Luz: So you have a different way of dong things. A different way of seeing things. That might make you weird, but it also makes you awesome! Don't you see? Prisoner: Why are you helping us? Luz: Because us weirdos have to stick together! And nobody should be punished for who they are! Skulltrot (narrator): Yeah, that pretty much sums this entire video up. Throughout it's run, The Owl House has managed to make it's way into being my all time favorite show thanks to its compelling story, fleshed out characters, great sense of humor, important messages and interesting themes. It has really resonated with me in ways most stories before it have never been able to accomplish do. I could sit here for hours praising the cartoon for how well produced it is in each and every aspect, but there are plenty of stories deserving of that praise. What makes The Owl House so special to me in a way that no other story has ever managed to get is due to one single aspect: The Owl House is extremely neurodivergent. Growing up neurodivergent is an incredibly traumatic experience. Not because it's inherently this terrible thing that needs to be cured or anything. Autism Speaks, I'm looking at you. Society just isn't built to accommodate atypical people. The needed attention is not put into neurodivergent people nor is society systematically structured in a way that benefits them. I went my entire childhood not understanding why I was the way that I am. It wasn't until I was 17 and my therapist started discussing the possibility of me being autistic and guiding me through the diagnosis process that I had fully considered the possibility. My autism personally had the most negative effect on me socially. I was developmentally behind most of my peers socially, but academically gifted to the point where, had I decided to, I could have easily graduated high school a few years early. When you grow up needing more advanced stimulation typically given to older children, but needing social interaction with those below your academic standards, you wind up ostracized from any age groups that surround you. Big time. As a catalyst, I didn't really have that many friends growing up. If I made friends I had a difficult time keeping them. Even though I didn't know I was autistic, I still understood I was different. Of course, stigma and the way adults treated these differences lead to me feeling ashamed of these things. I had to consistently be aware of house I acted around others. Behaviors I would often berate myself for were undeniably autistic traits. I had to be hyperaware of what my hands were doing, script conversations in my head of things I was expected to say, ways I was expected to act without being weird, all to attempt to blend in better with the crowd. All of this effort would be to no avail, of course, because ultimately, I can't teach myself to not be autistic. I can't teach my brain to do more than it was developed to be capable of at the time, which again, was socially underdeveloped compared to my peers. I winded up developing an incredibly severe social anxiety, which then lead to me developing severe agoraphobia where leaving my house was an exhausting and emotionally taxing experience. Society taught me to think that there was something wrong with me. I can't even begin to explain what that experience was like in detail. I never really had the words and I don't think I've ever given the experience justice through my retellings. Nothing I say can ever get across just how this effected my sense of self-worth, self-esteem, view of the world, trust in others, and trust in myself. Thankfully, for all of us who find ourselves in that dilemma, fiction swoops in as our saving grace. Stories have the power to share from one perspective of any person in the world. They come in and take the spotlight to demonstrate experiences and feelings for us where we may fail to describe our own. The Owl House provides that demonstration for me, as I believe it depicts the experience of being neurodivergent in a very applicable way through both literal representation and allegory. While the show itself holds these messages and themes throughout, for the purpose of simplicity in this video essay I am specifically going to be focusing on three characters: Luz Noceda, Gus Porter, and Hunter. Luz Noceda the story's protagonist, is canonically neurodivergent as confirmed by Dana Terrace during an interview. Through word of Dana Terrace, the intention behind this was to write a character that learns things differently than the people around her, but this is in no way portrayed as a bad thing. Rather, her different way of figuring things out allows others to see their world in a different perspective and even learn things differently themselves. Dana Terrace: Yeah, Luz is absolutely neurodivergent. Um, and people who see her with ADHD, yeah, yeah, kid has ADHD, but it obviously doesn't hinder her. It- She learns a little differently. She's very visual. And she likes doing a lot of things at once. She's very interested in a lot of things and that's a boon to her. And she likes doing a lot of things at once. She's very interested in a lot of things and that's a boon to her. It was always, always, always, my intention to show someone who just learns a little differently and that's totally cool. From what I've gathered it's left up in the air for fan interpretation. For the sake of this essay, I'm going to be assuming Luz has ADHD. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with ADHD or maybe even those who are having difficulty seeing any of those traits in Luz. Let me list out some of the many neurodivergent traits Luz demonstrates throughout the first two seasons of The Owl House. She's hyperactive, impulsive, loud, easily distracted, fidgets a lot, exhibits traits of emotional dysregulation and even more. Luz: You little rat! ["Rat" echoing] Luz: Oh no. Hunter: You don't tend to think things through, do you human? Luz: Right, I didn't think this through. Again. [Luz squeaking] Skulltrot (narrator): She also appears to have a hyperfixation on Azura and witches in general. Due to the amount of screentime Luz has, I can't possibly list out every single moment of demonstrating these characteristics throughout the show. I think doing that with how long this video already is would drive me insane, so I'll just leave it at those. Maybe one day I'll make a video specifically analyzing that part of Luz. Who knows? For now, I think it communicates at least a basic understanding of what's needed to be understood. ADHD or not, Luz is canonically neurodivergent and exhibits many atypical traits in the show. These traits have subtly impacted her character arcs and even her experiences throughout the show. Now all that said, what if I were to tell you that the very thing that brought Luz to the Demon Realm in the first place- The very thing that lead to her decision to stay in the Boiling Isles- was entirely influenced by her neurodivergence? That this very thing resulted in the build-up of one of her most prominent overarching internal conflicts? In season 1 episode 1 a "Lying Witch and a Warden" Luz is introduced to us in the principal's office of her school. She has just gotten in trouble for a rather eccentric book report. We as the audience are then shown how this was a pattern for Luz. A disruptive pattern for those around her and for herself to the point where she was going to be sent to a summer camp where she'd learn to be "normal" in order to fit in with the people around her. Once the two get back home, Camila says this to Luz, Camila: Mija, your fantasy world is holding you back. Do you have any friends? Real ones. Not imagined, or drawn, or reptilian? Summer camp is a chance to make some friends, but you have to try. Can you do that? Luz: Yes, mom. Skulltrot (narrator): Clearly, this has been an issue for Luz her entire life. Her imagination interests and way of going about schoolwork greatly differ from those of her peers. Although this is exaggerated for comedic effect. It's also exaggerated to the audience to get the point across in the short time frame of a few minutes. Luz doesn't have any friends. Luz isn't really at the same level as everyone else due to her interest in fantasy over reality. Actually, let's rephrase that. Luz is very disconnected from the people around her. Luz is an outcast. Luz is being sent to a camp designed to teach these quirks out of her. A camp that is, theoretically, meant to, more or less, fix her. Keep this in mind. After this moment with Camila, she chases Owlbert, who stole her book, leading her right through the portal to the Demon Realm. It is here that she meets Eda and King. Two outcasts from the Boiling Isles. Luz finds herself fitting in with a dimension that resembles something akin to Hell over her own dimension. It has witches, cool magic, and the best feature of them all: Everything is weird. Luz fits in because she doesn't fit in with the status quo. Ultimately, these factors lead to Luz choosing to stay in the Demon Realm over the world she grew up in. Her apprehension towards the Human Realm is brought up time and time again, whether it be smacked in the audience's face or demonstrated more subtly. Hell, when she loses the portal in "Young Blood, Old Souls" she's not upset about losing a portal to her home as much as she's worried about her mom. Insinuating her only attachment to the Human Realm is her mom and nothing else. Luz: Lo siento, mama. (English: I'm sorry, mama) Skulltrot: So this begs the question. Why didn't the human realm work for her? How did it fail her as an individual so drastically that it would motivate such a decision? How did she grow so disconnected that the dimension with practically no other humans was easier for her to make a life in? The answer is simple. The human realm didn't work for Luz because she's neurodivergent. Season 2 episode 8 "Knock Knock Knockin' on Hooty's Door" Hooty forces Luz and Amity into a Tunnel of Love where he hopes to help Luz confess her feelings to Amity. Here we see Luz being incredibly self-conscious, worrying about a negative reaction such as rejection or teasing. Luz: If Amity see's this she'll think I'm such a loser! Amity: What is this? [Luz makes distressed noise] Luz: Oh no. I'm gonna be made fun of again. Skulltrot (narrator): She is so desperate to not come across as dorky that she completely neglects to notice that she is hurting Amity's feelings in her attempt to reign back her sense of dignity. Season 2 episode 10 "Yesterday's Lie" Luz meets Vee for the first time and tries to help her find some magic to eat. This leads them to ask a few teenagers sitting by a teen where they got the deck of Hexum Holdem cards. During this moment, Luz begins to freak out, telling Vee to check for all exits. Luz: Okay. We gotta be careful approaching high schoolers. Mark all your exit routes- Vee: Actually, these guys are cool. Luz: Ah! Wait, hey! Vee: Hello! Luz: Oh, she's gonna embarrass herself I can't watch. Girl: Oh, hey Luz! Good to see you outside of prison. Vee: C'mon, camp wasn't that bad. Luz: Camp? Skulltrot (narrator): This is something we have never seen from Luz in the Boiling Isles. An almost panicked state induced by people her age. She takes this interaction as a potential threat leaving the audience with an obvious implication. She used to it being a threat. She's used to needing to have a quick exit and having to watch how she acts in order to not come across as repulsively weird to her peers. She's irrationally anxious over a quick interaction. She's completely taken aback by the fact that this group of teens are actually friendly with Vee. These are only a few examples of this disconnection with the human realm being demonstrated within her character. All of this builds and builds until it eventually becomes a turning point in Luz's character arc. Up until this point, her decision to stay in the Boiling Isles didn't have very heavy implications itself. She chose to stay and it was barely questioned because in her eyes it didn't need to be. Of course, she still had her mom, but she'd figure it out once summer camp ended and return to her as expected. Except, the portal was destroyed. Luz's concern wasn't how she was going to get back home as much as it was in letting her mom know she was okay. The only reason she kept that portal in the first place was to keep in contact with her mom. Not once does she hint at wanting to go back to the human realm for anything other than her mom. She explains all of this herself in Yesterday's Lie. Luz: Yes! I've learned so much. Staying here was the best decision I ever made. Camila: You chose to stay there? Luz: Oh... uh. Camila: Were you trying to live out some witch fantasy? Did you... did you hate living with me that much? Luz: Mama, no! No, no! Not yet! Not yet! Mom! I'm being pulled back! Camila: Baby, no, no, no, no! When you come home promise you'll stay here? I didn't mean to push you away. I swear things will be different. Luz: Mom, it's not you. It never was. Camila: Promise me, Luz. Please! Luz: Okay, mom. Skulltrot (narrator): Camila wasn't the issue. What's left unsaid is, at this point, obvious to the audience. The school, her teachers, and her classmates were the issue. It was her neurodivergence that caused her to be treated as different, a bad different, casting her aside and making her feel as though she were less than those around her. The fact that her brain functioned so differently that it was recommended she go to a camp that would fix her says enough. It was as if she were fundamentally wrong for being herself. Society had shunned her for something she couldn't control, thus she never made friends. She learned to anticipate rejection from those around her. She learned to bury her head in fantasy stories to give her a taste of relationships and comfort. She was completely and utterly alienated from her world. She stumbles into the demon realm already having all of her ties with her reality untethered. She finds herself in a world that excites her. She finds passions, friends, love, and a family. She's happy. Can you really blame her for not wanting to go back? And god damn, if that isn't the neurodivergent experience, I don't know what is. I mean if you gave me a choice between getting dumped in some magical fantasy where I wouldn't be treated with disdain for my autism over Earth, do you think I'm just gonna not go? We're alienating from society from the get-go. We're deemed as strange, hard to understand, and wrong for things we can't control. We're taught to mask the things that make us different in order to cater to the majority who refuse to meet us halfway. To cater to people who, in a worse case scenario, aim their goal to fix us rather than live with us. It's pretty easy to leave behind your old life when it felt like it didn't want you in it anyways, isn't it? Luz: I don't fit in at home. You don't fit in here. If I stay, we could not fit in together! I am not going back to summer camp. Eda: What's summer camp? What- What are we talking about here? Most characters I find that portray autistic experiences tend to be ones that weren't intended on being autistic whilst being developed by the writers. Characters of this nature are called "autistic-coded," meaning they can be read as autistic due to having many autistic traits. Gus is what I believe to be an autistic-coded character. He's a 12-year-old prodigy who was moved up a few years in school due to his exemplary skills in illusion magic and has a notable interest in human stuff. Just like I did with Luz, I have a list of reasons throughout seasons 1 and 2 that support this interpretation of his character. He is incredibly observant. Autistic people have a tendency to pay close attention to details. This trait of his is one of the reasons why he makes such a good illusionist. He frequently oversteps boundaries without realizing it. He only picks up on others' discomfort when told directly. He's a prodigy. There are multiple studies that demonstrate a somewhat frequent link to giftedness and autism. He often misreads the tone of a situation causing him to come across as blunt or rude at times. He has a difficult time making friends due to his issues with figuring out people beyond how they directly act towards him and his age difference in school. When he's upset, he appears to regularly shutdown, becoming less verbal and and fatigued. In Through the Looking Glass Ruins, he gets so caught up in his negative feelings that he lies on the floor completely overrun by lethargy. Lying on the floor can be a common sign of autistic fatigue, burnout, or a shutdown. He seems to be demonstrating a lack of executive function whenever he is in these moods and significantly less responsive to outside stimuli than he usually is. His obsession with humans resembles a special interest, which is an intense interest in a specific topic. These can exhibit themselves through collecting items, info dumping, and getting a burst of dopamine from the topic. The biggest contributing reason to me believing Gus is autistic happens in season 2 episode 18 "Labyrinth Runners." In this episode, Gus creates am extremelly powerful spell caused by an intense moment of distress. It's only shown to happen twice, but this spell is presumed to be one he has made multiple times throughout his life, as when it is activated in his flashback at the beginning of the episode he says, Gus: Oh no, no, no, no, not this. Skulltrot: This spell creates a convoluted illusion surrounding him. Affecting not just himself, but other people as well. This is why I believe this spell can be interpreted as an allegory for a meltdown. An autistic meltdown is a response autistic people can have to anything that is overwhelming. This can stem anywhere from overwhelming emotions to sensory overload or even understimulation. The opposite of sensory overload. Meltdowns cause autistic people to involuntarily lose control over themselves. This loss of control can be verbal with shouting or crying or they can be physical with kicking, lashing out, hitting themselves, and etc. Meltdowns, unlike panic attacks, don't affect a single person, rather meltdowns tend to negatively affect anyone who is around. This is due to the disruptive nature of meltdowns, but not to the fault of the autistic person as it is, again, involuntary. Meltdowns also notably have consistent triggers, just like a panic attack. Gus' first of these spells, which I will be referring to as a meltdown, starts after he finds out he was being used by his classmate in order to get a good grade on a project. This upsets him a lot, understandably, as he goes to another room in order to let out his feelings. At first, it seems like he's about to cry, but then he gets angry and purposely smacks his head into the desk, which causes the book to topple over onto his head. Just like he sent the book over the edge, this book is also what sends him over the edge and the meltdown is triggered. He calms down from his meltdown thanks to Willow showing a breathing technique that helps ground people. This is a technique commonly used during panic attacks, but can also be applied to other mental episodes like meltdowns. The only difference being that it is used in panic attacks to help regain control of breathing, whereas during a meltdown it serves more as a grounding technique. Gus isn't shown to have issues breathing. He's only stuck in his head. Amity: What's going on? Willow: Gus is trapped in his head and the others are being affected too. Skulltrot: The second time Gus experiences a meltdown in the episode is now in the present time. The illusion coven leader is about to brand him with an abomination sigil in order to stop him from casting any more illusions. Gus freaks out as he tries to pull away from the grip on his arm, and due to how overwhelming the situation is, his spell is triggered. This time it engulfs the entire school subjecting everyone to it. This spell is external, not internal, just like a meltdown. Now, let's take into consideration how Gus describes this spell. Gus: My spell! It's still active. Hunter: Well, you're a witch. Unspell it. Gus: No! I don't know how. I've never made one this big before. Skulltrot: It's not a spell he can just uncast and be done with. Even though he is noticeably calm, he is still unable to stop it. As I said before, I'm autistic, and as someone who's had meltodowns before, you can't just turn them off. Even when you've manage to calm yourself down you still feel overwhelmed. Like, if I were to have felt agitated during one of my meltdowns, afterward I would still get easily agitated. Even if it doesn't reach the same degree it was during the meltdown. Although this meltdown was caused by an abrupt, overwhelming situation, he eventually has another one. Or well, the current one is made worse and a little less all over the place and more centralized to him. At this moment, Gus' insecurities get the better of him and overpower his psyche causing him to be extremely hard on himself. Remember how I said meltdowns tend to have consistent triggers? Well, Gus' insecurity with people, specifically with people using him and his gullibility, is the trigger. It's what caused the first meltdown we see and it's what spikes the second. Gus' character denotes a lot of the struggles that come with making friends when you're neurodiverse. He has a hard time making genuine connections with the people around him, seemingly never learning how to read people for their true intentions. This is a very real experience I can personally attest to. As mentioned before, Gus' social skills when it comes to reading the tone of a situation aren't great. He's never really able to tell when someone's being genuine with him. He still somehow manages to get tricked over and over again. First heavily focused on in season 2 episode 5 "Through the Looking Glass Ruins," Gus is shown to have an inherent trust in people. He just automatically assumes good intentions and generally takes what people say at face value. For this reason, he is unable to figure out that the group of people he isn't able to figure out that the group of people he was going to find the galderstones with aren't great people who are treating him in an ill-fashion. Eventually, he figures it out much to his dismay and it contributes greatly to his insecurities. To him, he's supposed to be smart, the prodigy, the gifted kid, but he feels stupid for never being able to figure out people. He beats himself up over never learning the signs, never getting the cues, and never seeing the red flags. When you're autistic, it can be incredibly difficult to read people anything at more than face value. Social cues don't come naturally to us. There have been many times where I was in the exact situation as Gus. Afterward, I would always beat myself up over how stupid I felt every time someone would use me or lie to me. No matter how much I attempted to work on it, I never really got better at it, so I would shut people out. Because the thing is, this isn't something we can learn to do. I'm never going to be better at reading people. I've been trying for 18 years and I guess I have the gist of how I'm supposed to act down, but that's not how I read people. That's just how I react and respond to them. It's so easy to feel like there's something wrong with you for that. Or that you're broken, that you're stupid. It's so easy to lose trust in yourself. But the reality isn't as black and white. At the end of the day, we're disabled. An amputee is never going to magically grow back their limb, someone with chronic pain isn't just going to get used to the aches, and an autistic person with those symptoms will never read people the way non-autistic people are able to. Gus never learns to read people better. The story doesn't belittle him for not being able to figure out Willow is an illusion despite how long he's known her. It treats him and his assumed disability with respect. It's out of his control, but that's nothing to be ashamed of. Only people who take advantage of him should be ashamed. Hunter says it best. Hunter: It's hard when you can't trust yourself. I spent my whole life believing I was doing something good for someone good, but it was a lie. And some part of me still wants to believe in that lie. Just like you want to believe you're dumb or whatever. But it's not true. I promise. I wouldn't mess with you. Now, uh, how did that breathing thing go again? [Hunter dramatically inhales and exhales, whistling] [Gus laughs] PTSD is what you would call "acquired neurodivergence." It's not something you're born with, unlike autism and ADHD, instead it is developed through traumatic experience. However, the way it affects the brain causes a person to experience certain atypical traits, hence it falling under the neurodivergent umbrella Hunter is a 16-year-old prodigy who quickly moved up the ranks in the Emperor's Coven till he was knighted as the Golden Guard, the right hand man to his uncle, Emperor Belos. His entire life is spent devoted to the coven system and the Titan's Will that Belos has taught him to worship. He's a child soldier, victim of child abuse, and experiences intense religious trauma. These traumatic experiences, as well as others that come as the story progresses, lead him to developing what I believe is Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Belos regularly lashes out at Hunter, conditioning him to be blindly obedient to his authority. We only see this when Hunter begins speaking of wild magic and is met with Belos' cursed form flying out towards his cheek, allowing the conclusion to be drawn that the violent reaction is one Hunter is used to. A reaction he anticipates, even. In more episodes, Hunter is shown to flinch at not only Belos, but other people as well. All of the examples of this are as follows: In season 2 episode 13 "Any Sport in a Storm," Darius raises his hand above Hunter, seemingly drawing back to attack. Hunter flinches, bracing himself for the contact, but chooses not to move. Almost as if he was accepting the punishment. He is startled when the hand comes down, not as a violent assault, but as a teasing head pat that didn't cause any pain. He looks very confused by this entire interaction. In season 2 episode 16 "Hollow Mind," Hunter is shown bringing the portal key back to Belos, who quickly snatches it out of Hunter's hand, causing him to flinch. Later in the episode, Belos flicks his hair causing him to tense up and flinch. Also in Hollow Mind, right after Luz and Hunter get out of the Emperor's mindscape, Eda reaches out a hand to hunter, which seems to noticeably freak him out even more. Season 2 episode 18 "Labyrinth Runners," Gus reaches to give Hunter a high five, something he doesn't understand, and he viscerally flinches and grabs at his palm when Gus smacks his hand. Hunter also has a concerning mentality regarding Hunter and his upbringing. I mean, just listen to the things this kid says. Hunter: The Emperor is not a merciful man. Boom! I'm useful again! Since I failed my last mission I thought, hey! A chance to make up for it! But I can't go back empty handed! [hysterical laughter] Not again. Long story short; this is my grave. How do we evaluate others? A witches duel? A maze full of traps? Oh! Leave everyone at the top of a mountain and see who makes it back to the bottom alive. [laughing] Classic. Well, where I come from even chances have to be earned. Especially if you're considered half-a-witch like me. Trust me! I'm your friend now. Gus: Friends don't stab each other in the back. Hunter: Sure they do. The coven heads do it all the time back at the castle. Hunter: Who knows how mindscapes work? [Inner Belos laughing] Luz: I thought you did? Hunter: Well, maybe I'm an idiot! We're probably being punished because you provoked his inner self! I actually want to discuss that last one. There's a very unsettling implication underlying that sentence. Every single time Belos' cursed form overtakes him, Hunter believes it's because something has provoked it to emerge. Therefor he genuinely believes that anytime he has been physically threatened or hurt by Belos was due to him deserving it for acting out of line. Hunter: My apologies. I spoke out of turn. It won't happen again. Skulltrot: All of these details are something an observant eye will take note of and be able to piece together the clues to his abusive upbringing. Hunter also goes through religious trauma, which happens to be directly caused by Belos as well. His entire life he is told that his uncle, the man that raised him, could speak to the Titan directly. Just as the rest of the Boiling Isles Believes. He establishes laws, such as the coven systems, that reflect these preachings he gives to the world. Everything about the Emperor's Coven resembles real life cults. Similar to how a priest would tell a follower of their church that God has big plans for them, Belos tells Hunter that the Titan has big plans for him. This sentiment is entirely driven by manipulation rather than genuine spirituality as Hunter finds out in Hollow Mind. Belos: I say, "The Titan has big plans for you," and he does what he's told, unlike the previous attempts. He also discovers that the very thing that was supposedly saving people, the very reason people worship the ideals of the Emperor's Coven, is actually meant to bring genocide to all witches. So yeah, not exactly great for your mental health to find out that the belief system you've been taught your entire life is actually an evil cult. is actually an evil cult. All of this isn't even mentioning the fact that he was a soldier at 16 years old and a clone that Belos made from the remains of someone he murdered just to have a disposable pawn. A clone with who knows how many dozens of others that look just like him have been murdered by Belos too. My point is this kid has gone through a lot of trauma. Hunter's trauma greatly impacts his experiences with the world around him and how he's able to process the information given to him. This is the reason why PTSD and other disorders can fall under the neurodivergent umbrella. Their disorder makes it nearly impossible to experience the world as a neurotypical person would, even if they were neurotypical beforehand and they begin to experience traits that mirror those atypical traits presented in conditions such as ADHD and autism. Hunter's experience outside of his sheltered, unsafe life in the Emperor's Coven greatly resembles that of a neurodivergent person at his age. Case in point, Hunter clearly has a lot of socialization problems. He doesn't really know how to talk to people, especially not people his age. He doesn't seem to grasp tone well, is inappropriately blunt, and was incredibly sheltered, thus he doesn't understand a lot of things that most kids his age would typically grasp. Hunter: Teens are probably into the same things as me! Like authority and rules! Classmate! Ignore the fact that we've never met. What if I were to tell you that all of your dreams could come true? And you just have to leave your home, friends, and family forever! Classmate: Uh... Hunter: As apart of the Emperor's Coven! Gus: What?! Willow: You can help by attracting people with your sick sky skills. Hunter: Hm. I don't feel sick. Skulltrot: His first real connection outside of the Emperor's Coven isn't really Luz. Sure they have some kind of weird truce and mutual respect for the other, but it's nothing more than a start to what could be and will be a strong bond. Not necessarily a strong friendship as of the end of season 2, yet. But they have inherent trust and understanding of the other. His first real connection is with his palisman. Flapjack teaches him that not all wild magic is dangerous placing the first seeds of doubt into the Emperor's ideals into his head. Flapjack also becomes his first genuine friend and companion. He learns to care deeply for his palisman. Hunter: Wait! I'll be home soon Flapjack. Stay safe. [whispering] I love you, over and out. Eda and King (over the walkie-talkie): Aww! I would also like to point out that Flapjack also seems to display a lot of behaviors associated with emotional support animals. Palisman having the role as some kind of disability aid isn't a foreign concept in the Boiling Isles. For example, Principal Bump's palisman helps him see. Making these sentient wooden creatures this dimensions equivalent to a mobility device, seeing eye dog, or even service animal. Flapjack demonstrating these kinds of interactions with Hunter isn't entirely out of the question. Their dynamic consists of Flapjack providing similar tasks those emotional support animals or even service animals are trained to perform. It actually does more than that considering palisman can actually talk to their owners, which he also does many times to guide Hunter in the right direction. It is not uncommon for neurodivergent people, who are typically classified as disabled mind you, to have service animals. PTSD itself is considered a disability and having a service animal for a severe anxiety disorder is normal. It also isn't uncommon for neurodivergent people to have a close bond with animals. As explained with Luz, and in my predeposition, society can feel very alienating. Animals aren't nearly as complicated as humans. It's much easier to connect with a dog or a cat over a human person who has more elaborate needs, especially when your brain gives you a disconnect to those around you. Hunter and Flapjack's bond is more focused on than other characters with palisman. A writing decision I would assume the writer's made consciously and not on accident. Basically, what I'm getting at, is Hunter is a character who has a difficult time relating and making connections with people around him. But communicating with something non-human, or in this case non-witch, comes much more naturally. At least, once he gets over the initial prejudice his trauma has given him towards wild magic, that is. Additionally, his connection with his palisman is eventually what bridges the gap between the people in his life. Steve: And of course, everyone likes to collect everyone's palisman. Steve is beginning to regret his choices. Hunter: I think Hunter is too. Hunter: Are you... gonna tell Belos about this? Darius: Are you going to tell him about your secret palisman? [Hunter gasps] Gus: I remember you! Wait, get back here! Flapjack literally, albeit unintentionally, leads Gus straight to Hunter while he's hiding out in Hexside after running away from the Emperor's Coven. It's fitting that a neurodivergent character would make connections with others through a creature resembling a service device for the disabled. A role that service animals tend to play with neurodivergent specific disabilities, such as autism, which the reason I bring that up is it's a pretty popular headcanon that Hunter is autistic. Or a lot of people think he is autistic-coded. I'm not really gonna discuss that in this video just cause it's- It's long enough already. [laughs] It's so long. And I also want to stick to more- Things that are a little more concrete and I feel like there's more evidence towards him having PTSD than there is for him being autistic. Or at least, they overlap a lot. They do have a high comorbidity. I thought it was worth mentioning but I'm not actually going to get into it. He also seems to experience shutdowns and goes nonverbal in stressful situations and, at worst, potentially dissociating. In Hollow Mind when Hunter learns that the Titan's Will has been a lie and he's faced with the implication that he is the last in a long line of soldiers Belos has killed he walks away silently with his eyes completely shut. He doesn't acknowledge Luz at all throughout this sequence and doesn't seem all that responsive until he snaps out of it by the inner Belos summoning the palsiman beast thing? Like, actually can we like talk about this? Like what the fuck is this thing. If I was 5 this would scare the shit out of me. Then, after getting out of the Emperor's mind, he sits completely still staring at nothing until Flapjack snaps him out of it by bumping into his face where he seems to actually process everything that happened, causing him to have a panic attack. In Labyrinth Runners he does this multiple times. First, when the coven scouts bombard him with questions, he freezes and seems unsure how to answer them. A few minutes later he has a panic attack. He opens his mouth to speak and opts for grunting instead. Of course, this could be him begrudgingly choosing not to open up to Gus, which I think is important to point out. What kind of analyzer would I be if I didn't play devil's advocate every once in a while. Also in this episode, he freezes at the sight of Belos rounding the corner, allowing himself to be restrained by the coven scouts. He does attempt to free himself at first, but when they mention putting him out of his misery his body and expression freeze as if he is completely unresponsive until they knock him out. Almost as if he, again, dissociated. In season 2 episode 20 "Clouds on the Horizon," when he realizes Luz has disguised herself as him to keep him from getting captured he doesn't say a single word until he's put in a position where he has to explain himself. The only reason I can imagine him doing this is because he's just genuinely so stressed and it's like stressing him out. It reminds me of how I respond to these types of situations. And again, I'm autistic, so, y'know, the reason I have that reaction is because my brain is neurodivergent. It's just kinda how it functions in that kind of setting. In season 2 episode 21 "King's Tide," after seeing Belos get smashed into goop by the Collector, he is unable to say anything, instead he lets out a pained squeak. Although this could very much be caused by to the amount of pain he is in due to the coven sigil literally draining his energy and slowly killing him, due to his pattern of going quiet during stressful situations, I'm inclined to believe it's a combination of both. His trauma, and neurodivergence as a result, have greatly affected the his ability to communicate with others. He's socially awkward, requires a bit more assistance from either his palisman or even friends at times, and has to navigate a world that he is not mentally prepared to interact with due to his sheltered and brainwashed upbringing. As I said in my predeposition, growing up neurodivergent is very traumatizing. It was for me and it is for almost everyone else as well. Trauma and neurodivergence tend run hand in hand because of this, which causes the two experiences to overlap with the other. Hence PTSD being considered a form of neurodivergence. A lot of the ways he acts and behaves are very similar to how I was at his age because of my autism. It's completely justified for me and other neurodivergent people to pick up on these traits and bring attention to them in an attempt to explain experiences that aren't exclusive to PTSD. Amity: You know, you were right, we do have a lot in common. I grew up thinking that everything was an opportunity to justify... existing. But there are people out there who won't make you feel worthless. You just have to let yourself meet them. Okay, so that was a ton of information with a lot of psychoanalzying of fictional characters. I'm sure you're wondering how all of that comes full circle. Each and everyone of these characters depicts an experience that shows the audience by example what it is to be neurodiverse. Luz's character represents the experience of alienation in a world where neurodivergence is seen as a problem and the disconnection from reality that results as a consequence. Gus goes through an experience that greatly reflects that of an autistic person navigating their social life and the impact having difficulties reading others' intentions and developing at a different pace can have on their self-esteem. Hunter's character is shown to experience the struggles that come with connecting in a world after growing up sheltered and deeply traumatized. Not only in a way that reflects the experience of those with PTSD, but also in a way that is greatly relatable to those who were born neurodivergent, who would also be deeply traumatized from being systematically failed over and over again. Every single one of these characters feels some kind of disconnection from their world for things they can't control. Whether it be their personality, trauma, or disability, the way others treat them for these differences weigh down on their self-esteem, sense of self-worth, and day-to-day lives. Yet, despite it all, they aren't narratively treated as if they are in the wrong for these traits. Luz isn't simmered down to a character that is simply difficult. Rather she is a character who experiences the world differently in a way others unlike her don't really attempt to understand. Gus isn't treated as an idiot for having difficulties reading beyond face value when it comes to others true intentions, nor is the message of Labyrinth Runners made to be that he is in the wrong for being more socially oblivious than others. Hunter's trauma and issues connecting with others isn't a punchline, but a story arc handled with sensitivity and care. Most importantly, each and every one of them meet people who give them the understanding that they deserve. They meet people who are willing to work with the accommodations they need in order to function. And those needs are never questioned by those closest to them. They are treated as completely normal. Different, sure, but not any less normal. The Owl House constructively manages to demonstrate what it is to grow up neurodivergent and the experiences that come with it through both literal representation and allegory. I personally believe it portrays this experience well. Gutwrenchingly well in moments, at that. As an autistic person myself, I could never put to words to explain what I went through and the fact that it's being shown in a digestible manner through The Owl House much more special to me on a personal level than any other show, cartoon, show, or movie has ever been able to accomplish. I'm really glad and thankful that it gave me an opportunity to really break these experiences down in a way where I could analyze and attempt to share it with others. Gus: Not to long ago, when I showed a little talent and started taking more advanced classes, It always felt like everyone who wanted to be my friend had an ulterior motive. Until I met Willow, and eventually Luz, and some others. So yeah, not everybody's great. But not everyone's bad either, you know? For what it's worth, you can trust me. I promise not to mess with you. Hunter: That's not worth anything. Stop acting foolish. Gus: Alright, tough guy. Let's keep moving then.
