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zarinahook · 4 months ago

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Sorry it took me a little while to respond, but I wanted to make sure my ideas were clearly expressed.

I originally wrote this as a response to@pinkytoothlesso11's message, but it ended up being way too long—so I figured it’d be easier to just reblog it instead. Also, thank you all for taking the time to read and engage with my theory. I really appreciated hearing your thoughts and reading the different perspectives you shared. It means a lot, and @averagechickenenjoyer made me want to check out those fanfics I hadn’t heard of before!

Oh and one last thing before we begin…

Don't worry@theslayerbrother I didn't take anything personally and I know Claire didn’t get the spotlight she deserves in my theory but it won’t get any better further down in my post😅—promise it’s nothing personal, I love her too! 😄

So @pinkytoothlesso11 I agree with what you said about the danger of letting problems pile up and ending up having to face all the enemies at once—that would indeed be far too dangerous.

However, there’s one point I don’t completely agree on: it’s about Claire and Not-Enrique. If we assume that Jim lets Not-Enrique take Enrique’s place when he could have prevented the kidnapping, yes, that would preserve a central character for the story’s development… but it could also create several problems.

To me, there are a few possible scenarios that could follow Jim choosing not to intervene in Enrique’s kidnapping, allowing Not-Enrique to replace him. But in that case, something major changes from the original story—Jim is going to feel guilty. And I think that guilt would eat away at him. I just can’t see him coping with the idea that his girlfriend’s little brother was once again sent to the Darklands, especially when this time, he could have stopped it.

And in this timeline—does Claire know her brother is a changeling? If yes, then she knows he’s been taken and replaced. That leads to two possibilities:

Either Jim hides the truth from her and lives with that burden on his conscience, which would be really damaging to their relationship.

Or, overcome with guilt, he ends up telling her the truth—that he knew and did nothing. And at that point… could their relationship really survive? Could Claire ever forgive him?

As for Claire’s involvement in the troll world, I’m torn. Sure, Jim could tell her about the troll world once they start dating. But in this timeline, Jim is no longer the Trollhunter, so Claire isn’t automatically connected to Trollmarket anymore. She was accepted there because she was Jim’s girlfriend and because she spoke Trollish.

Now, if Not-Enrique is still her brother, maybe she learns Trollish anyway… but if not, she probably doesn’t study it, and as a result, wouldn’t earn Vendel’s favor. And let’s not forget—it’s Toby who’s the Trollhunter now. And at the beginning of Jim and Claire’s relationship, Toby was feeling kind of left out. He saw Claire as a rival in his friendship with Jim.

Would he really want to bring her into Trollmarket—the one place where he can exist without feeling like he’s competing with her?

That said, yes—Claire could still be involved in troll matters without going to the market. But I think her role would likely be smaller than in the original timeline.

And above all, she wouldn’t have the Shadow Staff. Even if, as you mentioned, Angor Rot returns thanks to the Arcane Order, he returns alongside Morgana. And Claire wouldn’t be strong enough to wield the staff without already knowing magic. Morgana is way too powerful for that.

You also brought up a point that really made me think: you said I’m assuming things will play out more or less the same as in the original timeline, aside from a few key differences. And you’re right—that’s exactly how I built my reasoning.

That’s probably what’s causing the problem in my conclusion, because it leads me right back to the same place as the original timeline—and so, very likely, to the same ending. Maybe with different deaths, but ones I can’t predict.

In the end, the only real change in my reasoning is that Jim knows what’s coming and can try to prepare for it.

But in that case… why change the Trollhunter?

Jim is already ready. He already has the experience. Toby, on the other hand, has to learn everything from scratch. That’s a major loss of precious time—especially in such a dangerous context.

So why did Jim choose Toby? It wasn’t random—it was a deliberate choice.

And what if the whole point was to let the events unfold differently—to have Toby’s choices shape the future, instead of Jim’s, which led to a tragic ending?

Maybe everything now depends on Toby’s decisions—choices we don’t know yet, but that could change everything.

What if...

Just a heads-up, this is going to be a pretty long post... sorry 😅

Spoiler alert! If you haven’t seen Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans or the full Tales of Arcadia series and you don’t want to be spoiled, do not read any further. This post will reveal the ending of the movie as well as many major events from the series—it would be a shame to have the story spoiled this way. Like finding out that Santa Claus makes an appearance in the film 😯 (Just kidding! But that was your final warning—happy reading and/or go discover this amazing universe 😊)

So, I watched Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. To be honest, I really liked the movie. The story is solid, the stakes are high, and the character development is well handled. However, the many character deaths throughout the film really shook me. Before finishing the movie, I thought Strickler’s death—right after we learn about his engagement to Barbara—was the most heartbreaking moment. Especially since I’ve been attached to that character ever since the first episode of season one. But when I saw Toby die, I was truly devastated. I never imagined the writers would kill off such a joyful, kind, and young character.

And then came the time travel. When the film ended with Toby being chosen by the amulet, I wasn’t sure how to feel. Honestly, my first thought was, “Steve lost his kids and went back to being a bully—how depressing!” I reacted the way I usually do when I get upset about part of a story—I go through all the stages of grief. I cry during the scene, I get angry at the writers, I pretend it’s not canon, and sometimes... I reach acceptance. For example, someone spoiled the ending of How to Train Your Dragon 3 for me, and out of a mix of denial and anger, I still refuse to watch the movie to this day.

Back to Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans—for a long time, I decided the movie didn’t exist. Then, for no real reason, I decided to give it another chance. When I watched the ending again, I started thinking: Was Jimmy’s choice really the right one? What changes will it cause? Will Steve and Aja become parents again? (Half-joking, but I was seriously frustrated that Steve got reset to square one in his character development.) So I thought a lot about it, and I decided to go through each character one by one to see how they’d be affected. I’m going to highlight the events that will change now that Toby is the Trollhunter, the ones that will likely still happen, and ultimately determine whether Jimmy made the right decision or not.

So, without further delay, let’s begin with the hero of the series: Jimmy Lake Jr.

Jimmy

Jimmy is no longer the Trollhunter, but he still remembers everything. He knows the entire story—everything that’s going to happen. This means he can step in to alter certain events and has a completely different perspective on things. He’s also more mature now and has gained greater self-confidence.

I’d like to explore more how he could anticipate events alongside the other characters. That knowledge gives him an advantage, but it could also become a burden.

In fact, I think Jimmy might experience more stress. He watched Toby die right before his eyes, and now all the Gum-Gum are after him. His life is far more dangerous than before. I wouldn’t be surprised if certain missions became more difficult simply because Jimmy refuses to let his friend face danger without being able to help.

Toby

Toby is now the Trollhunter. You could say his training is going to be tougher, but we can already see at the end of Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans that he’s stronger than he was at the beginning of the series—he manages to climb all the way to the top of the rope, something he couldn’t do before.

There are also several events that are likely to play out differently, simply because Toby doesn’t have the same personality as Jim. But I’ll come back to that a bit later.

I’m deliberately skipping over Claire for now, because I need to explain a few other things first in order to understand how this will affect her character development.

Strickler

There’s a lot to say about this character, and all of it is important. First of all, Strickler is once again Bular’s right-hand man, but he doesn’t know who the Trollhunter is. In fact, when he discovers it in the original timeline, it’s by setting up a meeting with Jim in his office—and we see at the end of the film that this event still happens.

This is a key detail, because it means Bular doesn’t know who the Trollhunter is either. He’ll obviously find out eventually, but it’ll take longer. At this point in the story, Strickler doesn’t realize the Trollhunter is human, and he’s still focused on getting revenge against trollkind. He’s also still a loyal member of the Janus Order.

However, we shouldn’t forget that in this new timeline, Strickler has been with Barbara from the very beginning—and their relationship is far healthier than in the original series. He’s no longer dating her to gain leverage over the Trollhunter, but because he genuinely has feelings for her. Jim accepts their relationship now, which is another major change—he becomes a source of support for Strickler. This could lead to them growing closer, with Jim even becoming an emotional anchor for him.

Moreover, Strickler and Barbara are likely to become much more involved. We could even imagine them moving in together. This would add a whole new dynamic to the relationship between Jim and Strickler. While Strickler already had a certain fondness for his young “Atlas” in the original timeline, here he would truly become a father figure. His need to protect his new family would likely take precedence over his loyalty to the Janus Order.

And this change in mindset would bring about one of the most significant shifts in the story:

Strickler would not release Angor Rot. Why would he? Angor Rot is extremely dangerous, and Strickler wouldn’t risk unleashing a bloodthirsty assassin now that Bular is dead and his family is finally safe. With all these changes, I really don’t think he would still be interested in changeling superiority or the Janus Order’s goals.

Finally, we might even get to see Strickler and Barbara’s wedding—and maybe even the birth of a little “Stricklacke”!

Enrique

Jim knows the whole story—including the exact day Enrique is supposed to be kidnapped by the goblins. This means he can stop it from happening, and Enrique will stay with his family.

Not-Enrique

Since Enrique is never kidnapped, Not-Enrique will remain in the Darklands. He won't come to the human world, which means he won't form the sibling-like bond with Claire that developed in the original timeline.

And now, I can finally come back to Claire.

Claire

Claire and Jim will get back together, since their relationship was never actually tied to Jim being the Trollhunter. However, this time, she won’t be the girlfriend of the Trollhunter—just of Jim. That means she won’t be involved in the troll world, which is very closed off from the human world.

In addition, Claire will never receive Morgana’s staff, since Angor Rot was never freed.

Lastly, the relationship between Claire’s parents and Jim will be much healthier. Without Not-Enrique living with Claire, their house will never be trashed or attacked.

Barbara

Barbara’s relationship with Strickler is deeper and healthier in this timeline. Strickler will never try to kill Jim. He’ll never disappear. The relationship between Barbara and Jim will also improve, as there will be far fewer lies between them. She won’t be enchanted by Strickler, and therefore won’t have to break a spell or suffer memory loss. And since Angor Rot was never released, she also won’t be injured or put in danger by the spell in the first place.

Blinky

Blinky is a bit more complicated. He’s no longer Jim’s mentor—he’s now Toby’s. However, I don’t think Blinky will develop as strong a bond with Toby, simply because Toby’s personality is different from Jim’s. Jim, on the other hand, still sees Blinky as a mentor and father figure. He’ll continue to turn to him for advice, share his doubts, and stay close to him—much like how Toby is very close to AAARRRGGHH!!!

That said, I don’t think their bond will grow strong enough for Blinky to gift him a Vespa for his birthday.

Aaaaaargh!!!

The relationship between Aaargh and all the characters remains unchanged. The fact that Toby is now the Trollhunter doesn't affect Aaargh’s personality or bonds.

However, there’s one major detail that impacts Aaargh's character: Angor Rot is never freed. That means Aaargh doesn't die, there’s no deal made with the Janus Order, and Vendel keeps his staff. Aaargh also never travels between the land of the dead and the living, meaning he can’t serve as a vessel for Kanjigar’s spirit—if that was even necessary later on.

Vendel

Not much changes in Vendel’s storyline, apart from one major and wonderful thing: he doesn’t die. Since Jim knows that Queen Usurna is a traitor and planning to kill Vendel, he’ll be able to prevent it. As a result, Blinky never becomes the new leader of Trollmarket.

Steve Labrute

After some thought, I realized Steve’s story wouldn’t change either. It’s not tied to Jim being the Trollhunter. He still catches a goblin, befriends Eli, meets Aja, and has kids. Even if Aja doesn’t return to Earth to fight the Titans, I doubt she’d never come back to see her little brother and Steve. So the infamous fifth kiss accident would still happen.

We just have to wait for him to become a bit less annoying first.

Elie Pepperjack

Same thing with Eli—his story stays the same. It’s not linked to Jim being the Trollhunter.

Chomsky

Chompsky’s storyline remains mostly unchanged, except that he won’t go to the Darklands, since Enrique never gets kidnapped. So he won’t be injured and stays with Toby.

Bular

For Bular, not much changes either—except he might die earlier. Jim knows his entire plan and Bular doesn’t know who the new Trollhunter is, so Toby will have more time to prepare.

Gunmar

Since Claire’s little brother is never kidnapped, they won’t need to go to the Darklands to rescue him. However, Jim promised to save all the babies in the Darklands, and he knows Not-Enrique is trapped there too. Even if he doesn’t know him personally, I doubt Jim would ignore someone in need.

But since Jim is no longer the Trollhunter, his opinion doesn’t carry the same weight. Will he be able to convince enough trolls to join a rescue mission? That’s tough to predict, but essential to know whether Gunmar escapes or not. Because even if the mission happens, different people and strategies could affect the outcome.

For the sake of this theory, I’ll assume Jim fails to convince the trolls to go. As heartbreaking as it is for Not-Enrique, it seems the most logical.

Nomura

Since the Battle of the Bridge of Agonir plays out the same, Nomura will still be imprisoned in the Darklands and won’t be rescued by Jim.

Merlin

Since Gunmar is never freed, there’s no reason to awaken Merlin. He stays in his tomb, and Jim never becomes half-troll.

Draal

I can’t imagine Toby challenging Draal—it’s just not his style. So Draal won’t be banished from Trollmarket or end up living with Jim (or Toby), meaning he won’t bond with the new Trollhunter. That said, he won’t sit out the Battle of Agonir either. I imagine Draal earning redemption there, and losing his arm in the fight, as before.

Since Gunmar and Angor Rot are never freed, Draal won’t be possessed or killed.

Morgan

If Gunmar isn’t freed, then neither is Morgana. The Battle of Eternal Night won’t happen. Trollmarket stays intact, and everyone remains in Arcadia.

Reine Usurna

She’s trickier. As a queen, she still has a whole people behind her. But without Gunmar, she’s far less dangerous. She may still be an antagonist, but without an army, she’s not as much of a threat.

Dictatious

Dictatious remains in the Darklands. Blinky never learns his brother is alive or working for Gunmar, so he never burns his library.

Krel et Aja

Their story remains unchanged, since it’s unrelated to Jim’s role. However, Jim and Claire will be present this time around since the Battle of Eternal Night doesn’t happen. The rest of their plot continues as usual.

Mage contre sorcier

First off, Jim, Claire, and the entire Trollmarket stay in Arcadia, so all the adventures they had while Toby and Aaargh were away won’t happen. Jim doesn’t get injured or put into magical sleep.

Since Merlin was never awakened, there’s no time travel. However, Camelot still exists, as does the Green Knight (a.k.a. King Arthur). The fight against the Arcane Order will still happen, but this time, Jim already knows about them and can prepare—especially from his very first meeting with Douxie.

Douxie will probably insist on waking up Merlin, as their bond is more like father and son, in my opinion. With the threat posed by the Arcane Order, I think Merlin will be awakened.

And now… I find myself at a dead end. Almost every character is back, and we’re once again facing the same terrifying enemy. The Arcane Order is just as powerful.

From this point on, it’s impossible to predict what happens. Will Toby and Strickler survive? It’s uncertain. And maybe if they don’t die, someone else will.

Honestly, after finishing this alternate timeline where Toby becomes the Trollhunter, I personally believe Jim’s decision wasn’t the right one.

A better solution might have been to go back in time and stop the Arcane Order before they gained power. But I’m not even sure that would have worked.

In the end, I’ve put a lot of thought into this theory, only to arrive at a frustrating conclusion. I still can’t find a way for the Arcane Order to be defeated and give everyone a happy ending.

Let’s not forget: in this timeline, not only is the Arcane Order still alive and dangerous, but Not-Enrique and Nomura are rotting in the Darklands.

So no, Jim. This really wasn’t a good idea.

Despite my best efforts to give this movie a second chance… I’m going to keep pretending it never happened.

If you’ve made it all the way here with me—thank you so much for sticking around. I’d genuinely love to know your thoughts. Do you see things the same way, or imagine a different outcome?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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