#hjbendergifs

[vladdyissues]

DANNY PHANTOM | 2.19-2.20 "Reality Trip"

[hjbender]

me, about to get into another ship with a bigger, even more problematic age gap than the one i'm currently in:

[softpadawan]

Every time I see Kanan Jarrus described as "brash" and "cocky"

His character summaries in published media are hilariously inaccurate.

The Rebellion Begins (Kogge, 2014):

Kanan: The Last Padawan (Weisman, Larraz, Camagni, 2015):

No. No. No.

Kanan Jarrus isn't Han Solo version 2.0. All of the above adjectives are more fitting to a man like Han. If anything, Kanan is Han's foil, his complete opposite. His description in The Last Padawan makes it seem as if he's the one who's hellbent on fighting the Empire, the gung-ho commander of the team, when in truth it's all Hera. She's the one responsible for pushing Kanan into the Rebellion. She owns and pilots the Ghost; she's the founder and the leader of the crew.

Hera is the true Spectre-01. Kanan is actually Spectre-02, and that's why his pauldron bears the number "02". It's not a romantic gesture, like some fans believe.

From Wookieepedia, emphasis mine:

Although various sources have identified Kanan Jarrus as the leader of the Spectres, Star Wars Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away states that Jarrus' Spectre-1 code name was given to him so that Imperials will incorrectly assume he is the group's leader, and states of Hera Syndulla, "Even though she is Spectre-2, this Twi'lek is the pilot and leader of the rebels."

Kanan is not the leader, or even a leader. Hera is. She always was. Initially, Kanan didn't want anything to do with the Rebellion, and in the second season of Rebels (The Siege of Lothal, S2 E01), he voiced his reluctance to work alongside other rebel cells, showing that even after seven years allied with Hera, he was still hesitant about taking on greater responsibilities. Hera was always the one pushing for more involvement. Kanan supported her, but only so far. He wasn't, in his own words, "ready to start another [war]."

Which brings me to the next section:

The Adjectives

Kanan isn't any definition of brash. He's cautious and controlled, always aware of danger, and not keen on taking risks, especially where the Force is concerned.

Above excerpt from The Rebellion Begins—ironically from the same book that described him as "brash"—where Hera tries to press Kanan into using the Force shortly before the events in Spark of Rebellion.

Kanan's acknowledgement of the necessity of taking risks didn't truly come into play until after he met Ezra. He actually tried to talk Hera out of recruiting him (and was right to do so).

Kanan isn't a "maverick".

Kanan's life from Order 66 until 5 BBY was nothing but him trying to blend in with the crowd and remain as inconspicuous as possible. His very survival depended on it (see also: A New Dawn; further supported by Cal Kestis's prescription for survival in Jedi: Fallen Order, below, emphasis mine):

"[T]here are three rules to survive. Don't stand out. Accept the past. Trust no one. The galaxy's changed. Whatever you do, don't reach within. Don't stand out. Accept the past. Trust no one. Trust only in the Force."

Sound advice. The last thing Kanan wanted was to draw attention, especially Imperial attention, and he did everything he could to prevent that.

Kanan is not cocky.

The man is the antithesis of self-confidence. So much of Kanan's journey in Rebels is the reclamation of his confidence and courage, coming out of the shell he'd built around himself for the last 15 years. He didn't approach Ezra with the attitude of "alright, kid, I'm gonna teach you to be a kickass Jedi!" He was reluctant to teach Ezra, wary of making mistakes, fearful of failing him, literally wracked with doubt and worry, as we see here in S1 E10, Path of the Jedi:

The only descriptor that is somewhat accurate to Kanan is "sarcastic", but he only does that occasionally, usually directed at enemies or when in situations he'd rather not be in. He doesn't make sarcasm his entire identity, unlike Han Solo, whose every other line of dialogue is a sardonic comment or quip. Even Obi-Wan is cattier than Kanan.

So why is Kanan marketed as a brash, cocky, sarcastic, arrogant maverick?

In my opinion, it's because the entertainment industry incorrectly believes a male character is only interesting if he's 1) a borderline asshole, 2) completely able-bodied and hypercompetent, 3) in possession of a great power, or 4) any combination of the previous three.

A cautious, traumatized, insecure male character who suppresses his abilities, goes with the crowd, and doesn't stand out, who is naturally tender and kindhearted toward people, isn't going to be as marketable—especially in a male-dominated arena like comics—even though it's a more accurate description of Kanan's character. He isn't the classic, charismatic hero archetype that boys can project themselves onto... unless they spin him that way to sell merch.

But the trend of the Arrogant Asshole Lead Male is declining in recent years, I've noticed. Major characters like Cassian Andor and Cal Kestis and sad desert hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, men who are still dealing with the mental fallout of Order 66 and/or suffering under the soul-crushing oppression of the Empire, men who are haunted and traumatized and disempowered, are becoming more prevalent. Their stories are being told. That's fantastic. I'm personally bored with the same old cocky-witty-genius-talented-billionaire-playboy male stereotype (who always has a perfect comeback) that has dominated the entertainment industry for half a century. Broken, imperfect characters are a thousand times more interesting to me, and so are their stories and character development. It's difficult to develop an already-perfect character, or one who never changes.

I think I've excised all my aggravation now. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. Support your local Traumatized Jedi™

[vladdyissues]

[vladdyissues]

DANNY PHANTOM | 3.07 "Livin' Large"

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DANNY PHANTOM | 3.04 "Torrent of Terror"

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🫡

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DANNY PHANTOM | 1.14 "13"

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DANNY PHANTOM | 2.11 "Secret Weapons" & 2.17 "Kindred Spirits"

[vladdyissues]

When I first started watching Danny Phantom, I thought Danny's "ghost sense" came from the fact that many accounts of spirits and other paranormal phenomena report an extreme drop in temperature when such entities are present. So I was like, yeah, that makes sense. Danny's "feeling" ghosts. I thought he was just extra sensitive now, that he was noticing the cold before anyone else, or that the cold ghost energy was condensing around him.

The idea that the coldness was coming from within Danny, and that it was a side effect of his freeze abilities, perplexed me when it came up in Season 3.

Frostbite: Now, then. Lesson one: stop shivering.

Danny: I-I-I c-c-can't.

F: This is because the cold is contained within you, and ever since you acquired your ghost abilities, you have only been letting it out in small amounts.

D: Like when?

F: Every time you sense a ghost is nearby.

D: My ghost sense? That's been a part of this freeze power all along?

It makes me wonder if Danny's ghost sense originally started out like I suspected, then the writers decided to change things 6 episodes from the end of the show and give him ice powers for the express purpose of defeating Undergrowth in this episode.

[vladdyissues]

Vlad Unfiltered ‣ 2/∞

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Vlad Unfiltered

[vladdyissues]

DANNY PHANTOM | "Music Masters"

After Danny gets bewitched by one of Ember's love ballads, Vlad has to return to his Skunk Punk roots and fight music with music in a bid to cure Danny of his love sickness.