day earth? They want to leave Twisted Wonderland, which is the same as the player wanting to stop playing the game--are they not from our world? Are they themselves Mickey Mouse? Are they the mysterious chairman of the school, suffering from amnesia? Are they dead or in a coma?), but we have many more theories than facts ^^ Still fun to think about!

[lilithrebellion]

Another $500 of Yui merch😅

And translations of all the message cards I have under the cut!

However, due to Gacha BS I still somehow didn't get about half the messages despite ordering 65 whole cards??? That's half the value of the order?? There should be 28 total, and even accounting for unspoken rarity bs (wtf rejet??) that I did know about when deciding how to order this is just weird... Like, I'm still missing one D rarity card despite FORTY out of all the cards being Ds. WTF???

Anyway, on to the translations!

#1-B: "I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm sure it'll work out!" (😭😭😭 Yui always with saying exactly what I need to hear and making we not just believe it, but want to make it happen. For her. Specifically.)

Saw a picture of #1-C, and the message/translation is: 「これ以上吸われたら 困っちゃうよ……！」 "If you drink anymore, I'll be in real trouble...!" (I like to think she says this to mess with Amaya sometimes because she would JUMP in the cutest way (in Yui's opinion lol)😂)

#1-D: "Are you trying to cheer me up?" (Is it working? *eyebrow wiggle*😉heehee)

#2-C: "...Are you worrying about me?" (Always😭😭 But somehow, she does always make me feel like no matter what, everything will be okay. (See 1-B))

#2-D: "I can tell how kind you are." (Because of you, always. You're the one who makes me want to be better.🥺)

#3-A: "I'm really looking forward to going shopping with everyone!" (Server buddies!! You heard Yui, we're going on a shopping group date, asap!!😁😁) (Also, why was this 4/5 of my As? I do love her expression in this but I really couldn't get to see more of the other ones? 😭)

#3-B: "Were you keeping me in mind...!?" (You're on my mind virtually every moment of my life.😊)

#4-D: "I'm glad that you seem to be having fun!" (How could I not have fun getting messages from you!❤️)

#4-B: "I never said you could drink from anywhere!?" (She's messing with Amaya again lmao)

Also saw a picture of #4-D, which is: 「今日の思い出も、絶対に忘れないよ。」 "There's no way I'd forget the memories we made today." (Neither will I. Every moment with you is priceless.)

#5-A: "Maybe I should try saying 'I love you' too?" (KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😍😍😍😍)

#5-B: "I wanted to spend today with you no matter what." (We can spend as many days together as you want!!)

#5-C: "I'm plenty happy just being with you." (The feeling is mutual😭😭😭)

#5-D: "You're going to drink from there too...!?" (Yui, you are going to kill your girlfriend with the teasing😂)

#6-C: "Maybe I'll tease you once in a while?" (Ngl I was legit combusting for a few minutes when I saw this one. Anyway if you doubted my previous assessments, yeah no. It's canon. She would.😂 Also it's the design where she has the fangs??? omg... >///////<)

#6-D: "I'd be happy if we could spend every day together." (Yui said Every Day Means Every Day and I am helpless but to oblige😁)

#7-C: "This might be a little embarrassing...! Does it suit me?" (ABSOLUTELY!!!😭😭😭 You look perfect in anything because you're the more beautiful person to ever exist🙇🙇🙇)

#7-D: ""We'll always be together. Promise?" (YES!!!!! ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!! YOU ARE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!! 💕💕❤️💍❤️😍💘😍❤️💍❤️💕💕 and I have 14 copies of this card to show for it!!!)

Aaaaand that's everything I have! (btw I used my sasakoi tote bag as the photo taking background lmao. What? It works. Can't escape from the yuri in my house😂) Will try to update this if I ever manage to buy the missing ones on resale or come across pictures on the interwebs!🫡

[speedofsoundsketches]

The second chapter for the Shadow Manga was released today and its become clear that it de-canonized itself lol

This story started tying itself more into Sonic X Shadow Generations but I think it’s now only very “loosely” based on the games with the author definitely taking creative license and doing his own thing. Not uncommon for these CoroCoro mangas to do, like in Spin and Dash where Sonic and Shadow were super goofy and OOC.

That said, there are still really solid moments. The beginning broke my heart completely. 😭😭😭 The new character introduced is kinda weird as a concept but eh now that it’s obviously its own thing, I'm just going along for the ride. I’m curious what the author is gonna do with the set up. Admittedly disappointed a bit but not really surprised.

I’m sure it’ll be eventually posted for free like the first chapter ended up being but man I’m a blubbering mess MARIA GAAAAHHHH ;A;

Here’s where you can purchase it if you’d like to help support the official release!

[crepes-suzette-373]

Germa's Ancestors

(+ Shandora connection?)

This is a kind of long theory post. I feel like at some point it would make more sense to narrate this as audio/video, because I think people don't like walls of text.

Anyway, bear with me for now, this is a long post.

I want to begin by analysing this scene:

To my knowledge, the phrase 無念の魂 is very specifically only applicable to the souls of the dead, and you can't use it to say souls/spirit in a euphemistic sense. E.g "put my soul into my work", or something like "the spirit of the age". I did my best to check various examples of usage, and far as I can find it really just means dead people.

In that case, then the dialogue about 300 years in the raw would mean "To think that I entrusted you with 300 years' worth of my kingdom's regretful souls".

"Regretful souls" is, as it says, the souls of people who died with a lot of regrets or resentment. It's quite a different sense from "longing".

Also another thing, he says 合わせる顔もない about the dead. This isn't "disgracing their memory". This is "I'm so ashamed (of myself/my failure) that I cannot face them", hence the "I despise myself" dialogue that comes after. It didn't really specify a word for "direct ancestor" so I assume he meant all people of Germa of the past.

So... this could be either/or, but if failing to restore Germa = regrets, and supposedly people there have been dying in regret for 300 years, then it sounds like wanting to restore Germa was the people's dream ever since their destruction.

Though, that is still open to interpretation. It doesn't have to mean "reconquering North Blue" really was the goal that was passed down through generations. Maybe actually the ancestors just wanted to have some land again, but over the years that goal becomes corrupted and twisted.

Or all of that was just crazy talk and the ancestors never actually wanted this. Who knows?

(I do apologise to anyone who really don't like Judge for putting this stuff on your dash, but he's kind of the only one who ever actually said anything substantial about Germa history, and for analysis purposes he has to be in there)

Also a little conspiratorial bent.

The dialogue text said that the souls cannot return to their homeland, it strongly implies the land is just completely obliterated. It's similar to how the Shandians said that their ancestors no longer has a place to return after the sacred trees were cut down.

Germa, or at the very least Judge, has a similar attitude towards the ancestors as the Shandians. Perhaps not quite to the point of worshipping them as gods, but Judge view the past dead of Germa with deep respect.

I feel like it's hinted that "Moon = high technology", as shown by the robots on the moon that Enel saw in the cover story. I've made theories before speculating that Germa is thematically connected to the moon, but maybe they actually literally are related to the moon via one of the moon tribes that descended to the Earth.

I'm not sure how canon it is, but one of the Data Books had said that Skypieans don't actually have wings. Their wings are just costume/decoration.

Assuming this is real (Data Books and Vivre Cards are sometimes wrong), are there humans in the world who are actually descendants of Skypieans? After all if they literally have no wings, then they would look no different from regular humans. Skypieans didn't really have an obvious strong ancestral worship like the Shandians, but perhaps there is some shared culture that we don't know.

That, or possibly somehow the Shandians' wings are also fake. In the moon murals you can see that the Birkans' wings are differently-shaped from the other two. If the Skypiean wing is fake, who's to say that the Shandian one isn't?

Also, an interesting thing is that the Shandian ancestor seems to be the one making the robots, while the Birkan is either observing or giving instructions. So the Shandian ancestor is at least some form of engineer. Curious.

On that note, the people of Wano also deeply respect their ancestors, as real Japanese people do. They have curious Princess Kaguya hints, as well as strong prevalence of moon symbols all over.

As I noted in my analysis of honorifics, Skypieans, Wano, and Germa all share the 上 honorific usage. This is an unusual honorific that no other kingdoms in the world seem to use. Aside from the above 3, only the merfolk royalty and the Tenryuubito use them.

It could be that it's simply "archaic language" even in the One Piece universe, and it just fell out of use in most of the kingdoms. It still makes me wonder if there are actually a lot of humans who have blood ties to the moon tribes that isn't revealed yet as well.

I've also previously mentioned that young Judge has a "Kabuki face" that reminds me of Kin'emon, but I didn't consider that Kalgara also kind of looks like that too. It might just be design coincidence, but maybe it actually means something, I don't know.

[evilkitten3]

But listen, if Izuna had said yes to Hashirama's help after he was injured and he still died, would Madara rampage like in canon? Would he still chase the infinite tsukyomi?

the thing is, hashirama never offered to help izuna. i'm actually not sure he could have - the hiraishingiri pretty much cut through him like butter. moreover, while madara himself lauds hashirama's medical prowess, we actually know very little about his capabilities with medical ninjutsu. he could heal wounds without any hand seals, that's mostly all we know.

here are hashirama's words immediately after izuna is injured:

「マダラ・・・お前はオレには勝てない・・・もう・・・終わりにしよう・・・忍最強のうちはと千手が組めば・・・国も我々と見合う他の忍一族を見つけられなくなる・・・いずれ争いも沈静化していく」

"madara... you can't beat me... let's end it already. if the strongest shinobi, the uchiha and the senju, form an alliance... the country won't be able to find another shinobi clan able to counterbalance us... the conflict will eventually calm down"

he doesn't acknowledge izuna at all. whether he intended an offer of medical aid to be implied or not, it's never addressed. a bunch of people have claimed that this makes hashirama a jerk, and while i definitely get that viewpoint, i do think offering to help izuna without being absolutely certain he was capable of doing so would've been a terrible move, politically speaking. madara might have known that hashirama isn't the sort of man who would do something like this, but the rest of the uchiha clan would have no reason not to assume that hashirama didn't just take advantage of madara's kindness/trust/desperation/whatever to ensure that izuna died while potentially leaving room for madara to feel indebted to him for trying in spite of all the reasons he had not to bother.

hell, the clan might even come to the conclusion that madara intended for izuna to die so he could get his eyes, given what ended up happening in canon, so his fallout with them might actually happen even faster (and without the uchiha ever joining konoha at all, although without madara around to counter hashirama, i have no idea if/how the uchiha would manage against the senju from there)

all that aside, if hashirama had indeed offered help and izuna had agreed to take the risk and died anyway and the uchiha clan trusted that that was what had actually happened, i think pretty much everything else would've proceeded according to canon.

there's definitely plenty of fun possibilities to play around with concerning madara's path in life, but tbh i personally believe that without a massive deviation from canon, he would've eventually become who he became. hashirama definitely fucked up here and there, but i honestly don't think there was anything he could've personally done alone that would've changed madara's fate short of killing him back when they were kids, which he was never going to do. he was always doomed.

[katyahina]

Dark Souls 1 faces references Part 5: Quelana, Jeremiah, Grana, Cut Content Character, Domhnall

Quelana

Brown hair and eyes, like Quelaag's, predictably! Except not so much, but we will get to it in a second!

Jeremiah

I like how strong his features get, tbh, especially visible in profile!

Unusual situation of Grana

Alright, so... As you remember, there is that hostile NPC in Lost Izalith that is wearing the same clothing as Quelana! Another Chaos Sister!

( x ) 魔女の娘グラナ means 'Grana, the Witch's Daughter'! Not to be confused with Quelana's tag イザリスのクラーナ, which means 'Quelana of Izalith'!

However, turns out that this NPC's data is broken! Me and Rayan really could not understand what was going on at first! The very first time Rayan checked this character's data, it gave.... this:

No other NPC uses this face either, it had to be deliberately modelled! On a character labelled as a Daughter of Chaos!

However, when Rayan checked the data of the very same NPC another day, it instead gave this result:

Completely different AND distinct face, likewise not otherwise associated with any other NPC! And yet, according to Rayan, these two face data both had the exact same internal name tag and were literally put onto the same NPC! And turned out, the internal name for this character does match Grana's internal name!

I was there when Rayan tried to reload the game to check this NPC again, and it, once more, gave the guy data! It was super confusing! According to Rayan though, the body is "female" model, it does have chest wraps, but the head keeps switching between the guy and the girl! It is not supposed to happen, apparently!

The only semblance of "progress" we got was that for final double check: Rayan first loaded Oscar's data (who is blond) and after loading Grana immediately after it gave the girl result, then loaded Crystal Warrior (who has brown hair) and when Grana was loaded immediately after, it gave the guy result. I suggested that which head loads responds to the hair color of what model was loaded last, not unlike how Darkmoon Soldiers simply copy the last face data that got loaded, but that was it..

I suppose by Occam's Razor, the girl one is "canon", especially considering the body is supposed to be "female" model.. As for the guy, I feel like it got to be cut content that yet still remains in the game's code! Can't know for sure, but can have some suggestions! For example:

(This and other screenshots for internal names are from this ( x ) video) Notice how not only the internal name hints at it, but also Jeremiah's head under his "crown" looks awful lot like this thing and he also uses Chaos Pyromancy specifically and he is said to be a king!

So, what if the prince is supposed to be that bearded guy, before he turned into that Parasitic Wall Hugger? Really looks awful lot like Jeremiah got affected by the same thing! I questioned whether Jeremiah might have been formerly a royal at Izalith, and @val-of-the-north suggested he could have been husband of Witch of Izalith, even! Could possibly explain why Grana is blonde, under assumption that brown hair and eyes is the typical feature for the sisters and Fair Lady is pale due to sickness; Jeremiah is blond! Could be his genetics, then!

On the other hand, maybe the bearded guy is remains of another cut interaction?

As far as the source material states, Ceaseless Discharge is the only brother amongst children of Witch of Izalith! I double checked ( x )! In his ring description, 愚かな彼は、それをすぐに落としてしまい (foolish man instantly dropped it (?)), 彼は seems to mean a he/masculine, or rather 'this (the one talked about in the sentence) man', and it is not just that English localisation thing where they default to a he in any uncertain situation!

We do meet Quelana long after her actual death, incorporeal, so like... what if we were meant to meet Ceaseless Discharge in the past or outside of time, from before he became a demon? The ring is human-sized, so he was just a normal humanoid once, too! And that guy data would be what he looked like? (Not my choice, personally; I'd think "tormented by lava at birth" should suggest more messed up look than literally just a guy, so I pick 'Izalith Prince' I guess)

These are just suggestions, but in any case, impressive how much the code for this NPC got broken, apparently! How- how did developers even DO this?

Domhnall

____________________________________

Part 1: Oscar, Ricard, Solaire, Anastacia

Part 2: Reah, Petrus, Vince, Nico, Leeroy

Part 3: Pharis/Evlana, Americus, Forest Hunter (Cleric), Beatrice, Dusk

Part 4: Shiva, Shiva's Bodyguard, Forest Hunter (Sorcerer), Forest Hunter (Thief), Forest Hunter (Bandit)

Part 5: Quelana, Jeremiah, Grana, Cut Content Character, Domhnall (you are here)

Part 6: Darkmoon Knightess, Lautrec, Lautrec's Helper (Sealer), Lautrec's Helper (Warrior)

Part 7: Ingward, Kirk, Oswald, Havel, Tarkus

Part 8: Griggs, Logan, Rickert, Crystal Knight, Laurentius

Part 9: Patches, Siegmeyer, Sieglinde, Mildred, Crestfallen Knight, Crestfallen Merchant

* Shots of characters' faces datamined and provided by RayanTheMad on Twitter + rayanwasalsotaken on Discord!

* Twitter thread with the faces here: ( x )

* Data for characters Ciaran, Darkmoon Soldier (Balder) and Darkmoon Soldier (Berenike) doesn't exist and they simply copy the last face loaded, when there wasn't any loaded they use default placeholder data

[brinleyparke]

Kingsman Fic Ideas/Prompts

Merwin, Perciwin, Hartwin, or Gen: Charlie gets kicked out or at least punished for the water prank.

Parachute test fix-it (Merwin or Gen): Perhaps Merlin takes a minute to understand why Eggsy has said chip on his shoulder

What if Eggsy and Charlie were the last two in the parachute test?

"Manners maketh man. You'd do well to remember that Mr. Hesketh." Or Harry is none too pleased when he finds out how Charlie has been treating Eggsy. (Can be Hartwin or Harry can be more of a father figure in this)

What if Charlie had passed the loyalty test?

Harry lets Eggsy teach Dean a lesson after Eggsy fails the final test and comes home and finds out that Dean hit his mom.

Post-TGC: (Merwin or Gen) Merlin lives, but Eggsy still feels guilty. He's also angry because Merlin sacrificed himself to repay Eggsy's father, not because of Eggsy himself, which parallels Harry saying, "Can't you see that everything I've done has been about trying to repay him?" in the first Kingsman film.

AU - Canon Divergence, Enemy of My Enemy: Eggsy doesn't kill Charlie. Eggsy and Charlie have to team up against a villain, not necessarily Poppy.

Merwin or Gen: Daisy asks Merlin to dress up as Gru for Halloween so that her and Eggsy can be minions.

H/C after train track test

Maybe Eggsy is upset that he was drugged.

Maybe Eggsy has been drugged before, so he has a panic attack or a nightmare after the train test.

Maybe Eggsy is still freaked out a little because he thought he was gonna die.

Eggsy gets de-aged to 4 years old (mind and body). Harry takes care of him until they can turn him back. (GEN FIC) Based on this fanart:

Eggsy gets de-aged to 4 years old (mind and body). Merlin takes care of him until they can turn him back. (GEN FIC) Based on this fanart:

Eggsy gets de-aged to 4 years old (mind and body). Harry and Merlin take care of him until they can turn him back. (GEN or Merlahad FIC)

Eggsy gets de-aged to 4 years old (mind and body). The agents of Kingsman take turns taking care of him until they can turn him back. (GEN or Merlahad or Harry/Percival FIC)

Harry apologizes to Eggsy for what he said and the assumptions he made in the Black Prince.

Tilde tells her parents about Eggsy.

Merwin or Gen: After the toast to Merlin, Eggsy leaves the room (maybe he goes to the bathroom or something) and breaks down. Harry or Tequila or Ginger Ale comforts him.

Tilde meeting Daisy and Eggsy's mother for the first time.

Post-TGC: Eggsy has nightmares about Merlin and almost losing Tilde, and Tilde comforts him.

During training, Eggsy has nightmares about Dean.

After Merlin's "most dangerous job interview" speech, Harry explains the bruises on Eggsy's cheek and neck.

After the water test, all of the recruits receive physicals. Eggsy doesn't have much medical history because Jamal treated most of his injuries. The doctor and/or Merlin are concerned about the scars and/or broken bones or bone fractures that didn't heal properly.

"When was the last time you ate?" Or Eggsy's first meal at Kingsman. He's not particularly gross or rude about eating; he just eats very fast. Roxy or Merlin is concerned. In other words, Eggsy has food insecurity issues.

"What's his story?" Or during or after TGC: Ginger Ale or Champ is curious about Eggsy, and ask Harry what Eggsy's story is. Or maybe they ask Eggsy himself

Songfic based on "Waiting For Superman" by Daughtry about Michelle waiting for Lee to come back home even after Harry told her he was dead.

Songfic based on "Save Me" by Jelly Roll

Songfic based on "How to Save a Life" by The Fray

Eggsy meets Merlin's nephew, who is fancast as Richard Madden. They hit it off pretty well. (You can make up the name of Merlin's nephew.)

Merwin: Eggsy and Daisy convince Merlin to watch Brave with them.

Eggsy dresses up as Robin Hood for Halloween. 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵

Arrow x-over: Kingsman needs the Green Arrow's help.

Reacher (TV) x-over: Tequila tries to recruit Reacher.

Reacher (TV) x-over: Dixon or Neagley is recruited to Statesman to be the new Ginger-Ale

Supernatural x-over: While doing recon on what Kingsman believed to be a Satanistic cult, but is actually a coven, Eggsy gets de-aged to 4 years old (mind and body). Harry (or Merlin or Harry and Merlin or all of Kingsman) takes care of him until they can turn him back. Harry or Merlin knows someone in the British Men of Letters and makes some calls to get help reversing the spell. (GEN or Merlahad FIC)

Constantine (Arrowverse) x-over: While doing recon on what Kingsman believed to be a Satanistic cult, but is actually a coven, Eggsy gets de-aged to 4 years old (mind and body). Harry (or Merlin or Harry and Merlin or all of Kingsman) takes care of him until they can turn him back. Someone at Kingsman knows John Constantine and gets in contact with him to ask for his help. (GEN or Merlahad FIC)

[a-star-that-burns-brightly]

Quick theory for who I think will have the new MV (cw for mentions of addiction, specifically alcoholism and self harm)

So basically, Yoidore Shirazu is a song with lyrics pertaining to addiction. Specifically alcoholism

夢が覚めた　酔いどれ知らず yume ga sameta yoidore shirazu I woke up as an unaware drunkard うっちゃる幸せ　ずっと醒めないで uccharu shiawase zutto samenaide Neglecting my happiness, I never want to sober up

酩酩　　重ね重ね　存外　そう　悪くないわ meimei kasanegasane zongai sou warukunai wa Getting drunk again and again, unexpectedly- Ah, it’s not half bad 酔いどれ知らずの恋敵　だから yoidore shirazu no koigataki dakara I’m a drunkard unaware of my rival in love, so

Among other lines. Plus the song is literally called An Unaware Drunk/Drunkard in English. There isn't any character (from what we know) that suffers with alcoholism, but we do know there's a character that suffers, or has suffered, with an addiction. That being whoever has the "You took on your talent to distract from your incessant need to harm yourself for fun" secret, one of the few secrets that we still don't know the identity of That being said, it's a pretty common theory (a theory that I share too) that Veronika is the one with the secret because of multiple factors that other posts have probably explained better. Because of that, I think this MV is one that belongs to her. If so, I wonder if it will hint to her actually canonically having this secret (Not full-out confirming obviously, as I assume all the secrets will be officially confirmed within the actual series)

[orsan1070]

Alolan Raichu's Dark Origins

Yes, the title is kind of clickbait. No, it’s not incorrect. Bear with me here. It’s rare that a theory like this holds water.

Alolan Raichu is a sweet, fairly unassuming mon on the surface. However, with new information that has surfaced from the recent GameFreak “Teraleak”, its behavior and origins are painted in an… interesting light.

This post kind of got away from me. If you don’t care about the nitty-gritty, here’s the TL;DR: Alolan Raichu adapted from a diet of alien drug pancakes. No, this is not a joke.

First, let me preface this. I do not speak Japanese and do not claim to. All translations shown here are done in DeepL and/or Google Translate, or an amalgamation cross-referenced. While I have verified that my ideas hold water with someone who does speak Japanese (@kiskeym on Twitter / @boh.nonso on Medium), I do not have a full direct human translation.

Okay, so, let me provide some background. Some of the documents contained within the Teraleak were development profiles on Pokémon from gens 3 through 7. Of particular interest are the gen 5-7 ones, which contain information that came back later in various dex entries (particularly, I’ve noticed, in SwSh and SV) and other tidbits supported by canon. As these are from close to release and have come back later, I think it’s safe to say that the lore in these is canon. Most of the changes between these profiles and release comes from gameplay changes– I’ve only managed to locate one lore change, and that’s in Golurk. By Alola, these profiles were even being done alongside the concept art, as Palossand’s directly references it. Ergo, I’m treating these as canon. (Not 3 or 4, as those are too early in development, have a lot more changes, and don’t cover every mon in their respective gens.) I’d like to do, or help with, a full deep dive into these at some point in the future, but for now, I just wanted to get this out there.

That said, the information I’m providing here is frequently alluded to in various tidbits in games released after SM– I will provide those sources when necessary. This is almost certainly canon, outside of its scrapped gameplay integration.

(One more sidenote-- I've put leaked profiles in blue, official in-game content in orange, and supplementary material-- in this case, websites-- in green.)

Okay, enough preamble. 

Alolan Raichu’s adaptation is, in the games, played off as somewhat of a mystery, oddly enough. The Sun and Moon website says “Even Pokémon researchers don’t know why Raichu’s form changed in the Alola region.” Sword also says “It's believed that the weather, climate, and food of the Alola region all play a part in causing Pikachu to evolve into this form of Raichu.” Both of these have some sort of uncertainty to them– while there’s folklore about Raichu’s adaptation, the true cause is only through belief. The only consistent factor brought up is Raichu’s diet. The leaked profile expands upon this in an… interesting way. The Japanese text is as follows:

幻とされるデザート『スペシャル・パンケーキ（仮）』を食べることで進化する。

パンケーキに必要な食材はウルトラホールに起因するとされるもので、アローラ地方にしか存在しない。食材は熟練の職人により特殊な毒抜きをしない限り可食できず、そのレシピも、アローラ料理界において秘伝とされている。古老による口伝で語り継がれるのみで、知る者は極めて少ない。

A rough translation of this is:

It evolves by eating the mythical dessert "Special Pancake (tentative name)". 

The ingredients needed for the pancakes are said to come from Ultra Wormholes and only exist in the Alola region. The ingredients are inedible unless a skilled craftsman removes the poison in a special way, and the recipe is also considered a secret in the world of Alola cuisine. It has only been passed down orally by elders, and very few people know it.

This is already hugely interesting, regardless of the later conclusion. Even if you disagree with said later conclusion, this is still definitely fascinating info. It does mention a scrapped evolution item, the ‘Special Pancake’, but this is far from the only case of scrapped and altered evolution methods in these profiles– another example is Alolan Grimer originally being planned to evolve by use of a crystal shed from Alolan Muk. However, we know from Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee that the Special Pancake still exists in the lore:

It loves pancakes prepared with a secret Alolan recipe. Some wonder whether that recipe holds the key to this Pokémon's evolution. 

So, Alolan Raichu adapted because of extradimensional pancakes. Crazy.

It gets weirder. Another excerpt from the profiles says

ほっぺのでんきぶくろを揉みしだくと、カスタードクリームと洋酒（仮）が混ざったような甘い香りがすることで有名。その理由は解明されていないが、サイコパワーを高めると香りが強まる為、超能力に由来する現象とされている。その香りには謎の中毒性があり、愛好家は感電防止の策を講じてそれを嗅ぐことに臨む。

Which roughly translates to

It is famous that when you squeeze the electric sac on its cheek, it gives off a sweet scent that resembles a mixture of custard cream and liquor (tentative). The reason for this is unknown, but since the scent gets stronger as the psychic power increases, it is believed to be a phenomenon that originates from psychic power. The scent is mysteriously addictive, and enthusiasts take measures to prevent electric shock when they try to smell it.

The Japanese word used for ‘addictive’ here is, in fact, a word frequently used to describe addictive drugs. This addictive scent has been alluded to in games after this, also, particularly in Ultra Moon:

When you rub its cheeks, a sweet fragrance comes wafting out. However, you'll also get a light shock! 

The aforementioned Pokemon Sun and Moon website also relays this information:

Raichu has electric sacs on its cheeks, and rubbing them causes a sweet aroma to be released. The mechanism behind this is not clear, but it’s thought to be connected to the psychic power that Alolan Raichu possess.

This directly reflects the profile. So, the pancakes made with ingredients from Ultra Space made safe for eating by an expert, give Alolan Raichu psychic powers (since it adapted to have them as a result of this diet) that are directly correlated with an addictive scent. The profiles also specify one more detail, this time about Alolan Raichu’s personality:

実際の性情も大人しくボーっとしたもので、何事においても動じず、常に笑みをたたえている。

This roughly translates to:

Its actual nature is also quiet and absent-minded, unfazed by anything and always smiling.

This is in direct contrast to Raichu’s usual nature, characterized frequently in the Pokedex as becoming aggressive when it has too much electricity stored:

It turns aggressive if it has too much electricity in its body. It discharges power through its tail.

When electricity builds up inside its body, it becomes feisty. It also glows in the dark.

These specific instances are from Brilliant Diamond and Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee respectively, but there are several more. This means that Alolan Raichu’s personality changed with its adaptation as well.

So, in short, we’ve got pancakes made with poisonous extradimensional ingredients, purified by experts, that give Alolan Raichu psychic powers connected to an addictive scent and make it quiet, absent-minded, and unflappable. While nothing is explicit here, outside the mention of the scent being addictive, this is certainly reminiscent of common portrayals of various kinds of drugs.

Alolan Raichu is on drugs. Canonically. Probably. Alien drug pancakes. What has Pokémon lore come to

(Thanks again to Kiskeym for verifying this information, and to MewMallow for pointing out some of the similarities here and making me realize what’s going on.)

[sonadowwiki]

Gamescom interviewed Takashi iizuka, where he said that Shadow is not Sonic's friend. What kind of Sonadow can we talk about then?

I've already answered this before to someone else, which you can check here.

But, I'll answer again as well that that's just what Iizuka personally wants for the characters and that what he personally wants is not accurate to the official lore. He is not the owner of the series or the characters, SEGA Sammy is and he is not SEGA Sammy. He is only one worker from a single branch who has made many mistakes while being employed instead of listening to his superiors. He has made many mistakes and inconsistences already with the Shadow Generations game/animation and his views are not the same as the company that owns the series and characters who have said repeatedly that Sonic and Shadow are friends.

One such inconsistency is how in the Dark Beginnings animation 3rd episode, it stated that only Maria can talk Shadow out of something, but Sonic has been the one to talk him out of things in the present, which is stated in places like the Sonic x Shadow 2021 July Calendar Story description, in Sonic Battle where he told him he had a heart to not kill Emerl and he ended up not killing him because of his heart or in Team Sonic Racing where he distracted him from finishing off Eggman. It was never stated (that I'm aware of) that Maria talked him out of doing something in official materials with her included. She asks Shadow to help the world and people like in Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog 2005, but not to specifically stop doing something. Remembering what she asked of him to do isn't specifically her telling him to stop doing something.

[Link to story from Sonic Channel]

[Important phrases:

"懐に入って来られる稀有（けう）な関係"

"実際、シャドウにここまで懐深く入って何かを言えて、それが心に届く（届かないことも多いですが）のは、ソニックくらいではないでしょうか。"]

Already one big media that shows that what Iizuka says is not true and is what he personally wants, which is against what the company wants for the two, is Shadow being included in Sonic & Friends.

Shadow helps Sonic as a friend even in this video by passing the ball to him so that he can continue playing with Tails and Knuckles.

Merchandise of Shadow being included in the Sonic & Friends line was even talked about recently on Sonic Team's social media account.

In many games, Shadow helps or ends up helping Sonic because they're friends. Even in Sonic Forces it is implied that Shadow is a friend because he is one of the characters that helps Sonic and in Japanese, Sonic said that it is the bonds of friendships that got him that far unlike Infinite with his fakes that lack that. Shadow also showed concern for Sonic's safety in this game or protected him from a fake Shadow hurting him when it wasn't technically necessary to, which shows they are on good terms and friends.

Also in the same game, Shadow waves good-bye to Classic Sonic with a smile and in English Infinite calls Shadow one of Sonic's friends.

There are also posts from Sonic Team where it includes Shadow as part of Sonic's friends by saying, "Sonic and Friends" when Shadow is included. There's even a post that calls Shadow one of Sonic's friends and has the concept papers for Shadow with Vegeta's name on it, which was also mentioned in that interview.

So, what Iizuka states in that interview isn't to be taken as the company's words, it is his own personal opinion. The official medias, and even to today with the Japanese account, says that Shadow is one of Sonic's friends. Therefore, it doesn't change the canonical fact that Shadow is one of Sonic's friends. Therefore, one can still talk about Sonadow as before.

[jojosgaylittleadventure]

This is the fourth fic in my Josuyaus series that takes place while they're still in high school You can find my series here I also have a master post of all my Josuyasu writing here

Summary: After a study session gone wrong, Josuke finds himself needing somewhere he can feel safe and at home and that some where turns out to be Okuyasu. Tags: Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, the following tags are not from/between the ship (just an fyi), Non-Consensual Kissing, Non-Consensual Touching, Side Character/Main Character Attempted Sexual Assault, Attempted Sexual Assault, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Victim Blaming

[somasoa]

The Family of the Hero: A Thorough Analysis of the Canonical Bloodline Shared by Every Link in the Legend of Zelda Series - Part 2 of 2

Click HERE for the first part of this article!

Tri Force Heroes

Tri Force Heroes is a black sheep in the series, as it does very little in trying to connect to any kind of overarching lore or story that is present within the Zelda chronology. However, tidbits of information associated with the Knights of Hyrule can still be found even in this entry. 

For starters, we see the return of certain sword techniques, such as the Sword Beam and the Great Spin Attack. These techniques are performable by wearing certain attire, such as the Sword Master Suit - Sword Saint’s Armor (剣聖のよろい) and the Spin Attack Attire -  Great Spinning Slash Attire (大回転斬りの甲冑).

剣の力が倍になる服。剣士の魂が宿った剣使いのための一着。剣の力が倍に!剣からビームも!

Clothing that doubles the power of the sword. This is a suit for sword users with the soul of a swordsman in it. The power of the sword is doubled! Beam from the sword!

Flavor Text for the Sword Master Suit (Tri Force Heroes) - Translated by Sidier

Interestingly enough, the Sword Master Suit, which provides Link with double damage and sword beams, is stated to have the soul of a swordsman in it. Swordsman (剣士) in this context is the exact same Japanese term used when describing the Knight’s Crest, or Swordsman’s Emblem (剣士の紋章) from The Wind Waker, and the Swordman’s Scrolls from Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, both of which were items that allowed Link to enhance his swordplay. This further shows how it is possible for the skills of the Knights of Hyrule to be implemented into articles of clothing or other items like scrolls, such that when those items are utilized, the sword skills can be performed by those in possession of said items. More interesting, however, is the description of the Dapper Spinner, or the Mysterious Roll Knight (怪傑ロールナイト).

繰りだ出せ高速回転斬り!華麗に素早く回転し幸運を引き寄せる騎士連続で必殺技高速回転斬りの発動だ

Launch the High Speed Revolving Slash! The knight spins quickly and gracefully, attracting good luck, and launches a series of special moves in rapid succession.

Flavor Text for the Dapper Spinner (Tri Force Heroes) - Translated by Sidier

この服は俺の…いやみんなの憧れ様の衣装なんだ! あのすばやい回転斬り…子どもの頃よくまねしたもんだよ…

This outfit is my...well, everyone's dream outfit! That quick spinning slash... I used to imitate it when I was a kid…

Daily Riches Owner (Tri Force Heroes) - Translated by Sidier

When wearing the Dapper Spinner, it’s possible for Link to perform a Quick Spinning Slash (すばやい回転斬り), which allows Link to perform a spin attack without charging up. This is identical to the Quick Spin  (クイック回転) as mentioned in Ocarina of Time and performed in Skyward Sword. The Dapper Spinner’s japanese name, the Mysterious Roll Knight (怪傑ロールナイト), as well as the Japanese description, also explicitly calls the original wearer of the attire a knight. While it’s been proven that the Quick Spin is not specific to the Knights of Hyrule and can be performed by anyone, it still shows that the technique is associated with the concept of knights. 

Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild adds our final nail in the coffin on establishing the Knights of Hyrule as descending from the original Hero from Skyward Sword. At the Rito Stable, Link can find the second volume of the Rumor Mill, a book that provides information about locations and items around Hyrule written by a journalist named Traysi. In this book, Link can read the following: 

この剣を手にできる者は勇者の血を受け継ぐ者だけ…なーんて ウワサがあるこの剣名もなき深い森の中に隠されとるっちゅう話やで～気にはなるけど うちのオトンもオカンもどうみても 勇者の血統って感じちゃうしウチにはあんまり関係なさそうやな…

There's a rumor that the only people who can get their hands on this sword are those who inherited the blood of the Hero ... There's a story that this sword is hidden in a deep forest with no name. I'm curious about it, but my father and mother don't seem to have the bloodline of a Hero, so I don't think it has much to do with us ...

Rumor Mill: Volume 2 (Breath of the Wild) - Translated by Sidier

This tells us that the only people who can wield the Master Sword are those who descended from the Hero. This means that every Link who has wielded the Master Sword - minus the original - descended from the previous Hero, meaning every single Link in the series can trace their bloodline back to the very first Link. In short, the bloodline of the Knights of Hyrule begins and ends with Link, finally bringing us full circle on how the lineage of the Knights of Hyrule is both the bloodline that originated from the Hero as well as generates the Hero. The fact the Knights of Hyrule are connected by blood is also referenced by the fact Link was born into knighthood in Breath of the Wild, as established by Zelda during the events of the game:

……御父上の跡目を継ぐべく 騎士の道を選び 練磨を続け……

...In order to follow in the footsteps of your father, you chose the path of a knight and continued training...

Zelda (Breath of the Wild) - Translated by Sidier

Interestingly enough, we also learn in this same conversation that the Knights of Hyrule now undergo a new name - the Imperial Royal Guard Family.

それでも周りの人達から「お前は近衛の家に生まれたのだから絶対に騎士に ならねばならない」と言われたら……

But if the people around you say, "You were born into the Imperial Royal Guard family, you must absolutely become a knight [...]"

Zelda (Breath of the Wild) - Translated using DeepL

This is due to how, in the era of Breath of the Wild, the most elite Knights of Hyrule are given the privilege of becoming members of the Imperial Royal Guard, a group of knights that are shown to protect the royalty of Hylia, as shown in The Champion’s Ballad DLC and Age of Calamity, who we learn in the game that Link was the youngest captain of in the history of Hyrule.

The Knights of Hyrule are also explicitly referenced in certain item descriptions such as the Knight’s set of weapons. 

ハイラル王家に仕えた騎士が使っていた盾金属製の頑丈な作りで 激しい戦闘にも耐えられる重量があるので 扱いにはそれなりの腕前が必要

A shield used by knights in the service of the Hyrule royal family. Made of sturdy metal and heavy enough to withstand fierce combat, it requires a certain amount of skill to handle.

Flavor Text (Breath of the Wild) - Translated by Sidier

We also see the return of the Hylian Shield, using the design from Skyward Sword. The in-game text describing it mentions its association with the Hero.

勇者が手にしたという伝説と共に古よりハイラル王家に受け継がれてきた盾他を寄せ付けない 圧倒的な防御力と耐久性を誇る

Along with the legend of the Hero that held it in his hands, this shield has been handed down in the Hyrule royal family since ancient times. It boasts overwhelming defense and durability that is unmatched by any other shield.

Flavor Text (Breath of the Wild) - Translated by Sidier

This is interesting, as it establishes that the Hylian Shield is associated primarily with the Hero. This further elaborates on why the Knights of Hyrule are also associated with the shield. The Knights of Hyrule, as the descendants of the Hero, would bear the symbol of the shield associated with the legend of their heroic ancestor, and would come to be associated with the shield as well, as seen in Ocarina of Time.

The last important aspect of the Knights of Hyrule is actually a slight controversy. We see in the The Champion’s Ballad DLC, as well as the main game’s memories, that Knights of Hyrule are depicted as wearing the Soldier’s Armor, which as the name implies, is stated to be worn by soldiers, not the Imperial Royal Guard’s family. We also observe these knights using weapons  from the Soldier’s set and not the Knight’s set of weapons, further complicating the context. Age of Calamity sheds light on this issue and provides clarification.

Age of Calamity

In Age of Calamity, the Soldier’s Armor issue is explained, where it’s revealed to be the attire of the Knights of Hyrule, who lead the lower ranking soldiers of Hyrule’s military. These lower ranking soldiers wear different armor into battle, such as Hylian Trousers instead of Soldier’s Greaves, and have no red plume on their helmet. This means the Soldier’s Armor is not worn by the basic soldiers of Hyrule but instead the Knights of Hyrule. We also observe Link using weapons from the Soldier’s set at the beginning of the game instead of weapons from the Knight’s set, despite being a Knight of Hyrule. This means that it’s likely the Knights of Hyrule are given the freedom to wield whichever weapon they’d like to, which is also suggested by the fact Link can use a variety of different weapons in Age of Calamity.

This clarifies the issue of Breath of the Wild, explaining that the Soldier’s Armor is actually the armor of the Knights of Hyrule, and the Knights of Hyrule as seen in the memories are given the freedom to use whichever weapons they want in the same way Link is in Age of Calamity. In fact, Age of Calamity all but confirms this, as the Hylian Captains are depicted almost exclusively using weapons from the Knight’s set, meaning that the knights who use weapons outside of the Knight’s set are a minority.

Speaking of, we also witness the Knights of Hyrule in combat, and we can observe them charging their blade to perform attacks, similar to how Link would when performing a Spin Attack. As we know, the ability to charge one’s blade to perform special sword skills is a technique exclusive to the bloodline of the Knights and has been passed down since antiquity. This shows that the Knights of Hyrule and their techniques still persist in Hyrule even in this far future of the series.

Tears of the Kingdom

As we move onto the most recent entry into the series at this time, the Knights of Hyrule still hold a presence in the series. Their most prominent appearance is actually the ghostly spirits of knights residing in The Depths, who offer Link weapons. Strangely enough, these ghostly knights most commonly appear under a set of monuments on the surface, which are dedicated to the memory of those who passed in the Great Calamity, the event that occurred 100 years prior that resulted in the fall of Hyrule Kingdom and the deaths of countless people, including a substantial amount of the Knights of Hyrule. 

厄災で失われし御霊 謹んで追悼す－ゼルダ この碑を捧げる－

We respectfully mourn the souls of those lost in the Great Catastrophe. -I, Zelda, dedicate this monument.

Monument (Tears of the Kingdom) - Translated by Sidier

It’s likely that, given the presence of these spirits under these monuments, that these are spirits of the Knights of Hyrule who had fallen in battle during the Great Calamity 100 years prior, and similar to Four Swords Adventures, the spirits of the knights still desire to aid the Hero in any way they can before passing onto the afterlife. The weapons they offer to Link also vary in origin and culture, again showing that the Knights of Hyrule were not restricted to using any specific weapons in the era of the Breath of the Wild related games.

While we encounter the deceased Knights of Hyrule in the form of their ghosts, we also meet their living descendants. In Breath of the Wild, we encounter a man by the name of Nell at Akkala Citadel.

We learn that he was a descendant of a member of the Hyrulean military, who died in battle at the siege of Akkala, which resulted in the collapse of the kingdom. Interestingly, Nell is actually wearing a damaged set of Soldier’s Armor. As we learned in Age of Calamity, this is actually the armor of the Knights of Hyrule, and we learn from the description of the armor in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom that the surviving sets that are undamaged were the ones that went unscathed during the Great Calamity 100 years ago.

あれは アッカレ砦といって大昔 ハイラル王国がまだ健在だったころ…このアッカレ地方を守るために建設されたもので難攻不落の砦と言われていたそれが あの大厄災で ハイラル城が焼かれ王と姫君をなくした ハイラル軍は…なすすべをなくし ここを拠点にして最後の抵抗をしていたそうだだが 暴走したガーディアンの猛攻を止められるわけもなく 結局は陥落した…いわば ここはハイラル王国が滅んだ 最後の地だ [...] 私わたしの先祖せんぞも ここで死しんだと聞きいてな一度いちどは弔とむらいをしたいと 足あしを運はこんだのだが…

It's called Fort Akkale, and it was built a long time ago to protect the Akkale region when the Kingdom of Hyrule was still alive and well. It was said to be an impregnable fortress, but in that Great Catastrophe, Hyrule Castle was burnt down and the king and princess were lost. The Hyrule army, left with nothing to do, apparently used this as their base to make a last stand, but the Guardians went berserk. There was no way to stop the onslaught, and in the end it fell...so to speak, this is the final place where the Kingdom of Hyrule fell. [...] I heard that my ancestors died here, so I came here to offer my condolences...

Nell (Breath of the Wild) - Translated by Sidier

最前線で戦う兵士のための兜金属製のしっかりした作りで 高い防御力が特徴現存する物は 大厄災時の破損を免れたものである

Helmet for soldiers fighting on the front lines. It is made of metal and has a high defensive strength. The surviving ones were not damaged during the Great Catastrophe.

Flavor text (Breath of the Wild) - Translated by Sidier

 Because of this, we can glean that the armor Nell is wearing was used 100 years ago in the Great Calamity, due to it being damaged. Given that Nell’s armor was used 100 years ago, and he mentions that his ancestor fell in battle against the onslaught of the Calamity, we can deduce that the armor worn by Nell is the armor of his ancestor. As mentioned, the armor is shown to belong to the Knights of Hyrule in Age of Calamity. Therefore, Nell is a member of the Knight’s Family due to being a descendant of a fallen knight. 

However, the connections don’t end there - if we can deduce that Nell is a Knight of Hyrule because of the above, what does that mean for the other characters we see across Tears of the Kingdom who wear ruined armor of the Knights of Hyrule? We see several characters in this entry, such as Sharce, Raseno and Scorpis, wearing damaged versions of the Soldier’s Armor, similar to Nell in Breath of the Wild.

Given that we can deduce Nell is wearing the armor of his fallen ancestor, we can also reasonably deduce that all of these characters in Tears of the Kingdom are also wearing the armor of their fallen ancestors. This would mean that these specific characters would be descendants of the Knight’s Family, and shows us that, even in the ruined future after the Great Calamity, the Knights of Hyrule have still survived and will undoubtedly flourish again alongside the restoration of Hyrule Kingdom.

Summary of the Knights of Hyrule

Let’s summarize what can be learned from looking at every mainline entry in the series that mentions the Knights of Hyrule.

 The Knights of Hyrule, also known as the Knight’s Family, the Hylian Knights, and the Order of Knights, are a specific bloodline of brave and powerful people who often take up the vocation of knighthood to defend the Royal Family. The Knights of Hyrule faithfully serve the Royal Family, and are given special roles such as protecting the Royal Jewels, helping seal away the Dark Clan from Four Swords Adventures, and protecting the sages in the Imprisoning War. 

The Hero can only appear from this bloodline when either the Royal Family is in danger, or an evil person has acquired the Triforce. This means that all appearances of the Hero are indubitably related by blood. In Skyward Sword, we learn that the Hylian Shield bears the crest of Link’s Crimson Loftwing, representing the Hero and serving as a symbol for him. This shield would later be passed on and known as a shield associated with the Knights of Hyrule, and Breath of the Wild establishes that for one to be the Hero, you must have the blood of the Hero in your veins. This would mean by necessity that Skyward Sword Link was the progenitor of the Knights’ bloodline, and the Knights of Hyrule both begin and end with the Hero.

The Knights of Hyrule also pass down special sword techniques within their family, with the most prominent of them being the Spin Attack and the Great Spin Attack, which only the other Knights of Hyrule are capable of inheriting. It’s suggested that the skills are innate to their bloodline, as some Links are capable of performing these skills without ever being formally taught. Some attacks such as the Quick Spin are associated with them, but we know that it is not exclusive to them. 

The Knights of Hyrule can also be twisted into demonic monsters, as seen by the appearance of Darknuts, who are capable of performing techniques associated with the Knights of Hyrule as seen in The Wind Waker, and are associated with the Knight’s Crest, a symbol which is associated with the Knights of Hyrule as seen in Four Swords Adventures.

In the later era of the timeline, after the Imprisoning War in the backstory of A Link to the Past, the Knights of Hyrule were almost rendered extinct due to the mass casualties they suffered while protecting the sages. However, as seen in games like Oracle of Ages, their ranks are slowly building back up. In the distant future of the series, in Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity, and Tears of the Kingdom, we see that the Knights of Hyrule have persisted through history all the way to the present day of Hyrule, a testament to their unyielding loyalty to the Royal Family and unbreakable courage against the Demon Tribe.

Certain specific appearances of the Knights of Hyrule include: the Bumpkin family in A Link to the Past; the Hyrulean Knights in Oracle of Seasons; the ghostly Knights of Hyrule who are freed by the Links in Four Swords Adventures; the Blade Brothers in The Minish Cap; the Hero’s Spirit in Twilight Princess; and the Knights of Hyrule, both dead and alive, present in Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity, and Tears of the Kingdom. Also, every appearance of Link in the series constitutes an appearance of the Knights, as the Hero can only appear from within their family.

[villainessguide]

Episode 1: Definitions,

Here are all the words and phrases we were talking about in the first episode of our podcast part 1:

Isekai (Japanese: 異世界 transl. 'different world', 'another world', or 'other world') is a subgenre of portal fantasy. [as stated by wikipedia]

we would say isekai has characters that go from the "real" world into another world (either through death, magic, or some secret 3rd option) with popular choices going into a video game (such as otome games), novels, or television shows. They become part of the story and assume some role. They become either the main character, a side character, canon fodder, or the villain. (we particularly like the villainess archetype lol)

one popular way of death is truck-kun. He so graciously escorts us to another world, much like regina george.

(like nobody is safe from this metal monster)

so there are a few different ways to become a story character in isekai stories, some are reincarnators, where they are born as the character in their second life, and tend to live a long time as that character till events of the system story happens. An example of this is I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss (悪役令嬢なのでラスボスを飼ってみました, Akuyaku Reijō Nanode Rasubosu o Katte Mimashita) by Sarasa Nagase.

(which is super cute and we recommend! there is even an anime!)

Aileen, who was sickly in her first life spent most of her time in the hospital playing an otome game (valid), finds herself reincarnated into the villainess who dies in the game. So she sets about to stop herself from biting the big one by trying to befriend the final boss that kills her.

then we have regressors, who are souls that turn back time to the past (may or may not have possessed their body in the past). Regression doesn't necessarily mean that it is an isekai story. An isekai means a person going from one world to another. A regression isekai for example, is if someone possesses a body of a character that goes back in time to the past, usually because they met a bad end in their life.

An example is The Villainess is a Marionette (악녀는 마리오네트) by Yi-Rim Han, a korean novel and webtoon. It follows a girl named Kayena, who died once then was reincarnated as a korean woman, then dies again and is reborn once again as Kayena. Girly is like third time's the charm let's goooo

(still need to finish this lol, I like it so far but that was a while ago)

last major type is transmigration. This is when you wake up as the character, right when all the action is about to start in the story. You are just plopped right into the action and life says good luck godspeed. An example of this is The Perks of Being a Villainess (Official English Title). Which has a weird title situation where there are like two other English titles, Isn't Being a Wicked Woman Much Better? (Alternative English Title) and What's Wrong With Being the Villainess? (Alternative English Title)악녀라서 편하고 좋은데요? (Korean Title) by Mango Kim, Mindo.

(I'm half way through and I love it, MC wants to basically become the richest person alive and makes fantasy starbucks, and the ML is a simp with secrets LOL)

Dohee lived as a pushover, died miserably, and was transmigrated into a novel as a notorious villainess. As Deborah Seymour, she is also the richest villain alive. Now, all that's left for her to do is lay low and enjoy her carefree lifestyle... if not for the fact that Deborah is fated to be sent to a monastery!

that's an intro into isekai that we touch upon in our first episode!

{part 2 coming soon}

[joseppeli]

Title: He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings

Relationship: Joseph Joestar/Caesar Zeppeli

Chapters: 16/?

Summary: This is a WWII AU that I thought of while pondering how the Joestars’ lives would be different without the masks/hamon, while everything else stays the same, but also how I could still make caejose happen lol. It takes place a little later than in canon, in the 1940s, and they’re both pilots for their respective air forces. Soo, give it a read if any of that’s intriguing :)

——————

After a full year and a half of silence, I have returned with an update ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ Things start to really heat up in this one :3

[bnhaobservation]

Why does Endeavor keep freezing when it comes to saving his family?

Hum...

... we've 2, maybe 3, stretching 4 cases in which this canonically happens.

Enji gives his explanations for each of them.

1) Chap 251, he froze and failed to save Natsuo.

Enji's explanation is:

‘Warukatta…! Isshun kangaete shimatta ore ga tasuketara konosaki omae wa ore ni nani mo ienaku natte shimau node wanai ka to’ 「悪かった…! 一瞬考えてしまった俺が助けたらこの先おまえは俺に何も言えなくなってしまうのではないかと」 “It was my bad…! I thought for a moment that if I helped you, you might not be able to say anything to me from now on.”

The implication seems to be he wants Natsuo to continue telling straight to his face how much he messed up but that, if he had saved Natsuo, Natsuo would have felt obliged to keep his feelings for himself.

2) Chap 293. Tōya is trying to cremate Shōto (and himself).

There are two implication here, the first is what Tōya says, Enji is broken, discovering the truth was traumatic to him.

Even though he said originally he couldn't believe his son died, at the same time Enji can't believe his son is Dabi.

It's not just that he has grown to accept the idea Tōya died, the real problem is who Tōya became (and how it was due to him). I've discussed about it in another post but having a family member who's a murderer it's the end for a Japanese family.

Remember how Gran Torino was angry because Shigaraki was 'trampling all over Shimura's memory'?

That's why, even if Shimura Nana is dead, it's still socially terrible she has a relative who's a murderer.

But there's also a second implication done later on in chap 300.

'Ore wa ikinobi temo... ENDEAVOR wa shinda. Tairyō satsujin-sha (read: musuko) to tatakaenai.' 「俺は生き延びても... エンデヴァーは死んだ。大量殺人者（むすこ）と戦えない」 "Even if I survive...Endeavor is dead. I can't fight against a mass murderer (read: my son)"

What's the problem here?

Enji was raised into the idea that Heroes fight Villains, there's no something like 'saving Villains'. Heroes normally shouldn't kill Villains but considering how Hawks went for the kill with Twice and how Enji tried his hardest to murder Shigaraki and he probably wasn't the only one.

When they find Shigaraki, Mirko attacks the tube saying Shigaraki can't be released into the world, then urges the others to finish Shigaraki and Garaki off, claiming they can't let Shigaraki wake up.

When X-less discovers Shigaraki isn't breathing and his heart isn't beating and Garaki explains the capsule would have revived him, they don't try to revive him themselves giving him CPR.

Present Mic tells X-less to take Shigaraki away, but they are clearly in no hurry to give him medical care, X-less even waste time thinking he has to destroy the machines around them.

In order to save Shōto Enji should fight (and likely kill) Tōya... and he can't. He doesn't want to hurt his son, he doesn't want to attack him with his fire aware that Tōya isn't even fire resistant. He can't think any other way to deal with Tōya and he just can't bring himself to attack it, we'll see it even when Tōya is threatening to nuke Japan.

But he can't think of anything else he could do that could stop the situation, like, for example, trying to talk to Touya. After all, he never did it and he has no idea how to deal with his son turned Villain.

Villains were just something Heroes would beat.

Hence he froze.

We've two more possible cases, though in them he didn't exactly froze... or, if he did, we don't know about it.

3) Tōya 'died' because Enji avoided going to see him, and therefore got on Sekoto Peak too late to save him.

Enji's explanation is:

'...Maki wo kubete shimau dake da to... Iya... Nanto koe wo kaketara ī no ka wakaranakattanda 「...薪をくべてしまうだけだと... いや... 何と声を掛けたらいいのかわからなかったんだ」 "...I thought I would just end up burning more firewood (inside him)... no... I didn't know what to say."

The whole 'burning more firewood' implies that he believed he would just encourage the fire inside Tōya of which Tōya kept talking about through the two chapters, in short that he would encourage him to continue... but then he admits the more relevant reason, he has no idea what to say.

Enji (and Rei) never knew what to tell to Tōya beyond stop, they didn't want to tackle their responsibilities in Tōya's situation nor wanted to offer real support, they just wanted him to accept what they told him and stop. Hence Enji doesn't face his son but avoids him, telling himself this is for the better.

4) While the story doesn't really tell us if Enji froze, the implication of the scene seems to be he didn't act when his father fought a Villain, but remained there frozen on the scene.

It's something I've discussed in the past here and it's not super well explained by Horikoshi but it can be the root that explains all the other times Enji remains frozen.

Enji is not a natural born Hero because, differently from Midoriya, he doesn't have inside himself the instinct to save people even when the situation could be fatal to him.

He does it out of duty, raging against himself to give himself courage but, when push comes to shove and a situation becomes emotionally very difficult for him, he doesn't want to face it and freeze.

It's not so much the fear of death, he doesn't hesitate at all when facing Shigaraki even though the latter could murder him, but the fear of being emotionally hurt.

Even All for One will try to exploit it by attacking him on an emotional level.

When his family and his emotions toward his family are on the table he doesn't know how to handle them and his option is to avoid things, which is something he'll admit through the story.

Enji is an evolving character so ultimately he'll face things but I think it's a good guess to assume that the times he froze were due to this.

Of course though, since there's not a canon explanation, this is just my guess and I might be wrong. Still thank you for your ask!