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sapphic-agent · 4 months

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Let's Talk About the Switched at Birth Theory

If you told me I would be making an Ever After High Theory in 2024 I would have never believed you. But I recently came across a theory from like 2022 that poses the possibility of Apple and Raven being switched at birth. At first I thought there wasn't a chance it held water, but the more I looked into it the more I was sent down a rabbit hole.

(I know this is a hated theory please don't kill me)

The original theory was made by _fairytale_vibes_ on YouTube. Here's a link to the most updated version of the theory, watch it if you haven't already:

youtube

I went into this video thinking that it wouldn't lead anywhere, but OP does make a lot of very good points. So with her theory in the back of my head, I decided to dive into the book series to see if I could find anything to support or disprove it.

(I'll be editing as I read the books and rewatch the show, so at the time of posting it I've only completely finished The Storybook of Legends. So whatever I say here may not be 100% accurate compared to the rest of the series. I'll update and revise as I continue reading, but please tell me if whatever I've said is wrong)

1. Appearances

This may be the most important part of the theory as it's been the focal point of the original video. So let's dive into it from the book's descriptions.

Raven: "...long black hair with purple highlights, dark eyebrows, strong nose and chin."

The Evil Queen: Dark hair, deep purple eyes

Snow White: "...black hair was curled under her golden crown. Her skin was still white as snow, her lips red as blood."

Apple: Pale, blond, red lips

One thing I definitely noticed was that multiple times, the book goes out of its way to compare Raven's looks to her mother's. Raven herself calls it out multiple times. However, it actually seemed to be the opposite with Apple. While her features- other than her hair- are said to fit what Snow White is supposed to be, there aren't many comparisons made to her mother herself.

In fact, I think the only time she's actually directly compared to her mother is when she looks at her destiny during Legacy Day. "She looked so much like her mother, only blond." Even here, there aren't many details about it, not like there are Raven's.

(This whole montage is interesting, I'll talk about it more later)

One of the theory's linchpins is that The Evil Queen in her youth seemed to have platinum blond hair. In the Dragon Games special, she is animated as a teen with what looks like whitish hair. And in the graphic novel The Class of Classics, her hair does look platinum blond (and is described as being such by her roommate and best friend, the Cheshire Cat).

Apple's blond hair is an anomaly. There's never been a Snow White with blond hair, as the story is clear about it being ebony. It's brought up multiple times in the book and is a point of insecurity for Apple. The Evil Queen also having blond hair is an... Interesting connection for them to have. As in, they share the one trait that separates Apple from the Snow White lineage.

One thing that actually threw me off, however, is that the Evil Queen actually had green eyes in her youth. And you can actually see hints of green in the purple of her eyes if you look at her show model. Raven's eyes are purely purple and Apple's are blue. The EQ having green eyes seemed so left field to me.

The theory implies that the purple highlights in Raven's hair and the purple coloring in the EQ's hair comes from their magic, if we extend that to their eyes it does actually start to make more sense. Raven's powers could develop quicker/stronger than her mother's, which could have caused the purple coloring to affect her eye color quicker than it did the EQ's. It's very possible that Raven was born with green eyes and they changed the stronger her magic got.

But then what about Apple's eyes? One thing I found odd even watching Dragon Games for the first time is the very obvious difference in the shade of Apple and Snow's eyes. They're both blue, but Apple's are a lot lighter while SW's seem to be darker. It's like the show went out of their way to show even more distinction between them.

You know who also has blue eyes? The Good King.

Well, according to his Wiki page. I actually didn't make note if his eye color was mentioned in SBOL (and I can't because I had to return the loan). This fact may not be true, since Raven's non-existent brother Michael is still on there (seriously why hasn't anyone removed him).

But still, if the Good King does have blue eyes, that could be another physical connection Apple has to Raven's family.

2. Parallels

One thing I was surprised the theory never mentioned was the Two Sisters fairytale.

If you don't know, the Two Sisters is the tale about an "ugly" sister and a "beautiful" sister. The ugly sister is kind so butterflies float around her head while the beautiful sister is mean so she only attracts flies. The beautiful sister wants to get rid of her flies so she has the ugly sister lower her into a well. Then she makes the ugly sister go into the well too, and she almost drowns. But she escapes with the help of her butterflies. The ugly sister turns beautiful and the beautiful sister turns ugly. The flies that circled the beautiful sister returned and chased her into the forest and she was never heard from again.

This story is important because Raven found out that the sisters who were supposed to have this story- Bella Sister and Brutta Sister- never signed and instead ran away.

Why am I bringing it up? Well, in SBOL after Raven reads the story, the next time Apple is given a POV, we get a flashback of her almost drowning in a well as a child.

This is very clearly an attempt to draw a parallel between Apple and Raven and Bella and Brutta. But if it was just that Raven decided to reject her fate like Bella, it doesn't say much. Brutta didn't want Bella to suffer a villain's fate as much as Bella didn't want to try to drown her, while Apple wants to embrace destiny fully even if it means confining Raven to a life she doesn't want.

To me, this is trying to tell us something else. That maybe we should be looking at Apple and Raven's relationship differently.

3. Attitude and Personality

A somewhat surprising detail that I noticed is that Apple acts a lot like the Evil Queen, especially in how she treats Raven.

"Apple smiled. She could play the damsel-in-distress like a cow could jump over a moon. The male species couldn’t resist wanting to help her."

"...but the guilt passed as quickly as a butterfly. Looking out for Raven was in Raven’s best interest."

"It’s not wrong for people to see in you your true nature." (To Raven)

"Sometimes she couldn’t think of anything comforting to say. It was a small weakness she was determined to mend."

"Raven’s Coat of Infinite Darkness should have hidden her from anyone who didn’t know she was already there. Apple was very smart."

"Take your hands off me at once, or I swear by wishing wells, seven-league boots, silver wands, and all marvelous things that you will regret it!” (To Goblins)

This is NOT me saying that Apple is evil like the EQ. But more that she can be manipulative, overbearing, and commanding similarly to the EQ. Apple is a lot nicer and has more of a conscience, but she isn't afraid of crossing boundaries to get what she wants (or rather, to do what she thinks is right). She lacks natural empathy a lot of the time (which isn't a bad thing), and it's something she's desperately trying to fix about herself. She's also said to be very intelligent.

(I also want to mention her behavior during the Topsy Turvy spell. I know the spell was said to make the people cursed act the opposite of how they usually would, but as OP points out, Apple really went far with it. She wasn't a mean girl, she was downright evil. OP assumed this could be her true nature. I... Half disagree. I think it's way more that Apple makes a point to make sure she's as nice and helpful as possible, hiding her true feelings so that she's the perfect Snow White. I think the topsy turvy spell made it so that she didn't do that. In other words, it got rid of her inhibitions. Instead of making sure she doesn't say and do awful things, she no longer holds anything back for the sake of being good which is why she's so much worse than the other students)

But like with appearances, there isn't much connecting Raven to Snow White. Sure, Raven is kind. She shows concern for others and likes to help people. She tries to be nice even when she's treated horribly. But nothing about this is specifically Snow White.

In fact, she seems to drive animals away. Her singing causes thorns to ensnare her and Apple. Only ogres obey and listen to her (though they did adhere to Apple). She's also sarcastic and dry. In this regard, there isn't a lot about her that matches up with Snow White.

(If we're being completely fair, Snow White also never had as many defining traits as the Evil Queen, even in the original Grimm Fairytale. So attempting to mirror her in Apple or Raven might have been a struggle for the writers)

4. Symbolism

You know what threw me off? The fact that Apple's animal companion was a snow fox.

It seemed like such an odd choice when I read it. Like, why a fox of all things? But then I looked into actual symbolism for snow foxes.

Overall Symbolism: Adaptability, Resourcefulness, & Intelligence

Christian Symbolism: Purity & Humility

Native American Symbolism: Resilience & Determination

Eastern Symbolism: Cleverness & Cunning

I actually thought it was really interesting that all of these traits seem to fit Apple. She's resilient, clever, determined, and resourceful. But she's also supposed to stand for purity and humility too. Almost like there are two sides of Apple: how she actually is and what she pushes herself to be because of expectations.

(This actually comes up a lot in the book. Apple's good deeds come from a place of needing to set a good example and live up to the Snow White legacy. She separates what she actually thinks and feels from what she's supposed to perceive as right and wrong)

Raven having a dragon is definitely less unexpected. However, there's decent symbolism with her too. In Eastern traditions, dragons stand for supernatural power, wisdom, strength, and hidden knowledge. These are all things that definitely fit Raven. If we're looking at this in comparison to the Snow White destiny, the wisdom and power could be alluding to her eventually becoming Queen.

5. My Thoughts

Do I think Raven and Apple were switched at birth? No. Primarily because I can't think of a valid reason for it happening. OP suggests the Evil Queen switched Apple and Raven's powers, forcing Snow White to switch out their babies. But this reason is convoluted at best.

For one, the Evil Queen seems to care for Raven as much as she's able. Raven herself states that the EQ loves her in her own way. She wants to bond with Raven, wants Raven by her side as she tries to take over the world. I can't see her being like this towards someone she knows is Snow's daughter.

I also can't think of why she would do this. She's all too eager to continue her legacy through Raven. Why would she change Apple's fate that way if she was her actual heir?

No, my theory is that Raven and Apple are sisters, both daughters of the Evil Queen.

(I'm so sorry Rapple shippers)

I know, that's possibly more outrageous than the switched at birth theory. But my mind couldn't stop circling back to this. Apple shares so many traits with the Evil Queen, but Raven doesn't share as many with Snow White. The Two Sisters parallels were too heavy to ignore.

Why and how would this happen? I think that when the Evil Queen had them, Apple was born without powers. Since the EQ values power over everything (other than beauty) she decided Apple was worthless. But instead of getting rid of Apple, she gave her to Snow and Charming (who couldn't have kids) either anonymously as a cruel twist of fate or some sort of deal was made between them.

That or her having twins sent Grimm and Snow into panic mode since she was already on her magical rampage. So they made a plan to take one of the babies to avoid something similar happening in the future. Snow agreed to raise her as her own as the next Snow White to combat whatever "natural evil" she was born with.

It could be why Grimm is so invested in Apple and Raven specifically. He's trying to make sure Apple stays good and Raven turns evil so that the Snow White story can play out smoothly and things can stay balanced within the Realms.

Now if we wanna step away from secret baby theories (which I totally get), another possibility is that Raven and Apple's destinies were swapped. Which I also think is very likely.

OP points out in Thronecoming when Raven calls Apple selfish for wanting her to sign, Apple retorts that she wants to keep everyone safe. She then hands Raven an apple and tells her that she's the one being selfish. She's directly mirroring what the Evil Queen does, like their roles have been swapped.

She also adds that when Raven is transported into Snow White's story later in the episode, the old woman is basically shouting that this is her destiny as she hands her the apple. None of the other girls are being pushed as strongly. Sure, we can look at this as just her destiny in general, but it could be indicating that she will take the role of Snow White.

We saw in Dragon Games that Apple easily became jealous of Raven for how liked she was becoming. Which is similar to why the Evil Queen hates Snow White. If the show hadn't gotten cancelled, this could have been her slow descent towards evil while Raven was coming into being good.

(And to be honest, this can still happen with the twin theory. Every Snow White story is different. A jealous sister can fit into the story as well as a jealous stepmother)

Now before anyone says that Apple and Raven saw their destinies... No they didn't. They saw their fates from a fake Storybook of Legends. A fake put there by the Evil Queen, mind you.

Raven's fate was depicted as her being even more evil than her mother. It would be so like the EQ to curse the fake book to depict her daughter's fate as overly villainous. As for Apple, it could have also been cursed to act out as the original book would for anyone who proclaimed themselves the child of whatever fairytale character. So her saying that she's the daughter of Snow White showed her the typical fate of the next Snow White.

(I mentioned earlier that Apple is only said to look like Snow White during her glimpse into the future at Legacy Day. This actually plays into the fate she sees being false. It's showing her what she wants to see, and that's being able to live up to her mother)

Yes Raven signed the true book in Wonderland. But all that did was give her the EQ's full powers. Powers which were part of the reason Apple became jealous in the first place. We never saw Raven's actual destiny from that book.

So no, I don't think Apple and Raven were switched at birth. But I do think OP's observations do leave a lot to be analyzed. I know a lot of people will say that this being canon ruins the story, but I honestly don't think so. Raven and Apple can still decide their destinies. It doesn't matter who their parents are or aren't, what matters is what choices they make. The main theme of Ever After High is choice. If Apple ever did turn towards evil, Raven would be right there trying to pull her back.

They choose their destinies. They decide their fates no matter what happens

#ever after high #eah #ever after high theory #eah theory #ever after high switched at birth theory #eah switched at birth theory #raven queen #apple white #the evil queen #snow white #long post #returns to the eah fandom eons later #its been 84 years #either this post is really smart or i'm losing my mind #but hey that's just a theory #A FILM THEORY #pls don't hate me

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lookalikeds · 4 months

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estrella soto is a twenty five year-old figure skater in new york, u.s.a. they were brought under richard’s care when they were only five years old. they are known as the lookalike because they are lithesome but also disillusioned.

𓂅 * ⋆ BASICS .

FULL NAME. estrella luciana soto. MEANING. spanish , “ star. ” NICKNAMES. ella , ellie , este , ells , she accepts any and all variations. AGE. twenty five. BIRTHDATE. seventh of march in the year nineteen eighty. PLACE OF BIRTH. tuscon , arizona. WESTERN ZODIAC. pisces. GENDER IDENTITY. cis woman , she & her. ORIENTATION. demisexual , biromantic. NATIONALITY. american. SPOKEN LANGUAGES. english and spanish. OCCUPATION. professional figure skater. CURRENT RESIDENCE. an apartment in greenwich village , nyc that she shares with her occasional skate partner turned roommate turned situationship , brando(n).

𓂅 * ⋆ PHYSICAL .

HEIGHT. five foot , one inch. BUILD. petite , fit , lithe - particularly on an ice rink. FACE CLAIM. jenna ortega. HAIR. dark brown , an almost black that reaches below her shoulders with curtain bangs to frame her face. generally worn in loose curls and half up , half down styles that can be easily pinned up for skating. EYES. big , round and warm brown… in a word , doe-like. NOTABLE FEATURES. aforementioned doe-eyes , various scrapes and bruises from missteps on the ice , long lashes and a dark scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. SCENT. wild strawberry , pink jasmine , patchouli and amber , reminiscent of miss dior cherie. TATTOOS. a little butterfly on her left shoulder blade. PIERCINGS. two lobe piercings on each ear in addition to an orbital on her right. DOMINANT HAND. ambidextrous but favours her right.

𓂅 * ⋆ PSYCHE .

MYERS - BRIGGS. enfj-t , the protagonist. MORAL ALIGNMENT. neutral good. TRAITS. balletic , disillusioned , driven , guarded , haunted , independent , keen , resilient , rueful , tender. QUIRKS. remarkably flexible , she bites her lip in thought , toys with jewellery when uncomfortable , never fails to keep a neat manicure and rests in stances one might recognise to be ballet positions. VICES. a true workaholic , she maintains a very healthy lifestyle but does occasionally drink and smoke socially.

𓂅 * ⋆ INTERESTS & HOBBIES .

INTERESTS. choreography and dance , theatre of every variety - lincoln centre is a favourite of hers for their opera & ballet seasons , classical music and most recently , the cold case of winifred woodrow. HOBBIES. fitness , theatregoing , cabaret club nights and uploading free dance skating routines onto ( a newly launched ) youtube - brando choreographs and then they perform them together for funsies. SPECIAL SKILLS. an accomplished dancer who still practises ballet to this day , remarkably high endurance and muscle memory due to her training and profession , uncanny ability to internalise her feelings.

𓂅 * ⋆ BECOMING A WARD .

tw : teenage pregnancy, child abandonment and implied endangerment.

it became a regional news story. statewide, people seemingly fascinated by how any parent could dream of abandoning their child, let alone in such a callous fashion.

estrella had only recently turned five when her not-much-older-than-teenage parents dropped her off at kindergarten one morning only to fail in picking her up again later that day. try as teachers and later, police sergeants might, there was no getting ahold of them. with little known and much speculated, many would soon arrive at the conclusion that the young couple had fled the country to start anew, leaving behind the small daughter they’d come to look upon as an unwanted burden.

one such person, who took immense pity on the girl, was a connection richard held at the newly-launched CNN. an attentive news reporter by the name of julian esparza was keenly aware of the philanthropist’s efforts to offer up his home to young individuals in need of safety and stability and recommended richard meet with little estrella as soon as he could. whatever it was that richard saw in the five year old girl that day ( likely the spirit and semblance of his long lost daughter ) caused the man’s heart to bleed and within a week the paperwork had been signed and estrella was on the way to her new home.

𓂅 * ⋆ LIFE AS A WARD .

being not only one of the earliest wards to arrive but also the very youngest of them all, estrella’s status as baby sister of the house never really strayed from the stereotypes. spoiled and resilient, she was a paradox amongst the wards in how she seemed to possess the least agency but carry the highest status.

it’s a unique sense of imposter syndrome, she summises — bearing the unfathomable weight of another’s lost girlhood. cursed princess with her whole life ahead of her, she was a little girl walking so unknowingly into the tall shadow of the daughter who’d come before. from the very beginning, richard had never been particularly shy in how he doted on young estrella. freely showering her in the paternal affection the past had robbed them both of and to a little girl who’d been abandoned by her own parents, being made to feel so wanted was all she could have dreamt of. he was her father in all but name.

outwardly, she was a precocious and spirited young girl, all pink cheeks and toothy grins, perpetually in awe of those she shared a home with, their varied and abundant talents drawing her wide-eyed wonder. until she took to the ice for the first time, you’d see her following fellow wards around, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was they were up to before being told she was too young or too small and relegated to sitting on the sidelines. it was a pattern of behaviour that, although adapted, would follow her until she left woodrow.

for try as she might, amidst the attention from richard she so enjoyed, the wards did not warm to estrella the way she hoped they would. their caretaker’s favouritism for the surrogate daughter he’d found in estrella had planted the seed of resentment and in turn, stifled and isolated her entirely. it was in this eventual seclusion that she learnt the value of independence and began throwing herself into skating completely, suddenly glad for the chance to thrive all on her own the way she’d watched the other wards do.

she grew reticent, internalising all she felt for the sake of whatever semblance of a family she still wanted to cling to. the same would eventually be said of the response estrella had to an equally crushing realisation… that she’d never quite compare to a dead girl.

the rosy retrospection of childhood had begun to fade. estrella can’t ever pinpoint a specific moment in which things changed for them but gradually, over time, when she would come to meet richard’s eye… her heart sank. in the midst of reminiscing, she could feel he wasn’t looking back at her at all but rather at winifred… or whatever semblance of his daughter he’d long been projecting onto estrella. it was an all too painful revelation, one that haunted her from that point on.

more than anything, estrella wanted to escape her own skin. flee from any part of herself tied to the woodrow daughter who had so mysteriously disappeared that bleak midwinter night. this striking resemblance that had changed her life and been the cause of all her woe. had anyone accepted her for who she truly was?

despite the fierce independence she’d adopted, estrella still found herself clinging to the father she’d once known him to be. looking on in rumination, she’d wonder ( at length ) if his love for her was at all genuine… never once risking the inevitable confrontation out of fear for the loss that would follow. instead, keeping it bottled up once again. distancing herself little by little until she was out and away in the world — determined to be known as more than ‘the substitute daughter’, ‘the favourite’ or ‘the lookalike.’ her own person, at last.

although she was never too far away… and when richard called, she could do nothing else but gladly answer.

𓂅 * ⋆ AESTHETIC .

distinctly feminine, very gabriella from high school musical core with her wrap cardigans and ballet flats. though as an athlete, she’s an athleisure girly through and through. leotards, leggings, matching sets. day-to-day, she really favours layers that she can easily take off and put back on during training. the odd tracksuit here and there. even if it’s warm outside, you’d usually see her with a puffer jacket on hand because the rink is so cold. on more formal occasions, she opts for mini dresses and heels to help give the illusion she’s taller ( weeps in 5’1” ) and accessorizes with a sweet bow or two in her hair.

you’ll always see her wearing her charm bracelet however. it was a present from richard when estrella first joined her skate club and each time she’d compete, he’d add a charm. they’re all stars, in honour of her name.

𓂅 * ⋆ EDUCATION .

estrella was homeschooled throughout all her time at woodrow. as figure skating became more and more of a serious pursuit, it seemed easier to contain her schooling to the house. less distractions that way. her coach was certainly in favour of it. perhaps it was the people pleaser in her, the ‘perfect daughter’ of it all but she also maintained straight a’s too. it came as no surprise when she applied to richard’s alma mater of kingsbury college and got in on a skating scholarship. the real twist being that she soon deferred in order to commit to her sport full time and has yet to return to kingsbury to finish said degree.

𓂅 * ⋆ EXTRACURRICULARS .

figure skating, also known as her entire world. estrella had been a baby ballerina prior to being taken into richard’s care and he quickly accommodated for that love of hers with a continuation in lessons. however by the second winter she spent at woodrow house, he was soon introducing her to the frozen pond on the grounds and she took to skating it like a duck to water.

other pursuits include literature, musical theatre and classical music. their occasional outings as a ‘family’ to see operas and ballets very much inspired her.

𓂅 * ⋆ THEIR LIFE NOW .

estrella only left woodrow house three years ago and even then, living in-state meant she was still a fairly regular visitor. she’d moved into the city in order to be closer to her skating club, other rinks she frequented and transport for national and international competitions. being only a three hour drive away however, meant most national holidays were spent there at richard’s side, the odd special occasion and long weekend too.

in nyc, she shares a modest apartment with brandon, better known as brando. they used to skate together at the same club before he recently retired to pursue choreography at a nearby dance studio. there’s always been lingering romantic tension there but most of all, he’s her biggest cheerleader and a helpful objective party regarding all things woodrow.

all the while, estrella’s been forging her own destiny. she’s been competing internationally at the top of her discipline for years at this point. ( a writing guide on figure skaters advised not to go into specifics about competitions bc it’s a lot so, i won’t but let’s just say she’s a pretty decorated athlete and represented team usa at the 2002 winter olympics in salt lake city and was in the midst of training for the 2006 games before richard’s death. ) what she loves most of all though is getting to step out as herself. on the ice, the only narrative being spun is the one she creates. it’s a level of control she enjoys ( and dreads giving up upon her return to woodrow house. ) whilst she came to woodrow house seeking a family, she left seeking visibility and acceptance and in skating, estrella truly found that.

#wrhq.intro #it’s been 84 years #might add a graphic at a later date but i just wanted it out!!

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