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rapunzied · 6 years ago

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masterpost of all moon varian evidence i’ve managed to gather

i absolutely love this theory so here u go :) prepare for me actually talking using proper punctuation (beware of s3 spoilers)

The Moon Varian Theory

For awhile, Moon Varian has been a widely believed theory - though most have dismissed it and thought it to be absolute nonsense (I once did too) It actually makes more sense than people give it credit for.

Varian’s Appearance

Now let’s analyze the most obvious hints - his physical appearance.

The Blue Streak

A widely discussed matter has been his famed “blue streak” in his hair. Specifically because in a show like Tangled, about a princess with magic hair that holds color, you would think that hair would have some importance.

When Cass stole the moon opal, her hair turned a shade of teal, implying that the moonstone turns hair blue. While some may argue that Varian’s strand of hair is gray, or even green, I have indeed looked into this. I compared his and Cass’ hair color in a color picker using these two photos -

The results from the colorpicker show that Varian’s streak is indeed blue. In fact, it even looks like a watered down version of Cass’ hair color. Sure, they are a bit different because not all colorpickers give the same results, but look - aren’t they painfully similar? (Cass’ hair color is on the top, Varian’s on the bottom)

Still not thinking Varian’s hairstreak is blue? Thinking that it’s just the lighting of the picture or the color picker I used? Well fear not, do I have something to show you!

In the newest opening of TTS Season 3, Varian is drawn by Rapunzel in her journal - with a hairstreak that is most obviously blue. It almost looks as if it’s glowing and extremely close to the color she uses to draw the rocks and things pertaining to the moon opal - Have I mentioned how much emphasis they put on this certain streak in his hair? In the season 3 premiere of TTS, Eugene gives him the nickname “hair-stripe” - this proves that the other characters are fully aware and completely notice this odd streak in his hair - aware enough to give him nicknames and draw him with it. They think it’s odd because no one else in Corona besides Rapunzel has an odd color in their hair.

I’ve heard people say that Lady Caine and Cassandra had streaks in their hair so Varian’s isn’t that important - but they’re different. Lady Caine and Cass have highlights that are shades of their hair color in their hair. Varian has a blue streak that isn’t even close to the actual color of his hair - his actual highlights are a different color than his blue streak.

Some conspire his streak is the result of an alchemical accident, but this theory has been debunked. In the famed family portrait of Varian, his mother and his father - he still has this blue streak. It seems nonexistent at first, but if you look closely - it’s still there. It just blends into Quirin’s shirt. In No Time Like The Past, Varian is also shown with his blue streak at only five years old. Neither of his parents have any blue streak of any kind in their hair, so where did he get it from?

I imagine Varian could’ve been born with it due to secondhand contact with the rocks or moonstone by his parents before he was born - which might’ve given him the blue streak in his hair - just like how Rapunzel was given blonde hair from secondhand contact with the sundrop flower before her birth.

And I forgot to mention - do you know who else had an odd-colored streak in their hair at one point?

Yeah, that’s right. Rapunzel after she touched the rocks - and that leads us onto our next clues.

Rapunzel and Varian’s Similarities and Differences

If you look deeper into the show, you’ll begin to notice the amount of similarities and differences Raps and Varian have. They seem so different - and yet the same.

If you google them, you’ll find plenty of Varian and Rapunzel parallels, and it makes sense. Wouldn’t the moondrop and sundrop have some things in common but at the same time be so different?

Let’s start with differences - Raps and Varian can be complete opposites sometimes.

Rapunzel is neat and put-together, Varian is messy and unorganized.

Everything seems to work out for Rapunzel, but when Varian is involved, things always go wrong.

Rapunzel is careful, Varian is clumsy.

Rapunzel is very much an optimist, Varian being pessimistic at times.

Rapunzel is on the side of magic, Varian on the side of science.

They completely represent total opposites of each other - Rapunzel the sundrop, with the power to heal and make things right, Varian the moondrop, destructive and clumsy, causing things to often go wrong. It just makes so much sense that they have some similarities as well -

They both are quite naive in different ways.

They both are determined and strong.

They both face challenges where they almost lose something they love.

I’m sure there’s way more. To top it all off, one of the writers, Chris Sonnenburg confirmed there’s a legitimate reason that Rapunzel and Varian have so many similarities.

Moving onto the next topic -

Varian’s Lack of Harm During the Hurt Incantation

I’m sure you are all well aware of the scene where Rapunzel kindly frees Varian’s father using the hurt incantation - many people found this scene peculiar, as did I. Varian reaches over and grabs Raps’ shoulders to get her to snap out of it, his gloves burn off - but his hands are left completely unharmed. He didn’t even feel pain - he just took his hands off Raps’ shoulders because he noticed smoke. The peculiar thing about this scene is that in past instances, Cass’ hand completely burnt through her gloves when she touched Raps during the hurt incantation - but Varian was left with his hand intact. Some claim that his alchemy gloves are just strong enough to withstand the power of the Hurt Incantation - but I object.

Rapunzel used the hurt incantation - you know. Literal death magic that can kill people and burnt Cass’ whole hand at the slightest touch. I doubt even alchemy gloves are strong enough to stand against withering magic that can cause death. Not to mention Varian was the only one able to snap Raps out of it with only words - What’s up with that?

Check out this image of his gloves melting off. It’s almost as if there’s some sort of barrier keeping his hands from being harmed. Why else would he be left unharmed unless he had some connection to the moondrop, leaving him unharmed compared to Cass? There’s also that when Cass’ gloves burnt off, her gloves went up in blue flames, while his gloves melted with magical sparkles. The whole ordeal is so peculiar - and I’m not even done yet.

Not convinced? Check out the original storyboard for this scene by Anna Lencioni on her Twitter.

In the original storyboard for this scene, Varian places his bare hands on Rapunzel’s face during the incantation - and keep in mind, he isn’t even wearing gloves in the storyboard, yet still remains completely unharmed - you can even see the smoke coming off his hands, but they remain unburned. If this isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is. Sure, it could be an error, but I completely doubt it. If they didn’t put it in the show, there must be a reason - like how they originally were going to have Cass trip on Raps’ hair, but they figured it would make it too obvious that Gothel was related to Cass.

Varian’s Parents

If Varian was somehow connected to the moondrop, it would most likely be through blood - just like Rapunzel. It has been made very clear that Varian’s dad is somehow connected to the Dark Kingdom and the rocks. In the past, Quirin was shown living in the Dark Kingdom and was even in a close vicinity to a blast from the moon opal before Varian was born.

It’s very likely that a portion of the moonstone’s power somehow affected Quirin during that blast, and gave Varian some connection to the moonstone when he was born, kind of like how when Raps’ mom drank the soup made from the sundrop flower.

Quirin has made it very obvious he knows more about the rocks than he leads on - and at first was very cautious and strict about Varian conducting experiments on the rocks. There’s most definitely a reason for this - considering that when Varian asked him what about the rocks didn’t he want Varian to know, he answered that Varian “isn’t ready”. What isn’t he ready to learn?

I assume that he wrote about it in the famed letter to Varian he wrote just before he was encased in the amber. As soon as he was freed, however, the letter immediately disintegrated, and when asked what it said, Quirin just told Varian that it said he was proud of him. The letter was way too long to be just that - and it’s very clear Quirin is still hiding things from his son. It has even been confirmed by the writers in an interview that the letter is very, very important - implying Quirin lied about that being everything the letter said. Quirin still obviously thinks that Varian isn’t ready to learn about it yet.

Now let’s talk about Varian’s mother. Varian’s mother is very obviously gone. We haven’t seen her once in the series so it’s assumed that she either has died or disappeared. Writers confirmed that Varian’s mother is in fact important to the plot, and we will be learning more about her in the future. Perhaps Varian’s mother was harmed by the rocks in some way? Now to the next subject…

Varian’s Role in Rapunzel’s Visions

If you’ve seen any of the episodes of Season 1 - you’ll notice that Raps has a decent amount of nightmares - a few of them involving Varian - and symbolism that I’ve found blatantly hints at Moon Varian. In almost all her visions of him, he is seen controlling/being linked to the black rocks.

First, let’s look at Rapunzel’s first nightmare involving Varian during Season 1 Episode 19, The Quest for Varian. This nightmare depicts her battling between who to listen to - her dad or Varian. There’s something in this particular nightmare that I found extremely important in regards to the Moon Varian theory.

Here we see Rapunzel standing across from her dad - who is encased in the moon rocks - Just like how Varian’s dad is encased in the amber. Her, representing the sundrop, is standing across from Frederick, encased in the black rocks which represent the moondrop.

Now, check this out:

Right across from her, she sees Varian standing across from his dad encased in the amber. The amber is powered by the sundrop as seen in S1E21, making the amber Quirin is encased in represent the sundrop. If Varian is standing across from something that represents the sundrop, and Rapunzel, the sundrop, is standing across from something that represents the moondrop, what would Varian represent? The moondrop. The fact that Rapunzel’s dad is encased in a substance as well strengthens this argument even more. This is blatant symbolism.

I’m not even finished yet - as the nightmare proceeds, we see Varian run towards Rapunzel. The rocks start following him as if he’s controlling them.

��The rocks, my hair, Varian - It’s like they’re all connected.” - Rapunzel in S1E19

The foreshadowing is often strong in this show - they place the most subtle hints for things and when you look back, you think you would’ve noticed awhile ago.

Moving onto her second vision containing Varian in S1E21 - this nightmare contains Varian yet again seeming to control the black rocks, and him telling her to follow her destiny.

This is important because throughout the entirety of Season 2, Rapunzel was lead to think that her destiny was to grab the moon opal - wouldn’t someone literally connected to the moonstone know that?

Subtle Hints in Dialogue

There are tons of hints to Moon Varian in dialogue - one of these lines being mentioned earlier. After Raps’ first nightmare containing Varian in S1E19, she says something extremely important that gets overlooked often. This is by far the biggest Moon Varian hint we have gotten.

“The rocks, my hair, Varian, it’s like they’re all connected.”

This line implies that she thinks the rocks, her hair and Varian are all linked - What does this line mean? Moon Varian, of course. Why else would they include it? Rapunzel basically says she thinks that Varian is in some way related to these magical moon rocks and her magical hair.

Now leading to our final and most recent vocal hint from the newest episode “Be Very Afraid” where Varian says:

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re the embodiment of the sundrop!” followed by him claiming he’s just an ordinary, normal boy and Rapunzel saying “There is nothing ordinary about you, Varian.”

Foreshadowing much? First of all, the way they set up this line made it sound like it was going to go something like “That’s easy for you to say, you’re the embodiment of the sundrop! I’m the embodiment of the destructive moondrop.” They made it sound as if Varian was calling himself the complete opposite of the sundrop, not the middle ground “normal”.

Also Rapunzel saying he wasn’t ordinary is a huge hint - especially considering Varian’s definition of ordinary was “not possessing magical wondrous powers”.

Other Hints

There is another hint that I found wouldn’t fit into the other categories, so I’m putting it here instead. This is a screenshot from S1E09 when Varian shows Raps and Cass the rocks he found.

Notice anything? Yeah. Two out of three people whose faces were reflected on these rocks were proven to be related or linked to the moonstone at some point (Rapunzel got her hair from the moonstone, Cassandra took the moon opal for herself). What about Varian? I think this is clearly foreshadowing, considering the lengths they’ve gone in this show. This is similar to Cass’ face being reflected in the broken mirror in Raps’ old tower.

anyways, thanks for reading <3 this is a product of someone who couldnt sleep so i apologize for any inconsistencies. i’ll update this if i find anything else.

#tts #rta #theory #moon!varian #moon varian

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