Why Shadow Collector feels so different from our Current Collector: An Analysis | The Owl House

The Collector is in my opinion one of the most interesting characters to come out of Disney TVA history and whether or not that's a sentiment you agree with I think it's safe to say that his slow build up and rise to prominence in season 2 before gaining a physical form in its finale and season 3 has been a captivating Journey for all of us owl house fans and speaking of this journey when you go back and re-watch the few moments we had with him in season 2 when he was still in a shadow form he sort of feels like a different person sure they both share constant traits of being playful immature and all-around silly but the different ways in which these key traits are tacked onto a wider exhibition and perception of character is a topic that compels me because where our current collector feels simply like a misguided little kid his earlier depictions lean towards a more sadistic individual and was received by audiences as a rather Sinister character so my goal today is to try and debunk and analyze is exactly how and why these two versions of the same person can feel different before I start off I just wanted to give a quick disclaimer that this is my first cartoon analysis video and I am by no means an expert my only qualification is being a current High School film student so take these interpretations however you will these are just my own original thoughts and a product of my fascination with this character agree or disagree you are absolutely free to form your own opinion that being said let's get into the question at hand of course design wise the distinction is clear the image of a shadowy figure with striking eyes is a common and Timeless means of visually depicting villains within animated Works making an instinctive association with the Sinister what's more his Dynamic form and ability to shapeshift as a shadow allows him to appear larger than life not only can he appear taller and bigger than he actually is he can engulf entire surfaces and he has the ability to duplicate himself in a multitude of shapes which can be used to swarm around the person he talks to and this can feel rather overwhelming this naturally makes him seem more physically threatening menacing and unpredictable this Dynamic form combined with the initial assumption that this tall ominous Huntsman was the collector in his true form added to a perception of a more sadistic and maniacal entity now these are all just pretty basic observations and originally I was just going to skim over the element of design because well it's so obvious just comparing these two designs side by side it's not that hard to distinguish a difference it basically answers its own question but the more I thought in depth about this design the more I started to gain an appreciation for what it represents because in my understanding or rather overthinking of the matter this Shadow design symbolizes a lot more to The Collector than just aesthetic value when considering their overall differences between design and behavior a key aspect of explanation is the narrative that Bellows was using the collector throughout the entirety of season two up until the midpoint of King's tide that is and in light of this fact everything makes more sense consider this collector as having been reduced to a shadow consider the shapes they make and how they can be used as an extension of narration this menacing shape-shifting form can be interpreted as alluding to the likeness of shadow puppets which are manipulated through the light to be bent to the puppeteer's will to see its intended shape and Story come to life and in this case The Collector is being used like a puppet for Bellows exploited for the Brilliance of his power and in the meantime manipulated and dragged along in accordance to the shape of his plans The Collector without his powers or physical form is only a shadow cloaked in the dark unnoticed and just a vague image of what he once was if Bellos is he who holds up the light to a wall he who lets the collector be seen after years and years of solitude and darkness then he is Who The Collector graciously performs for and Bellows can orchestrate whatever show he wants with his willing puppet I just need to live long enough to see foreign but design is only the package a character comes wrapped in and it is only one half of this argument in my re-watching of season two the collector's difference in Behavior stuck out to me as pretty jarring like I said his childish and playful nature was a constant of course but when he was riddling about the day of unity's Darkness treating Grim Walkers insensitively and delivering snide taunts really frequently it did paint him in a more malicious light it was easier to believe that this was just some really immature villain not unlike the kind we've seen before in Sinister characters like Bill Cipher per se but flash forward to our latest episode of The Collector and for the future and suddenly he's curled up cozy in his little bed asking for bedtime stories and pizza bagels and completely sincerely naive to all the faults of his actions and the contrasts between these two versions of The Collector so much so that they at times don't even feel like the same kid makes sense when you consider their difference in a best friend as well as the type of game that's been presented to them the collector is someone who in my opinion has no distinguished or stable sense of personal identity I want to make a video explaining that notion on its own someday but for now what's important to derive from this is that his only goals being for games and friendship are vague flexible and simple and he will gladly act in accordance to whoever is promising him any kind of ability to play and have company it's also worth noting that the collector is seemingly very loyal to whoever promises to be his best friend and is more than willing to abide by their wishes not exactly having a stable moral compass of his own so when he only had Bellows as a source of company for hundreds of years naturally he played to Bellows his likeness mimicking his sadistic behavior and playing off of the the fact that Bellows aims for Destruction and villainy in order to appeal to his Good Will and maintain their quote unquote friendship considering that we now know the collector doesn't normally wish for violence and holds no real malice towards which kind or even Titans it proves his behavior in Hollow mind to be that much more ingenuine betrayed beguiled alone deceived we'll have our revenge on Unity is so hard to rhyme he notably says we despite the story revealing that he had no personal motives for seeking revenge for himself at the time it shows how he frames Bellows Revenge as a motive for himself too like I said because he seeks Bellows his good graces and maybe even validation this isn't actually something he wants Bellows could have asked for literally anything else destructive or not and he would have played along too I see his inability to rhyme Unity also as a representation that his heart isn't actually in in the matter and what's more Unity isn't that hard to rhyme but Unity is exactly what is lacking in the relationship between him and Bellows because he himself is unknowingly being betrayed beguiled alone deceived The Collector is so desperate for company that he lets the signs of bellows his lies pass him by convincing himself that his only friend is mutually looking out for his interests and in the meantime reciprocates Bellows his Twisted nature to pretend like they have common goals common traits anything that can constitute of a real connection between them additionally I'd like to point out that bellows's position as the adult in the situation also makes the collector more liable to these habits regardless of how the collector May coin him as a friend it doesn't change the fact that as a more grown-up individual there is an instinctive Dynamic of influence and control and I like how a little kid May copy the behaviors of their older sibling or parent well there's another explanation for you I also see the collector's repeated taunting about Grim Walkers as overcompensation for such fears of his sure he has no concept of mortality and the value of life so he probably doesn't register each new Grim Walker as proper individuals to begin with but he does understand concepts of loyalty and betrayal he's seen how Bellows is quick to take advantage of others like Hunter and how time and time again he's ruthlessly backstabbed them and these are people who were as good as loyal children loyal children like himself so he repeatedly makes fun of the Grim Walkers playing it off as if he's not afraid of such a fate because that couldn't possibly happen to him too right these remarks can therefore be read as overcompensation as an attempt to remove himself from the very possibility of such a Fate by placing himself in a position of power and importance above Grim walkers in the eyes of bellows as if he has an equal part to play in that orchestration he thinks if he makes jest of bellows's Despicable actions it will make him immune to them because after all they're supposed to be friends and equals right well in season two before meeting King and achieving his iconic physical form we get two instances of this false Twisted Persona slipping and the scared desperate kid that's actually there feels a lot more like the one we know now [Music] what wait wait wait wait wait wait he's my friend right what he wouldn't lie he wouldn't who is that he wouldn't hello we spent hundreds of years playing his game I want to play a new game but but you said you said you'd let me out I hate it here just a little longer the fear in his voice the sheer desperation to just not be alone I personally believe that he has the natural tendency to cling to others in general but of course when you think about that horrible crippling loneliness being a child left alone for so so long you would do just about anything say absolutely anything just to feel some form of a connection too wouldn't you and what's more Bellow said it was a game didn't he even if it's not one that he chose at least it's something to play How could he doubt Bellows when technically he is getting a scrap of what he wants too so he'll Faithfully play along and adopt the role that this game calls for in the meantime because certainly if he plays real nice then he's being a good friend and can have his turn too right but then Bellows betrays him and all of these little doubts and insecurities about their relationship are all but proven and he doesn't play the demeanor of this cocky malicious gesture anymore instead we see a hurt and rightfully upset child who's unfortunately yet another victim of bellows is backstabbing and furthermore it becomes clear to us that he wasn't in fact in it for the Bloodshed he didn't actually mean it in a metaphorical or devious way when he said that he wanted to play games he really is just a little kid and this notion is extended upon when he meets King who's a kid himself and a good one at that and this newfound Dynamic is empowering for The Collector not just because King could physically set him free but because it allows him to completely Embrace his childish nature in the company of another child you need to have more faith in pinky swears but you said we were friends we pinky swore you lied I would never kinky swear you promise you can trust me collector and henceforth he doesn't appear to be concerned with malicious destruction anymore aside from his Swift attack on Bellows which honestly is warranted but this final cold Act of sadism warranted or not combined with his astonishing Display of Power as well as the mysterious Cliffhanger of what the owl house game was going to be all left the collector within more questionable and weary grounds at the end of the season 2 finale so it's no wonder at this point that the fandom was seemingly conflicted on whether or not he was redeemable but after getting more time with him and for the future well let's get into that like I mentioned earlier analyzing the question of how and why this and this seem different can be split into sanctions of design and behavior so let's apply this to the physical collector now design wise the distinction is once again clear this version of The Collector lacks the harsh angular shapes that shadow collector had creating a more soft and friendly appearance shape Theory and all that junk the ominous and foreboding nature of design is all but removed in the inclusion of bright soft colors sharp and mischievous eyes are now replaced with more ordinary ones yellow and red not unlike King's own eye colors this new form also lacks that intimidating ability to morph along surfaces in varied size and shape trading it instead for the habit of floating of course this can be intimidating in its own right but it doesn't create an illusion of larger scale that his shadow form does and it prevents us as the audience from doubting his existence as a small child and of course it becomes aware to us that this terrifying Huntsman from the owl dream was not in fact our collector which is already a sigh of relief to put it simply his physical form is in tune with his character as a silly child allowing us as the audience to predominantly perceive and understand that side of him I mean look at that soft fluffy hair the little freckles on a soft little cheeks that sweet smile does that look like a Sinister creature to you but of course as is the case with Shadow collector deeper meaning Beyond aesthetic value can be derived from this design at a first glance the clothing of The Collector is obviously red as an emphasis of his childlike nature the oversized sleeves accentuate his small stature and the patterns and split color scheme complement his skin as well as his role as a collector but I read this as symbolic of his character as well and in line with my point regarding his lack of stable and distinguished identity let's zoom out for a second sure we haven't seen the other collectors in proper action but in these portraits of them you can see that they dwarf him astronomically in their size and also that their style of clothing is similar to his own except on them it looks more formal and carries the appropriate air of Mystique and Grandeur that you'd expect from such omnipresent beings our collector's iteration of this attire on the other hand looks Whimsical at best it isn't so much as cloak-like as it does resemble pajamas it is clear that his own version of this attire attempts to cater to his status as the child of the fleet it represents the attempts at combining his childish nature and desires with that of the collector's species and role but the attire is still oversized on him not just because he's physically small but because symbolically that oversized attire symbolizes how he can never be a cold ruthless collector like the rest of his kind and vice versa it represents how he can never fill a position as a harmless normal child so long as he brandishes the power and status of a collector it's the same way he wants to have a proper bedtime story and is instead subjected to this thing the key takeaway from this is that even though the collector tries he just can't be a normal child much less have a normal friendship with another child extending on that notion let's get into his behavior and what influenced king and the owl house game has over it King obviously doesn't look to manipulate The Collector like Bellows had because one he's a good person and two he is afraid of upsetting him and like I said he is also a kid and naturally these aspects make the collector feel less pressured into pretending to be big and menacing and reciprocating malicious energy that he just doesn't hold sure he's indifferent to the fragility of Mortals and will transform others into puppets if they cross him but the mean-spirited taunting and devious Behavior just completely disappears to put the relationship Dynamic on his end simply around Bellows he acts more like a knowing bully and feels like he has to display this by taking a few Jabs at the guy himself around King he acts like a happy-go-lucky child and doesn't feel ashamed to show his rather clingy and over protective sides too and of course his relationship with King is far far more positive and healthy than it ever was with Bellows King is a sweetheart and even though his initial friendship with the collector was forged upon somewhat of an ulterior motive it is very clear that King does care about the collector but that doesn't mean that the collector is free from the pressures of putting on facades being in the presence of a fellow kid is freeing in its regard of course but like I said it doesn't take away the collector's inherent status as more than just an ordinary kid something that he clearly does not comprehend and hence he cannot relate to or fully understand King there is still a gap of Separation that internally confuses him and perhaps makes him feel a little insecure like I said for bellows in the sake of the twisted and dark actions that were proposed as a game to him he felt even more of a need to play the part of a big bad right hand man in hopes are fulfilling a rail spot by Bello's side with King the nature of actions at hand are pretty much inverted but are still framed as a game for the collector a game that centers around the very Act of playing pretend and in the end whether or not King intends for it to happen this inevitably perpetuates a pressure for The Collector to play a role that isn't his to pretend like he knows the situations of a life that he never experienced because well it means so much to King surely if he plays the part of important people in King's life then it'll bridge that area of Disconnect that he can't relate to and he'll get to fulfill a spot of his own in his best friend's heart right it looked like they were playing a game yeah with some kind of messed up version of my life king must have told him about our adventures once again there is an element of overcompensation for his insecurities sure it doesn't Loom as large urge over his head King actually and kindly reciprocates care for The Collector but when it's very obvious that King doesn't hold him as close as he does with someone like loose that desperation again born out of being left alone for so long will of course drip into his actions and behavior the bottom line is that the collector whether the mask he wears is of a villain or a hero only absorbs the situation around him hence why I said earlier that he doesn't have any distinguished or stable identity like a parrot repeating back its owner's words like the moon which reflects the light of the sun rather than emitting that of its own The Collector at every step of the way lacks the agency of making choices that are truly and fully of his own the only thing he himself has ever really wanted without influence from somebody else was for friendship and to play games but are any of these games ever his Choice there are so many games I want to play now hey do you like hide and seek I'll hide first we've been playing pretend forever King it is fun but what switch it up no not really and isn't it kind of sad that in all of the games he proposes and looks forward to the only ones he's ever really been allowed were just created out of other people's deeper motivations whether or not they were for good or for evil so with all of that said I think we have thoroughly laid out an answer to the question of how and why these versions of The Collector seem so different but after pouring a lot of effort into this essay I found myself asking so what what's the point because even still through all of this through all the variations we've analyzed The Collector at his core remains stagnant I phrased my question the way I did because it's true he only ever feels different The Collector still has a long way to go to reach substantial character development because at the end of the day these are all just fluctuations and while it certainly is a foundation towards the path of redemption and development it isn't necessarily growth of any kind The Collector is a quote-unquote child of the stars stars can be read as a symbol of Hope and like real children the collector's person is untapped potential resting on the brink of something greater to grow into but he has been stuck as a child for hundreds of years which is a narrative that hyperbolizes that unachieved growth within him the hope that he will come into his own and learn his mistakes are very much there but for now it only remains as hope because he hasn't reached the point of a revelation his access to power has come in ups and downs over the course of the series he's felt hurt and he's felt happy he's been surrounded by a cast of different people throughout his existence but he himself hasn't learned anything to facilitate a significant and productive change these ups and downs have merely allowed a shift of the audience's perspective of him revealing the nuanced sides of his existing psyche like a moon cycle of sorts the perceived shape of the Moon can change depending on what stage of the cycle it's in but the moon itself stays in the same form nonetheless for for him to take this next step towards true and real inner development to step into a path whether it is of light or Darkness it needs to be driven not by false pretenses or the will of others but of his own conscious decision only then can The Collector truly invent his very own developed and defined identity rather than one that has been collected I love studying characters and the owl house is just an absolute candy store of opportunities to do so the collector speaks to me in particular and as one of my favorite characters ever my spiritual son and my current hyper fixation I have done a lot of analysis on them in particular in the future if I'm lucky enough to have the time I would like I brought up many times in this essay love to do a more in-depth video study of his character because I have so many more thoughts so if I do manage to make and upload that video I hope to see you all then but if not I hope you enjoyed this video and I hope I have provided some meaningful interpretation and analysis on the psyche of everyone's favorite little star child like I mentioned this is my first cartoon analysis video ever and it's something I've always wanted to do and I am very excited about it so leave a like and let me know if you'd be interested to see more from me and subscribe for more silly cartoon centered content content thank you so much for tuning in and good night [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Yippeesha11

Views: 356,704

Keywords: The Owl House, TOH, Analysis, TOH analysis, The Owl House analysis, cartoons, cartoon analysis video, animation, animation analysis, video essay, character study, toh character study, the collector, toh the collector, toh king, toh belos, toh season 2, toh season 3, for the future, toh for the future, toh theory, the owl house theory, character analysis, toh character analysis, analysis video, disney tva, gravity falls, cartoon reviews, character writing

Id: bo8nzXqFa5s

Length: 25min 3sec (1503 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 12 2023