What would you say are some of the qualities that distinguish Kuron as his own character? (And not just a Shiro replica.) You seem very attached to him and I'm curious to know how you see him.
oh ya I’ve always been pretty attached, I love all Shiro’s!! But also, from day one, I knew he was a clone. When season 3, first dropped, people were mainly split into two camps–1) that’s notmyshiro,, evil clone,, bad,, and 2) people who believed that the clone theory was ridiculous and not only was this Shiro, you were just mean and hated Shiro if you thought he was suddenly a clone. So like…it was a little tense. On the other hand, day one I was like–yeah, this is a clone Shiro, original Shiro is totally in the Astral Plane. But he’s still a Good Shiro, and I still love him, and he’s Trying his Best.
I think both Shiro’s are different, but still valid reflections of Shiro’s intrinsic character. There are the surface stuff, like clone Shiro having a distinctly different pitched voice–which Josh confirmed was intentional on his part–then there’s stuff like moments feeling replicated and mimicked from earlier behavior, his genuine desire to connect with the paladins despite some interpersonal obstacles wrought by circumstance, the haircut and change in clothes, ect. But then there’s also the deeper stuff.
Baby Clone has to struggle with finding where he and Black stand in a way I think original Shiro never had to, and that was very stressful. He was in a position where he believed that, not only had Black rejected him, but that she had delivered him into the hands of the enemy to suffer imprisonment again. He literally thought Black transported him to the Galra’s custody, and that’s a horrifying breach of trust.
He wants so badly to be a Paladin, to protect the people he loves, to repair that bond with Black. And, although disenchanted by her “abandonment” of him at first, he’s still very genuine in his efforts to reach out and restore that lost trust. It’s very telling. Especially how he pleads for Black to accept him–not for his sake, though this is eating away at him–but for the sake of his team and everyone in the coalition, everyone he wants to save. “You trusted me once. Trust me again.”
I think he also feels like he needs to be a leader more than Shiro because he needs to feel like he’s in control at a point in his life when it seems like he’s very much robbed of authority. Original Shiro of course likes feeling like he has a purpose in defending and protecting others too, likes the fact that he’s a capable leader when he’s had to fight for years for others to not see him as weak and helpless. But I think, after his time imprisoned, coping with the loss of Black as well as haunting flashbacks–he’s even more attached to the leadership role. And I think that, times when he’s sort of fighting more for control, contradicting Keith…that’s him sort of feeling cornered and trapped.
I also always thought that, those times when he lashes out, it’s due to stress and inwardly fighting the compulsions Haggar is pushing him towards. Which is interesting, but Josh also outright confirmed this. So those times when he seems uncharacterastically angry or stressed to the point of being extremely tense, that stems from this internal conflict that the original Shiro wasn’t constantly battling with. And that certainly takes its toll:
Would you agree that, until Haggar took control of the clone, that he was just as valid a Shiro as the original?
Josh: “Absolutely, he thought he was Shiro, he thought he was the original, and he didn’t really know. Granted, there were other things that were happening in him that he didn’t quite fully understand. Like when he got taken over, or when he kinda blacked out when they’re all in the Astral Plane, or when he had that whole conversation with Lance where he didn’t really know what was going on. Those were legitimate kind of Shiro-ish moments where he thinks that he is Shiro and this is something weird, and he doesn’t know how to explain it.”
“Yeah, he thought he was Shiro. And you can see in the way that he still puts himself second and tries to help the Paladins out. And yes, there were differences in Kuron/Clone Shiro–and a lot of those were more choices that I had made, in terms of…when he gets frustrated at certain things, it’s almost like his body knows something is not quite right. And that, trying to fight back against whatever impulses he’s being fed, manifests as anger and frustration, because he literally having a fight in his own head.” (source)
This Shiro, like the original, also very much has a playful side. We were just fortunate enough that we got to see him indulge in it for a whole episode :’) it’s sweet to see that he’s a bit childish here with insisting on his character type, and how he builds up this great big epic backstory and just gets so very into it…really sweet, and reminds me of the “Blam! Blam!” bit. I like that he’s happy to take the time to really get into character and cut loose and let himself have fun. He deserves every moment of it.
I also think that, perhaps because he’s had even more near death experiences at this point, this Shiro feels…more willing to take chances and speak his mind. At least, when it comes to his feelings. The way he jokingly says, “How many times are you gonna have to save me before this is over?” Teasing like that, in a darkly lit room, when it’s just him and Keith and that knowing smile? It honestly feels like flirting. And it’s pretty bold, because yeah, Shiro is always one to thank Keith for saving him.
But I felt like there was a special sort of intimacy in that acknowledgement, like there’s much more to this–like he wants it to be more. And he’s not afraid of saying it. Is he still not the Best at Relationships? Oh, yeah. Boy’s flustered and stammering when Keith comes back older and more ripped, lmao. But yeah, I think he’s maybe more willing to take a chance at Keith whereas original Shiro has seemed a bit more reserved before all that.
Ultimately though, at the end of the day, they’re both Shiro–and their desire to take care of their team is a universal constant. Just like their love for Keith. Again, it speaks volumes to me that Keith’s confession is what stops clone Shiro cold, and not the brother line. “I love you,” that’s what gets his attention, and I think it hints on some feelings on his end too.
Keith was the first person he thought of when he was dying. Keith was the only person he trusted to see him at his most vulnerable, to tend to him at his bedside. Keith is the only one he talks to until he’s ready to get back on his feet again. It’s Keith he thanks for saving him, Keith he has the meaningful reunion with, and ultimately, it’s Keith who has the most meaningful connection to him. One that transcends time and space. “The Red Paladin’s connection to you runs deep. Deeper than the others.”
And you know what else? It’s so powerful that Keith’s name is the last thing clone Shiro says, and the first from Astral Plane Shiro. It’s Keith’s name on their lips, Keith racing through their thoughts. Love for him is an intrinsically Shiro™ trait and it’s so very sweet.
When Shiro’s soul was adift and needed anchoring, something to tether him back to the mortal plane–it was literally their love for Keith that was the common thread that wound them together, that both Shiro’s latched onto. I’m still never gonna be over that.
And I know a lot of people weren’t happy with the Shiro’s fate, but…clone Shiro was dying, he wasn’t going to make it without some sort of magic to bring him back from the brink. And original Shiro was already dead, and had no body. They both needed each other to survive, and I think that…clone Shiro would have been happy for this. After seeing he was a clone, that maybe the bonds he had with Keith and his team weren’t what he thought, didn’t stem from memories that were “real”…I think that would really weigh on him.
But this way, he gets to be reborn–like original Shiro. They both become one, and both get a second chance at life. They might not be the same as before, but it’s not like one soul swallowed the other, parts of them are both there, and they’ve just been reborn. I think there are worse fates, and I think a second chance was probably more than either of them dared to hope for. People don’t ususally get second chances like that.
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